I’m not going to start this review off by going into the history or the franchise or the Treyarch vs. Infinity Ward versions. This review won’t mention it, I promise, sort of. If you pick up the latest Call of Duty epic expecting last year’s amazing COD 4, then you will get a mixed experience.  In certain ways the latest COD feels more like it’s a WWII mod than a brand new experience.  It kept all of the elements that made COD 4 fun – tight controls, great graphics and fun, addictive multiplayer are all intact here.

At first I was a little skeptical about the series returning to WWII but the minute you pick up a M1 Grand or a Thompson it just feels right. Instead of focusing the entire game on fighting “Gerries” throughout Europe W@W splits the story between two characters – Pvt. Miller who is fighting with the Americans in the Pacific and a Russian named Dimitri, who is chasing Nazi’s around Europe.

Splitting the story in two makes for several jarring transitions.  One minute you are fighting guerilla war fare in the jungles of the pacific – making me think, for the millionth time why aren’t there any Vietnam based games?  These jungle levels are lush, beautiful and deadly. The Japanese set ambushes in the trees and build little bunkers in the grass and pop up out of nowhere. It’s really unpredictable and chaotic. You really see a lot of original thinking here. When the game switches to the traditional – let’s storm this German building mode, the game feels repetitive and looks pretty bland.  In both modes the character models are almost indistinguishable there were a couple of times I walked next to what I thought was a fellow marine only to realize it was a Japanese soldier.

Call of Duty: World at War Review

Another annoying thing is, this year’s installment includes more “invisible” walls where it forces you to go through a shooting gallery. One of the things that made the COD Campaign experience so great was, the open nature of how you complete your missions and the ability to either go straight up the gut, or do flanking maneuvers. There are too many levels here where you have to die about 30 times before I finally got through. There was several times where I wanted to throw the controller at my television. At these points the game ceases to be fun and becomes an annoying pain in the butt.

Towards the end, the Campaign mode gets to be a little frustrating because it feels like it’s never going to end. The first few hours, I was really enjoying myself but it eventually gets repetitive. The lack of any progress meter in games is starting to become a major issue with me. I like to know exactly where I am so I can tell if it’s worth playing through yet another level of storming a building. At one point in the game, I sacked Berlin. At that point, I thought the game was over and was satisfied with that ending. Instead it turned out to be I don’t know the halfway point, because then the game switches you to a Bi-plane flying over the Pacific. Then I played through 4 or 5 more levels for a few more hours and I find myself back in Berlin. I was like – didn’t I just level Berlin? There’s this feeling that this Campaign will never end.  I never developed any kind of attachment to either character, there are no amazing moments like the Nuclear death in the last one

The weapons in the game aren’t as exciting or cool as the modern day COD4. You get an assortment of machine guns, rifles, on rare occasions you’ll come across a scoped rifle or sniper gun, I found a shot gun just once in the entire campaign mode.  The game’s much talked about new weapon – The Flamethrower is disappointing. You never really feel the full impact of using it. It has a limited range and it’s too controlled. If you use it to burn out the Japanese hiding in bushes, I want to see the entire forest catch fire, or see the flame go all over the place. Instead the flames go out almost right away and only stay in the area that you burned.

Multiplayer is almost exactly like the last year’s game. You earn perks and rewards as you play. I always loved this aspect of the series. Generally, I suck at multiplayer but COD keeps me playing because it makes me feel like, I’m still gaining something – like new weapons and enhancements (Scopes, Grips, Suppressors), character Perks (Special Grenades, Health, etc) and the ability to unlock and achieve special talents.  While, constantly dying, I know there’s a whole other game going on.  I don’t know how many multiplayer maps there are, but I seem to keep getting the same 3 or 4 boring, bland maps – I know there must be more, but I never saw them.  I played about 13 hours of multiplayer over the course of a week and kept thinking, why? They also made it harder to unlock things like the Scopes (instead of 25 kills with the weapon, you have to have 75).

You start with 3 modes – death match, team death match and a noob mode. So you don’t get the other numerous modes – until you reach level 14. I’m at level 12 and don’t care enough to unlock everything. It’s very addictive, but not all that fun playing the same crappy 3 or 4 maps and 3 different modes. It only made me miss playing COD 4.  I wish they would set it up so that the stuff you do in Campaign mode translates to the multiplayer.  Specifically have the kill count added to the multiplayer challenges.

Call of Duty: World at War is a very competent game that I enjoyed but didn’t love and I question some of the unnecessary changes. If it didn’t have the COD moniker attached, I’m not convinced it would rise above the level of just another fun, but bland shooter. Its fatal flaw is that it’s not original and I think I’m officially getting Shooter fatigue.

