I stopped pre-ordering games after they screwed up both my Fable and GTASA orders a couple years back. Basically everyone else got the game before I did, so I canceled my pre-order. Only they had already put a hold on my card, so I had to wait a week to get the money back. Total BS. I laugh when they act like they are the only place in town with the new titles.

Interesting I put the game in for the first time and there was an update for the game already. Did anyone else get this ? and what the heck is it for ?

I got that too. As for what the update does, /shrugs

Initial impression so far is that this is one of the best looking games I've seen on the 360. Also, it's a little hard to get used to the use of the A button and the duck and cover maneuvers. I haven't had the chance to play as much as I'd like to yet though I'm sure the controls just takes a while to get used to.

My initial impression, based solely on single player and co-op: looks amazing, but I'm not blown away with the gameplay yet. Played co-op on hardcore and the AI is great.

I'm loving it. Cant remember a game that even resembles the fluidness of this gameplay. This feels like the Rainbow Six Vegas demo on crack and cleaned up.

Well what about everyone else?? I seen a lot of dvdtalkers playing it last night! Give us your reviews!

I really enjoyed it. I played with a friend local co-op. The game plays very well and gives you that gritty ruined city feeling quite well. THough I did have to turn up the brightness in the game a little.

I generally don't like FPS games as they give me motion sickness problems. Halo has been the only game I have been able to play without that feeling. This one is working out the same way.

While playing, if you or your teammate go down, you can heal them to bring them back. Though if you both die, or if one of you dies while separated, the game is over and you have to start from the last checkpoints.
The game has ample checkpoints that come up automatically when passing certain parts, which makes it nice in case you do get a game over screen.

We also played a little bit of the multiplayer and that was extremely fun as well. We played one of the types, Execution, which is a last man standing type game. The team that kills the other team first wins. However, once you die, you are dead as there is no respawning. And, it appeared that the person that got the last kill of the enemy team got more points in the round.

All in all, a very fun game. I don't see it as being in the status of Halo 2, though the hype and hoopla surrounding it would have this game as the second coming of the lord.

But I highly recommend it.

I've only tried a little bit of the single player and the multiplayer versus so far. It wasn't until midway through the second level (the first real level, I guess, since the first is considered a tutorial level) that I really got into it. I like the focus on flanking the enemy and hopping from cover to cover. I don't think it's a 10 (at least not yet), but so far it's a solid 9 for me. The multiplayer versus is a lot of fun too. I played the mode where you can revive yourself or be revived by a teammate after losing all your health unless you get shot in the head or suffer some serious trauma. Once you're down, you can pound on A to try and revive yourself, but as you're doing this, the enemy can run up to you and chainsaw or curbstomp you. This mode was a lot of fun, but I don't think we ever had a full set of 8 players at any time. That should add a little extra strategy to it and make it more hectic. I'm also looking forward to trying out co-op mode.

Cross posted from 8-Bit Brigade:

Since so many people are asking about the game, here's my quick review after about 6 hours of playtime.

Graphics:
The best ever (so far). 10

Sound:
Perfect. I actually stopped during the game a few times to listen to the music. It may not have anything as cool as the Halo theme, but the music is freaking awesome. 10

Controls:
I was able to pick it up and feel 100% comfortable within 10 minutes. Awesome. 10

Single Player:
A little bit to hard on Hardcore, IMO. This is a very difficult game. There are sections you have to keep trying to figure out how to beat it. Unfortunately, the locusts are smart and try different tactics based on what you try. I haven't tried Casual because it sounded too easy. But, it's fun. 9

Campaign Co-Op:
TONS of fun. Loved it. KoldSkillit and I had a blast. 10

Multi-Player:
It's not perfect. The close range weapons can be difficult to use because you're in cover, and it's tough to pop out of cover and pop people. The sniper rifle is much more difficult to use than in Halo. These games would be too much 8v8. 4v4 was probably the right call. I would like to see a mode where you play to 50, but that would ruin the strategy aspect of the game. This is not Halo. It's too early to tell, but the maps seemed fun. This is either going to go down in history as a 10 or a 6 and I think for our group it's too soon to tell. My bet would probably be on the 10, though, at least for the general public.

Some gripes: only the host can send invites, which is a major PITA. It's also difficult to switch game modes on the fly. The system is designed to keep the game moving, which is nice, but a little more host control would be helpful.

Overall multiplayer as of this morning: 8


Total Overall Snap Jugement (could change tomorrow): 9.5

I figured out the way around this last night. Instead of making a private game you make a public game and make all of the slots friends slots. You can still keep away from having random people join but the people in your group can invite their friends.

What I really want to know is how to setup a custom map rotation. Since you can't do the shit on the fly I'd at least like to not start with the same flippin map everytime.

My comments/thoughts are in bold.

Anyone get the Collectors Edition? What are your thoughts/impressions of the extras? I have seen the tin and while I think that alone is really cool I can do without that. However if the add-ons inside are worth it I would be willing to spend the extra $10.

Thanks for the feedback for all that have it already.
BB and CC open in a few more hours here. Can't wait.

Apparently, "Deion" is buying into the hype! Humanity had a good run, indeed

http://tovx.blogspot.com/2006/11/kid...-gears-of.html

Dude, just walk across the street to Wal-Mart. I mean

and:

Well, that sucks for the 15 year old. Gets a beating and can't even keep his game.

All our thoughts and prayers go out to you Jason

Ouch, that's brutal!

So EB Games actually intended to sell this game to a 15 year old?

At BB they had a prompt that came up that asked if you were born after 1989. The girl asked me and then laughed.

BTW, I also got them to pricematch the Fry's price of $49.99.

I am sure story will get blown up in the media, and add steam to senator Hillary Clinton's ban on violence in video games.

I haven't even played the game yet and I already have the urge to hide behind cars jumping out to cut people up with a chainsaw.

Before you know it, they're going to ban assault rifles with chainsaws attached to them.

I got stuck on the freaking training level and I was pulling my hair out. Finally I restarted and it turns out the game glitched and didn't progress like it should of. This in not the start I had hoped for. I ended taking it out and playing COD3 for a bit.

Mine glitched early on too. When you hit the open door pad and have to run across the walkway to the open door while the chopper flies overhead. I held 'A' to crouch run and part of the bridge/walkway blew up next to me sending me flying into the air. And that is it. I was stuck about 10 ft. in the air over the walkway. Couldn't do a damn thing.

I applaud my EB. When I went in for mine there was a kid(15?) in front of me that got denied. Said he needed someone with some ID. The kid asked if he could have his mom call and okay it. Nope. He left empty handed.