text stringlengths 503 33.4k | labels stringclasses 23 values |
|---|---|
A painful reunion. I've been a fan of this series from the beginning. The complex stories, rich symbolism, and horrific atmosphere have always been more than enough to make up for the shortcomings of the camera and the controls. Sadly, this will likely be my final trip to the little town of Silent Hill.
Double Helix has done a fine job of correcting nearly every annoyance from the previous incarnations. Unfortunately, they introduced so many new irritations the final result is actually a step backwards.
The new combat system allows the player much greater control. Aiming is done via an over-the-shoulder view that allows for precision aiming, and a good view of the monsters ahead. Melee weapons can now string together attacks to form combos, and a new dodge mechanic allows for avoiding damage altogether. Dodging rarely works as intended, though, and is virtually useless when fighting more than one enemy (which you will have to do, a lot). Worse, enemy attacks can now knock you down, after which enemies are able to pummel you senseless as you struggle to rise to your feet.
Attempting to pull up a menu to switch weapons, or restore health, is wonky even at the best of times. The menus will occasionally pop up, only to disappear instantly sometimes performing a command, sometimes not. It's annoying during normal play, but potentially fatal during combat. At best this results not getting what you need, at worst, you end up with the wrong weapon and offer the enemy a few free hits.
The camera is now a free floating affair controlled by the player. Unfortunately, the system cannot be inverted. If, like me, you grew up in an era where the only thing close to a first person perspective game was a flight simulator, you will have a difficult time controlling the camera. Especially when things get tense, and reflex takes over, you'll end up looking at the floor or the ceiling rather than your enemy.
The story is engaging, and the voice actors do a decent job of bringing it to life. Don't expect to have to think very hard though. Unlike previous Silent Hill protagonists, Alex's story was clearly written for a wider audience. Gone are the deep wells of symbolism, and the need to analyze everything from the buildings to the monsters. In this game, the monsters serve less as symbols of the character's psychosis, and more as weirdness for weirdness' sake.
Finaly, the difficulty has been ratcheted up significantly. If you're like me, and you play a game more to see the sights than to test your twitch reflexes, you are in for a rough ride. Ammunition and health resources are scarce, meaning you'll need to conserve. Melee combat is difficult, and you will take a lot of damage. Unlike previous games in the series, running isn't as much of an option. Many enemies can keep up with you, and will reward you with damage as a running away present.
The trademark Silent Hill experiences are left intact; disturbing monsters, horrific atmosphere, and a grim sense of foreboding. It seems, however, the developers didn't understand the purpose or meaning of them. In the end, it's as if they made a list of what a "Silent Hill Game" should be, not as fans of the series, but as executives looking to cash in. They then proceeded to go down the list making sure each box was checked.
The final result is a game that misses the mark by a wide margin. Many of the best attributes of Silent Hill have been removed or watered down. The wonky controls and fixed camera were replaced with new ones that lack polish. In the final tally, I find the game frustrating, simplistic, and lacking in the little touches that could have made it the best Silent Hill in years. If this is the direction the town of Silent Hil is heading, I expect this to be my final visit there. | video-games_xbox |
Will buy again. This series has come a long way. And it has grown and evolved into something beautiful. And if you've played the previous Halo games, you'll find a lot of old friends in the story that give you an even greater sense of purpose. While the story plays on a linear path with a mild amount of exploration, there is a lot of action. A LOT. I didn't read any reviews prior to this, so I was really surprised with a lot of the extra gameplay mechanics: you have a team of 3 soldiers at your command, and when you get knocked down, your allies can heal you and bring you back. But if you get knocked down too hard, you're done. All the weapons from older games have returned, with a couple new ones. The story is awesome. The graphics are outstanding and the voice work is done really well. I skimmed through some reviews here and I'm kind of surprised at the negative reviews on here. Really not sure what anyone was expecting or how they can complain! It really is a great game! The multiplayer is awesome too, with an additional Battlefield-esque 24 player Warzone mode. A hardcore elimination Breakout mode which is really fun, no radar, no two games are the same. Each game mode is not quick, so you have plenty of room to catch your team up to victory.
