Xbox 360 - "Happy 20th Birthday"

20 years old this year, Happy Birthday Xbox 360

 

 

The "Xbox 360" has a special place in our household; it was, and still is, the "best" console ever. I am outvoted by my five kids!

Around 2004/5 (PS2), I was done with console gaming and went back to the PC. In 2008, whilst browsing Gumtree, I came across a listing for an Xbox 360 with 20+ games for £240! which was a stupidly cheap price. Phoned up, and it was still available. The seller was leaving the country and could not take it with him.

Games included Halo 3, Burnout Revenge, Perfect Dark Zero, Gears of War, Mass Effect, Skate & Crackdown

I was partway through playing Bioshock on the PC (still haven't completed it!) and was gobsmacked by Halo & Burnout.

It was my kids' first "family console", sorry, Nintendo. My kids were 11, 8 & 6, and they loved Halo 3, Skate & the indie games like Keflings. It cemented the joy of local co-op gaming, started the "Claptrap Boys" (a group of friends that I played with every week), and I have played some of the best games ever on the 360

Notable Mentions (2008 to 2014)

Halo 3 - The best local co-op experience playing with my son & Halo 3 Forge mode kept my kids entertained for years! Duck hunt, anyone?

Fallout 3 - Bethesda at their best!

Shadow Complex - One of the best Metroidvania games I have ever played

Batman: Arkham Asylum - which I purchased for £1 from a car boot sale!

Borderlands - The start of the "Claptrap Boys"

Assassin's Creed Games - They are still making them? Why am I still playing them?!

Limbo - A masterpiece of "indie" gaming

Skyrim - Bethesda at their best! It was all downhill after that!

Mass Effect Trilogy - Who knew that there would be a better sci-fi video game than Halo!

Red Dead Redemption - "Chef's kiss"

Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Will this IP ever come back alive?

Skate, Toy Story 3, Keflings, Geometry Wars, Forza Horizon, Walking Dead, Dead Space, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Minecraft, Left 4 Dead, Braid, Trials, Peggle, Plants vs Zombies, X-Com, Puzzle Quest, Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons & lots more I can't think of at the top of my head & the kids are not around to chime in with their favourites.

So for the Khan household, the XBOX 360 is the GOAT & it is still set up so the kids can have a nostalgia trip whenever they want.

Completed - Ghost Recon Future Soldier

The last mission took us quite a few attempts because the enemies kept on running away & we had to hunt them down either within a time limit or could not let them run away.

For the few quid it cost us in a 360 sale it's been a decent co-op game in the gameplay element, even if the story is your typical American Oorah bullshit.

I enjoyed the co-op play in tagging enemies & going for timed sniper kills.

We swiftly move on to Borderlands Pre Sequel which I expect may well be our last Xbox 360 PMG game.

Forza Horizon 2 - Nissan GTR

I was hoping I would have more time to enjoy Forza Horizon 2 this weekend but I only managed to complete a handful of events. Enough though to purchase the Nissan GTR and apply some upgrades.

The game did on a couple of occasions freeze the 360 console whilst loading up the menu or rewarding me with credits. Thankfully it did not lose any progress or corrupt my game save.

Simple things I take for granted on the PS4 like share a screenshot or upload a video to youtube I really miss on the Xbox 360.

Did not get a chance to play much else except the Destiny raid effort yesterday evening. I did watch the PS Experience Keynote on Saturday which was very impressive with lots of new games to look forward to in 2015.

New Game - Forza Horizon 2

Thank to a £10 refund from Amazon & a Black Friday deal, I managed to purchase the game for £12 on the Xbox 360. Yes I know the game is better on the XB1 console but I'm not spending £300 on another console so the 360 version is fine for me to enjoy.

I only managed to get as far as installing the game to the 360 Hard Drive before I had to hand over the controller to the kids to enjoy whilst I done some household chores, so not had a chance to fire it up yet but the kids have been enjoying it.

New Game - Borderlands Pre Sequel

Started this on local co-op with my daughter, she went for the Nisha character & I went for Wilhelm.

It took us a while to get familiar with the controls once again & once I managed to find an assault rifle it was business as usual.

