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Good Game: NHL 11, Reviews of Dragon Age and ME2 DLCs, Gameplay Preview of Fable 3, and Greed Corp

Good Game is a weekly column about the latest news in video games and casual gaming.

New Releases

NHL 11 (Xbox/PS3) – This is a great game for hockey fans! I haven’t watched a lot of ice hockey, let alone played it, but it’s clear from playing the demo that a lot of care and attention to detail went into this.

R.U.S.E. (Xbox/PS3/PC) – The tactical strategy game emphasizes deception techniques to lead your nation’s army to victory. While I’m probably not going to buy it, the demo is engaging, especially the ability to zoom in and out of the battlefield.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (iPad) – I’m not a big GTA fan, but judging by the fact that this app made it into the most-downloaded list on iTunes within hours of its release, a lot of other people are.

Corporate Fury (iPhone/iPad) – If you’ve ever wanted to get back at your boss, this is the game for you! Corporate Fury takes cubicle warfare literally, pitting you against your boss and co-workers as you literally fight your way to the top, with the ultimate goal of beating down the CEO to take over the company. I don’t really like to play fighting games on my iPad/iPhone, but I downloaded this game because of the ridiculous premise, and it’s pretty good!

Metroid: Other M (Wii) – The latest iteration of the Metroid series about a female bounty hunter has earned mostly positive reviews from critics and players, who praise the storyline and the gorgeous graphics.

The most common complaints are about the inability to move while in first-person mode, and the random timing around when you can activate certain weapons/armor – neither of which should deter you if you’re a fan of Metroid or Wii action games.

Upcoming Games

Fable III (Oct. 26, Xbox/PC) – I recently had the opportunity to play the first four hours of the new Fable game being released next month, and it was a lot of fun!

I love the new combat system and upgraded character interactions (you can now kiss and dance with your love interest). And the setting is even more beautiful than in Fable II.

For more on how the gameplay has been improved, read my full preview here (no story spoilers, just gameplay ones).

Disney Epic Mickey (Nov. 1, Wii) – The full cinematic intro to the action-adventure platforming game has been released, and it looks great.

 

Any game that lets you change the world using paint and paint thinner is worth playing!

 

Dragon Age 2 (March 11, Xbox/PS3/PC) – The female Hawke has finally been revealed!

Love the look!

Tron: Evolution (Dec. 17, Xbox/PS3/PC) – Cool new gameplay trailer from the upcoming Tron game:

 

Games developed as movie tie-ins tend to suck (the Avatar console game is a great example), but I’m willing to try this one for nostalgic reasons.

Halo: Reach (Sep. 14, Xbox) – It’s Halo: Reach Invasion Week on Xbox Live, in preparation for the game’s release on Tuesday. Each day between now and launch day brings something new, including a campaign preview, a discount on the Warthog avatar prop, a Firefight preview, and lots more. Look for a multiplayer preview on Sunday.

Currently Playing

When I’m not playing Mass Effect 2, I’m harvesting resources in Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution (iPad/iPhone), avoiding raider attacks in Fallout 3 (Xbox/PS3/PC), and conquering territories in Greed Corp. (XBLA/PSN), an addictive turn-based strategy game which rewards the last player standing. It was a little confusing at first, but this tutorial helped:

 

I’m still trying to get the hang of how to use harvesters most effectively, but at least I’m finally winning more games than I’m losing.

I also just started playing PopCap’s popular PC and iPod/iPad game Plants vs. Zombies on Xbox, and I’m starting to understand why everyone’s been raving about it – it’s strangely addicting.

Fans of Plants vs. Zombies on any platform might be interested to know the new Game of the Year addition has new achievements, and the ability to create your own zombie and use it in the game.

But even if you don’t own the game, you can create your own “zombatar” online. Mine (right) is a cross between Sue Sylvester and me after I’ve been writing all day.

“You think playing games is hard? Try reviewing games – that’s hard!”

Let me know in the comments what you’re playing now, and check back next week for my Fall ’10 Game Guide.

 

Sarah Warn currently runs EntertainHer.com and writes for TheTorchOnline. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

DLCs

Mass Effect 2 “Lair of the Shadowbroker” (Xbox/PC) – This is ME2’s best DLC, and a must-play DLC for Mass Effect fans. Not only do you get the Shadow Broker’s base and a chance to continue your relationship with Liara, your decisions in “Lair” will affect your experience in Mass Effect 3.

Read my full review here (it’s not too spoilery), and download the DLC!

Bioware recently released some interesting data on how people play ME2, including the fact that 80% of players choose to play as the male Shepard, which surprised me a little. I always choose to play as a woman when I have the option, but I know many people prefer to play the opposite gender in games, or don’t have a preference at all.

