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Top Xbox 360 releases for October 2008

October is typically a crazy month for videogame retailers and this year is no exception; titles are flooding the market and sending GameStop managers into drug treatment for all the stress they’re under as their stores stock up for the holiday shopping season.

In fact, I know of a couple EB managers who are still going through drug rehab stemming from last year’s holiday rush, but that’s beside the point; as consumers, this is one of our top months, so we must spend our dollars more wisely than ever, so as not to get caught with a stink-bomb game. Here’s our list of the best Xbox 360 games for October 2008:

Dead Space

Available October 14, this is one of EA’s rare entrances into the popular survival horror genre. You’re a communications tech trying to repair the damage done to ship’s communication on a mining vessel in space, cut off from all sources of help, when you discover most of your fellow crew have been massacred by an alien entity that now has you in its sights. Looks to be can’t-miss stuff.

Rock Band 2

Available October 19, this sequel to last year’s genre-growing title guarantees your investment by being completely backward compatible with all original Rock Band songs: instant music library! And because we’re recommending RB2… no, Guitar Hero World Tour does NOT make our list for the 360.

Fable 2

Several years in the making, Fable 2 is the game many people bought their Xbox 360 to play. Well, it’s finally here October 21 and looks like it’ll live up to all the hype. Nuff said? You bet.

Fallout 3

Available October 28, the folks who brought you the first great RPG of the 360 era are back and pushing the envelope again! Bethesda’s Fallout 3 is among the most anticipated RPGs of the year, and a great way to round out a very very strong month for the Xbox 360.

Review: Spectral Force 3 (360)

It’s quickly becoming clear that the Xbox 360 is becoming the new platform of choice for RPG fans, and Atlus’ Spectral Force 3 release is a clear case-in-point. As a Tactics-style RPG with a strong Japanese influence, Spectral Force 3 is exactly the kind of RPG that, in the previous generation of hardware, would have appeared on PlayStation 2 without a second’s hesitation; so its appearance on Xbox 360 with no announcements of a PS3 version could signify a lot about the direction of RPGs in this generation.

The game focuses on a band of military mercenaries under the leadership of grizzled veteran Judo; when he receives a mortal wound early on, he makes a split decision to pass leadership of his ragtag group of warriors on to the raw, mostly untested Begina, rather than a more veteran member of the cadre.

It’s a decision that seems destined for ridicule and to drive Begina to an addiction to weight loss pills, though eventually the rest of the group comes ‘round and decides to give him a chance.

As for the gameplay itself, it is standard Tactics-style RPG fare. This, of course, is a good thing if you consider games like Final Fantasy Tactics and Disgaea to be the pinnacle of an enjoyable gaming experience; many do. The game offers a solid mix of storytelling and action, loads of side-quests and a challenging battle system that keeps adding new elements to maintain freshness throughout the epic storyline.

The leveling up system is quick and easy, and allows you to make gains right in the middle of battle, as soon as you reach the necessary level of experience to advance. Each battle also rewards you with some pooled experience points you can distribute as you see fit, post-battle, and is useful for helping newly-acquired characters catch up to the rest of your party if they join up later in the game.

The backdrop is a European-like continent that is in a continual state of war as multiple sides fight for dominance; early on, you’ll receive most of your missions from one side only and the main missions will help turn the tide of battle to their side. However, as the story progresses, you’ll be able to change allegiances like any true mercenary.

The story itself is rather generic when it comes right down to it; the characters do not aspire to grow beyond genre expectations and the plot developments won’t surprise veterans of this genre much. Still, the dialog is witty at times and the core attractions, really, are the lovely complex battles.

Sure, the graphics are nothing revolutionary and could just as easily have been pulled off on last-gen hardware; but then Tactics-style RPGs have rarely been noticed for their cutting-edge graphics – game play is king.

Due to some great depth, smart map design and a wide variety of foes offering various challenges to success, Spectral Force 3 is a solid entry into the genre that won’t leave you bored after the first dozen or so battles. The only thing holding it back from true greatness is a more engaging and original storyline. Beyond that, the challenge level ramps up at a nice, accessible pace while still offering a chance to be outwitted every step of the way. Good show!

