Χ-Play (2003)

Vampire: The Masquerade, World Tour Soccer, Forza Motorsport and more! (3x14)

: 16, 2005

On tonight's episode of X-Play, we review Forza Motorsport. Microsoft has been able to assemble an impressive array of topnotch racers for the Xbox since the system first launched. From RalliSport Challenge and Project Gotham Racing to Burnout 3 and Outrun 2, the system has plenty to crow about. Yet, there’s still something missing; a thorn in the system’s side thanks to Sony’s Gran Turismo. Now, finally, Microsoft hopes that this deficiency will be overcome with the impending release of Forza Motorsport. Given the popularity of the vampire mythos among young, disassociated youths, it’s surprising that there hasn’t been more computer role-playing games based on White Wolf’s Vampire: The Masquerade. The last one, VTM: Redemption was a glorified Diablo clone that utterly failed to capture the style of the source material. The latest attempt, Troika’s Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines might accurately be described as Deus Ex with pointy teeth, but there’s a lot more to the story--both good and bad. In a battle for second place in the console soccer competition--Winning Eleven 8 already wrapped up the top spot over FIFA 2005--World Tour Soccer 2006 brings a brand of footie to the table that has deep game modes, enough teams to spin your head, and gameplay that’s so lacking there’s little reason to get cozy with any of it. A few years back, American McGee made a name for himself with a wildly imagined, if not wildly playable, version of Alice in Wonderland. Essentially a first-person shooter with an overdriven art budget, the game screamed wasted potential. But the veteran of Doom laid low, publicly pondered making a game based on George Romero's films, and turned out this strange PC tale of a robot society turned on its ear. Is Scrapland more style over substance, or did McGee hide some juice under the hood? Tune in tonight!