XBOX Video Games

Action 07 June 2005

The seventh installment in the controversial Grand Theft Auto series – one of the most popular game franchises in history that brought Rockstar Games company international fame. The series has been letting the player start as a petty criminal and work his way to the top of the criminal underground. This next part of the series is the biggest one so far, featuring world – the State of San Andreas – almost three times larger than Vice City. Among many innovations, there are several thing worthy of mention: improved AI of civilians, option to recruit gang members, increased number of interactive buildings, hunger factor, swimming, and new means of transportation (e.g. bicycles). On top of that, there game features numerous extra activities, highlighting the sandbox character of gameplay. The game features the atmosphere of the 1990s, apparent in both the graphics and the soundtrack available via the numerous in-game radio stations.

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RPG 06 June 2002

The third installment in a legendary action RPG series developed by Bethesda since 1994. The story once again takes the player to the realm of Tamriel, this time to the east, to the Morrowind province. The player assumes the role of a prisoner released from imprisonment by the Emperor and given a secret mission. As it turns out, the protagonist may be the reincarnation of the legendary, treacherously murdered hero by the name of Nerevar, and his mission is to stop the reemerging evil that his previous self had once defeated. The player can chooses from ten available races and twenty-one character classes - thanks to the game's flexible character progression system the character development is influenced mainly by the player's preferred gameplay style. The player can freely choose which quests to complete and when. The game's fully 3D visuals are a big step forward in comparison to the previous installments in the franchise. Additionally, a special editor allows the player to modify the game world to a very large degree.

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Action 04 November 2003

A new installment in the bestselling series of action games. The game expands the ideas introduced in the third entry in the franchise, released in 2001. The game was developed by the authors of the previous installments who, after having been bought by the American giant, were transformed into Rockstar North. The game takes place in the 80's in a completely new metropolis called Vice City. The player becomes Tommy Vercetti, who was sent by his boss to establish a foothold in the city while taking care of the local gangs and corrupted police. The game has similar mechanics to its predecessor and focuses mostly on completing various non-linear story missions. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City added some new features, such as the possibility to use motorcycles and helicopters. The graphics, inspired by aesthetics of the 80's, were greatly improved as well. During the game, the player is accompanied by a varied soundtrack broadcast by several different radio stations.

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Action 03 April 2005

The third installment of the legendary FPS series by id Software which set new standards in the genre’s development back in the mid-90s. The action takes place in a secret research facility of the UAC corporation on Mars, where the protagonist, an ex-marine whom we control, begins his service. Shortly thereafter, strange things begin to happen: the lab comes under attack, the communications with the HQ are severed, and the people we encounter turn into bloodthirsty monsters. It turns out that a space-time portal was opened as a result of an experiment, which led to a demon incursion that we have to repel. Compared to its predecessors from the past decade, Doom 3 offers not only fast-paced and incredibly bloody action but also quite extensive plot as well as a number of horror elements. The game also features high-quality graphics.

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RPG 18 October 2005

An expanded version of Fable, the 2004’s bestselling, Xbox-exclusive RPG by Lionhead Studios. The action once again takes us to the fantasy land of Albion, where the protagonist seeks revenge on those who assaulted Oakenfold, his home village. In the game, we complete subsequent story quests and observe how the main character evolves from a defenseless child to one of the biggest heroes of Albion. The gameplay is supplemented by the constant necessity to make moral choices that influence the appearance and alignment of the protagonist as well as the way the NPCs react to his presence. Compared to the Xbox original, Fable: The Lost Chapters introduces numerous new elements to the gameplay – the most important one is the extended story line, including an additional chapter taking place after the game's finale. Moreover, the game offers new missions and locations as well as previously unavailable items and spells.

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Action 28 January 2004

A 3D action game that takes the players to the 1930’s USA, the time when criminal underground flourished. The game was created by Czech developer Illusion Softworks, mainly known for the highly acclaimed tactical shooter Hidden & Dangerous. The story focuses on a rookie gangster named Tommy, who takes his first steps on the path of criminal life by doing jobs for an influential mafia family. Gameplay comes down to exploration of a virtual city and completing a string of story missions, featuring many subplots. While playing, you will engage in street shootouts, bank heists, car pursuits, and assassinations. The creators did their best to recreate the evocative atmosphere of the USA in the 1930s, and implemented weapons and cars from that period. Insanity 2 game engine made it possible to generate interactive, bustling city with road traffic and changing seasons.

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Action 15 November 2005

A sequel to the Valve Software's best-selling game that set new standards for the FPS genre back in 1998. Half-Life 2 is set several years after the events of the first game. Once again, the player assumes the role of Gordon Freeman – a doctor of physics who used to work in Black Mesa Labs, where an unfortunate incident opened a portal for alien life forms to invade the Earth. This time, the story takes us into a fictional City 17 and its immediate vicinity. The protagonist now works for a secret government organization. His mission is to repel the invaders from another dimension, in which he is aided by Alyx Vance – a young women fighting as a part of human resistance. The sequel introduces a technological revolution, employing the Valve’s proprietary game engine called Source. Its main advantage is excellent physics simulation, letting players destroy almost any element of environment and use various objects as covers or even weapons.

