A dark cloud has been hanging over Thursday Game Night these past few weeks. Players have been quietly lining up on different sides of a growing chasm between those that prefer the classic gameplay of “Halo 3” and those that prefer the more frenetic action of “Call of Duty 4.” In the interest of preventing a schism (like those seen in small-town Baptist churches) I will shoulder the burden of scientifically deriving which of the two games is in fact superior.
I’m a little less than halfway through “Assassin’s Creed,” in terms of the number of targets to assassinate, and I am having a good time. The art direction is great - it’s like playing “Kingdom of Heaven: The Video Game” and the sound effects are especially grisly in the fighting sequences. There’s one move, if you’re using the long knife in a counterattack, where you knee the opponent in the groin and if you hit the ‘attack’ button at the right time, you plunge your knife into the top of his skull. The crunching and squishing sounds really paint a vivid picture. Oh, and don’t forget the gurgling sound you hear after you’ve slashed another opponent’s throat. Did I mention that this is a “Mature” game?
I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. - Obi Wan Kenobi
Maybe I just found this feature, but I love how I no longer have to listen to the “unwashed masses” in multiplayer on Xbox Live. Yes, there was the one occasion we played with a very respectful and polite 12-year old in “Halo 3” and there are the times that it might come in handy to be able to communicate with your entire team in the tactical shooters - but screw ‘em.
I’m sure I’ll be missing out on intelligent conversations with the likes of AdiosTerdNugget, TINYfarts and SWOLEN0MEMBER9 (yes, those are real gamertags), but I’ll take my chances.
Besides, I’ve got plenty of racist, homophobic, rapper-wannabe, ass clowns on my friends list already.
