Breach enters an already crowded First Person Shooter market that is dominated by multiplayer powerhouses like the Halo and Call of Duty series. Developed by Atomic Games, the team behind the now canceled Six Days In Fallujah, this game looks to make its contribution to one of the most popular genres in gaming today. Is this game worth your hard earned Microsoft points?

In Breach you take the role of a CIA special operative who can specialize in one of four classes during their time on the battlefield. Most of these classes are standard FPS fare from the run and gun Assault class to sit and wait sniping tactics offered by Sniper class. Breach does offer an amount of ability customization with perks and different weapons available as you gain experience points. Outfitting and unlocking new gear for your soldier can be satisfying but Breach lacks any kind of character customization. Instead you will have the option to select from a number of prebuilt models to represent you during combat.

Once you’ve selected your tools of destruction and your appearance you are ready to enter the firefight. Breach offers the option to bring the fight in first person mode or by taking cover using various objects placed throughout the 4 available maps. Firefights using the first person mode play out similarly to other titles in the genre. Using the iron sites produces a more accurate result than just spraying from the hip. Unlike other shooters on the Xbox I was at a considerable disadvantage when firing from the hip. My target would almost always kill me first. The controls in Breach do a serviceable job. You can easily snap to cover with the press of a button but oddly moving away from cover is done by moving backwards rather than pressing the cover button a second time.

There are several game modes available and outside of the convoy mode all of them have been seen in other games. The standard free for all deathmatch, team deathmatch and control the point are all present. The one new addition is the convoy mode in which one team of players attacks a moving truck with the goal of destroying it while another team works on defending the truck until it reaches the predetermined destination. This new mode is the most entertaining of those present but with only 1 of the 4 maps supporting it your mileage may vary.

The graphics in Breach can range from impressive to mediocre within the same frame. The gun models and burst effects from firing weapons are well done and detailed. The environments are a different story the objects like crates and tables have an acceptable amount of detail but up close walls and cave textures are muddy and uninspired. Even with the limited number of models available the player avatars are fairly detailed with light reflecting helmets and tactical vests.

The sound design suffers from a lack of background music and only a few samples for each of the weapons in the game. I suppose this was intended to increase the amount of realism created by Breach but it ends up making the game feel unfinished. Surround sound is supported and bullets will reflect in the proper direction. This can be a life saver especially if you are playing as a sniper and rely on enemy fire to locate their position. Your teammates will shout encouraging slogans and generic military banter. In a single hour sessions these chants are bound to repeat

Breach is not going to revolutionize the FPS genre. The convoy mode does show a flash of brilliance but the rest of the package is uninspired and could be swapped with most any other modern shooter in recent memory. All of the genre staples are present and multiple classes do give you a little choice in how to approach combat but some design choices detract from the experience. The lack of background music and the at-first confusing cover mechanic make Breach a hard game to recommend. If you are looking for a new multiplayer shooter to pass the time until a triple A release comes out and have the points to spare than Breach may be for you. For everyone else try the 30 minute trial first.

Back in the early 1970′s I had the best paper route in all of Niagara Falls Ontario because my route was the tourist district that was ripe with museums, candy shops, arcades and burger joints. I didn’t just get my normal pay, I got perks like free admission to all the attractions, free treats like fudge, pretzels and the like. I remember once getting so much fudge I had to give it away, and that’s not something I was happy about back then. My toil, my reward right? But before I get too far into the past, let’s focus on my pay, and more to the point, the things I’d actually spend my pay on. I had outgrown Hot Wheels o my major expenses were pinball and comic books. I’d try any comic book or pinball table at least twice before deciding if I liked it, and after years of focusing on my favourites, it became quite clear my overall comic favourite was the Marvel universe. I’d have lived there full-time if my parents had allowed it. So now over thirty years later I’ve been asked what I think of the combining of two of my favourite things from childhood: pinball and Marvel! I’d say this is not only appropriate, but a long time in coming as well.

So now that we all know why we’re here, let’s start with the goods on the new four-table bundle for Pinball FX 2 called the Marvel Pinball. Marvel Pinball is being distributed as a separate game for PS3 users, and while we’re not going to be looking at that here on Team Xbox, I just wanted to make mention of the difference so people know what’s what. If you’re not up on all the fun and funk of Pinball FX 2 for the Xbox 360 (via Xbox LIVE Arcade), then check out my recent Pinball FX 2 Review where the game scored very high marks. The new Marvel Pinball pack will be released tomorrow (December 8th, 2010) and while I’ve been able to hammer on the new tables for a while, I had to wait until the embargo on reviews expired today. This means that I’ve had a good amount of playtime on these new tables and have definitely picked out my favourites.