Final Grade C

EM Review by
Michelle Alexandria
Originally Posted 11.28.08

I’ve never been a big fan of Activision’s Spiderman franchise. I always thought they were beautiful looking games but found the open world nature of them to be quite boring and hard to get into. I didn’t have that problem with Spiderman Web of Shadows. The game grabs you from the beginning and manages to keep you interested. The missions are all well defined, clear and I never once thought, “Ok, what am I supposed to be doing.” The trailers for the game are a little misleading, you are lead to believe that the game is about Spiderman trying to save a post Apocalyptic New York city and while this is true, these elements don’t come into the game until the 3^rd act. The game starts with you battling an outbreak of humans that have been infected with the Venom virus. You are then transported back to 4 days prior where the story unveils how you got to that point. Mary Jane somehow gets injured as you follow her to the hospital you get sidetracked into stopping a gang war from breaking out in New York City. With the help of Luke Cage you learn new skills as you help him solve the gang problem. Spiderman isn’t a particularly hard game, which was refreshing. I get tired of playing games that are overly long and complicated. I love Spiderman’s pick up and ease of play. But after playing the game for about 10 hours, I really got tired of beating up on useless gang members. One of the early side quests include taking out 200 gang members. At first this was a lot of fun because Spiderman has got the moves. Zipping around on your webs, using your Spidey sense to spot gang members through buildings and then coming in fast and hard to lay the smack down is exhilarating. 

You can do Air Juggles and string together attacks by firing your web line at a bad guy, attack from the air and then bounce off him right onto the next one. It’s awesome. It really felt natural and fun. But by the 130^th lame gang member, I was asking “Why am I doing this? When do I get some super powered bad guys?” By that time I was committed to getting the 200, but I was no longer having a blast.

You can play as either the classic or black suited Spiderman. The game has an alternate path you can take as either with a different ending. I played the game as the goody two shoes Spiderman. You can change at any time by clicking the left stick, which annoyed me to no end. In the heat of battle or just moving Spiderman around I kept accidentally hitting the button, so instead of Red Spidey getting the experience points Black one did; which brings me to the sometimes janky controls and design decisions in the game, most of the time the controls work really well, at the end of the day it’s a simple button mashing fighting game.

There are some real, almost game breaking annoyances, namely the fact that when web swinging you don’t automatically stick to buildings. So when I was just happily swinging along picking up my web icons to increase my experience points I kept finding myself swinging from building to building and falling down until I pressed the RB bumper to actually stick. During a Black Cat chase sequence I kept failing to catch her because I couldn’t swing from building to building in a relatively easy fashion. This is Spiderman! Why can’t I automatically stick to buildings when I swing to them? And half the time when you swing to a building you don’t land on the top it’s a half of foot away causing you to fall to the ground. The camera also goes completely wonky when you are wall crawling switching perspectives and it’s hard to tell which direction you are on in the wall.

I love how the Achievements are implemented on the 360 version of the game. You get for actually doing normal things like, um, completing missions and story acts. You don’t have to go off and do weird stuff to get them. I’m not an Achievement whore because most games have made them too difficult or non-intuitive to get.

Graphically the game is beautiful, the city really does look like New York, you can see the Brooklyn Bridge in the background, there doesn’t seem to be any invisible walls, so the city feels completely open and with bystanders who get hurt during battles, after a few hours it starts to look a bit repetitive. The Voice acting is amazingly bad.

Despite my annoyances with the game, Spiderman is addictive fun that will keep you busy for a good weekend, its lack of online play, and moderate difficulty limits the replay value. This is a good rental, wouldn’t buy it.

Final Grade B-

EM Review by
Michelle Alexandria
Originally Posted 11.08.08

Since Activision isn’t going to send me my Guitar Hero World Tour kit for another few weeks, I’m not going to be able to review it for awhile. Which is good because I’m still stuck on Rockband 2 a game I don’t think I’ll ever be able to finish because I have over 300 tracks and the damn game is forcing me to play any tracks but the new ones.  But if you ever wondered what the differences are between the two new games are, there are about 19 tracks that are on both. One of those weird YouTubers actually did a comparison between the two games and the one thing you come away with is how unrealistic both of these games are, when they both use different "notes" for the same sequences. If RB and GH were truly accurate you would think it’d be the same. For instance instead of hitting the green notes you hit the orange, which is at the complete opposite end of the scale.  Check it out, it’s pretty neat.