I hate the addition of an Oxygen meter, it's just another bar to keep an eye on in the heat of battle.

It does feel like an expansion pack & is obviously a cash-in before the 360/PS3 generation of consoles are consigned to history.

Once the 'Claptrap Boys' have completed Ghost Recon we will be finishing our amazing run of PMG (Planned Multi-player Gaming) games which started in 2010 with Borderlands & will finish with this Pre Sequel game playing as Claptraps.

New Game - Ghost Recon Future Soldier

There are very few remaining co-op game left to enjoy on the Xbox 360. Toby recommended Ghost Recon Future Soldier because it has a 4 player campaign mode. During a recent digital sale the Claptrap Boys purchased for less than a fiver each.

After a long summer break thanks to the World Cup, Ramadan & Holidays, we finally managed to get together to start playing.

It is a tough game even though we are playing on veteran (which I assume is normal) difficulty. When one of us gets shot the other players have around 10 to 15 seconds to heal otherwise the game ends. Guess who was the first of us to get shot? Yes, Sessile.

The second mission had a couple of difficult sections which took us a while to complete. The first we had to follow Macaba to a arms shipment, along the way there were enemy soldiers that we had to taken care off without Macaba noticing & a later section at an airfield in which we had to destroy the airplane whilst trying to kill enemy soldiers. We ended up playing these two sections quite a few times.

Slow & steady is definitely the way to play this game which makes a complete change from the fast-paced Borderlands or Dead Island games we have played in the past.

Dead Island Riptide - Completed

Easily one of the worst endings in a game, dreadful poor cliffhanger but then that does not really surprise me given the voice acting is dreadful & the plot is poor but in some odd b-movie style there is still a sense of enjoyment in the game when slicing zombies with your electrified katana blade.

Next on the list Ghost Recon Future Soldier.

Portal - Stuff the cake - Completed

Finally managed to get pass the annoying platform section of level 18. Level 19 was a walk in the park compared to 18.

You get an easy boss fight sequence against Glados before you see the outside world & the end credits.

I'd still say that it is an overrated game with all the plaudits it gets I've played far better games over the last couple of years (see my top list).

On release yes it must have been something special due to it's unique gameplay style with the portals & a twist at the end but several years later I think those that have played it need to take off their rose-tinted glasses.

My fault for not playing it on release, so I am going to try with the PS4/WiiU to play the games I want during the year they have been released.

I was going to start Infamous Second Son but the WiiU will arrive next week & I won't complete in time so I'll take a look at the smaller arcade titles I have on 360/PS3 to find a shorter game. The Fallout DLC will take me longer because I will take my time and wonder around everywhere. I've still got lots of XBLA titles & PS+ freebies that I have not played.

Portal - Patience Testing

Not much gaming time this weekend, the weather was too lovely.
I've never seen the reason why this game is given rave reviews. It is after all just a puzzle game.

Easing you in gently & slowly ramping up more obstacles in your way.

I ran through the first 16 levels with little or no difficulty & then it got very hard, currently stuck on level 18.

I know what I need to do it is just timing the jump so I can shoot the portal gun on the next platform.

With the cancellation of the John Lewis order for the WiiU I ended up buying the Mario Kart 8 pack from Tescos & using my clubcard vouchers to get the price under the £150 mark.

I've also purchased New Super Mario Bros U & Zombi U. Will go with Zelda Wind Waker for the Mario Kart 8 free game offer. I expect I am going to have some fun with getting my Nintendo NNID account working on the new WiiU console.

Mass Effect 3 - Completed

Earth is saved & I am dead !!

I went for the Synthesis ending & passed on my DNA to everyone across the galaxy.

In terms of Sci-Fi lore the trilogy has been fantastic, some gameplay elements were not ideal like the fetch & retrieve side quests but overall I would have to say it is an amazing trilogy.

It goes into my top list.

Next on the list then after much nagging from many on UGVM & RLLMUK is going to be Portal.

I've gone off iOS games for the moment so have deleted Tiny Dice Dungeon, Disco Zoo & a few others I was playing. Will just leave the turn based games like Lost Cities, Carcassonne & Disc Drivin.

