It’s actually pretty surprising I haven’t written about this game sooner considering I got it over Thanksgiving break and have been completely obsessed with it. However, I have been busy with school and the business, and a new project I recently launched. But now that I do have some time (thank God for the holidays), I’d like to take a moment and talk about just how great this game really is.

It’s no secret that Call of Duty 2 was a work of art that I played every since Xbox 360 came out. Call of Duty 3 was made by a different company and was an utter disappointment. Call of Duty 4 (COD4) however, was made once again by Infinity Ward, making it an excellent game. COD4 takes place in modern day (a few years from now actually), in two countries- Russian and some unnamed Middle Eastern country. You play as the British Special Air Service (SAS) and the US Marine Corp (USMC). Your objective is to stop a Russian militant group working with a terrorist group in the Middle East. I don’t want to give away too much, but it’s a very encapsulating story that makes the game seem all the more real. After I beat the game I told people it was the best movie I’ve ever played.

The game play is what really does it for this game. The controls and physics really make you feel like you are in the battle. During one level ( a flashback to the Chernobyl incident), you are a sniper that has to take out this target from a very far distance. You have to take into account that distance, wind speed and the Coriolis Effect. It’s actually a pretty draining level. As far as other features go, You can shoot through thin materials to kill your target, you can throw grenades back at the enemy, and there is a new feature called last stand, which lets you shoot people with your pistol (the same way enemies did in COD2) until you die. You are not just ground infantry either. You provide air support for a couple of levels, and that is a lot of fun. The fact that the graphics are incredible doesn’t hurt the realism of the game either.

Multiplayer is a pretty different experience for COD4. There are multiple classes with different attributes, strengths and weaknesses to choose from. You can also create your own classes. The more experience you have the higher your rank and the more classes, guns and extras there are for you. So of course to get the cooler stuff, you need to log a lot of time. I actually think this is a neat feature. Since I beat the game pretty quickly, I didn’t think there was much more for me to do. However, as I do enjoy playing over Xbox Live (note to self- renew that soon), I now have some work to do to experience the game at it’s fullest.

I know some consider this blasphemy, but I honestly think COD4 is better than Halo 3. The campaign mode, definitely. Better storyline, better game play, more strategic. Multiplayer is arguable, but I like it better for more team oriented stuff or if I don’t feel like getting tea-bagged with I get killed. Looks like I’ll be playing COD4 until the next Xbox 360 installment comes out.

It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed a video game. Heck, It’s been a while since I’ve played a video game. But as the school year thankfully and sadly (seeing as I’m a senior) came to an end, I found some time (and took some liberties) and decided to get and start a new game. That new game is Marvel Ultimate Alliance.

Admittedly, I did not think the game would be this fun. I knew my brother had it and enjoyed it, but I had no strong urges to play it. It was picked up kind of on a whim, which is why I have it so late after it came out. However, the game is incredibly fun. You pick and choose your team of four Marvel heroes, switching them out whenever you have the opportunity. You start off with Wolverine, Spiderman, Thor and Captain America. Unless they were incapacitated, I’ve kept Wolverine and Spidey in the whole time. My other two favorites so far are Human Torch and Thing. Deathpool and Storm are also very good choices. The first thing I really like about the game is the team management. If you keep a set of characters together a lot, they learn to work together. It’s also up to you to give them upgrades and spend the money you pick up wisely to get the best team you can. (Also, I was able to unlock the symbiotic suit for Spidey. I cannot wait to upgrade that baby!)

As far as game play goes, it’s pretty good. The controls are easy to use and intuitive, but not so simple you can’t do really cool stuff. I personally like the combos you can do with other heroes on your team. Movement, jumping, swimming (there is an Atlantis level) and fighting are easy to do. I love flying with Human Torch and swinging with Spidey. The graphics are amazing. The people at Raven/Activision stepped up the graphics for the 360, which is excellent because the game looks great. Multiplayer is awesome. Me and a couple of friends played together yesterday and it’s well done. They just join in and are now part of your team. The only complaint of have about that is you can only advance so far apart from each other. It’s tough sometimes when you are in a big battle and you can’t move in a certain direction due to the fact that Player 2 is in the other corner.