Last week Activision announced the availability of new downloadable tracks that will be available the week Guitar Hero: World Tour launches (this weekend, Sat. 25, 2008) and now in partnership with the evil Gamestop they are going to have a host of midnight launch parties this Saturday night. There will be air guitar challenges, rock star impersonation games and more. In addition to widespread midnight madness launches, GameStop will host three marquee events at retail locations located in New York City (33^RD Street & Broadway), Dallas (Park & Preston) and Los Angeles (Universal CityWalk). Event goers will get a chance to showcase their Guitar Hero prowess with a Guitar Hero shred-off, see-and-be-seen with celebrity VIP guests and more. Attendees at marquee events will also have the opportunity to experience Guitar Hero World Tour before it goes on sale at midnight. Which store will Brett Ratner be at pitching his lame Guitar Hero movie idea?

I’ve been playing the new Call of Duty World At War Private beta for the last few days and I’ve come away pretty impressed. Many who read Eclipse know of my love of Call of Duty 2 and 4. I liked the single player campaign in COD 3 but thought Treyarch broke the multiplayer. So I had concerns knowing these guys were making the new version and taking it back to WWII.  This latest installment doesn’t look as pretty as COD 4 but the game play is rock solid.  This isn’t a gimped beta, it includes 3 multiplayer maps and six different core modes including: War, Capture The Flag, Team Deathmatch, something called “Pick Up TDM” which is a Team Deathmatch mode that doesn’t allow parties, Free For All, Search and Destroy. And two modes for the hardcore players Team DM and S&D.  You have several classes to choose from at the start including Rifleman, Gunner and Assault. The RPG elements that made COD 4 a hugely addictive experience has returned. You can unlock different classes like Sniper and modes as you progress.

The maps feel both huge and intimate at the same time. Unfortunately two of them look and feel the same. The problem is they are too dark and pixilated to tell apart.  You get the standard small village that has lakes you can hide in, a bland looking abandoned train depot and a beautiful Chinese Japanese Castle. I don’t like the look of World at War, at all. Graphically the game seems dated. The game play feels rock solid and nothing has changed. You still use your bumpers for your grenades, the blue button still reloads. Even though they have two different developers on the series and jump around in time it still feels the same and that’s a good thing. But there’s no denying that Infinity Ward makes the better, more gorgeous looking game.  I don’t like that they went back to the traditional Capture the Flag game play, where you have to once again carry the enemy flag all the way back to your base. I loved the way it was done in COD 4. They also changed the Search and Destroy mode to a “survival mode” so if you die you have to wait until the end of the match before you can play again - not cool.  Gone is the ability to call in helicopter strikes, it’s been replaced by calling in attack dogs. Somehow not a worthy replacement, but it’s hysterical watching the dogs maul your enemies - not so much when it happens to you. Also new, is your ability to use tanks and other vehicles. I’m on the fence as to whether this unbalances the game.

I wish game developers would figure out how to include an age filter in online play. My sessions were ruined by a bunch of kids cussing and acting like little hellions. Kids are one of the many reasons I really can’t stand Halo. This hasn’t been a problem with COD 4, hopefully it won’t be when this is officially released. You can mute players. Beyond the kid factor, I would say World at War is on par with COD 3 and not a leap forward like COD 4. It’s not the step back that many feared, but it’s not a radical step forward. This is a maintenance release. Keep in mind this is a beta and won’t be able to have a verdict until I see the final retail copy and get my hands on the single player campaign. The game will hit the streets Nov. 11.

The weapon-based off-road vehicle combat game Vigilante 8: Arcade is coming to X-Box Live, here is the first trailer. The game is
coming November 5th.

A few weeks ago, Activision announced the full track list for Guitar Hero: World Tour. I’ve been so in to playing Rock Band 2 (Addictive as always, but they broke the game parts with this new installment) the last two weeks that I forgot to post this up. I’ve soured on the last couple of installments of GH due to the horrible Guitar Battles. GH Aerosmith only had one battle - that I remember, so hopefully they learned their lesson and will make them optional or kill them all together in this installment, as I think Guitar Hero is a better game than RB. But I’m not sure about this set list, I only recognize about 20 of these tracks. When are we going to get a R and B Hero (especially funk stuff like Rick James, The Brothers Johnson, etc), or Guitar Hero: Prince set? Here’s your complete listing. I’m tired of all the Grunge rock. Beat It seems completely out of place.  Here’s the complete list.