Review: Zoids Assault (360)

Playing Zoids Assault is like fooling around with a girl who needs to use a lot of acne scars cream; you may get somewhere, but you won’t feel good about doing it. What this Atlus-published turn-based strategy RPG with a military flavor wants more than anything is to be the next Front Mission (SquareEnix’s storied military strat-RPG). Instead, it plays more like a less action-oriented version of some Mobile Suit Gundam game, only worse.

Now, I usually enjoy a good, solid Tactics-style RPG as much as anyone you could name; but that’s not what Zoids Assault is. It’s more of a turn-based military strategy game with RPG aspirations that never really pan out. The graphics, while attempting to be next-gen, simply don’t impress, especially since the horrid game camera frequently places your point of view to one of the least-complementary angles possible for each action following a turn choice.

The battle system is complex and never sufficiently explained; the game simply tosses you into the middle of an extremely challenging battle against aggressive AI foes who will probably finish you off a couple times before you find your way around and take out the enemy. Of course, only dedicated fans will possess that much patience for a game that has no tutorial mode, poor documentation and an imposing learning curve.

I mean, really, who wants to invest three or four hours in your first two or three battles, only to win once and never really come away from the experience knowing much about why you lost. Making matters worse is that the game offers no way to revive fallen units once they’ve been dispatched by enemy forces, which even in the first battle are frequently more powerful than yours.

It’s nice to see Xbox 360 getting some Atlus-love and building a respectable RPG library, but this sort of me-too-ware is a disappointment, rather than a must-have for any discerning RPG lover. It’s a bit too early in the new generation of hardware for garbageware to be tolerable, and unfortunately, that’s the category Zoids Assault falls into; if you can only choose one Atlus RPG on 360 this summer, skip this one and be sure to grab the impressive Spectral Force 3 instead.

If you like insomnia…

If you enjoy insomnia, have I got a game for you.

It’s a little gem for the Xbox 360 called Lost Odyssey, and it’s everything that Blue Dragon wasn’t; epic, moving, serious, enthralling. It’s the perfect sleep wedge to keep you up well into the wee hours. Even my wife has lost countless hours of sleep since bringing the game home with us from the local GameStop.

While some folks have said the game relies too heavily on text for Kian’s dreams, the stories told are so evocative that anyone taking the time to read them will be moved and forget about the inconvenience. Face it, Lost Odyssey is an instant classic.

Review: MLB 2K8 (360)

It’s a bit sad when a once-solid franchise falls behind the pace, and that the only way, really, to regard MLB 2K8. The game isn’t bad, but the problem is more one of coasting while others are revving ahead. For Sony gamers, there is an alternative in the company’s MLB 08 The Show, but for Wii and 360 owners, MLB 2K8 is pretty much the only game in town.

Much like having an exclusive lock on football titles has made EA Sports’ Madden series lazy and uninspired, so too has having a third-party exclusive on MLB titles made 2K Sports’ baseball titles seem lazy and uninspired. Not having any legitimate competition tends to do that.

The nihilism kicks off almost from the word go; the graphics seem barely touched from last year’s edition, which wasn’t that great to begin with. Even before the 2K8 edition, even before the PS3/360/Wii era had begun, the series was troubled by freezes, glitches and graphical dead space; that hasn’t changed and eventually one has to wonder if 2K Sports and developer Kush Games even care about fixing the game visually.

While Ben Brinkman of Kush has been quoted from several sources saying that 2K8 is the “middle act” of a three-year plan to make over the franchise, that does little to comfort gamers who are shelling out hard-earned bucks for this year’s version. The franchise needs a top-to-bottom graphic makeover using an all-new game engine to really deliver the goods, and that’s not a position 2K Games is in; under their exclusivity agreement with MLB, 2K Sports is obligated to deliver a new iteration every year, which shortens development time, making a complete makeover difficult.