If there's anything I can say in terms of critique, for story, I have found myself just running through parts of the story just to get to the bigger objective, parts that I wanted to enjoy but couldn't, they were just wide open spaces of fluff! And the areas between certain missions where you're taking a break and talking to people, don't really add much of anything new to the story or would be worth more adding to a scene instead. And there are MORE forerunners, more elites, all of them with no clear objective but to destroy you, slow you down. And initially, Locke and his team after Master Chief to shut him down when he's saved the world several times, just adds to the confusion. But the end result of this game is a complete one; it is everything I could ask for from Halo. Really a beautiful game. | video-games_xbox |
XBOX LIVE IS ELITE. Xbox live is a wonderful thing to have. you could meet new people from all over the world and make life long friends with them like i did. Xbox live lets you chat with friends, play with friends, get game discounts, watch exclusive events, download apps like nfl network and wwe network, watch nfl, and do lots more. Some games are not for young kids but its your decision. Xbox live has changed my life. Meeting new people and becoming involved in video game tech. I love my xbox one and have been nothing but a xbox fan. In my opinion xbox is better then ps4 for a number of reasons. although xbox live could get a little pricey you could just pay 60 dollars and have live for a full year. i would recommend buying the 12 month gold membership instead of the 3 month or what ever else their is. If you do the math the full year is a lot cheaper. i would recommend xbox to everyone and have bought my cousin, dad, and a good friend who doesn't have much an xbox one and they all love the system and xbox live. My friends who have played on play station their whole life have switched to xbox one and xbox live due to the amount of stuff you could do on xbox live. Also xbox is sending out updates every month that improve your xbox live experience. This is a very good christmas, birthday, graduation gift and adults and kids love playing xbox one. The xbox one concsole is some what expensive but its worth the money because you will really enjoy playing. i am a very big wwe fan and i have met people from china and europe that come to america for wrestle mania each year to join me in all of the fun all because of xbox live. I know xbox live will be getting better every month for the rest of xbox live life for many years to come. also for kids avatars also known as your personal character is very cool to build and play with. with xbox live you could buy the games you want digitally and not have to worry about scratching your disk or loosing your disk. Also if you buy xbox live and put it on your xbox you could go over your friends where ever he lives and you could log onto your account and have your downloaded games ready to play. i recommend buying the 1 tera bite except for the 500 gb due to the amount of storage space which means how many games can be downloaded into the xbox. Theirs all types of bundles your could choose from but its really your choice. If you decide to buy an xbox one buy an extra controller with play and charge kit, key pad for controller, extra head set, and make sure to buy 1 or 2 games to get started. If its your first time you will need to get used to the software and games but its all about the fun and the excitement for gaming. Xbox live is the elite package and is a once in a life time experience. GET IT NOW!!! | video-games_xbox |
High Failure Rate...3 Have Died On Me. Let me start off by saying that I have a Love/Hate relationship with the X-Box 360.
I LOVE the games that come out for it. Gears of War 2, GTA IV, The Darkness, Unreal III, Call Of Duty IV, Left for Dead, and Saints Row 2 are some of the best games I've ever played on a console.
I HATE having the system die on me every 6 months. I am an adult gamer (27yrs old). I play for a maximum of 2hrs at a time and I took very good care of my 360's, yet they've all died on me in less than a year. Microsoft extended their warranty ONLY if you get the Three Red Rings Of Death. Of the 3 X-Box 360's that have died on me....not one has given me the three rings. Instead, I get one red ring and an E74 error message. Which means I have to pay $100 to get it fixed and wait 1 month (sometimes 2) to get it repaired. Most electronics, from Blu Ray Players to HDTVs have a standard one year warranty. Not this one. With the 360 you have to pray that you get the Three Red Rings. If not you have to cough up $100. What's the difference between between one red light and three? Why should I have to pay for their product being defective?
The 3rd time this happened to me in less than 7 months. I said, no more. I refuse to give Microsoft any more money for a product with such a HIGH failure rate.
