A brief review of the top Xbox Games

Written by: S.M.Mehdi Hassan
Xbox is the first gaming console produced by Microsoft. It is the sixth generation video game console. In 2001 Sony’s Play Station2 was the dominant game console around the world. Xbox was developed in 2001 and launched in USA. Through this product Microsoft wanted to make its entrance into the gaming world. In my previous post I have written about Microsoft’s Xbox top chart games. This post is an extension of the previous one. Here I have discussed about the top Xbox and Xbox 360 games.
CALL of DUTY: There are many games based on wars especially, the Second World War. Some of the most popular games based on World War II are: Wolfenstein, Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, Commandos 2: Men of Courage, Deadly Dozen, and Combat Flight Simulator2: WWII Pacific Theatre, and Battlefield 1942. The main feature of WWII games is that these games are either first person shooting game or strategy game (Commando) where the gamers play the role of a soldier (most of the time American or British) and participate in different missions. Also these games are very rich in graphics and various effects so that the gamers get the thrill of war. Call of Duty is no difference from its predecessors. Released in 2003 this game became a great success. Observing the huge success the sequel of the game Call of Duty2 was released in October 2005. In this game a gamer can play the role of an ordinary soldier -British, American, or Russian.
GHOST RECON- This game is based on the story of Tom Clancy. Developed by Red Storm and published by Ubisoft this game was released in 2001. Set in a fictitious future the gamer will lead a team of elite US fighters equipped with best weapons. The Ghosts are basically US army’s quick response team; a group of well trained infantry soldiers who will be the first one to get into a conflict prone area and the last one to leave the area if the situation gets tough. In this game the gamer will play the character of Captain Scott Mitchell, leader of a light infantry ghost team. He will choose his team, train them, equip them and lead them to battle. The noticing feature of this game is its graphics, which are very detailed. In this game the players fight with the rebels in Mexico City. The whole city is wartorned; there are gunshots, and fire and smokes. Developers’ attention to these details makes the game very entertaining.
OBLIVION-The third most popular game on Xbox 360 chart is Oblivion. This game was developed by Bethesda Softworks LLC for both computer and game console (XBOX). The game was released in March in America. It is a fantasy role play game and the fourth of the Elder Scrolls series. This game also has a collector version which includes a pocket guidebook on the game’s story, a DVD, and coins. Famous actor Patrick Stewart, Sean Bean, and actress Lynda Carter gave their voices in this game. The main features of this game are- a custom version of the Gamebryo game engine, a combat interface containing the Havok physics engine, high quality graphics, improved magic systems and stealth system. This is a first person game but can also be played in a third person view.
FINAL FANTASY XI- Final Fantasy XI was released in 2003. This game was developed by Square Soft and published by Ubisoft. The second installment of the game was released in 2004 developed and published by Square-Enix. This is an online massive multiplayer role playing game. The original version was released in Japan in 2002. At present it has more than 500,000 subscribers. In this game the players undertake different adventures through a complex gaming world named Vana'diel. It has more than 100 areas to explore. The game is famous for its visual content, innovative game play and a great story line. In 2004 it won Stratics 2003 Golden Cog Awards, for best gameplay, best graphics, and massively multiplayer online game of the year.
PROJECT GOTHAM RACING 3- This game was developed by Bizarre Creations and published by Microsoft Entertainment. The game was released in USA in November 2005. The main features of this racing game are: great in-car views that makes the gamer believe that he is running a real racing car, the gamers get a great sense when he is running the car, playing online version does not take much time which is why lots of players can enjoy the game online, the music adds up more spice with the environment. This is the first time I have heard that Indian Bhangra music is used in any game.
EA SPORTS FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 3 – This game is the only boxing game ever produced. However, it did not lack any of the aspects of a good game. This game won E3 2005 awards in the category of Best Non-Playable Presentation. The game was developed by EA Sports and published by Electronic Arts Incorporation. The latest version of the game was released in USA in 2006. The main attraction of the game is that it depicts the greatest boxing champions; creates rivalries through heated press conference and trash talking; players can create their own style. Last but not the least, is the impact punches that keep the gamer glued to his seat. These punches put down the opponents or knock them out.
The above mentioned games are played in Xbox 360. On the other hand there are many popular games played in the original Xbox.
BATTLE FIELD 2: MODERN COMBAT- Developed by Digital Illusions
and published by Electronic Arts Incorporation this game was released in 2005. As I was browsing the game websites I found that this game has several versions such as: Battlefield 2: Euro Force (2006), Battlefield 2: Modern Combat (2005), Battlefield 2: Modern Combat(2006) and so on. The game won "Best Swedish Game" and "Best FPS Game" at Game Awards 2006. It was also nominated in the category "Best Online Game" which was won by World of Warcraft. In this version the players would chose to fight for one of three military super powers – USA, China, and Middle East Coalition (newly formed). The players will be armed with latest weapons, they can chose from more than 30 vehicles and engage in military conflicts. The game can be played online with more than 64 players.
HALO2- This is the sequel of the most popular game HALO launched with Xbox. This game was developed by Bungie Software and published by Microsoft Entertainment. The game was released in November, 2004. This is also a first person shooting game and one of the best shooting games ever created. Unlike Final Fantasy or Oblivion this game does not have a very good story line but it has very good multiplayer features, various modes and customization options. The game also has great audio music and sound effect.


Useful Links:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=17383
http://www.pro-g.co.uk/news/31-05-2006-2907.html
http://www.majornelson.com/

Websites used to collect Game information:
http://www.gamepressure.com/
http://www.gamershell.com/
http://www.gamespot.com/
http://www.gamefaqs.com/