2 New Halo 2 Maps for $4! Coming April 17th

The announcement follows:

Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios today confirmed the upcoming release of two new, eagerly awaited downloadable maps for “Halo® 2.” The maps will be available as premium downloadable content for Xbox® and Xbox 360™ on April 17.
Fans of the original “Halo” have long requested the addition of some of their favorite maps to the critically acclaimed multiplayer experience of “Halo 2.” These re-creations, developed by Bungie and Certain Affinity Inc., are a perfect way to thank fans for their support as they surpass 800 million hours of “Halo 2” gaming on Xbox LIVE®.
The two maps will bring new life to ancient battlefields and legendary skirmishes, as both are new, improved and redesigned remakes of fan favorites from the original “Halo: Combat Evolved.” For the price of $4 for the pair, these maps bring a fresh burst of action to the seminal “Halo 2” online multiplayer experience. Both of the maps will be available through the “Halo 2” in-game content downloader for both Xbox and Xbox 360.*

The king of “Halo” maps has returned at last. Hang ’Em High, arguably the most popular multiplayer map for the original title, has been reimagined for “Halo 2” as Tombstone, with all-new graphics, features and a few hidden surprises. Now fans will enjoy the dangerous catwalks and trenches that made this the most requested “Halo” multiplayer map ever, with a modernized “Halo 2” flavor.

The second map, Desolation, is a symmetrical, Deathmatch-oriented map and a beautiful remake of the original Derelict. With new graphics and effects and a massive gameplay overhaul, the old favorite is now faster-paced and more balanced than ever — perfect for intense “Halo 2” combat.

5 Video Game Things I think...

1. That Castle Crashers (http://www.thebehemoth.com) will be the greatest Xbox Live Arcade game ever. Now when the hell does it come out? I've heard not till 2008...d'oh! Microsoft will you please tell us the Arcade Release schedule. Telling us on Monday which game is coming out Wednesday isn't good enough.
2. That Playstation 2 has seen its last great game in God of War 2 and that God of War 3 would really help the PS3 out.
3. That the Shotgun in Gears of War is WAY too powerful now and that there is a dominating Host advantage with the weapon, thus diminishing GOW's online multiplayer significantly. Vegas anyone?
4. That the new bungie.net is quite possibly the best integration of webpage and game that I have ever seen and that they have taken stat tracking and game strategy to a whole new level. BTW where the hell is the Halo 3 Beta...man is that taking too long.
5. That Nintendo DS hasn't seen a good game come out since the Holiday season and Pokemon Pearl and Diamond (or whatever) are not what is going to make me dust the DS off. Where is Zelda Phantom Hourglass? How bout a Metroid Fusion 2? I need some games to look forward to here.

Castlevania SotN Xbox Live Review

So does the "Best Castlevania of all time" stand the test of time? Of course it does! Castlevania Symphony of the night is better than ever in $10 downloadable form. In fact, my favorite feature of the game is the ability to sit on my couch and switch to Castlevania for some exploring without having to switch my game discs or the like. This is a classic that is an absolute steal at $10.

Gameplay: 10/10
Pros: Classic and epic 2D adventuring! This is really the type of game for me and the type of game I am draw a lot of influence from. The gameplay is just as good as it was on PS or Sega Saturn.
Cons: Is it just me or is Symphony a lot easier than I remember? Easier than the more recent DS Portrait of Ruin for sure.

Graphics: 8.5/10
Pros: The enhanced version really smooths out the pixels from the original. The animation is top-notch in all of its 2D glory.
Cons: The enhanced version is really just a pixel filter...imagine if they had actually redrawn the graphics for HD like in Alien Hominid. Also, the widescreen support could've been handled better...how bout extending the view of the castle instead of stretching it into ugliness or having a spiffy border (btw border is definitely the way to go).

Sound/Music: 9/10
Pros: Fantastic orchestral score, great sound effects
Cons: comical and shoddy voice work and some music compression issues moving from CD to downloadable content

Lasting Appeal: 9.5/10
Pros: Online leaderboards, an additional inverted castle, another playable character, and 200 achievement points that are well planned and difficult to earn.
Cons: Lacks the ability to play as Maria...a feature available in the Sega Saturn edition: Nocturne in the Moonlight.