What upsets me the most is that I've put a lot of money into the 360. Buying the wireless adapter,memory cards, battery chargers, subscribing to X-Box live, and owning more than 30 games, but I can't afford to buy a new system every couple of months. This experience has pushed me to sell all my 360 games and buy a PlayStation 3.
Bottom line is....The games on the 360 are amazing. The console itself is junk. If you don't mind the strong possibility (I've had a 100% failure rate) of having to buy a new one every 7 to 12 months then by all means get an X-Box 360. If your on a tight budget, then you might want to look elsewhere. | video-games_xbox |
Looks like the West is still wild. I waited a long time to finally play RDR. The opening scene sucked me in. I watched and waited for my chance to take control of the character and explore the land.
If there is one thing Rockstar games does right, its attention to detail. No other open world / sandbox genre has ever been able to compete with Rockstars attention to the minor details that bring the world around you to life.
If your a fan of GTA , I won't go and say you will love this game. It plays out in a similar control scheme but its completely different environment. You need to go into knowing that it's the year 1910 and you're going to be seeing a lot of open land and wild animals, all from the back of your horse or carriage. No cars included.
When the game does throw action your way, it's always a welcome break from the slow haze of the desert environment. My only gripe is the game is pretty lengthy. By lengthy, I mean the missions alone needed to complete the main story. You still have all the additional side quests and challenges, but the core game is long. This may not be a bad thing for some, but for me, I did tend to get a little bored with the missions at times because they do become a little repetitive and cumbersome. Plenty of other little things you can do to break up your day is play cards and gamble, complete challenges and meet strangers, or hunt animals to make some extra money.
So then ... what saves the game from its filler missions plague? The story. It has a great cast of characters, each voiced by excellent voice actors. Everyone seems to have personality, and this brings the story to life. So if your tired of playing, I can bet that your not as tired of the story and you'll want to finish it. So don't give up, its worth making it to the end. ( Its not over until the credits roll, just remember that! )
Multiplayer is created to be a whole separate experience in itself. Now, after all the hours of single player you may not want to dive in to multiplayer but that's ok. You can level up, complete quests and challenges and download a free mission pack to complete with friends. Its a lot of fun if you have some buddies to play with. It certainly adds some extended play after the single player campaign is through. I do recommend finishing single player first. You don't want to spoil the excitements of visiting new areas by already exploring them in multiplayer. For me, opening new areas was part of wanting to keep moving forward. It pays off to wait.
In the end, a really great game. It could have certainly been scaled down in length. So it loses some points for the filler missions. Oh and you remember in GTA III how you couldn't swim? Well Mr Marston cant either.
With multiplayer, you have some pretty high replay value. The enemy physics when shot and wounded are the best I have seen in a game so far. If your a fan of westerns, there's absolutely no reason you shouldn't give this game a chance. Its not for everybody, but everybody should give it a chance. | video-games_xbox |
Best "true" stealth game I've ever played. Well I'm not really going into real "depth" about this, I think some of the earlier reviews covered that. I'm just going to type out a few thoughts I have about the game.
First of all, the game play is excellent, it really does stick with the stealthy play the whole time. But the first thing that caught my attention was the lighting. It's not just "lighting" for the sake of viewing. The lighting is actually a part of the game play. It's actually the -most- important part of the game, and in Thief DS, the lighting is beyond perfect. You sneak around in the shadows,and your "light gem" shows how visible you are to the AI in the game. Even having a small percentage of your body sticking out from the shadows will be reconized by the game's AI.
Now the AI... It's near-perfect. Characters will hear your footsteps, notice if you leave doors open, notice if you put out a torch, notice if you steal something and so on. If you kill someone with an arrow, or your dagger, it will leave a pool of blood (which you can wash away with water arrows), which the AI will notice, and alert other characters that something is wrong. One thing that bothers me is when Garrette (main character) gets caught. The guard/enemy will chase him for a bit, but not for long. Basically all I need to do, to lose them, is round a corner and get into a shadow. After that, wait about 20 seconds and they give up. After a while it gets to where getting caught is less of a dangerous problem, and more of a very annoying one. If you get cornered and all you have is a dagger, just hope you saved earlier. Garrette can only take about 5 hits. Which is good, in a way, because the game really is about stealth, not fighting.