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Racing 15 November 2005

The ninth installment in a legendary racing game franchise created by Electronic Arts company. After two Underground games, featuring illegal night street races, the franchise went back to its roots, combining ideas from the two most recent titles with classic elements. The player’s goal is to climb to the top of a black list of the most wanted drivers. Again you get to explore a huge virtual city, taking on different racing challenges. These include circuit, sprint, drag, elimination, time trial, speed challenge, and police pursuit. After completing enough of these you can challenge subsequent drivers from the black list. Apart from elements typical for the series, such as licensed cars and diverse soundtrack, the game features complex car customization, both in terms of appearance and performance.

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Simulation 24 October 2005

A sequel to the bestselling human life simulation game – The Sims (2000). The Sims 2 was developed by Maxis Studio (SimCity, EA Land, and others) in cooperation with the Electronic Arts company. Players again take care of virtual characters leading them through their entire lives – from early childhood till elderly age. The main goal is to achieve as high Life Score as possible, which stands for how well a sim leads his/her life. When compared with its predecessor, The Sims 2 offers much more complex character creator and a wider array of available objects. A new, more efficient game engine allowed for presenting the life of the sims in fully 3D graphics.

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RPG 28 October 2002

A direct sequel to the first installment in the series of adventures of Ryo Hazuki, a martial artist who arrives in Hong-Kong to find the murderers of his father. The game, developed by an in-house studio belonging to Sega, allows you to explore several large districts of the Pearl of the Orient, including the Aberdeen Harbor, Wanchai, and Kowloon. Shenmue II utilizes the third person's perspective; the gameplay consists of exploring detailed locations, talking to NPCs and completing quests for them, and fighting encountered enemies using a number of hand-to-hand combat techniques. The protagonist also has to earn his living, for example by working in the docks. Additionally the day-night cycle makes some events happen only at a given time. The production features pleasant visuals, visually based on the first installment.

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RPG 16 July 2003

A third person RPG title set in the Star Wars universe, one of the world’s most famous science fiction franchises. The game was created by BioWare Studios, mainly known for the legendary series Baldur’s Gate. The story of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is set 4,000 years before the events of the film saga, during the so-called Old Republic period. You take lead of a party of heroes representing three different races and several classes, and make your mark on the age-long conflict between Jedi knights and the Sith. The game invites you to visit 8 diverse worlds – some of them known from the films and a couple of brand new ones. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic features real-time combat with active pause, letting you adjust your tactics on the fly. As befits an RPG, you get to use a large arsenal of weapons and supernatural artifacts. Moreover, characters can be developed in multiple ways. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic constantly puts you up against choices between the dark and light side of the Force – these decisions will impact the way the story unfolds.

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RPG 13 September 2004

A fantasy action RPG developed by Lionhead Studios, the creators of Black & White, led by an industry legend, Peter Molyneux. In the game, we assume the role of a young boy whose father was killed and mother and sister abducted when their village was raided by bandits. Saved by a man named Maze, the protagonist is brought up in the Heroes’ Guild to eventually become a full-fledged hero and take revenge on those responsible for the massacre. In Fable, our task is to complete story quests, the integral part of which is real-time combat with the use of magic and melee weapons. The game’s hallmark is a unique character development system: the protagonist not only gains experience and improves the three basic skill trees but also ages. His appearance and alignment can also change, as the game constantly faces us with the necessity of choosing between good and evil.

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Racing 03 May 2005

A racing simulator developed by Microsoft’s internal studio - Turn 10. Serving as a response to a competing franchise - the popular Gran Turismo series, Forza Motorsport offers an impressive number of 200+ licensed car models from several manufacturers, divided into a number of classes and sub-classes. Each available car can be profoundly tuned – not only visually, but also mechanically. Effects of customization and damage to the cars are depicted during races due to a special system that calculates the performance of the car in real-time. Competitions take place on multiple and diverse tracks, among them both fictional street circuits as well as real tracks from all around the world. Apart from the career mode, the game features an online mode.

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Adventure 25 October 2005

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Action 24 February 2006

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Action 15 November 2001

Halo: Combat Evolved is a futuristic FPP/TPP shooter that was a launch title of the Xbox console and became Microsoft's first system seller. It was developed by Bungie Software, a studio previously known for the Myth series. The game tells the story of a conflict between humans and aliens that are bent on annihilating our kind. We play as a genetically modified soldier and a member of an elite military unit that was established in order to defeat the alien threat. We will visit many various areas, like forests, swamps, meadows, and alien bases. Halo: Combat Evolved uses an advanced game engine with realistic physic that allows us to use all elements of the game's environment as covers. The game comes with a multiplayer mode that can be played online or on split-screen.