• 311 - "Beautiful Disaster"
• 30 Seconds To Mars - "The Kill"
• Airbourne - "Too Much Too Young"
• The Allman Brothers Band - "Ramblin’ Man"
• Anouk - "Good God"
• The Answer - "Never Too Late"
• At The Drive-In - "One Armed Scissor"
• Beastie Boys - "No Sleep Till Brooklyn"
• Beatsteaks - "Hail to the Freaks"
• Billy Idol - "Rebel Yell"
• Black Label Society - "Stillborn"
• Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - "Weapon of Choice"
• blink-182 - "Dammit"
• Blondie - "One Way or Another"
• Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - "Hollywood Nights"
• Bon Jovi - "Livin’ On A Prayer"

• Bullet For My Valentine - "Scream Aim Fire"
• Coldplay - "Shiver"
• Creedence Clearwater Revival - "Up Around The Bend"
• The Cult - "Love Removal Machine"
• Dinosaur Jr. - "Feel The Pain"
• The Doors - "Love Me Two Times"
• Dream Theater - "Pull Me Under"
• The Eagles - "Hotel California"
• The Enemy - "Aggro"
• Filter - "Hey Man, Nice Shot"
• Fleetwood Mac - "Go Your Own Way"
• Foo Fighters - "Everlong"
• The Guess Who - "American Woman"
• Hush Puppies - "You’re Gonna Say Yeah!"
• Interpol - "Obstacle 1"
• Jane’s Addiction - "Mountain Song"
• Jimi Hendrix - "Purple Haze (Live)"
• Jimi Hendrix - "The Wind Cries Mary"
• Jimmy Eat World - "The Middle"
• Joe Satriani - "Satch Boogie"
• Kent - "Vinternoll2"
• Korn - "Freak On A Leash"
• Lacuna Coil - "Our Truth"
• Lenny Kravitz - "Are You Gonna Go My Way"
• Linkin Park - "What I’ve Done"
• The Living End - "Prisoner of Society"
• Los Lobos - "La Bamba"
• Lost Prophets - "Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)"
• Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Sweet Home Alabama (Live)"
• Mars Volta - "L’Via L’Viaquez"
• MC5’s Wayne Kramer - "Kick Out The Jams"
• Metallica - "Trapped Under Ice"
• Michael Jackson - "Beat It"
• Modest Mouse - "Float On"
• Motörhead - "Overkill"
• Muse - "Assassin"
• Negramaro - "Nuvole e Lenzuola"
• Nirvana - "About a Girl (Unplugged)"
• No Doubt - "Spiderwebs"
• NOFX - "Soul Doubt"
• Oasis - "Some Might Say"
• Ozzy Osbourne - "Crazy Train"
• Ozzy Osbourne - "Mr. Crowley"
• Paramore - "Misery Business"
• Pat Benatar - "Heartbreaker"
• R.E.M. - "The One I Love"
• Radio Futura - "Escuela De Calor"
• Rise Against - "Re-Education Through Labor"
• Sex Pistols - "Pretty Vacant"
• Silversun Pickups - "Lazy Eye"
• Smashing Pumpkins - "Today"
• Steely Dan - "Do It Again"
• Steve Miller Band - "The Joker"
• Sting - "Demolition Man (Live)"
• The Stone Roses - "Love Spreads"
• Stuck In The Sound - "Toy Boy"
• Sublime - "Santeria"
• Survivor - "Eye of the Tiger"
• System of a Down - "B.Y.O.B."
• Ted Nugent - "Stranglehold"
• Ted Nugent’s Original Guitar Duel Recording
• Tokio Hotel - "Monsoon"
• Tool - "Parabola"
• Tool - "Schism"
• Tool - "Vicarious"
• Trust - "Antisocial"
• Van Halen - "Hot For Teacher"
• Willie Nelson - "On The Road Again"
• Wings - "Band on the Run"
• Zakk Wylde’s Original Guitar Duel Recording

In a monumental first for the gaming and music industries, Metallica’s highly anticipated ninth studio album Death Magnetic will be available in its entirety as downloadable content for Activision Publishing, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock day and date with the album release this Friday, September 12.  Featured on the downloadable album will be two Guitar Hero® exclusive renditions of “Suicide & Redemption” with extended solos by James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett.  Gamers looking to shred, drum and wail away to the Death Magnetic downloadable album need only purchase the content once as it is forward compatible and will integrate seamlessly with Guitar Hero® World Tour when it launches this October.

In addition to the two exclusive versions of “Suicide & Redemption,” Guitar Hero fans will live out the surreal Metallica experience with: “That Was Just Your Life,” “The End of the Line,” “Broken, Beat & Scared,” “The Day That Never Comes,” “All Nightmare Long,” “Cyanide,” “The Unforgiven Ill,” “The Judas Kiss” and “My Apocalypse.”