I've also gone and purchased another WiiU console (WEAK) in readiness for Mario Kart 8.
Edit 3:15 - Too good to be true John Lewis have cancelled the offer.

Mass Effect 3 - Revenge !!

After causing so much trouble & upheaval it was time to get rid of the thorn in my side "CERBERUS"

An attack on their headquarters leads to a boss fight against Leng & you finally get the chance for revenge. Although be warned he is a tough bugger & it took me a couple of attempts before I managed to defeat him.

That was for Thane

Now I am all set for the return to Earth & the Final Conflict

Mass Effect 3 - Choosing sides SPOILERS !!!

Enough Movie & TV talk, back to gaming !!

Throughout the series you are asked on many occasions to make a choice but none have proven that difficult until you have to decide to go with the Geth or Quarian race.

This proved a very difficult choice & I replayed the mission a few times to see if there was anyway I could save both but alas no, so I decided to go with the Quarians.

 Really enjoying the story of this game, it is sci-fi lore at it's best.

Mass Effect 3 - Thane

After delivering the cure to Tuchanka & deciding to ignore the sabotage option. I returned to the Citadel following up on a video call from the Salarian politician about Udina working with Cerberus.

The Citadel is under attack by Cerberus forces, during the mission whilst saving the Salarian politician an assassin Kai Leng fights and wounds Thane. After taking back control of the Citadel, Thane is admitted to the hospital.

He has lost a lot of blood & even with his son's help, because his Kepral's syndrome is in it's final stages, his time has come.

The weapons in the game can be upgraded with various mods & by only carrying a few weapons your powers recharge quicker. I only carry the Assault Rifle, Sniper & Handgun with damage & ammo capacity mods equipped.

Time to go find this Kai Leng for some revenge.

Mass Effect 3 - Chemist

I enjoyed planet scanning for minerals in Mass Effect 2, this has changed quite a bit now in that you scan the solar system you are in to reveals areas/planets to investigate. You can only get three to four scans before the reapers are alerted & you have to run the Normandy out of the solar system to escape. If you get caught you restart the game.

You find lots of fuel, some credits, intel which you can then use at Liana's Glyph for upgrades or side mission artifacts (fetch & retrieve quest lines).

Ashley is now out of the hospital & has accepted an offer by Udina to become a Spectre. I've met quite a few characters from the previous games including Garrus who is now an advisor on Reaper matters but happily joins me on my quest. Miranda who is worried about her twin sister again. Jack who is now a biotic teacher, Kasumi who is still using her stealth abilities to steal tech, I've sent her to help the alliance build the reaper weapon. EDI has decided to take over the robot that attacked Ashley to give herself a body. Thane who is still slowly dying, Urdnot Wrex & Grunt who I've helped recover a female Krogan from a Salarian research lab, hoping Grunt becomes a controllable character so I can recreate my Mass Effect 2 team again (Garrus & Grunt).

For now my team is Garrus & James. I've done a ton of side missions since my last post & rescued the Turrian Primarch. After saving the female Krogan, I now need to go and dispense a cure for the genophage. Cerburus also are a constant thorn, the illusive man I think wants to control the reapers.

Mass Effect 3 is all about uniting the various races together to take on the reapers but for now I'm a chemist dispensing a cure for the genophage.

Dead Island Riptide - It's all about the mods

Not posted about Dead Island Riptide since the New Game post so a quick update.

Dead Island Riptide fun factor comes from the various mods you can collect throughout the game.

These are found scattered around the island & you need a base weapon with some materials to create the mod from any workbench.

I created a High Voltage (upgraded version of the shock mod) in the recent PMG with a Sugar Cane Knife some duct tape, wire, battery & electronic scrap. It does a very nice 1000+ damage.

I also collected a Medieval mod yesterday but I don't have a base weapon to create this yet.

The story is progressing along we are on chapter 7 having gone through some tunnels to face a boss fight against The Wrestler. Lots of fire damage & grenades helped us bring him down.

Arriving at the ferry station we were met by thugs who wanted to take all our gear, that ended in them meeting a 'group fury' & getting pummeled to death.