Average: 92.50%
Tilt: +2.50%

This game is an absolute must buy and must play. It offers a very very lengthy quest that upon completion doubles (or more) in scope with the additional castle and playable character. It's playability makes it an absolute steal at $10 compared to the other Arcade games out there.

As a side note, why such a big deal about the size of Symphony? Yes, Microsoft increased the download Max to 250MB, but SotN is only 93MB. After all the fuss, I expected to wait longer for my download.

Verdict: 95%

Blog really bogged down

For whatever reason, the blog is loading incredibly slowly...or not at all. Not quite sure why, but I apologize and am looking into it.

Sony is just not listening to me!

Despite my numerous posts and opinions on how Sony can help its dismal Playstation 3 sales, they continue to make the same mistakes. My point has always been...keep the exclusive titles, but once again Sony ignores this lone blogger and instead loses exclusive titles. Devil May Cry 4 has been announced for the Xbox 360 add to that Namco's Ace Combat 6 (which follows Ridge Racer) and you've got quite a lot of Sony Exclusives no longer exclusive. While DMC4 is not nearly as big as GTA4, it was one of those games I liked on PS2 and was looking forward to on PS3. Guess I don't have to worry about that anymore! C'mon Sony... this trend continues and you'll lose your big exclusives: Metal Gear 4 and Final Fantasy. There's already rumors about MGS4 coming to 360. If you lose that one Sony, you're done. Actually, if you lose either of those you're done and you're already hurting. Exactly how is Sony going to combat Microsoft's Fall release schedule before the 07 holiday season? Forza 2, Halo 3, Mass Effect...all exclusive. Sony get your $h*t together.

Castlevania Symphony of the Night is on the Horizon

This Wednesday the best of the best Castlevania's will be released. We've been hearing about it for a long time, but the game that created the exception to the 50MB rule is coming out this Wednesday in all its 2D glory. Regarded as the best Castlevania game of all time, it will be an absolute steal at $10. Look for Castlevania Symphony of the Night this Wednesday/Thursday and a review of this classic next week.

NBA Street Homecourt XBOX 360 Review

Is Homecourt as good as Street Vol.2?…Not so much.



Don’t get me wrong, NBA Street is by no means a bad game. In fact, it is chock full of high production values and is a vast improvement over Volume 3. Despite all of this, Vol. 2 is still the best in the series in my eyes.

Gameplay: 8/10
Pros: The new gamebreaker system is great and offers a good system of risk and reward (opposing players can ‘steal’ gamebreakers). The fluidity of animations and the countermoves (a button appears over a ball handler or defender and if you press it you will bounce the ball through a defender’s legs, or steal the ball.) are also great additions.
Cons: The intuition of the kick pass (press down on the right stick) is gone! Blocking long range shots is way too easy and makes games dunkfests. Trick Remixer brings with it a lack of differing dunks, trick moves.

Graphics: 9/10
Pros: The graphics are good, the player animations are absolutely superb and the game has an organic overall feel because of the look and especially the animations of all the players. The filters put on the gameplay and ‘biography’ videos are sweet.
Cons: The courts are not that spectacular and don’t offer the variety of looks and tones (rooftops, dark alleyways) of previous street titles.

Sound/Music: 9/10
Pros: As always EA has spent a fortune on licensed tracks which are excellent. Voice work for the player biographies is excellent.
Cons: Voice work is a mixed bag during gameplay. It bothers me that we get great Carmelo voice work for in between game segments but then have generic player voices for nearly all the NBA stars. Players just all sound the same in game- generic. This may be nitpicking, but why not get voice work from all the players or just rip it from game footage? I want Iverson to sound like Iverson.

Lasting Appeal: 7/10
Pros: Online play is great (something Vol. 2 lacked) and there area several different game modes, and street games to be played. There’s achievements and all that too.
Cons: Achievements are incredibly easy. There are only 16 and they are each worth an absurd amount (like 50 points). They are also incredibly easy to get and I had over 200 within the first hour. The flash of NBA street and it’s appeal has worn off over the years.

Average: 82.50%
Tilt: -0.50%

EA is a massive studio (which I must admit I distaste ever since they monopolized the NFL license) and they crank out sequels nearly every year. As a result, their games always have the polish in the graphics and sound department, but the gameplay can drastically fluctuate from sequel to sequel. The Street series is lucky because it doesn’t suffer from the strict annual release schedule of Madden. Nonetheless, while Homecourt is much much better than Vol 3, it’s no Vol 2.

