text stringlengths 503 33.4k | labels stringclasses 23 values |
|---|---|
Poor All Round. At first glance Turning Point: Fall of Liberty looks like an interesting game. There are plenty games out there that take place during real battles and campaigns of World War Two, but here we have a "What If" scenario. What if Winston Churchill didn't survive a fateful car accident that he had while visiting New York in 1931?
The folks at Codemasters seem to think that the Third Reich, after conquering Europe would launch an invasion of the United State eastern sea border in 1953.
This game took only seven hours to play, and I whish I had those seven ours back. It's as the Angry Video Game Nerd saids, "a TISH load of KUCF." The game feels like it was rush out with chucks of content cut out becomes they didn't meet the ridiculously short deadline.
You control a New York construction worker Dan Carson who seems to know how to use German weapons, knows something about hand to hand combat, and how to wire bombs, this is never explained. Like Master Chief and the Marine in "Doom" you are fighting this invasion single handedly, your NPC resistance fighters and national guard soldiers are killed within five minutes of their introduction, at least they provide you with ammo for American weapons because it doesn't show up anywhere else.
The controls are hideously stiff, making movement and aiming abysmally slow and even jerky, it's like trying to move around underwater. The graphics are not as sharp or as detail as they could be (yes I know this game came out in ought six, but Half-Life 2 came out the pervious year and that game is still beautiful today).
The game is also plagued with various video bugs that are never fixed, unlike other games that routinely update their games; Codemasters has no update patches for Turning Point. There seem to be jump cuts in the video when you reach a draw point, there would be about a two second freeze then a wall or a door would appear right in your face and a nazi would spawn right behind you and club you to death. The only ragdoll physics is when you kill some one, the fall to the floor or onto a table and then freeze with their arms and legs at ridicules angels. There's also lousy hit detection.
This is a massive shame because on the surface it's a great idea of a game. Alterative World War Two. But Codemasters doesn't take advantage of the game's setting and there doesn't seem to be to many history buffs over at the Codemaster office.
What about the Japanese? Won't we've still gone to war with the Japs in 1941? And developed the atomic bomb? Maybe Carson is a veteran of the War with Japan.
No mention of Japan is every made. In fact there is no back round information about what is going on aside from the death of Churchill. The player doesn't know that after conquering the British Isle in 1940 the Reich goes on to conquer Russia and most of northern Africa and the Middle East, giving German access to lots of oil, that they trade to Japan, allowing Japan to conquer the rest of Asia and making the US's trade embargoes against Japan redundant, thus no Pear Harbor attack, no War with Japan, thus no war with Germany. And no nukes for the US.
None of this appears in the game, it is only mention in publicly material and the games profile page on Wikipedia. | video-games_xbox |
A Guilty Pleasure. Firstly, I have never written a review for a game or anything else prior to this. The only reason I am is because this game is A) a hidden gem and deserves to sell way more copies than it has and B) It's the first game this year that I have liked it enough to get all the achievements in it.
Having played the other AoT games with the first being my favorite by far - I was a little nervous about purchasing it when I heard Visceral was going to be taking over the development of this game but they did a great job. I purchased it day one at Amazon and at Gamestop (because I forgot that I had it preordered) so I got the Rapper mission dlc which is actually a pretty fun Contract mission.
This game shifts away from Rios and Salem (the main characters of the previous two) and on to two new guys, Alpha and Bravo. The story is intentionally cliched and silly (the main characters make several jokes about how lame it is). In that way, AoT3 reminds me of 50 Cent's Blood on the Sand which was the same way (if you don't have that game stop reading and go buy that now instead) - a crazy story just to provide an excuse to go all over and shoot everything in sight.
They did get rid of some of the mini games from the first games (Paper Rock Scissors and the air guitar stuff) which isn't that much of loss really. The graphics are awesome and I definitely recommend installing the HD Def graphics pack if you have room on your hard-drive.
A previous review said the screen was too cluttered and it definitely felt that way to me at first. Once you kind of learn what to pay attention to and what to ignore you get used to it really fast. The controls seem clunkier to me on this installment and it was harder for me to get my guy to drop into cover whenever I wanted (kind of like Spec Ops The Line - Great shooting and story meets horrible controls).
My favorite feature and the thing that my friends & I play most in this game are the Contract missions which you get after beating certain missions. These are so much fun - you have limited overkill and the goal is to keep shooting everything in sight or your overkill runs out and you become vulnerable to enemy fire. There 4 of these but you only get 3 unless you preordered from Gamestop which kind of sucks because the GS mission is really fun and I wish everyone got a chance to play it.
Insane difficulty is actually not too bad but I recommend playing with the computer because it does a great job of staying alive and reviving you until about the last 3 levels. It was difficult but not overly cheap which is about the highest praise I can give.
I'll close by saying this is one of the most fun coop games that I have played since the original Gears and well worth the money at the current price of $39.99. | video-games_xbox |
Great songs and very little overlap with the PS2 songs. I own all the DDR titles that I know of for the PS2 (Flow-Urban Dance Uprising, DDR Max 1 and 2, DDR Extreme 1 and 2, Into the Groove, Pump it Up), so I was afraid that buying a DDR title for the Xbox would have a lot of overlap in the songs offered for the PS2, but there are tons of wonderful new songs to play, and a wider range of styles. This was well worth the money.
I love how many songs have videos, and I love the quirky song choices and the range of genres. There is Istanbul (Not Constantinople) by They Might be Giants, Rock Lobster by the B-52's (with a video), Alphabet Aerobics by Blackalicious (awesome, it speeds up as the song goes so by the end you are really skipping!), Sakura (the speed changes in this one really keep me challanged), Hey Mama by the Black Eyed Peas, and Nari Narien which is fun Indian-inspired techno. The difficulties are similar to DDR Max and Extreme titles - I usually play standard to heavy and I feel like there is a lot of room to grow into this game.
My RedOctane Ignition pad with the included XBox connector works great with this game. The load times are reasonably fast, too.
This is a great addition to a full DDR library of titles.
The (mostly complete) songlist:
I Am Gothic (2003 Remix) - Spray
Raise Your Hands - Midihead
Conflict (Turmoil mix) - The Azoic
Bassile - OR-IF-IS
Hash the Sun - Chatanix
Moment 40 - Moshic
Balalaika, Carried With The Wind (Jondi & Spesh mix) - Julie Ann Frost
BYE BYE BABY BALLOON - JOGA
Come With Me - Raindancer
Together & Forever - Captain Jack
BUTTERFLY - Smile.dk
e-motion - e.o.s.
Jelly Kiss (Midihead's Smak Remix) - Sana
Akumajo Dracula Medley - Kukeiha Club
CANDY(star) - Luv unlimited
BRE∀KDOWN - Be For U
Destiny Lovers - Kunitake Miyuki
Firefly - Be For U
KISS ME ALL NIGHT LONG - NAOKI J-STYLE feat. MIU
SAKURA - RevenG
Miracle Moon ~L.E.D. LIGHT STYLE MIX~ - Togo Project feat. Sana
Alphabet Aerobics - Blackalicious
Bag - RevenG
Bath of Least Resistance - NOFX
Body Rock (Olav Basoski's Da Hot Funk Da Freak Funk Remix) - Moby
CARNIVAL DAY - Paula Terry & Fu Fu's
Come With Me - Yahel & Tammy
Crazy In Love - wg feat. Indra J
Daikenkai - Des-ROW 限UNION
Delta 32(UFO! Remix) - True Force
Hateful - The Clash
Hey Mama - Black Eyed Peas
Hot On the Phone - Boyjazz
I Just Wanna Live - Good Charlotte
Imperfection (Tycho Brahe mix) - Real Life
Istanbul (Not Constantinople) - They Might Be Giants
Mi Alma - Ozomatli
Midnight Frankenstein - Stay Gold Pony Boy
Nari Narien (Jay Dabhi remix) - Jay Dabhi vs. Hisham Abbas
Play That Funky Music - wg feat. Tony L.
pot-pourri d'orange - Orange Lounge
Rock Lobster - B-52's
Rock-a-billy Willy - Big Idea
So Many Times - Gadjo
Stakeout (Ultra:mix) - Freezepop
Sunflower Girl - SHORTCUTS
Superstylin' - Groove Armada
The Cat In The Moon - 901(Clay)
The Cult of Gnosyllis - Orange Koresh
The Imperial Carnival - kumiko
The Spirit of Hawk - chuji
Virtual Insanity - wg feat. Austin Willacy
Walk This Way - Run D.M.C.
What I'd Say - Ray Charles
Where's Your Head At - Basement Jaxx
Whip It - Devo
Why (Club Mix) - Nevarakka
Drivin' - NAOKI feat. Paula Terry
Brilliant R*E*D - NAOKI feat. Tahirih Walker
Love This Feelin' (ZONK REMIX) - Akira Yamaoka
Jelly Kiss (Midihead's SMAK mix) - Togo Project feat. Sana
Colors (Midihead's Sapphire mix) - dj TAKA
Danca de Yuka - Big Idea
Insaner - Jondi & Spesh
rainbow flyer - dj TAKA | video-games_xbox |
Not as fun as the first two. I don't get some of the complaints about this game. It still has a lot of the creepiness of the first two in the series for those that love that about the Dead Space universe. I did however feel the game needed a breakup of settings of sorts, and this game definitely delivers on that front. However, I do agree that it seems kind of not certain of what it exactly wants to be, and that the combat situations are clunky and not done very well. However, what bothers me by far the most about this game as opposed to the first two are 1), it is MUCH harder. I played this game on the easiest level, and was still fighting for my life at every turn, so much so that it wasn't even fun. On it's easiest level (casual), it was harder than Dead Space 2 was on the next level up. You practically don't have a moment to relax and catch your breath, ever, which brings me to the next thing I hated about this game, 2) the weapons crafting system, is an overly complicated mess! Gone is the simplistic way the first two games allowed you to upgrade your weapons, and no matter how you upgrade them, they are never nearly as powerful as the situation calls for, which is again, part of what makes it so much harder (and not as fun) as Dead Space 2. Even when you find a weapon that works well against a certain necromorph, it may not work as well against a different necromoprh, on the SAME LEVEL. Who cares how good it may work against one type of enemy, when it works like crap against the very next one! This may not be as big of deal, but unlike the first two Dead Space games, where you could carry up to four weapons, you can never carry more than two here, which only leaves you even less prepared to face the necromorphs who are literally in droves around every corner.
I wasn't half-way through this game before I was just playing it all the time hoping it was over as soon as possible. It is without doubt the most frustrating game I've ever played. | video-games_xbox |
Good For Getting Started. I've been playing guitar pretty casually for about 5 years now, and the Mustang Pro Guitar has been great for helping push me in terms of learning. I'm still no Jimi Hendrix, and I probably won't ever be, but I've certainly improved quite a bit since buying it. The new Train Song mode in Rock Band 3 has been amazing for this. That said, the product is not without its flaws.
Some thoughts: I can't tell you how much help it is to be able to play along with the backing track of the game, without your part in it unless you're playing it. It helps you pick out exactly what your instrument is doing, and how it fits into the song. Since you're just triggering the parts that are already recorded, you don't have to worry about matching EQ and effects to wonder if THAT's why it sounds different when you play, or anything like that. Unfortunately, because you're just triggering the prerecorded notes and chords, when you mess up, you can't hear exactly how you messed up. That's been the biggest help when I play Pro Keys with my own keyboard in RB3: if I can hear how I messed up the note I messed up, that helps me understand how to not mess it up next time. You don't get that with this Mustang (though you will get it with the Squier when that comes out). This can be alleviated by learning the song on the game and then working it out and practicing on a real guitar, which you should have if you're actually trying to learn. You can get a cheap starter guitar for about the same as the Mustang, so there's no reason not to, really.
But that's all about the general Pro Guitar experience, I suppose, and not the Mustang in particular.
The Mustang, while great, does present some problems. As brought up in numerous other interviews, there's a certain amount of disconnect present between the strings and the buttons, which is difficult for guitar players because you tend to coordinate your hands based on them touching the same physical string that runs all the way up the neck. This is exacerbated by the fact that the strings/buttons are all the same thickness, thickness being another cue for a guitar player to know what strings their hands are on. However, this really isn't that big of a deal. You get used to it fairly quickly, and if you're just starting out without prior guitar experience, then maybe learning how to tell where your hands are without those two cues will make you better. Then again, maybe it will make it way harder to learn. I dunno, string thickness wasn't something I ever thought about consciously until the Mustang.
The only other problem I've run into with it is that its ability to use both Pro Guitar and regular Guitar modes on RB3 isn't that great if you play regular Guitar mode on Expert (or probably hard). It takes a little getting used to on Medium or Easy, but it's definitely doable, and my friends have no complaints. But I tend to play on expert because I am a nerd who has been playing Rock Band (and the first two Guitar Heroes) for effing ever, and I can't do expert Guitar on the Mustang for crap. My hands just refuse to do it. This may be because my brain can't let my hands work the Rock Band play style on a real-shaped guitar. Who knows? (I don't.)
Bottom line, it's a great starter product, and great for learning on, but it shouldn't be your only source of guitar playing fun. Get a real guitar, too. I think one of RB1's loading screens recommended that, actually, so this is really just Harmonix's way of driving that point home. | video-games_xbox |
My Halo3 360 was great, but all good things must come to an end. I consider myself an unbiased gamer and have played many different consoles and brands over the years. My reason for buying the 360 was for the game library, including the obvious Halo 3 among several others. Thus I can honestly say that, from the moment I bought this console I have experienced no freezes or hardware failures of any kind. Maybe I'm just one of the lucky few, but my 360 has been working flawlessly for about 6 months now. If you manage to lay hands on a console that works as well as mine, you can't go wrong with the 360. I love the design, the menu layout, the controller, and the library.
As far as it having the Falcon chipset, I don't know. There are numerous sites on the web offering various methods of determining if you've gotten one of the vaunted Falcons, but I have no idea who is right or wrong.
My console has had a Nyko Intercooler EX on it since the second week i've owned it. This may or may not have contributed to my lack of problems, but I do recommend this accessory since it is only $20 and the additional ventilation can only help your console.
My final word: If you are unwilling to take the chance of having to deal with a defective console, and there are no 360 games that you MUST play, then spend your gaming dollars elsewhere.
On the other hand, if you're like me and are willing to take the risk in order to play Halo 3, Gears of War, and all the other 360 games, take the plunge.
Just do your research and make sure that the console you're looking at has the game library and features that you're looking for before you slap your money on the table.
Update 2/21/10
Well, I couldn't escape the inevitable. Even the mighty Halo 3 edtition xbox 360 could not escape Microsoft's problems with their latest console. I was about to plug in Bayonetta, having played it only hours before, when my console gave me the great "E74" error. I just mailed the console out last Saturday and am now waiting for it's return and the price tag for the repair. The more I think about it the more I wonder if part of the problem with the 360 is the amount it gets played. I played the crap out of this console for 2 and a half years, a better run than most. The sad part is that if my console ever does completely brick, I will probably buy a new one. Good luck to all of you who roll the dice on the 360!!! | video-games_xbox |
Shockingly, it completely omits HOBBIT film three (battle of the 5 Armies) but you get a playable Tom Bombidil. I love the LEGO GAMES and LOTR, I love the LOTR LEGO toys even, but The Lord of the Rings Lego games are the weakest of their consistently successful franchise. One flaw with both with are the open world map that mixes side quests with main story. It can become very difficult to find where your main story thread had left off if you stop playing before you've solved the main story. Speaking of the main story for the first time in any LEGO game I've run across the main story is shockingly incomplete, there is no Battle of the Five Armies third film content not if there any true resolution to poor Bilbo Bagins Quest! After defeating The Dragon in a manner that will make fans of LOTR literature or films baffled and appalled at the limits of LEGO retcons, the credits roll! I was shocked. Given the nature of X Box downloadable content and the move to turn a one time purchase into a series of future buys, I expected there to be a Hobbit 3 expansion game in the future. Like most LEGO GAMES certain characters can do certain things you need to advance the game and solve puzzles (sadly 70% look nearly identical), if you try to use an equal character in freeplay you most likely find that you can't finish a boss fight if you forget who was in the original story mode. You also have difficulty getting side quest character to realize and reward you for finishing said side quests. This game is particularly choosy about how you may used ranged weapons and inconsistent distinctions between sling and bow, you have very little freedom even in freeplay (but then it's nearly impossible to keep unlocked weapons without digging through inventory each time you swap). One new element to the game is clearly inspired by Minecraft, you need to collect, not only money studs, but raw materials for making things (many of the side quest are getting plans and supplies to do just that). So you'll spend twices much time picking things up. But hats off for LEGO designers for including TOM BOMBADIL who missed all 6 film adaptions (even Radagast made a few), granted his special power is digging and growing but, mah. | video-games_xbox |
Dying Light is a ton of fun and should be part of any zombie gamer's game collection. As a fan of zombie culture I waited for Dying Light for a LONG time. I pre-ordered and then suffered through the release date being pushed back, back again and then forward. Fortunately it was all worth the wait. There hasn't been a zombie game this well done, this challenging and this much fun in a long time. I've been waiting for a perfect open world zombie game for years and Dying Light almost delivered.
PROS:
- Graphics are pretty amazing.
- Open World. You can pretty much go anywhere and explore everything
- Near perfect difficulty level. Just frustrating enough at times to keep you interested and easy enough where it should be. Once you master the game you can even try hard mode to make things even more difficult!
- The Developers actually listen to the gaming community and appear to be committed to furthering this franchise based on the gaming community's feedback
- Parkour and combat are very well mixed
- A great balance between firearms and melee weapons
- Realistic progression with weapons and skills. You need to spend a little time grinding it out in order to upgrade your weapons early on
- Establishing safe houses around the map is helpful and fun
- Roam around and loot, search and bash zombies when you aren't in the mood to do missions etc.
The single player offline campaign mode has been so much fun I haven't even tried much with multiplayer yet and I've owned the game since release day
CONS:
- The campaign isn't too long but expect to invest a significant amount of time in order to upgrade your weapons etc. It seems like a long time if you're a busy gamer that can only play in shorter spurts.
- I wish this had a local coop mode but you'll hear me say that about most zombie games these days
- I find the concept of "crafting" weapons in zombie games to be a bit tired and over done. I wasn't excited when I heard this announced for Dying Light, but it's actually done pretty well and can significantly improve your melee weapon effectiveness
- Weapons can be damaged and most can only be repaired a certain number of times The concept of weapons being able to be damaged or brokn makes this game realistic. Unfortunately it happens at the most inconvenient times if you don't pay attention. I'm most irritated with the fact that most weapons can only be repaired a certain amount of times before they're junk.
Overall Dying Light is a blast. I don't feel disappointed in spending $59.99 which is rare with many console games I encounter. If your'e on the fence I'd say get it. If you find this on sale at a reduced price I wouldn't hesitate in picking it up. It would be a steal! | video-games_xbox |
Best MMO 360 game. *NOTICE* I only play online with this game. If you truely want to get the "meat n potatoes" of this game then you have to play it online in versus mode.
Ive owned this game since december and played it untill about april nonstop untill the dlc came out, now im back to playing it nonstop all over again.
This game is compeletely a team work game and if you don't work together as a team then you will get you A$$ easily handed to you online. Make sure you don't split up or wander to far away from each other. If you do make sure your in teams of 2 so it makes you harder to be attacked.
The survival mode was awesome at first, but the leader boards were quickly swamped with unreal times from people glitching and getting over 4000 mins on saome levels, which is frankly impossible. It is extremely fun though to play with your friends and see how good you really are and how long you last.
The new maps are awesome been playing them pretty much non-stop everyday for a few hours after work. Death toll has some great spots to high pounce from (extra damage with a hunter when your jumping down ontop of them.) While death toll adds a level where your both inside and out unlike the other maps.
The updates. A few of the updates give me mixed feelings such as the melee timer. While it is very annoying not being able to smack the zombies off when your being swarmed it does make you use more stragety when you do. It promotes team play better because 1 person cannot just go running and smacking all the zombies outa his way anymore (gotta hate those "halo run-and-gun F everyone else" players.) Also taking away the extra damage you do as a hunter on fire kinda sucks, it just made it alot easier to do massive damage to players instead of just being shot or bashed off easily. The smoker instant kill points i feel should have remained as well because it was part of the orginal design of the game. It made playing with the smoker alot more rewarding considering the smoker doesnt do nearly the same amount of damage as a hunter can.
-p.s: When you do buy this game and plan on playing online, please make sure you have a headset. TRUST ME there is nothing more annoying than a teammate that cannot communicate and it will usually get you kicked out of most games and/or lobbies. | video-games_xbox |
Madden 15 review. Madden NFL 15 Review
By
Demerye Paulin
My mom always knew I loved the game of football because that was
all I talked about as a little boy. Beginning in 2001for my birthday, she
purchased Madden NFL 2001, a gift I still remember like it was yesterday.
So every year since then, I have gone out and bought the game for myself
and enjoyed every minute of it.
Madden NFL 15 is the newest installment of the franchise, featuring
Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks on its cover. What makes this
2015 game so unique is that it is the representation of all the other
versions that came before it. So when I'm playing the current Madden and
I see how the players catch the ball, how they tackle and how they move,
it reminds me how far the graphics have come. This game has brought
more of a balance to offense, defense, how to kick the football and gives
me more control over all the players on my team.
This game was created through the vision of John Madden, a former
football coach for the Oakland Raiders and color commentator for
primetime National Football League games. John Madden's game debuted
in 1988, and since then the popularity of newer iterations has grown. One
interesting point is that for a number of years, the game featured on its
cover the most marketable athlete from the last season played. A few years
ago for the cover of Madden NFL 2011, the developers let the fans vote for
who should be on the cover.
What I like about Madden 15 is that the players look so much like
their real life counterparts, it's incredible. Voiceovers have been completed
on each starting quarterback in the game, so when I hear them speaking
before the play starts, it is really that quarterback's voice shouting out.
Each player in real life has their own skill set, things that they do
really well that separates them from other players in the league. This too
is apparent in the game when I need something to go right for me like
scoring a touchdown. I can also rely on the player who is most productive
in that situation to make something happen.
The commentators in the game, Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, also did
voiceover work for the game to make sure each contest doesn't sound the
same each time I play. The fatigue engine is also a positive for Madden 15
as well. Players get tired just like real life as the game progresses, which
means I have to be able to pay close attention in order to make
substitutions so that a player doesn't get injured from being overused.
Even though the game is well put together, it is very easy at times to
outsmart the computer if you are not actually playing against another
person who can pick up on your tendencies. If there is one particular play
you like to call in a certain situation, the computer may pick the right call
to defend it, but it is random. They may have just so happened to
randomly pick the right play depending on the difficulty level you choose.
Throwing the ball against your opponent can prove to be slightly
easier than the other way around. This is because the defense for some
reason are a second slow to react to me as the quarterback throwing the
ball, which means completing a high percentage of your throws in a game
is almost a given. If these issues are dealt with, I believe this can become
one of the more complete sports games on the market.
Besides football, I would also recommend NBA 2k15, featuring Kevin
Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder on the cover. Graphically, all I can
say is prepare to be amazed at how authentic the players on the game
look. The sweat from the players, the way the players react to the calls by
the referees, and the facial scans of the players are something to see.
NBA 2k15 was the first game I purchased for the PlayStation 4 and
it was money well spent. The pregame show, the three man commentary
and how each player, just like the football game, play just like their real
life counterparts are what make this game special. Both Madden 15 and
NBA 2k15 have a lot to offer to anyone looking to take their gaming experience to the next level. | video-games_xbox |
Definite replay value. I know the game is short - that is mentioned many times. You have to ask yourself one thing before buying it: Did you like Diablo's format? (Do the game, then do it harder with the same character?) If you did, then you'll actually enjoy this game. I will admit the amount of lives is completely ludicrous in one-player (this isn't so bad in 4-player, but it doesn't scale!), but the fact you can import/export your hunter (a major thing not mentioned) is a huge issue.
I had wished the X-Box had PC like abilities to get more levels, as that would make this game drastically more replayable. As is, unlocking all the monsters and the two spare hunters (Wayward and Carpenter, which isn't really a Hunter but appears as one) is completely worthwhile.
The most fun you can have with the monsters is saving them to the X-Box memory discs and getting togethor for some 4-way Hunter with friends either A) Packing your badass decked out Hunter and playing 'Iron Man' mode <Die, you die!>, which makes the game considerably more interesting, or B) Picking a selection of monsters and playing the game as a troupe of Fomori, BSD, and Sabbat.
Which brings me to the two gripes I had - I know this game had a WoD licenese, but apparently ONLY for the Hunter book specifically, as the characters go -out of their way- to avoid actually mentioning WoD terms such as Banes, Fomori, the Wyrm, etc. The closest I could find was one enemy named a Throwback, that was most obvioulsy a Fomori (From White Wolf's book Freak Legion), but the monster itsself had NOTHING in common with the source Fomori, which is esseintly someone that took too many "pump you up muscle" pills tainted by the Wyrm (evil for those who have no idea what I'm talking about), and turn into really, really strong dumb jocks that loathe women and have a few other odd powers. The Throwbacks from Redeemer's closest bonus is they have a football tackle - other than that, they are walking massive zombies that eat more damage than a tank and have armor and spikes coming out of their skin.
Which brings to my final gripe. For a game based almost entirely around Freak Legion / The Book of the Wyrm, it's drastically too mild. Genefex is obviously a Pentex subsitedary, but Pentex is never mentioned (which I can live with given it's nature.) But the Fomori models just aren't that disgusting or creepy - they feel too much like enemies from Quake, barring an encounter with Santa Clause and his vomit-spewing Teddy Bears.. that one really did capture the mood. The concept art showed most of the monsters (once you unlocked it) as skinnier, more human, and more decayed looking.. and unfortunatly the modelers felt the need to "Pump them up."
I'm not a very big WoD fan when it comes to Vampires, Werewolves, etc.. probably because I'm not the goth target base.. and the Wyrm really appeals to a very different audience). This game really had a potetional to put in some of the most disturbing enemies of all time and it really softened them up way too much. The book on which they were based gives them powers like "Savage Genetallia" and "Stomach Pumper" which when combined with the Worms taint can allow you to projectile vomit man-eating worms. There's a lot of psychological horror involved, too, crossing with the total splatter-movie effect, at least in the books. The game, however, is strictly PG and keeps to monsters you've probably seen a million times in other games.. even the bizzare demented ones never quite reach the level of grotesqe that they should.
Last but not least, I'll mention the story.. the mood is there, with the basic Garou (Werewolf) vs Pentex story and the Hunters get thrown in the middle. The ridiculas parts are A) There are no run ins with police, B) NPCs are beyond unrealistic acting at all <Hunters are the only ones that can see most monsters for what they are.. so after you blow away what appears to everyone as five random people on the street, noone cares at all. Likewise, when Ghouls attack people in a dance club and you cut their heads off in front of everyone, noone mildly panics unless you cut their heads off -before- the attack, then they freak out> and this makes the storyline seem laughable. Topping that off is the Redeemer, who makes Blood Rayne's outfit look much less stupid. Given the look of the rest of the characters, every time she's jiggling in a cutscene, I wanted to sigh. Esp. since she doesn't actually redeem anything, and only stops the Hunters from being total idiots. I won't mention the Werewolf you meet later on that's too stupid to just shift to human form ever, when it would allow him to just waltz out of a bad situation. In addition to all this, it's never explained WHY the foot soldiers and the First Teams (Here known as "Security") are fighting at all; in the beginning these things seem to be on the Werewolves side, then, on Genefex's side, and eventually everyone wins up killing them. Why would Genefex's own forces be assaulting Genefex, defending Genefex, and everything inbetween? I have no idea.
...So while the basic concept of the plot, while simple, is solid and fun for those who know what's going on.. the actual story is very minimally handled. This doesn't detract from the "check your brain at the door" gameplay, however, and it doesn't do anything too ludicrous with the source material (other than Edges being drastically more powerful), don't go looking for an RPG or oppertunity to actually "play" a Hunter. This is Diablo meets Gauntlet with mini-guns... if that appeals to you, this game is just the ticket.
PS: Carpenter, the first boss you face, is the hardest in the game. I've yet to figure out how to beat him without multiple deaths. The very last boss can be easily dispatched without dying once - so other than Carpenter I highly recommend you place this with friends, and go iron man. It's quite possible and indefinitely enhances the game. | video-games_xbox |
Disappointing for such a great series. This game looked like it had such promise, but, it fell flat on its face. My main points: Great, amazing engine, a good game with a few flaws, a half-way decent story ruined by the protagonist.
First of all, I just never liked Connor, the Ancestor you play as, he is uninteresting and boring. Altair, Ezio, both are great characters, and that made other AC games so fun, I always enjoyed watching their cut scenes, and listening to their idle banter. But Connor is......hes just boring, never has a funny comment, not even any bad ass lines. I simply don't care about him, and it makes it so hard to fight through the downsides of the game.
Now game play; the engine is much improved, I actually like the new fighting system, the running system is a bit more streamlined same with climbing. The cities seem to have more life and energy. Though finding your way through cities is bit harder I've found, especially once you get some recognition with guards; they are everywhere, and are infinite it seems. In other games you could run and hide easily, or if you wanted, fight the guards and eventually you would get most of them and others would run, problem solved. In this game, if you try to run, there are columns of guards every other block it seems and three on each alley way, also guards that can sprint after you are much, much more common in this game, all in all, making running incredibly hard. Fighting, unfortunately is also much harder, and is really no longer an option when trying to get guards off your back. The basic guard isn't much harder then other AC games, but the more advance specialty guards are much more common, and the guards are Infinite, Ive sat there and fought guards off for ten minutes or more, the fight will start with three guards seeing me run, or any other suspicious activity, and me fighting them, then a squad will randomly come up the street, the fight went from one on three, to one on Fifteen. Then that will happen three more times, then you die, very very annoying.
I guess the main point of this: Great, amazing engine, a good game with a few flaws, an half-way decent story ruined by the protagonist. | video-games_xbox |
Mixed Signals. Imagine NFL Fever...same studio...same developer. The game was truly an XBOX experience from the stadiums, customization, Dynasty Mode and graphics/annoncers so real, you had to look over your shoulder to realize you were still in your living room.
Enter Inside Pitch...Only on XBOX...highly anticipated. Put the DVD-disc in the console and...wait a second, where's the Franchise Mode, no P-I-P like MVP for baserunners? What is wrong with the baserunning altogether?
Here are the cons:
1. Baserunners are likely picked off easily by the CPU.
2. Baserunners will not advance unless a Hit-and-Run is on if the ball is lined into the outfield (great if the ball was to be caught, however even a line into the gap keeps a baserunner from advancing.) Now, you've got your runners doubled up. Out!
3. Tie never goes to the runner...maybe MS Game Studios should read the MLB rulebook.
4. Pitcher-to-batter interface is painfully done graphically. The new "behind-the-pitcher" camera worked well in MVP Baseball, but here...it's just plain awkward.
5. Training Mode for created players is a waste of time. You need to hit a Grand Slam or a tie-breaking HR in "Ducks on the Pond" scenario. There's no way to predict you'll be able to do that during a game. You can't skip this training or your player won't be anything in the season.
6. No Franchise Mode! Why?
7. Statistics are mismanaged at best. There are no records to break and your created player does not evolve.
8. No Instant Replay...at all. Not after a play, not in the options menu.
9. Graphics are horrible and shifty. Bloated character modeling and repetitive DP, Fly-out, Strike-Out animations. No matter the score, the outfielder always jumps for joy between innings. Huh?
10. Hard to change fielders in time to allow the shortstop (example: who's best to make a play than the third baseman) to grab the ball.
There's 10 reasons, and I could go on, but it isn't necessary. The point is clear. Maybe they'll bring this game up to speed next year, or revamp like EA Sports had done with the Triple Play series (now MVP Baseball.) Perhaps they'll bring in Hall-of-Famers, old/future stadiums (ala All-Star 2004 & World Series Baseball 2k3,) and full stats (High Heat 2004.) We can only wait and see. This one is a rental, try it and if it suits you, get it. | video-games_xbox |
Ups the ante on Star Wars games. One thing about KOTOR 2 that greatly impressed me is how Obsidian, taking the KOTOR franchise over from BioWare, did not mess with a winning formula. They faithfully carried over the first game's visual style, presentation, and atmosphere, which means those who played KOTOR 1 can jump right in.
Just like KOTOR 1, the game hinges on its story rather than fancy gimmicks or better graphics or more features. KOTOR 2's storyline runs parallel to KOTOR 1's, and introduces a new protagonist whose only tie to the first game is that he/she fought in the Mandalorian Wars. Again, the characters can be a bit flat/stereotypical, and will do most of the talking throughout the game (you mostly choose how you'll respond to others through your dialogue choices).
