In case you need reminding of who SUPERGHOST is, you can find his previous interview here. I catch up with the man they call SUPERGHOST and talk games.

Remind the viewers where you acquired the infamous "SUPERGHOST" gamer tag.

"SUPERGHOST" goes back to my Dreamcast days. Every time I tried to pick a cool login name it was taken.So, in a moment of inspiration 'SUPERGHOST' popped into my head. I like ghosts, and I am super! Been my handle for nearly 8 years!

There have been some great games on the Xbox 360 so far. Which one would you say is the most over hyped and why?

I would say Guitar Hero III, clearly it has been a huge financial and critical success but, to me it is being overshadowed in nearly every way by Rockband. I think both can co-exist, but the bar has clearly been raised! Also, GHIII is being overexposed,did we really need 2 GH's last year? And where is the DLC? Oh its on Rock Band!

Are you still gaming on your 30'' Samsung HDTV Wide screen?

Yes I am. I have tweaked the settings to the point where I am still quite satisfied with the picture, but I would be lying if I did not want to upgrade to a 1080p LCD monitor in the 37 to 42 inch range. But money is always an issue.  I did upgrade my sound to the Pioneer 5.1 system licensed exclusively for the Xbox 360! It is pretty cool!

You've played quite a few games. What would you say gave you the most challenge to complete?

Each game has its moments, but I will go back to my classic Xbox and talk about Panzer Dragoon Orta. When I finally beat that game on the normal skill level, I got up and did a dance!  True story.

Last time we did an interview, you said Halo 2 was your all time favorite game. Does this still hold true?

I would say no, so many great games and gaming experiences have happened since then. Gears of War, Assassin's Creed, Halo 3, Portal, Oblivion, Call of Duty 2 and 4, Bioshock, The Darkness. I could go on and on, but picking just one, I don't think I could.  Just like trying to pick a game of the year in 2007.  Not so easy. I would add one thing, so much is being made of PS3's Little Big Planet, but we already have Forge on Halo 3. Think about that one!

BD: "You tell 'em Ghost!

Are you a supporter of making Xbox Live free or do you believe its worth every penny? Much has been said about Sony PS3's "Home" feature and how it's supposed to rival Xbox Live, and it will also be free of charge.

Good question. On one hand free is good, on the other I do not mind paying for a service that is offering a great experience. Should PS3's service rival or surpass Live as it is today, MS had better have an excellent counter. Wether it be servers or some other top secret project. I believe competition in this case can only be a good thing for both services, and in the end, the users like ourselves.

We are 3 years into this generation of gaming. It wont be long until we start discussing the next generation consoles. What would you like to see in Microsoft's next Xbox?

Well, I hope I don't have to see anything for at least 4 more years. But, what  I would like to see is Microsoft continuing with their overall connectivity mantra. I want user-created content to be available from day one, not just a good promise for the future. Also I would like to see the 360 community to continue to evolve and grow the service and truly make it our own! (and Halo 4).

What do you like to do besides gaming?

Well I have two young children so I like to spend time with them and my wife. I enjoy walking, and reading, and the occasional 'social call' with my friends. Gaming is pretty big deal for me though, I have been maintaining my Xbox blog for nearly 3 years now, before that it was Bungie.net, now I am dabbling with twitter and a space at 1UP.com.  I also take insurance courses and have been working my way towards my designation in that industry.

Many thanks goes to SUPERGHOST for taking the time to answer these questions. As mentioned above you can find his Windows Live Space here, his Twitter here, and in case that isn't enough and you want to be an uber stalker, visit him on 1up.com.

--BD

In my previous entry you can see that I have been enjoying my dose of Mass Effect. Oblivion being my last RPG played, I found that Mass Effect was a breath of fresh air from the normal games I play. A little slow to start, but once when the ball got rolling, it didn't stop.

The storyline of Mass Effect takes you on a wild ride through many planets and systems that will leave you wondering where you will be heading next. Of course the highly touted dialogue system was very interactive and innovative in many ways. Sometimes I found myself handling situations in the game how I would in real life. I tried my best to think of what I would say in certain scenarios and how it would effect the outcome of the game. I picked the closest answer and hoped that the dispute didn't lead to me being shot.

