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Joystiq hands-on: Xbox 360--the games

james ransom-wiley
Updated ·4 min read
Xbox 360 NYC event

I'm slowly recovering from a 10-hour date with the Xbox 360. For an event that offered free non-stop gaming-true, it was invite only-the number of attendees (on Tuesday) was shockingly sparse; but the room did start to fill up once cocktail hour rolled around. Needless to say, I was free to hop from station to station and get down n' dirty with the following titles (listed alphabetically):

  • Call of Duty 2

  • Condemned: Criminal Origins

  • Dead or Alive 4

  • The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

  • Kameo: Elements of Power

  • King Kong

  • NBA Live 06

  • Need for Speed Most Wanted

  • Perfect Dark Zero

  • Project Gotham Racing 3

I�ll cover some of these games in greater depth later today, but I want to hit you with my first impressions:


  • Call of Duty 2 - My favorite overall experience�a ceaseless attack on the senses. I really enjoyed the arcade-style pace and gameplay coupled with a pseudo-authentic WWII motif. But 8-player (only?) Live support was a disappointment�

  • Condemned: Criminal Origins - Biggest surprise. Integrating player-friendly (i.e. easy) detective work provided a nice break from beating psychotic vagrants to death with anything and everything (read: 2x4s, lead pipes, fire axes, mannequin arms, etc�). Be prepared to have DOOM 3 flashbacks�

  • Dead or Alive 4 - Most disappointing title on-hand. A modest upgrade from Dead or Alive Ultimate�and yes, that means better bounce. However, there are some promising Xbox Live spectator features.

  • The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Fans of the series will not be disappointed. Personally, I don�t have 200+ hours to immerse myself in this one, but for those that do, put this on the shopping list. The Havoc Physics Engine rocks, plus combat has been much improved!

  • Kameo: Elements of Power - Not my cup of tea, but I respect what Rare has down with this one. Kameo could be a breakthrough title that attracts a huge audience of casual and younger-aged gamers�there are also elements that cater to the hardcore. Kameo�s �hover� ability (she can fly a few feet off of the ground) is just plain cool.

  • King Kong - The two level demo version. Looks impressive, and Ubi�s choice to feature no HUD could lead to some innovative gameplay. But poor response and obstructive camera angles ruined the Kong experience. Ubi will definitely iron this out though�so watch for the final build�

  • NBA Live 06 - The build was rough, and there wasn�t a developer on-hand. It did look pretty (easily recognized the 76ers roster), but played awkward�I�ve always found that basketball sims ultimately fail as video games.

  • Need for Speed Most Wanted - I�ve never been a huge NFS fan, but the initial test drive impressed. The speed is there, and it looks gorgeous. But the collisions are awkward and the traffic is too light for my tastes.

  • Perfect Dark Zero - Mixed feelings. I want to like this game, but I�ve got a sinking feeling� it tells me that I�ve been here before�I�ve been here many times. There�s simply not enough innovation. PDZ cannot carry the Xbox 360 launch.

  • Project Gotham Racing 3 - The cockpit view was hands-down the sweetest frickin� ish on the showroom floor. I got lost staring out the passenger window, er, rather, I crashed into a wall�many walls. Visually stunning, same old Gotham gameplay.

Microsoft is banking on established franchises to carry its launch. This is a safe bet, and I�m sure it will help the Xbox 360 to get a significant head-start in the next-gen console war. But as a serious gamer, I�m disappointed. Nothing at this event blew my mind. In fact, I came away feeling like I�ve been here before�only now, she�s a lil� bit prettier. The truth is, when you hook up the original Xbox to an HDTV, she looks pretty damn fine in her own right. I can�t wait for developers to unlock what�s really under the hood of the Xbox 360. But know that that will most certainly not be this November, or even perhaps, next November�

Xbox 360 NYC event

For now, the innovation comes in the system itself. In the Xbox dashboard, the Live integration, the gamer customization, and even the Live Arcade�I will cover these features in greater detail in my next post. That�s not to say we won�t have plenty of fun with the first wave of Xbox 360 games. But it�s a lot like getting your old bike for your birthday again. Only now, it�s been repainted, it�s got some new tires, and some gears have been added. For most of us, it�s not going to happen this time around, but eventually, we�re gonna get tired of riding the same bikes, no matter how nice they look or how great they perform.

Microsoft is on to something with their gamer profiles and expansive Xbox Live service, but if all developers are going to offer us is playground after playground for riding our same old bikes, the real innovation of the Xbox 360 is gonna go to waste.