The main reason why I would actually rate this game higher - yes, higher - than KOTOR 1 is the intelligence of the script. What I mean by that is how the game's characters challenge you (both the main character and the person playing the game) to think long and hard about some things that are regarded as "truths." Yes, I'm talking some serious philosophy here. For example, Kreia, one of your allies, challenges you to think about how a random act of kindness actually robs the person that's being helped of the chance to struggle, fight, and become stronger for it. And a Jedi Master will challenge you to think about what to do if a cause you believed in strongly ends up doing just as much harm as it prevents. In another instance the game shows the dangers of both blind allegiance AND independent thought (yes, the latter also has dangers). And the best part is that all of this is presented within the context of the game's various scenarios, without ever sounding preachy.
As far as the gameplay mechanics are concerned, Obsidian spiced up the battle interface with new Force powers and feats, which open up a new dimension to strategizing and outfitting your party. Unfortunately it seems all the bugs and glitches from the first game were carried over as well, such as the "doorway bug" and the "menu bug." And playing Pazaak is still just as hard.
As a nod to those who played the first game, Obsidian decided to insert many references to KOTOR 1 here and there. For example, KOTOR 2 recycles two planets from the first game, Dantooine and Korriban. The maps are identical to the ones from the first game, but this time you explore slightly different parts of the planets. And people in the game are constantly referring to the Mandalorian Wars (the war that was fought five years before KOTOR 1's timeline) and the Jedi Civil War (the events of KOTOR 1). In fact, you'll find that the Jedi Civil War casts a very large shadow over the lives of many people you'll encounter in the game, including most of your allies. You'll find that having played the first game certainly enriches this one, although it's not crucial.
So, in summary, if you're suffering from post-KOTOR withdrawal symptoms, your prayer has been answered - go buy this game NOW. | video-games_xbox |
Even though you are seriously wounded, your sould will still burn. Well, sorta. I'm a huuuuuge Calibur fan. And while I'm so happy it's finally here, I will say it did not meet the love that I had for part IV. But make no mistake, this is still the best fighting game you can get on the system with or without 4 by its side.
Soul Calibur 5 is not really a full fledged sequel, at least not in my eyes. Fair to say 4.5? SC 5 does so many things right. Has a much improved online system, lobbies, ranked player matches and still the amazing lag free fights. But if you're offline gamer, you might be extremely disappointed. The Story mode is short. Most should beat it in 2-3 hours. Even worse, you can't choose characters to fight with. You forced to choose a select few, and only 1 of them I happen to like using. So the game forces you to use them, and then bam, it's all over. The story itself is semi-interesting, but what about the 24+ other characters? Don't they have a back story we can learn about? Ugh. You will be mad at this especially if you're strictly an offline gamer.
No Tag team mode. Again. Why, why oh why have you forsaken me Namco? Tag team modes where you could choose 2-8 guys and take on 2-8 guys was magnificent. Weren't they doing that in Part 2 for crying out loud?? Really? Arcade mode is bare boned. Basically you take on 6 fighters, then bam. Over. No story for anyone. Just a simple premise of fighting. Again. The single mode has been severely neglected. You need to ask yourself if you can deal with poor offline and stellar online.
But offline suffers some more. How? I'm sure this has been mentioned, but many of the most beloved characters from 4 are gone. Sophita, Cassandra, Amy, Kilik, Rock, Seoung Mina, Setsuka, Taki, Xianghua, Yun Seong and my girl Talim are nowhere to be found. I hope and pray Namco will let us download some of our characters with some DLC online in the future. Please namco? The characters available are not as lovable as they were in 4. Some of the new guys just come off as annoying. Ezio like many have mentioned, is a nice addition to the game. He's easy to use, likable and very well balanced. I love the special moves too, they are fun and easy to pull off too.
For all the bad that offline offers, there is one great bright spot. The character creation is amazing. Significantly deeper than 4, SC 5 character creation is the best yet. You can make the ultimate character with any fighting style you want and you'll probably never run into a person online who made the same character as you, it's nearly impossible. I spent 45 minutes on one character last night just perfecting every single little detail I could find. You want to change anything? Hair, a shoe, the size of a ribbon, her eyes, her eyebrows, giving a character a gut or a 6 pack, you name it, it can be done!
The presentation is back in full force. Full orchestrated soundtrack, tremendous graphics and sick sick online play interface. Everything runs smooth and convincing. Speaking of online, you can now go into lobbys with full chat supported and can join casual tournaments (non ranked matches). So don't think you have to go to ranked matches to have fun online. There are casual players out there too where a win/loss record doesn't mean a thing! Make friends, and have a blast!
Soul Calibur is still an amazing game. Part 5 is probably worth a look if you're a fan, as a whole, it's a bit disappointing because of the very shallow offline modes and the missing characters are making me scratch my head in curiosity what Namco was really thinking? But if you're going to focus online, it's just fine to take the SC plunge one more time. Sophitia, I miss you much! | video-games_xbox |
Bridging The Gap. Up until now, I've been sick of racing games-I've only owned one in fact, being Sega GT 2002, which I only bought because it was 99 cents, but I've played numerous, including all the PGR's and Gran Turismo's. Forza Motorsport 2 got me excited enough that I bought it for list price, which, I never do for games, ever.
Was it worth it? Of course. The best part about this game is that it doesn't muddle around in the spectrum of arcade and simulation, no, it is a simulation, it is ultra realistic, but it gives you aids that let you drive it like an arcade until you get the hang of it, including ABS, TCS and Racing Line.
I have a tiny bone to pick with the racing line. It's great, and it does adapt to your car depending on the maneuvering capabilities, but the braking is sometimes off-I find it telling me to brake in occasions where its not necessary or telling me to brake too late, but this is not often, that said, it can be the difference between a podium finish and a busted car.
Speaking of busted car, the damage is superb, but from a purely non-superficial viewpoint-all cars have different sensitivities to damage, and damage actively effects things such as aerodynamics, making your car veer, which could also be because of broken parts around the wheels. The only thing which is disappointing was the the cars get scratched and broken well on the outside, but they do not crumple as cars in real life would, they will only compact a few inches from their original shape even at 150 mph collisions. That said, so far, no racing simulator has pulled this off.
The graphics are very good, and fine detail is not overlooked, for example if you go in the dirt it appears on the front of your car and so on. The only thing is that sometimes everything seems too perfect-by that I mean the cars are always shining and also the weather never changes, which is a negative by my watch. I would have looked forward to trying out the rain in such a realistic game.
The customization is good, but at times can be tricky. I have still not found out how to mirror vinyls. That means that if I want something to look like its coming off of the wheel on one side, so far I haven't found a way to mirror that on the otherside, it stays the same and looks like its coming off the rear wheel. Also, the body kits are limited, and most of them only have body kits supplied by the game itself. Overall though, the possibilities are endless due to the huge amounts of vinyls to work with and the abilities to distort them, not just make them bigger or smaller in proportion.
There is also something else this game does which most racing games seem to be doing less and less. When playing this game, it may almost feel a little spartan in comparison to most other racers, be it Gran Turismo or Toca Race Driver, and that's because it gives you what you need-by that I mean there are no useless functions in the game that don't matter. When customizing your car, the background is white, rather than a garage for a regular feel. Also, the racing modes are only conventional modern races, with a span of production to racing cars, unlike other games which provide everything from Monster Truck Races to races taking place in the early 1900's. In short, they focused on what matters, and because of that, it's simply amazing. | video-games_xbox |
Madden 13 Review - Focused on Madden Ultimate Team. I pre-ordered Madden 13 but didn't get a chance to actually play it until a few days after launch. I have to say that I've been repeatedly frustrated by what I feel are bugs or errors within the game so far. I'm still playing it, but feeling the urge to shout at my television repeatedly is not what I'm looking for in my videogames.
This review is going to primarily focus on my experience with the Madden Ultimate Trading card game, which is my favorite part of the Madden experience.
First, the good:
The time it takes to move between the different options in the game has been reduced, although the number of times the game must pause while connecting to EA servers borders on absurd.
I'm also a fan of how in the auction system, you can now auction a card for whatever price you choose - in Madden 12, you were given both a minimum and maximum price, which severely limited how easy it was to sell cards.
I also like how you can place, as far as I know, an unlimited amount of cards in reserve. Be warned, though: Your injured players will not heal while they are in the reserve! They must be active. (which is, uh, stupid. Injured reserve, anyone?)
The bad:
First, the auction system. Gone is the ability to see not just the card, but how long is left on the auction, how many contracts are left on the card. Also, amazingly, you cannot see the auction prices for cards unless you select each individual card and bring it forward. Then you must flip the card around to see how many contracts remain. You can no longer sort cards by number of contracts, or by high/low price. You can no longer sort cards based on time left on the auction.
I really don't understand why they would make the first, positive change of allowing players to set their own price and then put such a damper on searching for cards. It makes the whole process take ten times longer to find the cards you're interested in/can afford.
Also, there are bugs in the auction system which have not yet been addressed. After doing a search for a card, when the player backs out to the search menu, it (sometimes) keeps the same auction search settings as before. So maybe you looked for Gold status cards, on the Dallas Cowboys team, with an overall rank between 0-69.
When you come back out, sometimes it will have the same search. Sometimes it will have removed one, or all of the settings. Othertimes it may have simply changed it so now the 49ers or Ravens are the team listed. There seems to be no rhyme or reason for this, and it affected the game in Madden 12, too, and simply has not been fixed. In short, last year's auction system I would rate a 7 out of 10. This year's auction system? 2 out of 10. It takes 1 point for allowing a more unfettered marketplace. That's it.
When buying cards from Madden, it's also quite frustrating to have to buy one individual player card or contract card at a time. Why, why, why, why in the world can't I simply purchase say, 10 contract cards at once? It takes a good 15 seconds per contract card, and if I need 20 of them, that's more than four minutes of time. Just to re-up contracts.
Injuries: It's very difficult to see how long a player is injured for. It's a dark red number on the complicated background of the Rx/Snake symbol on the injured player's card. Bad designers, bad!
Okay, on to the actual playing of MUT:
First, the same issues, and more, of players cheating is still in Madden 13. I had one guy keep his punter in at QB. He seemed to throw the ball just fine, too, although he mostly ran the ball. He had all 90+ guys on offense/defense and Emmitt Smith and Jamaal Charles as his ball runners. Me, I had four decent (mid-80s) players on my team. The rest were the 74-and-below starter deck. However, in the match-up screen, we were listed as having the SAME overall team ranking. Once he swapped in his QB for his punter, my team got completely destroyed. Oh, and just so you know: one of the advantages of keeping your punter in at QB is that EVERY SINGLE PLAY YOU RUN shows up as "punt" to the opposing player. WHAT THE HELL, EA! So there's no way to know what play was going to be run, no way to know what defensive formation to choose to counter a player. End result: That advantage more than outweighs not having an actual QB.
I've also had other instances where my team's overall rank (based on strength of starting cards, for those who don't know) was higher than my opponents, yet every one of his cards, including his starting QB, were high 80s through 99 OVR cards. I don't know how people are gaming the system, but they are, and they'll use any advantage - including the Squib kick glitch that lets the opponent get the ball back all the time.
Now, I mentioned the match-up part previous. This is one of the most frustrating aspects, too. It might take 5 minutes and 30-40 attempts to find an actual opponent. Not because nothing comes up on the screen, but because the teams that come up aren't actually people trying to play Madden MUT. Let me explain.
I choose the "Head to Head" option in the MUT menu. It searches for an opponent. An opponent appears. I can see his Gamertag, but his team name might be the Raiders or the Patriots. This is how you know it's not a real opponent, because they can't have those team names. If you just sit there, the other 'team' will also just sit there. You have to exit out and go back in. Next time, you'll see a NEW gamertag, but still like, 91 OVR Patriots or 76 OVR Raiders. And over, and over and over. New gamertag. Sometimes you can even hear/talk to them. But they can't see you. You can't play them.
Much of the time, the gamertags showing up are people who AREN'T EVEN PLAYING MUT. Clicking on their profile often brings up the fact that they are A) Offline or B) In the middle of another game! How in the world could they be coming up in my search if they're currently in the third quarter of a CPU game?? This happens constantly. All the time. 95% of the time, this is what happens when I search for an opponent in MUT. This does NOT happen to me when playing from the regular, Online play option.
So, that's what I got. I hope it was helpful. I wasn't very concise. I'm seriously kind of tempted to go back to playing Madden 12, honestly, even with its invisible tight ends and linebackers and fantasy-franchise option instead of this lame Connected Careers stuff.
Also, I can't redeem the stupid Andrew Luck card that I thought I was getting with my purchase. Apparently you had to redeem it on Madden 12 - before the release date. What a stupid rule.
Overall rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars. | video-games_xbox |
Excellent Graphics and Gameplay - Worth the Money. Knowing that Xbox games had ground-breaking graphics and are really fun, especially the Microsoft ones, I had expected that kind of graphics when I inserted my disc- and I was right:
Quantum Redshift boasts excellent speed, graphics, and gameplay. The graphics, as I have said before, are excellent. The framerate is super- over 60 fps!! Also, the scenery and details are to die for. The water drop effect on the screen is also very realistic- you may find yourself reaching for a towel to dry the screen off after your vehicle plunges into a lake.
Of course, as most PS2 and Gamecube players' rebuttals against Xbox say, graphics aren't everything and gameplay is more important- and Quantum Redshift also rocks in that department. Yes, to say that this doesn't have themes from games like WipEout or F-Zero would be a lie, but the game is fun and replay value is high. Firing weapons and gaining a little revenge against racers is very fun- from firing missles to shooting lasers, this game never gets boring. On the hardest difficulty lever, the speed can go up to 800 mph!! Multiplayer is also fun: head-to-head racing is available for up to 4 players via split-screen.
The difficulty is very friendly also. It is never to hard or too easy, because there are 5 different speed and difficulty levels. As the difficulty increases, so does the maximum speed level, which renders the vehicle harder to control- but lots more fun.
The storyline is also fantastic. Like many fighting games, you have a nemesis that always is meaner to you- by firing missiles purposely at you. Also, each character has a home track- in which they have an advantage on.
In conclusion, this game is excellent. The racing is fast and frenetic and you'll never stop playing. Whether or not you like racing or just like playing fun video games, Quantum Redshift is worth the money and time. It's a shame that the price has to be lowered because not that many people know about this game. | video-games_xbox |
A little refinement goes a long way. This review is mainly focusing on the differences between Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, as there are many. Those who loved/hated the first one may find that they feel the opposite regarding the newest installment. Myself, I feel both are brilliant, but the second trumps the first in many areas. The gameplay and especially the combat is on another level. Read on for a more detailed comparison.......
Mass Effect 1 is a great game, but like many other great games, it has some terrible design flaws. If you have played or choose to play through it (which you should if you enjoyed ME2, of course), along with one of the best storylines in gaming history, the start of a grand and original mythology that holds its own with the best science fiction in literature or film, and some pretty slick graphics for 2007, you had or have to deal with a broken loot system, sub-par combat (at least compared to other modern shooters), graphical texture pop in, loading issues, glitches, laughable A.I., copy and paste sidequests, etc. Many, like myself, looked past these issues, as Mass Effect was so amazing it overcame the sum of its parts, and Bioware made up for the mistakes of the first by giving a sequel that takes the most glaring problems and negates them. You can definitely tell they had more time (or at least time well spent, as a good part of the first one's development time was spent fixing design flaws and whatnot) and money this go around, and surely the experience gained and hard lessons learned during Mass Effect's creation helped. In this review, I am going to focus on the three areas of most necessary change in Mass Effect 2, the combat, exploration, and the loot system, and how it was done. I will also mention what is taken away that will be missed.
To fix the Mass Effect experience, Bioware had to make some tough decisions and many radical design changes, some that will piss off some old school RPG fans . To fix the loot system, they trashed it and rebuilt something far more simpler. Now there is a weapon loadout screen where you pick which guns you want out of a handful. And thankfully with each gun there is diversity, even in the same class of weapon. For example, you can choose between a semi automatic sniper or what is essentially a bolt action rifle. Nothing new in gaming altogether, but the guns of the first basically were all the same with different stats. Upgrades are streamlined, all you do is purchase or research the ones you want, and they are active without needing to equip anything. You can switch armor, each piece is interchangable and has specific stats, or if you want to, use the one piece downloadable joints (actually kind of meh on the latter). Less micromanagement is good, believe me.
Combat gets an overhaul as well, and for what it's worth (which is worth alot) is probably the best thing about Mass Effect 2. As opposed to being an RPG with shooter elements, Bioware puts the action first. The cover system and button layout for combat is much better. As opposed to the unwieldy grenades of the first game, you get to choose between 1 of 6 or so badass heavy weapons, all are completely different. Guns have accurate recoil, and damage is area specific. Unlike the first game, you get a damage bonus for headshots this time around. Ammo is no longer infinite as well, which adds some strategy and makes more sense. More diversity with the enemies, and the A.I. is much better, especially on Hardcore and Insanity (best take your diaper off if you want to f*** with insanity). But thats not all, the powers and power cooldowns are modified as well. Instead of each power having its own cooldown that can last up to a minute or more, powers recharge much quicker, but share cooldown. Nothing but positive changes regarding the combat of ME2.
The other main change is the planet and exploration system. Mass Effect 1 had more planets and more to do than this one, but much of the previous entry's sidequests were filler. The same cookie cutter buildings with the same layouts were in use over and over, and you were forced to drive to them in a glorified moon buggy/ space tank that drove like s***. Long, tedious hours were spent in ME1 to get all the acheivements driving and killing the same dull enemies with a few conversations in between. Mass Effect 2 has only 20 or so side missions you can do, and they do not affect the main mission aside from boosting your xp and cred amounts a bit. They are all in different locations with different buildings thankfully, actually some of the best looking areas of the game are in these bite sized missions. Nothing like navigating the framework of a huge, ancient spacecraft teetering off the side of a cliff looking for information. Kudos, Bioware, you turned an Achilles heel into subtle greatness.
Those are the most important positive adjustments of the Mass Effect brand, but what areas are worse for wear? Let's see... to me, not very much at all, but here they are. Unfortunately, the story takes a hit the most, being in the middle of a trilogy doesn't help I am sure. There is no main antagonist other than one enemy that spawn to face you repeatedly throughout the game, and of course the same threat whose plans you thwarted in the last game. Nothing like Saren at all. Also the majority of the game time is devoted to either recruiting party members or helping them with personal missions. The characters are brought to life so well through this its hard to complain, but a few more "important" missions would have been nice. Another complaint is the fact that if you choose to go renegade, by the end of the game you look likethe bottom of Emperor Palpatine's boot, that is unless you spend an insane amount of resources to remedy this. A few scars would be great for a more hardened "renegade" look , but glowing eyes and facial wounds is way too much. Even if you are an a**hole, you still are saving the galaxy. Lose the scabs, Bioware. Also the scanning is boring and tedious, but since it is an RPG and that is the only thing you will be grinding, it isn't too bad.
Even with the few things I believe could have been improved, I would rate this a 4.8, as it isn't perfect (I have yet to play a "Perfect 10" game) but I think it is much closer to a 5 than a 4, and better than the majority of the games out there. I hope they can continue with the strengths of the second in the 3rd installment, and give us more of a main quest story next time. For those complaining about the shift to a more action oriented experience, sorry you feel that way, but RPGs will have to adapt to survive in this market...... and thankfully, Bioware knows this. | video-games_xbox |
NFS gameplay mechanics and its rubberband AI haven't changed since 2004. I haven't played a Need For Speed game since NFS Carbon (2006) And there is a good reason for that.
I only bought this game because it was 70% on sale and because it features a rocket bunny wide body kit for the RX7.
I wasn't expecting much from this game. But wow, was it worse than I thought...
Its very short story apparently takes place all in one night. And the characters involved are at the maturity level of 12 year olds.
Which makes sense because I feel like the audience of this game is for E rated 12 year olds.
Here are some CONS:
No Manual transmission!!!
No changing controller button layout
No cockpit view
No realism in the physics or animations
No pausing the game in the middle of the race. (if you hit start, you'll crash and get passed)
No race restarts, (you have to exit out entirely into freeroam.)
Cant set custom waypoints on the map!!? (What's the point of a free roam game if you can't set waypoints?)
Speaking of the map. The mini map has no North symbol. So its completely worthless for giving you your general sense of direction.
The camera shakes and moves way too much. And there is so much auto assistance with the driving that it actually ruins the game IMO
There is like this lag effect where the car steers on its own.
And as far as customization goes, it only goes as far as EA lets you, and only how EA want you to customize.
Which is very very limiting. And the conclusion to that is everyone's car to some extent look the same. But with different paint and wheels.
For example, if you use a body kit, you can not change your exhaust, tail lights, spoiler, etc.. in addition to that body kit.
It actually locks up the options entirely. And when you don't use a bodykit, some if not most cars only have 1 or 2 options for accessories for you to add.
Which is hugely disappointing. Being how much EA's hype team hyped up the customization features.
The bottom line is EA is a joke.
To say this game feels unfinished is an extreme understatement
And if its not unfinished, then it is simply without a doubt, the worst, laziest, poorly put together game I have ever played.
As if the game is missing a serious amount of content.
NFS gameplay mechanics and slingshotting rubberband AI haven't changed since 2004.
They will still pass you in your 1000hp Lambo with their Nissan 180SX and their scripted race lines. (Component Parts)
Save your money. | video-games_xbox |
Fun even if you're out of shape. I'm very busy and I HATE exercise because it is so boring. As a result, I was very out of shape and about 80 pounds overweight. My husband purchased Yourself Fitness because he had heard that it was easy to adapt to you own needs. I did the initial fitness test and thought I was going to die. (Don't do a workout on the same day if you are out of shape.) I decided to give the program a chance anyway and the workouts in the beginning are much easier than the fitness test. Anyone really out of shape might even consider skipping the fitness test or stopping as soon as something becomes even slightly uncomfortable. You can adapt the program appropriately once you begin the workouts.
The program adjust the workouts based on your fitness test. It also asks you questions after segments of the workout to determine if they are too easy, too hard, or at the right level. If you have to you can also decrease or increase the difficulty of the workout at any time during the workout. However, the program gauges pretty well, so I've only had to adjust the difficulty once in over 20 workouts.
I started the program in mid-December and I've already lost nearly 20 pounds by mid-January. I have also been able to increase the difficulty of the workouts much more quickly than I had imagined. I actually get upset now if something comes up and I have to miss a workout.
The program is also great for people in shape. My husband is young and at his ideal weight. He prefers to exercise outside, but has trouble finding time before dark during the winter months, so he has switched to using Yourself Fitness instead. The workouts are still challenging for him even at his fitness level.
The meal planner has some good recipes that I have enjoyed when I made them. Overall, I haven't used the meal planner because my job very often requires me to eat out. The good news is, Yourself Fitness works very well even if you essentially ignore the meal planner portion.
I have also not used the meditation garden very much until recently. It is difficult to do yoga until you are at least in decent shape. I also did not know many yoga poses, but I have learned a lot of them through the flexibility workouts. For anyone who does want to do the yoga workout and does not know yoga poses, it tends to repeat the same sequence of moves several times, so I recommend watching the first series of poses before trying to do them. It is much more effective than trying to use the tutorial alone. | video-games_xbox |
True HD Outside of a HDMI Cable. If you want HD quality video out of your Xbox, but it's not an Elite, than you want these cables. For $40, this includes everything you need to take your standard Xbox to the next level of video quality. And I don't know if it's just my HDTV or cables or what, but for whatever reason, the standard cables that come with an Xbox do not produce anything that looks better than normal component quality, even using the HD plugs and flipping the switch on the AV cable, so this is what you ACTUALLY want.
I bought these when I lived in a dorm, and we shared a TV, so I didn't get to play when I wanted to. These worked because I took my then CRT monitor, and hooked the Xbox into that with these cables (contrary to what I thought, these cables come with a female-female adapter connector in order to connect the male cable of a CRT monitor to the male cable of the Xbox, so don't worry about that). The quality of the video is amazing. You don't know what you're missing using component cables until you hook up using a VGA cable connector (what these are); the difference is mind blowing. All that text you can't read on a normal TV, all that text that's too small, or those far-off targets in shooters, or that tiny red spot in Halo 3 that appears in your reticle to let you know of a headshot, well with these cables, and ESPECIALLY with an HD TV, you can now see those things with absolute clarity.
Further, these cables come with a speaker jack adapter, so that you can either plug the two audio cables into your TV, or plug them into your computer and use your computer speakers (by using the microphone input jack), which, in my case, are MUCH better than my TV's speakers.
So, in the end, these are what you want as an easy, very convenient way of ramping up your gaming experience without shelling out $400 for an Elite (or actually, buying an Elite and a new HD TV). No complaints whatsoever. | video-games_xbox |
Good, for what it is. I've read a few reviews here, and I think that, although there are some valid points, people are treating ODST as something that it was never meant to be.
So, what is ODST? It's an expansion. Expensive? Yes, but one has to realize that in reality, it's several expansions built into one, a `collectors pack' for Halo 3 fans. (After all, it's named Halo 3: ODST, not just Halo: ODST)
So, before I break the game down, let's examine what ODST really is.
1. Campaign (Short, yes...Fun? Very.)
2. Fire Fight (One could say a different campaign. After all, a single match with good people can be hours long, and that's one match.)
3. All the maps (A $20+ value, considering there's two map packs worth 1600 Microsoft points, not to mention the three new ones.)
4. Halo: Reach Beta (Remember lockdown, with it's Halo 3 Beta? Yeah...)
Okay, first things first. The Campaign:
This is fun. It's far more tactical than any Halo game before it, and allows for so many new opportunities. Once in Heroic, you find yourself planning assaults, sneaking, factoring in how many grenades you have. Ammo is so sparse that you're constantly forced to re-adapt and pick up new weapons, rather than keeping with the same two weapons (As was much the case with the first three halo's). The characters are new, which again, is interesting. The Visor?...Man, probably my favorite addition. It's so cool to able to switch around views, to get tactical or go all out. Wonderful. Not to mention the addition of engineers, which do nothing but add to the depth of game play and emphasize strategy.
Fire Fight:
Let's be honest. Mention Gears 2? You hear about horde. Mention Call of Duty WaW? Nazi zombies. Now halo has it's own, and it is beautiful. Fuller maps, with each offering their own advantages and disadvantages. The new call-sign features allow for quicker identification, and the new drop-off system (The enemies come in on Phantoms, rather than just spawning) allow, again, for strategy. Ammo shortages are common here, so know your weapons. The skulls always add a bit of flair and make each and every round a new experience. My only complaint? When I play with my Australian friends, the game is pretty laggy.
All the maps:
I wish I had known this going in. Woulda saved me twenty bucks. You know about new maps, right? The new three; awesome. A much called for remake of midship, an open map that will make for interesting swat, and a dock that features dingies and floating crates. Awesome, right?
Halo Reach: Beta trailer:
-This- is Halo 4. This is the one that's going to blow people away. (For those who know the story, well done. Reach is actually...er, Halo -1? It's a prequel). This is the unsung hero of ODST, as I already can't wait. Remember people buying Crackdown ($60) for Halo 3 alone? This is much the same thing; only you also get the above mentioned features. No brainer, right?
So, overall? If I knew someone who only had 60 to spend, I'd point them in the direction of Oblivion or Fallout or the like. But, for someone who knows they're getting a huge expansion, and loves Halo? This is all but a must have. Just know what you're getting into; it's not a standalone, but it's still pretty awesome. | video-games_xbox |
Almost, nearly perfect. Deciding if this game was worth 5 out of 5 was really a no-brainer. Having played lots of computer games and valued them for things like: atmosphere, intelligence, ability to create suspension of disbelief, graphics, intuitive gameplay, maturity, attention to detail, addictiveness, voice-acting, sound, action, scariness, soundtrack and style it scores at the highest level for each. How many other games can claim that?
Basically there are so many things to recommend Bioshock that it's hard to know where to begin. Do you start with the fact that it's one of the best FPS on the market or just talk about the sheer amount of creativity fuelling the whole experience? In this game you pump the buttons like any good shooter while having to think and even make limited ethical choices. Plus there is a dialogue (if you're up for it) between yourself and a story that references everything from Ayn Rand and eugenics through to militant strikes and elitist propaganda. Shoving in the near RPG level micromanagement of your character's abilities you really should be in clover here. Bioshock tries to please everyone and pretty much manages to do so.
The story has you plunging into the city of Rapture--a decaying, undersea 40's style vision of the future--following a plane crash. Once in you are initially led around via a radio link to one of its disillusioned inhabitants as you discover genetically altered `splicers' and a technology that seems culled from a lunatic meeting of H.G. Wells, J.G. Ballard and Phillip K. Dick. Going further you also mutate and increasingly depend on bizarre chemicals to survive. Soon it is becomes entirely commonplace to incinerate, freeze or telekinetically slaughter your enemies with a flick of your wrist. Then of course there are the `Little Sisters' leeching from the corpses you've left behind, who you in turn need to leech from, while deciding if its right to kill them or save them.
So is this the perfect game? Unfortunately the answer is no. Rather than becoming more interesting (i.e., more creatively challenging) at the crucial pinch-points it runs back to dully launching large numbers of enemies at you and forgetting its IQ. This soon gets to be irritating when you've been fully lost in the world and then frequently thrown out of it by crass stupidity. It tends to leave a bitter taste in the mouth.
Similarly the game lacks any element of stealth, there are very few puzzles worth a mention, the respawn points are silly, the environments are often just background (indestructible light fixtures, etc), the AI can be uneven and the whole thing has quite openly begged, borrowed and stolen from other games. If you've played a lot of shooters then you may be taking a tour down memory lane.
The final recommendation is that you should buy this gorgeous release even if it is flawed. When playing through Rapture the problems that would sink an average title become niggles and minor complaints in an otherwise rewarding and completely entertaining experience.
Bioshock is undoubtedly one of the finest games ever made and it has set the benchmark that other companies will either meet, exceed or get nowhere near when releasing their own product. It is an evolution in gaming such as befits the content that rightfully put it there. | video-games_xbox |
Microsoft and Harmonix Have Done It Again. Dance Central was a huge step forward in dance video games when it was released as a launch title for the Xbox Kinect. It wasn't the first video game to let you use "real dance steps" (Just Dance had pioneered the concept a year earlier on the Wii). But by making use of the Kinect, it offered unprecedented accuracy in evaluating your precise moves. The question is, does Dance Central 2 move the platform forward? The answer is a resounding "yes".
As soon as I started up the game, one thing I noticed right away was that my whole body was getting picked up by the Kinect sensor, even though my TV is only about 6 feet from me. I can't tell you how many Kinect games can only detect my torso and above.
Something else I noticed right off the bat was that the user interface that Harmonix developed was the best I've seen of any Kinect game. You can scroll through long song lists easily, and menu selections require simple and foolproof "swipes" of the hand. Microsoft should require every game developer to use this instead of the current situation where each invents their own.
Okay, on to the game play itself.
There are five menu options when you start Dance Central. They are:
Dance
Crew Challenge
Fitness
Options
Buy New Dances
As with the previous version of Dance Central, you can just jump right into dancing by selecting "Dance". You'll be shown a list of songs to choose from. I noticed that as of today the Amazon product page doesn't have the list of songs, so I'll provide it here (the complexity of the song is in parentheses):
Atlantic Connection and Armanni Reign - Reach (1)
B.o. B ft. Bruno Mars - Nothin' on You (3)
Bananarama - Venus (2)
Bobby Brown - My Prerogative (4)
Britney Spears - Toxic (7)
Bruno Mars - Grenade (4)
Chingy - Right Thurr (3)
Ciara ft. Petey Pablo - Goodies (4)
Daddy Yankee ft. Fergie - Impacto - Remix (2)
Daft Punk - Technologic (6)
Darude - Sandstorm (1)
David Guetta ft. Akon - Sexy Chick (7)
Diddy ft. Keyshia Cole - Last Night (2)
Digital Underground - The Humpty Dance (2)
Donna Summer - Hot Stuff (3)
Electric Valentine - Body to Body (3)
Enrique Iglesias ft. Pitbull - I Like It (3)
EXILE - I Wish for You (4)
Far East Movement ft. Cataracs and Dev - Like a G6 (5)
Flo Rida ft. David Guetta - Club Can't Handle Me (3)
Gnarls Barkley - Run - I'm a Natural Disaster (6)
Haddaway - What Is Love (5)
Justin Bieber - Somebody to Love (6)
Kevin Lyttle - Turn Me On (2)
Kurtis Blow - The Breaks (2)
La Roux - Bulletproof (2)
Lady Gaga - Bad Romance (5)
Lady Gaga - Born This Way (5)
Lena - Satellite (7)
Little Boots - Meddle (4)
Mary J. Blige - Real Love (1)
Missy Elliot - Get Ur Freak On (7)
Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It (2)
New Boyz - You're a Jerk (3)
Nicki Minaj ft. Sean Garrett - Massive Attack (4)
O-Zone - Mai Ai Hee - Dragostea Din Tei (1)
Remy Ma - Conceited There's Something About Remy (5)
Rihanna - Rude Boy (3)
Sean Kingston - Fire Burning (3)
Sir Mix-a-Lot - Baby Got Back - Mix Mix (6)
Tweet ft. Missy Elliot - Oops - Oh My (3)
Usher ft. Lil' Jon & Ludacris - Yeah! (5)
Usher ft. Pitbull - DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love (5)
Willow Smith - Whip My Hair (5)
For each song, each player can select a difficulty of Easy, Medium, or Hard. The "complexity of the song" plus "difficulty level" together dictate how complex and intricate the choreography is.
