360 Recommendations

[Malderi]

So, I've got a 360. Had it for a while now. There's lots of good games out for it, but I'm looking for recommendations from some people (preferably ones with a lot of replayability, as I've got about two weeks with nothing to do).

I've already got:
Gears of War
Crackdown
Halo 1/2
KOTOR 1/2
Ninety-Nine Nights
Soul Calibur 2

There's been a couple other games I've played and returned. I'm looking for any recommendations for the 360, or for Xbox games that are on the BC list.

[jeffd]

Dead Rising is a must have IMO. Tons of replayability on this one.

Rainbow Six Vegas is pretty awesome. The GRAW games are good too, but I can't give them the same unqualified love as Vegas.

Guitar Hero 2 of course.

Saints Row is pretty good as well.

[Balasarius]

Saints Row is the best game I've played in years.

[worm]

Saints Row is the best game I've played in years.
Honestly? I played the demo and it just felt like a Liberty City where the population had been cut by 90%.

I really liked Burnout Revenge, I dunno if it's that awesome on OTHER systems, but I only had Takendown for my PS2.

[RickH]

Try Lost Planet & Earth Defence Force 2017. Saints Row was better than its demo indicated and does everything GTA III did but more polished. Currently playing & enjoying FEAR, but I'm not sure you like FPS's. If you do, I think FEAR & Prey are the best on the 360.

EDIT: I can't believe I forgot Lego Star Wars II. I also liked Gun, Just Cause, and Tomb Raider Legend.

[tromik]

Viva Pinata and RB6 Vegas. A single garden in Viva Pinata can take hours and hours to "finish," and once you do you can actually start over and play the game differently for other pinatas. If you're into multiplayer Vegas is will keep you busy for hours. The single player is quite short, unfortunately. There's been a quite a few QT3 RB6V nights recently, and you're welcome to join us or host an evening of elite takedowns.

Saints Row is quite good, (I don't know where the 'Liberty City where the population had been cut by 90%' comment came from) and I'm sure the game could keep you busy for days. Weeks even.

Depends what you're in the mood for.

[Igor Muravyev]

I'm feeling quite sad, so many games being mentioned that are available on the PC as well, and I say this as someone who recently bought an Xbox 360 and wanted to play some console exclusive games :).

[awdougherty]

I second Gun and Tomb Raider. I love Oblivion. Mercenaries is now backward compatible. Same with Pirates.

[Desslock]

I love all my 360 games:

- Oblivion
- Dead Rising
- Rainbow Six Vegas
- Saint's Row
- Gears of War
- Viva Pinata

[Malderi]

Thanks for the recommendations guys.

I do enjoy FPS's, but I'm honestly in the mood for RPG's at the moment. I already have KOTOR 1/2 and have beaten Oblivion, really looking forward to Mass Effect. I had (and returned quickly) R6: Vegas, it wasn't really my style of shooter. Dead Rising seemed interesting from the demo but not $60 interesting, even after I heard all the high praise around.

I've kept up reasonably well with new 360 releases. Does anyone know of any good original Xbox RPGs that are on the backwards compatibility list? I'd love to pick something up for $5 that'd last me 20+ hours because I haven't played it before. (Already beaten Jade Empire twice).

I had Burnout 3 on my original Xbox but gave it to a friend. What's the latest one out? A good racing game might be a lot of fun.

[Jancelot]

Another vote for Saints Row. It was a great GTA clone with a few very nice interface refinements. Sure it lacks some of the content of a game that had gone through 3 iterations, but I have no doubt the sequel(s) will continue to add it in.

Also Rainbow 6: Vegas is great both in single and multi. Dead Rising is one of the most unique (and frustrating) games on the system. You also can't go wrong with Lego Star Wars II, TR: Legend and Guitar Hero 2.

BC...did you play Psychonauts on the PC? If not then grab it immediately. Also Mercenaries although it has a couple of technical issues. If you can find Metal Arms then be sure to snag it as well. A great game that just oozes personality.

