Halo: Reach (Xbox 360)
Price: $59.99 || Official Site
Our love affair with Halo gets reheated this week as Halo:Reach descends on the country. Though Bungie is ditching Master Chief this time around, we’re sure that Noble Team will be as worthy a set of Spartans as a gamer could hope to take his place. Beyond the golden triangle of weapons, ‘nades and melees, the game brings much more to the table with new abilities (Jetpacks!), weapons, vehicles, game modes, customizability and assassinations for the patient, stealthy killers out there. The campaign tells the story of the Covenant assault on Planet Reach, home of UNSC headquarters and training ground for the Spartans. Beyond the next installment of the Halo story, Reach comes packed with new goodies in the Multiplayer department. A revamped Firefight mode gives you more options than you’ll know what to do with, including making and sharing custom skulls. Generator defense and a ton of new maps get added to the matchmaking lineup and a new Forge includes the map “Forge World” a state-sized blank canvas for you to carve out and make your own. But, just like that sock that you “made your own,” try not to get it so dirty.
Number of Beers to Enjoy: If you need anything other than adrenaline to enjoy this, you might need counseling.
The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest (PS3, Wii, PSP, DS)
Price: $59.99 || Official Site
We really had to “Reach” to find another game to include this week. Of course, the 360 version is mysteriously absent from this new release in the Lord of the Rings series. Not a huge deal, Xbox owners, because you’ve seen what’s here before. Taking place after the plot arc of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Aragorn’s Quest puts you in the shortpants of a young hobbit back in the shire, listening to Samwise Gamgee’s stories about Aragorn’s adventures and then those stories turn into the level’s of the game. This would be cool, except anyone who played the earlier LOTR games already played these adventures and probably did so with more skill than the button mashing required here. That said, this game is PSMove compatible, when the Move actually hits on the 17th, so mashing will turn into slicing and who doesn’t want to work on their parry as Strider?
Number of Beers to Enjoy: 6, Imaginary sword fights are always better after a sixer. It’s science.