As others have noted, new to Dance Central 2 is the ability for two dancers to dance at once head-to-head. Once you select a song, the screen basically splits into two sides, where both dancers select the difficulty level they want to dance to (this allows for a "golf-like handicap" where strong dancers and weaker dancers can compete head-to-head). Here's where you really do need at least 8-10 feet of space and to stand separately, or you'll be bumping into each other and confusing the system if your motions cross.
I was a little perplexed as to why the system automatically assumed that two players; I would have rather seen the split screen come up only when another person stepped into the camera. Still, if you're playing solo, you can just ignore the left side of the screen and select "Play Solo".
The first time you play, you start out by reviewing the basics. For those who don't know, the concept is simple: you try to mirror the movements of an on-screen dancer as if you're looking through a mirror. A series of unique flashcards, with real dance move names like "cabbage patch", "snake", and "shoulder pop", will tell you which moves you should be performing as well as which ones are coming up. You have a couple cues to tell you how well you're dancing--a "spotlight" under your feet will display encouraging words when you hit the moves, the onscreen dancers will glow red if you're out of place, a boombox will display 1-5 stars depending on your progress through the song. Gold flashcards are worth 4x the points, and if you nail multiple moves at once, you'll "pump up the room".
Most of the reviewers have already talked about how spot-on the motion detection is, and all I can say is I agree. Every motion of your arms, legs, and body seem to be tracked almost perfectly. There are certain types of actions that the Kinect isn't necessarily great for (gunfire, precision sword fighting, and auto racing come to mind), but it's games like this where the Kinect's capabilities really shine.
After the song is done, you can view Photos of your performance. A nice new touch is that there is also a "Break Down" section, where the system will identify which areas of the song you didn't perform very well in, and review which areas you need to practice.
"Crew Challenge" is another new feature of the game. This is a 2-player "story" mode where both players perform as a "Dance Crew" battling to get to the top. Scoring works the same as in Dance mode with a few differences. For example, during dance battles, each member of the crew will be able to "go solo" where good performances will result in double the points. During a "Free 4 All", the dancers have to perform any of the moves of the song to score points. And so on. I was a little disappointed that the mode required two players, as this leaves out a large percentage of people. Having said that, if you've got a dancing buddy, you're going to love it.
To play "Fitness" mode you need to sign into a gamer profile. There's no option on the main menu to do this, you need to go to the Kinect menu and do it. Once you're signed in, you're brought to a menu where you can "Enable Fitness Mode". Once you've done this, the game will begin to track the calories you burn and the length of time you've played the game, both per session and lifetime. There are also a couple suggested workouts song mixes you can choose from, with names ranging from "Easy Start" (a 20-minute workout consisting of lighter songs such as Last Night and Hot Stuff) to "Sprint" (a 10-minute workout consisting of intense songs such as "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster" and "Toxic") and "The Long Haul" (a 49 minute marathon consisting of just about everything). I would have liked some more features within Fitness mode, such as the ability to set goals, set a schedule, see graphs of your progress, and so on. But regardless of all that, Dance Central 2 does have the potential of being a great way to work out that surpasses any step aerobics class at the gym.
In the "Options" menu, you can turn on and off Photos, Freestyling, Autosave, and Voice Control. There's also an intruguing option called "Enter Cheats".
"Buy New Dances" leads you to the downloadable content store. As of this writing there are 32 additional songs, each costing 240 Microsoft Points (about $3 a song). You can also purchase Dance Packs for 480-960 Microsoft Points each, and Marathon Packs for 1400 Microsoft Points. There's a pretty good variety of artists to choose from, from Ne-Yo to Rihanna to James Brown to The Black Eyed Peas to Sean Paul.
Bottom line, Dance Central 2 is a great sequel to an already great game. Of course, there is going to be a debate over whether Dance Central 2 or Just Dance 3 is the "better game", and I'm sure opposing sides will defend their choice with religious ferocity. But from my point of view, they're very different games. Just Dance seems to put more of an emphasis on being party game that's just "fun" (with more frivolous and lighthearted choreography and multi-platform play, but perhaps at the expense of precise motion tracking), while Dance Central definitely puts a higher emphasis on technical accuracy and perfecting the dance steps. But at the end of the day, both are extremely enjoyable to play, and both can provide a great workout.
But when all is said and done, from a motion detection perspective and a game which can teach you real dance moves that you can take onto any dance floor, Dance Central 2 right now represents the pinnacle of "real dance move-based" dance games on any platform. | video-games_xbox |
awsome game. I loved the first Left 4 Dead (L4D) game. I discovered it about 6 months later than the rest of the world, but I was hooked. The fast-paced co-op gameplay has provided me some of my favorite and most memorable multi-player moments. Left 4 Dead 2 is basically more of the same with incremental improvements, a few new features, and a generally improved experience. Since I never liked the competitive modes on the first L4D game and doubt that I'll play the competitive modes on L4D2, I'll keep my review focused on the single-player and co-op campaign modes.
PROS:
+++ Fast-paced gameplay
+++ Intense and frantic battles that can feel overwhelming
+++ Huge emphasis on co-op
+++ Five campaigns
+++ Dynamic enemy placement switches the action up so you get a slightly different experience each time you play the different campaigns.
CONS:
--- Computer controlled AI teammates are about as sharp as a bag of wet hammers.
--- The XBox 360 offers only 4 types of control scheme, but none of them seem to offer me the flexibility I desire.
NOTABLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN L4D and L4D2:
+++ Added new melee weapons
+++ Added a new variety of weapons, including fun toys like grenade launchers.
+++ Added several new special infected such as the Charger, Spitter, and Jockey
+++ Common infected are much more colorful and diverse in design
+++ Dismemberment and more detailed death animations result in more gore and chunks than the original game.
+++ Improved sense of character development and story
+++ Mission objectives have been more fleshed out, going beyond the first game's "Get to the extraction point and wait" concept.
+++ Daytime levels
--- Fewer lull moments. There is almost ALWAYS an attack imminent, which kind of kills the suspense.
GAMEPLAY: The basic premise is that you play one of four different survivors attempting to fight their way to safety during the zombie apocalypse. Essentially you blast thousands of zombies into ever-loving bits as you fight and run for your life. The new game brings some new mission objectives, which adds a subtle but noticeable bit of depth to the game. Instead of waiting for a helicopter or boat to come pick you up after 5 or 6 intense minutes of fighting for your life, you might be expected to find a bunch of gas cans to fill up a car. No matter what you do, success will require teamwork.
The new special infected are a nice addition to the mix. Jockeys that jump on you and ride you around, Chargers that pin you against walls or the ground and beat you to a bloody pulp, and Spitters that spray acid and explode into nasty bubbling pools of acid force you to adapt your strategies more quickly. Tanks and Witches are still tough, and the Smokers, Boomers, and Hunters are still around to make life hell as well. The common infected are more diverse and interesting. My favorite are the hazmat suit infected, which make a cool little depressurizing noise when killed which makes me smile every time.
GRAPHICS: For the most part, the graphics are very similar but improved in many subtle ways. Shadows seem to be smoother and more accurate, levels have more color, and there is generally more detail to seen. Enemy death animations have been noticeably improved with more dismemberment and more detailed models. For example, shoot a zombie in the chest with a high powered rifle or magnum handgun and the creature will have a neat little hole you can look through. Subtle, but still noteworthy.
PRESENTATION: With only a few (very minor) exceptions, I would argue the presentation for L4D2 is much improved over the original. The environments feel more diverse, taking you from bright and colorful New Orleans outdoor scenes to dank and ominous indoor settings. Many of the dark indoor settings are much more open, which is much spookier since your flashlight isn't as effective in large, open areas. The characters are far more interesting and have some interesting and humorous pre-scripted conversations. The redneck character, Ellis, is definitely my favorite since he says some really funny stuff followed closely by Coach. All in all, a step forward.
SINGLE-PLAYER: Single-player mode is ok, but you'll be dealing with the game's biggest flaw: frustratingly stupid AI teammates. Do you feel like sniping zombies from a distance? Have fun with that because at least one of your teammates will invariably park themselves right in front of you so they can absorb your bullets. They heal you when you don't want healed and constantly give you pills, which suddenly means your gun isn't in your hands. They fall off ledges and have trouble keeping up in general, especially if you go up some stairs. Apparently they forgot that Rule #1 is Cardio. If I were stuck in a real zombie apocalypse and these were the only living people I ran across, I'd leave them for dead.
CO-OP MULTI-PLAYER: As far as I'm concerned, cooperative multi-player is where it is at. I love it. Three or four players working together with good strategy can be a devastating zombie grinding machine. This is where the game truly shines and where I spend almost all of my time with the game.
COMPETITIVE MULTI-PLAYER: I never really liked the competitive modes in the original and I really don't expect to spend any time playing them in L4D2. It isn't a judgment against the game itself, but more representative of the fact that I prefer co-op games so much more. | video-games_xbox |
Outstanding Collector's Edition for a Great Game. The Collector's Edition of Titanfall is truly a collector's edition, unlike so many "special editions" that movies, video games, and albums put out today. The statue is enormous, standing twenty inches tall, ten inches wide and close to 15 inches long. All of which is LED illuminated in specific areas (notably Pilot visor and Titan view ports, etc.) The set comes with the AAA batteries if you're curious. The set comes with a nice technical poster of the Atlas Titan, the absolutely beautiful Art Book, which is catalogued as a 1st edition collector's edition, and has a different ISBN compared to the other retail version. It also contains the game... duh right?
As for the game itself, having played the Beta, and now this, they are almost identical. Coming from someone who is NOT an online competitive FPS player, and actually prefers playing the campaign and foregoing the online multiplayer, this game is great. Unlike COD, spawning deaths are nearly zero, because of the speed of play, the verticality of the maps, and as such, a "nowhere to camp" approach to gameplay, it's hard for a player to just sit and kill all day. The game rewards you for "Assault" and not just kills, as well as multiple other aspects of gameplay. Titans are pretty easy to achieve (you'll get at least one even if you stand around doing nothing). I'm a casual gamer with only about 12 hours of playtime in since launch, and I'm still finding it to be fun, lots of challenges to complete, and leveling up is progressively harder as you go.
The game CAN be frustrating in regards to the online connection (which IS required to play), and it will drop you if your internet even chokes for 10-15 seconds. That said, I've only had a handful of issues with connection.
Im a convert when it comes to Online Multiplayer. This game has made it FUN to play, and balances out the gameplay so well. I was on the fence with Titanfall, took the leap, and I'm glad I did. | video-games_xbox |
Like bad sex. I was one of the many idoits who bought into the game's hype. I am a long time fan of this series and the very little footage they showed in the E3 trailers and video stills looked promising enough,so I guess I shouldn't be too hard on myself. I bought this game last year on release day. It was probably one of the most anticipated games of 2010. After getting home from work,I was anxious and excited to try out my new game,fired up my PS3 and.....within the first hour of it I was already bored. Being the fangirl that I am,I tried to convince myself I was into it but deep down I knew something just wasn't right. It just wasn't Final Fantasy.
Now you may ask,"Does this game really deserve a 1 star review? Is it really that bad?" Well...I've been a fan since 1997 when Final Fantasy VII(Final Fantasy's Citizen Kane)was released. Since then I played all the games(I even bought a NES and dowloaded emulators so I could play 1,2 and 3 in their original versions),collected Final Fantasy related paraphernalia,named my daughter 'Selphie' and went to comicons in costume. It was one of my favorite series and I loved games 1-10(hated 12)but after playing 13 all the love I had for the series disappeared. That's right,I am no longer a fan of the FF series. So to answer your question yes it is that bad.
Technical aspects of the gameplay and plot synopsis has already been touched upon by other reviewers so I won't go into that too deeply. I'll just point out the game's major flaws in these two areas.
GAMEPLAY:It's very linear.no exploration,no towns,no sidequests,no ultimate weapons to collect. After a 15-20 minute cutscene,you travel through a linear corridor to a cutscene(which is represented as an orange dot on your map) then a lengthy,repetitive boss fight and after that..(wait for it)...another cutscene! That pretty much sums up the basic gameplay. Sounds fun right? Nothing like the Final Fantasy I fell in love with.
STORYLINE & CHARACTERS:Story and characters is what the series is known for and if the story sucks,the game sucks and if the characters aren't memorable the games sucks even worse. While FF12 had solid gameplay it failed to deliver in terms of story and characters. FF13 features the "best" of both worlds not only does it have awful gameplay but it also has forgettable characters. A cookie cutter plot with cookie cutter characters. The characters are nothing more than archtypes. Lightning,Stoic heroine with a tragic past who acts cold toward others as a way of coping (a la Squall),Vanilla,A cheerful,spunky tweeny brat who lifts the party's spirits in tough times(it's not like Final Fantasy hasn't had one of those or anything :P),Sazh,Ignorant gun-wielding black guy,you get the idea. So,redundant gameplay,shallow plot and characters that nobody cares about. Wow SqaureEnix,you've got a masterpiece on your hands.
FF13 is lacking in story, characters and gameplay the three things that make a Final Fantasy game. So needless to say it sucks! It's not a Final Fantasy game,it's a lame interactive movie with Final Fantasy's name on it. 84% of the game is cutscenes and the rest is what I dare call gameplay,you could watch Spirits Within and get the same amount of gameplay from it(doesn't the Spirits within DVD have a menu or special features option? lol).When FF13 isn't pretending to be a soap opera,it's either having the player hold the analog stick upward for 10 minutes or having them tap the 'X' button 10,000 times to win a boss fight. That's all there is to this game. It's linear,it's boring,it's cruel oh and did I mention LINEAR?The game has more lines than Scarface's work table and it doesn't get better. The rumor about the game getting better after chapter 11 is not true. FF13 is like bad sex:The game pushes on,you endure it and hope it gets better but the climax never comes.
Everything that goes up must come down as they say. Final Fantasy has had a great run but just can't keep up with todays new franchises. They should just let this old cash cow die and pass the torch to a new franchise. Final Fantasy's influence will last for generations and won't be forgotten. Here lies Final Fantasy 1987-2001 it will be missed.
If my review along with the other negetive reviews won't discourage you,then go ahead and play it at your own risk,you'll see what were talking about. The game was at the bottom of my trash can just a month after I bought it. If you're going to play it it isn't even worth the cost of a rental so if you can borrow it from a friend(he or she will probably pay YOU just to take it)play it,milk it for what it's worth(not much) and then forget it.
-Angela | video-games_xbox |
Fantastic Sequel. Dead space 2 is a giant leap forward from its predecessor in every possible way, so if you were among one of the lucky ones who had the pleasure of playing the original Dead Space, chances are you will find yourself enjoying Dead Space 2 even more. That being said, if you had your mind blown by the original like I did you can stop reading right now and buy this game, you won't regret it!
For those of you new to the Dead Space games you're in for a treat if you decide to get this game. Words can't describe how cool everything looks, graphics have never been very important to me but I have to say that Dead Space 2 has the best graphics of any game I've ever played, hands down. The amount of detail that they put into everything from the enemies to the environment around you is staggering. I caught myself just staring off at things around me for minutes at a time just absorbing all the incredible details.
In the original Isaac was the voiceless hero of the game who you take the role of playing, there was nothing particularly wrong with him not speaking. It worked for that game. In Dead Space 2 they equipped Isaac with a voice done by a great voice actor and I personally feel that it added a lot in terms of how much more you're able to empathize with him and it just makes it a more interesting gaming experience overall. The other characters in the game like Eli and Strauss also had very solid voice actors.
This game plays out like a blockbuster movie and there are literally no dull moments to be found the entire way through. It's a perfect example of what edge of your seat action should feel like. This is a quality that was passed down from the original. Personally I found the game more suspenseful than actually scary or terrifying or anything, but I could definitely see it frightening people who scare easily.
One really cool feature of the game is the hardcore mode. It was probably the hardest video game challenge I've ever had and took me months of on and off playing to finally beat it. The reason it's so difficult is because you're only allowed 3 saves the entire game and if you die you have to start from your last save. It can be frustrating at times but it's incredibly rewarding when you finally hear the achievement ding. I thought it was very cool of them to add such a great challenge to the game, it helped give it even more replay value than it already has.
Speaking of replay value, this game has tons! If you're like me you'll want to go back and play it as many times as it takes to collect all the achievements and to take advantage of the "new game +" option.
In closing, I can't really compare this game to anything else out there besides the original Dead Space so I can't really use any other games as a point of reference. This is a good thing though as it's a very unique and interactive gaming experience. It's really in a league of its own as far as FPS's go. I usually stick to RPG's but this is one of the rare instances where I break out of that genre, pick up my plasma cutter, and go in guns blazing! If you're a fan of horror, sci fi, action, FPS's, or if you like movies like Event Horizon ect... I think you'll definitely find you thoroughly enjoy this title. Do yourself a favor and play this game! | video-games_xbox |
Sad shadow of its former glory. Severely disappointed in this game. My biggest complaint is that during the development process, I participated in Harmonix surveys regarding the things that would be important to me in a new Rock Band title, and the results showed that, overwhelmingly, people wanted backwards compatibility with their existing instruments (which were a big investment!) and to have all of their purchased DLC songs available. However, at launch, many DLC songs were not available, not shown as already purchased in the store, or not showing as part of a song-pack already purchased.
Additionally, regarding instrument compatibility, the wireless guitars we already owned don't work without an adapter ($25) which was not available to be purchased ANYwhere for quite a while after the game came out (though it is now available on Amazon). But the biggest downfall of all is that my husband bought me a gift of the $300 ION drum kit for Rock Band 3 and in the 3 months since the game launched, there has been NO news about when compatibility for this set will be forthcoming. Harmonix says to contact ION, ION says to complain to Harmonix or Microsoft, but no one seems to be working on the problem. I realize that I am in a minority of RB players as an owner of this drum set rather than the standard RB drum kits, but I have invested HUGE amounts of money and time into this series of games, and have so far not enjoyed a single minute of playing RB4, since we can only have the one new guitar that came in this bundle and one singer.
I feel that Harmonix and/or ION and/or Microsoft needs to step up to the plate and get this issue fixed, or at least announce an anticipated due-date for the fix. Quit blaming each other for the problem and work together to get it fixed!
As for the gameplay itself, only having basically 2 character models to choose from is super-boring when we used to be able to totally customize our avatars in previous versions. And the new tracklist frankly sucks. I remember that it took some time for some of the old tracklists to grow on me, so maybe I'm not being fair with this complaint, but I haven't been able to play this game for long enough that the songs grow on me due to the compatibility issues above.
I honestly wish I could return this game. Very disappointing results for a game I was looking forward to from the first whisper of its development. | video-games_xbox |
Supreme Disappointment. Supreme Commander 2 may well be the most disappointing PC game I've ever played. The original Supreme Commander, spiritual successor to Cavedog's fantastic Total Annihilation, allowed players a depth and complexity far beyond any other strategy game of its day. Massive unit variety, stunningly well-made interface and epic scale combined to create incredible tactical and strategic diversity. Unfortunately, it seems that the sequel has lost its way. Worse is the fact that many clever improvements made their way into this game, only to be overshadowed by the game's serious flaws.
Graphics: First, the good: units, structures and effects look incredible. Animations are likewise very impressive indeed. Missiles trail believable contrails, fighters swoop around, cannons recoil. Visually stunning; this game is by far the best-looking strategy game out there, especially when its scope is taken into consideration. Faction units are distinct and cleverly designed. Experimental units look suitably enormous and powerful. Lighting and shadows are top-notch.
Sound: Here we have the first serious issue. As strange as this sounds, the voice acting of all things is one of the deal-breakers. The writing and acting is possibly the worst I've heard in a video game. It may be hard to believe that voice acting can make a difference one way or the other, but if you have any plans to play the campaign, I recommend having the mute button handy. It is incredible to me that this game made it to the public with its current script. Think Star Wars Episode 1 Jar-Jar Binks. Unbelievable. Sound effects and music are fine, but the (non-skippable, impossible to disable) voices are just awful.
Gameplay: First, the good - SC2 makes a few seemingly minor but clever and helpful tweaks to the SC1 formula. For those familiar with SupCom: engineers can now repair aircraft in flight, aircraft fuel has been removed, and pathfinding is immensely improved. The game sports "flow-field" coding for its group pathfinding, improving upon a serious flaw in early versions of the original. Groups of land units will smoothly navigate around obstacles without breaking formation and will attempt to form up when possible. Units work better together and are much more able to navigate the complex terrain of the battlefield. Customizable buildings are a great decision and are one of the features that would have been wonderful in the original. On the other hand, unit variety has taken a serious hit. In an effort to "streamline" the game, many units have been removed entirely. Gone are the days of hundreds of structure and unit choices. The economy has been completely reworked. The streaming economy that made TA and SupCom unique and interesting has been replaced by a standard pre-pay for units concept. In theory, this was meant to reduce players' need for micromanaging. In my experience, it results in far more micro throughout the course of the game. Factories can no longer be set to pump out endless hordes of tanks and planes. Now every purchase must be weighed individually, resulting in smaller armies and a greater focus on factories instead of formations. UI tweaks include a group icon for multiple units given the same order, which mainly has the effect of stopping the player from clicking on a few of his units without accidentally selecting the whole group. The research concept is interesting and fairly well implemented, although it is very easy for new players to get badly bogged down in poor research choices and lose because of their confusion.
Overall, the game seems to have been designed with a "Supreme Commander Lite" theme squarely in mind. Experimentals are everywhere, and are not particularly epic any more. The grand strategic picture of large battles will still confuse new players, and the lack of tactical diversity and the serious economic simplifications have driven away veterans of the series. Somehow Chris Taylor managed a game simultaneously too complicated for new players and too simplified for experienced players. Very disappointed. | video-games_xbox |
Shocking. Random. Real. Ya' I get it. You're Breaking Bad apples. I started playing Bullet Storm.
I hated the guys I played as so much I stopped playing the game.
I loved GTA 3, and Vice City. I even liked GTA 4 to a point, but this one. I kind'a saw where it was going a few hours in, especially after GTA 4. So I asked a friend who played it through, and I literally asked.
"Does that guy die? Do I get to shoot him, or does he die somehow?"
To which my friend said "No."
And that was that. I get the whole childish Breaking Bad mentality, even before Breaking Bad, the bad guy is the hero gig, and to an extent I can accept that. But there is a line where I want to see justice done, or at least the proper light shined on those dark areas to keep them in check... to show them for what they are. Creating this "well that's the way it is" environment, when it truly is not like that in reality, is... well apparently working I guess LOL. As crazy as it might sound to all those who whole heatedly embrace the new rendition of the bad guy is the hero, I want it to be kept real.
In GTA 5, if I was Franklin Clinton it would have been hard for me not to shoot Lamar. I take that back, if I was truly Franklin, having his history, I would have shot Lamar, and got on with my life. Based on Franklin's own words, why would he keep going back to Lamar, or going along with him? (Because that's the way it is? BS) It got to the point of being ridiculous. Luckily it did it right at the beginning of the game, and not towards the end like GTA 4 did to me.
Niko Bellic was a great character, who was easy to dive into, and was (as all well written characters tend to be) predictable. I knew him, up until a point. Then he just started not being Niko Bellic. We tossed out all his history, and had him doing things the Niko Bellic in the beginning would not be doing... all for the sake of? Sales? Political Correctness? Being cool? Who knows.
This game fell into that trap? No idea what you call it. But if I want ridiculous takes on reality, then I will just go play Saint's Row. That franchise does stereotype cliches too, but it straight up tells you it is not taking itself seriously, and at no point pretends to.
So yeah. There is my GTA rant. | video-games_xbox |
Decided to get SC2 despite negative reviews. After reading the scary negative reviews here, I decided -not- to get SC2. Later, I realized some people gave this 4-5 stars...so I got curious looked at the videos/demos and finally got SC2. First of, I am a fan of TA, SC, SCFA, these are the only games I still play these days even after I stopped playing WOW, Warcraft and C&C. I even believe TA was way ahead of its time when it first came out. So, on SC2, I am -not- totally disappointed as I thought I would be based on the 0-1 star reviews. You probably should try the game first (videos/demo) then judge for yourself.
This review is based on skirmish and multiplayer games I have played (Seton's Clutch map).
I never play[ed] any of the campaigns of TA, SC, SCFA, SC2.
The pros, the likeables, that might keep me playing SC2 instead of SCFA:
1. The new experimentals are awesome, specially the King Kriptor! I wish there were more.
2. The improvements on the commander unit are great. I love the jump-jets and the escape pod, and the rebuild option.
3. I love the building add-on improvements: Shields, AA, defenses.
4. If they had placed these improvements on SCFA, the game series would have been even more awesome, and unstoppable!
5. The performance seems to have improved a lot, but something must have been sacrificed for this.
6. I am so glad Seton's Clutch is still here. It's the only map we play on. The feel is diffent though...
The cons, dislikes, that will keep me playing SCFA instead of moving completely to SC2:
1. The maps do seem and feel smaller, including my favorite Seton's Clutch which is on SC2. Maybe the mass extractor is just too big.
2. It does seem to lack the feel of "grandness" and "epicness" as some people have pointed out.
3. The buildings and units do seem a little cartoonish. A lot more realism please. But the Commander, King Kriptor and Fatbot 2 look great.
4. I miss the SCFA's Fatboy I, and how exciting it was to build one (or any other experimental). But then, 25 years later they should be on Fatboy 3-4.
5. Following on (4), I do miss all the excitement found in SCFA, while keeping your slowly weakening defenses up against increasing hordes of enemies (protracted war) while your entire economy gets the experimental (Fatboy I) out the door to tip the balance of power in your favor, to finally breath a sigh of temporary relief, as you get ready (with your Fatboy) to retake your territory and make your grand move towards the enemy for the first time. This alone, will keep me looking back to the excitement and adrenaline I found with SCFA, and is the one ultra-major element missing from SC2. It is the gameplay.
6. The economy has been redesigned to be a lot simpler (or richer), to the point you can just produce experimentals almost non-stop. I was able to create 8 King Kriptors and 8 Fatboy 2s and a 100 AA mobile units without a sweat, once again, it is the gameplay.
7. Radar doesn't seem as critical or long range as in SCFA. It feels useless.
8. Shields area of coverage too small.
9. Even on hard-AI, seems the SC2 computer opponent is not as aggressive/tough as the AIX opponent in SCFA. I can beat 2 AIX opponents though.
10. Graphics, are not as good as SCFA, perhaps this is one of those things sacrificed to achieve better performance.
11. Steam. Why do we need to be on Steam? Even a LAN game would need to be on the internet and Steam. But I do appreciate the fact that retail boxed games will go the way of the dinosaurs.
Neutral, so-so, neither like or dislike and may need a little more push/improvement to become likeable/a pro:
1. The concept of research is so-so to me. I have researched everything in the games I played, it was easy.
2. The UI/interface. At least it is not counter-intuitive.
3. The old tech 1-3 tree vs the new auto-upgrade based on research level is still so-so to me. This is on the unrealistic side though.
Conclusion:
If an expansion came out, I wouldn't get it if it were purely campaign. I would probably get it if it had new units and I finally figured
for myself if I want to keep playing SC2. I have mixed feelings about the game, it may not have the same replayability factor as TA, SC, SCFA did. Bottom-line, I rather wish they come-up with SC3, which at the very least should be SCFA+pros of SC2 listed above. I give this game 3-stars for the pros. | video-games_xbox |
High quality product will not be disappointed. This is a a great alternative to buying a a whole new controller and it might not be the easiest way to do it but it is worth it.
This is a great shell and everything that you need to change the look of your controller. I purchased this for my sons xbox 360 for christmas and he absolutely loves it. His controller was starting to fall apart in a few places from him (probably getting mad and throwing it, or twisting it) he says that it just fell or was dropped, but if you are a mom like me you know better then that.
All the pieces are somewhat simple to swap out, the inside of the controller is easy to take out the putting back together is the "hard" part for a lack of a better term. There are a few things that you can not use from the original controller in order for the case to snap back together and not have any gaps you have to use the bumpers that come in the package. You can use the original triggers though. We kept the original Xbox button in the center and it worked, son decided he didn't like it so we changed it back out the one that came with this package.
I know that things like this should be no brainers to most of you that are in tune with gaming and accessories but this momma not so much so I feel that if they could include maybe just a diagram in the packages that would be great I had to youtube how to put it back together and where and how some of the pieces go into the controller, because if you are not careful like I wasn't then when you take the case off all the pieces fall out all over the places and it just gets complicated.
To the quality of the actual cover the plastic that it is made out of seems to look a little heavier then that of the original case. I think and hope that it will hold up to my sons tantrums better because if those don't stop then I guess I will have me a new xbox360 in my room and he won't have anything, but that is besides the point. So far this is a very quality product and all of the pieces fit together perfectly (if you use all the pieces but the triggers) The buttons push very smoothly, the d-pad does everything that it should, the triggers and bumpers work great. The thumb sticks move and respond they way they should I would highly recommend this to anyone and you will not be disappointed with this controller replacement kit! | video-games_xbox |
Highly Recommended - Fun, Creepy and Engaging. I'm nearing the end of the game (about 23hrs in) and felt like I could write a pretty cohesive review at this stage, though I'll likely update when the story concludes.
As an overall synopsis, the game is excellently put together and very enjoyable from the start. Graphics are superb in the environments you spend most of your time within - Talos I's interior is beautifully appointed and the lighting is excellent across the board.
Cut scenes are average and character animations in those are sub-bar, but I expected this given it's Bethesda (think Fallout 4 and Wolfenstein which both have the exact same blend between excellent landscape/interior graphics and awful character animations. As a minor example of where the attention to detail hasn't been placed in the character animations, I noticed some texture popping in within the minimal cut-scenes (e.g. when you administer medicine to Mikhaila in one of the side missions).
Where this game shines is in its' atmosphere, gameplay and sound. The soundtrack, and effects, are superior to just about any game I've played this year; a masterclass in how to create edgy, creepy atmosphere (lots of random noises, creaking, squeaking) and make the player immersed in the environment.
Gameplay is really smooth and the skill tree is wonderfully put together and easy to navigate. As a comparison, I found fallout 4 to be clunky and unintuitive in navigation, control and gameplay. This is a vast improvement over that system, albeit it's a similar structure.
The ability to recycle junk you find around Talos I and on bodies of crew and aliens is a key component to gameplay (and success within the game), and something you'll want to pay attention to. Bullets are hard to come by and easily spent, so the ability to recycle junk into various forms of matter, in order to use the Fabricators to create bullets, med-kits, suit repairs and other useful objects, is incredibly important to your progression through the story.
Similarly, the ability to upgrade your own skills, as well as the features of your suit and Psychoscope (and scanner you find a few hours into the story), is nicely put together and impressive as you start to acquire new ones.
The 'aliens' are a mixed bag. There are a couple of forms of mimics (standard and "greater") and the Psychoscope helps you scan those and other aliens in order to learn more about them, AND (importantly) unlock the skills they possess. Phantoms come in (I think) 3 forms (e.g. voltaic, and then there are other beasts (Technopaths, Telepaths, Weavers and Cystic Nests) and even Poltergeists (the first you encounter in "Crew Quarters") to contend with.
The first encounter with a Poltergeist is spooky as hell as things start vibrating in the room and it lifts you up. These are all vulnerable to bullets/wrench attacks, so the Shotgun and pistol are highly valuable weapons to have. The weapon upgrade system is something you should also pay attention to. The ability to increase damage, accuracy, dampen recoil and so on, will help you deal with larger, less vulnerable enemies faster. The downside to this is that you will invariably find yourself running back and forth to areas to collect recyclable materials just to run to the recycler and fabricator nearest to you to manufacture. This does, as the game wears on, become a bit of a pain. There were times for instance, that I was in the Arboretum (top of the ship) and had to travel back to other areas just to find some materials I could recycle. That took about 30-40mins all for some ammo and no story progression.
In terms of the PSI skills/attacks, I've so far found the Explosive ones (e.g. Kinetic Blast) to be more useful (e.g. the "Mimic" ability is very rarely of use so I'd suggest foregoing that in favor of something that will do some severe damage to enemies).
As far as the story goes, it is fairly intriguing, but for such a long game I felt there should maybe have been more cut-scenes, more regular story progression to keep it interesting and less side missions randomly pop up as a big story progression is unlocked. Most are not even cut-scenes at all, but rather you watching videos that Morgan/Alex made in the past. The "lost" memories that are revealed as you progress create some twists through the story and some are certainly interesting.
In summary, on the upside, gameplay is excellent, in-game graphics are fantastic, atmosphere is creepy, chilling and wonderfully put together. The skill tree and upgrade system, recycling/fabrication process are superior mechanisms that are intuitive and rewarding.