Verdict: 82%

Halo 3 Legendary Edition to Cost $130!

Wow, more Halo 3 News! though not nearly as good as the first...actually sort of bad news since the Legendary Version is going up from $99.99 to $130. You can buy 2 games for that. I wasn't planning on getting this excessive version in the first place and instead will stick with the moderately priced Collector's Edition. Anyway, the 130 bucks basically gets you a helmet case, 2 extra DVDs with behind the scenes footage, remastered cutscenes and documentaries on Halo 1 and 2, etc. Microsoft is definitely gearing up the Halo Hype Machine again. I expect a Beta release announcement and release date announcement in teh coming weeks, but that of course that is just speculation. Looks as if Legendary will definitely call for a Legendary price...I just don't think it is worth it, but there are much more avid Halo fans out there who I am sure will.

Halo 3...September Release!

The internet has been all a twitter with news that Halo 3 may indeed ship 2 months early and come on some time in September. Microsoft mentioned in a talk at the Game Developers Conference that Fable saw a nice doulbe bump when it came out in the early fall and then was picked up right around Christmas too. Add to that some anonymous sources and developers confirming Halo's early release and we have a rumor that may actually end up being true. It would make sense after all. By releasing Halo 3 early, Microsoft would be able to sell some more systems early and get a head start on their competition before the holiday season. Microsoft is pretty darn good with marketing...especially of recently. This would be quite a slick move and would definitely blow the competitions assumptions of a November release. We'll have to wait and see, but I just hope that they take the time to make it ready when it is ready. I want my Halo 3 to be better than 2.

One of the Best Games You’ve Never Played- Panzer Dragoon Saga

If you are a ‘gamer’ you have no doubt heard of this game. You can currently find this title on Ebay and Half.com for around $200 (I actually sold mine for $380 about 5 years back when the graphics weren’t so vastly different). It is truly a collector’s item since only 30,000 or so were made for the US since it was near the end of the Sega Saturn. I actually owned a Saturn (and pretty much every game) and preordered this title and got a copy of this 4 disc RPG epic. It scored a perfect 10 across the board in EGM back then and was one of the finest games on the Sega Saturn not to mention one of the best games of the 32-bit era. You can learn more about this game at Wikipedia.

Gameplay: 10/10
Pros: Fusing the action of the panzer dragoon shooters into an RPG was no easy task, but Saga did it perfectly. The battles were exciting and action-packed with a real-time engine. You could even explore towns off your dragon as the boy and the world was incredibly immersive with one of the most epic stories of the era.
Cons: The gameplay was perfect and the only con is that more people didn’t get an opportunity to play this title.

Graphics: 9.5/10
Pros: I know the graphics look awful now, but they were among the best for Saturn. It’s hard to rant about dated graphics, but you can still appreciate the nice CG work for the story and the amazing character and creature design. At the time this was a beautiful title.
Cons: It had some of the quirks of a Saturn game, such as polygon clipping, poor textures, and weird zoom issues (as witnessed in the above video).

Sound/Music: 9/10
Pros: The score was epic and the subtitles and language barrier helped create an even eerier post-apocalyptic world filled with mutants and dragons.
Cons: It would have been nice to have the voicework of the premiere Playstation RPGs.

Lasting Appeal: 10/10
Pros: The game was LONG as in 4 Discs long and even after that there were additional dragons to unlock. The story was fantastic and I believed I played through the story at least twice. It was one of the most engrossing games and the best RPG I’ve ever experienced.
Cons: No more Saturn, no more Sega Consoles, no more Panzer Dragoon… It would seem that Panzer Dragoon Orta will probably be the last game in this excellent franchise as Sega seems to focus on crappy Sonic games over developing and expanding some of their excellent Saturn franchises (Burning Rangers, Nights anyone?).

Average: 96.25%
Tilt: +2.75%

It’s a shame that Saga will never see a sequel or really be played by the mainstream. It was truly a gem of the 32-bit era. It can really only be appreciated by being played and Saturns are hard to come by and Panzer Dragoon is even harder or will cost you. If you get a Sega Saturn emulator and search for ROMs you may be able to experience this game, but it won’t be easy and isn’t really the same without having a controller in your hand. Probably cursed to be a hardcore gamer’s classic and nothing more, Panzer Dragoon Saga is still a testament to what Sega could have been. Phenomenal!

