Scene it? Review and Trailer.

Scene it game is making its way to Xbox 360, complete with four newly crafted (and by "newly crafted" we mean that they blatantly ripped off Buzz's controller design) controllers.

The real question with Scene It? isn't whether it's fun, because it is, but instead it's whether or not you should spend the extra twenty bucks on converting to the Xbox 360 alternative when there are already a bevy of board game options available.

A big point of contention that 360 owners are obviously going to be gabbing over for awhile is the controllers that come packed in the game.

Yes, there are four of them. Yes, they use infrared lights to communicate with your console, and yes, you do need to attach a new IR port to receive the signal. Why are they handcuffing 360 owners to the limitations of infrared technology rather than using Microsoft's proprietary wireless technology?

Our best bet is to cut costs. The additional IR dongle also allows you to keep your 360 in an entertainment center behind a closed door and simply run the receiver's wire up to ten feet away from your system. It's just a hair shorter than the wired controller's cable, so there's a good bit of freedom.

Got Scene it?

The Big Button Pad also is fairly flexible and doesn't need to be pointed directly at the receiver. The manual reads that you can be up to 15 feet away, but ours functioned properly from more than 25 feet so chances are you won't have any issues. There's also a good bit of freedom when it comes to pointing the Big Button Pad at the IR port. We were able to point our pad directly up and even tilted slightly opposite the direction of the port and could still answer questions. Just so long as there's no solid object sitting in between you and the receiver things should run smoothly. There's no question that bona fide wireless support would have been preferable but we understand the decision to leave it out and are happy to report that the IR port does indeed function well.

But does the Big Button Pad actually push Scene It? on Xbox 360 forward from what the DVD game offers? Surprisingly yes, it does. It's fun to have something different than a standard DVD remote in your hands, passing it between players, and will definitely make the game more accessible to those who have never played an Xbox 360 game before.

Not only do the controllers function just as they should, but the gameplay within Scene It? is actually pretty damn fun. For as much ridicule as I've taken for defending this game over the last few days everyone who has actually picked up a controller and given the game an honest chance has come away with at least a small grin on their face.

There are three basic modes: short play, long play, and party play. Short and long play are essentially the same game, but short play will run you around 25 minutes, whereas long play is around an hour depending on how good you and your posse are. Short play contains three rounds, with three different puzzle types (five questions per type) per round whereas long play has five puzzle types per round.

Check Scene it? At the Xbox 360 help store.

Party play is the most disappointing of the modes, as it's the one that requires you to have four players taking part. You can play with three people, but the computer will assume that there is a fourth so you'll be sitting idle as the clock ticks down waiting for someone to buzz in on the fourth controller. Granted, if you're at a party you'll likely have at least four people to play with, but if you aren't the most popular kid on the block it would be nice to have the option to play with fewer.

The short and long play are where you'll spend most of your time, and both perform extremely well once you factor out the annoying announcer and the unneeded cutscenes that are intended to set up the game. One of the features that separate the Xbox 360 version from what you've been playing since 2001 is the fact that Microsoft's system keeps track of which of the 1,800 questions you've seen already.

That means that you won't have a repeat for quite some time. When you do get a repeat, and we have, it'll likely be in the movie clips section of the game. is Scene it? constantly taking you into the "screening room" and showing off the different movie clips that it holds, far more often than any other game mode. Luckily there's no set cycle of questions, so just because you get one repeat set of questions doesn't mean that you'll have already played the subsequent bunch.

Even though the gameplay won't blow anyone's hat off, there are plenty of puzzle types that stay fun throughout the experience, which is exactly why Scene It? can be looked at as an overall success. It doesn't try to be more than it is. It's a party game through and through and you and your movie buff friends--or even casual fans--will have a blast yelling at each other and obsessing over every question that comes along. Time factors into the score you get for each correct answer and games do come down to 30 or 40 points (out of a total of around 40,000) on occasion so you can imagine the amount of tension that can bring to a household.

The game designers also did a good job of crafting questions and puzzle types for different types of players. Some types are geared towards more creative thinkers, others are geared towards analytics, and then there are strictly memory-based games. That means that you could play with four friends, through four games, and it's entirely within the realm of possibility that there could be a different winner each time.

The biggest downside to the gameplay is that there is essentially no Xbox Live integration. This game would have been perfect to play with friends or random people from across the country, or at least have the ability to download new questions for a fee from Microsoft's online service. As it stands there doesn't seem to be anything of the sort, but that's not to say that they couldn't release a patch that opens up online functionality later on.