Visually the game looks pretty good. At a medium distance you can't tell if a guard has his back turned, or if he's looking right at you (glad Garrette has that mechanical zoom-in eye). Some of the areas are beautifully detailed. And some are just 'okay'. Most of the areas will have great looking textures, and 'okay' textures right beside each other, which makes things look strange. The town is literally a big maze. It takes a while to figure out how to get around, because it all looks the same (besides a few landmarks). The maps aren't much help either, because they don't show any of the alleyways that you use to get around. It can get confusing.
The story is so-so. This game was definatly not made for the storyline, but made for excellent game play and freedom. The town that the story takes place in has no name, and unless you've played the other Thief games, you have no clue what the storyline is about. You just get "thrown" in at a certain point and do whatever you're told. The areas kind of melt in to each other after a while. Most of them seem the same, except a differant look. Hiding in most areas isn't very challenging. The stand out mission is the Abysmal Gale (ghost ship). Everything about it is made perfect. It's eerie, you don't know what lurking around the corners, and the fog and lighting just make everything look extra-creepy.
This game requires alot of patience. Watching which routes guards walk, slowly skulking in the shadows so you will not get caught, slowly pacing behind someone waiting for the right tim the strike, and searching everywhere for loot makes up the entire game.
So if you've read this much so far, I'll give my opinion on whether or not to buy it. For now, while it still costs $50, don't buy it. The game is just too short to pay $50. I got it in the mail 3 days ago, and I just finished it this morning. Secondly, the game isn't going to be one that you will replay more than twice. It's a linear story. Aside from a few side quests, the game goes in one direction and you have to do all the missions in order. After a while the game play gets repetitive. Skulk in shadows, hide from foes, watch the guard, mug him, hide the body, repeat, repeat, repeat. | video-games_xbox |
I just really don't get it. I just don't understand why "Gears" is so insanely popular.
There are two types of games out there - games that make you say "Hmm, what should I do next?" and games that resort to "Okay, what am I supposed to do now?"
Gears of War most certainly falls into the second category. Gears is incredibly scripted. Enemies pop out of the same places, at the same times, in the same configuration. If you die, simply reload your last checkpoint with increased confidence because now you know exactly what will happen.
I've read from various sources about the "excellent graphics." I'm not feeling it. Every level is pretty much one color - gray, red or brown. Everything looks the same. Enemies dissapear at any distance because they blend in with their surroundings. Maybe the detail is decent, but the game shows a lack of creativity and diversity. Plus, the blood graphics rank up there with the original Mortal Kombat - they are extremely cartoonish and unrealistic. It fits though, I guess, with the cartoonish and silly appearance of everything else in the game. Vehicles are bulky and silly looking, even the humans are fat, bulky, and just odd-looking.
The control schematics are effective if not cumbersome. Yes you can lock yourself up against objects or walls for cover. But there is a noticeable lag between a button press and the action taking place. On many occasions I'd get to a concrete divider wall just as gun fire erupted from in front of me, then press the A button (cover) and watch my character do a forward roll against the wall, only to remain standing and get shot to hell while I frantically hit A again to take cover. The A button makes you take cover, roll in any direction, AND run. Maybe if they had used different buttons there could be better reaction times. Also, there is no ability to crouch, meaning that you're always an obvious target unless you take cover.
The game does have it's good moments. I chuckled everytime I heard a Locust character mutter the word "Grrrrriiiiinnd" from a distance. The audio is decent and the music helps add audible clues to the gameplay. The Longshot Sniper Rifle gives ample opportunities to remove the head from an enemy - always a satisfying one-hit kill. The story line really isn't bad, though I only played Gears 1 for about 10 minutes, so I definitely felt like I was walking into the middle of the story. This game won't catch you up on what you missed. It certainly left the possibility open for a third game, which I'm sure many will rejoice in.