[Gary Whitta]

I love all my 360 games:

- Oblivion
- Dead Rising
- Rainbow Six Vegas
- Saint's Row
- Gears of War
- Viva Pinata
That's pretty much all the gaming goodness anyone can handle right there.

[Cyrano]

Dead Rising seemed interesting from the demo but not $60 interesting, even after I heard all the high praise around.

The list price has dropped to $40 now.

[EvilIdler]

Also have a look at the arcade. There is a lot of good stuff there.

[Malderi]

Yeah, I definitely keep up with arcade releases, and I download the trials of all games that seem remotely interesting from the description.

Really, though, thinking about it more, I'm in the mood for a good RPG or action-RPG. I don't think there are any good ones out for the 360, not till Mass Effect comes out, anyway. Are there any good Xbox ones I can nab? (or should I start a new thread for that and leave this one for general 360 recommendations)

[SqueakyFoo]

Really, though, thinking about it more, I'm in the mood for a good RPG or action-RPG. I don't think there are any good ones out for the 360, not till Mass Effect comes out, anyway. Are there any good Xbox ones I can nab?
KOTOR? That's the only rpg for the xbox that I can recall at all off the top of my head.

[RepoMan]

Enchanted Arms wasn't total poo, or so I remember people saying. If you're that hard up for a 360 RPG, you might try it. I haven't played it myself though.

[bago]

Gears, lost planet, worms... How can you go wrong?

[Wheelkick]

Any recommendations for kids (ages 3-6) games?

[Hanzii]

I'm feeling quite sad, so many games being mentioned that are available on the PC as well, and I say this as someone who recently bought an Xbox 360 and wanted to play some console exclusive games :).

Dead Rising
Viva Pinata
Crackdown
Lost Planet
Saint's Row
Gears of War
Burnout Revenge

... can I have your pc, because none of these are avaliable on mine?

[intruder]

I don't own a Xbox or Xbox 360 yet but I plan to pick one up in a few years for cheap.

I have one must-have game recommendation though besides the ones mentioned:

Ninja Gaiden Black
It's said to be very tough though but from playing it like 10 min somewhere once I totally want to have it. :)

[GregB]

The list price has dropped to $40 now.

But honestly, even at $60, Dead Rising is totally worth it. The game has a lot of replayability.

[shang]

My Xbox 360 current top 3:

Earth Defence Force 2017
Viva Pinata
Dead Rising

[madkevin]

Until Catan hit, my 360 was basically a Dead Rising / Viva Pinata machine. Once you get used to the wacky save system of Dead Rising (which really isn't all that wacky), it's a purely addictive experience. You'd think running around a mall full of zombies would get boring after a while, but it really doesn't.

[curst]

Really, though, thinking about it more, I'm in the mood for a good RPG or action-RPG. I don't think there are any good ones out for the 360, not till Mass Effect comes out, anyway. Are there any good Xbox ones I can nab? (or should I start a new thread for that and leave this one for general 360 recommendations)

If you value story/atmosphere above gameplay in your RPGs, Jade Empire is well worth renting, maybe worth buying. I managed to like it quite a bit, on balance. But I can't warn you about the combat and paper-thin RPG system enough.

Otherwise, uh, just get Dead Rising already. It has some RPG-ish elements in it, so maybe it'll scratch that itch of your's. Then you'll notice that it's totally f'n great in every other imaginable way and you'll wonder how you ever called yourself a gamer before playing it.

[quatoria]

Anyone played Bullet Witch? Since we're discussing game reccomendations here, I thought I'd ask.

[Balasarius]

Honestly? I played the demo and it just felt like a Liberty City where the population had been cut by 90%.
The demo isn't really enough to appreciate the variety of the game. For example, I got about 2/3rds through the full game before I even thought about buying clothes.

[Ben Sones]

Dead Rising seemed interesting from the demo but not $60 interesting, even after I heard all the high praise around.

It's definitely $60 interesting--in fact, it's one of the best 360 games to date. And as someone else pointed out, it's down to $40 now.