Verdict: 99%

Playstation Home- Savior of PS3?

Sony has recently revealed one of its newest online and FREE features for the Playstation 3. It's called "Home" and is basically a mix between Nintendo's Mii system, Xbox Live Achievements, and an open sandbox world. I guess it is all part of Sony's evolving online plans. The question is will anyone care? and can home help bring PS3 into the spotlight and back as the dominant console? If you know about Home already, you may want to skip a few paragraphs, but for those who don't, I'll describe its features to the best of my abilities.


Home is basically a virtual neighborhood. You start off by creating an avatar (like Nintendo's Mii system) and then are immersed in a virtual world. Sony truly offers next-gen customizations over the simplistic Wii approach (as seen in the provided pictures). You navigate this virtual world with your own personal PSP (kind of lame cross promotion if you ask me). You can use this PSP to visit the central lounge, which is a major hub for socializing. You can communicate via keyboard, emoticons, bluetooth headset, etc. There is also a Game lounge where you can play games such as bowling, retro arcade games, and pool with friends. Sony could of course release new content for that as well.



The next feature is your Apartment space...this is by far the coolest aspect of home (in my opinion) since it offers something entirely new to the online community but common in some sports titles. Your apartment space...like your avatar...is completely customizable. You can make a huge spacious luxury apartment, a contemporary ikea inspired space, or live in a poorer and messier lifestyle. Your friends can visit, talk strategy, launch multiplayer games, listen to music, etc. Other things home plans to offer is a Trophy Case- basically a rehash of Xbox Achievements, except you can display them in a virtual award. Sony plans on calling them Milestones. There's also a Theater which lets you get your Youtube on and I'm sure many other features I'm leaving out.

So here's my opinion on Sony's Home...they are definitely copying off their competitors, but are definitely improving on existing ideas. After learning about Home, I immediately was reminded of the Roman Empire and how it continually conquered people and stole the best of the culture and integrated it and made it their own. Sony is basically stealing the Mii idea and making it significantly better and way more immersive. I think the trophy case and milestones is a little bit of a lamer copy since it won't be completely integrated like Xbox Achievements. It's also nice that Home will be completely free...yes it will have advertisements in the world, but that's not so bad. I do think Home looks like an interesting concept that I definitely would play around with, so it's a good idea and looks to have a lot of polish and interesting content...will it save PS3? Hell no. Even though we live in a new age of Gaming where things are all integrating...Games still sell Game systems. Gears of War has sold Xboxes, Zelda and Wii sports have sold Wiis, Sonic sold Genesises, and Mario sold N64s, Gameboys, Nintendos...pretty much everything but Virtual Boys and Gamecubes. Great exclusive games mean that you have to own that system. Once you played Halo, you wanted an Xbox; you yearned for one. Sony needs to get some more exclusive games and some great ones at that to sell systems (Resistance isn't enough). Things are looking up for Sony though with Killzone returning to E3 this year, MotorStorm looking amazing, and the online component actually coming together. So while I think Home will not save PS3, I do think it helps. Exclusive software and content is the key to victory in the gaming world.

Worms Xbox Live Review

I have always been a fan of worms, so even though Worms for Xbox was a game I was very familiar with, I figured I had to get it simply for the fact that it has offline competitive play and the very best: Online Xbox Live competition. While the game offers a true and genuine version of Worms, I can’t help but feel its lacking a little.

Gameplay: 8/10
Pros: The gameplay has been very well adapted to the Xbox Controller, and while it is a little clunky at first, the great worm-blasting action is present.
Cons: The enemy A.I in the challenge mode is really slow…like the computer worms sit there with word bubbles over their head for 20-40 seconds. This makes single player matches go on way longer than needed. As mentioned before, there are some clunky controls and weapons that are sorely missed.

Graphics: 8/10
Pros: One of the better looking 2D Worms games. The 3D backgrounds add a lot of depth and are a good compromise: we get the classic 2D gameplay vs. the inferior 3D version, but get some of the graphical flair of the 3D version. The worms are VERY well animated.
Cons: There are WAY too few arenas to fight in…London, Volcano, Arctic…and ? It feels like they skimped on levels and even a level editor.

Sound/Music: 7/10
Pros: Great and still hilarious worm voices. Explosions and sound are great. Music is sufficient and tense.
Cons: Definitely a lack of variety with the worm voices compared to the PC iterations.