Xbox 360 Scene it? Trailer:

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare review

They say war is hell. Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare takes you to the very depths of Hades.

The long-awaited COD4, IW's follow-up to the excellent Call of Duty 2, is a jarring, intense, and gripping take on war in the new millennia. The enemies are smarter, the weapons are deadlier, and the grenades all too plentiful. COD4 will shake loose your fillings and have you begging for more.

But as any Call of Duty fan can tell you, the people at Infinity Ward are skilled storytellers and masterful scenarists. It's because of this that Modern Warfare finds itself in the company of movies like Black Hawk Down, rife with intense portrayals of serious and complicated situations that, though perhaps not entirely realistic, still convey to the rest of the nonenlisted world how war might feel: completely f***ed up.

The premise is loosely based on several volatile political situations on the other side of the world: A bloody coup occurs in an unnamed Middle Eastern nation that is fed up with Western influence and perceived imperialism. A Russian ultranationalist offshoot is trying to influence the outcome and use the Arab state's upheaval as a distraction for more nefarious and immediate plans. It's as much CNN as it is recent seasons of 24 -- events and timelines obviously exaggerated for effect. The story unfolds from an unapologetic "us versus them, and they are wrong" perspective, with little time spent on the larger philosophy of war. And that's fine, because it's ultimately a story about how soldiers execute their orders: efficiently, without question, with no room for pulpits.

Get your Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare from Amazon.com, click here.

Call of Duty is one of those roller coaster-type games, where you sit back and let the game guide you down one hopefully thrilling path. But the trick to pulling off a successful linear shooter is breaking the player away from the rails every so often, and that's accomplished by making encounters engaging and avoiding repetitive situations. Jumping between American, British, and Russian troops worked well in Call of Duty 2 and the same method applies for COD4. You alternate missions under British SAS and U.S. Marine Corps command, but both squads are linked by attacking the same ultimate goal from different angles, and because of that variance, it always feels like what you're doing is a vital part of winning the war (without developing into the stereotypical one-man army).

Moonlight rescue missions, frontal assaults and panicked extractions, sniper infiltrations and assassinations, ambushes and support roles, small teams and big squads...even though you're using the same guns and grenades throughout the entire game, every objective you're told to complete is a different exciting experience.

A mission begins with your squad moving through the countryside and taking out enemy positions. It's tense, and the firefights are frequent. But halfway through, you're transported high in the sky on an AC-130 gunship, peering through a black-and-white scope at small dots on the ground. The fancy graphics and sound disappear, creating an odd sense of security as you continue guiding the squad to its objective by clearing the path ahead with the AC-130's massive guns. The calm, nonchalant radio chatter of the airplane's operators replaces the screams for help. And then you're back on the ground in the thick of it -- an excellent example of the game manipulating your expectations of the series. When they're done well, scripted sequences work.

Unless you're playing on the Hardened difficulty setting, for that's where the scripted nature works against the game. Thanks to the more powerful enemies and less powerful armor, Hardened is always a challenge, and frequently a repetitive frustration. The checkpoint system is almost perfectly laid out, but there are certain "brick wall" areas that overwhelm you with punishing enemy fire and little recourse. Repeated attempts reveal enemy patterns and behaviors, and once you can anticipate that it feels like a shooting gallery. You start out impressed with the unknown combat scenario, but that feeling gives way to "and now two guys will run through this door..." In short, play through on Normal the first time for medium challenge and maximum enjoyment of the set pieces, and then challenge your skills later.

Just as the campaign is a satisfying thrill, COD4's multiplayer is treated with equal craftsmanship. A party system fueled by a wealth of playlists of differing maps and modes provides for near-endless entertainment, and a combination leveling/in-game achievement system keeps the carrot at the end of the stick. From levels 1 through 55, there are various rewards to unlock: new weapons, attachments, camouflages, and "perks." These perks are extra abilities that you can grant your character that give you certain advantages. Stopping Power makes your shots more powerful, Deep Impact allows for better bullet penetration through materials, Last Stand lets you draw your sidearm when you've been shot for a final attempt at revenge...other perks allow you to carry more ammo and grenades. And for every weapon, there are challenges that you can complete to unlock further upgrades. Most boil down to "shoot enough people," but there are more interesting challenges, like shooting down enemy helicopter support.

Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in game play video:

he best way to contain so many options is by total character and class customization. The Create-a-Class feature lets you differentiate your weapon loadout and perk assignments dependent on the situation. There are default classes like "Assault" and "Sniper," but this is the best way to employ your rewards in the game's various multiplayer modes. With 55 levels of progression (and multiple passes through the ladder -- you can surrender all of your unlocked stuff and start over with an emblem of honor), it can be daunting for those starting out at the bottom. You don't get much cool gear or perks, and you'll likely be trounced in the first handful of games by guys who can run faster and shoot better than you. But advancement is quick, and you'll get new guns, better sights, and more valuable perks soon enough -- and that quest for better gear is when the addiction sets in.

With proven mechanics, brilliant visuals and sound, a satisfying campaign, and robust multiplayer, COD4 is one of the best FPS packages of the year -- no small feat, considering the competition.

Skate review and trailer

Say goodbye to Tony Hawk's games and welcome the skate. - EA's latest product.

Finally, a skateboarding franchise we can play and enjoy instead of the declining Tony Hawk series. Though both Tony Hawk and Skate are of course skateboarding games, they differ in many aspects of the game such as controls and graphics. Not to mention that, skate is a lot more fun to play both online and offline.

The first thing you will notice while playing skate is that it is actually somewhat realistic. No more doing 30 second handstands, no more “Natas Spins” (thank god), and best of all, no more 1,000,000 point combos. The second thing you will notice is that this is in no way, shape, or form a button mashers game. The thumb-sticks are the main parts of the controller used during the game. The left thumb-stick controls your body while the right thumb-stick controls the board. Although it does take some getting used too, once you get it nailed down it just makes the game a hell of a lot of fun to play.

The story starts off similar to a movie. You are shooting a skate video, and let’s just say you should have looked both ways before you crossed the street. You basically get owned by a bus, and get rushed to the hospital. The doctor says it’s going to take some major reconstructive surgery to fix you up, so now it’s time to create your character the way you want him to look. The create-a-character isn’t exactly “great”, but it beats the Tony Hawk create-a-skater by a long shot, so be thankful with what you got. Once you finally get out of the hospital, what do you do? Skate of course! You and your friend (camera man), decide to go to the skate park in the suburbs to do a rehab session of skating. This is where you are taught everything you need to know on how to play the game. All of the tutorials are in this area, and once you finish them you should be all set to go. The main objective of the story is to earn recognition by being on the cover of skate mags and taking part of the X-Games. Not too much of a storyline here, but the game makes up for it in a big way. The city of San Velona is so huge that it’s almost overwhelming.

Click here to buy Skate from Xbox 360 help store, In Association with Amazon.com

This is why the game never gets old. Finding sick spots to skate is what it’s all about, and that is what you will spend most of your time doing when playing this game. There are four sections of the city, each having there own type of fun to them. Those sections are the Suburbs, The Res, Downtown, and Old Town. The suburbs are exactly what you think of when you think suburbs. Lots of regular houses, some cool places to skate, a good size skate park. The Res is downhill skating all the way. If you like speed, this is the place for you. Downtown is the place with the best skate spots, but is swarming with security; so be careful. Last but definitely not least is Old Town, which is great for skating mainly ledges. The missions in the game are pretty frustrating at times to say the least. I’ve caught myself about to throw my controller a few times, but that’s nothing compared to breaking my headset while playing Halo 3...but that’s a different story. Anyways, this isn’t a game you can just breeze through. It takes time, practice, skill, and sometimes a good amount of luck is involved too.

Xbox 360 Skate trailer:

Online is great if you’re unlike myself and actually have a good connection. I don’t really like doing things such as races, but instead I just like to free skate around with my friend and practice doing tricks that are killing me in career mode. As I said before I have a pretty bad connection so I try to avoid everything except free skate, but I’ve heard that it is loads of fun, so give it a shot.

Another unique and fun part of the game is the “Replay Editor.” Say for example you did a trick/combo that is so amazing that it’s probably a once in a lifetime thing, well you can just pause the game and edit the replay of it so that it looks even cooler, and then upload it to skate’s official website to show it off to the public for them to view and rate. It’s a nice little addition to the game that makes it just that much better.

My final opinion on skate is that it is really a great game when you give it a chance. It felt awkward at first, but once you get used to it, it is a very fun game to play that can last you a long time, at least until the sequel to skate.