I'll throw out a recommendation for Table Tennis, which you can now get for $19.99. It's Spartan as a single-player game, with no real campaign or career mode (just tournaments that you can play through at various difficulties), but the gameplay is fantastic--better than any of the tennis games, in my opinion. And it's a great multiplayer game. (As someone--I think Jason Cross--said, "it's the best fighting game on the 360"). Very much worth twenty bucks.

[Cougar]

I enjoy Enchanted Arms, and it most certainly fills the JRPG itch I occasionally get. It isn't the best RPG out there, but if you are looking for an RPG to fill the gap between you finishing Oblivion and MassEffect coming out, Enchanted Arms will suit the bill.

Dead Rising is really fun, but I couldn't handle the "Could not Read DVD" errors that were simply inexcusable in a game with a save system so unforgiving. I think the last time I played it, it took me 2 hours to beat Chet and then I got that error - I've never gone back to it.

~C~

[quatoria]

Could not read DVD errors? What are you talking about?

[Balasarius]

Could not read DVD errors? What are you talking about? We're talkin' about PoS hardware.

http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?t=30872

[Igor Muravyev]

So, are these games under warranty if they start failing to read after a few months?

[worm]

The demo isn't really enough to appreciate the variety of the game. For example, I got about 2/3rds through the full game before I even thought about buying clothes.
How close can I get my character to looking like Spock in the full game? Any eyeshadow or the like?

[tromik]

So, are these games under warranty if they start failing to read after a few months?
Only if you buy one from EB with the game.

It should be noted that there is only a certain run of 360s that scratch the disks. It sucks, but it's not very common. Not as common as the red-lighty-death-circle, anyway.

[Igor Muravyev]

Only if I buy "one", buy one what?

[worm]

a warranty.

[Igor Muravyev]

Oh, EB sells warranties with their games? How much does that cost and is it recommended (by qt3 peeps)?

[tromik]

Oh, EB sells warranties with their games? How much does that cost and is it recommended (by qt3 peeps)?
No idea what it costs in the US. Here it's about two dollars. It's worth it if you think your disks might get scratched up, or if you've spent $100+ on some super-limited-deluxe game. I've bought it a few times, never had to use it. If I did, I would just bring the game and the receipt to the nearest EB and they do a straight replacement. In the States I wouldn't be surprised if you have to mail away or something, like Best Buy makes you do.

[Ben Sones]

It's a total ripoff. If you have a damaged disc, call the publisher. They'll almost certainly let you mail it in for a free replacement.

[tromik]

It's a total ripoff. If you have a damaged disc, call the publisher. They'll almost certainly let you mail it in for a free replacement.
From Canada, it's usually more to send the disc than get the EB warranty. I always feel like a total schmuck when I'm buying it though. Like they got me somehow.

[Guido Jones]

From Canada, it's usually more to send the disc than get the EB warranty. I always feel like a total schmuck when I'm buying it though. Like they got me somehow.

Unless you're returning every single game for a replacement, you'd still come out ahead sending it to the publisher.

As for games:

Dead Rising
Viva Pinata
Gears of War
Oblivion (if you don't have it on PC)
Crackdown
Saints Row
Rainbow Six: Vegas
GRAW2 (since you don't have GRAW1 already)

[Igor Muravyev]

$2 for a $55/$60 game doesn't seem so bad?

[quatoria]

We're talkin' about PoS hardware.

http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?t=30872


Well shit, man, that's hardly Dead Rising's fault.

[Gladguy]

The EB Warranty is a sucker's bet, just like insurance at the blackjack table.

[RickH]

Any recommendations for kids (ages 3-6) games?

The pickings are slim. Cars and Open Season are decent and simple enough for a kid to enjoy, but the driving (Cars) and stealth (Open Season) may test the very young ones. The only reason an adult would play them is if they're craving an easy game or they're gamerscore whores.

