Since Christmas I have gotten a few games and had a chance to play them. Who knows at somepoint I might play some of the PC games waiting for me, most likely not until I get a new machine.
Gears of War - This was and still is the best looking game on any console. Some will say that it is all fluff and no substance but I think that is unfair. There is a good 1st/3rd person shooter in this game and it has great co-op. I got to play with Chris a whole bunch and almost completed the whole game co-op. It is a relatively short game, but full of action. Hopefully it also shows what we will be coming down the line from Unreal Engine 3 games. It is a lot of fun if you are into shooters.
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - I wasn't totally sure what to expect of this game. It hadn't gotten a lot of good reviews. It is a fairly simplistic 3rd person run and gun shooter. It doesn't have a lot of depth but it is just a bunch of fun. About 60% of the game you are on foot with various weapons. One of the fun parts is grabbing the guns of mechs and dragging them around. The other 40% of the game is spent in the aforementioned mechs. There are quite few different mechs to use some I liked better than others. You can also modify the weapons on each by grabbing of other mechs you find. The game wasn't very long but it was almost non-stop action. There was also a pretty good storyline that was fleshed out via well made cut scenes. A good straight action shooter.
Crackdown - I have to admit that the game came with an entry into the Halo 3 Beta helped push me to get this game. However it is a really fun game. Many will say this game is like GTA or Saints Row and it is in regards to being an open area game, but otherwise I don't think it is that similar. You play as bionic cop who can upgrade with experience. As the game goes on you get stronger, faster, better at jumping and better at shooting or explosives. The game has a really large island to explore and is also very vertical especially compared to other games. There were points where I had to look away from screen as I jumped since it was giving me vertigo. Unfortunately the boss battles are a little too easy after a point. You simply run up and kick them repeatedly. The game though is just fun, it was the first game in a while that I really wanted to go back to and play for hours (much to Kelly's chagrin). I definitely recommend this game.
Viva Piñata - For Christmas I attempted to get Kelly into games a little more. One of my attempts was Viva Piñata. In this game you create a garden to attract piñatas. After you get them to your garden you feed them, breed them and generally take care of them. Kelly seems to really like this game. Usually she loses all track of time and then yells at me for making (letting) her play for so long. Usually she gets most frustrated at the game when it interrupts her. I don't think this is really a kids game since it is a little complex, but it is more a family friendly game than any of the above.
Viva Pinata = TIME DRAIN!!!