On the downside, gameplay can be repetitive, side missions are not always fun or rewarding or indeed, well-timed, and the game feels longer than it probably should be by a number of hours (of course that is subjective, I just felt it should be at a conclusion around now, being 23hrs in and not having completed all of the sub-missions.
Overall, I have to recommend the game, it's a really different title for Bethesda and was innovative, fun and pretty intuitive. Definitely worth a $59 tag in terms of gameplay, value and length of title. | video-games_xbox |
Platforming at its best. This critically acclaimed game(IGN gives it a 9.6) did not sell that well, but is really good. It is presented as a tale told by the prince after everything happened, so you are playing the game as the prince remembers it in his memory. The tale begins with you and your father and his army besieging an Indian kingdom with the help of their vizier, who betrays them to you. You breach the outer defenses and sally forth to find a treasure that will honor your father and make him proud... The narrative and gameplay thus presented are seamlessly woven together into a great gaming experience.
Hundreds of animations for the prince make the action incredibly smooth and natural, and a marvel to behold. My favorite is wall running, which you have to do alot of. The acrobatics you will pull off in the course of this platformer will astound you. You'll jump from crumbling ledges into a balance walk on wooden beams, swing on flagpoles over hundred foot drops, run on the walls of a circular tower in a descending spiral; the levels will push the limits of your imagination.
The fighting, which some people complain about, is dance-like and rhythmic, and isn't extreme or hardcore enough for some. However, I think the fighting is still fun, and appropriate for the game's emphasis and style. The game developers change this in the sequel, which centers on fighting more.
The camera, of which you have at least partial control throughout the whole game, works well and allows you to fully explore the environments. The environments themselves are epic in scale and awesome to look at, showcasing the power of the xbox.
This is a five star game. You'll probably log less than 15 hours finishing this, but you will definitely feel satisfied at the end. And you'll probably want to replay it at least once. Oh yeah, the original prince of persia game and prince of persia 2 are unlockable. Great value! | video-games_xbox |
Classic platforming meets nostalgic toy-collecting. I was initially hesitant to buy this game because of the steep price and mixed reviews. I knew the 3DS version was different, but there was a distinct lack of reviews on that version. So, a month later, I see the starter bundle is $20 dollars off at most places and I decide to try it. Let me first find a way of describing just how fun it is. I got <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Legend-of-Zelda-Skyward-Sword-with-Music-CD/dp/B002BSC54I/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword with Music CD</a> the same day, a game I have been waiting for eagerly for years, and I am choosing Skylanders over Zelda!
This game is setup like classic PS1/N64 era platformers, as an overworld with many play worlds, and each world has 5 levels/stages, each with 5 unique objectives. Most of the objectives can be completed with any two characters of your choice. The characters are scanned in through the "Portal of Power". Talk to someone in the overworld, press down on the portal, and go. There are minor annoyances with this, however:
1. Initially you will need to unscrew the battery cover on the bottom. Why can't they have used a snap-cover?
2. The IR port is not near the bottom, but rather near the TOP. You cannot place the 3DS next to it while it syncs your character, you must hold your 3DS about 3 inches in the air. Thankfully this only takes about one second (Though the first time I did it, it took about 3 minutes, which I assume was a glitch).
3. You are locked into those two characters while away from your portal, unless you take all your peripherals with you on-the-go, which is unrealistic (but possible). However, you receive bonuses for using only a certain two types of characters each day, presumably chosen at random by the game. This allows you to level up those two characters more quickly.
Once you're past the initial complications, it's easy enough to switch your character.
I mentioned that MOST (4 out of 5 gems per stage) challenges can be done with any character. One gem per level can only be completed by having the correct character class. It can either be simply taking it into the battle stages, or completing one or two platforming side-levels in the platforming stages. So with the 3 characters included in the starter pack, you will not be able to get about 1/3 of these gems. So you will not be able to get approximately 1/15th (One-fifth times one-third) of the gems in the game, unless you buy at least 5 more Skylanders (more on this later).
Now to discuss the gameplay itself. You are not even able to jump in the console versions, it's just hack-and-slash, developed by Toys for Bob who I have never heard of. In the 3DS version, you can not only jump, but also double-jump and glide (if your character has wings). It was developed by Vicarious Visions, who is known for many great games, most recently the Guitar Hero series.
The stages and worlds are completely unique to this version. They are linear but often have branching paths- one path is best for platforming, the other is best for hacking at enemies. These alternate paths can get complicated, and the platforming can get very hard (falling platforms, etc). Certain objectives are only on one of the two paths so you must either guess, or memorize where they are. The enemies also show a dramatic increase in strength as you progress through levels, which is good if you're upgrading all your skylanders equally.
As with many games in recent memory, you have NO camera control. <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Super-Mario-3D-Land/dp/B002I092MM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Super Mario 3D Land</a> is one such game, and it bothers me in that game because the camera angle will switch wildly at random, sometimes in the middle of a jump! In skylanders, it is okay, because the camera is always behind the character and the levels are always oriented into the screen.
The 3D is some of the best I've seen on the console but by no means is it required. But it helps with depth perception. The controls are tight, and the analog stick is truly analog, unlike SM3DL. It is a laid-back game, but does get difficult. You can blow through each level one time, or come back many times, buy 5+ more skylanders (one of each from 8 character classes), and 100% each world before moving onto the next.
There are brilliant marketing schemes hidden behind this game. Legendary skylanders are exclusive to Toys R Us, Whirlwind is exclusive to Target, and Drill Sgt is exclusive to Walmart. There are 4 possible "Adventure Packs" similar to "Downloadable Content/DLC" in many games today, only you get a physical figurine for the level. And each one has a Skylander that you can only buy within that pack.
What I like most about this design is the dissonance between freedom and constantly being pursued by this game's villan: Hectore. You can go through the level as fast or slow as you want. You can do whatever objective you want first; Collect all the radiance, or avoid it completely and destroy all the chests, pop all the balloons, burn all the snowmen. In any case, once you complete one of the objectives and get a gem, you must get to the end of the level. That would be easy, but Hectore notices you have a gem and wants to steal it from you. So a timer starts which can be extended by killing enemies and grabbing clocks. Once you get down to 30 seconds, Hectore is close enough to actually shoot at you which makes it even harder to finish. So, there's a balance here. If possible, you want to be as close to the end of the level as you can before completing the objective and getting the gem, or you will have a mad rush to the finish line.
I don't think I've seen any in-depth reviews like this, so that's why I did it. This is a game that is easy to pick up and hard to master. It would be easy enough for a child to play, but adults (I'm 23) will still enjoy the increasing difficulty, the leveling up, battle strategies, and collection aspects. Looking for these figurines takes me back to the days when I was around 9 years old, dragging my mom to stores looking for pokemon cards, pogs, and all those other great late 90's fads. Well here we have a new fad and it's a great one at that! | video-games_xbox |
Ufc undisputed 2010. After playing UFC Undisputed 2009, i along with the rest of the community had alot of ideas on how to make the game more realistic and where to go from there. It really seems as if THQ took this into account and valued the opinions of the people who were actually playing the game.
You've got new features such as submission switching, being able to use the cage, weaving and more. They've also improved many of the features that were already in the game such as the ground game and the clinch game. They've added new modes like Title defense mode, title mode and tournament mode.
THQ have also vastly improved the career mode, your created fighter now has alot more options regarding appearance and you can even have your own name called out if it's in the massive list of popular names. Your created fighter will be able to start off in a less popular promotion before moving upto the ufc. You can even recruit professional fighters to spar with to improve certain aspects of your game eg. Anderson Silva to improve your muay thai or GSP to improve your wrestling.
Your fighter's gear is also alot more customizable, placing sponsors are freeform on your shorts rather than having to place them in certain positions as in 09. Your created fighter can also pick certain moves to learn like Machida's triangle kick, Chuck's overhand right which makes it alot more diverse rather than having to stick to a set moveset based on your discipline. In the online mode you have the option to join fight camps and spar with friends to improve your fighter.
Pros:
-Improved career mode
-Create a fighter more customizable
-New features that bring a whole new realism to the game
-Online fight camps
Cons:
-A higher learning curve than last year due to the more complex controls, however there is a lengthy tutorial that will explain everything and also practice mode to sharpen your skills.
Overall i give Ufc Undisputed 2010 five stars, fans of last years game and MMA fans will be extremely pleased with this game. | video-games_xbox |
Decent system with much to improve. First off, I want to say that I have been an Xbox owner since the original Xbox. I purchased the Xbox One about three months ago. At first glance, I loved it. All of the new features really had me excited, and I was glad that I remained Xbox loyal. The first game I tried out was Titanfall. I'm a huge fan of the Call Of Duty series, and simply put, this Titanfall game was not for me. I then purchased NBA2k14. There was a definite improvement in graphics from Xbox 360 to the Xbox one version. Gameplay was great.
A month later, I started regretting my Xbox purchase. The Xbox Live servers were down at least once a week, and when I was able to find games, they often times were chalk-full of lag. The lag was not due to my internet speed which is 30mbps. When gameplay was working as it is intended to, the Xbox One was great. The Kinect certainly didn't work as advertised. The only use I could find for it was to verbally tell the system to record an in-game clip. Otherwise, simply using a controller was much faster and more effective.
I then purchased two games- Assassin's Creed and Call Of Duty. These were purchased as digital copies. Both of these games took hours to install, and when finally installed, I found that both DIDN'T WORK. I got stuck in boot loops on both games. I emptied the system cache, deleted, and reinstalled the games. To my surprise (seriously, I was surprised at the time), the same thing happened. I had to argue with Microsoft to get my money back (they referenced how each digital download has no return policy). I inevitably got my money back.
I sold my Xbox one with two rechargeable controllers and one (hard-copy) game today for $400. I immediately went to the store and purchased a PS4. I'm sure the Xbox One will improve as time goes on, however, I feel as though after all this time the major bugs should be worked out by now. I do know that I will never switch back to Microsoft after my experience.
As far as graphics go, I cannot notice a difference between the Playstation 4 and Xbox One. From everything I've read from developers, the Playstation 4 is a clear cut winner. They say making games is much easier on the Playstation 4, which to me means that the future is much brighter as both consoles mature.
If you are reading reviews to help you decide on a system, do yourself a favor and buy a Playstation 4. It is a system that doesn't have corny features. It has raw power, which is the only thing I'm looking for in a VIDEO GAME console. Oh, and it was $100 less than what I paid for the Xbox.............ESPECIALLY WHEN I NEVER WANTED A DAMN KINECT!!!!!!!!!!!! | video-games_xbox |
Fun, mediocre, but mostly frustrating. I am a fan of the Tom Clancy Spliner Cell series since I bought the first one a while back. When I played the first one, I played somthing I had never experienced before, but i also encountered flaws that I would have hoped to be improved in Pandora Tomorrow.
But before I played Pandora Tommorrow, the second game in the stealth action series, I played the latest installment, Chaos Theory. The game showed supurb improvements in all areas of the first game, and and in Pandora Tomorrow. The main weakness I found in Pandora Tomorrow was the frusteration level. In almost every stage of the game, I found myself retrying the level repetitive times to try not to sound the alarm when I'm sneaking past a guard, or abruptly getting caught and having to restart right when I'm close to the checkpoint because a body was found that I had tried to hide earlier in the game. The main idea of the game is that you are a Third Echelon government spy who is supposed to inflitrate dangerous locations across the globe, get vital information for the good of the world, and sneak out right under the noses of notorious terrorists. To do this, you have to be a "shadow", which means you have to be invisible. In the begining, they teach you how to hide in dark corners, take cover from the enemy, etc., but I still found my self getting caught. For example, while quietly stalking the dark alleys of Jerusalem,
a guard nearby happens to hear my footsteps, and begins to investigate the area. No big deal, I tell myself, and I quickly find a dark corner and put my back against the wall so I could be less visible. But as the investigating guard walks buy me "hidden
in the shadows", he always seems to realize that I'm there, so he sounds the alarm, and the missions over. Boom! It happens again in the same situations throughout the game. Sooner or later, you'll get past the guard, but the same, almost impossible challenge awaits you in the next level, and the next level until you have beaten the game. The game has some upsides though. The levels are well detailed, such as the one in Jerusalem and LAX airport in Los Angeles. Also the addition of Xbox Live's Spies Vs. Mercenaries will entertain you for a long time. If you're a person who likes to take up challenges, doesn't get frustrated easily, and doesn't really care about the latest installment, Chaos Theory, there is somthing for you in this game. If you are not this kind of person, and want more action and an overall better stealth action game, I would definitely recommend my favorite game, Chaos Theory, which will leave you playing for a long time. | video-games_xbox |
Best golf simulation to date. If you notice the people giving this game bad reviews are the ones that want this game to be easy and much more "arcade" like, if that is what you are looking for then this game isn't for you and maybe EA should have included an "arcade mode." But they did not so it is a golf simulation game and as a golfer of 20 years, this game is great. It is as close to real golf as you can get. Playing on "TOUR Pro" difficulty, which means no putt preview or adding spin, puts you into a real golf simulation. You have to actually plot your way around the golf course, execute different shots and use some strategy to succeed. To me that is great, I get no joy out of the old version of this game where shooting 50 for 18 holes is standard, I enjoy playing a tough round and grinding out a 70 after paying for some bad drives and scrambling for some bad decisions to attack tough pins, makes for a rewarding experience. That is what makes this game great because you have to play the golf course and every situation it hands you, not just take dead aim from everywhere. The swing mechanic is great because you can't load up at the top and get your swing right, you must have tempo to hit good shots. If you want to hit it further, you must swing the club faster by moving the stick faster all why maintaining the proper swing plane. Mechanics can be difficult to grasp but with a little practice at the Augusta Practice Facility in the Collectors' Edition, you will be hitting the shots you want in no time. It's also great to have to create shots by changing ball position and the strike on the ball rather than pushing the x-button like past years. The putting mechanics can be difficult to grasp as well and was the and still is the weakest part of my game but I am improving by putting in time at the Augusta Practice Facility as well. So if you are truly an avid golfer this is a game you will absolutely enjoy as it tests your strategy and skill and hard work practicing will pay off with a very enjoyable simulation of real golf, if you are looking for an "arcade game" to try and shoot an obscenely low number go play Tiger Woods 10. | video-games_xbox |
Once again, the truth. This game is absolutely amazing. This is one of the best games if not the best game that I have played. From the graphics to the alien intelligence, just amazing. I must make it clear though that this game is not for everyone. If you are looking for a shoot'em up bang bang type of game this ain't it. This game is for people with patience and common sense. If you do not possess these two qualities, please stay away from this game because you will play it (try to play it) and just get frustrated, and that frustration will lead you to give the game poor reviews and scores that it does not deserve. This game was advertised from the beginning as being a slow paced survival horror game and that is exactly what it is, so if you want Call of Duty, play Call of Duty!
I don't want to give away too much of the game but I will say that the alien intelligence in this game is the best A.I. that I have ever seen in a video game. If you make noise the alien will come. If the alien sees you at a distance, he will come. If you use the noisy tracker too long, the alien will come. If you are in another room and the alien sees you through a window or a glass locked door the alien will quickly work it's way around to you and pounce. It's just that good!
Some people have said that the game is either too slow, or very frustrating. I have watched people play this game on twitch and I have noticed some problems with people playing this game. People complained about not knowing where to go. The map is there for a reason, use it! The tracker also points you in the direction of your next goal, use it, but not too long. Some have complained about the alien always popping up. Duh, that's the premise of the game! If the alien comes and you can't get away, hide. That's what those lockers are for. Also, you can hide under tables and desks. Make use of the environmental controls. If that doesn't work for you, run! Also, pay attention to your surroundings. Look and listen! As far as the game being too slow, that is an exaggeration. The game is not slow! There just isn't someone to shoot every fifteen seconds but there is always a goal to achieve. I have played this game on the suggested difficulty and I had a blast.
This game is worth the money and I don't say that about many games! Just make sure you have patience and common sense. The game does have minor issues like not being able to pick up a person's weapon after they have been killed but that can be overlooked for an obvious reason you will realize when playing the game. Nothing is perfect but it is still worth five stars. For the people complaining about the game being too hard on the easy setting, I played the game on hard and didn't have the problems you people are having. So, is it the game or is it you!
P.S. People need to stop dissing Alien: Colonial Marines. If you want a shoot'em up alien game, Colonial Marines fits the bill. It's not the game that was promised but it's still a good alien game. | video-games_xbox |
Combat is too easy, but the game's humor kept me playing. It really has to said upfront that the combat is graphically flashy, but at no point is it remotely ever challenging. The game was intended to be "friendly" to all types of gamers. Indeed, it might have made a mistake there. I wouldnt have minded some sort of selectable difficulty option for combat.
But the games wowed me in other ways: The graphics are always impressively artful. And there's some technical wizardry that allows for crisp-looking graphics with real-time shadowing on the entire landscape. Strictly from a graphical perspective, this game puts to shame GTA4 or Mass Effect.
There's a decidedly UK sense of humor thruout the game that I find highly amusing. It kept me playing the game. Not everyone will agree, but cranky gargoyles that insult you in a Scottish brogue to shoot them? I loved it.
Some here have said the game is too linear. I would have said that of Fable 1, but its not as bad in Fable 2. There's a fairly large world to explore though its nothing like the massive world of Oblivion or Fallout 3. I suppose if you don't do anything but the main storyline the game might seem overly linear. But boy you'd have to go out of your way to ignore the sidequests and "social" elements of the gameplay.
Just as with Fable 1, there are no hard consequences for anything you do. So you can be totally evil and then do some good deeds and now you are "good" again as if you had never been evil. Ideally, the game would have at least a few more permanent consequences or permanent rewards for being good and evil.
I downloaded the game to the 360's hardrive as one can do now with the recent update to the console and that made a difference in loading times.
So, its not a game for everyone. Fans of Halo 3 multiplayer are better off with Fallout 3 perhaps. But I'm a long-time gamer and I got my 44 bucks worth of entertainment with Fable 2. Yea its too easy, but not every game released has to be difficult right? | video-games_xbox |
EA...Stop Making FPS Games, PLEASE. I was very disappointed (again) by EA with this release. There has been plenty of criticism about the multiplayer that I won't even bother with that part of the game.
However, there are some people in this world who appreciate it when effort is made to create something that is more than a repetetive map conquest exercise. So, regarding the game from a development point...
"The Story"
There is a story concept, but no real plot or story for the campaign. Your average eighth grader could have come up with the line of thought that makes up the story part of this game. Weak sauce doesn't even cover the level of failure in this regard.
Game Mechanics:
As is typical, EA compells the player to go through a very narrow and unimaginative linear path through the missions. There is almost no ability to maneuver, alternate paths to take, any ability to flank enemies...all of which should not be lacking in a military game. Those are basic principles of combat, so why are they missing? Also, they still insist on the gimmick of only providing one solution for an obstacle (ie. when using the Apache only a Hellfire missle can destroy a mortar emplacement, despite it being armed with a 30mm cannon and other rockets that were previously used to destroy similar emplacements elswhere). If you do not do exactly as you are told by the NPCs, you simply can't even advance. Granted, COD does this as well, but not to the degree that EA does. Why EA feels they have to treat gamers like a three year old child who has to be led about by the hand is beyond me.
The Future:
Whatever happened to games where a variety of actions could be used to provide a solution to an objective? Quite simply, EA needs to leave FPS game development to those who can produce games like Halo, Call of Duty and the Tom Clancy inspired series like Rainbow Six. And, I am finished with this company as a game developer. I could get more out of Leap Frog. | video-games_xbox |
Fun if you like watching paint dry. This is the most disappointing game to come along in a LONG TIME - I simply don't understand the other reviews giving this a recommendation. When Game Informer magazine gets ahold of this, I'm predicting they give it a 2 out of 10. And that's being generous. Where to begin?
There's a semblance of fun when you pick your crew and the kid says, "Capt, I've got a girl in my bunk and my girlfriends headed this way, can you stall her?" You can either help or not. What you decided to do has absolutely ZERO influence in the game. The question itself gives you hope that there's interaction and decisions to be made in the game....WRONG. After that, the game spirals down to the most BORING game ever created quickly. And, yes, I am a fan of the TV show so the disappointment is magnified.
So you pick your boat, slap your own name on it, and paint it to your liking. That sounds like a big thing but it really isn't as you hardly ever pan around to the front of the boat (no need to) to see your custom name.
OK, back to picking your crew. First off, it's a short list and you can't create your own. I picked my crew and before I even dropped my first pot, the girl gave herself a hernia. The appointed "medic" gives me the report that "He's got a hernia, we should probably drop him off next time we're in port." HE'S got a hernia?! Huh?!
Moving on, you only have 1 question for the crew "How are you doing?" and they've only got 1 response "Doing great!" Occasionally as they begin to get tired they'll give you 1 or 2 complaints like "I need a break" or "You can't work with cold hands." But that's it, there's absolutely no real-time interaction. There's also ZERO interaction down in the galley. As in, you tell someone to cook a meal and they disappear off the deck. Why couldn't they have made an achievement around cooking a meal on the rocking boat? You're either in the boat house or looking down on the deck. There's nothing in between.
You can call the other ships in the area. Again, only 1 question. "How's the fishing?" They'll give you 1 of 3 answers. Again, whatever response they give - or you give them when they call you - has ZERO influence in the game.
You can call the Coast Guard with only 1 question - I need a tow. What happened to the Coast Guard helping with injured crew members?
As for piloting the boat, it takes - literally - 5 minutes to go a few hundred yards, you'll get a taste of this on the VERY FIRST thing you do which is to pilot your boat in a straight line into port. Who considers this riveting fun???
It almost feels like you're playing the game in REAL TIME. It's is AGONIZINGLY SLOW. You decide to drop a pot: The crane picks up a pot, swings it around, lowers it to the deck. The guy unhooks the cable and takes out the buoys. Another guy crawls in with the bait then closes the latch. This whole exchange takes a minute or more. You have to do this over and over and over again - all the while to the sound of loud seagulls. No dialogue on deck, no music, just the sound of seagulls. Eventually you'll come back to pick up the pots. ZERO response from the crew when the pot if full. ZERO response from the crew when the pot is empty. You may get a dialogue box to pop up where a guy says, "I hope they're all like this" but that's it. There's ZERO animation. And the crab itself? 2-D??? What happened to technology in the 21st century??? It's embarrassing. The crab comes out of the pot in 2 Dimension then slowly melts away.
It took all my patience and then some to go through a season of King and a season of Opillio fishing just so I could say I gave the game a chance. It doesn't eventually get better.
And I've been playing strategy games for 20 years (starting with Link & Final Fantasy for the Nintendo - more recently playing the demo for Sid Meier's Civ Revolution which is EXTREMELY fun). This game is hardly a strategy game, it's a game with so many shortcomings - so many opportunities to make it good but they didn't - it's a total flop.
I give it star for the Bon Jovi song on the main title. Once you hit the "start" button, your spiral has begun. | video-games_xbox |
Good but not Great. The game is good. I admit I have not gotten very deep in the game because it has annoyed me to much for me to stay intrested in it. However its strongest point is the graphics. I own the PC version. I play it on a Laptop with an ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 with 64MB of video ram on a 14in SXGA screen and a 1.4GHz Intel Centrino processor. The game looks great and plays fast. (For those of you who only play console games you are missing out on the power of the PC) The storyline concept adds an interesting twist to the game that gives a little more motivation for winning. There is a good amount of options for tuning your car's settings for each race. The tuning options require some testing before you drive in a race because they can make or break your race, but they are not to hard to figure out. The biggest problem is the physics. Even in sim mode the cars handle a little unrealistically. I played F1 2002 for a long time and believe that the physics in that game are excellent. We all know how great the physics in all the GT games were. In Pro Race Driver there is no since of acceleration or deceleration. The car always feels like it is going the same speed whether you are going 150MPH or slamming on the breaks to enter a corner or mashing on the gas to exit the corner. You have to drive a near perfect race to win because there is no difficulty setting in career mode. The racing sounds are whack. There is also no qualifying before the race for starting grid positioning. You always start out in the 6th, 8th, or 9th spot. (And they call this a racing sim) One other of the things that irritated me is that the A.I. drivers are a little too aggressive at times. More often than not an A.I. controlled car vying for position would spin me off the track, many times causing me to hit a wall and severely damage my car. By the time I am able to get back on the track everyone has passed me and I have no chance of getting back into a respectable position in the race due to the vehicle damage and lack of feel for speed. If you were to ask me I would tell you not to waist your money on this one if you are a hardcore racing fan. Play f1 2002 and pray that GT4 is made available for the PC. if you are a casual racing fan that likes storyline twist in your games this is a good game for you. The week physics engine won't drive you crazy but the A.I. drivers might. | video-games_xbox |
Only an average game overall. I'm a pretty big fan of Lost and normally I don't play games that are based on movies or television. Why? Because they usually end up being terrible and really can't capture the essence of the show. This game appears to be no exception to that rule. I should've known based on the novels written outside the series, which also weren't all that great. One thing I will say though, this game is better than those novels. Maybe once the full mythos is revealed and the spin off literature can use the full breadth of Lost, then it will be excellent. Until that happens... I fear we are doomed to mediocre stories based on Lost that can't reveal anything very new to us.
That being said one of the main reasons I did not like this game very much is the game play in general. I feel like the controls were a little clunky and the environments can be somewhat hard to navigate. Though this is the whole point when you go out in the jungle, and for that it's okay. As an example, though, whenever you go into the Banyan trees to escape the smoke monster you emerge facing toward the camera so pressing forward brings you back into the trees. In a section where escape and time are important this is ridiculous. The missions where you have to run to escape something are more frustrating than fun. It's very difficult, at times, to see what it is you need to jump over. So this kind of functionality wasn't winning any points from the video game perspective.
Another point of contention was the voice actors. Locke sounded completely different, which is kind of annoying. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but if you're going to make an official game I like the original people involved. That probably costs too much though, and this is yet another reason I tend to stay away from these off shoot games.
As far as the level design goes it's actually not too bad. Ubisoft is big with things like Myst, so I would expect them to be able to capture an environment competently. On this point the game scores pretty well with me. I love exploring the various stations like the Pearl and the Flame. I loved being responsible to push the buttons and seeing the maps. I loved that I could explore much more of the Flame than we get to see in the show. All of this was great and I enjoyed doing it. Going to the Dark Territory and going through the slaver ship was awesome as well. If you get that out of the game it's quite fun.
Here's where it sort of fell apart. The story line. The story line is just okay, in my opinion. I think it breaks some Lost rules and brings up events that are too specific that they wouldn't be known in the show, such as your character saving Jack and Kate. It's a bit too significant for it to never be brought up. You basically play as someone who has lost their memory and upon waking up on the island after the plane crash you can't remember who you are. The pace is almost way too fast, Jack appears to distrust you for no apparent reason for most of your time in the group. Aside from going into the jungle when he told no one to go there, which in the show is a really minor offense for Jack, it seems to ruin his entire perception of you. I guess I don't get it, while the characters were a bit close, they don't seem to be close enough to the show. Their actions and motivations seem a bit odd to me.
In the end, if you're a die hard Lost fan then you will enjoy some aspect of this game. I loved exploring the island and doing things in the various stations. I did not like some of the controls from a gamer's perspective. So there's a little give and take with this game, which is why I think it's only an average game at best. | video-games_xbox |
best fifa please read my review. ive been playing fifa since fifa 06 and this game gets better and better every year the goalies are better the shakes are more modified to fit the real action you use on the right joy stick and the shooting is more in touch...the manager mode is great i read one review where some noob was talking about points instead of currency..i have no idea what hes talking about you have pounds euros and the allmighty dollar..and another adidtion to manager mode is that you get a set salary cap that you can pay your players from instead of the money coming out of your salary which is sweet so instead of selling players so you can benefit from left over money you now can just get your whole salary and not have to worry about tevez getting paid 110,000 for a game..also what is so realistic about the manager mode is the exp points you cant custmize the point to the stats you want like in 09 for example...quick sim quicksim quicksim until you have enough experience points to boost rauls accel and sprint speed over 90..sorry kids but the players experience and stats all depend on how you play...so ronaldo aint scoring(or you cant score with ronaldo wich means you mite as well pick up ball with a string and a cup) guess what his form is gna decline and the only way you will bring him back is by passing scoring and playing good..and with that in mind it gives you more of a realism when making your starting line up...so now you have to use your subs just like in real life and if your sub plays good he might jump from 75 to 79 in one game..i could talk forever about how great this game is..its the only game i play its far better than any basketball and baseball game..yea thats right heres my decision on basketball games...look i get it you do 360s dribbles and tricks and sum reason ive done had so many chances to steal the ball i mean you litteraly can run strait into sumbody while dribbling and sumhow they still cant steal the ball..and baseball well the realism in baseball games is that its slowly declining in excitement just like real baseball....GET FIFA already what are you waiting for...o yeah PES sucks and if you don't know what PES stands for then good cause you haven't dumbed yourself down to giving it a play..btw it stands for Pro Evolution Soccer..konami makes it i think its really bad.. | video-games_xbox |
A Thrilling Conspiracy. The following is my review of the game after my first 3 hours of gameplay (noting that with my play style, those three hours barely took me to a point where I had a weapon...which is promising in terms of game duration/depth). While I try to keep them to a minimum, this review will also contain a few small spoilers (most of which you'll already be aware of if you've followed reviews/previews to this point)
****************
OK...so I picked the game up on my way home from work last night. I still had responsibilities that kept me from playing until about 8:30. Before digging into gameplay I ran the "bonus level" codes to make sure they were unlocked from the onset (since it sounds like you can encounter them in standard gameplay through the story). Then it was time to begin.
I'd read the various preview articles about the opening sequences, so there was no big shock/story value there for me. I liked controlling Desmond and being able to run, jump and punch with him. I was sad to see that those controls disappeared once he got into 'animus proximity' again (I really would prefer to run or at least jog around the animus room rather than having to casually stroll). Still, it was nice. I like the character animations and details with the exception of Lucy's mouth which really bugs me for some reason.
Even though I'd read the previews, it was a little strange to literally play as "baby" Ezio. It definitely wasn't what I expected. When the previews said you start as a baby and worked through his youth, I figured the baby would be a cut scene and then I'd wander around as a 5-6 year old throwing rocks or chasing cats or something. The way it played it was strange. Not bad, just different.
It took me a minute to get back into the combat system but it quickly felt natural again. I enjoyed the story presentation of the street brawl followed by banter with his brother. The "romantic mini-game" with Christina was a little out there but it helped characterize Ezio and give a feel for his attitude and mannerisms, so I'll go with it. It made him feel more human...and it wasn't presented in a vulgar or over-the-top way.
My standard method of play is rather completionist so even though I played for ~3 hours, I didn't progress much through the story. Instead, I got a good feel for the controls and the current limitations (starting with no weapons/gear, etc) as well as the general layout of the city and what to look for. I like the ability to pickpocket most NPCs for money as well as to loot various chests around the city.
So far I've progressed far enough to purchase a pair of leather bracers so I'm not sure of the extent of the economic system, but I look forward to using it. There are also "doctors" around town that can heal you up as well as sell you medicine packs you can use for a quick heal on the road. This is a nice new feature that saves you from those annoying "resynchronization" periods where you're forced to reload and replay an entire scene that you were just about to beat.
The initial missions are presented in a straightforward manner but each unlocks a new type of side-mission. I'm sure I'll miss some of them, but so far I've unlocked "courier" missions, "race" missions and "fight" missions. They're fairly similar in style to the missions from AC1 but the presentation value is greatly enhanced and feels much more immersive.
I did jump into the water once and it felt good not to immediately drown. Swimming was a bit odd, especially since I didn't have anywhere to go, but I look forward to feeling out this new feature.
When Ezio's family is arrested, I did miss a "mini-game" button press when walking in the door (I suspect if I'd pressed the button, I would have dodged the 'attack'). I had thought I was going into a cut scene and so had set the controller down to grab a drink. I guess I'll have to make sure to pay attention all the time since they're likely going to try and keep the story as interactive as possible.
Upon retrieving Giovanni's gear, I was fairly certain where the story arc was headed, so the traitor wasn't a big surprise. Although I'm not sure why Ezio wasn't hunted down during the night or prior to the execution...it seemed a little inconsistent.
After the execution, it was intense to race through the city to escape the guards and having them chase me much more intently than in AC1. In AC1, I could usually just make to the rooftops and put some distance between us. Here, I couldn't do that as they were hot on my heels. I also liked the fact that I couldn't just run around the corner to break line of sight and then hide in the hay...the guards have a sort of "proximity monitor" based on your last sited position and they'll poke into any hiding spots within that proximity.
I haven't yet retrieved my hidden blades or other weapons, but swordplay felt fluid and natural. The combat system is nice and, so far, doesn't feel like it's going to get repetitive (especially with the promise of new weapons and of disarming and using weapons from the enemy).
Overall I've really enjoyed the first few hours of gameplay. The story is looking to be very immersive. The world is vibrant, detailed and gorgeous. The side-missions and other tasks are fun enough that this game has a lot of core depth as well as plenty of peripheral tasks to keep me occupied for a while.