“We’ve been working very closely with Metallica and we’re extremely excited to offer Death Magnetic not only in its entirety, but also with the exclusive recordings of ‘Suicide & Redemption’ as downloadable content to Guitar Hero fans,” said Tim Riley, Vice President of Music Affairs for Activision Blizzard.  “We’re proud to be setting a new precedent for our two industries, making an entire new album available in two different mediums simultaneously.”

Metallica’s Death Magnetic album will be available for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock on September 12, 2008 for download on Xbox LIVE^® Marketplace for Xbox 360^® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft at a cost of 1440 Microsoft Points and in the PLAYSTATION®Store for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system at a cost of $17.99.

It’s almost time for me to go back to War. Oh, the stories I can tell about my experience using modern weapons to take out some middle eastern despot. Or the time I had to make it through a village without being spotted. Or the time I thought I rescued that downed chopper pilot and got nuked instead. Good times, good times. My favorite game from last year, Call of Duty is returning this fall. Boot camp will soon take on a new meaning, as  Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and developer Treyarch, have confirmed plans for Call of Duty: World at War multiplayer betas in October for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and separately for download on Windows PC. These betas will serve as an early chance for players to practice the tactics needed for survival in the intense chaos of Call of Duty: World at War’s Pacific and European theaters. Players will experience the game’s new squad system, as well as fan favorite perks and kill streaks.  All preparation for the full battle will commence on November 11, 2008 when Call of Duty: World at War is released to retailers nationwide. “We are excited to share a sneak peak of Call of Duty: World at War multiplayer with the community,” says Mark Lamia, Treyarch Studio Head. “The team has worked hard to build upon the great history and foundation of Call of Duty multiplayer and we can’t wait to go online to ramp up for our November launch.”

One of the first signature games for X-Box Live Marketplace was Geometry Wars. Now several years later the long awaited sequel is finally available for a reasonable 800 points. I have to admit that I love XBLA but all of the games are starting to be the same. Geometry Wars is the best shooter on XBLA, but I’d like to see more diversity in my market. Get it while it’s hot. You can check out the official Press release after the break.

The much anticipated Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved™ 2 is now available for download on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.  Developed by Bizarre Creations, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is the sequel to the original smash hit, thrusting players back into the pilot’s seat to blast through hordes of deadly enemy shapes in six heart-pumping gameplay modes.  In addition to the frenetic single player game, each level is now playable in multiplayer mode for up to four players.

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 features all the signature eye-popping visuals, adrenaline-filled action and mesmerizing music that fans have come to know and love.  The game allows players to test their skills in a diverse mix of classic modes including Deadline, Evolved and Waves, and brand new modes including King, Sequence and Pacifism.  Expanding the game further than ever, gamers also have the ability to compete against or team up with their friends in the ultimate multiplayer shooter pandemonium.

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is available now via download on Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 for 800 Microsoft Points.

Activision and Microsoft announced today the highly anticipated Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved™ 2 for Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.  Developed by the industry veterans at Bizarre Creations, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, the sequel to the smash hit, takes players on an all new adrenaline ride through six different action-packed gameplay modes.  With all the signature vibrant visuals and heart-pumping battles of the original, the game also features a new electrifying soundtrack and exhilarating local multiplayer modes in either versus or co-op for up to four players. The title is scheduled for release this summer via download on Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 and has been rated “E” for Everyone by the ESRB.

At the All Things Digital 6 conference, Activision  CEO Bobby Kotick officially showcased the new Guitar Hero World Tour game. Personally, I prefer Guitar Hero to Rock Band because I like the track listing better. But Activision almost broke their money maker with Guitar Hero III. Those stupid boss battles, the difficulty level and the obnoxious Animated transitions all served to "ruin" the game experience. Also Rock Band has shown that people want to pay for good DLC and new tunes. The Guitar Hero series is really starting to irritate the heck of me, I have all three titles and if I want to play a particular track, I have to keep swapping disks.  Why can’t I access all my favorite tracks from all three games through DLC?  Why do I have to keep swapping freaking game disks just to play Free Bird and the rocking Halo Theme? Rock Band has shown us the way. Now I’m going to have add two more games in two months - Aerosmith and GH4? Wake up Activision make these tracks available as DLC.  Anyway, back to the new GH. In case you missed it, the next installment of GH will take a page from Rock Band and include a 5 piece drum kit and microphone. But that’s not all, the really cool thing is, Guitar Hero will include music creation capability. It’ll be really interesting to see how this works and evolves.

