Avatar Grand Prix 2 (XBLIG): "Party Style Multiplayer Racing With Xbox Avatars!"

I've had the opportunity to review a few avatar based games in my time as an XBLIG reviewer, but I think "Avatar Grand Prix 2" is the first racing game of that type that I've had the chance to review. Unknown to most of my online friends I used to play a lot of racing video games including popular titles like "Super Mario Kart", and "Gran Turismo". I'll be honest though, and say that racing games aren't exactly my favorite genre. Whenever I do play them though I kind of enjoy it. They definitely offer a break from the more violent game genres that I play. With that being said I think 'Battenberg Software' did an excellent job in developing/producing this indie game for the Xbox 360. With all the cool features you get with this game it's definitely worth the asking price. You'll be surprised to hear about how good the online mode actually was when I discuss it later on in this review.

Block Zombies! (XBLIG): "A Voxel Zombie Shmup With A Plot Twist"

These days you can find a new zombie based video game for almost any console. They are just like the undying creatures they are based on. For the most part you'll find that most zombie games follow a similar pattern with a horror-survival theme. Some zombie game developers have even taken the shmup (shoot 'em up) route. It's nice to see that there's still room for creativity in the genre though as 'Nostatic Software' has proved with their latest game "Block Zombies". Block Zombies combines both horror-survival elements, and unique objective based shmup style gameplay with a story unlike any zombie game I have witnessed thus far. With that being said I do realize that I'm a little late getting the review out there, and once again it's due to my way of contacting the developer. I still hope you enjoy the review, and that it gives you enough insight on the game to allow you to make an educated decision as to if it's the kind of game you'd like to own or not.

"The State Of Online Gaming"

I have had this topic on my mind for a long while now, but the status of online gaming has really pushed me to do this article now. Many of you know first hand how cheap online gameplay can become. There are kids & adults out there so desperate to win that they'll do so by cheating, hacking, or spamming their way to glory. This is definitely not how games used to be, and I'm seriously beginning to think it will spell doom for the success of video games in the future. The fact of the matter is that about every online game you'll find in the market today is vulnerable to exploits, and hacking. If developers do not figure out a way to secure a game from these "threats" then all hope is gone.

Octopede (XBLIG): "Something Borrowed, Something New"

Recently 'Orbital Games' released their XBLIG title "Octopede" on the Xbox LIVE marketplace. I didn't really know much about the game until after the developer contacted me about doing a review. This is the way it sometimes goes. After being contacted I ended up watching some gameplay footage from aaronthesplazer's youtube channel. My first impressions were that the game looked like a new take on the old snake game. I thought it would be something I might enjoy playing. Once I got the code from 'Orbital Games' I downloaded it, and waited until this morning to try it out. I found some interesting gameplay features, and some not so user friendly features. I wound up having to wing it when it came to figuring out the controls to the game, but being the video game master that I am I was able to do so fairly easily. The following paragraph/s will detail what I found while playing "Octopede" ...

AMY (XBLA): "A Stealth Horror-Survival Game"

I followed the progress of "AMY" through trailers on Youtube long before it was released. It was a game that looked very promising to me. In fact I wanted to review it so bad that I sent in my review request early. I had kind of lost hope that I would get a response from 'VectorCell/Lexis Numerique (the developer)' after not hearing from them for an extended period of time. Fortunately I finally got the response I was looking for a day before the game was scheduled to be released. I was truly excited to be honest. After downloading the 1.55 GB game I began my attempt to complete the game, but as it sometimes happens I was unable to do so due to various factors concerning the game's gameplay mechanics. In the end I made it to chapter/level 2, and was unable to complete it. In the following paragraphs I will give you the basic story behind the game as well as the faults I encountered while attempting my playthrough ...

"Orbitron Revolution (XBLIG) Gets Some Updates!!!"

I think it's truly awesome when a developer cares enough about their fan base that they are willing to right the wrongs in their game. Last year I've seen a few developers stepping up to the plate with patches, and updates for the XBLIG titles. Some of you may shrug this off, and say "Why Bother" but some of us in the gaming community actually like the indies out there. I think it's just as necessary for an indie developer to create patches as it is for a mainstream video game developer. If you're a gamer, and you pay for a game it should be sorted out properly. I realize at this point that I'm ranting on, but what I told you is a valid point. I was definitely glad/excited to hear that 'Firebase Industries' had made some significant changes to 'Orbitron Revolution'. It definitely needed the update. With that being said 'Orbitron Revolution' was an amazing game to begin with, and is even better now that it has been patched. The visuals, and game design are beyond what you'd think an indie game is capable of. I'm going to give you a link to the developer's website below that details all of the changes you'll find in the latest update. If you already have 'Orbitron Revolution' then the update is free of charge, but if not the update will come with the purchase of the game.

http://firebase.ca/2011/12/23/orbitron-revolution-relaunched-update-changelist/