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Action 08 November 2004

A sequel to bestselling shooter franchise from Bungie Software, which debuted 2001 as one of the launching titles of the Xbox console. We meet old friends from the first Halo, such as Master Chief or Cortana, who now try to protect the cradle of humanity against the assault of aggressive Covenant forces. The game reuses the best features of its predecessor while taking players to a completely new environment, filled with even more interesting and complex locations. The arsenal has been expanded along with list of available vehicles, and the capabilities of enemy artificial intelligence have been significantly improved. Also, the second Halo introduces environmental destruction, resulting in an even more realistic world and forcing players to use various tactics. Multiplayer options have been expanded with the addition of new game modes.

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Action 27 May 2003

A first-person shooter belonging to one of the most popular game franchises ever created. The player witnesses an alternative course of the Second World War, in which Hitler struggles to create an army of undead super soldiers. The player is put in the shoes of B.J. Blazkowicz - an American commando, whose task is to eliminate the source of the threat located in the titular Castle Wolfenstein. Similar to PlayStation 2, the Xbox console received its own edition of Return to Castle Wolfenstein, which has been enriched with an additional assignment that takes place in Africa - it is the prologue that familiarizes the player with the events that took place before the protagonist got captured by the Nazis. In terms of the mechanics, the game is a robust shooter featuring stealth and action elements. Blazkowicz is able to perfectly handle various firearms used during the World War II as well as futuristic weapons. The protagonist encounters various enemies; among them, one can find regular enemy soldiers, mutants, skeletons or zombies for instance. The multiplayer mode for up to 16 players gathered via Xbox Live is an additional feature the game comes with.

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RPG 02 November 2004

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RPG 06 December 2004

The second installment of the bestselling RPG set in the popular Star Wars universe. Contrary to its predecessor created by BioWare, it was developed by Obsidian Entertainment. The sequel’s plot starts 5 years after the events of the first part and tells a completely different story, focusing on entirely new characters. This time around, we assume the role of the last Jedi knight, whose task is to rebuild the dissolved Jedi Order and restore peace and order in the galaxy. Starting out, we possess practically no abilities. While playing, we gradually regain our powers and lost skills. Gameplay mechanics are virtually unchanged — the developed introduced just a few minor enhancements. Apart from new powers and character classes, the game allows us to use two different weapon configurations and significantly expands our crafting and customization possibilities.

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Action 25 July 2006

A fast-paced first-person shooter developed by Polish studio People Can Fly. In Painkiller the player assumes the role of Daniel Garner, who upon dying has been assigned to stop the armies of hell led by Lucifer himself. The story told in the game is linear and the campaign is split into five chapters, each one consisting of several levels. The gameplay is based on fighting hordes of enemies – all sorts of creatures coming straight from hell as well as even more powerful bosses. Fortunately, the protagonist is far from being defenseless against those enemies – in combat he uses a vast arsenal of creative weapons, starting with classic shotguns and rocket launchers to the famous Stakegun or the so-called Shuriken-do Gun. Painkiller is characterized by high-quality graphics and realistic physics simulated by Havok 2.

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Action 08 November 2005

An open-world action game developed by Neversoft Entertainment, the studio known from the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series. Gun takes us to the American Frontier in XIX century and sees us assume control of Colton White – a young cowboy searching for his real family, following the tragic death of his foster father. The game offers an extensive world consisting of vast wastelands, as well as small towns and Indian settlements. Our hero can explore the world both on foot and by riding horses, while the plot is conveyed through cinematic cut-scenes accompanying the story missions. During his journey, Colton encounters a wide range of NPCs, including the virtual versions of Wyatt Earp or Billy the Kid. When it comes to combat, the player takes part in spectacular shootouts using an extensive and fun-oriented arsenal, including revolvers, rifles, or even the Gatling Gun. The game is characteristic for its detailed, three-dimensional visuals.

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Action 25 November 2003

A continuation of the extremely successful action game from 2001. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne is once again developed by the Finnish developer Remedy Entertainment with the help from the publisher Take-Two Interactive. The action takes place one year after events of the first installment. Max Payne is back in NYPD. Unfortunately, the dark past still haunts him – the life of the hero is threatened by Mona – a beautiful killer, who steals his heart. There are not many changes in gameplay – it still combines elements of a third-person perspective shooter and an adventure game. Once again the developers implemented Bullet Time mechanics, offering new movement possibilities (like the thrilling bullet dodging).

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Adventure 19 April 2005

An adventure game with strong action and platform game traits. It was developed by Double Fine Productions. The player assumes the role of a boy named Razputin. His dream is to become a member of the titular Psychonauts, a squad that is maintaining peace in the world. After sneaking up into one of the training camps, the protagonist discovers that the cadets are disappearing in an unknown way. Razputin, accompanied by his faithful friends, tries to discover this mystery. In Psychonauts the action is presented by using a third-person perspective. The game features more than a dozen of varied levels – most of them take place inside the human minds. During the game Raz must face various enemies and solve some more or less complicated traps and avoid many dangers. Luckily, the boy is able to jump, swim, climb and even sneak up. He has also paranormal skills like telekinesis, levitation and invisibility. The game features nice looking graphics. Similarly to previous games of this developer, the title is filled with humor.

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