Singularity completed, Kinect Labs started

So I finished up Singularity last week before I had to travel for a few days for work. Great game. I really wish I had gotten into this game before the multiplayer community died, I would have liked to check out those modes. Since I couldn't ever get into a game I simply traded the game away and didn't worry with completing the achievements for this game.

Kinect Fun Labs. Wow, four mini games with 50 gamerscore each. An easy, and free, 200 with only a few "grindy" ones. I finished up Kinect Me, which was pretty accurate considering my lighting issues that my Kinect has always complained about, is a fun little photo-booth style app that scans your face and clothing into an Avatar-like body. Googly Eyes lets you scan objects in and make puppets that you can put googly eyes on, and make little videos to share. Build A Buddy is similar, but you make little "buddies" that you don't puppet around the app.

These games are great little tech demos to show off the power of the Kinect. However, with releasing some titles that are now giving away only 50 gamerscore, is it now the time to start clamoring for Xbox Live Indie Games getting the same ability for their paid versions? Fifty gamerscore seems like a good amount to allow these independent developers to have, and only in the paid versions.

Long Weekend

So I've been working slowly through the single-player portion of Singularity and I'll have to say I'm digging the atmosphere. This game reminds me a lot of Bioshock, with the dark-creepy atmosphere. I really dig the time-line flashbacks that are presented in-game. I think that's a really good touch to present story elements in a way that flows with the overall story and atmosphere of the game. As far as the achievements, it seems like they almost left checkpoints in that the testers exploited for the weapon based achievements. Almost all of the achievements for gun-specific kill counts can be performed at almost the next checkpoint after you get the weapon. All you have to do is restart checkpoint to your hearts content and grind them out. Some of these can even be done the instant you get the gun (here's looking at you Drive By).

Overlooking that slight ability to cheapen some of the achievements, the game throws them at you pretty liberally in the single-player portion, and there are several story based achievements, a handful of collectibles, and a few miss-able ones. A pretty good mix I must say. I'm not sure what the multiplayer population is for this game, so I doubt I'll get many (if any) of those before this one goes out for trade on Goozex.