When the house lights go down this fall, a new generation of axe shredders, drummers and fearless frontmen will come together and rock with Activision, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Guitar Hero® World Tour.  The latest installment from the #1 best-selling video game franchise of 2007, Guitar Hero World Tour will transform music gaming by marrying Guitar Hero’s® exhilarating guitar gameplay, with a cooperative band experience that combines the most advanced wireless instruments with revolutionary new online and offline gameplay modes.  The game will feature a slick newly redesigned guitar, a genuine electronic drum kit and a microphone, as well as an innovative Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit and share their own rock and roll anthems, along with online Band Career and 8-player “Battle of the Bands.”

Delivering the largest on-disc set list in a music-rhythm game to-date, Guitar Hero World Tour is comprised entirely of master recordings from some of the greatest classic and modern rock bands of all-time including Van Halen, Linkin Park, The Eagles, Sublime and many more.  Additionally, the game will offer significantly more localized downloadable music than ever before on all of the next-generation consoles.  Budding rock stars will also be given creative license to fully customize everything from their characters’ appearance and instruments to their band’s logo and album covers.

In addition to a newly designed more responsive guitar controller and microphone, Guitar Hero World Tour will deliver the most realistic drum experience ever in a video game with an authentic electronic drum kit.  Featuring three drum pads, two raised cymbals and a bass kick pedal, the drum controller combines larger and quieter, velocity-sensitive drum heads with soft rubber construction to deliver authentic bounce back and is easy to set up, move, break down and store.

“Guitar Hero has set the standard for music-based gaming and with Guitar Hero World Tour and the game’s groundbreaking Music Studio, we are once again delivering unprecedented innovation that has the potential to revolutionize consumer generated music, much in the same way that video sharing hubs have driven user generated video,” said Dusty Welch, Head of Publishing for RedOctane.  “With the introduction of our advanced high-quality new wireless instruments, in-depth customization options and advanced online functionality, the game enables music fans and gamers globally to share in the most social and expressive music experience ever.”

Guitar Hero World Tour delivers more ways to play than ever before.  Virtual musicians can live out their rock and roll fantasies by playing either a single instrument, or any combination of instruments, in addition to the full band experience.  In addition to all of the online gameplay modes from Guitar Hero® III: Legends of Rock, Guitar Hero World Tour introduces Battle of the Bands mode which allows eight players to join online and challenge each other band-to-band to determine who is the best of the best.  In the Band modes, up to four players can jam together, online or off, as they progress through the game, and in single-player Career Mode, players can jam on any of the instruments in branching venue progression enabling them to rock out in the order of their choice.

The game’s innovative new Music Studio lets players express their musical creativity by giving them access to a full compliment of tools to create digital music from scratch, utilizing all of the instruments, and then play their compositions in the game.  Music creators will also be able to share their recordings with their friends online through GHTunes™ where other gamers can download their unique compositions and play them.

Guitar Hero World Tour is being developed by Neversoft Entertainment for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.  The Wii™ version is being developed by Vicarious Visions.  The PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system version is being developed by Budcat.  The game is not yet rated by the ESRB.

The alien invasion has begun with the announcement that id Software’s Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars™ published by Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system has shipped to retail stores nationwide. Set in the year 2065, Enemy Territory:  QUAKE Wars pits the armies of Earth’s Global Defense Force (GDF) against the invading alien menace, the Strogg, in an all-out struggle for the fate of the planet.  Enemy Territory:  QUAKE Wars is slated to arrive on European and Australian store shelves on May 30, 2008. "Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars raises the bar for next-gen console games with its variety and intense combat," said Kevin Cloud, Executive Producer, id Software. “Whether you’re playing online with fifteen friends, or playing a single-player campaign against amazing AI, Enemy Territory:  QUAKE Wars delivers a new level of team play and combat strategy to the PS3 and 360.”

Set within the expansive QUAKE® universe in the year 2065, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars is the ultimate team and mission-based multiplayer warfare game offering console gamers distinct classes, vehicles and weapons to choose from, giving players countless ways to join the battle.   Players work as a team to defeat the enemy and achieve objectives either online against other players or battle offline with surprisingly lifelike AI.  Across multi-mission campaigns, players earn experience and promotions while stats are recorded globally for players to track their rank and prestige in the community at www.enemyterritory.com.   Based on the critically-acclaimed game from id Software and Splash Damage for Windows® PC that has received over eighty awards and nominations, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars was developed for the Xbox 360 by Nerve Software.