I'm a little bit into Spider-Man 3, and it's looking to be a bit too complex for the little ones, especially the timed-button-press sequences. Kameo's difficulty level is too uneven for most kids to enjoy (might be a bit too violent for some, too). Superman Returns is kind of a snooze and doesn't control as precicely as it should.

Lego Star Wars II is the best pick. Cute, forgiving, yet enjoyable for adults. My 7-year old seemed to enjoy the GC version of Bionicle Heroes (also made by Traveler's Tales). You might also snag a cheap copy of NHL 2k6 and play on the same team as your kid.

EDIT: I see in another thread you're just thinking about a 360. If you're aiming for the kids, get a Wii, a Wavebird, and a GC memory card and you'll be better off.

[Balasarius]

Originally Posted by Balasarius
We're talkin' about PoS hardware.

http://www.quartertothree.com/game-t...ad.php?t=30872 (http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?t=30872)Well shit, man, that's hardly Dead Rising's fault.
I never said it was.

However, DR did do it more than any other game, and DR's save system made it quite punishing when the Disk Read Error occured.

It wasn't nearly as bad as in, say, GoW, with its checkpoint system.

Oddly, I put 60 hours into Saints Row and it never happened there.

[tromik]

Unless you're returning every single game for a replacement, you'd still come out ahead sending it to the publisher.
I only buy it on a few games.

[Fugitive]

MS has their new disc replacement option, too. A bit pricey at $20, but still a better deal if you're scratching less than one-in-ten discs so badly. I haven't yet scratched a disc to the point that it didn't work anymore, so the up-front 'insurance' plan is a waste to me.

I have had problems with Disk Read Errors even with perfect, unscratched discs, though. Primarily in Test Drive Unlimited, but it's happened with a few others as well (most recently with Crackdown and EDF 2017). It almost always happens when I leave the game paused for a while, so that there hasn't been much DVD activity, and then upon trying to resume the game it spins down, emits a few clicks, tries to spin back up again, clicks some more, maybe spins back down and up again, and eventually throws up the DRE. Sometimes it manages to carry on, but I always get nervous as soon as I hear those clicks or the drive spins down...

And I'd add TDU to the recommendations *if* you're the kind of person who enjoys driving around just for the sake of driving. The racing parts are okay, but Forza will probably be much better at that.

[WarrenM]

Anyone played Bullet Witch? Since we're discussing game reccomendations here, I thought I'd ask.
I tried it out. It's alright but it got kind of boring. There's little to no feedback when you're taking damage, the aiming system sucks, and it seems extremely scripted and linear.

It's a cool concept with not-so-cool execution.

[Moore]

I enjoy Enchanted Arms, and it most certainly fills the JRPG itch I occasionally get. It isn't the best RPG out there, but if you are looking for an RPG to fill the gap between you finishing Oblivion and MassEffect coming out, Enchanted Arms will suit the bill.

Dead Rising is really fun, but I couldn't handle the "Could not Read DVD" errors that were simply inexcusable in a game with a save system so unforgiving. I think the last time I played it, it took me 2 hours to beat Chet and then I got that error - I've never gone back to it.

~C~

Those errors have nothing to do with the game. It's your actual disc or your 360. I've NEVER had the error and I played the hell out of DR. Replace the 360.

[Cougar]

Those errors have nothing to do with the game. It's your actual disc or your 360. I've NEVER had the error and I played the hell out of DR. Replace the 360.

I've got a 1080p TV and I've definitely been pondering the Elite... damn them for not including the transfer cable though. But lets not let me derail the thread in yet another direction ;)

~C~

[Moore]

From anecdotal evidence on the xbox.com forums, the ship time for that cable has been as low as 2 days. Just sayin'. (you can have MS send you one free if you buy the elite and need one)

[Igor Muravyev]

Okay I just got my new Xbox 360 and it's pretty neat.. a few questions if I may:

There seem to be only 2 USB slots in the "controllers" section, if I have 3 or 4 wired controllers, where do I put the 3rd and 4th ones in? The memory slots? Can I plug in a regular USB hub instead? Do Xbox controllers work with the PC since they seem like they are USB?