I was glad to see fewer multiplayer achievements than I had expected. I was able to rack up 450 points just in single player, with the possibility of at least 200 more without ever going online. Plus the option exists for local multiplayer gaming, an option that most newer games are sadly leaving out.
I just don't understand why Gears is so popular. The characters are extremely slow, the action is decent but remains stale due to the fact that you can hide in cover forever, and the graphics are uninspiring. I beat the single player portion of the game in two days, and earned all the extra single-player achievements in one afternoon, making this game certainly unworthy of a $60 price tag - thus the 3-star rating. Oh sure it was fun for those 10 hours or so, but with so many massive games available like Mass Effect, Fallout 3, and even Far Cry 2, why would you want to waste your time with another scripted shooting game? It just doesn't make sense. I rented it and certainly feel like I got my $8 worth.
I'm sure I'll be flamed away for this review - getting "non-helpful" votes simply 'cause some pimple-faced teenager doesn't agree with me. Of course, they already own the game, so they shouldn't be voting anyways. Then again, these kids are destined to be fast-food employees for the rest of their lives, so I should probably be more understanding. | video-games_xbox |
An awesome program with all the saves you need plus Memory Card. Most of us who know about Action Replay Max know that they have made a lot of interesting gaming products for a lot of the older machines. (PS2, PSP, PSOne, XBOX) They not only made cheat devices and accessories, but in cases like this, they made a collection of saves for your favorite games so you can now go farther than ever for your games.
Oddly enough, this is a much better Action Replay program than the PSP version. This Action Replay device, not only includes a Windows program to properly transfer your saves back and forth between save card and PC, but the program actually includes over 1,000 + saves for 100's of XBOX games as well as comes with a 8 Meg memory card (NO, not 16 Meg as it was explained in the details, it is ONLY 8 meg memory card). I was really impressed with how many saves were included with the whole package, as most of the other Action Replay devices didn't even come with saves at all. Overall, this is a very good device to have and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for something that will help you go farther with your games. One thing, because of the time it was made, the program may only work properly for Windows XP. I have heard rumors and what not that the program doesn't exactly work too well with VISTA/7/8. Since I have Windows XP, I don't have that problem and I personally have not tried it on newer Windows so I can't say for sure what your experience will be. (Just a warning incase you have problems)
My overall experience with this device was pretty good. My only major pet peeve was the hefty price tag on it that the company had put for this device. Personally, I might want to recommend finding a cheaper dealer, mainly because not many people own an original "working" XBOX. One thing to point out, if you are only getting this for the Memory card, you are better off getting something cheaper. I personally did love that it came with tons of saves for a lot of games, but this is not for everyone. If you prefer to use this to upload your own saves to a web site, this is also ideal for you, as it does include the USB cable to upload to your PC. I do recommend this to anyone, but I also recommend looking for a cheaper price tag, and try to ask for NEW, not used. ( I got it "new" so it was somewhat worth the price, but still, I would prefer a little cheaper.) | video-games_xbox |
Superb Sound Quality but Cant Chat Wirelessly - Its that simple. The reviews on this headset should be plain and simple. The sound quality is superb and, in my opinion, unmatched by any competitor. The comfort, construction, durability, and aesthetics are fantastic. The battery life is not an issue and should last through entire game sessions. To test the battery life I left the headset on for 10 hours and did not experience a problem. The reason this headset does not get a 5 star rating is due to the simple fact that you still have to be tethered to your controller. Paying $300 for a headset and not having wireless chat almost deserves a 3 star rating, but the sound quality is so much better than the alternatives in the market that 4 stars is appropriate. Further, providing a poor review in spite of knowing the headset lacked wireless chat before making the purchase doesn't make sense to me. There you have it - superb sound quality but cant chat wirelessly. If this headset could chat wirelessly with Xbox One, then it would probably be the greatest headset ever made for home gaming.