My only regret in purchasing the game is that I still have a big fat paper to write for school...and I've suddenly lost a bit of the motivation to finish it. Still, I'll (hopefully) spend some time tonight and finish up the paper so as to free up time for entertaining diversions. ;)
Definitely recommended. | video-games_xbox |
If you are a true Romero fan, buy this game. Don't listen to the haters, they don't know what they are talking about(for the most part). This is not supposed to be an Unreal Tournament or Halo killer. You are not going to be running around with weapons and ammo everywhere, slaughtering wave after wave of the undead, doing triple wall jumps and then finding a vehicle to shoot or run over the 5 or so zombies slowly walking towards you.
This is a game based off George A. Romero's zombie universe. With that being said, this game hits the mark. It's you alone versus the growing army of the dead. Weapons are rare, ammuntion is sparse. How will you deal with those 5 zombies when you have a revolver with a few bullets and your trusty shovel? THAT is why this game hits the mark. It's a game that captures the atmosphere of the 4 Romero zombie movies, giving the player an overwhelming sense of dread, isolation, and despair. Moving from place to place looking for a safe haven and maybe, some supples. Being a huge fan of his movies, I knew what to expect and what not to expect and this game delivered on all counts. The graphics and music are good, not great, but then again this is a budget title.
The only legitamate gripe the detractors have for this game is the hit detection. This may have been because the game was rushed for a Halloween release. Sometimes the headshots happen and sometimes they don't. It's either bad hit detection or the game making you be really precise with your gun shots - after all, do you know how hard it is to shoot someone square in the head even from 15ft away? Try it at a shooting range. If you can do that, try it again while running. It's not as easy as some games make it.
Other "gripes" I have seen are somewhat laughable. The controller too sensitive? There is something called "controller sensitivity" in the options menu - try using it. The .22 is not powerful? I think someone needs to brush up on their firearms knowledge. It takes too long to reload? Maybe for you, but the plasma gun I found in the shed fires 400 blasts a second and no need to reload - like all real life weapons.
Like I said, if you are a fan of the Romero zombie films, aren't looking for a extremely fast paced FPS, don't mind the game being realistic with it's firearms, and love blasting the undead, you would do well to pick this up, especially at $30. | video-games_xbox |
Dragon Age 2 is an okay game. If there is one problem with Dragon Age 2, it's that it lacks focus. If there is a second problem with Dragon Age 2, it's that it feels rushed.
In the beginning I was happy. The graphics were better, the combat was quicker and more interesting, and the story and characters seemed well-written. The fact that you could only make a human Hawke barely bothered me at all. The fact that Hawke had to be named Hawke and was voice-acted seemed fine--none of that bothered me in Mass Effect, so why should it here? And I really enjoyed the personal feeling of the narrative, especially that much of the story seemed to be focused around your character and family. Your sister and mother are important to your life, and in the beginning you interact and live with them in a tiny house in the slums of Kirkwall, the city in which the whole game is set. You are refugees, your home destroyed by the events of Dragon Age: Origins. It makes the world feel very real and very immediate. There is a sense of history for your character that I'd never felt before in a game. Hawke is a person with a family and a past and real relationships, and it's a fantastic set up. Thedas seems like an actual place, and you get a sense that you are an actual person living in it.
But none of this potential is realized.
Soon the game shifts into the focus of the first act--paying your your way onto an expedition deep underground, where a band of greedy dwarves hope to find all manner of treasure. That's interesting enough, but I wanted to know more about my sister and my mother, and I wanted to deal with what happens to them, and how we survive as refugees in the city. And as soon as the expedition is completed, the game jumps ahead several years to the second act, which has literally nothing to do with the first. And so on, with the final act being even more separate from the first two, until finally the game reaches its abrupt finale. It feels almost like a series of three episodes, each one following the other chronologically, but with none of them really being tied together by anything. It makes the great emotional set up of the beginning mean absolutely nothing; as the years go by in game in unrelated sequence, each new development has little tying it emotionally to the past.
The story is set as a frame narrative, with one of your companions--the dwarf Varric, who is prone to telling tall tales, and whose tendency to exaggerate is often mentioned in-game--recounting your story to a young priestess who is interrogating him. He keeps talking about how he must start from the beginning, but the beginning isn't relevant. And the events which the priestess wants to know about are only really related to perhaps the last five hours of gameplay, making his long-winded yarn seem just that: long-winded and unnecessary.
Your companions in the game are almost all compelling, and I found them, their personalities and their histories intriguing. There's a lot of sorrow and hardship in the lives of these people, and sometimes it seemed a little heavy-handed, and at other times it made it easier to invest myself emotionally in these characters. My main disappointment, though, was just that I wanted more of them. I wanted to have the long conversations I had in Dragon Age: Origins, and I wanted to feel like I had really gotten to know these people. The dialogue is written as though these characters are your good friends of many years--and I suppose in the context of the story they would be, having traveled with Hawke for a decade by the end--but I never had the sense of camaraderie or rapport that I felt with the characters of the first game.
In terms of how the game plays, Dragon Age 2 does things mostly right. The skill trees are a vast improvement over the original, and the gameplay on console feels much better--much more brutal and visceral. People have complained that the game was dumbed-down, or fashioned to appease people who play it on console. I'm not entirely sure what that means. I felt it was an improvement for sure, but then again, I was playing it on Xbox. The recycling of maps and areas was indeed irritating by the end, though I usually didn't notice it too much for most of the game. The fact that I never noticed Kirkwall changing took me out of the game a bit. The years went by and the city looked more or less the same, even after periods of fire and destruction. With so much effort put into the setting and its history, it would have been nice for it to actually feel as though it were alive. It took me almost exactly 35 hours to complete the main quest, and I did most every side quest I encountered, though I didn't read very many of the codex entries. So, as far as length goes, I'm happy enough. And, really, by the end I was ready for it all to be over. The constant repetition of locations and the emotional detachment I felt from the story and the characters made pushing myself through the game occasionally grueling, and never more so than at the conclusion, which isn't good.
In the end, Dragon Age 2 succeeds as a game that is played, but falls flat as a narrative. As a whole, it's merely okay. I enjoyed it, and I will play it again at some point, I'm sure. But now I'm mostly looking forward to the third game in the series, with DA2 hopefully having provided an adequate setup to a much more interesting story. If we're lucky they'll take more time with it. | video-games_xbox |
An RPG experience like no other. Lost Odyssey is made for two types of gamers: fans of classic Japanese RPGs and gamers who enjoy it when videogames are used as a storytelling medium.
This game is produced by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the original creator of the Final Fantasy series, and it shows. The gameplay uses the classic JRPG style turn based system with a few additions. For instance, some of the characters in your party are immortals, while others are normal folks. Immortals have great stats and can revive a couple turns after being knocked out, but can't learn skills by themselves, so they have to be "linked" to mortal characters so that they can learn new skills. This means you have to have a party with a strategic blend of both immortals and mortals. These additions prevent the combat system from being the same old battle system, while still not deviating too far from the traditional turn based style.
The plot of the story follows protagonist Kaim Argonar, an immortal mercenary with a mysterious past who has seen countless things through his thousand years of existence. Throughout the story you accumulate a party of other characters, including fellow immortals. Here I will make the distinction about the plot: there is the main overarching plot, and then a series of flashbacks from Kaim's life called "A Thousand Years of Dreams". The main plot is a good, solid one, though sometimes it falls into the normal conventions of JPRGs (especially melodrama) and misses a lot of potential given the intriguing concept of a game featuring immortal characters.
The "A Thousand Years of Dreams", on the other hand, are phenomenal and reason enough to own the game. Warning: they ARE written out so be warned if you don't like reading in game. Penned by award winning Japanese short story author Kiyoshi Shigematsu, these flashbacks explore different events in Kaim's long, lonely life of wandering. They often explore small events, rather than grandiose ones, but they're written with such humanity and introspection about finding meaning in life that they stay with you far longer than any clash with an immortal wizard or convoluted plot twist will. Some of them pull at the heart strings, some of them make you contemplate life's meaning, some have social commentary. But what they all have in common is that they are fantastic stories that you won't experience in any other game.
Hell, as a big fan of both reading and writing short stories myself, these are some of the most powerful experiences one can have related to reading, period. The wonderfully understated visuals and top notch composition from Nobuo Uematsu that accompany add to the experience (which also arguably makes the comparison between normal reading and these short stories unfair, since almost any story could be improved with a fitting soundtrack). Rest assured, if you enjoy reading in any capacity, the "A Thousand Years of Dreams" segments will not disappoint.
In terms of the presentation, everything is done will. The graphics, voice acting, world design, and soundtrack rival that of any Final Fantasy title. The music in particular is excellent, this is Nobuo Uematsu in top form. My favorite piece is "Parting Forever", which usually plays during sad scenes in both the main plot and flashback sequences. The only downside is that there is indeed a long load time between screens.
If you're someone who doesn't like story heavy games, or old school JRPG conventions, or a substantial amount of reading, you probably won't enjoy this game. And even if you like all of those things, this game is by no means perfect. However, the original characters, inspired soundtrack, and exceptional "A Thousand Years of Dreams" short story sequences make it a game worth playing. | video-games_xbox |
A solid 3rd party controller. I have been looking for a corded controller because I am sick of replacing batteries on my cordless one. Best Buy advertised this controller in their ad last week and I noticed it had received decent reviews so I deiced to pick one up.
As any gamer knows it can be a crap shoot buying 3rd party accessories, especially controllers. Usually with a 3rd party controller there is something off, the buttons are loose, the triggers feel funny or the d-pad feels cheap. The after glow controller stacks up pretty well overall against the Microsoft one.
The controller feels solid and it is lighter than the cordless one because it has no batteries. All of the functions work well save for when you have to press the left analog (which I will go over below) stick down. The buttons, sticks and triggers work well, feel well, and function as they should. I played MW 2, NBA 2K10 and Read Dead Revolver and I have zero complaints about the function of the controller. As for the glowing aspect there are three functions which can be used. The first is on, meaning the controller glows at all times. Off, which means no lights at all, and effect, means the lights are off until the controller vibrates.
There are a few cons though. The left analog stick is much tougher to press down than the Microsoft one. This is not a big deal in most games but when playing MW 2 it is a big aspect because you need this to run. My thumb was actually getting sore after about an hour. However I am hoping after the controller breaks in a little it will be easier to press the stick down. While the controller itself is solid the plastic they used is super smooth making it feel like at times it may slip out of your hand; especially if you get sweaty palms during long gaming sessions. The last point, which may not be a con to most, is that when buying this in the store the colors are random. I received a blue controller which would not have been my first choice. I don't know how bright the other colors are but the blue is super bright and is almost a distraction in a dark room.
Overall I am pleased with this controller. While the hook of the product is that it glows and that you can see the insides it is 10 dollars (at the brick and mortar stores anyway)cheaper and it functions and operates as it should.
Rating:
8/10 | video-games_xbox |
Great game but so many bad reviews. I am creating my review because their are several people giving a terrible review for no reason.
If a game releases at $30 or $40, then you should have you question why???
I have played a majority of Garden Ops and here is my info:
I can compare it to Gears of war Horde mode for the Garden Ops.
Each character has 3 different abilites. The cactus thows down a barrier, lays down mines and launches an onion into the air for support. The sunflower can heal an inividual player, lay down a health pack and burrow to shoot a laser beam. The other two characters also do different things and have different shooting capabilites.
Around the maps in Garden Ops, their are pots that you can put plants in for support. When you play in games you will get points dependig on how you do, these points can be redeemed for a card pack that will give you plants to lay down for support. The more points you save, the better the plants you can lay down with the most expensive being 40k wich 3 hours of gametime, im almost there.
As far as the rest of the MP, I have enjoyed it. One match you are zombies and the other you are the plants. To rank up, you have to complete specific challanges per character like: kill 3 players, revive 3 players, kill 5 players from a antage point, and then more class based challanges like: heal, eat, blow up and hyper speed kills per each character. Their is an overall level, which i am 10, and levels per character which i am 3-5 since their are 8 characters total. It will take some time to level up each character if you wanted too or you can just play it your way.
Their are more free maps coming soon and I think microtransactions which makes sense for people that want to good stuff now vice later. If you are against this, it won't be the first game and it won't be the last. Battlefield 3, 4 and bad Comany 2 have released shortcut bundles so players can get the best equipment up front for their online experience.
Great game with no SP experience, if this bothers you, then wait for a sale. | video-games_xbox |
This game has only gotten better with time. WHATS IN THE BOX:
-Standard edition contains just the game disc in the Xbox One signature green case
Game Download and Install:
-This game is around 47GB in size. There's also a mandatory 5GB update after the install.
-Install times for the game approx ~ 1hour to 45 mins
Game Requirements:
-This game needs an internet to work period.
-Online gaming requires an xbox live gold subscription.
I got this during the Sale and have to say that even after reading the reviews, I would rate this a 4/5 game. I've owned this game on the PC when it first launched and was very disappointed due to glitches and really bad item drops that made it tedious to play. Almost 7 months down the line now I decided to give it another shot but on the Xbox One. To my surprise the game updates have taken care of most of these issues. First major improvement is that there are drops that correspond properly with the level your character is on. You no longer get watered down drops because you want to play the missions on normal mode. The enemies are less god like, there's definitely been improvements in their AI. I no longer have enemies who even after several headshots are able to somehow run through and end my game on the easiest difficulty.
The co-op mode of this game is fantastic, honestly I recommend playing most of the main missions with a team as it makes things more interesting with different team dynamics. Also drop rates are increased in co-op play, you will receive more green and blue drops if you play as a team. There's an infinite number of possibilities for customizing weapons and your attire in game. The game pushes you to make smart play decisions based on what type of character attributes mater to you the most. For example, I play with a more of a healing class structure. Most of my perks and skills are focused around healing team mates and myself.
The cons of the game are pretty much the same as before. The storyline is very hard to grasp as there are way too many side missions, collectible objects and also a lack of direction as to what as a player you should do first. I can give a good example of this, I went through the utterly boring intro of the game and after that I was presented with over 5-6 side missions. I approached a marked side mission and got dragged into an event (a sort of timed side mission that will pop up because an event such as an attack or robbery is taking place in your world). This happens on a consistent basis in the game, the reason you need to do some of these is because you need the XP to level up to do further missions. You'll also be pointed towards collectibles, mission person quests and protect the parcel type of objectives. This in my opinion really hinders the purpose of the game which is enjoying the actual story line because you forget what you had initially set out to do.
Overall this is a great buy if its on sale, it provides hours of fun with a multitude of different mission types and some amazing visual of post apocalyptic New York City. | video-games_xbox |
Not bad, but way too many bugs. 15 years ago I bought my first XBOX and a copy of Halo: Combat Evolved, a franchise I'm still a big fan of to this day even though the games aren't nearly what they used to be in my opinion. So when I heard of the Master Chief Collection, a compilation of the first 4 Halo games on one disc, I picked one up the same day I bought my XBOX One. Especially since it contained the new remastered version of Halo 2, my favorite of the series. While it has been fun/nostalgic to play, it has also been very frustrating on account of all the bugs. Bugs that will never get fixed as I think they've done all the updates they'll ever do for this game and are now focusing on support for Halo: Guardians. From what I've read the launch was a nightmare, and things have improved since then, but it's still a broken game. I've never been able to get into a multiplayer game, I just get stuck in an infinite loading screen. Many of the achievements are bugged, I have 20+ achievements that either never registered or get stuck at 100% but still locked. I've been told to wait a few days and they'll eventually pop, but they've been that way for months. The playlists are very buggy, I don't even play them anymore as they won't save, if I save/quit and try to start up later it goes back to the beginning. So unless I want to play the entire thing in one sitting (and they're VERY long, such as one where you play through all 4 games), it's pointless to even start one up. And the times I did play it was always skipping levels. Even just playing missions I've run into quite a few game-crashing bugs, such as today I was playing through a level of Halo 4 and at the last checkpoint the entire world just disappeared and I was walking around in the sky, with no way to advance but to start over. With the exception of the Halo 2 Anniversary cutscenes, all of these games are on the XBOX 360 level of graphics. CE Anniversary, 3 and 4 are just the 360 games put onto an X1 disc, and while Halo 2 Anniversary was made specifically for the X1, the graphics don't really rival anything on the system. They definitely improved the graphics from the original game (much like CE: Anniversary did on 360), but it still looks like a 360 game at best. Except the cutscenes, which are all much improved and look like an X1 game. As I still have my CE Anniversary, 3 and 4 discs for 360 the only real new thing here for me is Halo 2 Anniversary. And the option of hunting down a lot of new Achievements, but as I said you always do so wondering if it's actually going to register or not. It's nice to have all the games on one disc though, for my new system in case my 360 ever dies, and I've enjoyed the new Halo 2. So it's not all bad. I really wish 343 would do something about all the bugs though, it would appear they've given up on improving this game though. | video-games_xbox |
Very fun game. However there are some gruesome parts that . Very fun game. However there are some gruesome parts that are not suited for younger children. Detectives examine dead people, including dead children, so you do too. Soon, you're investigating a series of similarly gruesome murders in the wake of the Black Dahlia killing (which was never solved in the real world), and you eventually uncover a city-spanning conspiracy.
As you progress from the traffic department to homicide, vice and arson, you tackle 21 cases that should each take 60 to 90 minutes to complete your first time through. The gameplay is actually quite simple. You walk around crime scenes, waiting for your controller to buzz in your hands to tell you to pick up a clue. Then you interrogate witnesses and suspects, listening closely, watching their facial expressions and piecing together the clues to decide if they're telling the truth (and, more important, whether you have enough evidence to prove they're lying).
If you miss a clue or react incorrectly to an answer, that doesnt mean that you fail; it just means that the case may unfold differently. There are some action sequences, like chases and shootouts, but if you fail one of those a few times, the game just lets you skip past it, so those of slow reflex and clumsy thumb need have no fear.
Instead of action, the focus in L.A. Noire is squarely on basic storytelling elements like narrative, character, setting and plot: 322 actors delivered voice performances for the game, and their efforts are generally superb. The Rockstar hallmark gritty, believable, wry dialogue is on full display.
Yet none of Rockstars previous games have been so emotionally powerful.
Thats because the big theme here is the difficulty soldiers have in readjusting to civilian life and the profound social trauma that can result when that goes awry. As one of Phelpss partners remarks on the way to another murder scene, Los Angeles in 1947 is awash in young men who got used to killing every day in the war, then returned and were expected to take orders from their wives. Not all of them could.
As L.A. Noire unfolds, through flashbacks the game also tells the story of Phelpss own war history and his fraught relationship with the men under his command. Without giving away the plot, the stories of past and present end up colliding in spectacular, heartrending fashion. Like so many of his suspects, our hero has demons of his own, and like so many of his suspects, he does not handle them easily.
The accounts and effects of post-traumatic stress among World War II veterans upon their return are not often brought up, probably because the war itself was a huge victory for the United States, and because the country soon embarked on a huge economic boom. In that sense these stories have been obscured. L.A. Noire treats this very human reality with a deft, mature hand that lends all the police-procedural gameplay an emotional heft rarely felt in video games. | video-games_xbox |
What Destiny was meant to be done much better in 3rd person (Now free 2 play. Defiance is a super strange animal
It was built around a new SyFi series set in a massive online open world
This game broke new ground for console gaming
But, of course you had every attention starved YouTube star trash this title from the jump
Gamers need to stop listening to so many jerk-off so called gaming channels
TheAngryJoes, Boogie, etc. don't pay for games or even hardware for that matter (Payola) is massive in the gaming press and youtube stars really can't be trusted
The game itself has been free to Play for a bit now (You just need a Premium account)
and a good size amount of space on your HD
Story: Is actually enjoyable if you watched the series it makes more sense (everything ties into the first two seasons)
And it's not overly complicated and lazy
The V/O and Graphics are pretty good
The Gameplay it's like GTA/Saints Row meets Star Wars it's a fun 3rd person open world shooter, etc.
Just because you are on a online server doesn't mean you have to play with others the game itself is played out through a single player story line you'll encounter others online and you can team up against a big enemy then go your own way
The Controls: are solid it's a little stiff like GTA type of games (It's less of a Arcade style 3rd person game like Saints Row) Once you get the hang of it the controls are fine
The Fun/Experience This game is and was Destiny before Destiny but, it's a solid dumbed-down mmo
the grinding is there but, I honestly doubt anyone put 200 hrs into Defiance
There are stories of people putting 300+ hrs into Destiny (That is insane)
Plus now it's free
This is one of those games that got no real respect but, was copied and used as a template for other bigger studios
It's by no means a bad title it's a fun game that really was never given a chance to have it's own voice 8/10 | video-games_xbox |
Not Worth It Even At a Discount. I bought this because it was on sale on X-Box live and I must say that I am sorely disappointed. I have played a few different Monopoly games in the past and have to say this one is the worst. This is sad considering the two previous versions I had was on the NES and the iPad.
I have only played through one game, but I already can tell that it is terrible. The first thing I noticed when I was starting a game was a list of a few different house rules, my initial thought was, I would just go through and select a few of them. I was shocked, however, that when selecting a rule, the game automatically started. I thought I pressed the wrong button so I went back to the start up only to realize that you can only select one of the rules at a time. Even the iPad version, which was far from perfect, allowed you to select multiple house rules, but with this one I was stuck with just one.
The game starts and then I accidentally activated the stupid option to take pictures at every big event, which I really didn't want to do considering I was playing solo against the AI. I think, no problem, I'll just go through the options and turn that feature off. No not an option, once selected, you are stuck with this feature all game. It probably wouldn't have been a big deal if it didn't waste 10 seconds every time it wanted to take the pictures.
Speaking of wasted time, I understand that if I am playing humans, I shouldn't be able to speed up their turns, but since I was playing the AI, I wanted to quickly get through their moves so I could concentrate on my rolls, but there were very little of the animation that you could actually skip. And if someone built a house or there was an auction going on it took forever with no way to speed things up.
This was all made worse by the annoying commentary and terrible music that they decided to implement. Which thankfully you could mute. I don't know who thought the commentary was a good idea but this person should be fired and not allowed to make video games ever again, it was that bad.
Of all the complaints that I have had so far, as bad as they were I could have probably lived with it and learned to enjoy the game. But I came across a major flaw in property management that quite honestly ruins the game. You can't improve houses, trade, mortgage or unmortgage until after you roll one time on each turn. That means that if you land on a property or a property goes up for auction and you don't have quite enough cash on hand you are pretty much SOL even if you have properties available to mortgage or houses to sale.
Overall, I just can't recommend this game even at a good discount especially when mobile versions of this game are better and cheaper. | video-games_xbox |
Starts out, well, but. The XBox360 version, of Anniversary, started out pretty well, but quickly went downhill. First, a key movement required to procure one of the treasures, simply does not work. Fine. So, keep on, keepin' on, and go to the next. So, when the next level comes up, the first thing to happen is an attack by a very large bear. On the screen, is a help line that comes up (halting the game play), explaining how to do a dodge --and, in turn, an adrenalin head shot. When the text goes away, I immediately try the key sequence required ...and it, too, does not work! That being said, I tried playing, several times, the same sequence, as well as a couple others requiring that same sequence ...and in ALL CASES, the required key sequence does not work. Consequently, the bear bests/dinasaur (or whatever else) best lara ...game over. Or, if one is persistent --and has a chance-- one can run past the bear and keep on keeping on ...for awhile, at least. (Not past the dinasaur, however. One MUST best the dinasaur to continue the game ...so, game TRULY over, in just a short while, with many levels left to play.)
Comes a pole, in the next segment, which Lara is supposed to climb. She first jumps onto the cement base, out of which the pole emerges, and climbs. Right? Nope... not gonna happen. Lara performs the classic 'I'm not supposed to do that' jump, and she goes past the pole, ten or fifteen times. Finally, she lands on the base, and when the key is pressed for the climb... she does the 'I'm not supposed to do that' jump.
Having tried, several times, to get past the first couple segments, I have finally given up. I have to say that this is the worst Tomb Raider I have ever attempted to play. The second-worst, is 'Underworld', which begs another scathing review, unfortunately, because of several bugs.
Poor programming, apparently, since I have raided since Tomb Raider 2, and had little trouble compared to the latest Xbox releases. All others, were for PC. I think that's it, for my brand new Xbox. I thought it would be less expensive than getting a computer to play these new ones, but I was incorrect. I sense that it isn't Xbox's fault, since Legend is the ONLY one that works the way it is advertised, to work. At least, on that one, the only broken sequence is, guess what!?: The dodge/adrenalin head shot. All else, works.
Save your money, and frustration. It just isn't worth, it. Rather than pawn it off on some poor unfortunate, I just trashed, it.
My two cents. | video-games_xbox |
Incredible. Wow, this game is incredible. I read on IGN that they gave it a 7.9/10. I don't know what game they're reviewing, because this game is fantastic. I might even say that MLB 2K7 on the Xbox 360 is the best sports game I've ever played on any console. I play mostly sports games, and this one has blown me away.
The graphics are possibly the best I've seen. They do use a little too much of the blur effect on the stadium when a batter walks to the plate, but I can live with that. The faces, animations, and stadiums all look ultra-realistic. When I can see individual skin pores on the face of Travis Hafner (I'm an Indians fan), I'm extremely impressed. You have to see this game to believe it, the visuals are great. The only downside to the graphics are the hideous crowd members. These people still look like they're caught in the PS2 or Xbox, oh well. I'm not really looking at the crowd when I'm playing the game, so I don't really care.
The audio is great. I love the combination of Jon Miller and Joe Morgan. They might get repetitive eventually (like EVERY other sports game), but they don't annoy me when they're repetitive. They still accurately talk about the action on the field, it's just they're side-talk that gets repetitive. The menu music isn't great, but it's a lot better than previous versions. Also, the sounds of the bat, crowd, ball hitting the glove, and all other game-related sounds are fantastic. I feel like I'm watching a game on TV.
The gamplay is phenomenal. The controls are very smooth and responsive, I don't have a problem with them at all. This is the best controlling baseball game I've ever played, right up there with MVP 2005 and MLB '06: The Show. For anybody to complain about the gameplay of this game, they would have to be nitpicking to the extreme. "My runner hesitates for 1/4 second when he's rounding a bag." He's probably making sure it's safe to go. Honestly, anybody who complains about this game at all is [...], and looking for the smallest faults.
Overall, this is the sports game of the year, and one of (if not THE) best sports titles ever. I am extremely impressed with it, and I had high hopes. Just as a note, I bought this game for my Dad on the PS3, and he was instantly hooked. He has pretty much just played Tiger Woods and college football throughout the years. He loves this game, and has put his Tiger Woods to the side. If you've even thought about buying this game, you should do it whenever you have the money for it. I love it. | video-games_xbox |
All I can say is, Wow. I haven't played any online game since Counter Strike. I wanted to get back into the online gaming community, but fear that I don't have a good computer, or that I am getting too old to be playing (I'm 24 years old). I have been following Call Of Duty 4 (the 360 version) for some time since its release. The main appeal is the "modern" combat aspect. However, when I first got my 360, I played Call of Duty 2 (not online) and did not really like the game.
So finally I got my tax refund back. I asked myself what I wanted? I broke my 92FS (a handgun like the M9) some time ago (the slide broke after about 10K rounds), and I was deciding to go buy another one. Then I said to myself I am not too fond of starting to shoot again. I liked shooting, but I fear I am losing my hearing from firing too much (even though I wear hearing protections). Why shoot real weapons that are nosiy, loud, possibly deadly (the slide broke from my 92FS scared me and I thought I lost a finger at first), and dangerous? So I was on the hunt for a "virtual" experience. Then Call of Duty 4 came to mind. I went and bought with one year of xbox Live and went home and connected. From the first moment, my thoughts were, "Wow!"
Here are some things I like and don't like:
* Nice online community. I thought I was in for real troubles. I found that the online community is helpful and most people you meet online are fun to be with. I feel the news about the online world is completely exaggerating. I am 24 and I found the people to be nice to you and that most of them aren't much older or younger than you are. I have one real life friend who plays this game, but most of the time, I play with people I don't know and they are nice 99% of the time.
* You can level up by scoring kills, and playing the game online. With each level up, you get new weapons, perks (I'll explain later), and game modes.
* You get awesome weapons that you can customize. After so many kills with a particular weapon, you get new attachments and camo. For example, if you get 25 kills with the M16, you get a Red Dot to make shooting easier. Also, if you get 25 headshots, you get a new gun camo. You also get a cool gold plated gun - on certain weapons - after completing the kills/headshots for all weapons of that category.
* Single player is awesome! The story line is awesome and at two points in the story you can fly an AC130 (truly great) and be a Marine door gunner. I cannot tell you how exciting it is to join the "Mile High Club." If you don't know, the Mile High Club is an achievement given to those who complete the last level on veteran mode (the hardest game mode).
* Online Perks. You can set up to three perks. As with weapons, after a certain level, you unlock a new perk. Perks ranges from increased health, increase damages, ability to sprint, drop a grenade when you're dead, and so fort. Each perk can be used depending on your playing style. Some people complain about the perks online, however, they are all quite fun and I recommend switching them up to suit your playing style.
* Call in airstrikes, helo, and provide UAV support. The game is all about teamwork. On average, you will find one or two good people on your team who attempts to work as a team. Basically, after so many kills you can call in airstrikes and give helo support (you only call them in, but you don't actually control or fly them). On hardcore mode - a mode where friendly fire is on and damages are increased - it is almost essential to communicate with your team as you call in airstrikes and helos.
* Graphics are awesome. Honestly, I can't believe how far along we've come in computer graphics. The graphics are liquid fast in the game. On a hdtv, your eyes will bleed from the beauty. Not only that, on multiplayer you can hide in tall grass and so fort to avoid detection from your enemies. It is truly a bonus from the old games of simply running around and shoot. Now you actually have to be careful and think in 3D as you try to make you way through the ranks.
* Respawn can either be a blessing or a curse. Most of the time, you respawn away from the enemy. Unlike other games where you respawn at one point, Call of Duty 4 attempts to spawn you at the best location to prevent "spawn camping." Most of the time it works; the enemy team takes over your spawn, then you respawn on the other side of the map without fear. Other times, you're not so lucky. You might respawn at odd locations. Sometimes it takes me a moment to realize exactly where I respawn and try to get a fix on my location. During this time, you might accidentally run into an enemy. Also, sometimes you get unlucky and spawn in an airstrike area where you will die - possibly twice.
* Grenades, flashbangs, and stun don't affect your teammate. On regular game modes - except in Hardcore - you don't have to worry about hurting your team mates. This is good for beginners who often make the mistake of killing his own teammates which can result in rather unhappy times.
* Killcam. This is awesome. After you get killed, you can watch how the enemy killed you. This is ideal to get a fix on hard to see snipers and you can easily avoid making the same error.
Overall, it is a great game. The single player is far better than Call of Duty 2 that I played. I say get this game if you like Counter Strike or Rainbow Six 3 series. Right now, I recommend getting the Game of the Year edition since you get the free map pack - otherwise you'll have to spend roughly 8 dollars to get the new map pack. | video-games_xbox |
Xbox One and Only. I picked up the Xbox One on launch day and was lucky to have Amazon deliver directly to my door. I've been using it as a full on media and gaming system for the past two months and feel that I have had enough experience with it to give a good idea about the product.
Games:
Off the bat Xbox One provided a decent amount of games for launch. You can get your usual Call Of Duty & Forza, but what I enjoyed the most was Assassins Creed and Battlefield 4. The games aren't going to be that much different from the Xbox 360 versions because developers are not using the full extent of the Xbox One right away. Those games are coming soon though!
Operating System:
First off, yes I am an Apple person. I work off Apple product ands use them in my everyday life. Xbox is really the only Microsoft product I use and having loved the Xbox 360, I was really hoping for a easy to navigate operating system. I hate to say that the home screen can get confusing when you need to make adjustments and the current friends list is way more complicated then it needs to be. As for party chats, it will take a little time to figure it out, and it's not the best way of doing it but from the looks of it the community is speaking out and we can only hope that Microsoft will provide a update.
Kinect + Voice:
The Kinect system that comes with every Xbox One is just as powerful as Microsoft claims it to be. The device can sign you into your account through facial recognition and can pick up the smallest of movements. That being said, the new TV guide system that is built into the Xbox One works flawlessly with my current cable provider and actually makes it a lot easier to find channels and programs that I enjoy watching. You can use your voice to control what you watch and even to scroll through the guide. No need for the controller!
Overall I have no regrets with the purchase of the Xbox One. I am hoping for more updates to the operating system and a few minor changes to Xbox Live, but overall the new additions to the Xbox line and the future is looking good for the games that are coming out. | video-games_xbox |
Never though I'd say that a video game is too realistic to be fun. With only a foggy memory of playing Vice City long ago at a friend's house, I can't comment on how this one compares to other GTA's. That being said, this game isn't very fun.
First and foremost, the developers bit off more than they could chew with the realism they tried to incorporate in this game. Driving feels slow and sloppy and, while I respect the realism of not cornering at 50 mph, it makes traveling in Liberty City slow and frustrating. Only the three or four best (and rarest) cars in the game have superior driving characteristics while the rest are about the same. The driving system poorly stitches the game together, which is absolutely devastating for the average attention span.