Lasting Appeal: 7/10
Pros: There is great online and offline play for 2-4 people. The online matchmaking is pretty simple and worked well and rather quickly. Playing against a human is a lot better than the computer opponents who take forever with their turns.
Cons: Only 20 weapons, a few maps, and no map editor make this game feel a little bare boned. Compared to other worms titles, it feels like Team 17 skimped on features.

Average: 75%
Tilt: -2.00%

Worms is a very capable title and a good fit for XBLA, but just being Worms on Xbox isn’t enough. Maybe Team 17 had to sacrifice features to meet Microsoft’s 50MB limit (which is being relaxed as announced at the Game Developer’s Conference), but I can’t help feeling that this version of Worms is a little expensive when you can pick up many PC versions for similar or cheaper prices. If you are a Worms fan and have to have it on your flatscreen, and Xbox than don’t fear…you’ll get the very fun, addictive and capable Worms gameplay. Otherwise, save some money and get a better product by going for one of the older PC titles.

Verdict: 73%

Webmasters Unite!

I'm getting really fed up with all of the link directories, exchange services nonsense. In my opinion the best exchanges have been with fellow game bloggers, developers and the like, so if you happen to be one of those and are reading this drop me a line (or comment) about doing a link exchange with this blog or Graduate Games.

BTW stuff is going really really well with our game and there should be news, videos, and announcements streaming in very very soon. Again sorry for the lack of reviews, etc., but hey I'm considering getting Worms on Xbox Live tonight so there's a potential review. Cheers

Xbox Live Booms

Xbox Live Subscribers hit 6 million...Microsoft announced this factoid and others at GDC 2007. Yes it's a little bragging and patting on the back, but still interesting statistics:

2.3 billion hours (or 95 million days or 260,000 years) of 360 games played online since Xbox Live's November 2002 launch. 710 million of those hours have been spent on Halo 2 alone.

Average of over 2 million text and voice messages sent over Xbox Live every day.

Average of 22 friends on every gold subscriber's friends list.

Total of nearly 300 million achievements unlocked by all 360 users with a combined Gamerscore of 7.5 billion.

Halo 2 and Gears of War continue to hold the top two spots on worldwide Xbox Live titles based on the number of unique users to play each game.

70% of Xbox Live users downloading content on Live Marketplace AND Xbox Live Arcade games adding up to over 135 million downloads since the 360's launch.

Over 5 billion Microsoft points bought/activated on Xbox Live. For those wondering just how much we're lining Microsoft's moneybags, that's nearly $27 million in virtual money.

The top five most-downloaded Xbox Live Arcade games (in order): Street Fighter 2: Hyper Fighting, Bankshot Billiards 2, Marble Blast Ultra, Uno, and Doom.

Streaming Video

Got this email about this player and wanted to gauge the feeling about it. Comments? Is it something I should permanently add to the blog?

Assault Heroes Xbox Live Review

So I was finally swayed by the positive reviews and the whole “IGN Xbox Live Arcade game of the year.” While I would not have voted Assault Heroes as the best of the year (Outpost Kaloki), it is certainly an entertaining game in a classic genre that works well on the XBOX Arcade.

Gameplay: 8/10
Pros: Blast-fest! Gameplay is completely reminiscent of the old 2D sidescrolling shooters. The game has a way of feeling unique despite copying off of many other shooter elements.
Cons: Shooting is fun, but it’s hard to see some of the shots coming at you and they get lost in some of the environments.

Graphics: 9/10
Pros: Definitely one of the best looking Arcade games out there right now (besides Roboblitz) it’s a 2D game, but everything is in 3D so trees get knocked down and explosive barrels have pretty impressive physics, etc. The water level is freaking sweet!
Cons: There’s always room for improvement…and in this game, the underground levels which feature a zoom in of your human gunslinger show the low polygon counts of some of the models.

Sound/Music: 9/10
Pros: Each weapon has a unique sound, and explosions boom and crackle. The sound is pretty perfect for the futuristic A-team premise too.
Cons: All the enemy shots, explosions, and your fire cause you to lose some of the sound effects. The warning beeping when your vehicle is about to blow up goes on way too long and is annoying.

Lasting Appeal: 8/10
Pros: Pretty long single player campaign with a very good variety of levels in both graphics and even gameplay. Coop is supported throughout the game, both online and locally. Achievements are actually tricky to come by and require some skill.
Cons: Not sure you’ll want to play through again unless you are obsessed with achievements and high scores, but definitely gives you a good bang for your buck.

Average: 85.00%
Tilt: +/- 0.00%

I don’t see any need to adjust this score. Assault Heroes is one of the most complete and polished Live packages. If you like shooters, it’s definitely worth a download.

Verdict: 85%

You can purchase the MS points to acquire this title through Amazon. Buying from Amazon helps support the people who write such great reviews as the one above.

One of the Best Games You've Never Played: Shadow of the Colossus PS2

Released in October of 2005, Shadow of the Colossus was a sequel of sorts to the cult classic, and PS2 launch title, Ico. I never played Ico, but Shadow completely stands on its own and is absolutely enchanting. Here I am 2 years later, and I am yearning to play the title all over again (the only question is where is it). Describing what makes Shadow so good is difficult because the game is more a piece of artwork and an experience than a game. It's truly breathtaking, both graphically, in scale, enjoyment etc. One of the true gems of the Playstation 2 and a title that probably sold a third as many copies as the disappointing and rather abysmal Devil May Cry 2. I do not want to ruin any of the majesty and wonder of the title, but the basic premise is that to save your love, you have to defeat these colossal beasts of the land. Shadow is really just a series of Epic Boss battles and mythical land traversing and exploring. There's no real point in breaking down what makes Shadow work and what doesn't work. The only complaint I had (still have) is that the adventure is over too quickly. A true gaming masterpiece that would make even the harshest anti-game senator admit that videogames can be works of art. A must play for any Playstation 2 (or 3) owner.

Verdict: 99%

This game is an absolute must buy at these prices:

Crackdown Review

Crackdown is one of the most recent high profile releases for the Xbox 360. Not so much because of the game itself but the fact that buying Crackdown enables gamers to participate in the Halo 3 Beta. Many scoffed at Microsoft’s audacity to package the Halo 3 Beta with a game that many gamers viewed as poor. This is not the case (no surprise given my first impressions) and while Crackdown is by no means a memorable, epic, or innovative game, it does get one thing right- Fun. The game is just an all out blast to play- plain and simple.

Gameplay: 9/10
Pros: Game is absolutely amazing in Co-op. You and your friend (or enemy) can do whatever you want and be wherever you want in the game world. Goof around and enjoy at your own will! The superhero attributes that your character receives is also genius and makes the game more and more fun as you jump higher, get stronger, and blow things up bigger.
Cons: The “sandbox” lacks some of the diverse mini-games and missions of the Grand Theft Autos, Saints Rows, etc. You Race, Jump, and Kill bad guys- that’s it. If played solo, the single player game can be beaten relatively quickly and with less enjoyment.

Graphics: 8/10
Pros: A unique- comic book style look that is by no means as sharp as most games on the 360. However, the streaming engine/world is much more impressive than the old GTAs on PS2/Xbox and there’s no draw issues or anything. The Physics and explosions are what really save the graphics from dipping further.
Cons: Not nearly as impressive or wowing as most Xbox 360 games…except when a pile of cars explodes from your rocket.

Sound/Music: 8/10
Pros: Explosions, guns, and all the other sound effects work great. The announcer is fun and catchy in a campy, lame way.
Cons: Music and radio stations in the cars is a skimp and a joke- the standard has been set as far as realistic radio stations go in these games. Announcer is very…informative and talks a lot…I don’t mind him, but I can see where if you don’t like the campy feel- you’ll be very annoyed.

Lasting Appeal: 7/10
Pros: Co-op probably has near infinite replay value…especially since you are free to come up with any antics you like. The game’s playability and great gameplay makes it hard to put down.
Cons: Lack of variety in missions and what you do in Pacific City hurts. As a solo experience, Crackdown is definitely not worth the pricetag.

Average: 80.00%
Tilt: + 5.00%

Here’s where the Halo 3 effect comes in…for me playing the Halo 3 Beta was definitely a selling point (well done Microsoft). Luckily, Crackdown is not a total bust and actually a game that captures being a super-hero a lot better than some of the Marvel and D.C. titles out there. It’s a blast to play…and Halo 3 with it just bumps it up another notch.

Verdict: 85%