Is the media sharing feature useless if I already have an HTPC connected to my TV?

Where can I get some demos (for free preferrably) so I can play around with games without buying them?

[Rorschach]

The last question is easy, get on Xbox live and download your demos.

For the first question, there's another USB port on the back for USB wireless bridges or accessories like the camera, but I think it'll take a controller. But why would you want a wired controller, wireless is great.

[Igor Muravyev]

Incase I want to have a DDR 4 player madness party at my house or something.

[bigdruid]

So I grabbed my 360 today, plus Gears and Dead Rising.

I couldn't quite pull the trigger on either Crackdown or Saints Row. I played through all of the PS2 GTA games (including the *omg will this ever end* San Andreas) - obviously I like the GTA-style genre, but does Crackdown or Saints Row really bring enough to the table to make it worth buying instead of just waiting for Yet Another GTA Release?

[Guido Jones]

No, people mentioned them here becuase they weren't among the best games on the 360, and worth getting even if you have played every GTA. Or not.

You can find out on your own though: There are demos for both available via the marketplace.

[bigdruid]

You can find out on your own though: There are demos for both available via the marketplace.

What a novel concept - I think I'm gonna like this console :)

[Balasarius]

Saint's Row and Crackdown are both excellent.

I was very sad when I finished SR.

[EvilIdler]

There seem to be only 2 USB slots in the "controllers" section, if I have 3 or 4 wired controllers, where do I put the 3rd and 4th ones in? The memory slots?

Don't buy wired controllers. Problem solved :)
(Why the hell do you have more than one wired controller? WHYYY?!)


Can I plug in a regular USB hub instead?

I'd like to know that, too. Try if you have a hub lying around :)

Do Xbox controllers work with the PC since they seem like they are USB?

Yes. You can buy wired controllers, and they come in two flavours: for Windows
or for 360. The ONLY difference is that the Windows edition of the package
comes with a driver CD, which is probably outdated anyway. Download the
driver and off you go. Trigger buttons are often not supported, but the rest
of them work fine.

MS are also going to release an adapter so you can use wireless 360 controllers
on a regular PC. Coming Real Soon Now.

[EvilIdler]

does Crackdown or Saints Row really bring enough to the table to make it worth buying instead of just waiting for Yet Another GTA Release?
Crackdown is not a GTA-style game. It's a third-person shooter with superpowers.
GTA is third-person, has weapons, and there the similarities end :)

Saints Row is fun. It has ALL the fun of GTA, but removes many annoyances.
If you've bought every damn GTA game and can't find it cheap, it may not be
the highest recommendation. I got it half price, and I don't regret it. Except
that my backlog of games went up by one :P

[Wholly Schmidt]

MS are also going to release an adapter so you can use wireless 360 controllers
on a regular PC. Coming Real Soon Now.
That's been out for at least a month or two now.

[shang]

So I grabbed my 360 today, plus Gears and Dead Rising.

I couldn't quite pull the trigger on either Crackdown or Saints Row. I played through all of the PS2 GTA games (including the *omg will this ever end* San Andreas) - obviously I like the GTA-style genre, but does Crackdown or Saints Row really bring enough to the table to make it worth buying instead of just waiting for Yet Another GTA Release?

Personally, I find the basic GTA formula rather stale already. But Crackdown is GTA with SUPERPOWERS. That's enough right there.

If you have someone to play coop regularly with, you should also get Earth Defense Force 2017 asap.

[EvilIdler]

That's been out for at least a month or two now.
Not in the third world :/

[Brakara]

Huh, aren't you from Scandinavia? It has certainly been released here (have one myself).

[RickH]

Crackdown is not a GTA-style game. It's a third-person shooter with superpowers.
GTA is third-person, has weapons, and there the similarities end :)

Saints Row is fun. It has ALL the fun of GTA, but removes many annoyances.
If you've bought every damn GTA game and can't find it cheap, it may not be
the highest recommendation. I got it half price, and I don't regret it. Except
that my backlog of games went up by one :P

So right. I have serious GTA fatigue and really enjoyed both Crackdown and SR.

