Released: 06/17/07
Cost: 800 Microsoft Points ($10)
More Info: Carcassonne @ Xbox.com

Intro: Let me first start off by saying sorry to Microsoft and Sierra Games.  They were gracious enough to give me a review copy of the full game, but it was right before my Xbox 360 went down for the count with the red lights of doom again.  I finally got my 360 back a little bit ago, and just never put enough time into the game to get my review out in a timely fashion.  Without further delays, here is my review of Carcassonne.

About the game:
The Xbox Live Arcade Game Carcassonne is based on the German board game with the same name.  It is a board game with a midieval theme in which you place various tiles on to create towns roads and farms.  There is a limited number of tiles that are distributed across all the players of the game, and you dont see the tile until its your turn to place it.  Obviously the goal is to make the longest road, the biggest cities, and the largest farms, thus raising your points. 

 Read the full Review

Well last night I actually got a bit of gaming in for a change.  I booted up The Darkness one last time before it had to go back to Blockbuster today, and unfortunately I still haven’t completed the story - I am going to have to buy or rent it again soon.  The only complaint I have with the game is often the checkpoints seem a bit far between each other, for the second time in the story I am at a point where I travel quite a while and kill quite a few enemies but die and have to redo it over again.  I am 95% sure I am dying right before the checkpoint, but rekilling the same 20 or so enemies gets a bit tedius.

I finally got to play Carcassonne - well I played it back in May on the Gamerscore Blog Tour, but this is the first time I got to play the game on my own console due to my repair and lower play time lately.  The best part was I was able to play the tutorial, and actually get a better understanding of how the game works, in fact I only played the tutorial and a few 1 player games (which I lost).

Then I gave Spyglass board games a try.  Thanks to Deaconblade 360 I won a free copy of the full game.  Just to give the game a trial run I played 1 Player mode only.  Played a game of checkers (won), played a game of Reversi (won), played 2 games of chess (loss), and played 3 games of Mancala (lost).  I love chess, but clearly I am not very good at it.  Mancala - well I still dont even understand how this game works.  I read the rules and still it confuses me, maybe one of you readers know how the hell it works.

Finally I booted up Forza Motorsport 2, and played a few races and boosted one of my cars up with some parts.  My buddy Th3 Strange gifted me a pretty sweet custom car promoting The Live Eye and 360friendspot.  He had previously shown me pictures I will have to find them again and post them - or take new ones myself.

I briefly played a Price of Persia: Rival Sword (Wii).  Mostly just played the begining part that teaches you the controls and how to save etc.  It was relatively interesting so I am probably going to play through that a bit more.

What: Carcassonne
When: 06/27/07 05:00 AM EST
How Much: 800 Microsoft Points  ($10)
Screen Shots: My Gallery
More Info: Carcassonne Page

I got to give this a quick try on the gamerscoreblog tour, and sadly I was utterly defeated by Morgon @ Mygamercard.net - but it was still pretty fun.  Easiest way to describe it would be to take Catan and merge it from a card game to a board game - at least thats what I thought of when we played.  I say definately give the demo a spin you might like it :)  Official press release to follow:

Build a Medieval Empire on Xbox LIVE Arcade with the Popular German Board Game “Carcassonne”

The classic, well-known European board game “Carcassonne” arrives on Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 this Wednesday, June 27 at 9:00 a.m. GMT (2:00 a.m. Pacific).

Named after the medieval fortified town of Carcassonne in southern France, famed for its city walls, “Carcassonne” for Xbox LIVE Arcade starts with an empty landscape and a single square tile. Using strategic tactics and a little luck, one to five four players take turns selecting from 72 tiles displaying various features of a city including roads, the walls of a castle or fields. The medieval countryside thrives as players and their opponents place tiles and complete towns, roads, and farms while competing to accumulate the most points.

The rules of the game are easy with no elimination and fast gameplay – perfect for just about anyone! Although simple, devoted players will find layers of strategy that will keep them coming back for more. Combining a fresh visual experience and the opportunity to always have a playing partner, “Carcassonne” is the future for board game fanatics.

“Carcassonne” from Sierra Online is the Xbox LIVE Arcade edition of the hit multiplayer tile-based German board game of the same name, designed by Klaus-Jurgen. Shortly after its release in Germany in 2000, the board game won Spiel des Jahres in 2001, the European equivalent of a Game of the Year Award.

“Carcassonne” will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points and is rated E for Everyone.

Game Features

• Special AI settings to challenge any skill level
• Challenge your friends – Up to five players can play over Xbox LIVE or up to four players can play on the same Xbox 360
• Interact with new and old friends alike over Xbox LIVE while you play “Carcassonne” with the Xbox LIVE Vision camera
• Helpful step-by-step tutorial to teach you the game in minutes
• Skill-based matchmaking for ranked games
• The complete “Carcassonne” includes 72 tiles and all rule sets
• “Carcassonne” includes the “Rivers II” expansion set - 12 additional tiles
• Earn up to 200 Gamerscore and 12 Achievements