JANE'S ADVANCED STRIKE FIGHTERS J.A.S.F. Games

Kenny Loggins. The only thing that’s dangerous about this zone is that it makesyou want to crash your plane yourself. It’s J.A.S.F. for the Xbox 360.Released in late 2011 for the Xbox 360, Jane’s Advanced Strike Fighters revisits the classicPC titles Jane’s Combat Simulations.

 Evidently, Jane has lost a step, because Advanced StrikeFighters is a dull flight-combat game that only has a brand name in common.I suppose people will call this an arcade flight game, but I don’t know. I mean, alike arcade flight games. Advanced Strike Fighters is too slow, too sum-like...and just too boring for me to look at it that way. Watching paint dry should never, ever be more exciting than blowing things up. Somehow, Advanced Strike Fighters breaks the rule. If you’ve played games like Battlefield, Tom Clancy’s HAWX and Ace Combat, you have a pretty good idea what this game is trying to be like.

Advanced Strike Fighters puts you in the air and gives you multiple targets. You take them all out in virtually indistinguishable ways. You wash, rinse, repeat, and fall asleep. Part of the problem is that the game just doesn’t do anything new, but perhaps more importantly; it doesn’t do anything unique either. It just feels like other games, only the other games do this much better.  The sole strength of Advanced Strike Fighters is its wide selection of jet fighters. Otherwise, the controls are a pain, the graphics are outdated, the missions are uneventful...there are no smart bombs.

Fortunately, the game has 16-player online multiplayer. Unfortunately, I have serious doubts that you’ll ever find 16 players who want to play it. Jane’s PC games might’ve been good, but Advanced Strike Fighters proves she has no business on consoles. Unless she’s good looking.

DISHONORED for Xbox 360

If you're a fan of cutting throats and stealth, body I have a great game for you. Dishonored is a tale of revenge betrayal murder and loss, and while the story may be familiar, the setting incredible art style and splendid cast of characters, really make the world come alive. The story is simply put a breathtaking and engrossing experience.

Dishonored is a first person stealth game, with touches of Deus Ex and Bios hock for good measure. There are nine missions you will undertake, each with a large open mission area; once you're done you go back to the pub the game’s hub. This works remarkably well, as the game features so many choices that impact the game.

You will want to play this one again and again to see all the differences subtle and not so subtle. For example, it’s easily possible to play the entire game, without ever taking anyone life. The more violent you are the darker the game becomes. Combat is a very brutal and satisfying affair. You have a sword which you can stab, slash, and dismember your enemies with.

A pistol which packs quite the punch and a crossbow with sleeping and normal bolts to kill your enemies. The stealth system allows you to choke out the guards. Or perform a brutal stealth kill. The choice is yours and my there’s so many to make. You get access to powers that can slow down time, or allow you to rapidly jump from place to place.
Which can get you on top of roofs for a bit of action ala assassin’s creed? There are plenty of abilities to gain and they're all very fun to use. With so much variety and freedom of choice, dishonored rarely has a dull moment.

 The art style really sets this one apart from the rest, while the textures may be a bit rough, the superb art fantastic designs, along with stunning character animations make dishonored an incredibly beautiful experience. Honestly few games rarely give you this amount of freedom, and make every choice count like Dishonored for Xbox Live Gold 360 does.

It’s a shame the protagonist is silent, as some well placed dialogue would have ramped up the emotions in the game. Still the opening gives plenty of reasons to be a vengeful and violent assassin. With some brutal and visceral combat, tons of choices just begging for multiple playthroughs, and fantastic visuals, you would be mad not to pick up this game. Few games manage to get so much right.