There were 3 Halo games between the original I mentioned earlier, and Halo Reach, but to me they were just missing that perfect
combination of innovative multiplayer and a captivating campaign. Reach is set as a prequel to the original Halo series, and tells
the origin of the Spartan super soldiers. The big winning factor in Halo reach for me, was the multiplayer. I was late to Xbox Live
on the 360, and Reach was my first online multiplayer game. With dozens of game modes including capture the flag, free for all and a
twist on an infection game type where zombies have swords and can only melee, if you get killed, you turn into a zombie. Players have
to work together both to survive and to take out the remaining survivors. Reach's ranking system gave great motivation, with the ability
to purchase new armour pieces to make your Spartan character look the way you want him to look, built for stealth or brute force.
Mass Effect 3
As it says in the title, this is the third installment in the Mass Effect trilogy. I chose the third one because it not only was it the
only one to support cooperative multiplayer, but it was the final chapter in my characters journey. In Mass Effect you create your own
character that goes by the name Commander Shepherd, you build him up from ground zero, choose a play style centred on stealth, biotic
powers, such as the ability to throw your opponents into the air, one based on technology or one strictly suited to all types of guns.
You are assigned by the High Coucil to save not just the human race, but all races in the galaxy. The best thing about Mass Effect is
that you character carries over from each game. You have the one hero for all three games. The other great thing about Mass Effect 3,
is the imortance it places on your decisions. What you choose to do, and the relationships you develop with your squadmates have very real
effects on the outcome of the game. If you send the wrong team member to do a job, they will die and never be in your crew again. It creates
such strong emotional ties in the gamer, that by the end of this third installment, you don't care if you have any more enemies to battle,
you just want to head to one of the bars on the Citadel and hang out with your crew.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
This is the latest Elder Scrolls game, and possibly the biggest game on xbox 360. I've heard people say it takes over an hour of real
time to walk in a straight line from one side of the games map, to the other. And while I've never tested it myself, I can believe it
because Skyrim is just that huge. It follows the same structure as Morrowind, but everything is done on a much larger scale. The in-
game fighting mechanics were altered so the left trigger controls the left hand, and right trigger controls the right hand, allowing
you to dual wield weapons or dual cast magic. Horses are available for faster travelling, the graphics are obviously hugely improved,
and it is still the longest running single player game I've played. I have over 130 hours notched up on one profile alone, and still
have unfinished quests and rare items to find. The sheer size and playability of this game makes it a must have.
Assassin's Creed
This game has one of the most original storylines of any game I have played. You start off as Desmond, and through a machine called
an Animus, scientists send your mind back through your ancestors to the time of the Crusades in and around Jerusalem. You play as the
Assassin Altair, and are charged with freeing the Holy Land and stopping the Templars from gaining control of the ancient relic, the
Apple of Eden. You are tasked with using your skill set including your 'hidden blade' which is concealed in your sleeve, to plan
the attacks and execute them without being seen. You can run on, and climb anything to escape. Assassin's Creed stuck with me
because of it's uniqe story and fresh setting and playing environment, along with the patience it forced on you to time your strikes.
Red Dead Redemption
What boy grew up and didn't want to be a cowboy, well Red Dead Redemption gives you the chance. You play as John Marsden, a rough
and tough cowboy who used to run with a gang. The Federl Bureau take your family from you, and promise you amnesty and your family
back if you bring your old gang members to justice. This sends you from the middle of America, down to Mexico, and back up to the north
America, all the while chasing your old gang. It has a variety of side quests too, you need to hunt a certain amount of every animal,
find a certain amount of every herb and free certain areas of gang control. The visuals in this game are just unreal, you can ride
through the West on horseback for hours, just hunting and exploring. The open-world map is huge in this game as well, and so is the
freedom of choice. While during the main plot you are essentially a 'good guy' when you're just free roaming there's nothing stopping
you from holding up a general store, getting in bar fights or even challenging someone to duel out in the main street.
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