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Metareview: Age of Empires III vs. Civilization IV
Whilst Age of Empires III and Civilization IV are classed in the same genre as strategy games, they have very different styles. AoE is real time and has a permanent "down with the troops" view and feel. Civilization IV, on the other hand, is turn based and features a lot of micromanagement. Rather than trying to represent one age as best as it can, it tries to cover the whole of civilization; from cavemen to spacecraft. The two games took the 1st and 2nd place on the PC games sales chart for the week ending November 13th. So we thought it'd be very appropriate to write up a versus metareview of the two games - in the style of our previous F.E.A.R. vs Quake 4 metareview. Take the jump to find out what reviewers thought of these two strategy game behemoths.
Joystiq's massive Xbox 360 launch weekend blowout: the aftermath
There's a strong possibility that many of you out there were cryogenically frozen in antarctic glaciers over the weekend, so we won't fault you if you missed out on our 48-hour Xbox 360 playathon. Just bought a 360 and wondering what games are worth your while? On the ropes about whether or not the console is for you? Or do you just want a peek at some hardcore uncensored unboxing action? Whatever it is you're looking for, chances are we've got you covered. And for more in-depth game and console coverage, check out James' hands-on Xbox 360 experience from last month's New York press event. The Setup Unpacking the Xbox 360; hot unboxing action Our sweet test setup Our sweet speaker setup Our sweet screen setup Fuel for a 48-hour gaming fiesta Blockbuster & Hollywood Video: 350 what? The Hardware Joystiq, PGR3 and faceplate. PGR3 and faceplate, Joystiq Invasion of the Xbox 360 faceplates Xbox 360 controller range: Can you hear me now? Side-by-side of Xbox 360 remotes Titlefight: 480p v. 720p for the championship! Parasitic Play-and-Charge controllers get juice from Windows, but Windows gets nothing in return Xbox 360 heat concerns are no concern Xbox 360 fan noise ranked The Services Visualize this: Xbox 360's visualizer taken for a spin Game trailers available on Xbox Live Live: best way to download game trailers Best and worst trailers from Xbox Live Marketplace Gaming trailers are insulting to gamers 360 plays videos, but controls are lacking MP3s streamed to Xbox 360 via laptop Xbox Live arcade titles added: free to try, $5 to $15 to buy Our first Xbox Live friend: you like us, you really like us Joystiq Guide: iPod on the Xbox 360 The Games 3 copies of Kameo = MS wants us to play it 2K on the 360: NBA 2K6, Amped 3, & NHL 2K6 Joyswag caption contest: win a copy of Kameo Joystiq review: Geometry Wars demo Joystiq review: Bankshot Billiards 2 demo Joystiq review: Gauntlet demo Joystiq review: Hexic HD Are we perverse? There's nothing retro about this experience! Joystiq review: Joust demo, thy game is over Joystiq review: Bejeweled 2 Deluxe demo Kameo's in the house, er... 360 tray Super-frustrating boss fight in Kameo Joystiq is better than GameSpot And the best Xbox 360 launch title is... Them's a lotta links! And while we're still recovering from a full weekend of hectic gaming, great fun was had by all, and we can hardly wait for our 48-hour Revolution blowout to roll around... You listening, Nintendo? And if that's still not enough reading material to quench your thirst for Xbox 360 coverage, check out the newest member of the Joystiq family, Xbox 360 Fanboy. Response has already been overwhelming, and it's all thanks to you guys!
Joystiq review: Hexic HD
Hexic HD is a single-player puzzle game that comes installed on the Xbox 360's hard drive when you buy/win/obtain the $399 system (at least in its current incarnation). Unlike the other Live Arcade games being made available in the Marketplace so far, you don't need to spend any Microsoft points to get the full version as it's fully unlocked from the get-go. Features include Xbox Live-enabled leaderboards, and game modes such as Marathon, Timed, and Survival. Ambient music ebbs and recedes in a mostly acceptable ways, though the total volume can swing quite a bit from soft to loud if you're trying to hit that late-night volume sweet spot at home. Hexic looks like your typical puzzle game from its shiny and brightly colored panels, but the way you play it is mainly by rotating trios of hexagons around central axes in a hexagonal grid to strategically remove clusters of tiles from the board. As the official Microsoft site for the game says, you must use "bonus pieces and starflowers to boost your score and discover new ways to play. But watch out for bombs--clear them before they explode or it's game over."
360 marathon results in sleepy bloggers
We knew that playing games was hard work, but who knew that system crashes would apply to our writers, too? Check out Vlad in his nightly best above, and then Chris next to one of his speakers after the jump. Lest you worry that the marathon fell apart due to human frailty, understand that this blogger dutifully kept at Hexic HD through thick and thin while some folks took their power naps. Expect more posts as the weekend marches on!
Dungeon Siege II toolkit released
If you've been bit by the modding bug while playing Dungeon Siege II, Gas Powered Games has released an official toolkit to help you begin crafting your own adventures. They've also opened the doors to Siege University II where you can learn all about Flick scripting, town portal restrictions, and map building. Nice curriculum!
