Drive, Buy

Game: Forza Motorsport
System: Microsoft Xbox
Release date: May 3, 2005
Developed by: Turn 10 Studios
Published by: Microsoft Game Studios

From the beginning of its adventure in console gaming, Microsoft has not been shy about taking on the heavyweight franchises of the video game world. With Forza Motorsport, a racing simulation which arrived late in the lifespan of the Xbox, Microsoft took aim at the racing sim franchise par excellence Gran Turismo; and while Forza Motorsport doesn't quite match the best Gran Turismo has to offer, it remains a solidly-designed simulation with hundreds of cars, incredible levels of customization and a physics engine which stands up to even the most skeptical car enthusiast.

Forza Motorsport features all of the standard racing modes, including "Arcade Race, "Time Trials," and "Free Run," but the core of the game is "Career Mode," an extensive and intensive series of point-to-point, lap and endurance races. Throughout Career Mode, players earn credits by earning trophies, which are used to purchase new cars and parts. As more and more credits are awarded, players rise in level and unlock manufacturer relationships. Car manufacturers, like Honda or Bentley, will begin to offer discounts on car parts, even gift an entire car.

Apart from its ultra-realistic physics engine, in which weight, engine model and transmission type affect how exactly each car will perform on each track, Forza Motorsport boasts realistic damage physics. If a player's car strikes (or is struck) by a rival car or an obstacle, damage will appear on the vehicle, but the damage is not merely cosmetic; collisions can alter handling, top speed and acceleration. Even small fender-benders can wreck a car's front-end alignment, causing it to drift either to the left or right for the remainder of the race.


Even though Forza Motorsport is a racing simulation, and thus requires patience and practice, the game supplies several elements to help racing novices. These include a "suggested line," basically a driving tutor in the form of a dynamic line which informs the player of the best possible course along the racetrack. The line shifts from green (drive as fast as desired) to yellow (slow down) to red (brake immediately). This is especially useful for players unfamiliar with racing simulations, but also helpful to experienced players looking to find the best way to dominate a track.

Forza Motorsport is not perfect; its graphics and soundtrack could certainly be better and its limited number of tracks is inexplicable, but its strengths definitely outweigh its weaknesses. Serious simulation fans could play the game, offline and online, for literally hundreds of hours, but novice players will find several features, including a forgiving difficulty curve and user-friendly technologies, which make Forza Motorsport much less intimidating and tedious than many other simulations.

Score: 92/100

Silent Assassin

Game: Sniper Elite
System: Playstation 2
Release date: October 18, 2005
Developed by: Rebellion Developments
Published by: Namco

Dozens of shooters have been released in the past fifteen years, many of which feature at least one sniper rifle, but rarely (if ever) do these games focus on the silent, stealthy role of the the assassin. In Sniper Elite, developer Rebellion has done just that; and while it's not a total inversion of the shooter genre (such a feat would be a sign of true bravery) Sniper Elite focuses on gameplay elements which figure only marginally in most shooters: camouflage, silent kills and a realistic ballistics engine.

Sniper Elite is the story of Karl Fairburne, an American OSS agent who infiltrates war-torn Berlin in the closing days of World War II. Disguised as a German sniper, Fairburne is tasked with stoping the Soviet NKVD from obtaining Nazi nuclear technology. Although he is sometimes assisted by the German Resistance, Fairburne usually must complete his top-secret missions alone.

Sniper Elite features 28 missions, all of which can be played in a single-player campaign or cooperatively with a friend. Players must sneak through ruined buildings, abandoned factories and NKVD depots, sabotaging enemy supplies, stealing information and assassinating high-ranking Nazi and Soviet officials. A "stealth meter" is visible onscreen to inform the player exactly how likely enemy forces will spot and intercept Fairburne.


Apart from their emphasis on stealth and sabotage, the developement team at Rebellion uses some novel ballistic physics and effects in Sniper Elite. Players can not simply point and shoot at nearby and faraway targets. Factors such as gravity, wind resistance and even Fairburne's heart rate affect where each bullet will travel. Players can even mask the sound of a gunshot by timing it while a rocket bursts overhead. When players do make a one-shot kill from a distance the camera will immediately follow the bullet in slow motion until it reaches its target.

Although Sniper Elite does not reinvent the shooting genre (it can't escape from all its preconditions), it provides several gameplay and technical features which demand much more patience than an average shooter. It strives to accurately recreate wartime conditions in Berlin at the conclusion of WWII and to represent the real-world physics to which every sniper must attend.

Score: 88/100

A Better Mousetrap

Game: Portal
System: Xbox 360
Release date: October 9, 2007
Developed by: Valve Corporation
Published by: Valve Corporation

Valve is responsible for two of the greatest first-person shooters of all time, but the Half-Life games are not for everyone. On the other hand is Portal, a darkly humorous first-person action/puzzle game which is almost impossible to dislike and one which will find an audience among both hardcore and casual gamers.