The friends you acquire throughout the game will sometimes call you to hang out (go out and play one of several mini-games) which can be irritating when you're on your way to a mission (they get mad if you reject their offer). Otherwise, you must drive across town in a slow car to pick them up, then drop them off afterwards. It isn't fun and I think they should have done without it.
Missions are fun at first but quickly get old once you realize that there are only two types: chase missions and assault missions. Chase missions involve chasing a car with your car until it stops and you kill the occupants, while assault missions require you to attack or escape a defended position. Luckily, combat is much smoother than driving and some assault missions were very fun (bank robbery in particular). The game wears on and even these grow tiresome. Starting massacres is often more fun than doing the missions.
My final gripe is with the storyline. Niko's primary goal in the game is to track down a man from his past (withholding spoilers) while making money to survive. The entire game that I played (couldn't bear to finish it entirely) revolves around Niko meeting Mobster A and doing his dirty work, then meeting Mobster B and so on. Very rarely does anything surface on his main goal and Niko ends up feeling like a mercenary to the player, instead of a man out for revenge. Not to mention that you'll soon end up with more money than you could possibly spend.
I don't play games to replicate reality; I play games to be entertained. If reality must be bent a little for big and quick thrills, I'd rather have that than this. Playing through it was often a chore. | video-games_xbox |
Eternal Sonata: If they had only stuck to the story. The story follows the journey of Fredric Chopin as he tries to determine what is real and what is fantasy. In our world Fredric Chopin lays hours away from death and has fallen in a coma from which he will not awake. The doctor attending solemnly announces that whether he lives or dies now depends on his will to live.
The rest of the story follows Chopin's journey as he tries to determine what is real and what is the product of his fevered imagination. In what he thinks of as his dream world he soon comes across a young girl with the ability to use magic. In this world those that can use magic are shunned because it means that they are close to death.
The young girl, Polka, is journeying to the kingdom's capital to make a plea to the ruler to stop making a substance known as mineral powder; a mind numbing, addicting substance. Soon Chopin and Polka come across others that are on there way to see the ruler of the kingdom for similar reasons. On their way they will travel through vast ruins, deep caves, noxious swamps and other locales.
There is only one question for Fredric Chopin though. Is all this a product of his dying body and fevered mind or has he somehow stumbled into a new fantastic world? What is real?
>>>>>>>>>
To start I liked this game. I wish more developers and publishers would take a chance on ideas like this, just because it is a bit different that what you normally get in a JRPG game. Oh don't get me wrong it's got all the stuff you expect from the genre, but it does offset it with the history theme and touching on some subjects(nature of reality, addiction, who do you serve and who do you trust, etc) that you don't normally find being addressed in video games. Initially Chopin reminds of a book character called Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever.
He's just along for the ride, it doesn't matter what happens because it's all apart of the dream. Even when something happens that he doesn't like he just assumes it's his subconscious messing with him. He eventually gets that he is **not** in control and decides to start dealing with things head on. Then I'm guessing that **maybe** they were trying to show how the mind distracts itself from things it doesn't want to deal with?
I'm still not sure, but now that I have seen the ending I think that's what they were going for. Unfortunately it threw me for enough of a loop that I did not finish the game. I just couldn't get back into the story after the fight with the king. Saying that I really do recommend this game to those who like JRPGs, it does have a few hiccups but is one of the more interesting takes on the genre.
Save Game: 17 hrs (Game length estimate: 20-25 hrs, its one of the shorter ones, but there is a new game plus)
Graphics: Bright and Colorful. With attention to detail. I wish more games understood that having color is OK.
Gameplay: The controls worked fine for me. The battle sequences are interesting as your characters have different attacks depending on whether they are on a light or dark part of the map. This is also true of the enemies as some have different forms depending on where they are on the map.
Story: See above.
Overall: Definitely worth trying, | video-games_xbox |
Good but looks dated. I rented this last night and played it for about 6 hours straight.
I am up to Chapter 3 Level Two.
Therefore, (as the game consists of only 3 chapters), im gathering i'm near the end.
Well, i have played enough to make a comment anyways. So here goes......
This game is alot of fun. For some this may last an hour for others the whole game. I must admit that the ONLY feature that set's this apart is the use of Bullet Time, ( a matrix style feature).
This feature is the main selling point for this game and , luckly, it doesn't take long for you to get use to how to work this feature. Furthermore, the game provides alot of oppurtunties early on to use it, (including a training stage).
Also, i guess i must be more liberal in my beliefs as like horror or violent movies i tend to approach these sort of games with a bit of tongue and cheeks and maturity.
In other words, the fact that the whole premise is based around violence and the murder of a woman and her child didn't offend me as it might some other people. Might i suggest to those ppl that they stick with the more kiddy oriented games. I mean, when i get a game like this i DO expect some adult material.
With that said the actual impact of the violence is pretty cartoonish and really the only thing that gave me a bit of a 'eck' factor was seeing a lump representing a dead baby in the first few scenes of the game but still this pixal generated lump is hardly going to send me into to moral tramua.
I mean it is only a game and its meant to be hard and gritty right ?????
The game play is relatively easy and though there will be times where you will die and have to resume, the ability to Quick Save in any spot of the game allows your frustration to be left to your own skill level not the fact that every time you die you have to start from the beginning of the level again, (ALL GAMES MAKERS PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THIS).
The two dream sequences are not that great as most have said. I enjoyed the visuals of these sequences but not the game play. I had to use a guide to work my way through the blood lined maze as i just got to point where i was sick of trying to work it out and wanted to get back to the shooting but hey maybe thats just my own frustration with my skill level coming out lol!
The controls are easy and will not take long to work out especially if you have been playing other well know game on the x box.
My major con with this game, (which others have enjoyed), is the comic book style cut-scenes. At first there amuzing but soon become tedious and i found myself just groaning when they poped up, (which is like every 10 min). I mean for ME to make such a statement is rare. I LOVE cut scenes, i really do. Im a visual person and i like to be able to have moments where i can sit back and watch a decent story unfold with good visual. A good example to me is Silent Hill 2. I played that game to GET TO the cut scenes. So for me to make a comment that these ones suck is something. Maybe im just not use to the comic book style but overall it made the game seem really out dated. Film Noir is one thing but when your playing a modern game you rarely want to see something that deliberty dates a game. Also they were just annoying.!
Overall, the game is fun and you should enjoy playing it and want to get through to the end but i would suggest hiring it first to see if its your cup of tea. I won't buy it because the cut-scenes annoy me too much and really it a linear game so once you have played it your done. If you just want to replay to use Bullet Time it may be for you but this feature alone don't warrant a purchase in my books.
Fun but a rental!!! | video-games_xbox |
Somewhere over the Pacific. 1960
A turbine engine listlessly shudders beyond the steel iron hull. The image of family - your loved ones - glances momentarily towards your present location. Another moment passes before the shrill screams of passengers deafen the watcher's ears as all vision recedes to black.
Light reemerges with a title. Bioshock.
Originally unearthed for the Xbox 360 and PC platforms in 2007 the game quickly garnered not only the gaming worlds respect but one of it's most prestigious honor: Game of the Year. In 2008 the game finally found it's way to the Sony PS3 console with the all important "Extra features".
As the actual game begins and the player takes the rein of our unknown player, he finds himself in quite a pickle. Surviving the plane crash "somewhere in the pacific" quickly turns out to be the simplest thing on his schedule.
A lighthouse hangs ominously over the darkened water. It being the only refuge from a watery grave, our hero sets foot on the concrete behemoth instantly bringing to life a dead structure. After the short introductory phase by one "Andrew Ryan" our protagonist is quickly unleashed to the world of Rapture - a dystopian world perpetually stuck in 1959.
Bound to progression the man hastily enters the first grisly room to finally be confronted by the resident drug/elephant in the room: plasmids. Once the two of you have been acquainted the floodgates to splicing your genes open up, each with a chemically altered characteristic. But what is a plasmid and how did it get here?
The short story: Andrew Ryan, the curator, created Rapture in the eyes of not land dwelling ideologies. In this same vein, he and other like minded individuals created gene-splicing or plasmids. Their cost? A pinch of Adam; this being their genetic wire frame holding all the little pieces together.
These "powers" work exactly the same as the firearms and act similar to how magic would in any given RPG style game. This being, of course, a first person shooter (FPS) you'll have access to both styles of play.
And whether you decide to wield the power of electricity or set the world ablaze, remember, too much of a good thing will drain your eve (natural plasmid energy reserve) and leave you defenseless while seeking another injection. So remember, a smart splicer is a happy splicer!
When you awaken the uninviting world of Rapture is waiting. Genetically mutated freaks known as "splicers" roam the city searching for the next hit of Adam. The carriers of said miracle science are itty bitty little girls covered in death's skin wearing the torn remnants of their innocence. But to attack one of these "Little sisters" would be to anger their guardian the "Big Daddy" which has quite the temper when startled.
Once you've dealt with one of these colossal tin cans you'll finally be allowed to taste the venom of Adam but only if you decide the fate of the little sister first.
But in a world where the fabrics of morality lay in tatters and the only certainty is the need for self preservation; can you heed the painful warning that Rapture cries, attempting to thwart the darkness and be their savior or will you fall forever to the alluring corruption of greed and inflated self importance?
Besides all that intoxicating game play, the main attraction to the world of Rapture (the city itself notwithstanding) is the excellently written storyline; one that contains more twists, bumps and heart then most games readily produced. The steadfast attention to detail is simply amazing. The working of every little nuisance inside the city creates such a world full of life, death, and destruction that it takes repeated viewing to fully explore the length of yarn on display. It also helps that it's being told solely through the eyes and ears of our intrepid captive creates a much more riveting standard for video interaction narrative.
To say anymore would be telling.
Pros:
* Superb narrative that never ceases to interrupt gameplay nor disappoint
* The world of Rapture is a monument to video game excellence. It in and of itself could self contain a game with minimal exertion
* The ability to actively effect the environment to hurt thy enemy
* Ability to actively enhance your character with tonics, weapon upgrades and crafting offers RPG like augmentation
Cons:
* Prototypical gunplay can sometimes feel antiquated and dated
* A lot of the plasmids don't really feel very polished
* Hacking
* Ending (cut scene)
Conclusion:
To say Bioshock is anything less then a crowning achievement would be an insult. The game easily bumps shoulders with the most renowned of video games inside their "hall of fame". And while there are the occasional hiccups, most of which are issued directly to the hacking mini game, so much of the presentation - from the story to the gameplay to the graphical prowess - is fantastically delivered that any issue feels extremely minor and unimportant. The truest testament to the brilliance is the fact that I've been through Rapture three times and enjoyed it more with each consecutive play through.
Bioshock is an outstanding game not to be missed by any. If for some reason you've not enjoyed the fruits of Eden then you owe it to yourself to take a bite today.
Final score: 95/100 | video-games_xbox |
It's a great game if you take the time to appreciate it. Let me start out by saying that this is the first Battlefield game that I've ever played, so I write this review without bias towards any of their previous titles. I played his game on both the PlayStation four and the Xbox one, and it's definitely evidence to me that the Xbox one version is so much better. I'm not going to jump the gun though, and forget that there's a lot wrong with this game, however.
The other reviews are all right on the mark about the bugs, but you can't really blame dice. They were seriously rushed to push out the game in time for the Xbox one and PlayStation 4 release. However, there definitely are Watts of bugs still. I tried joining conquest, obliteration, rush, and even domination, and somehow been put into team death match. That's probably the most annoying but they have yet, because I try to play any game mode but team death match, and I still end up getting in team death match. Also, it will say that I'm starting out on a certain map, and suddenly change it on the loading screen. For example, it will say obliteration on snow rush, and then the screen will completely change after loading halfway through, and say obliteration on Canyon.
However, for all of you Xbox one players out there, feel lucky you don't have a PlayStation four, because I did played on both systems. The PlayStation 4 version was much worse. Several times playing the game on PS four, the game itself completely crashes and goes to the PlayStation home menu, and says there was an error and brings me to the crash report menu. This happened consistently over and over again, rendering me unable to play the game after I submitted five or so but reports. I took a break for about an hour and came back, and the game was magically working again for me, but it erased my saved files and restarted me back to level one as if I've never played the game before, so I'm much happier with my Xbox one version.
Finally, to compare this game with other games that are similar, this game is miles and miles ahead of call of duty ghosts. All of duty ghost is basically the same game as the previous modern warfare games, with probably 1% of the game actually being new content. Call of duty ghosts was dry and boring, and I haven't played A call of duty infinity Ward made game since modern warfare two. It felt exactly the same. So this being my first time playing battlefield, I'm amazingly impressed at the game, because it actually takes skill, and teamwork to play online.
All in all, if you're looking for a great game to play, this is the perfect game for you. If you can look past all of the bugs, glitches, and minor things that drag this game down, you'll have a lot of fun playing just like I do. The bugs are becoming less and less common every day, so I'm continually enjoying my experience more and more, and getting better at the game, so I love it so far. | video-games_xbox |
THE HONEST TRUTH FROM A STAR WARS NUT. I WAS SO EXCITED TO TRY THIS...OUT AND I'M A BIT DISAPPOINTED. HERE'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY...GRAPHICS ARE GOOD, MUSIC IS COOL. IT LOOKS AND SOUNDS LIKE STAR WARS BUT I'M CERTAIN THAT IT DOESN'T PLAY LIKE STAR WARS...THERE ARE SOME SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS GAME. HERE IS A WORD THAT YOU DON'T HERE MUCH IN GAME REVIEWS, "FLOW" AND THIS GAME HAS NONE. THERE WILL BE NUMEROUS TIMES THAT YOU WILL WALK DOWN ONE HALLWAY WHEN YOU SHOULD HAVE GONE THE OTHER WAY TO ALLOW THE MOVIE (OR END OF A ROUND) TO COME TO A CLOSE. THIS MEANS THAT WITHOUT A GUIDE YOU WANDER UP AND DOWN A LEVEL WITH NOBODY LEFT TO KILL LOOKING FOR WHAT YOU MISSED. THIS GETS A LITTLE DULL AND TAKES AWAY FROM THE ENTERTAINMENT VALUE OF THIS GAME. I LOVE HAVING TO THINK DURING GAMEPLAY BUT WHEN I DON'T HIT A SWITCH THAT LOOKS THE SAME AS 50 OTHERS THAT WEREN'T ABLE TO BE HIT...I GET KINDA BOTHERED.
HERE'S THE REAL KICKER WITH FLOW...IT ISN'T UNTIL AROUND ROUND 7 UNTIL YOU GET YOUR SABER...AND YOU GET PUMPED UP...NOW YOUR GONNA KICK SOME TAIL...RIGHT? WRONG!
THE VERY NEXT ROUND HAS NO FLOW TO IT AT ALL. THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE PARTS IN THE ROUND WHERE YOU ARE EXPECTED TO MAKE NEAR IMPOSSIBLE JUMPS...SOME THAT YOU WON'T EVEN THINK YOUR SUPPOSED TO MAKE...THE FIRST JUMP...WHICH ISN'T A VISUALLY DIFFICULT ONE (WHAT I MEAN IS THERE IS NOTHING ATTACKING YOU AND NO REAL DANGER OF CRASHING TO YOUR DEATH) YOU JUST HAVE TO HIT A LITTLE LEDGE ABOVE YOU...AND IT EASILY TOOK TWENTY MINUTES TO LAND IT WITHOUT FALLING OFF THE OTHER SIDE. LUCKILY, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SAVE AT ANY POINT IN THE GAME, BUT THERE WILL BE ROUNDS WHERE YOU WILL BE SAVING EVERY COUPLE OF SECONDS. THIS IS REALLY BOTHERSOME, YOU CAN'T JUST PLAY THE GAME...I DON'T MIND GETTING HAMMERED BY STORM TROOPERS OR WHATEVER BUT WHEN I KEEP BUYING THE FARM ON STUPID JUMPS THAT FAILED PADAWANS COULD MAKE...I'M NOT HAPPY. THE MOVEMENT IS SOMETIMES VERY STUPID AND DESTROYS THE IMPACT OF THE COOL MUSIC AND THE WEAPON ON YOUR BELT.
LASTLY, THE CONTROLS TO THE SABER ARE SILLY...WHEN I THINK OF HAVING A SABER, I THINK OF KICKING SOME SERIOUS BUTT...AND IT DOES...BUT NOT NEARLY TO THE SAME DEGREE AS IN OBI-WAN. YOU HAVE TO SWITCH YOUR FORCE POWERS MANUALLY, RATHER THAN HAVING DIFFERENT BUTTONS FOR EACH AS IN OBI-WAN...AND WHEN YOU DO GET THE HANG OF THE FORCE AND YOUR SABER...KYLE STILL LOOKS GOOFY HOLDING IT...IN OBI-WAN IT MAY HAVE BEEN TO EASY WITH JEDI OUTCAST IT IS NOT DIFFICULT, BUT CUMBERSOME AND AWKWARD. I WISH LUCAS ART WOULD HAVE FOUND SOME MIDDLE GROUND... | video-games_xbox |
Better than 1st but. Before I played Mass Effect, I absolutely had no idea what it was all about. I played Mass Effect 1 and contrary to some glitches and tedious gameplay elements, IT LITERALLY BLEW MY MIND. So to me Mass Effect 2 was a MUST. I have played it twice now and here is what I think.
PROS.
WELL DESIGNED CHOICE/KARMA GAMEPLAY: Just like Mass Effect 1, this game has wonderful cause-effect gameplay. Throughout the games you will have to make many choices and this choices will have major effect on your character development and on the story. Depending on your choices your character can be renegade, paragon or someone in between. Unlike Mass Effect 1, these choices will many times be imposed upon you. In other words, you will just be exploring the open world and all of the sudden, the main story interrupts you and will make you make difficult decisions. To me, this was amazing. This on the spot make choice plot makes the story so much more real, relevant and impactive. Furthermore, other than dialogue, even during the cutscenes you can perform paragon/renegade type of action. This experience was simply mind-blowing to me.
BETTER RUNNING GAMEPLAY AND SMOOTH CRISPY CLEAR GRAPHICS: To me Mass Effect 1 was great, but it had a bit choppy graphics and glitch gameplay. They have fixed it up big times in Mass Effect 2. (Don't get me wrong there are still glitches see CONS section). When I first saw the Mass Effect 2 footage in HD on my 360, my eyes simply couldn't believe it. Trust me, you will have no complain here in this department.
AWESOME COMBAT MECHANICS: Compared to 1, they greatly improved combat system in this game. It feels smoother, you can perform different moves easier and most importantly, combination you can use with your team/allies is just unbelievable. You have more classes to choose from compared to first and I just LOVED VANGUARD AND SENTINEL CLASSES. You will love the powers you will get to use. Oh did I mention, you can also choose from your allies special powers.
PLENTY OF ALLIES AND LOYALTY MISSIONS: There are so many different allies you can acquire and choose from in this game. Acquiring each ally is a mission. Plus, if you want your ally to become loyal to you, there will be a separate mission. Once they become loyal, you can unlock their special power and it will also have a huge impact on the story. Now the question is can you make everyone loyal to you? I will just let you find out. While it is possible, unless you make the right choices, it will be difficult.
NEW WEAPONS AND POWERS: Loved the VANGUARD and SENTINEL class provided biotic and tech powers. Also, some of the heavy weapons were pretty cool. Also liked how you could upgrade your weapons and powers by research and alloy discoveries.
PRETTY GOOD STORY: Not as good as the first one, but this game still does have a pretty good story. While the creators have done a wonderful job with stories for each ally character, the central story is somewhat straightforward. However, they are also setting this game for a sequel (not a spoiler, it has been known for ages now), so that might be the reason the story is the way it is (really don't want to spoil it for you).
OPEN WORLD GAMEPLAY: Just like first one you are free to explore galaxy and go where ever you want to go, do what ever you want to do first. Story will impose upon you as stated before, but again it will only make the experience more real. I love the way they have hidden the missions in open world exploration.
BETTER ACHIEVEMENTS: Mass Effect 1 achievement kinda force you to do things you may not want to do (for example keep the same ally through out the game, become a perfect paragon or renegade, etc.). In this game, the way achievement system is set up, it will make you explore more and experiment more.
VARIETY IN BOSSES AND ENEMIES: Loved how most of the missions include a boss. While few of them are pushovers, most of them will provide you with decent challenge. Furthermore, compared to Mass Effect 1, there is greater variety of enemies and eliminating them will require you to different strategies and powers. This will prevent the gameplay from being redundant.
FREE DLCs: There are some awesome free downloadable content for this game. Some of them should have been released with the game (see cons.)
CONS.
LESS EXPLORATION: There are a lot of story based mission and ally based loyalty missions; however, there are amazingly few side missions. (Don't get me wrong, the game will still take a while finish. My first finish was 45 hrs when I decided to explore everything). And these side missions are ridiculously short and straight forward.
NO VEHICLE: What the hell? After you download a DLC, there are four or five vehicle based missions; however, the game doesn't have vehicle based exploration. I agree climbing rocks and hills with space vehicle was torturous at times in Mass Effect 1, but still there were many planets where it was fun. Why remove that?
DIMINISHED RPG ELEMENT: Mass Effect 1 kinda had convoluted level up system(if you do manually) and tedious weapon upgrade/achieve system. They improved that in Mass Effect 2 by making it extremely simple. Now you no longer have much choices when it comes to guns. Your choice of power can be maxed in no time (you will still have hard time maxing multiple powers/traits). And experience is mainly give at the end of the mission vs experience you gained by doing each and every single action/ killing each and every enemy in Mass Effect 1. The system did feel a bit more organized and easy to use, but I kinda miss Mass Effect 1 RPG element.
So contrary to minor issues I mentioned in CONS., they have GREATLY IMPROVED THE GAME. If you liked Mass Effect 1, if you like RPG, if you like space/sci fy genre, YOU MUST NOT MISS OUT ON THIS ONE. You will love it. | video-games_xbox |
Git yew sum! "The most Photo-Realistic video Game we've ever seen. Returned to those who made Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4 takes the original engine and concept which made COD2 great, and successfully shifts it into a modern world.
Retaining the same mix of brutal single player campaign and engrossing multiplayer gaming, Call of Duty 4 innovates in many ways the First Person Shooter genre. The sniper rifle scoping system that was in place in COD2 is back, also, and many new weapons are available.
Different from COD2, the interface is much more dense, the map more complex, and options well beyond that which was available in World War II. And yet despite this, it is easy to get used to, and despite the addition of far more things on the player's HUD and interface, it doesn't get in the way of the gameplay itself, seeking out enemies and killing them.
Another unique addition is rankings and unlockables in the multiplayer. You start out as a private, with only the three base classes of Assault, Spec Ops, and Demolition available to you (this means assault rifle, machine gun, shotgun), with the other two classes unlocked when you rise in rank. Rank upgrades are easy, requiring XP which is earned from killing people and just playing multiplayer maps. Even more unique, you can create your own class, picking what sort of weapons to start with, as well as bonuses such as bullet stopping power, increased health, and perks like extra grenades or RPGs. More options are available the higher you rank.
With more technology and better guns, there's more things to do in single player and multi player games, making it a more complex and rewarding gameplay experience to have. But if it's too much all at once, there's still COD2 and 3 to go back to. COD4 has that quality of both appealing to the player, and not alienating the predecessors. That sort of quality is what makes a franchise like this amazingly successful.
Potential Spoilers follow
Campaign:
My god... at first I thought it was a nice little thing, very fun but without a much interested storyline. You play as two characters: SAS's Soap MacTavish and USMC's Paul Jackson. Soap and his officer, Captain Price, are hunting a Russian terrorist Imran Zakhaev and rebels ("Ultranationalists") connected to a major Arab terrorist Khaled Al-Asad (think Osama Bin Laden) who is being hunted by the Americans, after assassinating the president of the Middle Eastern country in question (never named) on live television.
The campaign is utterly brilliant in its realistic depictions of surgical strikes and combat. The AI is beyond brilliant---enemies take cover, have powerful guns, use LOTS of grenades, both frag and special, can blind-fire, use snipers, use the terrain to their advantage, etcetera. It's absolutely phenomenal how brilliant they are, and absolutely frustrating in some places where simple FPS-"Doom" style "run in and shoot everything before it shoots you" strategy ends with you covered in bullets.
This realism peaks in Sgt. Paul Jackson's last mission. Assaulting the capital city where Al-Asad is hiding, the Americans must proceed with caution, as Al-Asad has a nuclear weapon, and they must enter in helicopters, assault, take Al-Asad, and escape. As Jackson's helicopter is escaping, looking over the city and making room for the US team to defuse the nuclear weapon, the bomb goes off, and my jaw absolutely dropped at how devastating, graphically crisp, and just plain realistic and frightening depiction of the nuclear bomb going off, and Jackson's helicopter goes down. The next mission is literally Jackson, half-dead, crawling out of the helicopter into a hellish landscape, and dying in a second blast.
That's right... one of your main characters dies mid-campaign, and very brutally.
The rest of the campaign centers around Soap, finding Al-Asad (who wasn't in the city) and hunting down Zakhaev while he aims nuclear weapons straight for the US.
The campaign is brilliant not just for its innovation in AI, missions and objectives, and setting, but for the sheer gritty realism of it, and the genuine horror. This is perhaps the scariest video game I have ever played, because unlike fantasy horror games like Resident Evil, this is one game that shows -what could really happen- today!
Five stars all around. A masterpiece right here. | video-games_xbox |
Mass Effect vs Oblivion. For me, Mass Effect is pretty to look at, but the environments are sterile and empty. Moving through the ME world is boring. When combat occurs, you have to deal with a squad, issuing orders, fishing through their inventories and such. Each battle came down to a shoot out, hiding behind rocks or walls and taking out bad guys from a distance, occasionally using the psychic powers for amusement, but rarely to great effect. After each battle on Eden Prime or in the city, I felt the same creeping sense of "so what?" growing. Then there is the dialogue. When you deal with character interactions, there is a lot of dialogue... and more dialogue... and then more dialogue... at the end of the typical conversation with an encountered character I would be hard pressed to remember what it was we were talking about. I felt that I needed a court reporter with me at all times to remind me what the point of the conversation was. Far too much watching and listening than doing anything, going from dialogue cutscene to dialogue cutscene. When I found myself fast forwarding through conversations just to get them over with, I knew this game was not for me. I understand that most people see this game as the Second Coming, but it did not interest me at all. It just wasn't fun for me.
I traded in Mass Effect (and Halo 3... another disappointment there) for Oblivion: GOTY Edition and was immediately enthralled with the story and the game world. I started the game from scratch and played two hours into it and found it to be beautiful, engaging, and most of all, fun! The dialogue is interesting but succinct, not going on and on and on. The combat is engaging and intense (having someone in your face with a sword just feels more dangerous than someone with rifle across the room). The world is huge and more importantly, alive. In my trek to the first waypoint, I saw deer, wolves, and other small animals scurrying about. Lush foliage filled with flowers and trees where everywhere. Deep in a dungeon there was a sense of dread and need for caution that never occurred in Mass Effect. I know that I will spend many, many days in Oblivion's amazing world and probably never get bored with it.
Mass Effect is probably a great game. It was just not my cup of RPG tea. For me, Oblivion is the better game experience. It just feels fuller, more interesting, and someone, more intimate. | video-games_xbox |
Great fitness program. Just FYI Best Buy is currently giving away UFC Undisputed 2010 free when you buy UFC Personal Trainer. I took advantage of that deal.
I wouldn't call UFC Personal Trainer a game. It's a fitness system. This is not a gimmick to get MMA fans to open their wallets. The program was developed and certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine based on MMA training techniques. I started the 30 day strength training program and had an excellent workout. I'm a sergeant in the USMC and I've had numerous physical training sessions. The exercises I performed in UFC Trainer were very familiar as they are the same basic exercises Marines use to stay in shape. Pushups, squats, and lunges are proven and tested exercises. If you are already fit I would suggest picking up some light weight dumbbells for the standing upper body workouts such as upright rows and the Arnold press.
The program features various modes to help you get in shape. "Workout mode" has several pre-made routines for you to choose from. Each routine has a short description including what areas it will improve and estimated number of calories burned. You can also make your own workout routine. There is also a "quick workout" mode which I have not tried but the instruction manual implies you pick a target goal and quick workout automatically starts up a workout to improve that area. "Programs" are really where I think this game shines. Here you pick a workout program with a specific goal such as strength, cutting weight, and cardio. The program is for a specific duration as well such as 30 or 60 days.
The "Activities" are simply fun UFC inspired mini-games for you to play. The speed bag is about timing and rhythm, the tire flip is basically a squat where you explode upwards from the squat position, you can hit the mitts and freestyle on the heavy bag as well.
There are systems in place to help track your progress as well. You input your age, height, and weight and your BMR can be calculated. There are graphs to track your progress by calories burned, weight lost, muscle's exercised, etc. You can even take pictures of yourself to keep track of your body's fitness transformation. Consistently doing the workout programs unlocks rewards and achievements such as doing 100 upper body workouts.
If you are under the impression that this game will make you into a fighter, you will be disappointed. If you want to be a fighter you need to find a martial arts gym with a focus on both ground work and stand-up. What this game will do for you, is provide you with a fun and motivating way to transform your body. If you do these exercises and have a consistent routine I'm fully confident you will get in better shape.
Note: I didn't have any problem with the game freezing but some of the other reviews have indicated that the problem was already fixed.
For some of those still having issues:
I've noticed a few things in the past week since I bought the game. First it is extremely important that your entire body appears green within the octagon in the corner. If you get in plan position to do push-ups and your face is yellow or red, you are too close to the sensor. Floor exercises seem to be giving people the most trouble. I suggest you make sure your kinect is calibrated properly and give yourself enough room.
Secondly, timing is important when doing the exercises. You have to wait for the green arrow to at least begin to appear before changing position. There is also an audible bleep sound that helps you with the timing. For example When doing push-ups go down, hear the bleep, and then go up. You will then hear another bleep you can go back down. If you do them too fast or out of rhythm the exercise will not register. It actually helps you develop proper form and rhythm. Exercises like push-ups should be done in a steady controlled manner to get the most out of them. | video-games_xbox |
Open World RPG. The good:
- Best thing about Sacred 2 is by far the Open World. Similarly to Sacred 1, from the very first moment of the game, you have access to most of the world, so - if desired - can travel anywhere. While there are risks with traveling in areas with high level enemies, there is also the reward of getting a lot of experience and unique items. Enemies level up with you, but not at the levels they did in Oblivion or Morrowind.
- Second best thing: the ability to play co-op on the same screen is unbeatable. I played this with my spouse and we both enjoyed the game tremendously. In co-op, the camera is fixed at a certain height (zoomed out), but can still be rotated. This is a great plus, because it avoids the camera jerking seen in other games.
- Gaming experience is excellent. In terms of gameplay - closest this can be described is as a clone of Diablo 2. Basically, you have the 3 sets of skills for each characters, each with 5 (or 6?) individual skills. You also have the unique items - here rated between 1 and 4 stars. You also have the socketed armors and weapons where you can add different other skills or improve your current ones. You also have 3 different quality levels between the sockets (bronze to gold). Same goes for the classes too - everything is covered from the High Elf (manual states that this is your sorceress), to other similar classes from Diablo 2. Oh, and yes, you can also recruit other characters in your party.
- There is an insane amount of improvements over Sacred 1, biggest one being graphics. Game is fully 3D - you will travel to huge cities with detailed architecture, dungeons, islands, all type of terrain. Camera can be a bit of a pain sometimes (in single player), but works great for co-op. You can still ride different things, with each class having a specific ride.
- Huge replay value! Many classes and a huge game. In co-op, we have put around 40 hours in the game and still going. In terms of XP, you can gain a maximum of 200 levels for the Bronze Difficulty, but there are additional difficulties that get unlocked, similarly to the 'other' game.
The bad:
- Clearly, Ascaron could not straight out copy the Diablo 2 menus and skill sets, so they had to reformat them, to look original. This was a tough thing to do, because Diablo 2 had the best menus from the very beginning. Thus, browsing through the Sacred 2 menus continues to be complicated - at least for the first hours of the game. Basically - I do not think there is a controller button left untouched, every time you need to get in the menus. Maybe the Back button?
- While there are easily hundreds of quests to be done, there just isn't enough to the story to keep you interested in them. After a while, we stopped following the quest purpose and concentrated on XP. If story is what you are interested in - then Lost Odyssey is probably the best (J)RPG on Xbox.
- The game had to be patched, but there still are minor issues here and there. Sometimes the menus do not work right, other times the texture redraw is not quick enough. Not a major issues for us, but may bother other people.
The ugly:
- Ascaron is bankrupt, so the chances of getting a Sacred 3 are slim to none.
Bottom line: this is a great game for fans of Diablo 2, Sacred 1, Titan Quest and Baldur's Gate / Dungeons and Dragons games. While difficult in the beginning, the more you play the more fun it will become. | video-games_xbox |
Simply.. Entertaining. I have owned Max Payne, the computer game, for a long while. When i saw it was coming out for the XBOX, i wasn't sure if to buy it or not.
