Video Games » Xbox Games

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is a highly-anticipated game that lives up to all the hype -- it's a powerfully dramatic, cinematic and realistic gaming experience! Brilliant graphics will astonish you as you marvel at the film-style cutscene and gorgeously rendered locales Heart-stopping action and in-depth strategy

Stake: Fortune Fighters is a deadly and dangerous fighting event where fighters risk it all to earn a huge fortune and ton of respect!

We could talk about the Serious Sam backstory, but that would be missing the point, namely to commit carnage on a galactic scale. The smooth engine, multiplayer options, and fast pace make this game a solid choice for fans of first-person shooters. The interface uses the tried-and-true Xbox formula for shooters: the left thumbstick controls movement and the right thumbstick controls the angle of view. The extensive arsenal is something special though, with each weapon possessing a different efficiency so you have to find the perfect weapon quickly for each situation. For instance, the shotgun is a great weapon for up-close fighting among a crowd of enemies, but it's horrible at a distance or when you're stuck in the middle of a melee. The enemy list is also quite extensive. You will be fired upon, stepped on, stabbed, slashed, and electrocuted. Enemies will appear by land, air, and water. What makes this game stand out and keep you interested, though, is its irreverent, offbeat sense of humor. Serious Sam makes outlandish comments throughout the game, rides cosmic surfboards between scenes, saves progress at Dr. Who-like telephone booths, and pays homage to the Indiana Jones theme song. And you can change the blood splatters between red, green, and hippy (flowers and fruit). Our only major complaint is level design. Even when you believe you've cleared a room, enemies can pop out of midair and injure you. By not allowing you to seal yourself off from the onrushing masses in appropriate spaces, a major strategic element has been missed. --Eric Franklin

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Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding provides a completely different snowboarding experience from the likes of the more arcade-oriented SSX Tricky. You begin as little more than an unknown rookie boarder, but by completing various objectives like achieving

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Vehicle combat games have typically made up a good chunk of any console's library, but in the case of Blood Wake, the combat is taken to an atypical arena--the sea. Set against the backdrop of an Asian-themed locale where three different groups are vying for power, Blood Wake is a gunboat combat game that features good action, great graphics, and some of the most impressive water effects ever seen in a game. Playing as Shao Kai, you are betrayed by your brother and left for dead. After being rescued by a rival warlord, you swear allegiance to that warlord and join forces with him. The story and setting are pretty original for an action game, but the animated cutscenes aren't as engaging as they should have been; after watching the first few, you'll find yourself skipping them and jumping straight to the missions. Thankfully, Blood Wake scores big in this area. The missions run a wide gamut and will have you defending convoys, attacking enemy cargo ships, and collecting "payments." And though the missions are well designed, occasionally combat can degenerate into you and the enemy turning in circles in an effort to gain the best firing angle. Over the course of the game you'll have access to over 10 gunboat variations, each armed to the gills with a wide variety of weapons. Though you can't choose which gunboat you'll use before a mission, the game does a nice job of giving you the boat that will best serve your purposes. Controlling the gunboats is fairly straightforward; but, since you need to contend with the physics of the water, some gamers may find the controls a little frustrating at first, especially when turning and moving forward after being stopped. Fortunately, after a few missions gamers will get their sea hands and the controls will become second nature. Graphically, Blood Wake

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Circus Maximus: Chariot Wars is a brutal mix of racing and combat set during the height of Imperial Rome. The Great Circus provides entertainment to thousands of cheering crowds throughout the Empire. The greatest champions from the furthest reaches of the Empire have gathered to compete in the tournament to determine who is the greatest in the known world, and who will receive recognition from the emperor himself.As one of the many charioteers in Circus Maximus: Chariot Wars, you will strive to earn glory while racing through settings in the ancient Roman Empire. Compete in the northernmost expansion of the Empire in Britannia, or the cold, harsh lands of Germania, all to reach the ultimate arena, the great Circus Maximus. There is room for only one champion of the circus. Second place is the first loser, and, oftentimes, the first casualty. Fighting and driving are equally important. Each team has a warrior to protect the driver during the race, and these warriors are proficient in dealing out damage to any who stray too close. Prepare for racing thuggery as you attempt to survive and conquer Circus Maximus: Chariot Wars.

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