Bundled with The Orange Box, a five-game compilation released for Xbox 360 and Windows in late 2007, Portal is a unique puzzle game which uses the Source engine made famous in Half-Life 2. Players control a silent female protagonist who acts as a test subject for Aperture Laboratories. She is sent through nineteen scenarios, most of which require the use of the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device or "portal gun."

The portal gun generates interspatial portals through which the heroine can travel, accessing hard-to-reach locations. Each of the nineteen scenarios has several puzzles that must be solved before players can move on; in one scenario, for example, players must redirect a projectile orb through a series of portals to activate a platform.


Throughout the game, the protagonist is monitored by an artificial intelligence who challenges, tricks and taunts her. Much of the dark humor which distinguishes Portal from other games comes from this one-sided conversation.

Although it begins somewhat innocuously, Portal takes on new dimensions and reaches new levels of difficulty as it moves forward. The game is rather short (it should take no more than four hours to complete), but a rewarding experience nonetheless.

Score: 91/100

On the Shoulders of Giants

Game: Shadow of the Colossus
System: Playstation 2
Release date: October 18, 2005
Developed by: Team Ico
Published by: Sony Computer Entertainment

In an industry dominated by sequels, long-running franchises, and carbon-copy games, director/designer Fumito Ueda has gained a reputation for creating original games. He is responsible for two of the best Playstation 2 games, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Ico, released in 2001, is an all-time great game, a minimalist masterpiece that eschews glossy graphics and complicated control schemes, focusing instead on atmosphere and mood. Five years later, Ueda and his development company Team Ico put finishing touches on their next project Shadow of the Colossus, a brave new chapter in video game storytelling and expressionism.

Much of the backstory and meaning of Shadow of the Colossus is obscured at the beginning of the game, but the basics are as follows: a young warrior makes a long trek to a forbidden temple where legend holds mystical forces can revive the dead. The young man wishes to reanimate a young woman, but the local deity insists he must destroy sixteen stone idols within the halls of the temple before she can be revived. The statues themselves can only be destroyed by slaying their incarnations throughout the forbidden land: sixteen colossi.


The colossi, which come in many shapes and sizes, are by themselves an incredible achievement for Team Ico. A mixture of organic and architectural parts, the colossi in Shadow of the Colossus are a wonder to behold. No other enemies appear in the game (very little animal life at all can be found in the forbidden land) and so each colossus encounter must be unique and memorable. In a way, Ueda has dealt a powerful blow to the generally accepted idea of a "boss battle."

With a few exceptions each colossus is several stories high, and the young warrior (Wander) must literally scale each one to reach its weak points. At his disposal are his horse Agro and two weapons, a sword and a bow. Scaling each colossus is rarely a simple endeavor; players must use their brainpower to determine how exactly to reach those portions of the monsters to which he can cling.

Although it ends somewhat cryptically, Shadow of the Colossus is an amazing experience. Each encounter with a colossus is a thrilling event, but the smaller, quieter moments are equally as moving. Ueda and Team Ico have created an epic which is simultaneously adrenaline-pumping and emotionally meaningful, a rare feat indeed.

Score: 96/100

Battlefield Earth

Game: Halo 3
System: Xbox 360
Release date: September 25, 2007
Developed by: Bungie
Published by: Microsoft

When Halo: Combat Evolved arrived on the scene in 2001, it changed an entire genre. Three years later, Microsoft released Halo 2 and forever altered multiplayer expectations. Halo 3, which rounds out the trilogy, is an excellent game, but never reaches the high levels established by its two predecessors. If this review seems unfairly critical of Halo 3, it's only because of the extraordinary qualities of Halo and Halo 2.

Warning: The following summary may contain spoilers for those who have played neither Halo nor Halo 2.

Set shortly after the cliffhanger ending of Halo 2, Halo 3 follows the genetically-enhanced supersoldier Master Chief in his campaign to reclaim Earth from the Covenant, a confederation of hostile alien species, stop a parasitic lifeform from ravaging the galaxy and prevent an array of "Halos" from annihilating every living thing in the universe. Aiding him are several allies from the first and second Halo games, including Sgt. Major Johnson, Miranda Keyes, the Arbiter, and Cortana, the artificial intelligence missing in action since the end of Halo 2.


The one-player campaign in Halo 3 is typically exciting, engaging and mysterious. Because it's essentially similar to the earlier Halo campaigns, Bungie introduced some new enemies, weapons and vehicles to prevent any sense of stagnation. Halo 3 also, for the first time, allows players to use special items, including deployable cover, flares and "bubble shields."

The centerpiece of Halo 3, however, is its multiplayer modes, which continue the tradition of excellence established in Halo 2. Players can join online multiplayer matches, create custom games across a system link or play split-screen games with friends at home. Halo 3 features all the standard multiplayer modes, including deathmatches, king of the hill, etc. As players get kills and earn wins, their overall ranking increases, leading to ranked matches against tougher opponents.