[EvilIdler]

Huh, aren't you from Scandinavia? It has certainly been released here (have one myself).
Link me a store, please! The monkeys behind the counter here don't even look
it up on their computers anymore, and just deny any knowledge.
Spaceworld, EB, Game and even the usually good ones have nothing.
(One even denied having the case I wanted Thursday, saying they couldn't
find any in stock, and upon checking at home later, sure it was still there!
Monkeys, all of them!)

[Brakara]

Well, I ordered online. Here's one link (http://www.mpx.no/aspx/loginVnet.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2faspx%2fprodukt%2fprdin fovnet.aspx%3fplid%3d75470&plid=75470) (mpx.no). You can also search for more stores at prisguide.no (with keywords "wireless xbox pc").

[EvilIdler]

Cheers :)

[Robert Sharp]

Isn't Marvel Ultimate Alliance on the 360? That might fit the action-RPG desire...though it isn't a dark game.

[EvilIdler]

I dunno if any platform *doesn't* have Marvel Ultimate Alliance :P
Isn't there one on cellphones too?

[Robert Sharp]

Fair enough. I haven't played it yet, because I was waiting until I get a 360. I guess I could just get the PS2 version...

[Islanti]

A regular USB 2.0 hub works great with the 360.

[mouselock]

Saint's Row and Crackdown are both excellent.

I was very sad when I finished SR.

Any chance for a comparison between the two? The Crackdown demo seemed very nice (This from someone who tried multiple times to play GTA 3 and just couldn't do it; it never controlled well enough for me.) I haven't tried the Saint's Row demo yet, but I'd be interested in significant differences. Turns out I was foolish and bought Ultimate Alliance when there's a better version coming out Tuesday, so I'm thinking I'll take that back and trade it in either on Saint's Row and Burnout or Crackdown, and then pick up Ultimate Alliance Gold next week some time, but I need to know what the differences between SR and Crackdown are to know which way to go.

[Robert Sharp]

Oh, thanks for the tip on UAGold. I've been waiting to get it, so now I should probably wait and get that version. Is it coming out for all systems too, or just 360?

[EvilIdler]

The gold version will just be the game + the downloadable content. If you can
get the regular edition+DLC cheaper, that's the better option.

[Balasarius]

Any chance for a comparison between the two? The Crackdown demo seemed very nice (This from someone who tried multiple times to play GTA 3 and just couldn't do it; it never controlled well enough for me.) I haven't tried the Saint's Row demo yet, but I'd be interested in significant differences. Turns out I was foolish and bought Ultimate Alliance when there's a better version coming out Tuesday, so I'm thinking I'll take that back and trade it in either on Saint's Row and Burnout or Crackdown, and then pick up Ultimate Alliance Gold next week some time, but I need to know what the differences between SR and Crackdown are to know which way to go.
In Crackdown you're like a super-hero. You level up your abilities which increase your run speed, jump height (very fun), weapon accuracy, etc. There are no real missions. Just go explore the city, find a crime-boss, run in an kill him, repeat. But, it's more fun that it sounds. There are bios for each crime-boss, and they each have unique lairs with different avenues of approach. Some are quite cool. There are hidden and agility orbs scattered around the city that reward you and encourage you to explore. Which is fun as the city is quite interesting.

In SR, it's like GTA only better in every way. When you collect a car and store it in your garage, it's there forever. Take it out for a spin and forget where you left it, np, it's back in your garage. Even if you blow it up, it'll still be in your garage, it will just need to be repaired. The story is very good, with all sorts of different missions available to you at all times. There are different "game modes." For instance, there's the drug dealer missions -- you ride around with the drug dealer and provide protection (weapons are provided). And there's the infamous insurance fraud missions. Throw yourself in front of traffic and try to get hurt as much as possible. Usually when you complete a series of these missions, you get a reward. For example, when completing the insurance fraud series you take less damage.

