Bits and Bytes: Quick taste of good games

This edition is going to be brief but it features a “taste of things to come.”

Last week, I picked up Gears of War, Tony Hawk's Project 8 and Call of Duty 3. If you're thinking of buying any of these games, immediately do so. Here's my quick two cents on the games:

Gears of War: It's been in my system more than the other games because not only does it look amazing and make you glad you forked over the big bucks for your Xbox 360 (and held off on a PS3), but it PLAYS like it was promised.

The controls take about an hour to get used to but you'll be stoppin' and poppin' in no time. Single player so far is fun and I'm playing it immediately on the hardest difficulty available. Some trial and error is necessary to get through but it's prolonging the experience. Multiplayer hasn't been touched and will be played a lot before my final review.

THP8: I'm a Tony Hawk Pro GAMER and it got to the point with this series that you could sit down and play through the game in about a weekend without too much sweat. This year's game, however, takes PRO to a whole new level for the series. If you think you'll easily get the “sick” scores in one or two shots, think again. Your skater needs major skill upgrades and you only get those by constantly practicing. A neat little system to hold the vets of this series at bay. The new trick system where time is slowed down to a halt so you can maneuver your feet is neat, but it takes a little getting used to. I haven't even begun multiplayer yet on this and have only unlocked two sections of the massive world thanks to too much Gears of War.

Call of Duty 3 — As of the time of writing this (and because of my day job and too much Gears of War), I can say that the game plays the same as last year — and that's a good thing — but with a more interesting storyline and even better graphics. If you love looking at simulated grass in games, you'll love this game for that reason alone. Once again (damn you, Gears of War), multiplayer hasn't been tried out.

Hope you're all jealous! Full reviews are coming in the next two weeks. If you've pick up a Wii and would like to share your thoughts, please send me or the paper your articles. And if you've picked up a PS3 somehow (and are NOT selling it on Ebay) and would like to share about Sony's online system and your thoughts about their crappy launch line up, please do!