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GTA IV or Saints Row 2, which one’s better? This thought hounded my mind before playing the latter. But, when I completed some missions, it was clear that Saints Row 2 has more depth in gameplay than Grand Theft Auto IV. Although, the Saints Row series follows similar sandbox style of gameplay, its variations in gameplay is awesome.
One of the best aspects of the game is the ability to modify the physical appearance of the character. The saints row character creation system can change physical features along with voice style, costumes and even sex. The game also lets players to modify the detailed aspects of the character including hairstyle, gestures (anger, naughty looks), facial expressions, and even facial dimensions! Saints Row gives freedom to gamers to select male or female characters.

The first mission starts with a tutorial where players have to escape a prison and get back to the changed and new Stilwater city. As you proceed through various missions, you get a chance to takeover other gangs as you rebuild your own. The gameplay is basically an arcade style of gameplay with loads of slang words and violence. In other words, if you are frustrated with your boss, release the anger on this virtual world.

There are loads of mini missions apart from the main ones and this ensures more freedom of choice. A successful completion of a mission can earn you respect points and money. The cash can be used for upgrading clothes, buying the latest cars and even performing stunts. The money can also be used to buy property, just like GTA. Using respect points one can unlock missions.

The custom-written graphics engine delivers better graphics than its predecessor. The environmental design has certainly progressed far better than Saints Row 1. The sound is equally impressive; there are loads of radio stations that provide many genres including electronic, metal, rock, reggae, hip-hop and even metal. Hmm… Typical GTA! Bands such as Duran Duran, Mastodon, Avenged Sevenfold will certainly keep you playing for hours.

All in all, Saints Row 2 is an excellent game much different from GTA IV. However, the game does not present any drama or simulation like GTA series. I will rate it 4 out of 5.

Watch the saints row 2 trailer on YouTube Visit the official site for the latest patchesJoin Saints Row 2 fan club

If you thought Far Cry 2 is the true sequel to the original one, you are wrong. The game features completely new characters and settings and uses a unique style of gameplay. The story takes place in the deep jungles of a fictional Central African country facing anarchy and civil war. Gamers don the character of a mercenary who gets dropped in deep jungles to hunt down and eliminate a notorious arms smuggler “The Jackal”.  

Far Cry 2 engages players in a deadly journey in highly realistic African landscapes including the savannahs, plains and jungles. This second grueling sequel employs sandbox style of gameplay where a player’s choice depends on the progress and speed of the storyline. With an open-ended environment spanning 19.3 sq miles, one can imagine the level of detail and number of hours it can take to complete the missions. Players can choose a wide range of vehicles and weapons and also can interact with environment. Weapons include the usual assault and sniper rifles to RPGs and light machine guns. The enemy AI is mostly human mercenaries. Gamers will miss the androids from the original Far Cry version but the enemy AI is intelligent enough to challenge you in a head-to-head battle. They are aggressive and alert and can be very challenging.

Developers Ubisoft have strived hard to ensure Far Cry 2 is realistic enough to please gamers. I loved the 24-hour day and night cycle and the climate system which ranges from sweltering sunsets to thunder storms. The protagonist experiences the stings of malaria fever and needs pills to keep the illness at bay every 30 to 40 minutes in real time.

All in All, Far Cry 2 is bigger, bolder and immersive than its predecessor. The game has a unique blend of action and stealth. You will find many open-ended missions and side-quests to complete. Great sequel, although different!

Cover art source:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/97/Far_Cry_2_cover_art.jpg

Quantum of Solace is the latest 007 action-adventure game that offers some comfort and fun for agent 007’s fans. Combining the set-pieces from the latest bond flick and Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace takes players into a solid a modern shoot’-em-up with excellent firefights and intense action. T

he game features true-to-life rendered faces of Daniel Craig and Judi Dench. The voice acting has been excellently executed. The realism in graphics is impressive, thanks to CoD4 Graphics engine and control system. Quantum of Solace is actually a first person shooter, but the game also has a third-person perspective whenever Bond dives or climbs or does some other stunts. There are also some levels where agent 007 uses stealth and hits enemies with his scoped beauty.

The enemy AI is average. Enemies can duck and throw grenades at you whenever they feel they are in danger. The fight scenes are a bit unimpressive and the controls were a bit difficult for me. Overall Quantum of Solace is an average game as compared to Goldeneye and Non One Lives Forever.

With games like Diner Dash, Mystery case files and Bejeweled topping the charts year after year casual games are certainly making the gaming industry remake itself to please casual game addicts. From Microsoft’s Xbox to Nintendo’s Wii, all are striving hard to add new bite-sized titles. Social networking sites like Facebook are including a host of new casual games such as Scrabble and many others. The popularity of casual games is such that most customers pay more than 2 billion for such games.
 

All Time Best Casual Games

While the rage for casual games began with the initiation of Tetris in 1985, the craze for such low-cost games have increased in numbers. Here are some of the best all time casual games that prove to all-time favorites:

MapleStory:
Released in 2003, MapleStory ruled the gaming market in Asia, both in terms of gameplay and innovative cartoon-style concept. This MMORPG lets players take part in a fantasy land. There are various missions for gamers who collaborate with others in defeating cute monsters in real time. The simplicity and ease in gameplay are the core aspects of MapleStory. It is a 2D side-scrolling game with simple keyboard and mouse controls provided a welcome-change for both hard-core and casual gamers. The control keys can be easily customized with the drag-and-drop method. The simple gameplay and controls made this online casual game a monster hit in the Asian gaming market.