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.  Everyone here knows of my Christmas holiday obsession with playing COD Multi-player for hours on end, to the exclusion of all else. I finally broke free last month and started playing some other titles, especially my Wii was lonely. So I started playing Super Mario Galaxy and recently Smash Brothers.  As a lark - actually because I was tired of COD 4 multi-player I thought I’d try out the single player campaign. Which believe it or not, I hadn’t tried yet. Last week, I fell in love all over again, the single player mode is just as brilliant as the Multi-player. The campaign is just the right length and intense enough to keep you coming back for more. There were so many wholly f moments that I felt like I was playing that perfect action/war movie. It had it all. Once I finished it, I was ready to move back over to my Wii or take Vegas 2 or Condemned for a spin, but frankly COD 4 tired me out. I’m tired of shooters and am ready for something else.  But then Activision announced the release of Call of Duty 4 - The Game of The Year Addition and 4 all new maps!  If you purchase the new game, they supply a token that you go onto their website to redeem your maps. Activision was cool enough to give me a token to use, but I got so frustrated with the stupid system, that I was like, hell, I’d rather just buy the new maps then deal with this. So I spent my 800 points to get them. This is the first time, that I’ve spent my own money on game DLC. I don’t know what they were thinking releasing the game before they could include the new maps anyway. 

The new maps are pretty stellar and exclusively available for Xbox 360 for the next 21 days, the map pack includes “Broadcast,” which features tight corridors and wide open parking lots where large groups utilize close-quarter fighting and strategic maneuvers; “Chinatown” where night battles well lit by the full moon play havoc against a backdrop of brightly colored lamps, antique shops and neon signs of the local district; “Killhouse,” a desolate warehouse under enemy attack where squads will need to move through building mock-ups and plywood walls in order to full take control of the combat arena; and “Creek,” A large wide open village in a heavily wooded area where battles are fought between high ridgelines and deep in underground caves.  The only problem is Infinity Ward has the maps on lock down.  So you can only play against people who already have the maps.  I’m sure this will change in the next few months.

It’s been rumored for a few weeks now and the fine folks at Joystiq had the scoopage first. But I generally like to wait for official confirmations before posting here at Eclipse. That official word came down a couple of days ago. When I first saw the image, I thought and still do think this thing looks incredibly goofy and wonder how it’ll work. The whole point and appeal of Guitar Hero is, you know playing the guitar. I don’t see how you get that feeling with And they are going to expand on that incredibly crappy battle mode. Hey Activision the game is called Guitar Hero, not Battle Hero. Kill that stupid mode already! The gameplay mechanics sound like it’ll be incredibly difficult trying to use the shoulder buttons and stylist at the same time. But I love the idea of being able to take my obsession anywhere with me. Here’s the official press release. I wonder if Gibson will sue them over this as well.

For the first time, handheld gamers will have the freedom to unleash their inner rock star anywhere, anytime with Activision, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) upcoming Guitar Hero®: On Tour for Nintendo DS™. The game will deliver a unique Guitar Hero® experience by challenging handheld gamers to rock out and prove their shredding skills on the most diverse set list of master tracks ever offered in a Guitar Hero game, including classic rock, alternative and pop favorites such as Nirvana, OK Go and No Doubt. The game will be packaged with a revolutionary Guitar Hero™ Guitar Grip™ peripheral that fits snugly into the DS and a unique Guitar Hero pick-stylus that brings a new dimension to handheld gaming and the core gameplay that defines Guitar Hero. Guitar Hero: On Tour has been designed specifically for the DS platform and will offer the DS audience an all-new compelling music experience. “We are continuing to introduce new and exciting ways to bring music to audiences with Guitar Hero,” said Dusty Welch, head of publishing for Activision/RedOctane. “The Guitar Hero Guitar Grip redefines how games can be played on handheld systems and the integration of the microphone and touch screen gameplay on the DS, further illustrates Guitar Hero’s leadership in delivering the most unique and creative quality hardware and software on the market.”

