All About Game

Puzzle Chronicles is offensively ugly. The artwork on display here looks like it was scraped off the bottom of some budget game developer’s trash bin. With that said, though, Puzzle Chronicles is fun. It comes by way of Infinite Interactive, developer of Puzzle Quest, and is another fantasy adventure that finds you matching gems while fighting monsters. The puzzle mechanics are addictive and engaging. However, the game is quite painful to look at. This serves as an excellent example of how important visuals are in games, as the pathetic artwork in Puzzle Chronicles significantly reduces my ability to enjoy it.

You are a Conan-style barbarian whose entire tribe has been kidnapped by slavers. After you are set free by a saucy sorceress, you’re off to rescue your people, challenging any monsters you meet along the way to puzzle games. Instead of the Bejewelled match-three exercise that Puzzle Quest used, here you and your opponent battle for territory on the puzzlefield. Groups of three gems fall into the board horizontally and you arrange them into like colors along the center divider line. By destroying Rage Gems, represented by skulls, you push the divider line towards the enemy, thereby reducing their real estate and forcing them into a corner. When they can no longer make a move, you have won the match. It’s an enjoyable game, especially when you add in the special abilities and Warbeast attacks. Your Warbeast is a sidekick animal that will attack the enemy when you’ve cleared enough gems of a certain color.

As you jump around from location to location on the map chasing the bad guys you’ll encounter optional side quest opportunities, mini-games, and shops where you can spend the monies you earn in battle. Equipped items will boost your abilities in combat or defend from your enemy’s crippling attacks. There is a nice variety of activities to explore in Puzzle Chronicles.

Closing Comments
Puzzle Quest super fans will be able to look past Chronicles’ awful visuals and enjoy the fantasy puzzling it offers on the inside. But it is ugly as sin and doesn’t do anything remarkably different from its inspiration. Let me put it this way: If Puzzle Quest is a super hot girl, Puzzle Chronicles is her homely friend with a nice personality.

Ubisoft’s latest expansion for their popular city building game Dawn of Discovery injects new ships, items, environments and scenarios into an elaborate diplomatic, economic, and logistical strategy simulation. Dawn of Discovery is a deep and complex game that offers players a fun and accessible city building experience. While features like intricate city planning, trade route mapping and resource tree management place this game firmly in the simulation genre, its modest combat and quest systems put it on a short list of titles that often receive the strategy label. Related Designs and Blue Byte Software created the Venice update to add new game play and hundreds of new quests to the game, but this expansion appears to exist primarily to assuage players’ demands for multiplayer.

If players want to continue to enjoy Dawn of Discovery there are 15 new pre-made scenarios in which to discover around 300 new quests and 50 or 60 new items. Among the gameplay enhancements is the ability to take over enemy cities without warships. By infiltrating their city, spies can unleash havoc on an opponent’s population. If a player has significant resources they have another new non-violent way to win through Influence. Every city’s government can now be taken over by buying City Council seats. There are also two new sizes in trading ships, items that allow ships to be boarded and taken over, a new Venetian style city and faction, and a new type of terrain on volcanic islands. Still, for most players the only reason to get this is to experience online multiplayer with a friend.

Adding spies to the game does not relieve players from their essential city building responsibilities and resource management tasks; they just offer a new way to attack enemies. Since combat options are limited, the additional choice is a welcome one, but it hardly makes combat diverse. The Base of Operations structure is both the gateway to acquiring access to spies, and the counter to a sabotage attack from an enemy spy. It protects structures within its range just as a Church provides for faith within a certain radius. Infiltrating an enemy island is a difficult proposition until the defenses are cleared away a bit. At that point it’s anticipated that the player will send in a spy. Soon this routine becomes predictable and players are relegated to a brute force attack or a buy-out. Initially the opportunity to sabotage is one filled with excitement and careful maneuvering, but ultimately it’s something that works better when your opponent is already vulnerable.

Boarding ships also requires the victim to be defenseless. The process works like you might imagine: players can buy a single use item and when within range, attack and board an enemy ship. In moments the ship and its cargo become yours. Piracy is a very fitting addition to the high-seas adventure theme of the game. I found this extremely rewarding, and never tired of acquiring a new ship when the opportunity arose. This optional tactic is not terribly complex or nuanced, but its simplicity is welcome in an already very demanding game.

Venice introduced another way to win with the City Council Influence system. To win influence players must purchase each seat in the enemy’s city council. The price of each seat increases every time one is purchased, and there is a cool-down after each purchase during which players must wait before buying another seat. The City Council really has very little to do with strategy but it is another way to win in a sandbox style builder game that succeeds at always leaving players with multiple ways to accomplish their goals.