Yet the progress this year seems merely incremental, not revolutionary, especially from a graphic perspective. The new Swing Stick interface is actually harder to time and master than last year’s version, and the all-new pitching system is very realistic, based on analog stick interaction, but also is quite difficult, especially for less experienced hardball gamers, and ultimately many folks will end up choosing an older, alternate control scheme – which, at least, 2K Sports had the courtesy to include several of within the game. Mastering the pitching control scheme is ultimately rewarding, but extremely hard, kind of like buying car insurance online.

On the 360, the graphics lack the fluid animations of other sports titles on the market and feel like they are chugging along; I’ve seen the PS3 version in action and it’s no better, so it’s not a platform issue, it’s a developer issue.

While the new pitching control is a highlight (if you can ever get the hang of it), it’s not the only aspect of the game that’s strong and praiseworthy. Responding to long-term criticism, support of minor league teams has been vastly expanded. The game features no less than 90 real-life minor league teams, as well as 20 authentic minor-league stadiums, with more periodically released over the course of the season via Xbox Live for the 360. Those minor league teams even have some of the real-life players on them, although this is limited to those players who have at least spent some time in the majors.

I also appreciated some of the refinements made – to my complete surprise, since I usually suck at fielding – to the fielding controls. Even baserunning has improved, thanks to smarter baserunning AI. These refinements are not major new features, but have long been needed and offer some much needed relief from a problem that has plagued the series for a long time.

In the end, though, the “room for improvement” areas are critical and more numerous than the nice improvements and new features. Sadly, since Microsoft long ago stopped developing their own first-party baseball game, there is no alternative for 360 owners looking for an MLB game this season. It’s not a terrible game, but it could and should have been a whole lot better. Here’s hoping 2K9, allegedly the year in which 2K Sports and Kush will complete their makeover of the franchise, will finally deliver the goods on all levels. At the moment, however, I’d suggest saving your shekels this year and keep on playing 2K7.

Review: Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (PS3)

Although Lost Planet: Extreme Condition is published by Capcom, playing through the game brought an old SquareSoft game to mind; specifically, Xenogears of PSone fame. Just as in Xenogears, you begin Lost Planet as an amnesiac young man who remembers little of his past, but knows how to pilot giant mechs. Of course, there are many differences. Xenogears was a PSone title by Square that delivered turn-based RPG epic storytelling that, today, would seem awfully dated; Lost Planet is a PS3 title (originally Xbox 360) that is anything but turn-based, delivering all-out shooter action in full HD quality visuals.

Yes, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition is a game that’s over a year old on the Xbox 360 and can be obtained for about $10 less than the full retail of the discounted PS3 version (roughly speaking, about $30 on 360 these days, compared to $40 on PS3). So are there reasons to buy this version? Sure there are.

First, the PS3 version is more like a director’s cut, offering all 16 of the downloadable multiplayer maps that Xbox Live users had to shell out points to obtain; additionally, players can unlock two new characters that can be used in both single and multiplayer mode, as PS3 exclusive characters; namely, Frank West of Dead Rising and Megaman. There are others as well, although those may be more familiar to veterans of the Xbox 360 version of the game.

The story is essentially unchanged; you are Wayne, part of a group of snow pirates who are trying to run the planet E.D.N. III of a savage, bug-like alien race known as the Akrid. Wayne’s dad was killed by one such Akrid, named Green Eyes, and shortly after that, Wayne was injured, lost his memory and rescued by the snow pirates. As one of his only memories remaining is the memory of how to pilot the giant mechs that are particularly effective at ridding the planet of Akrid, Wayne soon becomes key to the battle against the Akrid.

One problem; the Akrid carry this glowing orange goop in their bodies that turns out to be a great energy source, so total annihilation of the monsters may not be the ultimate goal, here; harvesting their goop is apparently a great way to deliver low-cost energy to the galaxy, so… well… you can imagine where things might get dark from that point on.

E.D.N. III is, by the way, an ice planet full of blizzards and howling winds, about as far removed from a Royal Caribbean atmosphere as carrots are removed from bicycle shorts. In other words, it’s a very atmospheric game that delivers action-based horror and chills in the same spirit as horror classic The Thing, only louder and with a lot more action and shooting and explosions. And it definitely delivers that sense of being on a lonely, nearly lifeless frozen planet, kind of like a trip to Lambeau Field.

If you like shooters, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition’s not a bad choice. The story segments are nowhere near as extended as a more RPG-style shooter title like last November’s Mass Effect, and there’s far more action at a far faster pace. Gamers who appreciate a shoot first, ask questions later approach to their gaming will find a friendly experience in Lost Planet: Extreme Condition.

The single-player campaign mode is initially the heart of the experience. Lasting a decent amount of time for an action-adventure shooter title (12 to 20 hours, depending on how you play), Lost Planet has a terrific storyline with plenty of surprises and a shocking end that still has the Xbox community buzzing a year later. This is one of Capcom’s better but less-heralded efforts of the past couple years, so it makes a welcome addition to the growing PS3 library.

Yet what gives the game lasting appeal is the online mode, in which you can team up with, or fight against, up to 16 players at a time; and since this game is now on the PlayStation Network instead of Xbox Live, you don’t need a Gold subscription to play online; on PSN, the online gaming is free, a nice bonus for those PS3 gamers late to the Lost Planet party.

The game looks sharp in both standard definition and in HD; however, this is where the port-over exposes some of the game’s shortcomings. Little was done to take advantage of the uniqueness of the PS3 platform; those playing with the SixAxis controller are offered no motion-sensitivity, which makes the loss of force feedback even more noticeable; although the DualShock 3 will be released soon, there’s no word yet on whether Capcom will support the new controller, once released, with a patch adding force feedback back into the game.

Furthermore, even though the game is now on Blu-Ray disc on the PS3 format, Capcom did not take advantage of the extra space to offer the game in full, true 1080p HD resolution. Sure, you need a HUGE HDTV in order to appreciate the 1080p difference, but gamers who have that sort of set-up will be annoyed that the game looks no better on PS3 than it did on the Xbox 360, thanks to the lack of 1080p support.

Still these are details, not deal-breakers. Designed by members of the teams that brought such Capcom classics as Onimusha and Devil May Cry to life, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition is an incredibly fun title that excels at kick-butt boss battles and levels featuring the Akrid. Levels featuring evil snow pirates are less engaging due to flawed enemy AI, but the AI on the Akrid and bosses are much better. The only disappointment is that most Akrid opponents all have the same weakness; shoot them in the orange glowy part of their body and they are easily dispatched, even though getting clear shots in on that part is not always easy; it’s just disappointing that it’s variations on the same strategy for nearly all the Akrid opponents.

That said, in the balance of things, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition is a fun game; there’s absolutely no reason to buy the game again if you already own it on Xbox 360 and also happen to own a PS3. However, if you only own a PS3 and missed out on this action-horror classic, this is one game that’s not quite as spendy as most new PS3 titles, yet delivers the goods.

Review: Blue Dragon (360)

Much as I hate to admit it as a longtime Sony devotee, Microsoft is making a lot of right moves in the Xbox 360 era. Their platform was the first to play host to the first and biggest hit of the new generation of hardware, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. They’ve gone on to play host to such unique hits as Gears of War, Mass Effect, Halo 3, and even Bioshock. Now, their latest effort at irresistible Xbox 360 exclusives is: Final Fantasy XII! Well, not really. But perhaps, in a way, it is a title that deserves that nom de plume more than the tales of Vann and Panello ever did, at least in the eyes of purists.

I’m talking, of course, about Blue Dragon. Yes, Blue Dragon is not published by SquareEnix. Yes, Blue Dragon is not part of the Final Fantasy series. And yes, Blue Dragon is not appearing on either a Nintendo nor a Sony system. But in three ways that count, Blue Dragon is the “next Final Fantasy” for those who appreciate the work of a game’s creators, more than its brand name.

You see, Blue Dragon, developed by Mistwalker Studios and published by Microsoft, is the brainchild of three of the most important minds in Final Fantasy history. Hironobu Sakaguchi is the game producer and scenario writer for Blue Dragon, a role he played in pretty much the first 10 installments of the Final Fantasy series.