Since the game is pretty open ended and doesn't force you to follow any beaten path, you can be as adventurous as you'd like. Hundreds of side missions kept me very busy and helped me level up my character from a level 1 to level 41. On my first time around playing, I pretty much ignored these and just played through the game. The 2nd time I didn't make that same mistake.I thought it would be best if I explored the worlds a bit and completed some of the more odd missions out there, which then helped me become a better player in the game and create a more dynamic group of allies.

I actually didn't realize just how MASSIVE Mass Effect really is. As you get missions you open up new planets and clusters for you to explore. Which would then lead to more missions on different planets and so on. After getting bored with that, I would just continue the main plot and see where that took me. The fun factor of it all was a pretty steady ride of being excellent, with small dull moments in between which acted as a break from the intense game play.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion has a lot of armors and weapons for you to collect. Mass Effect really reminded me of that and my treasure seeking tendencies that I would sometimes have. Although, you normally have a mission to do in Mass Effect when you go hunting for those things, you will almost always come across something you don't already have. New armors, new ammo upgrades, new armor upgrades, weapons, medi-gel, grenades, and much more. The major problem I had with this is that I would normally only keep the best and turn the rest into omni-gel. Sometimes I'd find very valuable things and sometimes I'd just get ammo upgrades.

What is a storyline without a great environment? Useless, in my opinion. A game such as this needs to make you feel like your truly there in the game. The dialogue system already makes this "your game" but the environment is what adds to the effect of realism. It has very wide range of different habitats that you'll think your playing a different game. You will notice that each planet has it's own unique environment and terrain. I came across a snow covered planet and then moved to a very dry and dusty planet in a matter of minutes. Luckily you have your clunky Mako to carry you around and defend you against enemies.

However,I did find it upsetting that the storyline just ended when you completed the main story. No going back and doing side quests. You can start the campaign all over again with the same character, but it's sort of upsetting that you cant pick up where you left off in your side missions. Oblivion did a good job of this, allowing you to continue to play and make it pretty much a never ending game.

Mass Effect is truly a great game. It might take some time for the more casual player to really get into it, but overall it's a game you'll want to have in your collection.

Pros

• Great storyline and side missions
• Game play functions are very linear and fun to play with
• Character customization is very solid

Cons

• Minor hiccups in the graphics
• Game play ends when the main plot is finished.
• Can the Mako be any harder to control?

Overall Score

9.0/10

-BD

First appearances are not everything. Speculation around the net told me that Mass Effect was one of the best games for the Xbox 360. Of course, this is all speculation and other people's opinions. I began playing and wondered what the hype was all about. Creating my character was fun, choosing my class and all that jazz reminded me a lot of Oblivion. And if it even was half the fun as Oblivion was/is I'd be pleased.

I start the game and wonder to myself "Why is my screen all grainy?" Thinking there is something wrong with the game itself, I restart only for it to do the same thing. Just deal with it, I tell myself. So I continue and complete the first part of the mission. After playing about 2 hours of the game itself, i wondered what the hype was all about. It has a grainy screen, slow game play, and my characters have to level up? Maybe I missed something here, but I thought i was supposed to be playing a GOOD game.

As i said before, first appearances are not everything. It appeared to me that everyone on the interweb was wrong. It appeared to me that I would be taking this game back for something else. I finally figured out how to turn off the film grain effect which i so kindly slapped myself in the forehead, as that was dumb of me to not think of it before. However, i still had a major beef with the game. It wasn't all that fun. The graphics take some time to load in some areas and I've come to ignore that and just get over it. After playing and completing a couple missions, I really just got bored with it. Which also could mean that Call of Duty 4 was slowly sucking my soul away.

Now I'm back to playing it again, and amazingly, I'm addicted. After such a slow start i got the ball rolling and started to figure things out. I have to come appreciate the dialogue system and the fighting system. The latter part, isn't where it shines though. Nonetheless, it's effective. The infamous romance plot was rather interesting and I think I'll try and continue it further to see where it goes. Obviously Mass Effect isn't a game where you dive right in and run straight into action. You need to have some type of tactic and plan to carry on through the game.

So, to anyone that is still on the fence about this game, I say to rent it. You NEED to put time into the game in order to fully understand it's capabilities and the level of fun it can achieve.

--BD

Lately, I've been answering questions on Yahoo! Answers in the Xbox section. Many questions are asked that I can answer easily without having to look up a lot of info. But a reoccurring question, that seems to bug me every time. "Which is better? Xbox 360 or PS3?" I've read through countless answers debating which one is best and which one is not. And I've come to the conclusion that the Xbox 360 is still the best console on the market today. Ok, let's keep in mind that I've NEVER touched a PS3 in my life and I'm a hardcore Xbox 360 fan, but I'm going still going to state what is wrong with the 360 and what is right with the PS3.

The failure rate of the Xbox 360 is probably the biggest and strongest argument that these guys have. Every other person I know is either on their 2nd or 3rd console and getting frustrated more and more every time they have to put their 360 in a coffin and wait nearly a month for the return process. No Red Ring of Death for me as of yet. It's been rumored that it's up to nearly 35%, but Microsoft has only mentioned 5% a long time ago. Wow, 35% huh? That's rather high for such an infamous company known for its great technology. But I wonder, just where are these figures coming from? Retailers. I dug around and found that many of those statements were made by retailers around the world, which is rather high. They are not taking into consideration that many people don't bother with taking their console back, rather just calling 1-800-4my-Xbox and sending it away to MS. So if one retailer sells 50 consoles and 25 are returned that's 50% return rate at one store. Let's say another store sells 500 of the 360 and only 100 are returned that's only 20%. Some store might have a higher number than that, some might have lower. Heck, they could sell 1 360 console and have it returned making it a 100% return rate. I'm saying that these numbers are not reliable and doe's not take into consideration the number of people that a.) did not have a problem, and b.) did not take their console back to the store for a return. Can Microsoft be trusted? Well no and yes. Ever since they mentioned that it's only at 5% return rate, they have been mum about it ever since. Why is that? Because their a business, and dishing out figures like these is less than appealing to any consumer.

I'll acknowledge that the PS3 hasn't had any major issues yet and that its return rate is significantly lower than the 360's. However, they have a $500 console, so I hope that they were able to put a decent cooling unit in there to cool down the insides.

This next issue gets me all the time. When people compare they like to throw in added things such as wireless networking adapters, wireless controllers, HD-DVD players, and so on. In order for the 360 to even compare to the PS3 of course you'd have to add those in there. But here's the thing. None of these accessories are required to play an Xbox 360. I don't have a wireless network adapter and play perfectly fine on my 360. Heck, i even have Media Center set-up on it. I might not have a generic six-axis controller that allows me to control movement but I do have a wireless controller that allows me to shoot people in the face, throw a winning touchdown, or score the winning basket. The HD-DVD player is an add on and I'm not courting one of those either, but i still play regular DVD's perfectly fine. Ok, so the PS3 has the six-axis controller, along with Wi-Fi and a Blue Ray player but again, look at its price. "The PS3 has free online! And HOME is coming!" Are you talking about the online play that ANYONE can hook up too? Including those loners with dial-up? Though, if you can afford a half a 1k console you should be able to afford at least DSL, right? From what i hear the PSN is nothing special. Lag seems to be the biggest issue, and though i haven't experienced it myself on a PS3, i cant say any other problems. But hey it's free. Xbox Live has more than 6 million users. the Xbox Live Marketplace has thousands upon thousands of content downloaded everyday with the press of a button. It's $50 a month, but its worth every freaking penny.