For those players who want to test their skills, Venice comes with 15 new PVE scenarios. These maps may focus on development, trade, logistics, diplomacy, military buildup, economics, or adventure. These maps are where most of the new quests and items can be found, and are an excellent way to get familiar with the new game play. In one such scenario players are given islands that cannot grow anything. This means no amount of expanding territory will help the player directly acquire the resources, and in order to advance the population beyond the second level players must focus heavily on trade. Another completely different scenario allows players to focus only on ship to ship combat. Players are given one war ship, and must build up a fleet and take over the map. This scenario is all about survival as you have no shipyard with which to construct another ship. This map gives players an opportunity to focus only on combat without having a thousand other decisions to make. This challenge is a fun change of pace from the demanding task of city planning, but it also illustrates how basic the strategic combat system is in Dawn of Discovery.

With the addition of ship boarding, war ships can now defeat another ship by taking it over instead of just destroying it. Though it is nice to have another option, combat gets repetitive very quickly. A simple formula of attacking with greater numbers works, but many players will find this immature combat system boring. The pattern quickly begins to repeat itself. Kill a ship, buy a ship, board a ship, sell a ship, do a quest, get honor, buy items, repeat. Although Dawn of Discovery is not a combat strategy game, it does have combat features, and they must be acknowledged. The Venice expansion is made up of mostly combat system upgrades, so in that regard the overall game is improved by the new features. However, their impact will certainly be felt more in PVP when strategies become less predictable.

While there are features such as a new quest type called “Trade Race” that add to the single player game, most of the changes compliment the new player vs. player and co-op online modes. Players can experience all of the new mechanics in a private game, but some may find that sabotage and boarding ships are ultimately more effective in PVP than they are in PVE.

Closing Comments
Dawn of Discovery: Venice improves upon the already successful city building simulation game by adding new combat options and online multiplayer. These types of complex games truly shine when the myriad options create flexibility in how a player can adapt to a situation, and in how they allow the player to think creatively to solve problems. Venice’s features compliment the original game and add even more variables to an already deep system.

There is nothing game changing about the new features. In order to employ advanced techniques like boarding vessels or infiltrating a city, players will need to invest a significant amount of time preparing. These new tactics still require a sound strategy focused on acquiring resources and funding defense in order for the player to survive. Venice has content suitable for all types of players, but its main target is advanced players who want to test their mettle in new scenarios, or play online with friends.

A public videogame beta is a beautiful and powerful thing. It’s the point when a development studio blows the airlock on a multi-million-dollar years-long project and delivers it for testing to a fan base both ravenous and skeptical. Part demo and part research project, a beta brings players and creators in closer contact than at any point in a project’s development cycle. I’m a big believer in public betas as the best way to create a stellar multiplayer experience, and Bungie is planning to go big when it opens Halo: Reach up for a public test next month.

I recently dropped by Bungie Studios to take an early look at what’s in store for Halo fans next month, and I’ll fill you in on what I’ve seen in just a bit. But first, a quick primer on what Reach is and what’s involved in the beta. The madness starts on May 3 for those with a copy of Halo 3: ODST, the standalone Halo 3 expansion that was released in September 2009. When the magic date rolls around, you’ll see the Halo: Reach beta option pop up in ODST’s extras menu. Download it, launch it through ODST, and you’re in.

Through matchmaking, you’ll have four multiplayer maps to explore when the beta launches. In addition to classic Halo multiplayer game types including Slayer and Free-for-all, Reach introduces a number of new modes, four of which will be playable in the beta. Some of what you’ll see will be instantly familiar, but make no mistake – a lot has changed.

The world of Reach is brutal and unforgiving. Just ask the millions of people who died there when the Covenant attacked it in 2552. Actually, you can’t ask them, because they’re dead. And fake. But you get the idea. In the Halo universe, Reach was humanity’s most important colonial outpost. In some ways it had, in fact, become more important than Earth itself. The Spartan program was born there, and Master Chief John-117 grew up there. When it fell, it fell hard, under gargantuan glowing spirals of overheated plasma. At the end, Reach was a mean, dangerous place. And so is the Halo: Reach beta.

Consider the Covenant Plasma Launcher, one of the new power weapons available in Halo: Reach. Picture a hammerhead shark, squeezed and molded into a streamlined armful of metallic alien polymer. Its cartilaginous protuberances have been repurposed into trigger, stock, scope and muzzle. It’s missing the shark’s organic glisten, but it’s just as dangerous.

Fire the trigger once and it launches a sticky plasma grenade at its target. Hold the trigger down, and more grenades (up to four) will be added to the launch queue. Let them fly, and they’ll gently track to the poor sap caught between its crosshairs. It’s a gun you’ll want to keep your eye on. And it’s not the only one. The Covenant Focus Rifle is equally nightmarish. A cross between the Beam Rifle and a Forerunner Sentinel laser beam, it fires a stream of pink death across the map, slicing and dicing as it goes.

But the Covenant aren’t the only ones with deadly new toys. Spartans go into battle with the Grenade Launcher, a new addition to the UNSC arsenal that hurls, well, grenades. But there’s a twist. Hold down the trigger and the projectile will stay dormant where it lies, primed for explosion. Release the trigger at an opportune moment and it goes blammo at your beck and call, throwing out an electromagnetic pulse blast for good measure.

In addition to new weapons like these, the Needle Rifle, and others, there are also re-tooled blasts from the Halo past making their appearance in Reach. The Designated Marksman Rifle is the UNSC replacement for the Battle Rifle (thank the Ancients), and it’s a headshot magnet in experienced hands. The Magnum is also back, and it’s better than ever. Five steady, well-timed body shots with this little hand cannon will get you a satisfying kill. It’s deadlier than it looks. Respect it.

With all these new boomsticks lying about, you’re going to need some protection. But rather than armor your Spartan up even more than he was in Halo 3, Bungie has gone back in the Halo: Combat Evolved direction. That’s right, health packs are back. In Halo: Reach, when your shields get whittled down to nothing, your health bar will start to chip away. The only way to restore it is to find a wall-mounted health pack (similar to Halo 3: ODST) and shake it off, Marine.

There are two bright spots in the health-and-wellness realm. First, your shields are still regenerative and they’re a bit heartier against melee attacks than in Halo 3. A smack from behind will still net a kill so long as your target’s shields are down. Second, the armor you take into battle is imbued with special characteristics, depending on which loadout you choose.

About this Game

In Halo: Reach, players experience the fateful moments that forged the Halo legend. It’s the story of Noble Team, a squad of heroic Spartan soldiers, and their final stand on planet Reach, humanity’s last line of defense between the terrifying Covenant and Earth. This darker story is echoed by grittier visuals amid a backdrop of massive, awe-inspiring environments. Characters, enemies and environments are rendered in amazing detail by an all-new engine designed to deliver epic-scale encounters against the cunning and ruthless Covenant.

Once the campaign is over, the battle continues online with an unparalleled multiplayer experience that expands on the award-winning suite of features that helped define the Xbox LIVE experience.

Genre: First-Person Shooter
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Bungie Software
Online Play: 4 Versus
Release Date: Q3 2010
MSRP: $59.99
Exclusively on: Xbox 360
ESRB: RP-M+

Developer Relentless Software is no stranger to the PlayStation universe. One of the studio’s most famous projects, Buzz, has garnered a respectable number of fans, and the Buzz name is now the definitive trivia experience for the PlayStation platforms. Last week, Relentless Software launched their next project on the PlayStation Store. A series of downloadable episodes, the Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mysteries of Little Riddle is a co-op puzzle game where players attempt to solve murders and a number of other dastardly crimes.

Unfortunately, Blue Toad Murder Files is nowhere near as fun as Buzz. In fact, I found it to be downright aggravating. But before we get into the review, let’s clarify just how the game is set up.

At the time this article was written, the Blue Toad Murder Files episodes can be downloaded as a three-episode set for $14.99 or individually for $7.49. The final three episodes of the Riddle season are not currently available. Although there will be three separate reviews for Blue Toad (one for each episode), readers will notice that the reviews will be largely the same. This is because the episodes are almost identical in terms of their aesthetics, structure, pacing and mechanics. So while I will touch on a few specifics in each article, the reviews can be generally applied to the entire Blue Toad experience. If there’s something groundbreaking in an individual episode, I’ll be sure to let you know.

Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mysteries of Little Riddle puts players in the shoes of the detectives at the Blue Toad agency. This group solves crimes and does all sorts of heroic deeds that one would expect from such an intelligent organization. Up to four players can play at one time, with each player taking a turn in order. Each turn usually involves choosing a place in the quiet (or not so quiet) town of Little Riddle, talking with a suspect and solving a puzzle. The next player then repeats these steps until the players have worked through the 16 puzzles of each episode.