If you care to know more, then here are some of my other thoughts. The stand the headset comes with is cheap plastic and for $300 should be aluminum or some other type of metal. The preset eq switch and power on/off button could be placed better. And the volume/game button could be a little more rigid. Sometimes when leaning your head back against something (pillow/couch cushion) it turns the volume up/down or switches headset off. Lastly, the charge cable for the headset is too short and the plug is difficult to insert in the headset. These little things are present no matter what product you purchase and didn't impact my rating, but thought they were worth mentioning.
If you want the best sound, best comfort, best looks, and best construction, then buy the new A50s
If wireless chat is more important to you than superb sound, then the new Turtle Beaches are for you. | video-games_xbox |
The Different XBOX shooter experience. Halo 1 and 2 were great games on the original xbox, and certainly genre defining on the console. However, even those blockbusters get tiring after a while, and this is where Unreal Championship 2 comes in. Its got all the gametypes you would expect from an online shooter; its got deathmath, team deathmatch, capture the flag, 1vs1 duels, and a nali slaughter competitive mode. The latter play similar to many titles out there. The 1 vs 1 duels have everyone in the server observe as people go head to head until someone reaches the kill cap. In nali slaughter you compete to kill as many nali creatures as you can, the player with the highest score wins. The pacing of all of these modes is frenetic and akin to what you see on the pc in terms of carnage and speed. The adrenaline abilities make for some interesting firefights as you can never know what your opponent will do next. Health kits are not a necessity as some player characters have an ability to heal so long as they use adrenaline. Health can be used to create ammo in the case of some player characters. Each character has a certain class, some being heavy with more health at the sacrifice of agility, some are the middle-ground with a balance of agility and health, while the last class is highly agile, but susceptible to quick death due to their low health. Each character has something to counter their flaws with adrenaline abilities to make the game more balanced. If multiplayer is not your thing, the campaign is very similar in play style to the multiplayer counter part, but with a cinematic style story-line, it easily takes up eight hours of playing to get through it, and will leave you with a great feeling, and unlike many such games today also with a great conclusion, not a cliff-hanger. If you are still not interested, I have to add the fact that this game looks absolutely fantastic for its time, with visuals on-par and possibly surpassing halo 2, with amazing effects and a trance inducing electronic score. Overall this is a great complete package that no xbox owner should be without! | video-games_xbox |
WWE: Legends of Wrestlemania. Gameplay:
As an avid wrestling games fan, I believed this game would be at least worthwhile, to play around with the multiple match types as well as go through the career mode with my created wrestler. I didn't get that chance. I came to realize you could only relive, rewrite or re-decide WWE History with the wrestlers provided to you, which makes creating a wrestler virtually pointless (unless you want to play matches which don't get you anywhere). I hadn't owned the Smackdown Vs. Raw 2009 version, so I was unable to import any sort of roster into the game which to me, is a major downfall.
Control Scheme:
One word to explain this: sucks. It's horribly put together as you have to rely on button combinations for EVERYTHING. The grapple system is completely lacking, as well as the finisher system, and well... everything. This causes CAW to be limited as well because you have only a few moves to pick from for each action, AND even inputting the variety of moves literally does not make a difference because you cannot even comprehend how to execute them. Running is pretty bad too, as you can only run away from a given opponent, or bounce of the ropes for an attack. If you just wanted to run straight to them to start the match, (as I do mostly with other genres) you can't.
Achievements (360):
This game makes it really easy to get 200g in Achievements within the first 30 min of playtime (within the Legend Killer mode), therefore greatly reducing the replay value trying to earn those extra achievements.
Replay:
None, unless you have been drinking with some friends and don't care about gameplay anyway, you could literally waste 45 minutes before you decided you couldn't really do anything exciting, or before you slammed your Xbox on the floor due to the immense frustration.
Finale:
I wouldn't suggest this game to anyone, unless you are an extremely hardcore fan of the WWE history, or just want to farm some easy achievements. However, if you could find this for 5 dollars somewhere, it may be worth it. Otherwise, don't waste your time. | video-games_xbox |
A Kitchen Sink Game That Works. First, let me say that the challenge mode that opens up after you complete the game is a blast; select a chapter w/full weapon and acrobatic skills, and try to get the highest score possible. Mindless fun, but a nice bonus that can border on obsession.
