Publisher: Midway
System: Microsoft Xbox 360 (also on PlayStation 3)
Cost: $60
Review rating: 3 1/2 stars
Director John Woo and actor Chow Yun-Fat team up once again for what could be the most intense and stylish action game of the holiday, "Stranglehold." As the official sequel to their popular movie collaboration, "Hard Boiled," the game mirrors the awesome "gun ballet" sequences that made the movie such a hit.
Inspector Tequila is on a hunt to find his long-lost love and daughter, who have been kidnapped by collaborating enemy factions. One policeman taking on four gangs may seem like unfair odds, but anyone familiar with Tequila's gunplay skills can't help but feel sorry for the bad guys.
Similar to the "Max Payne" series, players can initiate a slow-motion mode, dubbed Tequila Time, where they move in real time but enemy movements are slowed down. This advantageous ability can be activated manually, and automatically kicks in when Tequila dives in any direction or uses the environment to take out enemies.
A large part of what makes this game so cool is the excellent use of realistic physics that affect nearly everything on screen. Add environments littered with objects that shatter, explode, break and move to the two-fisted gunplay and ultra-stylish maneuvers, and the result is an incredibly intense experience.
Combat variety is enhanced by the ability to dive off walls, run up or slide down railings, leap from chandeliers and roll on drink carts while shooting. In addition, special moves called Tequila Bombs help eliminate gang members when the going gets rough.
If you've ever enjoyed shooting weapons in a game, then you'll definitely find "Stranglehold" to be a blast.
Publisher: Southpeak Games
System: Microsoft Xbox 360
Cost: $60
ESRB rating: M
Review rating: 3 stars
With the holiday season around the corner, the gaming market will soon flood with new titles. One alternative to going broke trying to snatch up everything that looks like fun is to play the action role-playing game "Two Worlds." With more than 100 hours of game play as well as online player vs. player combat and co-op questing, a new president will be in office before most players finish this game.
Be forewarned that while some quests build your reputation with one guild, they may also lower it with another. In addition, nonplayer characters "remember" your actions, so killing innocent villagers will turn the entire village against you.
Rather than having predetermined classes with specific attributes, players can specialize in melee combat or magic. There's so much freedom in customization options that few players will ever create identical characters. One cool feature is the ability to reverse chosen attributes if a player wants to try a different path.
Combat occurs in real time, with the ability to use melee and magic together in addition to special attacks that are assigned to a radial menu. Players are also free to set traps, use bows and even attack enemies while on horseback.
Unfortunately, the menu system is rather clunky and unintuitive, but it isn't bad enough to ruin the enjoyable experience found in "Two Worlds."
4 stars - Must have
3 stars - Pretty good
2 stars - So-so
1 star - Don't waste your time
Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)
E: Everyone
T: Teen (13 and older)
E10-plus: (Everyone 10 and older)
M: Mature (17 and older)