Grab this Manga styled cutesy game at softonic.com!
 

Jewel Quest:
Sprinkling some innovative twists to a boring pattern-matching game is what Jewel Quest did in 2004. This classic matching game welcomes players to the expansive ancient ruins of the Mayan civilization. Apart from just pattern-matching, Jewel Quest contains complex and difficult puzzles full of cursed items, mysterious buried artifacts and cursed items. Players embark on a journey to open strange doors, rearrange sand tiles to turn it into gold and solve some Mayan mysteries.

Download Jewel Quest
 

Diner Dash:
 You can ‘feel’ the popularity of Diner Dash when it sold more than 200 million copies world-wide.  For me, Diner Dash is one of the best casual games of this decade. This restaurant-managerial game can certainly take your breath away, especially because of its uniqueness in gameplay. It also created a new superstar, Flo, whom every gamer, whether girl or boy, still adores.

Download Diner Dash

Poor Flo has to do it again. Yes, the third episode of the popular Diner Dash series puts Flo once again into the hectic restaurant business, and this time it’s going to be tougher. Our hardworking waitress must save five restaurants and deal with many customers. Enter Diner Dash: Flo on the Go where new spills and thrills await you.

Diner Dash 3 lets Flo to embark on a mission to use her table-serving managerial skills to get her vacation on the right track. She has to manage five restaurants on different exotic locales, taking orders and providing the best catering services to nine different customers. Flo has to be lightning- quick to serve the customers. There will be nagging customers, gloomy visitors and customers who give generous tips for just having a pic with them. Flo not only has to satisfy her customers but also mop up the floor and clear the tables. Sometimes there can be a power outage and you need to have a flashlight to be able to guide Flo in serving customers.

Diner Dash: Flo on the Go boasts 100s of outfit choices. Players can choose trousers, aprons, hats and blouses and dress up Flo. The game also allows players to create their own combinations to make our hardworking waitress presentable and attractive. The restaurant décor has more than 25 upgrades and 4 new entertainers to entertain the customers.

All in all, Diner Dash 3 is one of the best sequels of this popular restaurant managerial game.  You may find some varied settings and a slight change in gameplay. But it is still one of the best addictive games of 2008. Diner Dash games will always remain the all-time favorite of casual game lovers.

Download Diner Dash 3

System Requirements:
Processor: Pentium III
Processor Speed: 700 MHz
RAM: 128 MB
3D video card
Hard Disk Space: 13.1 MB

Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway is the latest in the BIA series. It has all the elements of a traditional shooter game with a slight touch of mystery and superstition. This World War II game has an intense level of gameplay and surprising level of depth put forth by the developers of Gearbox software. It may be a mindless shoot’em up kind of a game but the storyline is excellent.

Gamers slip in the boots of Baker aka Matthew Baker, the protagonist who teams up with characters of previous games including Sam Corrion and ‘Red’ Hartsock. The beginning scene shows a wounded war survivor-Leggett-revealing a secret to Baker and his squad. The secret is not revealed to gamers until the climax. The element of mystery added to Hell’s Highway certainly makes this game more interesting.

The excellent story-line is backed up by some good strategic gameplay. One can place troops strategically and execute a mission through proper planning. The advanced AI is one of the key features of this game. Gamers will experience excellent AI team play as squad members will duck for cover. They may sometimes refuse to accept orders if gamers tend to place them in exposed areas.

There are some missions which allow gamers to command a tank. This aspect makes gameplay more interesting and engaging. Players can have access to unlimited ammo, World War II arsenal as well as cannon.

While Playing Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway, I loved the slow motion feature and realism in death scenes. You will see enemies ripped to shreds or have their legs severed.

The one thing which I didn’t like is the similar formula employed in Hell’s Highway. Its old-fashioned shooter concept needs some reworking. However, the graphics and sounds are realistic and engaging. All in all, a great strategy war game with good story and gameplay.

Box shot source: Wikipedia.org

Myplaycity.com is one of the best websites that offer the best PC gaming experience, and that also free of charge! Rare are those sites that offer full free games for download. But, Myplaycity took up the challenge and today it boasts a wide variety of free online games as well as downloadable games. There are various categories or tabs including ‘Free Downloads’, ‘Online Games’, ‘Top 100 Games’, ‘Multiplayer Games’ and even MMORPGs!! Every time this site showcases some of the latest and most playable games. There is also an ‘Editors Pick’ section which cannot be missed. This section shows a new game with editor’s review and downloads options.

Myplaycity.com has several games divided into varied categories including action, arcade games, racing games and puzzle games. Users are also given the option of downloading a toolbar that alerts them of any new games available for download. There is also a ‘Top 10’ games section on the far right section. The most playable and rated games are displayed here. One of my favorite games was Atlantis Quest. The game is of the puzzle genre and is quite addictive, especially because of is extensive graphics and engaging sounds.
 

Established by an enthusiastic team of dedicated gaming wizards, Myplaycity.com presents easy downloadable games that are Windows 95/NT/2000/XP compatible. It boasts a wide variety of intellectual games to download and play. Players will also find an opportunity to play online with their counterparts and friends. There is a one-of-a-kind high score table which displays the scores of worldwide gamers. Who knows? Whether your name will be on the top? So what are you waiting for? Download free games at Myplaycity.com and have endless hours of fun gaming. It is certainly one of the best Pc game sites on the Internet.