In Episode 3, players begin the episode right where Episode 2 left off. During an interrogation with the uncovered thief, a fire breaks out at Town Hall. The players must uncover the arsonist while investigating the mysterious relationships between the Little Riddle citizens.

Blue Toad Murder Files only does a few things well. I very much appreciated the idea behind the series (a co-op murder mystery game), but the execution is all wrong. First and foremost, the price just seems absurd for the amount of gameplay that buyers are getting. Each episode can be completed in about 45 minutes to an hour. That means, if buyers are purchasing the episodes individually, they would be paying more than $7 for a 45-minute episode.

This issue of length is exacerbated by the game’s puzzles, which do not change on subsequent playthroughs. I will admit that changing things up would be difficult, as some of the puzzles/riddles are story-based and could not be changed without affecting the narrative, but that’s still no excuse. There are roughly 16 challenges in each episode, ranging from deciphering anagrams, to riddles, to math problems, to colored puzzles. If you play through an episode, you’ll know the solutions to these puzzles and they’ll never change on a subsequent playthrough, which means that there is virtually zero replay value to this game.

And the more players you add to the session, the less you actually play. This is almost the complete opposite of Buzz, where more players generally means more fun (as players can partake in a session simultaneously). In Blue Toad, each player is taking turns, which means that a full four-player group will still face the same 16 puzzles — and each person only gets three puzzles to solve.

One might argue that part of the fun is helping out your fellow crime solvers during their riddles, but the game design is in opposition to this idea. Players are supposed to be competing as you earn medals depending on how quickly and cleanly you can complete a puzzle. If players are supposed to be competing, then why should they help each other out during their respective puzzles?

These are just a few of the problems that plague Blue Toad Murder Files. The pacing of the game is dreadful, as there is no way to skip cutscenes, even after you’ve viewed them on a previous playthrough. This wouldn’t have been too problematic had the cutscenes been interesting, but the pacing is so slow and overly-wordy (in an attempt at comedy, no less), they’re just no fun to sit through. You can luckily quit out of a playthrough and return to it at a later time, but you’ll be unable to change the number of players once you’ve started that playthrough.

Closing Comments
Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mysteries of Little Riddle is built around a good idea: cooperatively solving murder mysteries. But the execution of the entire affair is poor and even the occasionally clever puzzle fails to entice when the pacing and structure is so frustrating.

There’s something seriously wrong with a party game that loses gameplay when you add on more players. I recommend leaving the mysteries of Little Riddle unsolved.

I’ve been looking forward to Just Cause 2 ever since I saw the game demoed here in our office a year ago. A third-person shooter with more explosions than a summer blockbuster, Just Cause 2 promised to burst into the open-world sub-genre with guns blazing. Although the original Just Cause has its fair share of problems, I was confident that the folks at Avalanche Software could put together a fantastic action experience.

Fortunately for all us gamers, Just Cause 2 is just as enjoyable as it looks. Although the game has a few annoying problems to speak of, this stunt-filled affair is one of the best open-world games I’ve played in a long time. The action is spectacular, the game world is tremendous and enemies can be tackled in a seemingly infinite number of ways. This is a title that every gamer with a taste for action should play.

In Just Cause 2, players take control of the rugged and charming Rico Rodriguez — a field agent for the powerful American agency called… the Agency. Rico is assigned to travel to the beautiful island of Panau in Southeast Asia because his friend and mentor, Tom Sheldon, went missing. Whether Sheldon is in danger, dead or has gone rogue is not clear, so it’s up to Rico to find out. In the process, Rico must attempt to cause as much chaos as possible on Panau in order to overthrow the current dictator. In order to do that, Rico must assist three criminal factions on the island and take on missions for them, causing chaos and earning money along the way.

The game’s story is clearly not the focal point of the experience, but it does its job well enough. You can never accuse Just Cause 2 of taking itself too seriously, especially when you come to the point in the game where Rico is attacked by Uzi-wielding ninjas. Unfortunately, the cutscenes aren’t nearly as impressive as the in-game action — especially scenes that introduce faction missions. The animations in these scenes are always repeated and that can get tiring.

Just Cause 2 might seem like a standard, open-world shooter, but there are a few gameplay mechanics that make it special. The first is Rico’s grappling hook, which can be used freely at any time. Not only can this grappling hook allow Rico to zip around walls and hang from ceilings, but it can also be used to pull objects towards him. For example, shoot it right at a sniper and you can yank the poor lad right off his perch, saving valuable ammunition in the process.

