The first installment of the Call of Duty series was launched by Activision in October 29, 2003. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is the first version of the classic released for next-gen consoles.
This version is the first of the series to break out from the WW2 backdrop, hence the name “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare”. The story revolves around two antagonists: Al-Asad and Zakhaev. While the first is a Muslim extremist who is trying to take over the middle-east, the later is a Soviet fanatic trying to bring back communism in Russia.
While the storyline may seem predictable, the fact that you play the game through the eyes of many characters from members of the British SAS and US marines makes the storyline that much more interesting.
Infinity ward, the game’s developer, went through great lengths to recreate the realism of WW2 weapons in the earlier versions of the game and Call of Duty 4 is no exception. You’ll have the chance to maneuver the AC-130 Gunship, which jets through the battle field and shoots 105mm rounds at the enemy; wreak havoc with Javelin missiles, which drop straight down to hit the thinner top armor of tanks; and cycle through a small arsenal of both light and heavy guns featuring a variety of scopes and augmentations.
If you were accustomed to the previous versions of Call of Duty, you shouldn’t have trouble hopping into Call of Duty 4. The controls are pretty much the same and some cool features such as throwing back live grenades at enemies are still part of COD4. The overwhelming amount of enemies is as incredible as their artificial intelligence. While there are still some minor glitches here and there, your opponents are quite fierce and will seldom fight in the open.
Your partners’ AI is also truly outstanding. They look, move, act, and react like their true military counterparts. There’s no need to give them commands, the AI is good enough for them to command themselves. The ballistic physics have also been improved in COD4. You can shoot enemies through wood and drywall depending on your weapon’s caliber.
The graphics of the game are mind blowing. The game runs rather smoothly apart from some frame rate problems once in a while. The sound effects are also pretty impressive. You can hear the sound of a grenade falling at your feet, the curses from your enemies and the shouts from your partners. All these elements add to the realism and immersive feeling of the game.
The biggest problem I had with COD4 is that there was no co-op mode. It means that the chances for friendly fire are greater. Sometimes, your enemies look exactly like your allies and the time you take to figure out if you are looking at an ally or an enemy can be enough for you to get killed. Another problem I had with COD4 is that it’s way to short. You can finish the game in 5 to 6 hours at the regular difficulty level and in as little as 9 hours in veteran mode; but the multi-player mode with its 16 maps and thirteen multiplayer variants out of the box will keep you playing COD4 for years to come…
Besides the short completion time, there is not much I can say about COD4. If you liked the previous version of Call of Duty, you will be more then pleased with this version.
Ever since Halo made its apparition on the first Xbox 360 console, it has been making waves in the gaming industry and solidified Bungie’s position as a leading game developer. Halo was probably the most innovative first person shooter to hit the shelves since Golden Eye. But is Halo 3 worthy of the first 4 letters of its name?
Well the first thing players will notice when playing the game is that the side plot with the Arbiter and his Elites has been neglected to put more emphasis on Master Chief. This means that you’ll only be able to play as Master Chief in the single-player campaign mode. While keeping players locked in as Master Chief is a good decision for Bungie, some people will miss the extra element the Arbiter brought to Halo 2’s storyline.
A major improvement to this version of Halo is the diversified environments. The levels in Halo 3 lend to spectacular pacing that weaves from close-quarters, intense battles with Chief and a few soldiers, to more epic arenas. Even if battles scenes sometimes look like they could need a couple more Marines, the chaos that reigns on the battle field still makes you feel like you’re part of a battalion.
I had a small problem with the level of difficulty though. While the normal mode is way too easy for skilled Halo players, the “heroic” and “legendary” levels have been made much more difficult, mainly to display the new and heightened AI engine that is used for the enemy combatants. So if you’ve played Halo before, you should go directly to the higher levels because you might get bored playing at the normal difficulty level.
While the enemy’s AI is pretty good, the same can’t be said about your partners. Sometimes, they will only work as buffers between you and the enemies. Even the Arbiter, the supposed equal of master Chief, is completely useless as a partner on many occasions.
Now let’s talk about the multi-player mode. You can choose between 11 arenas and more will probably be added over time as downloadable add-ons. This is the series' strongest collection of maps to date. Some arenas are open, such as the desert-themed Sandtrap, and some are a combination of open upper levels and more confined subterranean areas, like Snowbound and Isolation. Cool weapons were added such as the Spartan Laser, that can literally cut Warthogs in half and the Gravity Hammer that can spring your enemy 30 feet in the air.
One of the coolest features that were added to Halo 3’s multi-player mode is The Forge. The Forge is an object layout editor that allows the player to rearrange elements of the battlefield without changing the basic geometry of the arena. It allows you to change weapon locations, power ups, spawn points and objectives. The Forge is a great tool that will keep your arenas fresh for years to come.
Other cool features such as the replay option, that automatically saves your combats as you fight them and the incredible score and sound effects help make Halo 3 a must buy for any first person shooter fan. So if “shoot’em ups” are your cup of tea, I strongly suggest you pick up a copy of Halo 3 for Xbox360, you won’t be disappointed…
Mass Effect was created by BioWare, the makers of Jade Empire and Star wars, and Knights of the old republic, which have both received rave reviews from gamers the world over.
This Role Playing Game starts with the creation of your Commander Shephard. You can go with the default model or choose to make changes, including playing as a woman. However, the game will slightly change depending on the modifications you made to your character. Per example, if you play as a woman, your interactions with other characters will change accordingly. The class in which you choose to play will also have repercussions on the game.
The thing I liked about Mass Effect is that even though it looks like a classic shooter, it is truly an RPG. Choosing how to equip yourself and your party and when to use your powers is really important. The system can look difficult to manage in the beginning, but once you get used to it and realize how much versatility it gives to the gameplay, you’ll see how fun it can be.
The most disappointing thing about Mass Effect is the lack of control over your fight partners. While you have full control over when and how your allies use their powers, you have absolutely no control over your partners’ movements while you are in motion. It can be really frustrating because of the questionable AI of your allies.
The AI of your enemies is equally questionable. Their reactions can sometimes be very robotic and twitchy and can suck the realism out of combats at times. But even though the combat sequences are not as good as they could be, the game’s environment makes up for it.
Since Mass Effect is an RPG first and a shooter second, the world and gameplay outside of combat is arguably more important to the overall quality of the game. In this regard, Mass Effect is as good as they come.
The story line is great and every decision you make in the game can have a major influence on the outcome. In addition to the rich story line, roughly 15 Hours of side quests and exploration have been integrated to the game to give it even more depth. The cinematics are truly amazing and the voicing and expressions will leave you wondering if you are watching an actual movie or playing a game.
But there are some problems with Mass Effect worth mentioning. First, there’s the erratic frame rate. There are significant frame rate drops throughout the game that can make it a bit frustrating at times. Another problem I had with Mass effect is the slow loading of textures. Sometimes, a completely bland scenery will be filled bits by bits by details as you explore it. Besides these few glitches, Mass Effect is a masterpiece of graphical architecture.
So if you were looking for a futuristic RPG/Shooter game that stands out from the rest, Mass Effect is for you. The skillful storytelling and depth of the characters and environments are enough to overshadow the game’s few technical issues. So why don’t you give Mass Effect a try and see for yourself how great a game it is.
Xbox 360 