I created a poll to find out what you all do, when given a choice (I’ve listed your real-life gender in parenthes so we can see if/how the choices differ by genders).

 

Dragon Age: Origins “Witch Hunt” (Xbox/PS3/PC/Mac) – What a disappointment!

“Witch Hunt” is basically a buggy 2-hour advertisement for Dragon Age 2 that doesn’t live up to the hype. Here’s how BioWare described it:

[Morrigan’s] plans and her whereabouts have remained a mystery… until now. But whether you seek answers, revenge, or reconciliation with your lost love, you may find more than you bargained for.

In reality, you’ll find much less than you bargained for: vague, cryptic answers to your questions; a weak boss battle; and only a few minutes of Morrigan at the very end.

If this DLC was free, and marketed accurately, it might be worth playing for die-hard DA:O fans. But I don’t recommend it as-is.

BioShock 2 “Minerva’s Den” (Xbox/PS3) – This well-written single-player story takes you back into the heart of Rapture as a Big Daddy battling against Rapture’s central computer, with new plasmids, new weapons, and new enemies. Clocking in at around five hours to complete, this DLC is a good blend of the old and new, and a fitting end to this series. It’s just disappointing that the PC version wasn’t released at the same time.

Mafia II “Jimmy’s Vendetta” (Xbox/PS3/PC) – With 30 arcade-style missions, this DLC focuses more on action than story. The missions are entertaining, but a little repetitive after awhile.

Demos

Vanquish (Oct. 19, Xbox/PS3) – The futuristic sci-fi shooter pits you against Russians for control of a space station before the Russians use it to destroy New York. The combat style is fun, but the premise isn’t exactly original.

Quantum Theory (Oct. 12, Xbox/PS3) – This shooter about “a dark, grimy world in which hulking beasts threaten to destroy the world” has you playing Sam, a soldier fighting the oncoming doomsday with brawn, tactics, massive weaponry, and his AI-controlled partner, Felina.

This is a lot like Gears of War, but not nearly as good. In fact, the whole game seems like a poor mish-mash of other sci-fi shooter games. Definitely not on my must-buy list.

Upcoming Games

Fable III (Oct. 26, Xbox/PC) – I recently had the opportunity to play the first four hours of the new Fable game being released next month, and it was a lot of fun!

I love the new combat system and upgraded character interactions (you can now kiss and dance with your love interest). And the setting is even more beautiful than in Fable II.

For more on how the gameplay has been improved, read my full preview here (no story spoilers, just gameplay ones).

Disney Epic Mickey (Nov. 1, Wii) – The full cinematic intro to the action-adventure platforming game has been released, and it looks great.

 

Any game that lets you change the world using paint and paint thinner is worth playing!

 

Dragon Age 2 (March 11, Xbox/PS3/PC) – The female Hawke has finally been revealed!

Love the look!

Tron: Evolution (Dec. 17, Xbox/PS3/PC) – Cool new gameplay trailer from the upcoming Tron game:

 

Games developed as movie tie-ins tend to suck (the Avatar console game is a great example), but I’m willing to try this one for nostalgic reasons.

Halo: Reach (Sep. 14, Xbox) – It’s Halo: Reach Invasion Week on Xbox Live, in preparation for the game’s release on Tuesday. Each day between now and launch day brings something new, including a campaign preview, a discount on the Warthog avatar prop, a Firefight preview, and lots more. Look for a multiplayer preview on Sunday.

Currently Playing

When I’m not playing Mass Effect 2, I’m harvesting resources in Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution (iPad/iPhone), avoiding raider attacks in Fallout 3 (Xbox/PS3/PC), and conquering territories in Greed Corp. (XBLA/PSN), an addictive turn-based strategy game which rewards the last player standing. It was a little confusing at first, but this tutorial helped:

 

I’m still trying to get the hang of how to use harvesters most effectively, but at least I’m finally winning more games than I’m losing.

I also just started playing PopCap’s popular PC and iPod/iPad game Plants vs. Zombies on Xbox, and I’m starting to understand why everyone’s been raving about it – it’s strangely addicting.

Fans of Plants vs. Zombies on any platform might be interested to know the new Game of the Year addition has new achievements, and the ability to create your own zombie and use it in the game.

But even if you don’t own the game, you can create your own “zombatar” online. Mine (right) is a cross between Sue Sylvester and me after I’ve been writing all day.

“You think playing games is hard? Try reviewing games – that’s hard!”

Let me know in the comments what you’re playing now, and check back next week for my Fall ’10 Game Guide.

 

Sarah Warn currently runs EntertainHer.com and writes for TheTorchOnline. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

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