The grappling hook can also be used to tether two objects together. These objects can be living enemies, or you can attach a car to a helicopter and fly it around. The possibilities are astonishing. It will actually be difficult for me to go back to other third-person shooters, as I grew so comfortable with zipping from one wall to the next with Rico’s trusty hook.

The second gameplay mechanic is Rico’s stunt parachute, which can be opened in mid grapple or when free-falling. This parachute automatically gives Rico the freedom to explore without fear, as you can quite literally jump off any cliff and just open the parachute before you hit the ground. With the parachute deployed, you can use your grappling hook to pull yourself along, making the two items into a makeshift form of transportation.

With the grappling hook and parachute, Just Cause 2 is an absolute blast to play. Players are free to move around and fight in whatever way they see fit. With all the weapons available to Rico (including pistols, machine guns, shotguns, rocket launchers, etc.), storming through the island of Panau is always action-packed and it’s always satisfying. Adding in around 100 different vehicles only makes the game more enjoyable. There were times when I simply didn’t know how to get from Point A to Point B because there were so many options at my disposal. Do I hijack this villager’s slick motorcycle and get there in style? Do I just parachute my way down the cliff? Or do I hang from the bottom of a passing helicopter and enjoy the sights along the way? It’s all up to the player.

The freedom to approach gameplay in whatever manner you choose is certainly one of Just Cause 2′s selling points, but the game does one thing extremely well: creating mind-bending action set pieces like you’d see in a top-dollar Hollywood production. Some missions will task Rico with diving off a bridge to catch a passing convoy, while others will force him to sprint off a cliff as missiles explode around him. Not all the missions are as intense as these, but some of them really are fantastic.

But Just Cause 2 isn’t all fun and games… and explosions. The controls certainly take some getting used to, and the in-mission checkpoints can be extremely frustrating. This is the kind of game where you die often, and when currently engaged in a mission, that means you’ll be starting over just as often (there are checkpoints in the longer missions, but they’re not as frequent as I’d like). When you couple this disappointing save structure with the overwhelming odds tossed against Rico when he’s on foot, this can lead to a lot of vein-popping curse words.

Just Cause 2 also lacks polish in certain areas. There are a number of audio glitches that pop up throughout, included stuttering lines of background chatter and characters not finishing their sentences during cutscenes. This is surprising, considering the game’s otherwise impressive scope and scale.

Closing Comments
I haven’t had this much fun with an open-world game in years. Just Cause 2 is over-the-top and insanely fun. There are some issues in the game’s presentation and the checkpoint system is far from perfect, but Just Cause 2 is otherwise a must-play for adrenaline junkies. Rico Rodriguez might just be my new hero.

DICE, today announced that two massive, all-new multiplayer maps for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be unlocked on March 2nd when the game launches in North America and in the UK on March 5th. This map pack features the Laguna Alta map playable in Conquest mode and Nelson Bay map playable in Rush mode, bringing the total number of multiplayer maps up to 10.

Later in March, DICE will release yet another map pack at no extra charge, giving players a chance to experience the Arica Harbor map in Conquest mode and Laguna Presa map in Rush mode. These content packs are unlocked by simply inputting a VIP code which is included in the box upon purchase.

It hasn’t yet been confirmed if the extra content packs will be placed on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace at a value. This could be a kick in the teeth towards the pre-owned market where those buying 2nd hand will not get access to the content packs – or they may have to pay extra to download them, when the content was already included for the original buyer.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be in stores on March 2, 2010 in North America and March 5, 2010 in UK

First released on the Mythic Disc that came bundled with ‘Halo3: ODST’, the 2nd part of the Mythic Map Pack containing: Heretic, Citadel & Longshore will now be due for release on the Xbox Live Marketplace, February 2nd for 800 MS Points.

This will finally enable those without ‘Halo3: ODST’ to now obtain all the achievements for ‘Halo3′ for a complete 1750/1750 Gamerscore. Despite being able to complete all the VidMasters on Halo3 you will not be able to unlock the in-game Recon Armor which still requires further VidMasters from the ‘Halo3: ODST’ game itself. (just to clear up any confusion)

Brief descriptions of the final Mythic Maps:

Heretic returns players to familiar ground as the Halo 2 arena “Midship” makes its long-rumored debut in Halo 3. The stark interior of the Pious Inquisitor might appear austere on first glance, but Heretic’s symmetrical spaces require players to execute complex strategies in order to outplay their opponents.