Also, getting the police on you in SR is fun. They can still be a challenge, but nothing like GTA. In GTA if you got 4-5 stars, you were screwed.

I've played several GTA games but could never get into them too much. They were too annoying, too limiting. SR is awesome.

[tromik]

Also, getting the police on you in SR is fun. They can still be a challenge, but nothing like GTA. In GTA if you got 4-5 stars, you were screwed.
Yea, especially since you can run into buildings and create stand-off situations. Then run out and jack a FBI car.

I've played several GTA games but could never get into them too much. They were too annoying, too limiting. SR is awesome.
The storylines in any of the GTA games are much, much better than the storyline in Saints Row. Ok, except maybe GTA 3. But Vice City, San Andreas, and even Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories had fantastic storylines.

When I think "Should I play Saints Row or VCS?" it's a tough call. SR is a better game if only because of the "Retry" options. Plus there's achievements. But the VCS story is so much more interesting.

[unbongwah]

Saints Row is basically GTA Plus: better graphics, improved design, but the basic gameplay is essentially the same. I lost interest in GTA ages ago, so I got bored of SR pretty quick. But if next-gen GTA is what you're looking for, SR will get you thru `til next-gen GTA is here.

Crackdown has a similar vibe - run around a large open city raising hell - but the focus is different. Like Balasarius says, you're a cybernetic supercop whose attributes improve over time; you start out as fairly normal, but eventually you'll be leaping 30 feet in the air and throwing cars. Your main goal is to hunt down and kill all of the city's crimelords. There is no real plot, no linear progression of story missions to wade thru: if it means there's no story to compel you to keep playing, it also means there's no frustration because you're stuck on this one mission you have to replay 30 times to finish. The city is divided into three areas, each tougher than the next, but you're not barred from going to any of them at any time: you'll just get pwned as a n00b if you head straight for the hardest one first.

I enjoyed Crackdown a lot more than SR, but that's down to personal preference: I'd much rather be a cop who throws cars than some run-of-the-mill thuggin' gangsta.

[Balasarius]

You know the worst part about Crackdown?

There's no Freckle Bitches.

I really enjoyed the humor in SR.

[quatoria]

I really enjoyed the humor in SR.

Oh, so you were the one.

[Igor Muravyev]

I'm thinking about getting Gears of War now with my new Xbox 360.. my question is, how is the multiplayer? How many people can you have playing on the same xbox? And the coop, is that on the same console as well, and how many players is that up to? Is it better to play the single player with a coop buddy or by yourself?

[McBain]

I'm thinking about getting Gears of War now with my new Xbox 360.. my question is, how is the multiplayer?

A lot of fun if you're playing with friends.

A lot of suck if you're playing with random 'tards on Live. Unless you are like me and enjoy harassing twelve year old redneck kids.

"Hey, we have a girl on our team! Are you hot!?"
"I'M NOT A GIRL FUCKHEAD!"
"You sound like a girl. You're probably hot, too."
"I TOLD YOU I'M NOT A FUCKING GIRL!"
"Do you want some motherfucking chocolate milk?"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! RARRRRRRRRAGHRGHRGHAGJHSDFJHSDF"

Yeah, it's actually pretty fun, then. Oh, wait, you meant the game? Yeah, play with friends.

And the coop, is that on the same console as well, and how many players is that up to?

You can play co-op with up to one other person. I don't know if you can split-screen it.

Is it better to play the single player with a coop buddy or by yourself?

Co-op makes everything better.

[Moore]

It has perfectly fine split screen, maxes at 2 per console though, I think.

[Malderi]

2-person split-screen co-op makes all FPS's better, but GoW especially. It's such a strategic FPS, and all the tactical options are multiplied tenfold when you have two people with you. Flanking attacks, etc. It's a fun game on its own and definitely worth getting, but if you have a friend with you it's a must-buy.

[Igor Muravyev]

Well if I find a Gears of War buddy who wants to play with me after work split-screen then I'm definitely going to pick this up!