3. Alpha Protocol - So, do you like being a spy? Do you like customization? Then you’re going to love Alpha Protocol. Watching through several of the gameplay videos and you’ll quickly discover that Obsidian Entertainment has opted to go the route of making you feel like you’re in a spy movie. Customizing your character down to the attachments that you’re able to have on your weapons makes the game worth of note on its own, but the RPG elements are what truly sets the title apart. Able to upgrade weapons and abilities allows for various flows in how you aim while playing the game. If you want to play guns blazing, you can do that, but the cool thing is that you can play through the entire game without ever killing a single person. It becomes quite apparent that many of the gameplay elements have been lifted from Mass Effect, but they’ve been noticeably streamlined. The dialog options in conjunction with the RPG elements take what made the sci-fi epic great and place it into an intriguing and compelling spy universe. The sheer amount of content and options makes this game worth at least two playthroughs and that is more than enough to keep me thrilled for a long time.
2. Halo 3: ODST - I’ve heard some people are still on the fence about ODST, while some people are decidedly picking it. Not only am I picking it up, but I’m getting the special edition because that controller is just too damn good to pass up. That and even if I never play as Sergeant Johnson in Firefight, I’ll at least have the option. But while this new iteration is going to be somewhat different from what many gamers have become acclimated to in regards to Halo titles, change is not all bad. The new pistol and silenced smg give off an air of badassery that is oft unseen in most games. Combine this with the inclusion of all of the multiplayer maps that have been released for Halo 3 as well as the 10 maps that you can slay the Covenant in Firefight on and the value of the game quickly increases. While you don’t get to play as the Chief, the intrigue behind the Rookie as well as what happened in New Mombassa between Halo 2 and Halo 3 is something that is just too good for me to pass up. That and it’s made by Bungie, so as far as I’m concerned, it has the potential to descend from the Heavens and make my 360 sing and dance with joy.
1. Modern Warfare 2 - Developer Infinity Ward brings you Modern Warfare 2, the long-awaited sequel to the best-selling shooter of all-time, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. I thought for a long time about what to write here, but if you’re a gamer and you own a 360, you should own this game. I’ve been asked if it looks fun or it has potential to be great and I can only retort that this may very well be the shooter title that the Xbox 360 was created for. It won’t reinvent the wheel, but it may very well provide players with so much fun, their heads may explode in happiness.