Citadel may be a long abandoned Forerunner stronghold, but its small, symmetrical confines are far from secure. Two opposing bases offer little safety for players looking for solace. Instead, Citadel forces small squads to stay in constant communication, keep their heads on a swivel, and be prepared to adjust combat tactics in close quarters.

Longshore lacks the commercial ships that once made it a lucrative port for Old Mombasa, but it still bustles with activity. Designed for large scale combat and well suited for smaller affairs, Longshore’s multitude of industrial buildings, elevated walks, and open inlets conspire to create a complex battleground tailored for multiple combat scenarios.

This has been confirmed by developers, Bungie to be the final ever Map Pack for ‘Halo3′

Way back a few months ago, Dorito’s announced that their Unlock Xbox competition was to return, but this time bigger and better! From the thousands of ideas submitted to be created into an Xbox Live Arcade game the judges have nailed it down to two of the best to go head to head in an Unlock Xbox competition showdown.

First up is a racing game idea called Harms Way by Justin – OGDEN, UTAH

Harms Way is a fast paced, action packed race with both drivers and snipers pairing up. As the sniper, help your driver win by any means necessary. Destroy the opponents, block their path, pick off their sniper, or even create shortcuts and earn nitrous for your driver! As the driver, you will want to be aggressive and ram the other cars. Don’t stick too close for too long though, or your sniper won’t have many options. There are various game modes so everybody can find a mode that is right for them! The sniper campaign has you trying to help your driver through various scenarios. You will need to have fast reflexes and a steady aim to complete the later missions. In singled out, everybody is a sniper except for one target car. If the target finishes the race, they can earn upgrades like bulletproof windshields. If somebody stops the target, they get to be the target next round. Call your shot mode is only racers, but allows you to call for race changing shots. There will be four player splitscreen, online play, and plenty of explosions!

Next comes Avatar Crash Course by Jill – RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA

Avatar Crash Course is high-energy, crazy, and full of comical mishaps and fun for you and your friends. Maneuver your way through ruthless obstacles and crazy levels as your avatar as you battle to be #1! Level up to get sweet power-ups, such as shoes to run faster and a belt that improves your balance. Either play solo through the campaign fighting to achieve the best time and get the gold, or play with up to four of your friends. As you move through each obstacle, you’ll need to press buttons, wiggle sticks, and jump up and down to survive. Be careful not to fall unless you like seeing your avatar get smashed! Avatar Crash Course is great played as a party game, or through the campaign as you try to level up and beat your best times. You even win an awesome avatar track suit after beating the game! Endless fun awaits in Avatar Crash Course.

Now that two finalists remain and will fully develop their games with the help of a pro-gaming studio. These two will go head-to-head in a final clash where gamers everywhere get to play the games first-hand and vote on who wins the ultimate prize: a $50,000 game consulting gig with Doritos® Brand. Voting for the best game will take place on the UnlockXbox website where the creation of both games will be heavily documented.

Both titles will be Free to download this Fall, but from the two pitches, which one are you most looking forward too?

Doritos presents Unlock Xbox – the competition where your game idea can be made a reality is back and bigger than ever! This time around there will be not one, but two winners where each will see their game turned into a real project. Finally a fan-selected grand prize winner will receive a $50,000 gaming consultant project for Doritos.

Last years winner was Dash of Destruction, a game where a hungry T- Rex is chasing a fast moving truck carrying a load of Doritos through a complex, roaming metropolis. The player could play as the dinosaur or the truck driver. Crap as it was – at least it was free!

This year hopefully the competition is tougher, the designers more talented and so long as you live in the US then you can enter.

Taken from the Entry Website:

The chance of a lifetime starts with your brilliant idea for an Xbox Live™ Arcade game. Simply send us a two-minute video pitch (less than 20MB) promoting your idea for the greatest Xbox Live™ Arcade game ever. Don’t worry, it’s easy and we’ll walk you through the process – just remember, have fun. Go crazy with drawings, photographs, props, costumes, sound effects – whatever it takes to get your game idea across in a fun and energetic way. Remember, we’re looking for creativity. It doesn’t have to be Doritos® branded. It can be about anything, so long as it falls into one of TEN GAMING CATEGORIES. All we ask is that you take the essence and intensity that is Doritos® and bring that out in your break through game concept.

If you have an idea which can only be an improvement on last year! Entries for the competition are open until October 4th 2009 by submitting a video through the official UnlockXbox website (no game design experience necessary, it’s all taken care of)

Using Doritos and a little imagination, what would you create?