Moving into the graphics category, there is no doubt that the PS3 is a beast. On paper, it's better than the 360 in almost every division, but on the games you can't tell. Let's run a little test here. You go out and buy a game for the PS3 that is known to have great graphics. You think "awesome! This will look good on my 62'' HDTV!" Take it home, pop it in and your stunned. Then you start to play. It's Barbie Horse Adventures, and though it has amazing graphics, your still playing a ridiculously retarded game with horrible game play. The point being made here is that it is not about graphics. It's about game play. You can only be "wowed" for so long when looking at graphics before you start to think "heh, this game blows. There's nothing to do here!" If the PS3 wants to get into a fist fight with the Xbox 360 and debate who has the better games, the fight wont get out of the first round. Clearly the 360 has some of the best games out as of right now. Some are multi-platformed games, others are exclusives. Bioshock, Halo 3, Gears of War, and Mass Effect. What does the PS3 have? Kill Zone 2 and Metal Gear Solid and it's amazing ability to have more CGI pumped into it then a freaking Pixar movie. One day, the PS3 fans will finally realize that their library of games in the future will never stack up to what the Xbox 360 has done and what it is doing now. So, please continue to argue that the Xbox 360 is more expensive in the long run, or that it cant survive an entire year before tanking. But KNOW one thing. It's about the games, and as of right now, the Xbox 360 has better games now than what the PS3 will ever have.

--BD

Another year is coming to a close. This might just be one of the best years to be a gamer with releases of Guitar Hero II & III, Forza 2, Bioshock, Halo 3, The Orange Box, Call of Duty 4, Mass Effect, and Assassins Creed. Blockbuster titles on one great console. I managed to pull in some of these titles along with others not mentioned above. So without further ado, here is BD's Best of 2007.

Games nominated for rewards:

Bioshock
Call of Duty 4
Crackdown
Fight Night Round 3
Forza 2
Guitar Hero II
Halo 3
Madden 08
NCAA 08

Best Sports Game

NCAA 08 Football

With 3 games competing in this category, it was certainly a tough decision. This year, they improved on a lot of areas that they missed in NCAA 07. Though the gameplay feels more real on Madden than it does in NCAA, the depth and overall fun factor is what sold it for me.

Best Shooter

Call of Duty 4

This category is certainly not lacking depth. Bioshock, COD4, Crackdown, and Halo 3 all competing for the title, it was hard to come up with a winner. The online play is solid, and the single player campaign is what really locked down this pick. Never a dull moment and certainly full of action, COD4 took this game above and beyond it's opponents.

Best Multi-player Online

Halo 3

Finally, Halo 3 has won an award. It's the best online game you'll find out there today. You cant compete with their ranking system, matchmaking, and 4 player co-op. This was an easy decision for me, and anyone that has spent more than 20 hours online, can more than likely agree. If not, prove me wrong. Bungie has packed more stuff online than any of the others COMBINED.

Controller throwing moment of the year

Madden NFL 08

Not exactly an award that they should be proud of, mainly because I'm blaming it on their A.I. I have a huge rant built up inside me that is wanting to be released, but for the sake of younger viewers and everyone else who doesn't want to hear it, I'll keep it locked down. Madden did the impossible by sticking with some of the dumbest teammates one could ask for. When your trying your best on All-Madden and actually make some progress, your teammates are there to let you down. Whether they miss a block, or just don't feel like catching the ball, they try their best to lose the game. Maybe I'm being harsh, but I'm starting to wonder if the Xbox 360 controller isn't made out of rubber. None of mine have broken yet from the infamous "controller throw".

Best Storyline

Bioshock

One of the most unique games I have ever played would be Bioshock. It's amazing detail in graphics and overall gameplay along with the deep storyline made it one of the best games of '07. The game has it's twist and turns and just when you think you have it figured out and your anticipating the ending, it takes another twist and the story continues. With multiple endings and choices that you have to make throughout the game, Bioshock's storyline sealed it as the best of 2007.

Best Gameplay

Bioshock

This isn't the same first person shooter that you'd expect from any other game. No, this game is something special. I've never had to morph my own DNA mid game and switch different tonics in order to succeed either. But somehow this unique style of playing managed to lure me in for 20 hours of play that never left me bored or agitated.

Best Graphics

Bioshock

This is such a tough decision for me, that I almost want to call it a tie. In one corner you have Call of Duty 4 with it's lush outdoor environments, in another corner you have Fight Night Round 4 with very realistic gameplay, Bioshock also comes to mind, and even Halo 3 can be mentioned. Only one can be chosen, and I went with Bioshock. What can I say? This game blew my mind more than any other game and made me love it more and more every time I played.

