Star Wars Battlefront: Galactic Empire
For gamers who own an Xbox and PS2, this is a big deal (PC gamers are spoiled with their Star Wars games, seeing about 37 games from the franchise). For console players, it's a shift for the better. Imagine hooking up to a 16-player Star Wars game, taking on the role of up to six different character types among four factions (Rebel Alliance, Imperial Army, Clone Army and Droid Army) and diving into a massive, open online battle on Endor, Geonosis, Yavin, Hoth...up to 10 different planets all told. Players can jump into vehicles, battle alongside clones, droids, Wookies, Ewoks, even the likes of Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, and can use an extraordinary assortment of weapons and vehicles.
The game's modes are broad and engaging. There are two major ones, the Skirmish mode and Galactic Conquest mode. Skirmish is the traditional online game in which you hook up, pick a side and engage in non-stop battles across the Star Wars universe. Galactic Conquest mode gives players a strategic approach to waging wars amongst all of the planets. Using the age-old strategy game Risk as a model, players pick sides, choose whether they want to attack or defend, and fight. Since there are 15 locations on 10 planets, some planets have two fight settings.
In Part I of our feature we looked at the rebel alliance units, in Part II we tackled the strategy game and in Part III we inspected the Republic Army. And here today in Part IV, we visit inspect the Galactic Empire.
Need for Speed Underground 2
Need for Speed Underground 2 will challenge gamers to immerse themselves in the tuner culture, exploring an expansive, free-roaming city divided into five distinct neighborhoods. Gamers will encounter rival racers who will initiate events, tip players off to the hottest racing spots, and show them where to buy the most sought-after licensed aftermarket upgrades. The game will feature new game modes, deep new performance customization and tuning, and more than 30 licensed cars. The game also delivers twice the visual customization upgrades as the original game, providing a staggering 70 billion possible car combinations for total automotive self-expression.Foremost, this new game is built upon one giant city -- free to be explored. The city itself is broken into five seamlessly loading areas, each with its own distinct visual style and racing design. The Observatory section, for instance, is comprised of narrow, winding roads, while the Industrial area features more open spaces and a plethora a shortcuts to be exploited. The other three: Downtown, Upper Class (suburban grace), and Freeway all offer there own driving nuances. Freeway centers on speed and straight-aways, Downtown on tight curves and traffic