So i compromised. I didn't buy it, instead i let someone else buy it and give it to me as a Christmas present. I've gotten more out of this 50$ gift than anything else I've gotten this year.
I would go as far too say that this game is 2x what Halo is. Mostly because Max Payne didn't have all the hype that Halo had, and it's still a more appealing shoot em' up game. Replay value sticks out more than anything; I've already beaten the game once, and am mid way through doing it again.
The graphics are stunning, and the bullet time is simply sexy, and addicting. Sometimes you manage to get that perfect Bullet Time and it just looks so spectacular. Bullet time not only makes the game look more appealing, but also can save you where you're in a tight spot as well.
I think Max Payne is a perfect game exept for 2 flaws, and yes there are only 2 peticular things i don't like about this game.
A.) Not bloody enough.
This game is already gory and seedy, why not go all out? Yes blood splatter on the wall is a common thing, but I miss seeing the bullets riping through the enemy. instead you just see a puff of smoke:( A soldiers of fortune gibbing aproach would work very well for this game.
B.) The begining of each Part.
Whenever you start a part of the game (Part II and Part III in peticular) you are forced to go through these tedious and sometimes frustrating balance beam mazes. BORING!! I had a hard time figuring the second one out, spending about 15 minutes on it, when It could have been done in 15 seconds if i knew where to go. But this is really minor because the time you spend doing this compared to the time that you are fragging the enemy is silly.
Overall, this is THE MUST HAVE XBOX game. If you havn't seen pictures of this game, go find some and stare in awe because you don't know what you are missing.
Gameplay: 5of5
Replay: 5of5
Graphics 5of5
Value: 5of5
Learning Curve: Maybe an hour max, new people should try the tutorial. | video-games_xbox |
Awesome Game...With or Without LIVE. MechAssualt is one of those games that, when you beat the story, you
crave more. MechAssualt is one of those games that, when it's all
said and done, you can really look back and say "that was an AWSOME
game!" Not many games leave you craving more, and even fewer games
that do leave that feeling, have more to offer.
But for MechAssualt, when the INCREDIBLE story and game play is over,
you realize that the fun is just beginning.
Here's a review of MechAssualt for the Microsoft XBOX:
1) Single Player: This game was one of the best games I have EVER
played. Your living in the 34th century, and there's a planet with a
group of terrorists, called "The Word of Blake" who threaten the rest
of the world. Your part of a Space Army. Your sent to restore peace
to this planet, and take out anyone who threatens to do otherwise.
You are the future's cops!
So you and your co-workers are the 1st team. Your sent in to secure
the planet for the rest of the Dabloon to arrive and destroy the
enemy. Your in enemy territory from the beginning, trying to secure
the safety of the rest of your Dabloon. You are part of
the "Icuras", and you have some of the coolest weapons ever thought
up of. They're called BattleMechs.
If you fail your mission, THOUSANDS COULD DIE... Good luck!
That's just the beginning! You must now plan, think, destroy, and
fight your way through dozens of Mechs. You start out small with
little Mechs. But as you get deeper into the story, you begin to use
some of the more powerful Mechs as they become available. You must
defeat the "Word of Blake", before they defeat you!
The game really begins to kick in later on, as there are so many
types of missions. One has you inside of a stolen Mech, trying to
sneak into one of their bases, get information, then make a run for
it. You must blast bridges to cut off enemies, bring cities down in
rubble (on top of your enemies if your lucky). There is strategy
involved, too, as you can sometimes avoid hits, take out stronger Mechs first, etc...
Another strategic element is trying to decide how to fight each
mission. The smaller Mechs are TWICE as fast, and some of them can
become invisible for 30 seconds. They vanish before your eyes,
giving you (if your using one) the ability to sneak around and get
away from massive Mechs, without damage. Or perhaps go for big and
slow, as they have some of the coolest weapons ever thought up.
Electric shocks, machine guns, time bombs, etc...
It's all worth it, too, as if you beat the game, there's a nice little prize waiting!
2) Graphics: INCREDIBLE! Your Mechs, when damaged, are smoking, or
if you aim for a leg, you'll see them dragging along a broken leg.
Sparks fly across the Mechs huge bulk, a sign that a few more shots
will result in it's destruction. Any building, in 2 words, CAN
FALL. And the explosions are awesome! The windows break, fire is
everywhere, dust chokes the entire screen after a HUGE building
falls. In the end, it creates a feeling of all out war!
When you shoot at the ground, dirt flies up, when you walk through
the water, water splashes. Basically...ANYTHING CAN BE DESTROYED! Hech, your Mechs even leave footprints. The graphics here are incurable, along with the story that leaves you craving for the sequel!
3) Multiplayer: Even without XBOX LIVE, the Multiplayer can be
sweet. You can play with you and a buddy and go 1 on 1 with the most
powerful weapons in the world, or work as a team, trying to destroy
as many Mechs as possible. The longer you survive, the more Mechs
you'll be facing at once. Buildings (and Mechs) will fall!
System link is awesome, too! As you can have 1-8 players in battles of even 4-4 in ULTIMATE DESTRUCTION, or several other mini-games to play!!! Sweet!
4) XBOX Live: The greatest feature of all. Get a team of 4 and take
on another team of 4. Or take another human Mech Warrior 1 on 1.
With dozens of Mechs to use, and a ton of games to play and places to
fight in (and soon destroy), the multiplayer is endless! With games
like Deathwatch, Grinder (4 people fight endless Mechs until no human player is left standing), etc...(over 6) But that's not all!
Rankings!: Compete for kills. Can you get to 10,000 , 20,000? Will
you be the #1 Mech player in the country? Will the world fear you?
It's pretty cool. And when you try 4 player Grinder, and try to
finish off as many computer controlled Mechs as possible, it's really
cool!
5) Downloadable Content: Within a few weeks, we should have something
that's never been done in the history of video games! Downloadable
Content. That's right! In a few weeks, you can download to your
XBOX hard drive *NEW* Mechs, *NEW* game types, *NEW* arenas to fight
in, etc... And they'll just keep coming. The possibilities are
endless! *NEW* downloads, to begin with, will include:
A) New Level to play in: "H*ll's Kitchen". A volcanic level!
B)New Game Type: "Capture the Flag" 2-4 new Mechs (not yet been
announced)
And much much more! And the best part, it's all going to be
$$$FREE$$$
As you can see, MechAssualt is a HUGE and complete package. There is
so much to do, so much to try, so much to download. This game could
easily keep you busy 150+ Hours. And when something starts to get
old, there'll be more stuff to download to the XBOX hard disk.
I hope I convinced you to get this game. Great graphics, online play, single player, etc... My kinda game! U?
Thx! | video-games_xbox |
Much improved over last years edition. Well, I picked it up yesterday (7/11/05) and I can say, the passing has been much improved. My star catchers are more likely to catch the ball than drop it. There are still dropped passes, but it's more realistic now and not as frustrating. In fact, when my big star does miss a catch, it's usually because I didn't throw it well or I'm throwing into double or triple coverage. However, I have seen him make the catch when he's "in the zone", a new feature that is pretty cool. Basically, your star player(s) will eventually get into a groove, which means they are more apt to make the big play when you control them. If they do, the game will zoom into slo-motion video to show the big play they made and then zooms back out as the play continues.
The ability to easily scramble your QB is great. No longer do you have to "shut off" the passing icons. On the Xbox, hitting the A button turns off the icons, makes your QB tuck the ball and sprint. As long as you haven't crossed the LOS, you can let go and you are immediately back into the passing mode. Very simple change that makes scrambling a lot easier and less frustrating.
Juking is all done with the right analog stick, as is swimming on defense. Also, the right analog stick acts as the "Big Hit" control, just like in Madden and unlike last years NCAA game. Still no play-maker-style controls, though.
Presentation is not bad, but it's still EA-ish and not as spectacular as the ESPN games were (like ESPN NFL 2k5 and MLB 2k5). Hopefully, next year they can revamp all that, especially on the new consoles. The commentary is new, but it repeats itself quickly, but I'm pretty engrossed in the game at hand, so it's not that annoying. Still, it's nice that Nessler, Herbstreit and Corso recorded new commentary that is still fun to listen to.
The only other minor quibble I have with this game is the collision detection. I've seen my players walk through refs or other players as they get up after a play. It looks pretty weird and I wish they'd fix this. This was present in the 2005 version as well. Still, it's not a show stopper, but it makes the game feel as if it could be a lot more polished than it is.
I've only played a few games, including the Run For the Heisman mode, which is pretty cool as you play as a recruit for up to 4 years in persuit of the trophy. You name your player and then have your choice of how you want your stud player to be: pocket QB, scrambling QB, running back, wide receiver, defense. Which choice you choose then puts you into a "mini-game" to rack up as many points as possible to impress the college scouts. Your stats will be based on how well you perform. This will also give you a list of the top 3 schools that want to recruit you. However, you don't have to go there and can choose to walk-on any campus you wish. At that point, you go to your dorm room and your off! You don't have much control over the off-the-field activities in this mode, though. Still, this mode is a really fun mode to play in as you play the character you created and watch him attempt to garner the Heisman Trophy.
I haven't played dynasty yet, as I'm still playing exhibition games in order to get a handle on the game. You can do recruiting year round, and from what I've seen so far, this year's edition is definitely a big improvement over the previous edition.
I didn't get a chance to play online games yet. I did log on, and the interface for Xbox Live is revamped and looks pretty good. Only about 12 people were on-board, but none were quite ready to challenge me (nor was I ready to be challenged yet).
Overall, this is definitely one to get if you love college football. The graphics were tweaked, but they are still nothing to really gush about. They did tone down the "steroid" look so that the players look more like college players. But overall, the graphics tweaks are not what make this the must-buy college game. It's the actual gameplay tweaks/revamps that were done that have made this one of the best NCAA football games yet. | video-games_xbox |
This game will BLOODSHOT your eyes. I'd like to start off this review right with a "safety first" rule. (THIS IS A GAME REVIEW UPDATE)
You know that game booklet that comes with every game you get? Well the first page it'll tell you that this game may cause SEIZURES!
That is a very big problem. Now I've beaten this game before, but up until the past few days (after several months that I wasn't playing it), it started to make my eyes ache, baaaadly... I mean, seriously, tears actually ran down my face. Then I looked in the mirror, to see that both of my eyes were bloodshot. That's not normal. In some game booklets tell you to turn off the game and give your eyes a rest from stress for a few hours or so. So that's what I did, I gave my eyes a rest from it for a day, then after about 2 hours later, my eyes were aching again.
What I can't understand is this. A year ago, I've played this game hours on end and nothing happened to my eyes, now I can't go more then a few minutes with it without my eyes in aching pain. It just don't add up. I never managed to finish the entire game to get Silver Surfer in it, and that was why I started to play it again, so now I can't give you full review on my take on this game. Now the rest of this review you're about to read, was from last year, but NOT a full review. So I hope you understand why I didn't mention him in here. I might have to sell this game. And that's a shame too. But it's better then going to an eye doctor. 12/9/13
This game is... well I'll go as far as fair when it comes to story and game play. There are some characters that you'll like others you'll never use. *cough* Spider-man *cough* Anyway, you already probably figured out, you can select any member to be on your team, (or once unlocked). Once done, you go about your mission, or if you've selected certain ones to be your team, you get this awesome voice yelling; "FANTASTIC FOUR" or "NEW AVENGERS, TEAM ASSASSINS." Hell I put Spider-man, Ice-man and the human torch together in hopes of hearing; "DOUCHE-BAGS UNITE."
Activision must have hired allot of voice actors of off Nickelodeon, cause some of them I knew right off the bat. There's Gregg Berger who was the voice off of Teenage mutant ninja turtles as Splinter, also Cam Clarke as Leonardo. Any minute I was expecting him to say; "TURTLE... POWER!" Another one I also liked was Quinton Flynn off of Ren and Stimpy show. Any second I was expecting him to sing the Happy happy, joy joy, song.
The game itself was good, but if there's one thing I don't like, it's small maps. I prefer large maps to freelance your way around and enjoy exploring. I can't stand this mentality where you have to go into this room, or go down this corridor, or you can only swim this high. Hell some characters can't even fly over a freakin' ledge. (WTF guys, WTF?) The game also has you do small missions that really don't add much to the game, but it does have some effect to your endings, others don't. Like finding a horn for some viking and stuff. You get to unlock allot of costumes as well as characters and powers. But overall, I can't help shake the feeling that the main objective in this game is to educate you on every character in the marvel universe, cause in the game, it has mini trivia games in it for you to answer, as well as fight simulators that have each character start off by telling you his/her life story in a nut shell. Also it only has five stages in story mode and the cut-scenes are about the same number. So basically its a compacted version to squeeze all the heroes into one game. The game has its ups and downs as well hits and misses, but I think the it's decent enough to play. | video-games_xbox |
Epic Gameplay. I kept putting off writing a review of Elder Scrolls IV - Oblivion until I'd really finished the game. I finally had to just write it, because the game is so HUGE. This is a game you could literally play for years.
First off, your character. You could literally spend an hour or more tweaking your character to fit your playing needs. There are numerous races, each with their own look, feel, strengths and weaknesses. You can be male or female. You have a TRILLION options to customize the eyes, hair, cheekbones, ears, skin tone, age, nose, chin, you name it. I doubt that any two players could come up with the exact same character if they tried. It's quite impressive, and it really helps you to relate to your character.
You are thrown immediately into the story. You're in a jail cell, but are allowed to escape because of political intrigue. You spend the first few hours of the game in the dark cellars beneath the castle, learning how to fight rats and other smaller critters. Soon, though, you are launched into the outer world, and what a world it is!
This is truly a spectacular experience, especially if you have a large, high definition TV. The world is "real" - there are tons of places to go, people to interact with, sunsets to watch, forests to wander through. All characters have their own schedules, their own lives. What you choose to do is completely up to you. Join up with the soldiers- or join the mage group. Become an assassin - or carve a path completely of your own.
The world you're in feels "real". The quests you go on are different depending on your race, your background, the things you have already done. There's no need to speed through here - the whole point is to go slowly, to develop your character and your world. There is so much complexity to this game that you could play for months and still not have explored every corner, or tried every option.
The sound is just as stellar - from the voices to the background noises, you really feel like you are there in the world.
Highly recommended - a must have for any RPG fan. | video-games_xbox |
Overrated. I picked this up after hearing the "Skyrim with guns" hype. The only comparison this has with Skyrim is that its an open world with a pretty environment.
Yes, it's a big world but there is very little in it other than boring collectables. There are 34 outposts (camps with bad guys) that you can take over. Once each outpost is captured it becomes a base for you to fast-travel to and a store. Spying on the outpost and planning how to take it over is one of the best parts of the game. However, taking over the outpost removes ALL enemies from the map around it. So as you progress through the game the island becomes effectively empty except for random animals that are just annoying. And since the item system is so basic there's nothing interesting to find out in the world. The whole point of open world games is to have fun exploring and finding interesting situations or items - outside of story quests and the outposts this game has neither.
The story in this game has a really weird and uneven tone. It starts off well with a normal guy getting plunged into a violent world and struggling with that transition. But then it quickly turns into Rambo-mode where you're shooting explosive arrows and machine-gunning bad guys by the dozen. I felt like the game couldn't decide if it was a serious story driven game or an over-the-top FPS. The game play feels very casual and almost funny but then every cut scene tries to be a serious life lesson and get into deep social issues.
The item system is ridiculously simple. You craft upgrades to your gear by hunting animals, which is a fun idea. But I had all of the upgrades I wanted within 2 hours of starting the game and then just did the rest (more flamethrower capacity from an animal skin?) kind of as a checklist. You also loot items off of bad guys and at first I thought they must be used for something interesting. Nope, you just sell everything with the autosell button at stores. Then you can purchase guns or just wait until they are given to you. Aside from some special unlockable weapons given for various milestones you can get all the guns as soon as you have some cash, which is very quickly. This kind of goes back to my complaint about the world - you can explore but there's nothing worth finding out there.
I'd say the closest comparison for this game is Just Cause 2. You wander around a big world and take over outposts and occasionally decide to do a story mission that doesn't really make sense. The difference is that Just Cause doesn't take itself too seriously, has hundreds of locations, has fun vehicles, and has fun mechanics with the parachute and grappling hook.
Overall the game isn't terrible, it just doesn't live up to the hype. I'd pick it up as a used game or on sale for around $20. But in a market with so many good games you can easily find something more fun to spend your time on. | video-games_xbox |
freaking amazing. The saboteur is an extremly addicting, humorus, thrilling, fun game. You play as an irish guy during world war 2, who wants to get revenge against the nazi's. This game has alot of pro's and only a few con's.
The pro's are that the game is very interactive. There is no "jump 20 feet and get right back up without a scratch" stuff even tho it's like call of duty where you take like 20-30 bullets before your charachter say's owch. It last's a pretty good while which is hard to say for most games now days. it took me 2 or 3 days to beat it, and after you beat it, there is some major replay value. the graphics are insane, and show alot of detail from a whisp of smoke to a massive explosion. The weapons are really cool, and ammo is fairly easy to find. The guns are very time-period realistic and each has it's own strength and weakness. There are a nice range of vehicles that have their own strenghts and weaknesses to.
The con's of this game are fairly samll, but can be eyesore's to someone who care's about each game being differnt from one another. The climbing systmem is way to similar to the climbing system in the assassins creed series, and one of the car's names in the saboteur is "altiar" which is also the name of the main character in the first assassins creed. when you get into trouble and are being chased by nazi's it's really hard to get away from them sometimes and can take 5-10 minutes to just get rid of them which is very tiresome and boring. before you liberate an area in the game, the colors for everything are black and white (people, buildings, cars etc.) and it gets pretty depressing after awhile. The game is not meant for younger children beacuase the very begining cut-scene show strippers, and say's "F" at least three times within the first 5 minutes of the game. Think of a 40's version of grand theft auto set in paris. Other then that, this game was amazing.
pro's:
1.) Good long story line
2.) graphics
3.) replay value
4.) amazingly fun
con's:
1.) very similar to some assassins creed aspects
2.) depressing, repitious black and white colors
3.) language and partial nudity
This game is extremly fun, and well worth the money. i'd recommend it to anyone who likes action/adventure games | video-games_xbox |
Mediocre and insanely difficult. X-Men: Next Dimension is a somewhat enjoyable game. Any X-Men fan will be happy to play as over 24 different characters ripped straight from the comics, with powers intact.
All characters have multiple outfits and are highly detailed. The graphics overall in the game aren't outstanding, but they're decent enough. The special effects on the powers are the icing on the cake, standing out above everythign else in the game. The environment is interactive and players can be thrown through floors, cielings, windows and walls to new areas of the level.
That's about it for the great features though. Probably the most troubling aspect about this game is the fact that it has virtually NO SOUND EFFECTS whatsoever while you fight. You spend most of the time watching you characters throw punches and kicks at one another with only the music going, and occasionally you might hear a punch connect or a character groan in pain. Otherwise there is complete silence while you fight. I'm not sure how that slipped past the Quality Assurance testers unless they were all deaf. I thought it was just the XBox, since just about every XBox game seems to be plagued with sound problems, but it wasn't. The game just lacks sound effects.
Another troubling aspect is the difficulty...now i'm not one for easy games, in fact I hate games that are so easy you can blow through them in a 30 minutes sitting...but Next Dimension transcends the boundaries of high difficulty. I haven't played a fighting game this hard in a long, long time. And while a challenge is certainly welcome, there is a definite difference between challenge and insanity. The difficulty in this game, unfortunately, falls into the insanity category. While you probably won't have to cheat your way to victory, the only way to assure that you win is to spend HOURS in the practice mode with every character. Since you are forced to play as different characters as the game progresses in Story Mode, you must know how to use each character. And even then...the game can become so frustrating at times that its best that you turn it off and put it on the shelf for a few days. It can be fun at times, but most of the time succeeds at being terribly difficult.
The control is pretty bad...and the clunky junk that is the XBox controller does not help matters. Special moves are straightforward but difficult to perform because of the responsiveness of the controls. If you have a special kind of gamepad from a third party developer, use that instead. They typically have better D-pads.
Overall, the game just seems rushed, or incomplete. The lack of sound effects, the crazy difficulty and the lack of options and bad control just harm the game's fun factor. There is plenty to unlock, and there is a decent story tagged along on the game, but in the end this game is mediocre in every sense of the word. It will only appeal to die-hard X-Men fans, such as myself. If you are interested in the game, give it a rent. You might like it...its not a horrible game, it just could've been alot better. | video-games_xbox |
could've been awesome. it's a good game but to keep it concise--this game really should be anchoring and setting the standard for current-gen multiplayer...but it's not.
leave it to microsoft to muckup one of the best games (tried & proven).
the game engine seems jittery and at times, when strafing, you will get negative feedback which causes your character's movement to stutter.
context sensitivity for environment interaction (i.e. doing S.W.A.T. turns--peeling off of cover) are not there when they should be. Devs missed a lot--when they shouldn't. trying to aim from cover often results in peeling you off the wall instead. The blind fire itself, if you're trying to pull compound actions is pretty unpredictable. It's really watered down the complexity of what a player can do. For example, wanna pull off a headshot around the corner from cover and then horizontally jump away? Good luck executing, maybe 2 of the 3 will happen, jumping--not aiming, maybe jumping and pulling of the shot in some random order. I don't know if it's my connection but at a solid 55mb down and 5 up--I should be good.
Everything multiplayer is sad. Matchmaking is atrocious and takes terribly-long. King of the Hill (annex) only lasts 1 round. Expect about 5 minutes between multiplayer matches (finish-to-next-start). Oh and if you make it to the finish screen after a match--the screen is locked. You cannot exit until the next screen loads (maybe 45-60 seconds later).
grenade physics respond as though you're shotputting a 16-lb bowling ball. Unless you deliberately hold L-trigger to actually bolo throw the grenade--good luck getting it farther than 2-feet from you. (use at your own peril)
The gnasher seems to be its old self (finally a praise) but hip firing is very deceptive because if you use the direction of the shotgun as an indicator--you will be horribly misled and it's intensely counterintertuitive to fire at the center of the screen--ignoring the direction the muzzle is pointing.
This is my favorite series of all time and I was nothing less than ecstatic to play. I have all but sworn off video games due to the gloomy and uninspired video game culture that seems to be trending and I was hopeful for this but sorely disappointed with the rerelease.
It is what it is and it's still a lot of fun to play multiplayer sans the looming flaws aforementioned.
the campaign is the same as the PC version so there are extra chapteres compared to the original 360 version.
graphics look great but the feel is off...especially hipfiring the gnasher. | video-games_xbox |
Great game, but did not live up to the hype. Here's a good, honest, detailed review on every aspect of Halo 2.
The game is a great game, a great sequel, but obviously did not live up to the hype. Despite its flaws, it will remain on the bestseller list for months.
Gameplay: The gameplay is not much different from its predecessor. There are a few upgrades, including the suit upgrade which the health bar has been taken out and instead, there's just an energy shield. Another improvement is duel wielding. Not much of an innovation, but can be extremely effective at portions of the game. The game does not seem to be as repetitive as its predecessor; it constantly delivers new suspenseful elements that keeps the gameplay fresh and addictive.
The single player, though short, and the story ends with a suprising halt, still will keep the gamer coming back.
The multiplayer is arguably the best portion of the game. The battles are suspenseful and keeps the gamer coming back for more. The multiplayer really keeps Halo 2's replay value stick out.
A great disappointment within the game is the lack of time you actualy spend fighting the covenant on earth. There are only about 2 levels which you will be spending your time fighting on earth.
Sound: The sound is also another great portion of the game. Not only does it feature brilliant voice acting and voice overs, it also features some exceptional sound effects. The gun shots, plasma guns, vehicles, etc all have realistic and powerfully convincing sound effects that keeps the suspense and action real. The music is also very well done. The music fits through every scene, with a mix of electronic and instrumental; the perfect mix for Halo 2.
Graphics: The graphics are not as amazing, but stil very well done. Character textures are covincingly detailed and very well done. Particle/explosion/gunfire effects look amazing, but sometimes, the explosions look slightly boxy and pixelated. There are also other visual glitches throughout the game. Because the loading feature between levels have been excluded from Halo 2, objects, textures, and other elements in cutscenes have been popping in random portions of cutscene sequences ubiquitously. Not only does this occur in cutscenes, but also in gameplay; textures change and sharpen, etc. This minor flaw can be annoying at times, but for the most part, the graphics are well done and integrated within the gameplay.
Overall, Halo 2 isn't revolutionary; it isn't anything new, and it isn't anything too innonative. Not to say that its a bad game, it surely is one of the best first person shooters available on the xbox. Make sure to include this in your videogame library. | video-games_xbox |
Another waste of $60.00. Well I played 3 games last night and here are my down and dirty comments: First of all, Madden 09 looks better graphically (to me anyway, did anybody else notice that the graphics look worse than 09?. I'm running in full 1080P and it just does not look as crisp. The only thing I like are the options of changing the game speed (all other Maddens, especially 09 played way too fast and it just looked abnormal). The other thing I actually like is the halftime and weekly wrapup shows (this is a step in the right direction (although still can't touch 2K5). The other things that seem to never improve are when the players walk around they all look like they are running for the toilet. The most annoying things are: players clipping through each other (come on EA this is 2009 for gods sake!), the commentary steps over each other at times in the game (you have Collinsworth talking and Madden is talking AT THE SAME TIME (I can't understand what they are saying because they step all over each other) this is a major glitch. Another thing I noticed is when you want to look at stats, the scoreboard shows a different score. I was playing the Eagles in a pre-season game and I am playing as the Patriots. It was tied 14-14 at the half but the scoreboard showed the Patriots winning 27-14 !!!. What is the deal with that!
In closing this review, here is hoping that 2K makes APF 2k11 or 12. Beacause believe me, I had more fun playing this game than ANY Madden games or NCAA for that matter even though you just get generic teams and 11 real players. 2K8 just feels better, looks better, and is a REAL SIM!. The stats in a 2K8 game are more balanced and real. I can run a 2K8 game at 7 min per quarter and my QB will have 25 pass plays and my running game will have 25-30 run plays. This is very important no matter what the QB completion rate is or what the actual RB yards may be. At least it reflects stats that are not out of proportion. With Madden I ran one game at 7 minutes and had 70 offensive plays and Tom Brady threw for 500 yards and the score was 49-42!!. Because my running game was basically shut down I was forced to throw the ball 45 times!!. Madden 10 has no real balance with respect to the number of offensive plays that should be in the game. If I run at 5 minutes per quarter then I may only get the ball 4-5 times for the entire game. I ran 6 minute quarters and found this to be almost perfect. But an RB should not run for 250 yards in 10 carries like what happened in game 3 with my running back and 3 of those runs for for more than 50 yards.
I can't wait for 2K to get back to making Football (unless EA buys the NFL licence again). We,, who live and love football need choices AGAIN!. 2K will force Madden to make a better game (SEE 2K4 vs Madden 04 and 2K5 vs Madden 05). By the way, Madden 04 and 05 were probably the best 2 Maddens ever ONLY because 2K was pushing the envelope.
DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE, WAIT FOR APF 2K11 OR 2K12 OR MAYBE A REAL 2K NFL GAME,,,AND I SPEAK FOR THE MULTITUDES OF FOOTBALL GAMERS WHO LONG FOR REAL FOOTBALL FROM 2K. 2K5 WAS, IS, AND WILL ALWAYS BE THE GREATEST FOOTBALL GAME EVER MADE. | video-games_xbox |
I like it for Online Team Play. When I was younger I would play NHL games almost every day but nowadays I only play occasionally. Don't get me wrong while I only play occasionally those sessions can last hours on end. So if I'm at home usually drinking beers I'll play one of two games: online euchre on PC or online hockey on Xbox 360. So this review is basically just for Online Team Play(where you lock on one player) as I don't play offline and rarely play the other online modes.
This game is a little bit different from NHL 14. Obviously my character was new and low ranked so slower and weaker till I leveled up awhile. It took me one game to warm up and I was hooked again. The first game something happened that I never seen before. I always play D and was defending on the penalty kill when my stick was hit with a shot and shattered. I had seen this before so was ready to skate to the bench to get a new stick. So while I start heading to the bench I skate close to one of our team's forwards and he hands me his stick LOL. So I stayed in the play and we killed the penalty. We eventually lost but I thought that was pretty cool. The collisions are also different as you can hit your teammates and I believe the goalies as well. Sometimes there will be incidental contact and you'll go flying and no penalties. Pretty realistic. It just seems a bit different but pretty similar which I like personally. And I always like using the new teams online from other leagues even though their just different jerseys. There are some negatives.
The new commentary is OK but I thought it could be better. Sometimes you'll hear sounds of other players(not human) tell you to pass the puck or clear the puck which is interesting. One of the big knocks against this game is the reused menus and presentation and that keeps me from giving it 5 stars. Also the game should of probably been $49 MSRP but what what can you do. I actually bought a Like-New copy from Amazon Warehousedeals for $54 w/free shipping and it was actually factory sealed.
Overall I can't complain too much as I wasn't even sure if NHL 15 was coming out for 360. A good purchase for me. | video-games_xbox |
Not the same Hitman but still fun. I want to start by saying I am half way done with story mode and I have played over 50 games of contracts mode.
The game has fundamentally changed its focus. The excitement and thrill of going through a level pulling off multiple ways of killing targets is over. The game has shifted its fun factor from pulling off assassination w/o being seen to completing levels with out being seen. most of these levels have no target and the ones that do don't feel like the old hitman games in my opinion. The disguises are useless because you can now only suit as police and special mission characters. You cant blend in because the cops all know you don't belong to the police force- i could understand if they did this on the professional difficulties but on normal?! Part of what made hitman great was dressing like someone else and pulling it off without suspicion now even if your dressed like a cop in a room full of cops youll still have to sneak around. The game is too much like a stealth shooter rather than being a hitman. It frustrates me because im supposed to be a cold killer who is supposed to kill people and all they want me to do is sneak around undetected- you even get penalized if you take someone out w/o killing them, this is boring to me. The freedom is gone also, you don't feel as though the world can change at any moment it feels like a liner path you have to cross. As far as the interface goes i hate the fact that im not standing in the middle of the screen like a boss and i hate that my guns arnt pulled from my holster like a badass. Instead guns magically appear in your hand- how weak is that, even blood money had more realism in this department. I also hate how when you get a kill with a silenced pistol guards automatically know who took the shot. So whats the point of the silencer? Another thing I don't like is the score sheet at the top left like I care all the time, I used to kill civilians like rag dolls just for fun and now they try to punish me in big bright red letters for doing my own thing. So as far as the story mode goes so far they could have hired better writers and lead designers for this. Why not a story where agent 47 has to kill 20 targets in a week in order to stop a catastrophic event from occurring? That would have been bad ass.. but no. lets make a game where you spend most of the time sneaking around guards and cops instead. As far as the contracts mode goes, its fun for a while but i don't see any longevity in it. The mode allows you to pick targets from certain levels, but those targets can only be cops, guards and other special characters, no civilians. This limits your options and makes it stupid. They also don't let you put your own weapons on the map or fix the routes of AI's to your liking in order to create a different experience for the player who is going to be playing these maps a routes over and over.. To sum up contracts mode- they had a great idea but they didn't expand on it or give it any depth for true forgers.
All in all ive said alot of negative things about the game but the fact is it is surprising re-playable. To steal from another review "it should be horrible, but its not." This game gives you pleasure while playing it just not the same as before. Like I said before they changed the games fundamental focus, if your the kind of person who enjoys sneaking past guards undetected then this is for you, if your looking for a hitman game like its predecessors this game has just enough hitman for you to play every once in a while. | video-games_xbox |
A Fair Review. I, like many have waited a long time for this game. I was a little discouraged when I read all the horrible reviews for the PC version. However, I decided to take my chances with the 360 version, considering that was the platform that the game was created for.
I agree with another reviewer, why can't there be Star Trek music? I'm not saying that the music used is junk (which it is not); I'm just saying that the use of actual Star Trek music would have made the atmosphere of the game feel more Star Trek like.
The learning curve on the controls is huge. However, once you get the hang of it, the game flows quite nicely. It took me the first three missions before I even knew what was going on.
The A.I. of your friendly starships needs to be improved. There were several missions that I had to replay because once I gave a ship a command and switched to another ship, the first ship started doing its own thing again. FYI, make sure you give a command on a fixed object, not just some random area. If you have played the game, you will understand that last comment.
Why do I have to start a new campaign to replay an earlier mission? I believe I should have the option to replay an earlier mission after I have completed it.
It seems like there was great potential with the plot of the story mode. However, I feel it fell short of my expectations. It just seems like Bethesda summed the story up to fast. They could have added several more missions. I.e. more than one mission with the Enterprise D, an individual mission with the Defiant and or Voyager. Also, it would be a great idea to have a fourth option (Campaign, Skirmish, Multiplayer) "Classic Mode" which would include missions from the movies or the shows.