Biggest Surprise of 2007

Bioshock

As of you've read so far, I love this game but don't ever play it. So do I love it? It was a nice surprise to actually play through it and be completely surprised at the very end. I'm having fond memories of playing it for a week straight and then dropping it like a bad habit. Great gameplay, graphics, and unique storyline makes it one of the best games I've ever played.

Biggest Disappointment of 2007

Mountain Dew Game Fuel

I love mountain dew, I love the Halo series. Combine them both together and what do you get? A cotton candy mixed with cough syrup soda drink. I bought a couple of these thinking, that maybe I just have to get used too it and I never came around. Mountain Dew Game Fuel will fuel you just well. It'll give you the energy to puke it back up and lay in bed wondering why you spent that $1.50 on a drink like that.

Game of the Year

Nominees:
Bioshock
Call of Duty 4
Halo 3

Very few games go above and beyond my expectations. Very few times, I am left astonished and heartbroken at the same time when a game ends. All three games made me feel that way. All three games deserve to each be the Game of the Year, but I just can't roll like that. Halo 3, truly one of the most hyped up and talked about games of the year. Bioshock, one of the best games shown at E3 proved to be a truly remarkable game for anyone who decided to buy it. Let's not forget Call of Duty 4 either. Infinity Ward took a gamble walking away from it's WWII FPS franchise, instead dropping us into Modern Warfare that never leaves you bored.

Now, for my Game of the Year. This game had a mediocre campaign, but remarkable online. It's the most played game on Xbox Live to date, and simply because of it's high replay value and enjoyment that it brings many people, it is BD's Best of 2007

Halo 3 -- Bungie Studios

The runner up goes to Call of Duty 4, and Bioshock finishing in third. Bioshock is a truly remarkable game that will forever have a place in my collection. But it's low replay value is what really decided this for me. Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 both deliver a fun online experience along with a solid campaign. I'm excited for the wrap up of 2007 and the beginning of 2008. Next Gen games will continue to push the Xbox 360 into greatness and seal it's fate as the best console still on the market today.

--BD

I was the 2nd person in line at a local Circuit City waiting for my Xbox 360. It was a night very much like this one. Cold and sprinkles of water, typical for Indiana. I just actually realized that it has been 2 years since I got my beloved 360, and haven't had a problem with it yet. So, since it is Thanksgiving, that is what I am thankful for. Hopefully everyone had a safe and great Thanksgiving. Enjoy the family, friends, and if you have time, gaming.

-BD

 Welcome Torment to GBtS...you've been on the hot seat before. How has your 360 been to you since our last interview?

Its been great so far even though I've owned about 3 of them , I wouldn't have it any other way.

Out of ALL of the Xbox 360 games that are out today, which would you say is the best?

That's a tough one..wow...uh...I'll say as of right now, my best experience has been with Bioshock.

And your least favorite game you've played?

Teen Age Mutant Ninja Turtles...haha.

BD: "Totally dude?"

3 Choices: Pamela Anderson in Her prime, Jessica Alba, or Salma Hayeck

Jessica Alba. I like the brunettes.

Summer movies?

Transformers. It was effin  awesome.

A free punch at any celebrity, who would it be?

Me and Jack Thompson in the Octagon!

Favorite Video Game Character?

Kasumi from the Dead or Alive series.

What about your worst travel experience?

When I was dating my wife, she went to college in upstate New York, which is about 4 hours away.. 3 hours into the trip there wasn't a flake of snow on the ground. That last hour of the trip took about 2 and a half hours due to the foot and a half of snow. It was awful, I was doing 10 miles an hour. 18 wheelers were flying past me pretty much pushing through it.

BD: "That's when you need the Scorpion tank. Then you'll arrive in fashion!"

Your favorite hero growing up as a kid?

I'm going to be really gay about this, Luke Skywalker.

You've got 1 wish, what will be? World peace isn't a option.

If it cant be world peace, money. money. money.

Favorite thing to do, when your not gaming?

When I'm not gaming...um, BUYING GAMES!

BD:"Great answer. HAHA"

Are you a trash talker or a mute?

