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Holiday Xbox Buyer's Guide 2003

Ho ho ho…Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanza, Happy New Year…Ah screw it, I think I covered everything. Welcome to the first annual Armchair Empire Holiday Buyers Guide. Through this editorial I will run through the games that you have to buy, the ones to avoid, and the ones that you may be skeptical towards at first, but learn to love in the long run (kind of like Paris Hilton). So, what are you waiting for? Head on down through the list to find out which games to buy as you will be out there in a couple of weeks searching for your favorite game.

First off, let’s understand the rating system. Quite simple really, it consists of a series of stars, 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. Keep in mind that these scores are my own personal favorites, that I’m convinced you will enjoy as well.

***** - Don’t even wrap it, open immediately!

**** - Wrap it, but don’t tape it.

*** - Wrap it tight, nothing insanely special.

** - Hopefully you kept the receipt.

* - If you run out of firewood, use this game as an alternative.

XBOX HOLIDAY LIST 2003

THE GOOD

GTA Double Pack - *****

If you still haven’t played any of the Grant Theft Auto games, than pull yourself out from under that rock, and start ASAP! The genius behind Rockstar’s bloody, satirical, and controversial masterpieces will last you through Christmas and beyond. You get two games for the price of one, with revamped Xbox graphics, and a snazzy DVD-like case. Christmas will look “blood red” after picking this game up.

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time - *****

Two words: Time control. Let loose your fantasies of time in this action/adventure epic. Prince of Persia will add a milled-eastern vibe to your holidays in an action-packed manner. Set during the reign of the Persian Empire, players assume the role of a young Prince in his journey to free his people from a terrible curse. Use all of the Prince’s powers, including running on walls, slow-motion, fast-forward, and freezing time to save the day. After playing this game, you won’t need to rewind time.

Rainbow Six 3 - ****

If you think of this as just another PC port, think again. With the critically acclaimed Tom Clancy story and stamp of approval, Rainbow Six 3 is the only way to release your rage against terrorists. With a very long campaign through multiple continents and Xbox-Live compatibility (downloadable content, and online gaming with friends), you’ll be up until the wee hours playing this little puppy. Just don’t wake the neighbors when yelling through the headset.

Project Gotham Racing 2 - *****

There just isn’t enough good being said about this game. With the first being a target to an endless amount of criticism, the developers took these comments into consideration, and created one of the best sequels to a franchise, as well as one of the best racing games ever. Exclusively an Xbox game, PGR2 features more than 100 different cars, all authentic and accurate in both representation and handling. Add that to 10 different tracks and Xbox-Live, and you have one hell of a game. Don’t forget the snow chains!

Counter Strike - *** ½

Another port that isn’t quite a port, Counter Strike adds on to the Xbox Live experience with fast-paced 1^st person action. This version of Counter Strike, the most popular online game ever, pits two teams against one another, one terrorist and one counter-terrorist. This is one of the most fun Xbox games out this holiday season, but don’t expect any visual or gameplay uniqueness. .

Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne - ****½

The sequel to the most intriguing and innovative game of 2001, Max Payne returns with a new stocking of treats. Fans of the previous Max Payne will be delighted to know that Max Payne 2 features a new bullet-time mode (a la the Matrix), better physics engine, lighting-and-shading perfection, along with Xbox graphics. Doesn’t get much better than this does it? Unfortunately the game experience doesn’t last as long as the previous version, which was also quite short. This holiday season, Rush Limbaugh won’t be the only one popping painkillers.

Dues Ex: Invisible War - ****

Another sequel, Dues Ex: Invisible War is the follow-up to the 2000 Game of the Year. Dues Ex isn’t your ordinary game but a melting pot of two genres, action and RPG. Like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the action will be played out in RPG format, but also in real-time. Dues Ex allows you to make your own decisions while playing through the game, giving you the opportunity to do the right or wrong action, depending on your character. Fans of this game probably have this title on their shelves already. As for the other gamers out there, rent this game first to familiarize yourself with its unique, though simple, gameplay.

UNDERRATED GOODIES

Freedom Fighters - *** ½

A game that has received praise but hasn’t topped the top-selling charts, Freedom Fighters has been a quiet title that packs a big punch. Set in a hypothetical past where the Russians won the Cold War, you become part of a small militia fighting for freedom. From the makers of the inventive Hitman series, Freedom Fighters is filled with 3^rd person team-action with a decent amount of weaponry. Like most games out this holiday season, the game is over in a heartbeat.

Metal Arms: Glitch in the System - ****

A fun treat for the rest of us tired of deep storyline and new “innovative” features that are really not that innovative. Metal Arms is a nice time portal back to the good old days of rapid shooting, jumping, and destroying that founded video gaming. Players take on the role of Glitch, a small robot that is on a quest to destroy a mega robot empire planning on destroying all of the little guys. The title character has the ability to take over other robots, drive vehicles, and use any of the dozen or so weapons at his disposal. Trust me; you won’t regret buying Metal Arms.

UTTER DISAPPOINTMENTS

Drake - *

If you’ve noticed, I chose brown as the color of this star, because this game is just like feces. Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of this game before; just make sure that when you see it on store shelves, the word “crap” comes into mind. Supposedly this cel-shaded game came from a comic book series, which I’ve never heard of, and is aimed toward the younger audiences. Still, if your son/daughter finds this game intriguing and fun, a psychiatrist might be a great gift - come next holiday season.  

XIII - ***

Not as bad as this category implies, XIII was just another hyped game that fell short on gamers’ expectations. XIII is another “innovative” cel-shaded 1^st-person shooter, the first of its kind, which revolves around a conspiracy. After the president of the US is assassinated, you are found on the shore without any recent memory of what has happened. All you know is that everyone is after you and blaming you for the assassination. Great storyline, fragmented gameplay. The developers were on the right track but this game doesn’t offer anything new.  Almost the entire game is comprised of “par” effort that falls way short of today’s A-list of games. Buy it for the nice cartoon-esque effects, but don’t expect to hang on to it for long.

That concludes the Armchair Empire’s Xbox list for 2003. Don’t forget to get your shopping done immediately, to avoid that fourth quarter rush. Remember that these aren’t the only games available this holiday season, and they certainly aren’t guaranteed to please you for sure. Just remember that while looking for the right game you will stumble upon some games you won’t be sure of buying, and some games that may have a good looking box cover, but end up sucking just as bad as Drake. With that in mind, good luck on finding the right game for you - I hope this list helped you in your decision making. Have a merry X-Mas and Happy Holidays, drive/fly safely.

Eric Lahiji

December 9, 2003