“We’re designing Guitar Hero: On Tour from the ground up to take full advantage of the DS platform by integrating signature gameplay with fresh new content and DS specific features,” said Karthik Bala, CEO of Vicarious Visions. “We’ve taken all of our learnings on the DS platform to date and pushed it to the limits to create a truly innovative Guitar Hero experience.” Guitar Hero: On Tour continues to build on the franchise’s signature easy-to-play, yet difficult to master addictive gameplay, and now lets players take their experience on the road wherever they go. Players use the Guitar Hero pick-stylus on the touch screen to strum their favorite tunes and create their rock ‘n’ roll legacy in career mode. Fans can also join together to play co-op mode using a local wireless network, or battle each other in a Guitar Duel using new Battle Items unique to the DS platform. For example, players must blow into the microphone to extinguish a pyrotechnics effects gone wrong, or use the touch screen to autograph a crazed fan’s shirt in the middle of their set. Featuring five unlockable new venues, the game lets players personalize their experience by choosing the color of their axe of choice, selecting to play as one of six characters — two of which are all new and exclusive to Guitar Hero: On Tour – and outfitting their guitarist in numerous styles.

One of my favorite game series is Guitar Hero, I’m addicted to it, but my secret shame is that I suck at it. I’m an expert on the easy level, but can’t get my hands to work properly on the normal level. I wish the GH folks would come up with a hard a level for people like me who just can’t get their hands to work with the double button presses. I really want to play Freebird dammit but it’s locked - another prime example why I can’t stand the concept of unlocking content in games. I paid my $100 I want the full game that I paid for! Anyway, rant aside, I’ll be the first one to get GH 3, the track list is amazing. I mean come on you get The Killers, Guns and Roses (Welcome To The Jungle), Aerosmith (a crappy song, but it’s still Areosmith), Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Baracuda, Devil Went Down To Georgia, Cult of Personality, Even Flow, Rock and Roll All Night, and When You Were Young? I’m there and most likely won’t even be able to unlock these tracks. But wow, what a list, much better than GH2’s lame list. Here’s the complete list.  

The additional tracks include:

• Same Old Song and Dance (by Aerosmith)
• Helicopter (by Bloc Party)
• Stricken (by Disturbed)
• Monsters (by Matchbook Romance)
• Before I Forget (by Slipknot)
• Kool Thing (by Sonic Youth)
• When You Were Young (by The Killers)
• Devil Went Down to Georgia (as made famous by Charlie Daniels Band)
• Sunshine of Your Love (as made famous by Cream)
• Holiday in Cambodia (as made famous by Dead Kennedys)
• Cliffs of Dover (as made famous by Eric Johnson)
• Hit Me with Your Best Shot (as made famous by Pat Benetar)
• Black Magic Woman (as made famous by Santana)
• Story of My Life (as made famous by Social Distortion)
• Pride and Joy (as made famous by Stevie Ray Vaughn)
• The Seeker (as made famous by The Who)
• Black Sunshine (as made famous by White Zombie)

In addition to the newly announced tracks, previously announced songs in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock include:

• Miss Murder (by AFI)
• Minus Celsius (by Backyard Babies)
• Sabotage (by Beastie Boys)
• Hier Kommt Alex (by Die Toten Hosen)
• Through Fire and Flames (by Dragonforce)
• In the Belly of a Shark (by Gallows)
• Welcome to The Jungle (by Guns N’ Roses)
• Avalancha (by Heroes Del Silencio)
• Take This Life (by In Flames)
• Number of the Beast (by Iron Maiden)
• Ruby (by Kaiser Chiefs)
• Closer (by Lacuna Coil)
• Cult of Personality (by Living Colour)
• One (by Metallica)
• Knights of Cydonia (by Muse)
• Mauvais Garcon (by NAAST)
• Even Flow (by Pearl Jam)
• Lay Down (by Priestess)
• Bulls on Parade (by Rage Against The Machine)
• 3’s and 7’s (by Queens of the Stone Age)
• Suck My Kiss (by Red Hot Chili Peppers)
• Generation Rock (by Revolverheld)
• Raining Blood (by Slayer)
• Cherub Rock (by Smashing Pumpkins)
• Radio Song (by Superbus)
• The Metal (by Tenacious D)
• I’m in the Band (by The Hellacopters)
• Anarchy in the U.K. (by The Sex Pistols)
• Reptillia (by The Strokes)
• Paint It Black (by The Rolling Stones)
• My Name is Jonas (by Weezer)
• Slash’s Original Boss Battle Recording
• Tom Morello’s Original Boss Battle Recording
• School’s Out (as made famous by Alice Cooper)
• Paranoid (as made famous by Black Sabbath)
• Cities on Flame (as made famous by Blue Oyster Cult)
• Slow Ride (as made famous by Foghat)
• Barracuda (as made famous by Heart)
• Rock and Roll All Nite (as made famous by Kiss)
• Mississippi Queen (as made famous by Mountain)
• Rock You Like a Hurricane (as made famous by Scorpions)
• La Grange (as made famous by ZZ Top)