Click here to buy Skate from Xbox 360 help store, In Association with Amazon.com

Nba live 08 review and trailer

Let’s face it; the past few years have not been kind to EA Sport’s flagship basketball franchise. The past few NBA Live titles have paled in comparison to 2K Sport’s NBA 2K games, getting trounced on the court for having weak gameplay and dismal features. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that EA Sports would go back to the drawing board, focusing on making the gameplay mechanics smooth and playable, while bringing the next-gen iterations up to speed with a good feature set. NBA Live 08 ups the ante with some features that range from pretty good to great and long overdue, as well as some excellent on-court mechanics and animations to pull you into the game. While not without a few foibles, NBA Live 08 is still the most compelling game to hit the franchise in years.

Anyone who’s played the series as of late would know that it didn’t exactly have the most fluid gameplay out there. In fact, the inside game was rubbish, the passing game made some utterly confounding mistakes, and the overall on-court experience was pretty weak. However, the team behind NBA Live 08 has attempted to address these issues as best as they can, and have been mostly successful in their efforts. As a result, NBA Live 08 plays leaps and bounds better than previous games in the series.

One element that the dev team have implemented to fix the on-court game is the new “own the paint” feature. This allows you to press the left bumper button and perform a variety of moves, like fake shots, alley oops, and so on to leave your opponents in the dust. This feature takes a bit of getting used to, as doing the wrong thing will often cost you possession of the ball. However, mastering it is extremely rewarding, and shows how the inside game has been vastly improved from last year’s iteration of the series. Additionally, the ball handling has been improved quite a bit. You can link together skill moves like combos in order to get the drop on your opponents. Do this right and you’ll clear yourself a patch to the hoop every time. However, only certain players can do this properly, and trying to do the quick strike ball handling with “less capable” players will cost you the ball.However, while the on-court play has been updated substantially, it’s still not perfect. The game still has some nagging issues. Shots are still mishandled by the game often, with players attempting to shoot from behind the backboard, or flubbing simple lay-ups and dunks. The AI is also a bit problematic, especially on defense, leaving areas wide open and allowing a clean lane to the basket for your opponent.

Aside from those issues, there’s a lot to love in NBA Live 08. The features from last year’s game, like the All-Star Weekend and dynasty mode, have returned. However, there are some great new features as well. The FIBA World Championship opens up the team roster to international teams, allowing you to face off countries against each other or even NBA teams. The scenario mode is also a nice addition, letting you play through randomized pseudo mission-based scenarios to test your B-ball mettle, and the quick pick mode lets you choose your own dream team of ten players from any team in the game and pit them against another team.

Xbox 360 NBA Live 08 trailer:

One huge addition to the game is the online leagues, which has been something that fans have been clamoring for some time now. The leagues have persistent rankings and rankings for each player, as well as a variety of tweaks that you can do in order to cater your own preferences, matching you up with similar players.

Graphically, the game is a big step-up from NBA Live 07 as well, thanks to its framerate boost to 60 frames per second and some much improved animations. The character models are also done very well, showcasing different body types and sizes as well as accurate facial models. Soundwise, the game is also quite good, with a diverse soundtrack, accurate commentary from Albert and Kerr and solid on-court effects.

NBA Live 08 isn’t without a few problems that have lingered from last year’s game, but the whole experience is generally much improved. The on-court game plays much better than before, and the new features are great additions to the franchise. This is the next-gen NBA Live that we’ve been waiting for since the 360 launched.

Fifa 08 review and trailer

Soccer has been dubbed “the beautiful game”. Unfortunately most soccer game offerings have been far from beautiful in their implementation. Fifa, as popular as the series has been has felt somewhat lacking to me, and in the past couple of years the series has had its nose blooded by the fast paced arcadey franchise that is Pro Evolution Soccer. Fortunately then, EA really stepped up to the mark for this year’s Fifa offering.

The new features list contains large numbers with many zeros, such as that players make 1000 decisions every second. These numbers mean little in isolation, but speak volumes in-game. The improved AI along with awesome ball physics (which are affected by factors such as wind speed, player balance, ball spin and air pressure) makes for a very realistic experience. Each iteration of Fifa has had its own nuances and Fifa 08 is no different. In fact it will take quite a bit of time with the game to really master its subtleties.

