New Board Games
December 27, 2007
For Christmas this year, the kids received a whole bunch of new board games. As a family that plays a lot of board games, Christmas is always a chance for us to try out some new games. This year, the kids also got some of the old favorites redone.
Amongst the new games they got this year are:
- Battlelore – This is a two person fantasy strategy war game. It is by the same author, Richard Borg, that did the Battle Cry game about the American Civil War that Sean and I really enjoy playing. This game was done after Battle Cry. The only drawback to it is that it is a two player game, so only Sean and I can play. There is a whole bunch of add-ons for the game series too. Sean and I are excited about this game, but have yet to play it.
- Monkeys on the Moon – A funny card game by the same folks who did the Nacho Incident game that we play quite frequently. Its another fairly quick, light hearted game where you try to advance various tribes of monkeys on the moon and then launch them back to Earth. It is good fun and we have played it several times already.
- Shipwrecked – We gave this game its first spin last night and have just begun to understand the intricacies of this bidding/bluffing strategy game. Games are quick, taking less than a half hour to play which can be nice at times.
- Scotland Yard – This is a detective type game where one player tries to avoid the other players and complete his mission. The other players team up against the spy guy. Games like this that add in the teaming up aspect have been well received by our family. Again, we have yet to play this new game yet, but will most likely today.
- Fact or Crap – Guess who wanted this game? Yup, it was Sean. This is a very simplistic game that you can determine how long you want to take. Clues are read from a card and players say whether the info is factual or made up. Thats all there is to it. Initially, it was fun, but for longer games, it grows repetitive quite quickly. This game will probably be relegated to parties and for times when we have a limited amount of time to play.
- Monopoly Electronic Banking Edition – A new take on an old game. The money is gone and instead players have a credit card and all money aspects are handled electronically. We play Monopoly now and then but the paper money and set up always seemed like a bit of distraction. Though we haven’t played the new game yet, we are hoping to revive and old classic.
- Spongebob Operation – Another remake of the classic Operation game that will likely be for the kids only.
- Battleship Torpedo Attack – Another remake of the classic Battleship game except that some new features, the torpedos, have been added. We have yet to try this game.
- 1 vs 100 – This is a DVD game based on the popular TV show. The kids have enjoyed watching the show and wanted the DVD game. We have a few DVD games and have mostly enjoyed them. We have yet to try this one.
So we have quite a few new board games to play with. They ought to keep us busy for quite a while, or at least until next Christmas when we replenish our stock.
The kids also received a bunch of games for the Xbox 360. These games include: Mass Effect, Crash of the Titans, Viva Pinata Party Animals, Thrillville Off the Rails, Simpsons Movie and Scene It. The family has already had a couple of extended gaming nights playing Scene It. I think we have finally found a game that Suzanne will play on the Xbox 360. And with it being a trivia game, she does quite well. Luckily, I have pulled upsets both nights thus far.
I will make more detailed posts on these games as we play them and can make detailed comments about them. Ah, the life of a board game family…
Gears of War
November 10, 2006
I recently picked up Gears of War for the Xbox 360 and all I can say is Wow. The graphics are downright stunning. The cut scenes, which use the game engine, our out of this World. The game is a beauty to behold.
I have had the game for three days now and tonight, I completed the game on the casual gamer level. About 50% of the game was completed in coop mode with Sean. We have had a ball playing it the last 3 nights. The game is nice in that I can play by myself or a friend can join in coop via xbox live or split screen at any point.
As mentioned earlier, the graphics are stunning. They are easily the best I have seen on any console or PC game. It is very easy to get caught up in the beauty of the game and forget what you are doing.
As a bit of background, the game is a third person shooter. The genre is a bit of a fantasy shooter in that its aliens (Locust) and such. Its not exactly my favorite genre. I much prefer 1st person shooters and current times or historical (such as WWII). Still, the game has fully captured my attention the last three days.
Despite how much fun and engrossing the game is, it has a few draw backs. While it is a whole bunch of fun, its really not all that innovative. The use of a single button for controlling a lot of the actions is nice. The requirement to use cover is very nice. Too many shooters allow you to stand in the open and “gun sling”. Do that in this game and you will die. The storyline is not the best, but the dialog is fantastic although quite heavy on the four (and five) letter words. For the kids, there is an option to turn off the gore and language. And the cut scenes? WOW… I have never seen better. They very successfully draw you even further into the game.
The frame rate of the game is pretty much rock solid the whole game. Some reviews I have read talked about some frame rate issues, but I never noticed them. The game plays a bit short but seems to have some replay value as I am anxious to try again on the hardcore level. There is also an insane difficulty level that is unlocked when you complete the hardcore difficulty level.
If I were to rank the game on a scale of 1 to 10, I would probably give it a 9.25. This would be because of the lack of innovation in my opinion. Still, the game is a must buy for the Xbox 360 to see the graphics and cut scenes. Hardcore level, here I come…
On a side not, I ordered the History Channel Civil War Xbox 360 game tonight. None of the local stores had it so, an online order was required. I am very intrigued by this one. Being a Civil War buff, my interest was immediately piqued. The game is a first person shooter set in the Civil War. That just sounds amazing. Most Civil War games are RTS, so I am anxious to give it a go. A review will follow at a later date.
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