Thursday, March 15, 2018

Top 5 XBOX 360 Games (2017-18)


This time, we are looking at a short review list of 5 XBOX 360 games that are worth purchasing. Although each of the game offers unique possibilities, they are joined by one cause and that is the endless possibilities of replay and a lot of gaming hours. Below is the list of games that we are going to discuss.

     1.      Mass Effect 3
     2.      Mirror's Edge & Mirror's Edge Catalyst
     3.      Gears of War 3
     4.      Alan Wake
     5.      Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3

      1.      Mass Effect 3

Mass Effect 3 is an action role-playing third person shooter video game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii U.[1] Officially announced on December 11, 2010, the game was released March 6, 2012 and marks the final chapter in the original Mass Effect trilogy of video games, completing the story of Commander Shepard. A Wii U version was announced during Nintendo's conference at E3 2012. The Wii U port was developed by Australian developer Straight Right, and was released as a Wii U launch game under the title Mass Effect 3: Special Edition. The combat system in Mass Effect 3 was changed and refined from previous titles. In particular, the cover system was improved, additional options for traversing the battlefield and scoring instant melee kills were added, more conventional grenades are available, and improved artificial intelligence was introduced.
A four player multiplayer co-op mode is also available. Some of the cut scenes for Mass Effect 3 are influenced by decisions made in Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, for players who have completed those games, with minimal to no effect on the gameplay. Like its predecessors, Mass Effect 3 was released to commercial success and critical acclaim. Critics praised the emotionally powerful storytelling, art direction, improved combat, characters, soundtrack and voice acting. However, the game's endings were criticized by many players and critics as rushed, unfulfilling, and most importantly did not reflect the decisions made in predecessors, prompting the release of a free extended cut DLC (downloadable content) which elaborated on the consequences of the ending chosen and the choices made by the player throughout the series, as well as clearing up elements of the story. It was nominated for five awards at the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards and it won Best RPG of 2012. A new installment in the series, Mass Effect: Andromeda, was released on March 21, 2017.

2.      Mirror's Edge & Mirror's Edge Catalyst

Mirror's Edge is a first-person action-adventure platformer developed by EA DICE and published by Electronic Arts. The game was announced on July 10, 2007, and was released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in November 2008. A Microsoft Windows version was released on January 13, 2009. Mirror's Edge is powered by the Unreal Engine 3, with the addition of a new lighting solution, developed by Illuminate Labs in association with DICE.
Mirror's Edge is set in a quasi-futuristic dystopian society, in which a network of 'runners', including the main character, Faith Connors, act as couriers to transmit messages while evading government surveillance. In the style of a three-dimensional platform game, the player guides Faith over rooftops, across walls, through ventilation shafts, and otherwise within urban environments, negotiating obstacles using movements inspired by parkour. The game has a brightly colored style and differs from most previous first-person perspective video games in allowing for a greater freedom of movement with regard to its 3D environment. This allows for a wider range of actions—such as sliding under barriers, tumbling, wall-running, and shimmying across ledges; in having no heads-up display; and in allowing a range of vision which incorporated the legs, arms, and torso of the character as frequently visible elements on-screen. A reboot, Mirror's Edge Catalyst, was officially announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2013 and released on June 7, 2016 for XBOX One and Windows.


3.      Gears of War 3


Gears of War set the bar for Xbox 360 graphics pretty high in 2006, but it was polished and perfected later by Gears of War 3.  Gears 3 looks totally gorgeous with the best lighting, particle effects, and explosions in the series.  It still looks fantastic even today. Gears of War 3 is a 2011 military science fiction third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox 360. It is the third installment of the Gears of War series. Originally due for release on April 8, 2011, the game was delayed and eventually released on September 20, 2011. The story was written by science fiction author Karen Traviss.
Like its predecessors, the game received widespread critical acclaim from critics. Critics praised its story, voice acting, graphics and visuals, and music, but criticized its lack of innovation. Gears of War 3 sold over 3 million copies and was the second best selling game in the US. Gears of War 3 takes place two years after Jacinto, humanity's last stronghold, is destroyed in an effort to completely eradicate the Locust Horde. The Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) remnants relocate to Vectes, a secluded island, in order to rebuild their civilization. The COG then disbands after Chairman Prescott mysteriously disappears and seemingly abandons his forces. A new foe, the Lambent, are threatening humanity's dwindling numbers. As the Lambent begin to invade Vectes, Marcus Fenix and his comrades retreat to the CNV Sovereign, a helicopter carrier, and take refuge at sea. A sequel, titled Gears of War 4, was announced in June 2015 and was released on October 11, 2016 for XBOX One and Windows.

4.      Alan Wake

Alan Wake still stands as one of the best horror games on Xbox 360, and even going on 5+ years old, it still looks awesome.  The lighting effects are absolutely top-notch, which isn't surprising considering that light is your greatest weapon in the game.  Everything else looks fantastic too, of course.
Alan Wake is an action-adventure video game developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Microsoft Studios, released for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The story follows best-selling thriller novelist Alan Wake, as he tries to uncover the mystery behind his wife's disappearance during a vacation in the small fictional town of Bright Falls, Washington, all while experiencing events from the plot in his latest novel, which he cannot remember writing, coming to life. In its pacing and structure, Alan Wake is similar to a thriller television series, with episodes that contain plot twists and cliffhangers. The game itself consists of six episodes, and the fiction is continued by two special episodes, titled "The Signal" and "The Writer", that were made available as downloadable content (DLC) within the same year of the game's release. Together, they make the first season of a possibly longer story. Additionally, a six-episode live-action web series called Bright Falls acts as a prequel to the game, and a number of related books also expand upon the Alan Wake story.
Chiefly written by Sam Lake, Alan Wake took over five years to create—an unusually long development time in the game industry. The game received positive reviews from critics, and is often praised for its visuals, sound, narrative, pacing, and atmosphere. Alan Wake was awarded the first spot in Time magazine's list of the top 10 video games of 2010. Alan Wake's American Nightmare, a full stand-alone title, was released in February 2012 on the Xbox Live Arcade service. A sequel was in development but was cancelled. However, the scrapped sequel became the foundation and inspiration of Remedy's next title, Quantum Break.

5.      Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (Japanese: アルティメット マーヴル VS. カプコン3 Hepburn: Arutimetto Māvuru bāsasu Kapukon Surī) is a crossover fighting game developed by Capcom in collaboration with Eighting. It is an updated version of Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. The game features characters from both Capcom's video game franchises and comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The game was released in November 2011 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and was featured as a launch title for the PlayStation Vita in 2012. The game was later ported to PlayStation 4 in December 2016, and Xbox One and Microsoft Windows in March 2017. In Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, players select a team of three characters to engage in combat and attempt to knock out their opponents. As an update, the game utilizes largely identical gameplay mechanics to the original. However, both the aerial combat and X-Factor systems, introduced in Fate of Two Worlds, have received adjustments. In addition to gameplay modifications and new playable characters, the game features several aesthetic changes. After the events of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami disrupted the development schedule for downloadable content for Fate of Two Worlds, the additional content was created into a standalone title, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, for a discounted retail price. The game received generally positive reviews upon release; critics praised the expanded character roster and improved online experience, but criticized the lack of new features and game modes. A sequel, titled Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, was released in September 2017 for XBOX One, Windows and PS4.

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