Bad Habits - Xbox 360 games - July 27 2005

I’ve played so much Xbox 360 for the past week, I have a blister on one finger, my eyes are dry, and my cats look like they’re moping from neglect. But this hard work was necessary to bring a verdict on the first batch of games that are available for the new, $400, high-definition game machine.

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Most of these games cost $60. Players could rent these first through GameFly.com or a movie-rental store before they drop that kind of cash on a title. Here are my recommendations.

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CAN’T MISS GAMES

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Call of Duty 2 — This is what I call a game. The goal is to survive the bloodbaths of World War II by ducking through ditches, shooting Nazis and blowing stuff up. War games this awesome bring history to virtual life in the most brutal way, killing and dying over and over. Rated T for teens. 4 stars.

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NBA Live ‘06 — Live is one of the most realistic sports games ever made. It’s exhilarating, although to make the players move as fast as real ballers, you have to change the game’s optional settings so players move as quickly as possible. It’s highly addictive. Rated E for everyone. 4 stars.

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Need for Speed: Most Wanted — This is the best Need for Speed yet. The racing is a ton of fun. You race street cars fast on gritty roads, and cops chase you. It also has video footage of a purposely cheesy/funny street gang of roughnecks and hot young ladies who egg you on. Rated T. 4 stars.

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Tiger Woods PGA Tour ‘06 — This isn’t any different than the most recent Xbox Tiger Woods, except it’s prettier, more realistic-looking and takes less time to load. Bonus: bad golf shots now sometimes hit spectators. Rated E. 4 stars.

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GOOD GAMES

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Perfect Dark Zero — Zero is a very sleek shooting game that combines the spy feel of a James Bond adventure with the sci-fi shooting structure of Halo. Even the music is the sexy, futuristic spy stuff of trip-hop beats. This is good news for the 360, since Zero is a signature release for the system. Rated M for Mature. 3.5 stars.

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Amped 3 — Like previous Amped games, this one offers fun snow skiing, riding rails, jumping and doing tricks in the air. It’s very pretty, has cheeky dialogue, and offers a cool array of visuals: stop-motion animation; old-school video game visuals; and splashy cartoon graphics. Rated T. 3 stars.

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Quake 4 — Fans of Quake and Doom shooting games know this drill. You’re a space soldier, racing through military-style installations while blasting evil and otherworldly creatures. It’s run-and-gun fun, though not substantially different from previous Quakes. Rated M. 3 stars.

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FIFA ‘06: Road to FIFA World Cup — I used to love soccer titles. But the more realistic they become, the harder they are to me. Even so, it’s easy to recognize the beauty of FIFA, which has better controls. Rated E. 3 stars.

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NBA 2K6 — The 360 version of NBA 2K6 gets everything right. It’s fun and fairer than its predecessors. It’s easy to shoot, including from the free throw line. It’s easy to defend against opponents. But that means it’s simple to figure out, not simple to win. Rated E. 3 stars.

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PGR 3 — That’s short for Project Gotham Racing 3, the latest and most realistic-looking game in the PGR racecar series. I’ve never seen a more real Vegas setting in a driving game, right down to the hieroglyphic facades of the Luxor and self-park signs at the Excalibur garage. Rated E 10+ for Everyone 10-plus years. 3 stars.

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Kameo: Elements of Power — This pretty and cartoonish fantasy adventure is creative. You kill baddies while playing as a shape-shifter. But it’s not as fun as it could be. It takes too long to switch between shapes. Probably best for younger kids and fantasy fans. Rated T. 3 stars.

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SLIGHT DISAPPOINTMENTS

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Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland — This one’s not much different than other Hawk games. You skateboard on rails, grab your board atop quarter pipes and beat people with your board. Rated T. 2.5 stars.

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Madden NFL ‘06 — There are no new twists to this Madden. That’s surprising given the power of the 360. Then again, this Madden is easier than the Xbox and PS 2 Madden games to handle, when it comes to setting up games, franchises and football routes. Rated E. 2.4 stars.

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thegamedork@creativeloafing.com
Doug Elfman is the TV critic at the Chicago Sun-Times.