Akira Toriyama is the character designer for Blue Dragon, and it is his art that set the tone for many early Final Fantasy titles, as well as several other early SquareEnix titles. Finally, Nobuo Uematsu is the composer of Blue Dragon, and it is his compositions that adorned many of the early Final Fantasy and other SquareEnix titles.

Sakaguchi fell out of favor with Square after his Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within movie flopped at the box office and, as Square either merged or formed partnerships with other major Japanese RPG developers, such as Enix, GameArts and others, the Final Fantasy series has moved on without Sakaguchi-san.

But Bill Gates felt the guy who created Final Fantasy might have a few good ideas left and, given the freedom to create completely new IPs instead of more Final Fantasy iterations, just might find that old spark of creativity once again. So he drafted Sakaguchi to form Mistwalker Studios and add talent around him, which included Toriyama and Uematsu, and create a series of Xbox 360-exclusive titles for the Seattle-based billionaire’s second go at a gaming console.

Blue Dragon is Mistwalker’s first release to see the light of day. It’s anime-inspired, cartoony style, provided by co-developer Artoon, aligns the game with some of the earlier Final Fantasy titles, as well as Final Fantasy IX. Yet it is by far not the only release planned. Announced and forthcoming from Mistwalker for the Xbox 360 are Cry On, Lost Odyssey, an as-yet untitled RPG project that promises to be a 50-50 mix of RPG and MMORPG, as well as an already-planned sequel to Blue Dragon, tentatively titled Blue Dragon 2. Mistwalker is also branching into handheld development with tactical RPG, ASH: Archaic Sealed Heat, Away, and Blue Dragon DS, all for Nintendo’s DS platform.

But all of that means nothing if Blue Dragon falls flat on its face, right?

Relax. Blue Dragon is loads of fun. Spanning an amazing three DVDs, Blue Dragon is a lengthy, epic turn-based RPG that should reinvigorate interest in the turn-based battle systems by keeping the pace swift and options widely varied.

Immediately familiar despite being a completely new IP, the tale begins with a humble village that seems to be attacked by “land sharks.” Three young friends, determined to save their village from another devastation by this creature, set out to destroy it and uncover shocking truths about its nature and origin that are just the tip of the iceberg in this massive RPG epic, and even with all that, there’s not a stair lift in sight, in spite of the geriatric-seeming main villain.

The basic concept in Blue Dragon is a bit odd when you first encounter it; most characters have shadows that become living guardians, imbuing warriors with powers beyond their own abilities in battle. It’s cutesy and cartoony in concept and design, and might vaguely bring to mind the old PlayStation 2 RPG, Okage: Shadow King. Well, wipe the bad memories of that title from your mind right now; Blue Dragon is fresher, more entertaining and offers a far deeper story than OSK ever approached.

The turn-based battle system relies mostly on the abilities of these magic shadows, and each turn offers gamers a wide variety of choices. When played on easy mode, Blue Dragon follows the standard mold of PS2-era Square RPGs, keeping most encounters relatively easy, but ramping the difficulty level up past 11 when it comes to major boss battles. And there are some battles you are doomed to lose for storyline purposes, though they are rather obvious. In hard mode, the battles are more balanced, and a downloadable extreme mode makes the game rather hard to conquer at all, even when facing basic enemies, although it can be done.

These extra modes inspire some replay appeal, although the story remains essentially the same on repeat play-throughs. And considering the amount of time required to explore every inch of Blue Dragon, completing everything and finishing all three DVDs of content, some gamers may want to go play something else before embarking on any replays at all. It’s a massive story that can deliver over 100 hours of play to anyone inspired to explore every nook and cranny and not cheat themselves by skipping over the very entertainingly-told story.

While Blue Dragon is clearly old school in its cartoonish art and turn-based gameplay mechanics, very distinctly different from a completely next-gen RPG-style title like Mass Effect, Blue Dragon definitely delivers something to the 360 that the original Xbox system never had enough of: an RPG so original, exciting and appealing, it will make PlayStation fans feel like they’re missing out on something important in the RPG landscape.

