hot new games

Summer is starting to fizzle, but us here at the holynub report have the what's what on HOT new games to appease your burning desire, put the spring back in your step and the tingle back in your dingle. First up...

Fable 2! I am a huge fan of Lion Head Studios and the original Fable. Lion Head Studio's Peter Molyneaux is hinting that this version is going to really push the moral dilemmas that your hero has to face, making the sacrifice to be a good person be a lot more dire. 

PROS: Fable 2 seems to be very promising, expanding upon all the things that made the original great: Customizable character abilities and appearance (via collectable tattoo and haircut cards), Easy to Learn and Immersive Action RPG battle system and the ability to choose either the path of good or evil. Stack that on top of a quick and easy online multiplayer function, interactive pets and being able to spread your man-seed all over Albion and it looks like we have ourselves a WINNAR!

CONS: Instead of procuring wealth from bashing skulls and running errands for the Heroes Guild, it seems like the only way to get money is through gambling parlor mini games. To me this seems like replacing one type of money grind for another instead of introducing an exciting new feature. Maybe it's just because I am a terrible gambler in real life, but this worries me. However, if you are able to play the mini games with online friends and actually take their money, it might be exciting enough to be worth it.

Rating: 10 out of 12 jittering cardboard sword wielding colored paper ball throwing fanboys

I am not familiar with the earlier renditions of Fallout, but it seems the lads at Bethesda Softworks have made a game that anyone can bite their radiated mutant teeth into. 

PROS: Revolutionary new Battle System allows players to transition seamlessly from traditional FPS to V.A.T.S or Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting system to play in a more RPG oriented style. The environment looks absolutely stunning and the open storyline allows for decisions that will have a direct affect on the path your game takes. For instance you can detonate and complete destroy an entire area of the game. This game's gritty tongue-in-cheek steam punk vibe makes me squeel with glee. 

CONS: I will probably myself forget what the sun looks like as I shut myself in my apartment playing this game over and over and over again and might find myself emerging into a real life world not unlike the one depicted in the game, but then again I would have prepared myself pretty adequately for the challenges to come.

Rating: 30 out of 30 radioactive cyborgian mutant mercenaries

Okay these two get lumped together in the "swingy open environment" genre of game. They both bring interesting things to the table. Spiderman offers an exciting and dynamic battle systems that really does a great job capturing how you imagined Spiderman would do battle. Also you can transition seamlessly between regular good neighborhood spidey to morally questionable symbiote suit spidey both in battle sequences for nasty combos and after boss fights to choose how to dispose of your downed foe.

Bionic Commando mixes the swingy aspect with a gun toting badass cyborg dude. Although the actual swing combat doesn't seem to be as dynamic as the spidey game, the fact that the hero can jump kick a car does seem interesting. Also there is an online multiplayer feature which looks promising. It's hard to tell at this point if the multiplayer aspect is going to be what carries the game. From gameplay demos and trailers it is hard to really say if they multiplayer will hold up over the long haul and make this game an addictive cult classic. 

Now if I have any money left over from buying a gaming console, a TV and all these games, I was thinking about buying this diamond in the rough. I am personally a huge fan of Greek Mythology. However, most gamers might feel like they are being hit over the head with the theme so perfectly executed by the God of War series. However, the art direction for this game is top notch and promises to be true to it's setting while still adding it's own flair. The battle system is based on the many weapons available to Jason of Argonauts fame. Each weapon correlates to a specific god and also playing style. 

PROS: You get to bash heads and slice through the aortas of many a foe at the hands of the legendary Greek hero Jason. Inventive battle system allows for a variety of play styles and a number of options for different scenarios. The lush environments and amazing detail are sure to immerse any ancient Greek geek. 

CONS: Theme might be a little tired riding on the heels of the smash hit God of War and might not be unique enough to get people's attention. A common pitfall of this type of hack and slash action RPG is that the game can feel repetitive, especially if there is one OP combo move that obliterates everything in sight. Hopefully, the varied battle system can overcome that. 

Rating: 18 out of 25 trojan for her pleasure zombies