I'm vocally spoken. If that makes any sense..

Hardest Achievement Earned, since you didn't give me a straight answer last time I asked?

I'm still going for 5 stars on Guitar Hero II...let's not mention that I'm doing it on easy.

Any last words?

Thanks for having me back BD, it's been a real blast doing this again.

-BD

Want an interview? Get in line...your number just might be next.

More Info: TormentX is a Windows Live Blogger original. His blog has been up since before the launch of the Xbox 360. He's a happily married gamer hailing from New York with 2 sons. He contributes to the Married Gamers website writing articles for them. For more information visit his gaming blog at http://tormentxatz.spaces.live.com/.

Many people around the nation upgrade their entertainment centers to HDTV's and 5.1 Surround Sound. They might also have an Xbox 360, PS3, HD-DVD, or Blue-Ray player. Maybe an HD Cable Box or Satellite. With High Definition taking over the world one home at a time, you might find yourself to be in a bit of a cable mess trying to figure out how to get the best quality picture out of every component.

Newer HDTV's today have 2 sets of component inputs. I believe the theory is, the smaller the TV the less inputs for you to have. Some might come with more, some just might come with 1 set and an HDMI port. I have 2 things that I want to run in HD and figuring this out was a bit tricky until I finally remembered what I used when I had two consoles and a DVD player hooked up to my holder TV. A system selector. Not familiar with these? Well, besides it being butt ugly it is probably the most useful thing you could have around. It normally doubles your inputs for video and audio by adding on 4 extra sets of inputs. Which can be good if you ever to decide to purchase another HD component.

After brain storming for awhile to figure out my wire mess and how to get HD for both my Xbox 360 and Comcast HD Cable Box, I finally realized this is what I needed. I got to my nearest Best Buy after doing some research on the Internet to see what they had. I found one that wasn't specifically for gaming, which was around $60. After searching around the store and getting no luck finding one, one the associates showed me one for gaming that would work for basically anything, and it was only $19.99. SCORE!

This is how it works. The Pelican HD System Selector comes with the Selector, 1 set of component cables, and some more labels so you can properly label what component is in what port. I basically only needed it to hook up my Xbox 360, and in the future maybe something else like a stand alone HD-DVD player. After getting it all hooked up and ready to go, I couldn't be more happy with this device. I haven't lost any quality out of my picture, and it's easy to use. Just select what system you want (in my case, Cable or Xbox 360) and you ready to go.

Though it's not the flashiest looking thing you'll have, it does it's job and works well. I'd recommend the Pelican HD System Selector for anyone who has ran into the problem of having too many cables and not enough ports.

While I'm waiting on my letters from some local colleges here in Indiana, I've had this temptation to play NCAA Football 08. It's been since July that it's been played, but I decided to give it a whirl tonight. I still have that ability to pop and play any game and somehow remember the game controls without much difficulty, but I was mainly focusing on why the sound on the field didn't sound that good.

It was hard to distinguish whether I really laid a hit on a guy by the pop of the pads. I checked how the Volume was setup in the game and noticed everything was how it was supposed to be. After turning my speakers up and not resolving the issue I figured that's just how it is. The game plays pretty well, the guys still don't look like college athletes however. Some look finely tuned machines, others look like regular Joe's you see out on the street. I keep in mind this is EA we are talking about and if they ever give us a sports game worth $60, they might just have to close the factory. I could go on a deep rant about my disgust with the quality of EA Sports games, but I wont. Not right now at least. I'm in a content mood and I wont let some crappy game ruin that.

EA Sports has slowly declined from being a good sports franchise from being mediocre. It's not fair for me to say that all their sports games are like that, but Madden and NCAA have been my main areas of interest and I'm quickly learning that they might not be making an appearance in my collection next Fall.

                                  Home of THE Ohio State Buckeyes: Ohio Stadium (The Horseshoe)

-BD

With Christmas time right around the corner (yes its November!), I should be happy that I don't have to go out and purchase in hopes that I receive them for Christmas. Instead, I'm upset at the fact that I cant go out and get GHIII or COD4, and hell even Orange Box. Assassins Creed and Mass Effect are coming and I'm stuck with Halo 3! By the time 2008 is here hopefully all those games will be in my collection, but right now I've got to continue to wait until I get a job.