Review: Bee Movie Game (360)

Lots of licensed movie-to-videogame properties end up stinking worse than Bill Clinton and Rush Limbaugh in a mud-wrestling contest. Yet somehow, the Bee Movie game manages to avoid most of the pitfalls and offers up a fun action-platformer experience. And on the Xbox 360, no less!

Part of the appeal of the Bee Movie Game is the game’s sense of playful humor. My wife commented that few games make her laugh, but some moments from the game had her laughing so hard, her sides started hurting. Of course, having some Jerry Seinfeld as the source material doesn’t hurt.

The game loosely follows the plot structure of the film, with lots of expanded content over the course of the game. All the elements you’d expect in an action platformer can be found here; what makes it stand out is the witty dialog and direction. The comedy tends to be of the slapstick/pratfalls variety, which would send people scrambling for the nearest Charlotte cosmetic dentist if it ever happened to them in real life, but it works here.

There is plenty to do, even for the ADHD crowd. There are plenty of objects to collect, puzzles to solve and enemies to defeat. Plus, there is, in essence, a trophy room where you keep mementos of your exploits.

Bee Movie Game may not be as inventive within the genre as Rachet and Clank or Jak and Daxter, but it earns praise for sheer cleverness and comic sensibilities. The bee character is funny and enjoyable, and the humor is kept at a kids-safe level. What more could a person expect, realistically, from a game of this sort?

Review: Mass Effect (360)

A couple years ago, when BioWare bypassed the chance to rework NeverWinter Nights in favor of working on their own RPG project, the Internet erupted with speculation on the nature and type of game the highly-respected developer might have in mind. Since the early days of the original Baldur’s Gate on PC through Xbox masterpieces like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire, the company has produced respect-inspiring hits throughout their existence.

And yet, Mass Effect is nevertheless a jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring success. Even when you expect to be inspired, surprised and blown away, BioWare manages to exceed expectations and Mass Effect is no exception. As part one of a three-game trilogy, Mass Effect is an science fiction epic in the best tradition of Star Wars, Star Trek and, perhaps most noticeably, the new Battlestar Galactica.

From the opening moments, gamers realize they are playing a true next-generation videogame. The photorealism of the graphics is second to none – even the well-regarded Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Not only is one treated to a fantastically detailed 3D world, but everything in it seems the product of loving attention to detail. Hologram characters are see-through and when object behind them pass by, you can see distorted versions of those objects just as one might surmise the effect would be. That’s just one example.

More importantly, BioWare pulls off a goal that the folks at SquareEnix has been talking about since the launch of the PS2, and that is detailed enough character models that they can, through subtle, nonverbal looks, portray convincing and recognizable emotions. If you are harsh to a crewmate, a simple look can communicate whether you earned their respect or damaged their emotions. This helps place in-game characters on a level similar to real actors, in terms of conveying story in a videogame setting that has no live actors.

What helps deeply in achieving this goal is a new, far more complex dialog system for character interaction. Few if any games have ever attempted such a bold and ambitious branching dialog system as is found in Mass Effect, and your responses affect far more than in any previous game I am aware of, events throughout and the ultimate outcome of the story.

The story, at the outset, focuses on Captain Shepherd, who by default is a male, although you can create a female Captain Shepherd if you wish. In creating your Captain Shepherd, you are allowed to choose from a combination of backstory elements that could make Shepherd anywhere from a complete jerk to an idealistic hero; the choice is yours. There is not a large variety of costumes for Shepherd; he (or she) wears standard military issue togs, so you can’t deck your Shepherd out in gold chains or anything that exotic and out-of-tone, but that’s a good thing. However, the appearance of your Shepherd is highly customizable and effective, as well as subtle and natural-looking.

Either way, the central story centers around humanity as a new, promising, but relatively inexperienced member of a galactic community full of politics that cast humanity in every possible light, from favorable to demonic. The primary impression, however, seems to be one of jealousy as humanity seems to be climbing the ranks of the galactic council’s favored races far more quickly than species who have been waiting their turn for far longer.