New Game - Mass Effect 3

Yes I have Knack & Dishonored to still complete but I have forgotten the story, button control & what I was doing in both of these games. Also I really wanted to start playing Mass Effect 3 instead.

I imported my 45 Hour ME2 character to receive bonus credits & level stats to upgrade some skills.

The Reapers have arrived & Earth is under attack. Ashley has had plastic surgery & arrives in time with the Normandy to save you. A quick trip to Mars reveals a Prothean weapon that could be useful against the Reapers but alas Cerberus possibly also have the data. Ashley also gets her butt kicked & ends up in the Citadel hospital. Whilst I walk around trying to convince the citadel politicians to get take the threat seriously & support Earth.

A few subtle changes to the interfaces with a quick save on the back button but otherwise it is the same control method. The map screen is now slightly easier telling you where characters are located. I have not noticed any other differences.

After the brief tour of the Citadel I'm on a mission to save a turian primarch.
Rumours about ME Trilogy inbound for PS4/XB1, wish the developers would focus on releasing new games rather than releasing previous gen games with a fresh lick of paint.

Deus Ex HR - Missing Link - Completed

Alas no Pinky & the Brain but a scientist who was willing to spill the gossip on Belltower if I could save her arse. Making my way back through the prison complex & Burke has now become aware of my presence (maybe it was the dead bodies littered all over the facility that gave me away). How does he react? like every evil bastard he decides to gas the prisoners & my Edward Snowden scientist.

"You must choose, Sheriff Jenson, Prisoners or Scientist?"
Hint - There is a way to save them both which is what I did.

I expected Burke to be a boss fight like the main game but I sneak onto the top of his cabin & drop a gas grenade in through the roof. Job Done. Catch the next express freight service to Hengsha.

Missing Link completed.

Deus EX HR - Missing Link

Tied to a chair getting beaten to a pulp. Who are you? Why are you here?

Meh! Yeah like I'm really going to tell you?

After the cut scene your shackles mysteriously unlock & you are free to roam around.

Missing Link tells the story of what happened to Jenson when he hid in the freight container during the main game.

I like the way everything resets you have no skills & no weapons. It's all hand to hand combat until you can loot the soldiers.

Set on a ship I got a very Metal Gear Solid vibe especially when outside & the rain is lashing down.

All I needed was a cardboard box & some cigarettes.

Keitner (the lady who was punching me earlier) is the one who set me loose. She is a double agent & wants to gather evidence against BellTower.

When you find your armour you are also gifted seven piraxis points. I immediately went for the hacking upgrade to level 5 & punch through wall ability. Later I unlocked the jump higher ability & extra carrying limit. There are quite a few levels on the various maps & lots of hidden paths to loot areas.

I've spoken to Keitner who has uploaded my biometrics to the security servers to give me access to the prison area where I find out that BellTower are conducting experiments on the prisoners.

I now need to get hold of an artificial eye to gain access to a hidden lab. Hopefully I'll find Pinky & the Brain planning to take over the world.

Deus Ex Human Revolution - Completed

I have not played the earlier Deus Ex games but if they were anything like Human Revolution then I pray for a HD remake so I can play them. Everything from the soundtrack, combat, stealth, hacking to the character voices was spot on.

I eventually unlocked all the abilities earning enough experience points & purchasing piraxis kits.

So many choices throughout the game that effect the outcome of the plot & none more so than your final decision.

If I had more time I would definitely play the game again to try and earn one of the more difficult achievements & see the alternative endings.

This game is so enjoyable that it has to be added to the Top list taking the number to 34.

Deus Ex Human Revolution - Faridah Malik

Died, load latest save...
Dead again load latest save...
Giant robot .... oh fu....c..$£!!...Dead

I've spent quite a bit of time with Deus EX HR since my last post, thoroughly enjoying Hengsha & discovering it's secrets. Taking a quick stop at Montreal before arriving back at riot stricken Detroit.

Along the way I have upgraded quite a bit of my abilities now including stealth, typhoon & punch-through-wall skill.

After Detroit the story takes you back to Hengsha. Upon your arrival the helicopter is shot & forced to land. Faridah then comes under attack from soldiers & asks you to run for the exit.

Did I? I take you back to the beginning of my post.... Died, load last save.