Jon Gracey's

Posts Tagged ‘Xbox 360’

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Games That Rocked…Seb Patrick’s World – #35: XCOM Enemy Unknown

In iOS, Mac, PC, PS3, Xbox 360 on May 17, 2013 at 4:41 pm

Today’s post is by Seb Patrick.

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Title: XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Format: PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac, IOS

Released: 12th October, 2012

XCOM Box Art

We could have been something, Col. Jessica “Dark Angel” Baker and I. Sure, we had obstacles to overcome, but what relationship doesn’t? Okay, she’s a soldier and I’m her boss; and admittedly, I’m a married man, while she is – let’s be brutally honest here – fictional.

Nevertheless, there was little I could do to stop myself falling in love with this statuesque redhead sniper with sexy black body armour and impressive psychic abilities. And hey, budding relationships have overcome worse. Read the rest of this entry »

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Games That Rocked My World – #13: Red Dead Redemption

In PS3, Xbox 360 on December 13, 2011 at 11:44 am

Title: Red Dead Redemption

Format: PS3, Xbox 360

Released: 21st May, 2010

Box_art_image

What a difference a song makes. I’ve recently been playing devilishly difficult 2D PlayStation platformer Rayman, and by Christ it is hard. Unfair, at points, but generally, just hard. And yet, such care and attention has been paid not only to the beautiful 2D graphics, with gorgeous sprites and animation that have aged far better than the unbalanced difficulty curve, but also to the music. Every level has a gorgeous riff or fill that conjures up feelings of excitement, derring-do, terror – whatever is required. It really does raise the experience from challenging platformer to absorbing adventure. Read the rest of this entry »

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Games That Rocked My World – #8: Gears Of War 2

In Xbox 360 on October 31, 2011 at 12:28 am

Title: Gears Of War 2

Format: Xbox 360

Release Date: November, 7th, 2008

Box_art_image

Videogames are, for me, a shelter from the storm. When the controller’s in my hand, I often enter a zen-like, focused state which shuts off the outside world. In the right context, playing is a soothing, cathartic experience.

Everyone feels there could be more success in their lives. There’s always more you can be achieving, no matter what path you choose, and with gaming there’s a certain symbolic delight to be had in conquering your foes and saving the world; people like to be heroes, and gaming is in a unique position to replicate that. On a crude level – and this week’s game is nothing if not crude – people like to kick the shit out of things to make them feel better. *Knock knock* Who’s there? Gears Of War 2, you say? Come on in! Read the rest of this entry »

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Games That Rocked My World – #5: Grand Theft Auto IV

In PC, PS3, Xbox 360 on October 10, 2011 at 4:06 pm

Title: Grand Theft Auto IV

Format: PS3, Xbox 360, PC

Released: 29th April, 2008

Box_image

I often associate gaming with guilt. I love getting lost in luscious, fully-realised worlds, following the hero’s journey, developing a character from an underpowered weakling to an all-conquering powerhouse; it hooks me every time. And yet. When I play, there’s always a little snag jaggling at the corner of my mind, quietly whispering the words: “You’ve got better things to do, Jon.” Read the rest of this entry »

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Games That Rocked My World – #2: Deus Ex: Human Revolution

In PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360 on September 19, 2011 at 3:26 pm

Title: Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Format: PS3, Xbox 360, PC

Released: August, 2011

Box Art

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a sci-fi epic all about choice. Consequence. Making a mistake at any point leads to repercussions further down the line. Example: an early mission has you meeting your boss to sort out a “situation”. Not being told what it was, I ignored my boss’ repeated requests to come find him; I’d just been given a whole office to explore, and that meant picking locks, hacking computers, and stealing as many energy snacks as I could. Fine.

I stole a lot, spoke to well-rounded NPCs (non-player characters), and got a feel for the game world. Then: “Get here right away Adam; the situation’s just got a whole lot worse.” Hm? Turns the “situation” was a terrorist attack, and my pissing about has resulted in the termination of eight hostages. Ouch. Read the rest of this entry »

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