I know you are thinking, how anything can be good after all the bad I just talked about. Well, believe me, this game rocks. Once you get the hang of the controls you are flying all over a 3D space environment in any Star Trek ship you can think of, (minus the Prometheus).
The graphics are really good, but not great. Sometimes it looks just like the shows, sometimes. I think they can fix some of the explosions and cut down on all the polygons of ships when they break apart.
The skirmish and multiplayer is really a lot of fun. You need to get XBOX Live for this game.
If there was a patch released for this game to fix all of the problems listed above I would give this game a "5". Many of the problems I talked about are small and really do not prevent me form enjoying this game. If you are a hardcore Star Trek fan and are on the fence, don't delay anymore, go buy this game. | video-games_xbox |
Audiophiles Rejoice!!!!!!!!!!! Gamers Will Drool. Had to order from Turtle beach. Just received these today via FedEX. Setup was easy between computer and speakers. I am a live Internet Dj at Harleyradio.com and i needed a quality headset but did not expect outstanding for the price!!! If you are an audiophile and have a 5.1 sound setup on your computer with 3.5 jack inputs stand by as these will make your year. For the gamers reading this review.. they are heaven!!! AS i said about the DJ part.. the microphone on this headset forced me to turn off mic boost in the soundcard setting.. I am on WIN XP Pro. They are usb powered and amplified and the mic is pumped right back into your ears so you can hear yourself talking.. (don't shout unless you want to go deaf) The volume control can be turned up so you will go deaf!!! I found out the hard way. I put on some classical music.. cranked up the volume and heard music i had not in a long long time. There are 5 speakers per ear cup. They are over the head and over the ear and very comfortable after a solid hard hour of use. Broadcasting live and my listeners were surprised I sounded much much clearer. If you are into major broadcasting via computer this is the correct headset for you. There is a supplied cable splitter that lets you put the headset inline with your speakers so you don't have to worry about Jack Sensing what is plugged in. So you can blast your speakers and your headset at the same time. I loved it. The Quality is great well built and very comfortable. You will have to play with your soundcard settings and equalizer to balance them out. These are not great on bass as it will start to sound bad and that is about the only negative i can think of. I am not a heavey bass song listener i like the total package every sound every cymbal crash!
I was shocked at the controls on the amp. front center and sub and surround control to the speakers in each earphone.
I will say this... if you are a heavey gamer.. or a audiophile..Send the money on these you will not be upset using with a desktop computer. | video-games_xbox |
Yes I'm late but. I've loved this game to be completely honest with you guys. At first I found it difficult, it takes way more bullets to kill one Locust then to kill 5 people on Call Of Duty lol but once I got use to the controls and the style of gameplay it was smooth sailing haha. I absolutely hate berserkers with a burning passion ha but as I just previously mentioned you'll get use to it. The characters are hilarious, cole is the man and baird is hilarious with how much of a smart ass he is lol. The story is just a regular story, but with the addition of gears of war 2 and 3, which I haven't played yet seems like the story gets more in depth. Now on to General RAAM..(moment of silence) I hate him more then I hate a berserker and that is saying ALOT haha. But honestly the last mission (Spoiler alert) isn't too difficult to kill him, but it did take my 15 attempts haha. Just stay at the beginning and chill till he sends the krill at you then shoot him with the assault rifle, then after that use the bow to get rid of the krill then shoot him once again with the assault rifle and continuing that routine. I found it completely pointless to use the sniper rifle it takes literally 15 seconds to reload it and by the time that happens RAAM is coming straight at you. So just make sure you have a couple of frags, then your assault rifle, then the bow, and a shot gun. Once RAAM gets close to you just move and make sure you run in the middle where all the light is because he will send the krill after you, and take cover of the next piece of cover right before the walk way up to the gunner at the top. Then if you haven't killed him by the time he comes close to you again then complete that routine also. Make sure you don't waste bullets one attempt I found myself with nothing but a shot gun left haha. But yeah not trying to spoil the game for anyone that hasn't played it yet but I highly doubt that because I feel stupid for being this late on the series haha but yeah see you guys on the battle field in gears of war 3 I pre ordered the limited edition console earlier today, and I'm working on beating gears of war 2. If anyone wants to run back and co op gears of war or gears of war 2 on insane, message me or comment this review and we can make it happen !! | video-games_xbox |
Make Your Own Story. So many adventure and RPG titles drag you from point A to B on a leash, never allowing you to stray from the path. Not Morrowind, and that is the games greatest beauty.
I know that this has all been said before, repeated ad nauseum, but, since it cannot be overstated, I'll say it all again: The game is MASSIVE, and you have this massive world to run around in and do what you want with a character that you've created. You could be a magic user, who goes around making spells and creating potions to sell out of the various plant life on Vvardenfell. You could join one of the Great Houses, and attempt to rise to the top, either honorably or deviously. You could be a sort of "cavern raider" who looks for dungeons to explore, fighting off the powerful enemies within and picking up the valuable loot, or you can just run around and look for trouble, or, you can do some of everything or stuff I didn't mention. There are a ton of things to do in this world, and you only have to do what you want.
Oh, and there's a main quest, as well, but you could play for months without even touching it, and, if it starts to bore you, you can wander off and do whatever you feel like doing again. Once again, this is such a refreshing change from the predetermined path in most RPG's that one almost doesn't know what to do with that kind of freedom.
The game is DEEP, as well. When I think not only of how massive the world in it is, but how deep the storylines running through it goes, it's mind-boggling to think about how much development must have gone into this game. It's high fantasy, but very much in it's own idiom, borrowing almost nothing from Tolkien or other sources. The game may be too cerebral for some, but, if you take in a little knowledge at a time, eventually, you begin to understand Morrowind's mythos.
I love this game. However, it does have a few flaws. While traveling, you'll be attacked frequently by animals. Especially these large birds called "cliff racers." The island is absolutely overrun by cliff racers. The developers went a little overboard on the cliff racers. While the attacks help, especially at first, to build up your stats, it really doesn't up the fun factor of the game, and, after a while, not being able to go ten feet without having to fight off another hostile animal becomes more tedious and annoying than anything.
Combat is a bit uninspired, but, this really isn't supposed to be an action title. It's more about the exploration, adventure, and storylines than the action, so, if you're looking for Halo, you're in the wrong mindset. Still, an opponent health meter may have been nice.
This is just a personal preference, but I wouldn't have minded a cut scene cinema here and there, either, just to flavor the game a bit.
Some of the missions are of the rather dull "fetch" variety, but, they are also cleverly set up, often, so that you can discover other stuff along the way. And, remember, if you don't want to do a mission, you don't have to. Go off and do something else. You're free. Enjoy it.
And, most unfortunately, yes, this game does crash, a lot. You can imagine the frustration of getting far on a particular quest, only to have the thing freeze up on you. Even gettting the game to start can be a task, as I keep getting "dirty disk" messages. You'll spend as much time TRYING to play Morrowind as you'll actually spend playing it.
It's a shame, therefore, that I can't a game this deep, this massive, this amazing in so many ways the five stars that it deserves. However, to me, there is just no excuse for selling something this technically flawed to the public.
Still, it's a testimony to the game that I continue to play it despite the frequent crashes. One simply needs to remember to save often. If just about any other games started crashing like Morrowind has, I'd have probably cast it into my junk-game pile. Morrowind, however, is worth the hassle. | video-games_xbox |
Dreamcast Days. When it has came down to what Sega had done for video games, they definitely have known what it was like to make a great statement with games. They did it so well with the Sega Genesis & the handheld Game Gear, and the lesser-known but favorites like the Sega Saturn and the Sega C.D. But it is honestly very sad that Sega hasn't been able to deliver with great games or great systems lately. Not only that, but when it came down it at the time 1999-2002, Sega sadly said goodbye to making great systems at that point, and instead made the choice to make games for other companies like Sony and Nintendo as a software company. But when it has came down to the classic games, Sega did no wrong then, as much as they are doing now. But, there hasn't been any definitive collection revolving with Sega on the Dreamcast, as there have been with the Genesis, until now a simple starter, but not really everything for its price.
The Sega Dreamcast collection takes a simple look at some of Sega's great games from their final video game system. But honestly the collection isn't all what it was made out to be. Not just in price, but also a huge lack of games with only 4 to match. Still there are some classics from that era including the wild and driven Crazy Taxi, where you'd have to master you way to picking up passengers, and trying to let them off in as fast you can, with a timer for so many passengers going for giving you a big tip, and the classic launch of Sonic Adventure, Sonic's fully-driven showcase in his first fully, showcased adventure in 3-D, where he, Tails and company would have to tackle against Dr. Robotnik and company, against the vulgar monster Chaos, as well as cult classic Space Channel 5 to just name a few. The games have all been restored nicely, but the biggest problem with the game is that there is a huge lack of classics from the Dreamcast era. With a lot of titles like Sonic Adventure 2, Samba De Amigo, and many others being heavily overshadowed, you really don't get in full what your money is worth.
Still, for anyone that hasn't yet played any of the classic Sega Dreamcast games, this is honestly a nice place to start, and a simple sampler for what Sega made so strong with the Dreamcast. While it is honestly very nice to see some of these games re-introduced for a whole new era, there just should've been honestly much, much more to offer for its price. I honestly would suggest that if Sega does another Dreamcast collection, they should try a bit harder. I really think instead you should definitely get Sonic's Ultimate Genesis collection instead for the Xbox 360. There is much more nostalgia to get over on that game, for a incredible price.
Graphics: B-
Sound: B
Control: B
Fun & Enjoyment: C
Overall: C 1/2+ | video-games_xbox |
Good, but no Halo. I was a little disappointed in this game after reading some of the rave reviews. Here's what I thought:
Graphics - 4/5 - While the graphics are nice, there are some bugs within it. For example, I picked up a body and attempted to lay it on a couch. Unfortunately, only the body's head touched the couch and the rest of the body levitated in the air. The main character seems to levitate a lot too. The characters feet must always be in a horizontal line, so if you stand on something uneven, one of his feet will hang off the object and appear to be resting on something invisible in the air. This is really noticeable on stairs. He never has one foot down and one foot up like a real person. All these things take away from the realism and make you remeber you are playing a game. However, as many have mentioned, the lighting is very good. This is true with the exception of one of the first "scenes" where your boss at the NSA enters the room and the effect of the light coming through the blinds is just way too overdone. But in the game itself the lighting is probably the best I've ever seen.
Gameplay - 4/5 - Many reviewers have mentioned patience is important with this game. I'm OK with that, but as long as it comes with some reward. (If you've been crouching in a shadowy corner for a minute of two to take out a thug, the very next challenge should feature something a little more fun than more crouching and hiding again to take out a thug.) The fact that how loudly you affects how the characters react to you does add realism, but there are too many other things that take away from it. The game has too many parts where it seems to have predetermined how you are to go about solving a problem, and if you do it any other way than that, someone sounds an alarm and the mission is over. There are also too many rules. For instance, if you kill two civilians in a stage, your mission is ended. That's fine except that it considers cooks in an embasy you are sneaking around in to be civilians. Yet if you don't knock the cooks out in time, they sound an alarm, a guard comes in, and you get shot to death! If they are going to alert someone to come kill me, shouldn't I be able to shoot them too! I would think so, because I would in real life! The funny part is, to get around these to cooks, I had to throw a wine bottle at one's head and knock out the other. You would think all that comotion would get the guard next door to come in, but it didn't. Seems to go against the games emphasis on stealth. If this were really about stealth, wouldn't it be more stealthy to shoot both of them in the head with your silenced gun? But to be fair, there are things about this game that make you want to keep trying at it. Mostly, it's just to see what is behind the next door, and I guess that's the main appeal of this game.
In summary, this is a good game and worth buying, but it has bugs to be worked out. The developers could really make a great sequel to this if they make some changes. And please, no more comparisons to HALO. It isn't quite in that league. | video-games_xbox |
Don't Listen To The Hate. I bought and was rooting for NBA Live to overtake NBA 2k for the past 2 years. No more.
This is the best basketball game of all time.
To all the 1 star reviews/2 star reviews:
1: The so called my career movie.. I get you might not like it. But you play a few college and high school games, and 8 games as a pro. After that the story is over.
Then you can change your secondary nickname in the menus. Also, my career is deeper than ever. You can pick different things to do on your off days, and you don't unlock attributes through 8 games, instead they are unlocked by practice drills on your off day.
2: If you think 2k15 gameplay is better, your smoking. Offline 2k15 had you sliding all over the place on defense. Online 2k15 was dreadful. It was a sliding fest. This year online, though not perfect, is much much improved. Defense matters this year and there are so many amazing animations. They also took a ton of cheese out. 2k15 was a 2 star game to me. Defensive sliding ruined one half of the floor..and online was dreadful. They fixed those and improved a nearly perfect game.
3:Yes. Your defense gets punished a couple times a game for not getting back. Just get back and use points of emphasis to change. This is a very small issue, some would argue its realistic, though I say it will get patched.
4: If your getting dominated it might be because your used to cheesy running back and forth tactics that worked on previous games. Run plays, master post moves, dribble moves, improve, there are so many ways to succeed. . Oh... and if your getting shut down by the CPU why don't you turn the difficulty down??
5: I think your punished a little bit too much athletically with your my player due to size, but it has its perks. No longer will 7 foot 2 players be playing point guard, faster than Lebron. Now you have to play your role and position. Which makes my park more realistic and fun. So it's a little negative, but it's a positive as well.
6: Did I mention the servers are better? So my park actually plays okay now.
In reality, outside of addressing these things, 2k15 was a great basketball game, outside of defensive sliding and server issues. 2k16 improved on one of the best experiences.
It is the best overall sports game to come out. The complaints are minor, and will be patched in order.
Great game. I wish VC couldn't be obtained with money, but they deserve money for how great this game is. Shame on all 1 star, 2 star and 3 star reviewers here. No doubt this is 4 stars for the worst critic and 5 for real sports fans | video-games_xbox |
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas for a reason. Ubisoft has managed a rare treat with Rainbow Six Vegas 2; they managed to accurately portray what it's like to go to Las Vegas. Vegas is an interesting city, even if you don't gamble or party it's a fun city to go to just to visit and sightsee. You'll go and have a great time and when you get back, you'll start talking to other people trying to plan a trip back. The thing is if you go back too soon, you realize Vegas isn't all that fantastic. The city hasn't changed, but it's not as good as you remember.
This is Vegas 2. The first Rainbow Six Vegas was a fantastic game with an interesting backdrop of being in Vegas. While the sequel doesn't add anything, the game plays the same and it feels like an expansion of the first game. While not necessarily a bad thing, somehow Vegas 2 just isn't as fun as the first game. If you've played Rainbow Six Vegas, you've played Vegas 2, but now there's new levels. Let me make this simple - graphics, audio, gameplay all the same as R6V.
The biggest addition is the A.C.E.S. (Advanced Combat Enhancement and Specialization) system. In which you are awarded points for the various ways you can kill enemies. What's nice is the A.C.E.S. and rank aren't restricted to multi-player; you can now earn XP and A.C.E.S. in the single player game as well. Now, you can go into multi-player after playing the story and have better weapons and armor unlocked. It also means, you don't have access to the full arsenal of weapons throughout the game, but luckily enough you keep enemy weapons you pick up. It can easily make you change the way you would normally play the game. If a certain weapon you want is opened up at a certain level in the assault A.C.E., you might try to earn those points and change up your own style. It's nice because it can add some variety and almost forces you to experiment with the game play.
The enemy AI is pretty good, they'll try and flank you and take cover when available. The problem is that it's very easy to get stuck at a part and have to re-do it multiple times and if you do you can know exactly where the enemies will be because it doesn't change. For the most part, I have had some encounters that played out differently, but it generally is "cover here, shoot here, that alerts this other guy here, now shoot here", etc., etc.
I really liked Rainbow Six Vegas it was one of my favorite games of 2006 and I thought it was better than a lot of the stuff in '07. Unfortunately, like real Vegas, Vegas 2 is exactly the same, but just not as fun. It did feel more like an expansion than a full-fledged sequel, and I'm glad I didn't pay full price for it. | video-games_xbox |
Madden 2006. Madden 2006 is great. Overall it is upgraded and just better all around. I like how each QB has a unique view. When a QB is throwing a pass where the QB is looking affects the pass. If the pass is thrown in the QB's vision it is thrown well. If the pass is outside the vision it is thrown poorly. This makes the game much more realistic. Another thing that improves passing is precision passing. When throwing a pass you can select where it is thrown. This can be useful when a defender is close by. If there is a defender running right behing him you can choose to throw the ball in front of the reciever. You can also throw the passes down low, up high, or right behind them. This makes it more fun on offense. I really like the new truck stick a lot. When about to run into a defender, you can push the right thumbstick up which will make the player lower his shoulders and hit the defender hard which will help break tackles. My number 1 favorite for this game is the smart routes. In the old games I would have a reciever run a good route just to catch the ball short of the first down. Now you can have a reciever run a smart route which will make the reciever run past the first down mark so you don't come up just a little short. This is very useful on third down.
On defense you have a few more options. One of them is whether or not you want to use manlock. When a play is about to start, if a reciever moves his position manlock will come into play. If you have it off everyone will shift over one man. So instead the guy who was covering the reciever is now covering the tight end, and the guy covering the tight end is now covering the reciever. However, with manlock on they will follow the reciever they were covering in the first place which will help prevent mismatches. This even works if you are using zone. Which could make the offense think you are playing man to man. There are also a few other new options on defense which I still have to mess around with.
Live is decent but it's not the best game I've played live on. I may have just missed a few things on it. Graphics are very good. A few negatives include that there are so many things you can do that its taking me a while to get used to everything. Also I'm not very fond of John Madden sitting there using the same comments over and over and over again. This gets very boring to listen to. I haven't played it too much so there might be a lot of comments this time and I just haven't heard them all. Overall, I think Madden is very good and a lot of fun to play. | video-games_xbox |
Experience flying like only Superman can. Hi, i'm a big Superman fan and have played many of the older and newer Superman games, with the exception of the Ninteno 64 version, in this review i'll get into some of the high and low points of the game and my overall feeling.
High Points:
You can't get much higher than flying Superman to the top of the world. The overall graphics and visuals on Superman Returns for the Xbox 360 are absolutely stunning. And the sound through my 5.1 digital surround system is amazing, (less impressive is basic TV Audio output). Between the stunning visuals and 5.1 surround, it truly looks and feels as if you're in a living breathing city. You can be standing on the sidewalk one moment, watching the city, vibrant and alive, people and cars passing by, then the next moment, super-speed fly as high as you can, looking down on the fabulous skyline. In super-speed flight, as you accelerate you make a couple of sonic booms like in the movies, which is a nice effect.
The Super Powers of Superman that are rendered in the game are done very well, although you don't have command of "all" of his powers as you may have been lead to believe, you do still have most of his important / best known abilities. As you progress through the game the power and effectiveness of his powers increase. You can also vary the strength of his abilities, for example you can use Superman's super breath to cause a light breeze and gradually poor on the power using the right trigger till you're at tornado strength winds, or super-size his power with a charged up super burst of super-breath, heat-vision, or freeze-breath.
Overall Gameplay:
In this game Superman does not have a health meter, instead the city has a health meter and Superman has a "stamina" meter for when he gets hit or uses his super abilities such as heat-vision, super-breath or freeze-breath. If Superman completely looses his stamina he'll be down for the count for a few seconds then get back up. To prevent any down time you can fly Superman towards the sun for a quick stamina re-charge.
You can lift up most any object in the game, people, cars, trucks, statues, signs, parts of buildings, heat them up, freeze them, use them as weapons, throw them, etc.
The game is loosely based on the movie with the occasional cut scene showing off similar key moments which go in line with the Superman Returns movie. None of the enemies you actually fight in the game itself were in the movie. Some of these enemies include Mongul, Metallo, Bizarro, robots and other strange unidentifiable creatures.
If you want to fight some baddies you can fly to the top of the world, looking down you will eventually see markers appear across the city indicating where bad things are / will happen when you fly to that location. You get to fight the above mentioned baddies, over and over and over again. For you button mashers out there it can get a bit tedious and more difficult to beat, but for those of you who think outside the box you can find many different and creative ways to tackle your foes, always keeping it interesting and changing up your attacks. My advice is to use some of Superman's better combo's as they become available, they're not difficult to master and much more effective. Also throwing cars, and other random objects are also highly effective against certain enemies, sometimes more so than just hitting them.
When fights insue across the town you will have ample opportunity to rescue downed citzens and fly them to help. There are also the occasional 5 alarm building fires you get to blow out.
They're races you can perform against Myxilplick (don't mind the spelling). The races add a nice little diversion from the normal game play. They're also 100 hidden kittens all over the city which will add powers-up's to the city's health and I don't know what else. You can also play as Bizzaro and have some fun tearing up the town or go bowling with the daily planet globe (which you can do as Superman as well)
Low Points and Suggested improvements:
The missions get very repetitive, but using some creativity in how you handle them or tackle your foes will help to break up the monotiny.
The city is beautiful and huge, but it would have been nice if you could have entered some of the buildings, maybe change to Clark Kent, maybe add some more interesting and diverse missions, puzzles or tasks rather than the same boring baddies over and over.
Unlike the games claims that you have "All of Supermans powers" you don't. You don't have most of Superman's Vision abilities, which include X-Ray, Telescopic and Microscopic visions. It really would have been nice at minimum, to have had Superman's telescopic vision, so that I could be positioned anywhere in the city and zoom in on any location with his (unfortunatly non-existent) telescopic vision.
The 100 hidden cats in the game that you can rescue can't be touched if bad guys suddenly show up unannounced or unexpectedly. This was a major irritation when I finally found some kittens and as I approached the kitten the game decided to throw some bad guys at me. When this happens the game doesn't allow you to save the kitten, so you're only option is to either fight or run, and hope you can find the kitten again when you get back. Again, this was majorly annoying and happened a few too many times.
Superman can't dive into the water or land on boats or cars (although you can toss them). At minimum you should be able to land on to the boats at the piers. It would have been a great bonus to submerge into the beautiful oceans as well, but I guess we can't have everything.
I don't like that once I pick up a car or object that the "only" way I can put it down is to toss it away, it would be nice to just be able to gently pick something like a car up, and place it back down again without wrecking the place if I don't want to.
When you're trying to save injured citizens, if there happens to be a non-injured citizen walking by or standing next to them, Superman has often picked up the healthy citzen instead of the one that's hurt. This has happened a few too many times and can be quite irritating. This can also happen during a fight where I may have intended to pick up an enemy or an object and instead end up picking up a passing by citizen.
The flying is great fun, though I would prefer a couple of changes in the control scheme, which would include being able to invert the up / down controls for flying. Also removing the necessity to press the "Y" button to take off or land. I'd much rather Superman automatically land when he aproaches / touches any ground surface, and using a tap of the Y to initiate a jump, (which Superman can't currently do) and holding Y to do the super take-off or maybe a super-jump.
Once you're done with the game you can't go back and select any bad guys or chapters to go over again, though not many "sandbox" style games allow you to do that. It would be nice to be able to fight Bizzaro or Mongul again on demand, or at least make them randomly appear in the random happenings that go on in the game once the story line has been completed.
I can see why they created a city "health bar" but at the same time it sucks if you just want to wreak some havoc and smash things, because if you do too much damage to the city (unless you're playing as Bizzaro) it ends the game. Thankfully there are cheat codes available to give the city unlimited health, as well as a code to play as Bizzaro.
Final Conclusion and Summary:
Overall I enjoyed the game, Metropolis looks spectacular and it's great fun to fly and use Superman's abilities, even if you don't have them all. Sadly though, the overall game play and missions become very repetitive with the only way of making them more interesting lieing in your ability to become more creative in how you tackle your enemies. It took me about 10 / 11 hours to complete the Story line, and about 12 / 13 hours for 100% completion (even though I didn't rescue all the kittens)
A better overall Superman game was for the PS2 called Superman, Shadow of Apokolips, based on the Animated series, and utilized Superman's other abilities, gave Superman tasks to peform as both Superman and Clark Kent that were fun, interesting and challenging, some of which requiring use of his X-Ray Vision to see through things, not to mention being able to use Superman's telescopic vision to help with different strategies.
For those of you who aren't die hard fans of Superman then this is only a "rental" quality game. But for those like me, I'm always going to have fun going back to the game from time to time so that I can have fun soaring the skys as Superman, (even though there's nothing much else of extreme interest to do when the story line's complete), then I would suggest buying it, either used or new. If the game had more elements like in the PS2's Superman Shawdow of Apokolips, it would have been a much better game. | video-games_xbox |
Uber sexy, but way too confusing to play and understand. The Good: Super sexy, good visuals, fun mini-games
The Bad: Very hard to make friends, terrible English voices, extremely simple
I don't mind sexually driven games, but I like them to be good and done right. Xtreme 2 is the sequel to Xtreme Beach Volleyball for the original Xbox. Everything is in tact, with a few additions. The consists of 6 mini-games, and 5 casino games, but that's not enough to save this simple-minded game.
The whole point of the game is to play mini-games with other DoA ladies and earn their trust and friendship and this is harder than it seems. The game plays similar to a Japanese dating sim game, and it can take forever to buy a lot of the items, and learn how to become friends with these lovely ladies. You have to figure out what each lady likes, loves, and hates and send them gifts accordingly. All you get is a visual guide for each lady with pictures of what they like, but this doesn't help much. After you spend a whole two weeks at New Zack Island you pretty much give up trying to gain trust and friendship since it's so hard to figure out without some in-depth guide. After a tries you end up just playing the mini-games and ogling the scantily clad women lying around, and even dancing.
The mini-games are the most fun of the game with pool hopping, flag running, beach volleyball, jet skiing, and water sliding. Pool hopping consists of pressing the buttons according to what is shown on the floaties. This game tends to be very hard since it requires precise timing. Flag running is pretty simple, but the best game is probably volleyball. It has tight mechanics and controls and can be a blast to play. Jet skiing is very mundane since it's the same track over and over again, however, the water effects are nice and doing tricks on the ski can be fun. Water sliding is the hardest game of them all since it's so hard to stay on the slide and after you fall off you don't get another try. After you earn enough money from playing mini-games you can purchase a camera and take sexy photos of the ladies, and view them later in your album.
The casino is the second major part of the game that lets you really earn some bucks. All the games are pretty self-explanatory, roulette tends to be the most intense, but you can lose all your money in one go if you're not careful so watch how you spend your money. The casino is all in 3D so it's nice to view, but I wish you could walk around in it and see all your DoA lady friends playing in there as well. When you earn enough money you can go buy stuff at the store to give your lady friends or yourself.
The game really has no purpose except to ogle your favorite DoA girls and trying to buy the skimpiest bikini for them. The graphics are great and everything jiggles in all the right places. The audio is pretty mundane with Japanese audio tracks to cover the horrible English voice actresses. The game isn't serious, but it could be so much more, and I just hope DoA Xtreme 3 becomes more deep and involved. I just wish there would have been more interaction, and all the load times don't help either. The game is just to hard to figure out with the whole dating sim thing going on so just sit back and enjoy the women and mini-games. The game will make you choke your chicken for sure, so DoA fan boys (girls?) should pick this game up and enjoy it's simplicity. | video-games_xbox |
Unrealistic, unbalanced, very frustrating game. I bought this game meaning to play mostly online. I got beat so bad every time I played online, playing the 2KOpen mode which anyone can play from Day 1 (you don't need to build up your own character to play it). So, wanting to get better I played the Single Player Mode. *THAT* was OK and I did get better, but not enough to compete in the 2KOpen mode. I still get crushed every time. I just do not understand how these players are so good at this!!! What is the secret!!! And the thing is, it's not like I'm some dummy who doesn't know anything about this game. I'm actually pretty good at the Single Player game and understand what it takes to beat the CPU when it gets tougher. Yet, when I play online I am just running back and forth and hitting the ball back to the opponent, who will just eventually blast the ball past me easily. It seems that the game is just a "button pushing" game. You have to time every shot perfectly by holding the buttons in so long or so little. It's infuriatingly frustrating for anyone who doesn't have *ultimate focus* at the time. I'd literally have to be the most focused I will ever be in life and could ever imagine to be to win a 2KOpen online game. I just don't get it. The online games go SO FAST compared to the offline game. The ball is just flying all over the court. And the shots these players are making are nothing like the shots the real players make in real life. Yes, real players make some amazing plays, *BUT NOT ON EVERY POINT*. In real tennis, I often say to myself, "Why are they just hitting the ball directly back at each other?" In real tennis, they don't make each other run all over the court on every single point. It's much more subtle and slower of a game. Also, in Top Spin 4, I feel like my player moves in slow motion and it doesn't really feel like the game flows right. And, again, it's more about holding in buttons so long or not so long in order to gain an advantage with a shot. I'd rather play a slower game that's more just strategy, than this ridiculous button-pushing contest. It's definitely not a realistic game. But what irritates me the most is how unbalanced the game is online. I have researched it, and people are saying that you can create a certain type of player with extreme power in the "Create A Player" version of online play called "World Tour". Then, in 2kOpen mode, it's been said that you have to take certain players from the Top 4 to 6 players in the Leaderboard to be able to really be competitive. But, I guess if you just want to play offline or if you like unbalanced online games, then it's pretty fun sometimes. Oh, and I took about a year off from this game due to these same reasons, then came back and had the same frustrations the second time around. | video-games_xbox |
Only buy if you haven't in years and need an update, and only then if it's on steep sale. I don't usually take the time to write reviews for games, but I feel like this game deserves/needs one to help people decide whether it's worth their time and money. I saw all the reviews that obliterated the next-gen versions, and read through the posts here before buying, so it's not like I didn't know what I was getting into here. Still, I've been playing the NHL series since they started, and not having a copy newer than '13 was killing me. I can't say if this is a clone of '14, but the 8 zillion people saying that here can't be wrong.
There are some good things about this game, but the overwhelming feeling I have when playing it is abject frustration.
Pros: There aren't many. I guess the fact that they didn't gut all the modes and options like they did on next-gen is a plus? To be fair, the overall playing experience is fun and satisfying -- mostly. Play develops well, and more often than not I find that games are tense with ebbs and flows just like I want. For the first time in a long time the soundtrack isn't eye-gougingly terrible. It's never as good as FIFA, but that's maybe just me. Either way, it's good to hear things that don't sound like cring-worthy hard rock again.
But that's all outweighed by....
Cons: Almost every "improvement" is a huge letdown. 1. The new commentary is atrocious. I'm willing to admit Bill and Gary were getting stale after the same soundbites since '07, but I'd almost rather have that than this passionless, flawed mess. Doc Emerick's biggest strengths are his massive vocabulary and his emotional calls. Neither is present here. Even when saying his most famous phrases (Waffleboarded, etc.) he sounds like he's running on 20 minutes of sleep and two cups of decaf. It's almost unsettling to hear him call "RING TEN BELLS FOR THAT SAVE!" with the volume you'd use around a napping toddler. Combine his total lack of emotion with repetitive nonsense (if he mentions "the shadow of the boards" again I'm going to lose it), and the fact that Eddie and Ray say about two things per game, and you have a recipe to color me underwhelmed. On top of that, they're often factually wrong, something that I've never seen in a game, on any system. Complimenting my team on their red-hot start to the season when we're 4-6, or saying that you can watch the game for 10 years and never see a save more impressive than a run-of-the-mill blocker stop ruins any element of realism.
2. The AI controlling players without the puck seems to be getting worse. I know this isn't real-life, and I know it's going to make mistakes, but I give up at least one goal a game because the computer pulls the weak side D-man to double team a player on the other side of the ice that's already covered, or leaves my center floating at the blue line covering nobody. It's less noticeable on offense, but I've still had enough of turning the biscuit over because my winger straight up ran into me running a cycle.
3. Little issues with finishing touches grow from small gripes to legit criticisms of the effort put into this game. Okay, maybe production was tight so EA didn't have time to change the name of Tampa Bay's arena, even though that was announced months ago? Sure, changes to jerseys happen quickly and without notice sometimes, but man am I excited to use those nasty new Blues' threads. Oh, what's that? They're not at all in the game? Hm. Weird, my favorite team's next game is showing as one that happened two months ago on the menu screen tv thing? That'd be nice to stay up to date on, it'll probably catch up, right? It won't? Well, I guess it'll be great to have a reminder that the Wings were in Toronto three weeks ago. The computer is willing to trade me the pick that will become McDavid for an 80 overall roster guy, my late first round pick, and an unsigned prospect with 3 star potential? I'll take it, but damned if I don't feel dirty about it.
Random gripe: Am I the only one who thinks it's really weird how everybody's ratings seem inflated? I'm glad it's across the board, but it's weird building a team with legit 3rd-liners in the low 80's, and scrub 7th D-men rated as high as 78.
I didn't mean for this to be a friggin' novella, but the short version is that this game is about as well put together as a piece of Mike Milbury's analysis: you'll take it because it's the only thing they're offering, but you're going to hate yourself for not skipping it. | video-games_xbox |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.