Well, its finally over. My Cambridge exams have finished. Really, that was the most exhausting period I've ever gone through (save a few exceptions). I had been deprieved of sleep, studying like mad till 5 in the morning, then had to wake up 2 hours later for the morning session. Seesssh.....Anyways, the stuff's behind me now. Hopefully it'll turn out ok....

So, back to gaming then! And what better way to start the vacation than with Forza Motorsport 2 and Command and Conquer 3, both for the 360.

Forza then. Where do I start? The car custimisation is great, the graphics look nice (I know some sites have blasted the 'clinical look', but I'd rather have a little sacrifice in detail for a buttery smooth frame rate, than the other way round), and the core racing is intense (provided you don't upgrade the crap out of your car). The only problem I currently have is that the beginning races are rather too easy, even with the harder AI setting. Otherwise, an excellent simulator that's well worth the cash.

C&C3....is a little disappointing. Its way, way better than the stuttering mess that was Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II, but the frame rate STILL drops well below playable levels when the AI's controlling a lot of units. I've got pretty used to the gamepad controls, so its just the frame rate that irritates me immensely.

Well, happy gaming everyone!

That's gonna be my break time, before I start preparing for the 'big bang', the Cambridge May/June 2007 international examinations. Until then, I'm free to sleep well, game, and be merry .

So with the mock exams finished (on the 16th of March), I've been able to add a couple of games to my collection. Here's the list : -

1. F.E.A.R. (X360)
2. Call of Duty 3 (X360)
3. Project Gotham Racing 3 (X360)
4. The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth II (X360)
5. Hitman: Blood Money (X360)
6. Saints Row (X360)
7. Galactic Civilization II: Dark Avatar (PC)

I haven't tried out games 3 and 4 much, but from what I've played of PGR3, its pretty good. The best feature has to be the in-car view. Absolutely immersive! I'm a little concerned about the aliasing though. It's quite visible and dampens the feeling of perfection.

LOTR: BFME II.....

Well its not easy to play on a controller when you've spent most of your RTS hours using a mouse, but I've played enough of it now to get along. What bothers me is that the game seems to stutter alot, as if 360's got some RAM problem. I don't know why....it doesn't hamper gameplay much (the stutters are measurable in milliseconds), but it just doesn't FEEL right.

F.E.A.R......

During the early levels, I wondered what the fuss was all about. Dual wielding pistols wasn't much fun, the little girl wasn't much of a scare, and the graphics were sloppy (GoW must be to blame). But I decided to go on, and slowly, the game became better and better. Sure, the environments are repetitive and depressing, but the A.I.'s rock solid, and flanks left and right without hesitation. As the arsenal grew in size, the shooting improved, and when you're lugging a rocket laucher that spits hot projectiles at rates that rival machine guns, its hard not to break a smile.

Call of Duty 3....

Not much that's different from the previous installment. More of the same room-clearing and cinematic weapon slinging that was present in CoD2. You still have the same stupid team A.I.. They find it hard to shoot Germans half a metre away, and some of them seem to have a watered down damage rating. One baddy took 8 shotgun blasts at point blank range before expiring. The graphics, however, are up a notch, in terms of clarity and texturing. But herein lies the unpleasant part. The frame rate can be a problem, and in some fights gets below 30. The controls get a bit sluggish during such scenarios, and its extremely irritating. I'd rather have performance at the expense of some quality, instead of the other way around.

Hitman: Blood Money....

One rather underrated game. Yeah, I've never played any Hitman title before this one, but still, its an excellent third person game, and highly recommended for fanatics of assasination and impersonation. The options you have for silently finishing a target are numerous and varied, and usually humerous too (watching an FBI agent sniff a panty dunked in ether.....LOL). The graphics aren't next gen though, what with the people roaming around looking more like LEGO characters, with flat hair layers (no seperate strands of hair) and blocky outlines. Also, EVERYBODY stares at you, no matter how many other NPCs there are around you. Its pretty unnerving for the first few times when you're in a disguise, and is plain unrealistic.

Saints Row......

Another underrated game. The gang members are much, much more intelligent than those in GTA: San Andreas. They'll efficiently cover your ass as you fight hordes of colourful enemy gangs, and even pick up guns dropped by the dead. The unlimited healing system is great, and allows the fights to go on for much, much longer. Starting these gang wars, however, is pretty tedious. You only get a few rival members here and there. Kill one, then move to another spot, find another fool, then kill him, rinse and repeat, while the bar slowly rises with each downing. Boring!

Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar.....

I'll recommend this to any turn based strategy gamer. Many of the glitches and quirks present in Dread Lords have been patched up, and overall the expansion's additional features like asteroid belts, better A.I., and stabler gameplay make the game alot more pleasurable to play.



That's it. A happy gaming weekend to all of you. And if you've played LOTR or Call of Duty 3, please comment on the stutters and frame rate drops. Hopefully, it isn't because of a faulty 360, is it? *Fingers Crossed*

I was shaking like crazy. 'Jeffery Chu!' blared the teacher. I stumbled forward and reached out for my result sheet. Slowly, I looked down. HOLY ****! 3 beatiful black "A"s, all above 95%!

Dang, I could not believe my eyes. I had managed to get the highest percentiles in two of the subjects. And to say that in the school examinations, I could not even get higher than 80%........

The facts: These were the O level exams that I gave in the October/November session. I'll write down the subjects and their respective scores:

1. Pakistan Studies - 95% (A)
2. Statistics - 97% (A)
3. Commerce - 99% (A)

Ok, I still don't believe them......

Well, it was a sad moment. School finally forced me to pack up my 360. A month before, I was happily sitting in front of the T.V, slaughtering terrorists in Vegas, or blasting monsters in the fiery hell of Oblivion. One very pleasurable and memorable month. Now its all in the box upstairs.

The reason? M.O.C.K.S. Cambridge O'Level mock exams. They start towards the end of Febuary, and the real, THE 'Cambridge Exams' will take place in the May - June period.

I'll still come online and stuff (not forum visiting, I'm bored with that), cause it'll be my only source of entertainment for the period to come.

Well, hope you people have a nice, gaming-ful time!

First of all, Merry Christmas to all you gamers out there! This is the time to dust off your examination memories and celebrate, drink and be happy.

How are you going about this joyous occasion? My Christmas day started, well, in the midnight Church at 12:30 am attending prayers. After that was a good meal in a fine hotel (its once in a year ), and then a nice, 10 hours sleep to freshen up for the day that is today.

I'll see what can be done today. Maybe a gaming marathon of Oblivion? Or a Gears of War completion (Insane)?

Wheee! Read on and do tell me your opinion of the game.

The Review
Gears of War. The game that made me buy Microsoft's nice, white box. The title had been hyped to extremes, with many websites absolutely drooling over its graphics, which even in previews appeared fantastic. Without a doubt, this is true, as I shall explain later on.

The story: -

You are Marcus Fenix, a former COG soldier court-marshalled and imprisoned for disobeying orders, instead attempting a rescue of his father during an assault by the Locust, a race residing deep under the earth's crust. The start of the game shows how Fenix is freed from jail by Dom, an old friend of his. Together, they team up with Delta and Alpha squad, in an epic attempt to save Humanity and prevent a complete Locust takeover. The plot isn't heavy in detail, though the progression is good enough that it'll compel you to go forward, even if its a little weak.

Graphics: -

Alright, this has to be said again. Gears of War has some of the best artwork and visual display I've ever seen in any game ever. Period. The textures are razor-sharp, and you'll see each and every detail on the character models with amazing clarity. Fenix, along with the rest of the crew, all sport excellent futuristic armour, and suprisingly huge boots. The guns
you carry will be visible on Fenix's back, and they are nice looking too.

The landscape is recreated artistically, and you'll see levels ranging from desolated cities, to underground mines, and even a speeding train. All the textures are bump-mapped, and have a great sheen to them. Reloading a gun makes hot gas fill the front of the gun, creating a hazy look that's just realistic. The mines look especially impressive due mostly to the yellow
Immulsion flowing in it.

The urban stages are equally good, with towering city halls, along with streets covered in concrete blocks and destroyed cars. The lighting shows its strength in those missions that take place during the darkness of the night, as the rays behave just the way they should. A special mention should also go to the rain-drenched levels, as they are
unlike anything I have seen before, and have to be witnessed to be believed.

However, not all is perfect (though this is really, really close to it). There are some very minor frame-rate problems, which usually happen due to Locusts filling up the screen, a certain boss fight, and sometimes for no reason at all (the compartment before the final boss fight).

Texture pop-ins are noticible, when you turn to one side quickly, though its not a problem gameplay wise. Also, in some larger outdoor levels, if you spin around at full speed, the game will freeze for a quarter of a second, as if its failing to keep up.

