Time to crackdown.

Time for something that's not Halo. Crackdown. The game Crackdown is similar in gameplay to the Grand Theft Auto games. Difference is, you're a cop. Did I mention that you get super human abilities? Through out the game you can upgrade your strength, agility, acuracy (guns), driving and explosives. How you ask. By killing gang members with these skills. Except agility. There are agility markers all over the city that you can get to upgrade your agility. Each time you level up a skill you do this shock wave thing that blows away anything near you. As you progress your skill levels you'll notice your armor and a overall appearence changes. The hardest skills to upgrade are driving and explosives (untill you get a grenade launcher). It's a fun game overall. But on the hardest setting it's frickin' hopeless. On medium you run out in the middle of a bunch of guys and kill 'em all no problem. But on hard you better run fast and take cover. The three gang bosses are tough just to get to. You have to fight your way through a ton of bad guys. Especially if you walk through the front door (which I highly recomend NOT doing). Unfotunately the final boss has no side or back door open. Only the front. In short the game is perfect if you like the following: guns, the ability to choose your character, jumpin' from rooftop to rooftop, cool cars, slaughterfests, challenges, explosions and the ability to smash the bad guys with a bus.

Thanks for reading. This is The Blade signing off.

As a follow up of my Halo 3 Beta review I'm gonna talk about the original Halo. (Warning: May contain spoilers if you haven't played it yet but intend to) First off, it was a fun game. Unlike most games, any weapon could be deadly (in the right hands). Even the Assault Rifle (as inacurate as it was) could be usefull. You just have to use it at close range. I thought the pistol in Halo was better than the pistol in Halo 2. It may not have been as fast but it was fast enough and more powerfull. I liked to use it and the shotgun in the flood-infested levels. The shotgun was reloaded a lot faster in Halo than in Halo 2. I didn't play it on multiplayer a lot so I couldn't memorize the maps like I did in Halo 2. The maps certainly looked like fun. Except a couple (one really big icy level that I thought was too big and a map filled with teleporters and hallways that was too dificult to navigate). I preferred the Banshee controls in Halo than in Halo 2. I just though they were better and it was easier to do ariel acrobatics at top speed. The controls of every other vehicle improved in Halo 2. There was one thing I didn't understand. How did Sgt. Johnson make it back? He was in Halo 2 and said something about it being classified. I geuss we'll never know. *Shrugs*

Well, thanks for reading. This is The Blade signing off.

MC = Master Chief

Okay... It's a bit late in the game to be writing a review for the Halo 3 Beta. But Toby asked me to so here it is.



First off... the graphics were awsome. The fact that they were gonna get better blew my mind. I personally think that all the maps were fun to play. Valhala, however, was my favorite. I had a strategy for that map that worked pretty well. More on that later. I liked all the weapons, but the spartan laser (Or as me and my XBox friend called it the spartan cannon) was a bit difficult to use. I found that the Assault Rifle and Battle Rifle made an excellent combination. The Carbine and Needler were more more powerfull (Especialy the Needler). The Assault Rifle was definitly better than it's original form in Halo. I think the SMG's were a bit more powerfull than in Halo 2. Now, about those new items... I think they added some much needed strategy to the game (Everyone else has abandoned strategy for a rocket launcher).

That brings me back to my strategy... In Valhala I'd arm myself fairly well, grab the Tripmine, hop on a Mongoose and drive over to the enemy base. Once thier I'd get off the Mongoose and plant the mine under the enemy Warthog so they couldn't use it. If they hopped in the mine would blow, and if they tried to blow it up themselves it would take out the hog. No matter what they did they were strandad. One time I got over there and the hog was missing. I was like , "Huh, it must not have spawned or something". The second I thought that... It came barreling 'round the corner straight for me. "Oh ****!" I quickly drove 'round a rock for cover then hopped off. They come around the rock shortly afterwerds. In desperation I tossed down the mine and ran to the other side of the rock. A few seconds later... nothing. "****! It didn't work! I better get my gun ready." All of the sudden BOOM! "Triple Kill!" It was fun while it lasted. But it was only temporary. I did notice one similarity in the Beta and Halo 2... I kept getting hooked up with bad team mates. The kind that blow up the Warthog YOU were gonna use just so the enemy can't have it. The kind that gets slaughtered even though they have snipers, turrets and the new missle pod. But what are ya gonna do about it? *Sigh*

Thanks for reading. This is The Blade waiting for Halo 3 to come out and signing off. See ya next time.

