Skate 2 (PS3, Xbox 360) Link to gamezplay post
Electronic Arts, Black Box - $59.99
The skate sim is back with an online component that is worthy of a top spot in online extreme-multiplayer gaming.
Let's face it, there were many questions about a true skateboard sim when this game was released last year. After years of bizarro-world grinds on telephone wires and such from Tony Hawk's skateboarding franchise, would people play a "regular" skate game with true virtual physics?
All the great controls are still there for Skate 2 and a couple of new moves are thrown in, but the kicker is the new Create-a-Spot feature.
Let's say you're free-skating around one of the many environments and find some place cool to do some tricks. A couple of button presses later, and online users can join you in your choice spot and do battle in an area that is completely customizable.
See some park benches and tables strewn around? Move them to make some sick obstacles for grinds, ollies, and kick flips.
Totally awesome, dude.
For those looking for some powder instead of asphalt and concrete, Stoked, the snowboarding sim, is out for the Xbox 360 this week as well.
Commander in Chief - Geo-Political Simulator (PC)
Atari - $29.99
I don't know too much about this game, but it sure is timely.
With President-elect Barack Obama set to officially take the reins (poor guy) next week, now you can experience just a bit of the weight he is about to take on by making economic, social and military decisions to lead your people to the light. I mean, come on, things are kind of dark right now.
Choose your cabinet, make treaties and public appearances, try to get bills passed into law.
This could be fun or you could get a virtual shoe thrown at you.
Sim Animals (Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS) Link to gamezplay post
Electronic Arts - $29.99
Yet another Sim game hits shelves next week (I am waiting for Sim Money; at least I can play like I have some), with this one aimed mostly toward the kids.
Obviously, players won't be managing a city full of animals or managing the social scene at the neighborhood kennel.
What they will be doing is playing a bit of Mom Nature in the wild.
The game goes like this: With a trusty hand tool, you manipulate elements of nature to keep forests and the like working as they should. You are not causing tornadoes and earthquakes as in other Sim games, but let's say you are looking over your lands and come across some chicks in a nest in a tree. Then you see some kind of predator (a fox maybe) looking to get up in the tree for some good feasting.
How about using the hand tool to remove a couple of branches? Then the chicks will grow and their species will flourish.
And so forth and so on, continuing the balancing act in order to keep everything running right.
They say it's not nice to fool with Mother Nature, but when Mother Nature is doing all the fooling, things can get interesting.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer