All Things Beta
Outlook just heralded the arrival of my key for the Endwar beta. I remember e-signing some sort of non-disclosure agreement, so the chances of a real preview here or on Ace Gamez are slim, but in any case I can’t say my hopes are high. From the rumblings thus far it sounds like the thing that sets this RTS apart from all the others to have come to console – which is to say, voice-control of your units through a headset mic – works, against all odds, pretty well. The problem being that this promising new interface has been wrapped around a pretty dull game. Still, I’ve enjoyed all the Tom Clancy games I’ve played thus far – Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, Splinter Cell et al. There’s a chance this won’t be derivative tripe yet.

Still, I’d sooner have Red Alert 3 with (optional) voice control; an army of soviet suicide-bomber dolphins to order around is more up my alley.
***
Meanwhile – back at the ranch – Crisis Core has exceeded all my expectations. I loved Final Fantasy VII, truly I did; in its time it was impossible not to fall for the pseudo-3D and the balls-to-the-wall bravery of its second act, but all things considered, I think Crisis Core may well be a better game. Who’d have thunk it?