Shepherd, it turns out, is a candidate to join an elite force of galactic enforcers who are necessary to keep order in the galactic alliance, but who operate so far above the power of the ruling council that when they go rogue, there is no balance to check their power. That’s the main reason for the galactic concern over a human joining such lofty ranks, as well as the initial plot device pushing things forward, as Shepherd is cast against an alien who, humanity believes, has indeed gone rogue.

What is especially impressive about Mass Effect is the size and variety of the explorable planets in the Mass Effect universe, each of them as fully realized and painstainingly individually designed as any one game world in any other game. Although the explorable worlds in Star Wars: KOTOR I & II was impressive for its time, Mass Effect takes this level of explorability to a new level of openness. Fans of Oblivion will find a comfortable home in Mass Effect, rather than feeling penned in.

And yet Mass Effect presents an entirely different sense of storytelling than did Oblivion. While Elder Scrolls IV was all about letting the story play out in action, Mass Effect’s story is more naturally integrated into gameplay, yet feels as tight as a cutscene, rather than a random encounter. Story elements trigger as you explore and play and battle your way through environments.

The battle system is also of note; gone are the optional turn-based/action-based options of Star Wars: KOTOR and in its place is an all-new action battle system that embodies the thrills of a squadron-based shooter, while maintaining the important character progression aspects of an RPG; Shepherd and his crew will grow in their skills and abilities as the game progresses and you level up.

The system is thoroughly enjoyable, delivering a smart combination of action-based visceral thrills as well as the tactical control and improvement aspects of the best RPGs. That allows a gamer to feel as they though have improved over the course of the game, rather than remained static and boring.

In terms of balance, the game has stretches that become talky and make one anxious for some action, yet the ability to explore such vast worlds and converse with such a diverse cast of characters holds an appeal all its own. Planetside missions can vary from action-oriented sequences to such procedural detective footwork as traveling to various locations, talking to and reinterviewing folks to unravel various mysteries.

The subtlety of the game is that its characterizations are rarely stark black-and-white, good-versus-evil situations; even seeming villains have motives that can be understood and, at times, even sympathized with. This is the art of high drama and Mass Effect certainly delivers the message that it is possible in this new generation of hardware to have storytelling, rather than graphic prowess, take center stage in a gaming experience.

That’s not to suggest there is a lack of action in Mass Effect; there are plenty of battles, some thrilling boss-level characters of the bowel-emptying variety; and a wide variety of locations and environments in which the action plays out.

In the final analysis, Mass Effect is more than another RPG; it is the next big “true next-gen experience” in modern videogaming and it is found exclusively on the Xbox 360. Now, that may not remain the case, of course; BioWare was recently purchased by EA Games and is no longer, after the first Mass Effect title, under any obligation to only develop future sequels exclusively for the Xbox 360. That said, the company is fond of the 360 platform and appears to have some independence of EA Games’ corporate mandates, so the series may indeed remain a 360 exclusive, which Microsoft would certainly love to see happen.

No matter what hardware platform the game appears on, however, Mass Effect definitely qualifies as the next great “next-gen must-play” game experience. Who knows? In years to come, the Mass Effect trilogy may yet be spoken of with the same reverence as film trilogies like the original Star Wars and the more-recent Lord of the Rings movies.

Certainly, the story Mass Effect has to tell is on no less epic a scale.

Mass Effect and Blue Dragon are 360 home runs

If ever a couple of videogames were, by themselves, reasons to re-outfit your entertainment room with an HDTV and a plasma TV lift, as well as all the other accoutrements of of the new generation of videogame goodness, Microsoft and their Xbox 360 partners have come up with it this holiday season.

I’m speaking, of course, about Mass Effect, developed by BioWare, and Blue Dragon, developed by Mistwalker Studios and – basically – created by the same minds that brought us the first nine editions of Final Fantasy. I have recently spend time with both and am completely re-devoted to my Xbox 360, which only a couple months ago was gathering dust as I had run out of new things to discover in Oblivion.

Like Oblivion, Mass Effect and Blue Dragon are also RPGs; none of these games, however, are very much lick each other. Everyone by now should know what Oblivion is like. Mass Effect is an sci-fi RPG that is more completely cinematic, photorealistic and deep than any game you’ve ever played.

Now, that’s not to say Mass Effect can’t be beaten quickly. I know one killjoy who bragged about “beating” the game in 30 hours. Personally, I like to take my time in good games and really explore and enjoy every nook and cranny, every encounter, every bit of dialog. And that’s where Mass Effect excels; with the quality of the animated actors, combined with the voice acting and an all-new, more complex than anyone’s ever seen before in a videogame dialog system, Mass Effect is a complete winner and probably the new winner of “a real next-gen RPG experience” award type of game. That honor previously rested with Oblivion.

Blue Dragon is completely engaging as well, but in completely different ways and for different reasons. Blue Dragon makes no pretenses of being photorealistic or completely immersive. Instead, it is quite simply chock full o’ action and never stops dishing up the thrills.

Of course, unlike Oblivion and Mass Effect, Blue Dragon is turn-based, but the system is do fun and fast, you might not notice.

Anyone who says the 360 is allowing PS3 to catch up hasn’t played Mass Effect or Blue Dragon.

The entertainment stand of tomorrow

Finding the right cabinet hardware for a modern entertainment system is harder than ever. Just think of all the stuff you need to fit on it. Here’s a list of what I’d want, if budget were no barrier:

1) 48-inch TrueHD (1080p) Sony LCD HDTV

2) 6.1 Surround Sound stereo system, preferably by Bose

3) DirecTV HD digital video recorder

4) 80GB Apple video iPod with docking station for home play and charging.

5) Xbox 380 (top bundle available)

6) PlayStation 3 (top bundle available)

7) HD Radio and Satellite Radio tuners

8) Blu-Ray DVD player (HD-DVD sucks and I don’t want to overuse my PS3)

9) Entertainment center chairs

10) Nice cherrywood construction on the entertainment center

Think about it. How easy is it to build all that and yet have room for some DVD / games / music CD storage racks nearby? They don’t come cheap, that’s for sure.

Will Blue Dragon live up to hype?

Grab some gel pens and mark it down: as much potential as Microsoft’s forthcoming 360 RPG, Blue Dragon, has, it does bear a lot of potential to fall short of the expectations built by the hype surrounding the game.

Sure, the Mistwalker crew of Hironobu Sakaguchi, Akira Toriyama, and Nobuo Uematsu are something of a dream team. But with such prestigious names associated with the same title, taking on an all-new, unproven IP, the unfamiliarity of the new franchise could make the game a bit of a harder sell than many are expecting.

Think of it this way: you have the character designer of DragonBall Z, the creator of Final Fantasy, and one of the music producers of Chrono Trigger. But none of them are working on DragonBallZ, Final Fantasy or Chrono Trigger. It’s something new, and fans coming to the title expecting it to be a lot like DBZ, FF or CT may come away disappointed by the differences between Blue Dragon and those beloved properties.

That’s not to say Blue Dragon will be a disappointment or a failure. Not at all. But if anyone is expecting it to sell on the same level as a Final Fantasy title, they could be disappointed. A better point of comparison would be Fable.

Fable was a new IP when it debuted on the original Xbox. It had a great set of creative types behind it. And it sold very well … for a first title in a new IP. Within a year or so, Fable 2 will debut on the 360 and is expected to far exceed the sales of the first Fable… because it’s now a known quantity.

I expect a similar reception for Blue Dragon. It will do quite well, for the first title in a new series. But sales likely won’t approach the same level as the top RPG franchises right out of the gate; that will come as future chapters are released. Perhaps by the time Blue Dragon III is unleashed, it will be able to challenge the sales figures of the top RPG franchises.

That’s what happened to Shadow Hearts. Sales figures like that are not shabby. But anyone expecting Final Fantasy XII sales figures from Blue Dragon will be setting up a false expectation of what success for the title will look like.