Fifa 08 has a much slower pace than many would be used to, which makes for a much more considered and tactical game. A game of to and fro, where there is a lot of passing and exploring to find a weakness in the opposition’s defense. In essence, it truly captures the feel of soccer. No longer can you subdue the opposition with wave after wave of attacks. Nor can you cross the ball magically into your striker’s feet from one side of the field to the other (this annoyed my old flatmates to no end). Instead you have to make space, shield the ball and really think about what you are doing, all while the opposition is relentlessly chasing your heels and blocking your passes. Fifa 08 also introduces a new version of the fatigue meter. This time round you cant sit with your finger jammed on the run button, as your total stamina will drop slowly over the game. You have to use short burst of speed.
Another bonus is the beefed up ball control. Passing has been very hit and miss in past iterations, usually involving pointing in the general vicinity and hoping for the best. In Fifa 08 this is much less the case, especially when you turn off passing assistance. The added control really does provide for some excellent build up play.

In my opinion Fifa 08 is quite possibly the most realistic soccer game I have played. I say this, because you have to play as you would on a real pitch. As I mentioned above, the ball physics are really impressive, and its fantastic to see defenders fight for the ball when its loose without it being magically sucked to one of the players feet like in previous versions. Lets not kid ourselves though, someone walking past your tv is not going to mistake it for a real game of soccer, but its as close as we have seen.

All this realism comes at a cost to the casual player…difficulty. Unless you are willing to put some time into the game, it is unlikely that you will be able to truly appreciate its subtle genius. It can be fairly frustrating and hard with goals few and far between. Like I said though, its fairly realistic. Unfortunately it is relatively unforgiving even on the easier setting. The steep learning curve and added difficulty may be a bit of a turn off to those not already familiar with the series.

Most of what I mentioned so far are more incremental improvements than anything new. This is where the Be A Pro mode comes in. In this mode you play as one player, rather than the entire team. This is such a good idea that it makes you wonder why it has not been done in the past. Unfortunately its not as full featured as you would hope, but it definitely makes me excited for the future. EA have also suggested that the game will eventually allow for five a side online games with each player being controlled individually. Normal multiplayer is great fun, and though I did not get time to try out the online leagues, one off matches against a real opponent are awesome. I experienced very little lag in my games, which is a definite bonus.

Xbox 360 Fifa 08 trailer:

It also has the usual exhaustive number of licensed teams and leagues, even including New Zealand (the worst international team in the game - which is accurate enough). The visuals are pretty impressive, with a lot of attention given to the likenesses of most players. Obviously the stars were given more love than the average Joe’s but that’s to be expected when there are more than a thousand players. The commentators are also better this year round with more recorded lines than previous years. Obviously these do get repeated, but all round they relate a lot more to what’s going on in the game than I have seen in previous versions.

In closing Fifa 08 is the most enjoyable soccer game I have played. The slower pace, greater control and realistic approach really does make for a very enjoyable experience if you like your soccer. On the downside it is a lot more challenging with a steeper learning curve. However if you can push through this, you will find that you can pull off some spectacular moves that were rarely seen in the past, at least not on this level. Fifa 08 really is a beautiful simulation of the beautiful game.

Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII review

Before the genre-leading beast that is Ace Combat arrives on the Xbox 360 later this year, another aeronautical sequel has landed in the form of Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of World War II.

The game's predecessor was a fairly mediocre release, which was dogged by its own choice of theme. In opting to focuses on military technology that was cutting edge sometime before rock 'n' roll hit the charts, the first Blazing Angels felt a little sluggish and unwieldy.

Perhaps in response to this, one of the most noteworthy additions to the second release in the series is the option to unlock, upgrade and fly a fairly substantial list of prototype aircraft loosely themed on unrealised designs of the era, with super-responsive handling and agility. Most are also fitted with semi-fictitious WWII weaponry, such as homing missiles, which clearly weren't in everyday use in the famous dogfights of WWII.

The artistic take on the grim reality of the Second World War also extends into some of the 18 sizable single-player missions that make up Blazing Angels' main content. Over the skies of Egypt, with the Pyramids resplendent below you, you will face a huge zeppelin foe, armed to the hilt with machine gun turrets and spewing forth waves of enemy fighters in a scene more reminiscent of a boss battle in classic shoot-'em-up 1945 than a typical arcade flight-sim.

Do not be mislead though, as Blazing Angels 2 is certainly not an outright 'alternate-reality' WWII release like the forthcoming Turning Point: Fall from Liberty. In fact the vast majority of the emphasis of Secret Missions of WWII is on more realistic content. Again, the controls are wonderfully responsive and simple, keeping things instinctive, and for those looking for something of a challenge, perhaps a little easy.

