Total nonstop action… here!
Let’s get things going this week by talking about TNA iMPACT, which is a bit like waking up at 5am and eating spicy tacos for breakfast. Plus chocolate fudge cake. Plus double espresso. TNA has taken wrestling to another level, and Midway has done the same thing for wrestling videogames here. Moves are really intuitive, and I love that points are awarded for playing with style – i.e. discouraging repetition, so that bouts become more dynamic. Out-of-the-ring action is insane but within the six-sided ring those takedowns leave you speechless… before you start yelling your head off until way past bedtime. Go Jay Lethal! Go Samoa Joe! I truly love this.
Enthralling but in a hugely different way is Warhammer: Battle March, the enhanced Xbox 360 edition of PC strategy game Warhammer: Mark of Chaos. Namco Bandai are behind this, currently best known for Soulcalibur IV, so quite a departure. What attracted me initially was the outstanding quality of artwork. But what’s keeping me hooked is the clear-cut command system and gameplay focused on building spectacular armies, boosting morale, then taking my individually customised warriors online for four-player campaigns across Xbox LIVE. This rocks! I mean it. So, I’d better round off by mentioning a guilty pleasure of mine: NHL 09. True, I’m squaring off against my Canadian pals (six versus six!) on Xbox LIVE if I want a serious game, but even offline this year’s NHL is a triumph. If you’re going to get into console ‘ice warfare’, NHL 09 is a great place to start because it teaches you how to improve based on 50 (five oh) performance categories. You’ll never be as good as me ;) but I’m just saying the opportunity is there to get to grips. Kick-ass, kick-your-ass games. Have an incredible week… like you have a choice.
Out This Week NHL 09
Graeme Boyd, Xbox.com Community Manager, Gamertag: AceyBongos
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