thoughthead

In part 1 of this two part series I covered five of the 10 Xbox 360 titles that every Xbox 360 owner owes it to themselves to play. Part 1 covered some fantastic older titles that currently have greatly discounted MSRPs making for some great gaming on the cheap. Part 2 covers more recent titles that still fetch full or near full retail value. The requirements were more stringent for this second half as the games needed to prove their worth with the $60 sticker most of them still carry. Here is the better half of the 10 Games every Xbox 360 owner needs to play:
Full Price but Full Value
These games were released in 2006 and have MSRPs ranging from $40 to $60, (and usually not much less if you find them used). These titles exemplify what the more polished second wave titles should be. This is where the Xbox 360 starts to come into it’s own, gamers can start to appreciate games where developers spent a bit more time and got to know the system better. They’re the best examples of what the Xbox 360 can do and while they fetch top prices at retail, they’ve proved they’re worth. Long time Xbox 360 owners should look here if there looking for a more recent and fresh title to add to their collection, new console owners should look here to find something that will make their new investment truly sing.

• Dead Rising – Combine the open style action format of Grand Theft Auto, include some game elements from the sleeper hit Beyond Good and Evil, give it a script based on Dawn of the Dead, and sprinkle it with some of the humor likened to Shawn of the Dead and you’ve got yourself a recipe for one delicious game: Dead Rising. A beautifully crafted tongue-in-cheek zombie game from the zombie experts themselves, Capcom. With some of the best graphics of any game on the system and a world inside a mall so expansive you’ll need to play the game many many times over to see it all. The script is intriguing and well written, the world is deep and well thought out, and the game was designed to make you feel the same desperation you might get if you were actually trapped in a mall full of the undead. At the same time the situation remains relatively light hearted with some of it’s campy and over the top situations and characters. Like any good open ended game you can completely blow off the story if you so choose and just run around and break stuff, or save survivors, or take pictures of interesting things. The added ability to pickup almost every object in the game and use it as a weapon is quite a feat as well. Dead Rising is sort of several games within a game and they’re all perfectly intertwined. While there are no multiplayer options the game is enormous enough to provide hours and hours of replay value. This game reminds us of why Microsoft needs Japan, and why they need Japanese developers; because so many good games come out of that country. Hopefully Dead Rising is more of a sign of things to come rather then a sign of what we’ll be missing.
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – While Oblivion is old enough to have made it on to part 1, it still manages to catch about $50 at retail, and despite it’s age and price it’s still worth it’s weight and still competes with the more modern games graphically. Oblivion is what most RPGs strive to be, the game is massive in every sense of the word and playing through it genuinely endows you with the feeling of evolution from an insignificant peon into a world renowned hero. As you make your way though the game your reputation will precede you and the inhabitants of the world will begin to react to your presents accordingly. What really makes this game so great it’s ability to draw in even the most anti-RPG gamers. Even those who aren’t into the whole medieval setting will find something to like here, the script is phenomenal, the voice acting is some of the best of any game, and the game literally offers hundreds of hours worth of gameplay. The icing on this already rich cake is the beautiful awe-inspiring graphics from massive yet detailed stone buildings, unique blades of grass and trees that sway with the wind and character faces that are not only unique but detailed enough to convey even the slightest of emotions, which isn’t just a neat feature but an integral part of the game. Oblivion has earned many accolades, and it deserves them all. Even if you don’t normally like RPGs you should give Oblivion a try, you may be pleasantly surprised.
• Gears of War – Microsoft’s gaming platforms are known for their Shooters, be it Windows, Xbox, or the Xbox 360. For quite some time, even well beyond the release of the Xbox 360, Halo 2 was considered the king of console shooters, that changed when Gears of War was released last November. For the first time since Halo 2′s release there was another game that had more online traffic then Halo 2. Gears of War isn’t just another shooter, it earns it’s acclaim from it’s unique gameplay mechanics. The game is designed to encourage the player to use the environment around them for cover, taking shots at your enemy when the opportunity is right rather then just running in guns blazing. It’s not the first game to attempt this but it manages to do it so very well and with very simple gameplay mechanics that allow new gamers and veterans alike to enjoy the game. Move your character about and they feel like they’ve got some realistic weight to