The thumb sticks and shoulder buttons handle all of your aerial manoeuvres, firepower and targeting, meaning most of your effort is spent not on struggling to keep your plane in the sky, but instead on keeping your targeting reticule on a foe's tail. Before unlocking the prototype planes, none of your weapons seek out their target automatically, though in the case of most rockets the leeway with regard to your accuracy is fairly generous in your favour. Ammunition also comes in liberal quantities, and throughout this is very much an arcade game, comparable in many ways with all kinds of action-shooters over and above more traditional flying games. If you've played Ace Combat you'll understand the kind of thrills on offer here.

Staying with the controls for the moment, there is also no way of locking your crosshair on to you rivals. Instead the camera can be locked-on by holding the left shoulder buttons. At first this is particularly difficult to get used to, as aircraft sweep behind you causing the camera to pan right round to your plane's nose, but soon you'll be wondering why this excellent feature doesn't appear in more flying games.
Along with the number of unlockable extra planes, the most substantial improvement to Blazing Angels is the visuals, which really do impress. The first game on the Xbox 360 felt very much like a direct port of the Xbox version, with very little extra attention put into graphical quality.

This time around Blazing Angels looks superb. The planes lack the polish of their contemporaries in Ace Combat 6, but the ground below you is incredibly detailed and well developed. Sweeping over Paris, famous landmarks are numerous, positioned with some accuracy and realised in fabulous detail. Around them hundreds of streets lined with 3D houses and rows of trees twist and wind, parks are alive with people and boats bob on the gentle ebb and flow of the water. Blazing Angels 2 really does boast one of the best landscapes seen in a game set in the skies, and at times its enchanting detail and varied layout can draw you in a little too close.

Hidden stunt tokens and other secondary targets that unlock extra content are also tucked between buildings and below bridges, encouraging replays and tempting you to clip your wings on the ground while exploring hard-to-reach areas. As well as the physical intricacies and stylistic flair of each level, the skies are also very pretty indeed. Clouds look very realistic, and change in colour and texture throughout the game, dependent on the sun's position in the sky. As the air fills with planes, things begin to look immense. A fog does hang heavy in the distance, hiding distant detail, but otherwise there is very little to complain about in terms of Blazing Angels 2's appearance - aside from a bit of screen tearing here and there. The sound is closer to average and, though of decent quality, it regularly falls back on the tired old stereotypes of jolly, posh Brits and the kind of score we've heard all too often in Medal of Honor games.

Sadly, when it comes to gameplay, the missions begin to feel slightly repetitive and occasionally are drawn out. Most see you destroying waves of incoming planes before moving on to a larger target, and all too often feel very pedestrian Those that ask you to perform more unusual tasks such as stealth kills feel somewhat awkward and unworkable within the genre's setting. The multiplayer is great however, and filled with opportunities to tussle in the skies above beautifully realised versions of Rome and the Himalayas.

Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII trailer:

While Blazing Angels 2 has its faults, it is still a decent title and a marked improvement on the first instalment from Ubisoft's Romania studio. If you're looking for a complex, challenging flying game then you're better off spending your cash elsewhere, but if you fancy some light-hearted arcade action and know you'll make use of the multiplayer mode, or just have some leftover enthusiasm for WWII games, this could be the one for you.

Bioshock xbox 360 review.

When BioShock was announced, few would have known the impact it would have on the gaming landscape and few would have known just how well it would turn out. Coming from the guys behind the two System Shock PC games, there was history but there was also unknown. This was a brand new take on the 'Shock' style of games and both System Shock 1 and 2 were very complex, perhaps too complex, for today's more casual gaming world.

However 2K Games have proven us all wrong and BioShock has not only turned out to be a contender for game of the year but perhaps the first game to really make you buy a next generation console. Yes, the game really is worth a couple of hundred bucks if you have to fork that out.

BioShock is a revolution in the shooter genre that will forever change the expectations for the FPS. Going beyond "run and gun corridors," "monster-closet AIs" and static worlds, BioShock creates a living, unique and unpredictable FPS experience. BioShock is the Shooter 2.0!

After your plane crashes into icy uncharted waters, you discover a rusted bathysphere and descend into Rapture, a city hidden beneath the sea.

Constructed as an idealistic society for a hand picked group of scientists, artists and industrialists, the idealism is no more. Now the city is littered with corpses, while wildly powerful guardians roam the corridors, mutated little girls scavenge the dead, and genetically modified citizens ambush you at every turn. Players must ultimately make meaningful choices and mature decisions, culminating in the grand question: do you exploit the innocent survivors of Rapture...or save them?

Bioshock Xbox 360 trailer: