Looking to get a new game and would appreciate advice. I lean toward story driven games with some action. Not too good at games anymore, they seem just too difficult for me. I LOVED Knights of the Old Republic. Also like Condemned, Resident Evil IV, Legacy of Kain. Anything similar? I'm interested in FEAR, but afraid it'll be too hard. I couldn't handle Gears of War... :-(

Gears is easily the best game for the 360.
Dead Rising is also very good, but it is harder than gears and has a higher learning curve.
Have you tried Lost Planet? it a very good arcade shooter

I tried liking Gears, it was the first game I bought. But all I ever saw was the red screen of death and then a loading screen. If Dead Rising is harder, thats not for me.

If you like KOTOR, then you'll love Oblivion. It's great game!

You might give Kameo a try. You can get it dirt cheap these days. Oblivion is the best RPG every made IMO.

Did you try putting Gears on the easiest level? I didn't find it too hard on Casual, was pretty tough on Hardcore.

Though to be fair I played through co-op with a friend both times.

Oblivion sounds like the one for you.

You also might like Tomb Raider Legend since you enjoyed Legacy of Kain.

Mass Effect will be right up your alley. It is made by the same company that did KOTOR.

Mass Effect looks awesome, in the meantime, give Enchanted Arms a shot. You can probably find it really cheap now. I like it even though it is pretty much a by-the-book japanese RPGs (random battles, linear story/progression, somewhat bad voice acting). It is not great and nowhere near KOTOR, but for a RPG fix, it will do.

Oblivion
Kameo
Lost planet

These games seem to fit what your looking for. If you want a game that is going to last a long time get OBLIVION.

Another vote for Oblivion. The game gets harder as you level up, so it's always 'fair', which means it isn't frustratingly hard.

I wasn't all that impressed with Gears. Alot of people say it's the best 360 game, but I was less than impressed with the campaign.

F.E.A.R. FOR SURE!!
it's by far my favorite shooter on the 360.

otherwise, wait until the 25th of this month for THE DARKNESS.
if this doesn't sell you on this game, nothing will.
look at this opening video!
http://www.gametrailers.com/umwatcher.php?id=54767

I am in the same boad. I am leaning towards Hitman, I really enjoyed the demo. Just d/l Overloard and Phantasy Star. Any good?

If you're not into the Gears of Gore thing but want some action, great storyline and shooter type then grab Rainbow Six; Las Vegas. I just finished it and I thought the game was great in every way. Not a run-and-gun but strategy and stealth are vital.

Kenny J - BuzzStarhopper

If you ask the guys on here all I talk about is Overlord, that game looks so awesome!

It's like an evil Pikman, (game cube game) that I loved.

I really wouldn't recommend FEAR or Enchanted Arms as a buy. Rent at the most, maybe

You absolutely have to play through Dead Rising. Seriously

Phantasy Star is a lot better now, but they ruined that game for me

There aren't a lot of darker games out right now (a trend I seem to detect in your "games I've played" list), and while FEAR poses its challenges from time to time, it seems to fit what you're looking for very well. Dead Rising is an okay game, it gets pretty stale after the 30 minutes of thrill you get from killing zombies. Phantasy Star Universe was a mess from the get go, and I personally wouldn't recommend jumping into it unless you have a few friends that are as well.

Kameo might fit well with you, and is relatively cheap. F.E.A.R. is a cool game (A little repetative, but if it didn't bother you in Condemned, I doubt it would bother you here) but I'd hold off til its about $30 just out of principal (it's a relatively old game.)

Prey is a cheap, fairly easy game with a good amount of atmosphere and some wonderful art design.

You may enjoy Tomb Raider: Legend and the original Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (Xbox). Hitman: Blood Money has its moments as well.

Check up on BioShock and Mass Effect as well (They aren't due for a while), as they seem right up your alley.

I have been playing my 360 solidly since i bought my system about 5 weeks ago and of the following games i purchased i have this to say for you.

Gears of War: If you are after a nice looking shooter then maybe check this out. To be honest this game has not really caught my attention much. The feel of the game just feels weak some how. The graphics are amazing, but i feel there is little after you see the grpahics. Gameplay feels awkward and i would suggest renting it before buying.

Crackdown: This game has gotten a lot of flack and mediocre reviews...and i still cannot figure out why? This was the first game that really got me addicated and i have gone through the game a couple of times already. If you like GTA style San Box games that give you the ability to blow shit up and jump around like the Hulk then you will love this. I actually think the graphics on this are incredible.

Lost Planet: I really like this game a lot. IMO its better than Gears of War. Nice feel and controls, good action and graphics, nice sound....well worth picking up.

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: If there is one single game that i would recommend to pick up...it would be this. I had it for my PC as well, but my PC is a dinosaur at the moment and had no chance of running it well. On thr 360 you get a game with incredible graphics, brilliant gameplay and so many different things to do that you will want to play it non-stop. After Crackdown i started playing this and i have not been able to stop since. I am about 50 hours into the game and i am still nowhere near getting through it all. I have never been a fan of RPG, although i did play Morrowind and enjoed that, and Deus Ex (if you can call that a RPG), but if anyone plays this game for a few hours they will be hooked. Pick it up straight away and get the special edition they released if possible (really nice package). you will not regret it.

Thanks to everyone who helped me out. I purchased Oblivion.

I also rented Dead Rising, and was enjoying it until there was a mission where you had to escort a wounded woman through all the zombies....grrr. Hated it. Really enjoyed the taking pictures aspect much more than the zombie killing aspect.

FEAR you are better off playing on a PC, if your system can handle it.

I second Tomb Raider. It isn't a hard game enemy wise, and most of the times I died it was because I missed a jump.

Ever play Call of Duty 2? Still my favorite game on the 360. It doesn't have the graphics of Gears of War, but it makes up for it in story and that epic feeling.

All of the survivor rescue missions are optional. You don't have to do them to win the game.

i wouldn't bother with the rescue missions till you gain a few more levels. The rescue missions are really hard, especially in the beginning. What I love the most about this game is all the different ways you can power up you char (drinks,weapons) and the boss fights are really fun. Definitely not monotonous or repetitive.

Dead Rising and Oblivion...but you've already tried both of them.

I disagree with the person earlier who said DR was harder than Gears...I found the opposite to be true. One of the nicest things about DR is you can just play it however you want...don't want to rescue someone...eh skip her go on to something else.