Howver, considering the showcase this game is, its hard not to be blown away the first time you see this game in action. its further testament to the engine that even the cutscenes it renders look great, though they are brought lower by some unsightly frame rate problems, which, again, occurs when the action on screen gets too heavy.

Sound: -

Most of the voice acting is good, with great scripting and some funny lines. Its the bangs and blasts of the weaponry that really please the ears. Hooked up to a surround system, this sounds phenomenal, with bullets wheezing past you here and there, along with heavy grunting from the enemy units, and really immerses you into each and every firefight. Some of the screaming from the Locust will unsettle you badly. The music is appropriately placed, as it fits the mood of most of the scenes you'll go through.

Gameplay: -

This title doesn't get lost in its graphical powers. It delivers magnificently as a playable game. Most of the gameplay revolves around you taking cover behind some solid slab of concrete, a junked car, or any other obstacle that is able to stand up to a hail of hot lead, or in some cases, explosive arrows.  Taking cover is essential, as this game is not a run-and-gun affair. You will get mowed down if you stay in the open for too long under fire.

The health system is like Halo's, only faster. As you get shot, a red Gears icon starts to appear in the middle of the screen. The faster you lose health, the quicker the icon gets completed, and when a skull's seen, your dead. If you stop taking fire for a few seconds, the icon disappears and you are back to full health. A system like this is great, as it keeps you in the action, instead of you having to find health packs scattered through out the levels.

It's intense as the A.I. is intelligent enough to shoot you the moment you pop out your head for a quick burst. In close combats, it'll crush you, except in one-on-one situations. Howver, it doesn't flank as aggresively as I'd have though, though that's probably to ease the difficulty a little, as your team-mates are horrible in covering you and returning fire.

They'll peak, shoot a few rounds, then return under cover. Sure, up close, they usually are able to melee a Locust or two, but under fire from multiple angles, and especially from a turret, they'll drop like bricks. On the hardest difficulty, Insane, they're even less useful, and will mostly spend their time in a bow, waiting for you to heal them while you take all the shots. A more robust and capable A.I. would've helped a great deal in making the gameplay even more enjoyable, as its mostly you who's shooting the whole time.

Your arsenal consists of a few different firearms, like the Lancer machinegun, which comes with a chainsaw bayonet attached underneath, the ordinary shotgun, a bow that uses explosive tipped arrows, your standard sniper rifle, and a nice Hammer of Dawn, which sents down particle beams at enemies you point it with. All are effective at what they do, and, though common in other games, are still alot of fun to play with.

The chainsaw kills, which you may have seen in many Gears of War previews, are extremely satisfying at first, with all that blood gushing out and splashing on the screen, but starts to get old after a few playthroughs of the campaign.

The opposition has some variations, though you'll be fighting through the Locust grunt for most of the game. Later on, the elite troopers come in, and you'll also meet with blind ones. The Locust could've been more diverse, but the A.I. is good enough to keep things fresh till the end. They do have this problem of allowing you to shoot them to death while behind cover, as they don't occasionally don't respond to your bullets.

Boss fights are also present, though they don't offer much of a challenge, with the exception of the final boss fight. Its a disappointment, as the cutscenes show them ripping human flesh and grounding structures with ease.

One part where Gears of War strays from the norm is in its reloading mechanism. You can reload your weapon with just a press of a button, but its much more faster and rewarding to play the small minigame under your gun's icon, as it provides you with a much reduced loading time and a damage increase as well. A bar goes from left to right, and you have to stop the bar in the grey or white area for these. If instead, you halt it outside, your gun will jam, making Fenix utter a few grumbles, and it will take far longer to load a clip. This process feels nice, as every reload is satisfying, cause you get the feeling of deserving the extra damage and speed.

All in all, a wonderful gameplay experience, marred only by foolish team A.I. and the small enemy variations.

Value: -

Given the great enemy A.I. in the Hardcore and Insane difficulty levels, the battles will change somewhat everytime you fight it again, and then there's those achievements to unlock, which means this game will be something you will be playing for some time to come. The gun-play and cover system is great enough to warrant many playthroughs after the first one.

Overall: -

No gamer should miss such an amazing title. Some may say its overrated, due to the lack of innovation, but this game nails the usage of its weaponary so well that it doesn't matter all that much. Please, do yourself a favour and get it.