Halo 1 & 2 to be "upgraded" on Xbox 360
1up has pointed out an interesting quote in the latest Bungie Weekly update. Besides detailing the new Dead or Alive 4 addition, Spartan 458, the update also alludes to "how Halo one and two look on 360, and it's all good news." While no other information was mentioned, it does sound like the Halos might be getting a few technical tweaks in their transition to the next generation Xbox console. Crisper models? Faster frame rates? HDTV support? It'd be interesting to see if the improvements are anything to shout about, but imagine what else companies could do when they bring their Xbox games over to the 360. How about, for example, making Halo 1 Xbox Live-compatible? [via 1up]
21 Xbox Live Arcade games at launch, 35 games by summer 2006
Microsoft has announced the list of titles expected to be available during the holiday season for Xbox Live arcade. Not all of these will be available from launch day, but all of them are expected within the next few months. We're particularly excited to play Joust. If there's an Xbox Live matchup feature for Joust, there's hope yet that 30-somethings will find at least one game where we can still hold our weight against whippersnappers with better reflexes and more free time. Robotron 2084 is in there too! Here's the list of titles:
Joystiq hands-on: Xbox 360--Live Arcade
I was pleasantly surprised with Microsoft's enthusiasm for the Xbox 360's Live Arcade. The team is determined to do it right this time around-no hunting around for an installation disk. At launch, 12-15 games should be available, 15-20 by the end of the holiday season. Here's a list of definite launch titles: Hexic HD (original game from the makers of Tetris; comes pre-installed on the HDD) Bankshot Billiards 2 (it's pool) Geometry Wars (upgraded port) Joust (upgraded port) Marble Blast Ultra (original title) Mutant Storm (upgraded port) Wiki: Fable of Souls (original title)
Xbox 360 hard drive content revealed
In another X05 announcement, our favorite Michael Stipe look-alike, J Allard, gave us the goods on the content that will be pre-installed on the 360 hard drive - for those of us who pony up for it (the more budget-conscious can stop reading now). This bonus content will showcase the 360's "user experience" features such as system wallpaper and gamer profile customization, as well as a sample soundtrack. Also included is the puzzle game, Hexic, and a behind-the-scenes video of the 360's evolution. While many were anticipating backward compatibility files for games like Halo 2, Microsoft has chosen to remain mum on the subject. Let's hope this isn't another Windows 95 Plus! pack. TyeDye desktop theme, anyone?
Interested in some Phantom Dust skills?
All you'll need is some cold hard cash. That's right, DBLDN has decided to hang it up, and is offering to sell his sweet labor. I'm no expert, but 41 Rare Skills sounds special and 1,200 wins is just plain silly. You've got just under a week to bid, or you could buy the package outright for $45.00-that's more than twice the cost of the game, by the way. In DBLDN's own words: "Thanks for reading and good luck bidding!" [Aside: We could be seeing a lot more of this kind of thing in the upcoming Xbox Live marketplace-under the guidance of Microsoft, of course.... Think they'll care about this little transaction?]
Fable: The Lost Chapters
The PC version of Fable is on it's way. Whether this is greeted with cheering or booing, is largely governed by what you believe about the Xbox version. Some people hated it, others loved it, Peter Molyneux apologized for it. Regardless, it looks prettier than your Aunt Mabel did in High School, before the ravages of time wore her down to the husk she is today. (ed. note: perhaps she played too much Fable.)
Is Phantom Dust the Xbox import to own?
It's no secret that the Xbox has been a commercial failure in Japan; in fact, in some circles it's a running joke. So when Microsoft announced it was developing a first-party title exclusive to Japan, a lot of people scratched their heads. Why? There hasn't been a lot of incentive to get into the Xbox import business, and chances are most of you haven't pursued Japanese compatibility. So while Phantom Dust is probably worth importing, it's probably not worth prepping your Xbox for. Maybe if we fuss and wine enough Microsoft will send it stateside (and to Europe) before the launch of the next-gen Xbox-the game's already in English, you know. Then again, who really believes that will happen? Phantom Dust will ultimately become the best Xbox game you'll never play. Oh well... UPDATE: Everyone makes mistakes. And apparently, some of us pay for them. Phantom Dust is available for $19.99 in the US at this very moment. Think you could cut us a little more slack next time, rigmasher? Sheesh!
GameTab warns of an expensive week
GameTab has a thorough list of this week's releases, and it's a doozy. At long last. The last few weeks (since the holidays, really) have been quiet, volume-wise. But for the next seven days we'll be struggling over the following. This is just a taste, too. PC Brothers In Arms: Road to Hill 30 Act of War: Direct Action Project: Snowblind PS2 Musashi Samurai Legend Worms Forts: Under Siege Xbox Phantom Dust Gamecube Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 GBA Rayman: Hoodlums' Revenge DS (three, count em, THREE titles!) Yoshi's Touch & Go Pokemon Dash Retro Atari Classics And ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome the latest device to the weekly grind...the Playstation Portable. PSP Need for Speed Underground Rivals Spider-Man 2 Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix Twisted Metal: Head-On Wipeout Pure Dynasty Warriors Darkstalkers Chronicle Again, go to GameTab for the complete list. Nice stuff. Which ones are you getting? I'm certainly getting Yoshi's Touch & Go, Twisted Metal and Spider-Man 2. All handheld titles. What could this mean? [Thanks Reed!]
Phantom Dust gets ready for a Stateside bow
Phantom Dust was meant to be an Xbox Live! staple title. But after a review by Microsoft, the plan changed. The Japanese-developed game ended up on Microsoft's Japan-only product list after the suits decided the game should stay out of America. The result of this decision, of course, sent shockwaves through the developer and made life tough for awhile. While the game is doing okay in Japan, the company would like to see it get a shot at the US. Thanks to Majesco, it looks like they'll get their wish. 1up's piece is an excellent study of the developer, the development process and the game. Good job, guys and gals (minus the automatic clip streaming, which is bad form).