Hey guys. Toby here. As you are most likely aware, my friend the Blade will be contributing. When, exactly, is up to him.

Anyway, both the Blade and I started high school here in Georgia. I know, it's way to hot to be at school, especially taking P.E. in an un-airconditioned Gym. Me and the Blade have no classes together, so that kinda sucks. But we've been able to eat lunch together with some other friends who I hope will begin to contribute.




Just a friendly reminder, Halo 3 will be released in the USA on Sept. 25th! the Blade will soon be posting a review of the Halo 3 beta that came with Crackdown for the XBox 360.

Asta!
~Toby

Enter...the Blade

Hi. I am The Blade, a friend of Toby's. He was nice enough to let me join his blog so I can talk/rant about my favorite video games. Let's start off with a not so recent game that is still fun game to play. One of the first shooters I played, Star Wars Battlefront II.

are a bit better, but it's still pretty much the same game I left on the PS2. All around the game is pretty fun. I especially liked the ability to keep fighting even though you're carrying the flag. You certainly didn't get that ability in the Halo games. Conquest was my favorite game mode; it was the perfect combination of slayer and land grab. I liked to put as many soldiers in a game as possible and just run around with a blaster slaughtered and I'm the one I originally had this game for the PS2, but I got it for my 360 a little while ago. The graphicsshootin' it up. I didn't much care for the space combat. It got repetitive after a little bit and the computer soldiers seemed to be able to do advance movements I couldn't. Where's the fun in that? I'd rather go on a suicide mission to invade the ship myself. Also there was one big problem: No matter which side you chose, your allies were morons that couldn't keep a post for 5 minutes. I gotta run from one side of the field to the other the whole time just to keep an even amount of posts on each side. And along the way I gotta be like some kinda Rambo and kill like 500 guys so we don't lose. And when we go down the heat falls on ME! These idiots are jumpin infront of my gun, losin' posts, gettin' yelled at! *Sigh* It's still pretty fun to go around killin' tons of droids (like these so called elite clones are gonna help) on my favorite levels.

Well, thanks for listening. See ya next time.

the Bloggosphere has been PWN'd

Hey everyone. I'm Toby, the main writer of 'teh L33T n00b', my new gaming blog. If you'd like to write for 'tLn', email us at teh_l33t_n00b@yahoo.com.

Also, I would like to find someone with a good voice to to an audio/video podcast for teh L33T n00b. If you want to audition, plz use the email above.

Let's get to it:

From Variety.com:

20th Century Fox has acquired feature rights to the life simulation computer game "The SIMS" from Electronic Arts, and has set project up with Fox-based John Davis.

The five-year-old franchise is the best selling PC game in history, with worldwide sales topping 85 million, bringing in over $1.6 billion. Pic will be a live-action version.

Steve Asbell is overseeing the project for Fox with SIMS Studio head Rod Humble managing the creative property for Electronic Arts. Brian Lynch will script; story is under wraps with talent yet to be named.

"'The SIMS has done an interactive version of an old story, which is what it's like to have infinite power and how do you deal with it," said Humble. "Given that that's an old story, you can imagine how easily that would translate to traditional story telling."

Davis' most recent projects include "Norbit," "When A Stranger Calls," and "Eragon."

Lynch scripted and helmed upcoming "Big Helium Dog," and penned "Scary Movie 3," and is managed by Benderspink.

...

Is it just me, or does anyone else feel smarter reading this? It just seems stupid, especially seeing it live-action. What, will the audiance be able to control the actors with a joystick and keyboard emedded in the chair? WTF?

OK, well, that's all the news-worthy game stuff at the moment. Keeps it locked for more updates!

~Toby