Finally, there is the camera view. I think the developers made the best choice here with how the camera moves and how you can control it. With a team of four, there isn’t much other choice, and while sometimes the over-top view can get a little annoying at times, it’s the best option and usually works well. All in all, I really love the game and have been playing it pretty obsessively. I haven’t really played this much since around November, when I got Gears of War.

Two Tuesdays ago was a pretty big day for games on the 360. Call of Duty III (CoD III), a game I was highly anticipating due to its amazing prequel, and Gears of War (GoW) came out. I happened to pick up both that week and promptly played CoD III until I got to busy to play, and then when the work let up, played Gears of War. Here is how that game stacks up.

I didn’t really know what to expect from GoW. It looked cool, with a Halo-esq feel to it. However, I grossly underestimated this game. Not only does it look kick ass graphics wise, but the game play is pretty awesome. It takes place in the future, where you are fighting in a post-apocalyptic world against “The Locusts.” It’s a team based game where you have to look after your squad or you won’t win. The controls are pretty sophisticated, and because of that the game has a pretty high learning curve but the basics are intuitive. It’s in third person, which allows you to hide against walls and behind almost anything. From there you can move to another hiding spot or rush out, jump over walls, etc. When behind these formations you can blind shoot, a feature I like a lot. You can shoot enemies while still hiding, which isn’t very accurate, but effective against a lot of locusts.

The weapon set is also really sweet. The default weapon is an AK/chainsaw, and when you are up close and personal with an enemy, that chainsaw comes in handy. And using it looks awesome. There is also a weapon called “The Hammer of Dawn,” which harnesses the power of the sun to obliterate the target.

As for multiplayer, you can do co-op, versus and Live. Co-Op is fun- your friend becomes part of your squad, and you guys have to communicate and work together to beat the levels. VS pits you 1-on-1 or 2-on-2 and you guys just find each other and go to town. Once you die, you’re dead until the end of the round. Live is the same way, just with more people. It’s cool with bigger teams, but again, if you guys don’t work together, you will probably lose.

Over all, the game is amazing. One of the best. The graphics and detail, the game play, the online experience. I was excited about Call of Duty III, but Gears of War is clearly the better game here. Later.

I tried to find a screen shot that showcased the sheer awesomeness of the Fight Night Round 3 graphics. This was the best I could do. I assure you it looks better.

Fight Night is a boxing game, which I am a pretty big fan of since playing Knock Out Kings 2002. Fight Night, however, is infinitely better than Knock Out Kings. First of all, since it is a game for Xbox 360, the graphics are intense and amazing. You can see sweat glistening off the light shining in on the empty warehouse where you have exhibition matches. You can tell when someone’s nose is broken and bleeding. The shine of the gloves from different angles is incredible. The fighters like insanely real. Down to the last dimple (or bruise) on their face. They look even better in slow motion. On first glance, someone might think they are watching a real boxing match. And this is NOT on High Def. This is on regular old (and I do mean old) TV.

The game play is different, and it’s better this way. Move with the left joy stick, jab with the right. A and R are your haymakers. Dance around the ring, grab, head butt, block, and low blow. You are fighting, do the right thing. Or don’t. It’s your call. In between rounds, you have the chance to fix up your boxer. You bring the swelling around his eyes down and clean up cuts. Make your boxer last as long as humanly possible. When you get knocked down, you have to try and move 2 circles controlled by the left and right joysticks into a center circle, and you better do it before the 10 count. If there is no way you are getting up, you will know.

Play as a number of legends and greats; Holyfield, Sugar Ray Leonard (and Robinson), Smokin’ Joe and of course, Ali, among many others, Build your own boxer or follow the path of a legend. Fight Night Round 3 is defiantly a game worth buying. You will not be disappointed. Later.