them, and the surrounding action swings dramatically between dead calm and unbridled chaos. One second you’re walking around paranoid that something will pop out and surprise you, the next it’s as if you’ve just been thrown into the middle of a war hung out to dry with no one to back you up. Small nuances in the gameplay are what really set this title off: each reload of your gun is a mini game that when timed right will reload quickly and allow your gun to deal out more damage, but if you fumble you’ll be waiting twice as long before you can shoot again. Also the camera shakes around when you run giving you the feeling that there’s a cameraman running close behind you trying to keep up. On top of fantastic gameplay there is fantastic online gameplay, though the options are limited it’s a solid experience, and one of the few games to offer a co-op mode which adds a lot of replay value. Finally, this game is beautiful, the graphics are arguably the best of any console game to date, which further helps to pull you deep into it’s world. Without a doubt this is the Xbox 360′s killer-app.
• Test Drive: Unlimited – M.M.O. is a familiar term theses days, as games featuring massive online worlds dominate the PC gaming space. There are been several instances where games of this type have made the jump into the Console space, however Test Drive Unlimited is probably the most unique. A new genre Atari calls M.O.O.R. (Massively Open Online Racing) allows players to simply drive around the complete island of Honolulu working towards single player challenges or challenging other players online. TDU is also one of the few racing titles to combine both automotive and motorcycle racing in the same game. Another first for this title is it’s pricing scheme. The game retails new at a mere $40 and new content becomes available each month though the Xbox Live Marketplace. It’s one of the first titles to delve into the waters of letting the consumers essentially build their own gaming experience by deciding which aspects of the game they’d like to purchase and which aspects they’d rather not have. Graphically this title nearly reaches the splendor of Project Gotham Racing 3, and also like that title it offers full support for the Wireless Racing Wheel. While TDU isn’t the most polished racing game, it’s certainly one of the most unique, and it’s also one of the titles that really shows off the power of Xbox Live as an online platform.
• Viva Piñata – I’ve found that before actually playing this game everyone is a skeptic, but after about 15minutes Viva Piñata is about as addictive as crack. Microsoft’s first attempt to capture the kind of fanfare that Nintendo’s Pokemon series has achieved is executed quite well. Essentially it’s a game with an accompanying children’s TV show but that shouldn’t detract you from this wonderful title, nor should it lead you to believe it’s some kind of knockoff. VP is actually more of an open ended world, akin to games like Black and White, The Sims, Nintendogs, or Spore. You play the role of a gardener on Piñata island, you plant, nurture and grow trees, flowers and other plants, the plants attract various Piñata animals, you nurture and mate your Piñata animals and further propagate your little Piñata world. The game offers simple enough gameplay for young children to play and enjoy, while also offering enough depth and complexity that even long time gamers can get into. Coming from Rare it’s not surprising to see some of the bright and cheerful colors we’re used to seeing on Nintendo consoles but in addition to beautiful colors this game has got some beautiful graphics watching Piñata animals prance about in high def as their paper fur sways in the breeze is a treat for children and adults alike. This game also offers online play where you’re able to visit other gamer’s gardens to share the experience. Viva Piñata is a truly unique title and it offers a truly unique gaming experience for gamers of all ages. You’d be hard pressed to put this title away after submitting the disc to your console and at $50 new it feels like a bargain in an industry where some new games can go for as much as $70.

Honorable Mention
Other more recent quality games you should look into, easily some of the console’s best but not good enough to make it into the top 10.

• Saints Row – The Xbox 360′s answer to GTA, Saints Row looks and plays like more then just a knock off with realistic physics, suburb graphics, and some very fresh online gameplay, this title is a definite buy for any fan of the genre.
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas – For the more hardcore tactical shooter fan Rainbow Six: Vegas offers a much more complex and in-depth experience then Gears of War, while not as good graphically it’s still one of the best looking Xbox 360 titles.
• Tony Hawk’s Project 8 – The eighth version of the Tony Hawk series in as many years, Tony Hawk’s Project 8 brings the franchise back to it’s roots while still remaining fresh. More realistic physics, gorgeous graphics, and the addition of some interesting new gameplay elements make this the best extreme sports title available on the Xbox 360.

I hope you enjoyed this two part series. Hopefully 2007 will bring us even more quality games. In the mean time I encourage you to leave a comment with your own opinions of these games and others that you think 360 owners might enjoy.