Needless to say, BD is a SAD PANDA...

Have fun with the games.

-BD

Halo 3 & Madden 08. My gaming combination that has frequented my Xbox 360 these past couple months. Halo 3 with the online play that I so dearly love, and Madden 08 with the franchise mode that has sucked me in ever since I got it. I do have a few niches with both games, and since I'm so good at recognizing the flaws in a game, due to the simple fact that I have very little of a life and spend countless hours playing these games, I am going to share them with you all.

If I still have your attention, I think I'll keep it by complaining about the almighty Halo 3. Greatest game ever, not even close. Worthy of the hype...eh, not so much. How can a game such as Halo 3 still feel rushed with a lot of little details in the game miss. OBVIOUS things, not just hidden things that took forever for me to find. Such as, your in a party with a buddy and your not in control of the party. Unlike Halo 2, where you could see what you was going to play or whatever the party leader selected, you cant see that in Halo 3. Again, its a minor detail that i don't care about, but if they missed this what else could they have slipped up on?

Meleeing in the game reminds me a lot like Halo 2. Its a hit or miss theme, and the majority of the time you're getting the bad end of the deal. I read recently about how your health has a lot to do whether you kill someone or not. Of course i don't believe this one bit. For instance, we shoot each other at the same time and melee at the same time, who dies? Do we both die? No, there's a split second where i may have swung first or the enemy swings first. It still feels lackluster and awkward trying to kill someone with a melee.

                                          Like the blue team player, Halo 3 might feel like a hit or miss.

The power weapons seemed dumb down, but for a good reason. It actually takes an ounce of skill to play the game and be good at it. The sword might be my biggest complaint simply because it takes forever to take out and kill a person. I do however like the idea of their being an energy level on it and not just infinite energy, but why take 8 seconds to pull it out and swing? It's not like Master Chief is assembling it before he kills someone.

I've played enough of the game to know what maps i like and what maps i don't like. Of course there are different playing styles that we play with, but Guardian seems to be the new Lockout. I still think Lockout might be the greatest map of all time simply because of the way its structured and the strategic weapon placement. The other maps in H3 really seem flat to me, not really interesting and weapon placement seems like someone just took a random guess as to where to put each one. Yes, i know it takes time for the community to play a game and decide where each weapon should go, but I sometimes think Bungie is relying a lot on what their community wants and there for it almost seems like an obligation to tell them. Surprise me, please. I appreciate the gesture of listening to the communities complaints, but make it seem like you ACTUALLY tried to make the maps well rounded and versatile.

                                                                      Is EA falling from the throne?

WHEW! Ok, onto Madden. I'll make this short. I really dislike EA's laziness. I want a real football game that actually seems real. We're in year 3 of Madden on the 360 and we still don't have the chain gang on the sidelines?? W-T-F! Am I the only person that notices, that they're are no nets behind the goal posts, like in MOST NFL stadiums to stop the ball from going into the stands. Announcer is retarded, ally A.I. is about as useful as Britney Spears at a daycare, and the opponent A.I. has more juice in them than Barry Bonds. Throw in the fact that you cant edit your created team yet you can edit your created player. How about the idea that Marshal Faulk wont STFU when your trying to end the game and he wants to sit there and have a freaking tea-party with you. C'mon EA!! This is shameful. Your the most widely known brand in the gaming industry and you reward your loyal fans with half-assed garbage that your community has been complaining about for YEARS. The day EA Sports makes a good quality football game, is the day that EA has earned my respect. Until then, I'll continue to shell out $63 for another sorry attempt at making an NFL game with the latest roster update.

--backdraft123

At 11:30 PM on Monday September 24th, 2007 I waited in line for what is the most anticipated game of the year. Wal-Mart was playing Halo 3 videos on every TV screen they had on the showroom. While I stood there, I thought to myself "if this game is less than amazing, I'm going to regret this." Four days later, I have a review ready for the world to read. My opinion may be disputed over by every fanboy from every corner of the globe. Halo 3 didn't meet up to the hype, but it did meet my expectations.