Although Halo and Halo 2 dominated the Xbox for its lifespan, the franchise has lost some ground to its competition on the Xbox 360. Halo 3 is neither the best shooter (BioShock) nor the game with the best graphics (Gears of War). It is only one of several great games for Microsoft's latest console, and no longer the trendsetter.

Score: 96/100

Gaiden Light

Game: Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
System: Nintendo DS
Release date: March 25, 2008
Developed by: Team Ninja
Published by: Tecmo

The Ninja Gaiden franchise has existed in one form or another since 1988 and its name has always seemed vaguely inappropriate. "Gaiden" is a Japanese word that denotes an anecdotal biography or side-story, implying that Ninja Gaiden is a spin-off featuring a supporting character from another series. The exact opposite is true; Ninja Gaiden is a standalone franchise with a unique hero and its own mythology.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword, the first handheld Ninja Gaiden title to be developed by Team Ninja, the developer resonsible for rebooting the franchise in 2004, is the first game that could appropriately be called "gaiden"; its story is somewhat tangential, revisiting many of the locales, enemies and events introduced in the Xbox version of Ninja Gaiden.

Set six months after the events of Ninja Gaiden (2004), Dragon Sword follows master ninja Ryu Hayabusa in his quest to rescue a kidnapped kunoichi (female ninja) Momiji, stolen away by the Black Spider Ninja Clan. Along the way, Ryu learns of the existence of eight "Dark Dragonstones," mystical stones which hold the evil essence of the ancient "Dark Dragon." On the advice of Muramasa, Ryu seeks the Dragonstones, hoping to uncover the hidden Black Spider base, save Momiji, and reveal the dark forces behind the kidnapping.


Unlike most DS games, Dragon Sword is played with the DS held sideways, like an open book. All of Ryu's moves (excluding block) are accomplished with the stylus. By drawing the stylus across an enemy's body, Ryu can slash at his opponent, perform combos and execute finishing moves. The stylus is also necessary to use powerful magical attacks, many of which are needed to solve puzzles, and to perform jumps and fire projectiles. Dragon Sword also makes use of the microphone built into the DS.

Dragon Sword is an excellent action game, made more extraordinary by its smooth transition from console to portable system. Its biggest drawback is its length; Dragon Sword can be beaten in as few as 5 hours. Unlike the Xbox version, however, Dragon Sword can be enjoyed by much younger audiences; it's not nearly as bloody, is far less difficult and places a special emphasis on the children of Hayabusa village.

Score: 89/100

Pro-Choice

Game: Indigo Prophecy
System: Playstation 2
Release date: September 20, 2005
Developed by: Quantic Dream
Published by: Atari

Indigo Prophecy is all about choice. The actions, decisions and omissions each player makes in Indigo Prophecy will change the direction and ultimate ending of the game. Moreover, those who play the game control up to four characters directly and influence indirectly the destiny of many more. That kind of freedom of choice is not entirely unprecedented -- many modern RPGs allow players to make small and large choices throughout the game with sometimes far-reaching consequences -- but in Indigo Prophecy it is a centerpiece of the gameplay, perhaps its defining characteristic.

Indigo Prophecy is the brainchild of David Cage, a French musician and video game developer. Cage developed Indigo Prophecy, originally titled Fahrenheit, almost as an interactive movie and not necessarily a traditional video game. Even though players can alter the storyline by choosing one action or another during the game, each corresponding reaction unfolds with a cinematic quality; even action sequences are entirely scripted, although players must input the proper sequence of buttons to complete them.

Indigo Prophecy is set in New York City and begins in a sleepy East Side diner in the middle of the night where Lucas Kane, one of the main characters and the principle protagonist, brutally murders a stranger in a rest room while under a paralyzing trance. He commits the crime but is convinced another party was controlling his actions. Shortly thereafter, Lucas finds himself running from the police, fighting against violent and inexplicable visions, and unraveling the mystery of the murder and its role in a larger conspiracy.


Although Lucas is the main character in Indigo Prophecy, players can control Marcus Kane (Lucas' brother) and NYPD detectives Tyler Miles and Carla Valenti. In many instances, damaging evidence forgotten by Lucas can subsequently be discovered by Miles or Valenti, thus drawing the two parties closer toward confrontation. The ability to play multiple characters embroiled in the same muddled scenario might seem like a gimmick, but Cage and the Quantic Dream team has done an excellent job of attaching meaningful and well-written back stories to each character. Some characters, predictably, are more interesting than others, but together they form a patchwork of dynamic and endearing personalities.

Indigo Prophecy boasts several gameplay elements, not entirely innovative, which enhance the game experience. These include the aforementioned action sequences which require players to quickly input color-coded button commands, a mental health meter which monitors the sanity/stability of the main characters, and a conversation system which allows players to prioritize questions, alternate between telling lies and admitting the truth, and choose the topics of conversation.

Score: 84/100