Marvel Pinball is four new tables featuring Spider-Man, Iron Man, Blade and Wolverine themes and when I say these heroes are featured, I mean featured baby! The tables not only have pics of the Marvel champions all over them, but fully animated models of the heroes along with their most famous related villains. When you see Sabertooth hop across your play area to do actual battle with Wolverine during the game, it’s an eye-opener to say the least. Zen Studios, the makers of the game have been steadily ramping up the animated action on there tables since the original Pinball FX, and the new graphics you get in Pinball FX 2 make things really *pOp*. The new Marvel tables take these good looks to a whole new level and I still can’t tell you how many animations or battle sequences there are because I’m still finding them. This means big re-playability because you’ve got more to go after than just a higher score than your last attempt, and that seems to be the real push of Pinball FX 2 and the new Marvel tables. It’s all the extras they put in to make you want to play more. The competitive and co-operative features of Pinball FX 2 make the new Marvel tables something to conquer, something to enjoy with friends and of course, something any Marvel fan would love.

The sights and sounds of the game are great, but that’s not the hardest part of pinball, and anyone that’s played a crappy video version will tell you that if the physics suck, then it’s not worth a button click. The physics are sweet and on the new Marvel tables, the action is taken up a notch or twelve with new tricks, traps and secrets. The game feels just great, as it has, and the dev team has made sure to include as many treats as possible while still keeping the feel of a rock solid pinball game. Even when you’ve got two or three balls going on the tables, everything feels great and the action is intense, drawing you in and quickening your pulse.

The look and features of the four new tables in the Marvel Pinball pack are awesome works that must been seen by anyone with a pulse, and a penchant for Pinball. If you’re a Marvel fan like me, then this is going to be Christmas and your birthday all rolled into one. Something I didn’t include in the original review was a complete list of the game’s features, so I’ll include it this time since the review itself is short (Just what you’d expect for a game add-on) so that you can see all the community and multiplayer functions and features. The Marvel tables themselves are a top-notch addition to an awesome game, and since this game is a free download where you can sample all the content before paying a dime, it’s a no-brainer on whether or not you should try it for yourself. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going for a new record on Wolverine so I can topple my wife and her cursed SuperScore. The crown shall be mine once again!

Individual Table Descriptions

Spider-Man
The likeable wallcrawler battles some of his most fiendish nemeses in a table featuring wacky ramps and super-fast gameplay. Battle Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin and Mysterio in this Spider-Man adventure. Yes, there are exploding pumpkin balls!

Wolverine
Keeping Wolverines feral instincts under control is hard enough, but mix in killjoys like Silver Samurai, Sabertooth and Sentinel and you are in for serious carnage. Are you ready for one heck of a pinball ride, bub?

Iron Man
Its time to suit up and launch the iconic Iron Man into explosive pinball action as he battles Whiplash, Mandarin & Ultimo. Take on the role of Tony Stark, eccentric playboy, brilliant inventor, and legendary Super Hero.

Blade
Deep in the darkest alleyways of New York, a new menace is rising. Blade returns to find Deacon Frost back and stronger than ever, at the head of an entire army of undead. Will Blade, aided by his old comrade Hannibal, be able to stem the tide and discover the reason for their sudden appearance? Find out on this exciting new pinball table!

Marvel Pinball Features
• Marvel Pinball capitalizes on the power of the Pinball FX2 platform, as the new content will be automatically updated to the platform providing easy access to each user
• Pinball FX Social Platform Features
  
  -Superscore
  
  -Wizard Score
  
  -Worldwide scoreboard
  
  -Friends scoreboard
  
  -Hot seat local multiplayer
  
  -Split screen local multiplayer
  
  -Simultaneous online multiplayer
  
  -In-game notification system alerting you when you are about to beat a friends score, or beat a previous high score
• 50 Gamerscore per table
• Robust trial system allowing you to try each table before you decide to make a purchase
• Detailed play stats for each table, with literally hundreds kept for all you statisticians
• MARVEL Pinball features a collection of four tables which included Achievements, stats tracking and operators menu
• The Operators Menu lets you customize practically every aspect of each MARVEL Pinball table including table and mode settings, tilt settings, dot matrix display and more
• Live video chat via the Xbox 360 Live Vision Camera
• Train with slow motion and save/load game features
• Play through story mode to complete missions on one table to unlock missions on other tables
• Each table features battles against multiple enemies
• 4 highly detailed, full-featured tables
• Local (hotseat) and online (simultaneous) multiplayer modes
• Local and online high score lists
• Save/Load, slow motion, and other unlockable cheats
• Operator’s service menu
• Full 3D environments, characters and objects

Isaac Clarke has had two particularly bad days in his fictional life as a video game protagonist. In his first, he was an engineer on a salvage mission aboard the planet-cracking ship the Ishimura. While searching the vessel for answers and survivors (particularly his girlfriend Nicole), he was besieged by zombie-like creatures called Necromorphs amidst the hallways, corridors and resource centers of the enormous spacecraft. That was what happened in Dead Space which came out in 2008. The sequel to Isaac’s appendage-removing battle against the Necromorphs just rolled into store shelves and provides the layout for Isaac’s next terrible day.

If you’re familiar with the original Dead Space, then you’ll transition into its sequel without batting an eye. The minimalist user-interface returns in the sequel as well as all the weapons (plus a few new additions), upgrades and control scheme. For those who have never stepped into Isaac’s boots, Dead Space 2 is a third-person shooter where you must sever the limbs of aliens in order to stop their onslaught. The weapons provided to you are built with this in mind, giving you almost surgical precision in your aiming to take these enemies down. There is no need to fear missing out on the original game as the sequel provides an insightful Previously On video that brings players up to speed, but I will say that having experienced the events on the Ishimura will create a richer experience overall while playing number two.

The Dead Space series calls itself survival-horror, though in essence the game is much more action-oriented. While there are some fantastic jump-out-and-grab-you moments and am-I-crazy-visions, you’ll more often than not be trying to stem a seemingly never-ending tide of bad guys that are crawling, leaping and shooting at you. Whether the surprise tactics the game employs will make you jump is a completely personal experience. For me, the most stressful sections definitely quickened my pulse and strengthened my immersion in the game. I think the majority of players will discover some terrific, scary moments in the hallways of Dead Space 2.

Dead Space 2 takes place aboard a giant city in the stars called The Sprawl three years after the events of the first game. Its sections are diverse and represent elements one might find in a full city rather than a single spacecraft. From malls to schools to churches to medical facilities and government offices, Isaac ends up searching the full breadth of this space station and visiting a much wider spectrum of environments than those present in the original Dead Space. Moments throughout the exploration of The Sprawl call to mind the underwater vistas of Bioshock, only the enormous structures are in space rather than undersea. Where the original game provided an air of dirty greens and browns, the sequel glows in a bluish hue that sets it apart from its predecessor. The graphics in this sequel, while based on the same engine and gameplay elements, are smoother overall and provide exquisite detail as the Necromorphs vomit, explode and lose limbs. The characters throughout the game are presented with smooth detail and Isaac’s face (and eye, particularly at a late juncture in the game) looks fantastic. The varied environments remain interesting and being in outer space feels especially expansive when you’re free-floating in zero gravity.

To navigate around the map the game has improved its tracking system. Rather than a jagged green line telling you where to go next, Dead Space 2 employs a curved blue line that indicates your goals. In addition there’s a new feature that lets you find the nearest save station, upgrade bench and store all dictated by different colored lines. Thus you never feel lost within The Sprawl.

Improving upon Dead Space‘s zero-gravity segments, its sequel gives you full control in weightless arenas. Rather than targeting flat ground and shooting yourself around the map, you can simply lift yourself off the ground and propel your way through open space. These segments have fantastic control, with targets showing you where you can land and gives you the ability to align yourself right-side up with the tap of a button. There are also several free fall and flying sections that are insanely-compelling for the action-junkie.

While a lot of the Necromorphs come directly from the original Dead Space, one in particular makes for some exciting scenarios: The Stalker. It operates offscreen and peeks its head around corners. When you’re least expecting it, the monster charges directly at you and tackles you. I had my arms removed by these beasts on multiple occasions when I had run out of the stasis power to freeze them. Let me just say that their screams will haunt you long into the night.

A few new weapons join Isaac’s arsenal this time around, most notably the Javelin Gun as it also becomes a story-piece late in the game. With it you can blast enemies through the air and pin them to anything that might be behind them. They’ll be hanging helplessly from walls and windows after you dispatched them with this particular new gun. The upgrade system remains the same, with Power Nodes you pick up in the game world filling in gaps for damage, capacity and reload times on your varying weaponry. Dead Space 2 also brings new suits into play which bring greater inventory capacity and protection to the game’s fragile engineer. Especially interesting in the suit department is the Vintage Suit which again calls Bioshock to mind as it looks almost like the dressings of a Big Daddy.

Photojournalist Frank West and motocross star Chuck Greene team up in the latest edition to the Dead Rising franchise, Case West. This series has seen resurgence with three titles released in a little over five months. Does this second downloadable epilogue change things up enough with the reintroduction of the photography mechanics and can it bring closure to the events of Dead Rising 2? Read on to find out.

Case West takes place directly after the events of Dead Rising 2 and it assumes that you have finished that game. For new players the downloadable episode does provide some condensed narrative as Moto Cross star Chuck Greene you must work with journalist Frank West to clear your name and find out why the multinational corporation Phenotrans is causing massive outbreaks across the United States. If any of this reminds you of the Umbrella Corporation from the Resident Evil series you are not alone. This newly established fictitious enterprise provides more questions than answers and directs the narrative towards the eventual Dead Rising 3.

Slaying zombies is what it is all about.

One of the big draws to Case West is its promised dual gameplay. It combines the photography aspects from the first title with the hack and slash madness of the second game. This is accomplished with some success. Indeed during the second case Chuck does indeed pick up a camera but it never really factors in to the gameplay. Aside from using it to earn the bonus stickers achievement and photographing evidence to progress through the story I found little use for it. If you are the artistic type the game does allow you to take photos in the game and share them with friends using an option on the main menu.

Crafting creative methods of destruction through combo weapons returns in Case West. As Chuck you are able to visit several maintenance rooms scattered throughout the Phenotrans facility and construct your weapons of choice. Classics like the overcharged defibrillator paddles return along with new toys such as the electrified floor buffer and my personal favorite the sickle combined with a Japanese Katana blade. In the end all of these weapons are used to dispatch your enemies and gain power points in order to level up.

Welcome Back Frank. We just wish we could play you off-line

The enemies in Dead Rising: Case West are a little more varied than previous entries in the series. Sure you have hordes of hundreds of Zombies to slaughter but there are also several humans that get tangled in to the mix. Through the earlier of the three cases your main opponents are armed guards with precision accuracy. This can be increasingly annoying if you are using a melee weapon over projectile as they will always hit you from what seems to be an unrealistic range. As you progress through the story more melee-friendly enemies do appear in the form of Hazmat Troops and Shock Teams armed with electrified prods and jack hammers. For being enemies that appear later in the game they are surprisingly easier to kill as you can get up close and personal.

The narrative of Case: West is told through three cases that must be completed within the time limit. Unlike previous Dead Rising titles there is very little variation between these missions. Most of them involve running from one safe point to an abandoned lab or other facility and collecting evidence by means of camera or collecting files. Not that it is a chore to slash your way to these points, it is actually quite enjoyable, but a little more variety and more than one boss fight would have made Case West easier to recommend to non fans.

The return of the original games protagonist is one of the draws for long time fans. Those looking forward to Mr.Wests return will be happy to know that he comes complete with his original voice actor and move set. It is nice to see him performing suplexes and other moves that we have not seen since the original Dead Rising. It is not all positive news in regards to Frank for some reason he is only playable by the second player in online Co-OP matches. In the single player you are locked in to the role of Chuck Greene while Frank is an invincible NPC follower. It would have been nice to wear the shoes of the photojournalist one more time during an offline game.

Case: West certainly has a few problems in the variety, narrative and design departments. The ambiguous ending and the reveal of new character just minutes before the credits roll will leave hardcore fans wanting more while newcomers may be a tad confused. The great hack and slash gameplay that made Dead Rising 2 such a success is intact and when you sprinkle in some Frank West the entire package becomes just a little sweeter. It is just a bit of a letdown that Frank is only playable in the co-op mode.