Bungie has laid the game plan down for any developer looking to create a great online experience. Xbox Live is great, but lets not shy away from our roots. Single player campaign is what I'm interested in. I want to learn about a game and a storyline, almost like reading a book. More games are focusing so much on multiplayer its almost depressing to see the campaigns that are out there today. Games like Bioshock and Oblivion that were built around single player action are blockbusters. Gears of War shines in both departments showing off single player, co-op, and Xbox Live multiplayer. The Halo 3 campaign is a long and confusing one for me. I can understand the general idea of the game, but I feel like without doing proper research or reading the books I'm missing the rest of the story.

It's not a very long campaign but in the time it will take you to beat it, you'll look back and realize that they crammed more action into a 10 hour campaign than you can shake a stick at. You really never find yourself in a dull moment while playing, but rather it seems like your being stringed along until the end. Typically you'll have one or two small battles, a medium sized battle, and then a "boss" towards the end of the mission. Repetitive, yes. Maybe I'm being harsh but I felt more obligated to complete the missions than interested in them. I never wanted Bioshock to end. Such a great storyline and a creative one at that. Like I said before, the game was built around that, Halo 3 wasn't.

Introducing four player co-op over Xbox Live or just 4 of your buddies on one screen is what actually made this interesting. If it wasn't for that, I don't really think I would even waste time going through it. I can't really say this is a "ground breaking" feature in the game since it has been placed in games before. Still, it's a great feature and with multiplayer scoring turned on it's still competitive instead of you and a buddy running through killing anything that moves, including your allies.

Moving on from the campaign mode, you'll find yourself a little curious about what's going on Live. This is where the game shines and introduces some great features that pave the way for any game looking to be "the next great online game." Forge, Bungie's rendition of a map editor, the theatre where you can view, edit, and store game clips, game types, and maps, co-op online which was already discussed, custom games, and of course matchmaking. Lots and lots of goodies can be found here. Though, I believe the ranking system is a little hard to understand at times. Unlike Halo 2 where you ranked up according to how many wins you had and not experience. The number next to your name may change after two or three wins in a row but the rank class only goes up after a certain experience point (exp) mark is reached.

Forge and theatre go together like peanut butter and jelly. Everyone from Halo 2 talked about what they would change about certain maps in the game and now they have their chance to do that in Halo 3. I don't believe enough playing time has been put into the game to jump in and change things right at this moment, but down the road people will eventually get bored with playing the same map and will look to spice things up. Even creating custom games is even more customizable now. Huge bonus! The theatre is really something that grabbed my interest after getting my share of campaign and matchmaking. It will store up to your last 25 games in its library and at anytime you can go in, view the game find what your looking for and edit it. Take a hi-res screenshot and post it on Bungie or take a 10 second clip of you no scoping a guy. Find your file share location and upload them to your network. Everyone who views your file sharing network can now see that sick dome rocker you had the game twelve games ago. Great little feature that I think  a lot of people will have fun with.

We'll wrap this up with graphics. I think I'm sort of torn between saying that the game looks great and it looks mediocre. Gameplay rules over graphics, but I believe graphics can make or break a game. The standards now are set ridiculously high that anything less than Oblivion-esque, is considered horrible looking. At times the game really looks great and at other times you might wonder if your playing the same game. It's really back and forth but for the most part, I would say the game looks okay. Gears of War and Bioshock look better, but with the way Halo 3 plays it doesn't really matter.

After its all said and done, Halo 3 met my expectations. It might run away with Game of the Year this year for many people, but it's still in a race with the rest of the great games that launched this year. Thankfully, multiplayer and all of its components will keep this game fresh and not so repetitive for two or three years. I Finished the Fight and now I'm ready to start it all over again. It's been a great journey and a great way to end the series.

Pros

• Multiplayer is better than ever before.
• Co-op campaign with campaign scoring is fun.
• Forge and the theatre are two components that will fuel this game for  awhile.

Cons

• Short campaign
• Game modes in matchmaking need some toning
• No Clan Support
  

Overall Score

9.5/10
--backdraft123