And....
I have to be honest...there is part of me that lives for this sort of over-the-top, plain and simple shoot 'em up with flair....plus throwing in bullet time, acrobatic sword fights, wall running, & angel dives(just to name a few....)never hurts. The upgrades and arcade-like tally system for style/kill points works well; much like Red Dead Revolver, you get a score at the end of each scenario, and points depending how well you did. You can repeat the level to get a better score if you want...and you will.
I was impressed how easily the controls flow once you get used to them; I can tell this will be a game worth repeating, as by the end of the first run, the controls will be second nature; then you can go thru it again and kick some serious butt. The controls do take a little getting used to, but eventually 2nd nature.
I found elements of some of my favorite games in here....both good ones and guilty pleasures; Bloodrayne(the heaviest influence to me in this game...), Total Overdose, The Club, Samurai Western, Killer 7, Max Payne, POP, Ninja Gaiden, & Stranglehold...just to name a few. Plus the whole 'grindouse' look is great; there are some pretty funny little cut scenes in between......
Somehow this works. Mindless but actually fun. And after coming off Fallout 3 for about 150 hours(sad, I know....), this is a welcome find. Not for everyone, but def a grade A 'B Movie' style game....
I did hit one frustrating part: The training near the beginning that had the timed target shooting while running thing; it took me a while to learn some of the movements as far as running up against walls, jumps, etc....it was mildly annoying but proved beneficial in the end as you will be def well versed in Rubi's abilities....
If you are looking for a nice diversion that will offer you a lot of replay value, WET is something worth looking into. Try the demo on xBox live or on the PS3......if you like it, the game is mostly more of the same. But they keep the action fresh by continually throwing in new tricks, weapons, and upgrades for each level.
This could have been a total disaster; But thankfully the developers knew what they wanted to do, and stuck to their guns(so to speak....). Fun, funny, bloody, stylistic, & well executed. | video-games_xbox |
Fun, but too many bugs. I should start by saying that I have had a lot of fun playing this game, but the main reason is that I haven't bought a new baseball game since 2K Sports signed their exclusive MLB contract for the 2007 season. I never found their games to be of great quality, so I didn't buy them.
I would still say that the quality of the game is disappointing. I've read a number of reviews that mention that this year's game is nearly identical to last year's, if that is the case, why didn't they at least spend the year in between fixing all the bugs in the game?
The bugs range from mildly annoying (my player in My Player Mode wears a helmet with pine tar all over it, but most of the time by the third inning of the first game I play, it doesn't show the pine tar any more, and won't until I've restarted the game or console), to upsetting (occasionally, when fielding, my player will inexplicably stop running toward a fly ball and will get an error, which can cost my team runs and games), to infuriating (two full seasons after being called up in My Player Mode and it still tells me at the beginning of the season that since I was "called up in the middle of the season," I can't pick a season goal, which is one of the main draws of playing in this mode).
These are just a sample of the errors, I've run into numerous other errors in My Player Mode that pop up and then persist until the console is restarted in addition to these. At one point it didn't let me play fielding situations for five straight games, and then I realized something was wrong and had to restart.
UPDATE 4/15/2012
I figured, since 2K Sports apparently can't afford to test games before release, I'll start listing persistent bugs here!
-The game doesn't calculate Games Behind properly
-The game doesn't seem to include the infield fly rule
-Not sure if this is a "bug" but it's quite annoying: In My Player mode, the batter behind me in the line up (no matter who it is) sets a new MLB record for strikeouts (I'm not exaggerating, he actually does) EVERY YEAR | video-games_xbox |
Great Mix of PvZ with Enjoyable Shooter Mechanics -- And Horde Mode. While I have played the Plans vs. Zombies games before, they never held my interest for more than 15 minutes or so. That said, I appreciated the creativity of the universe. I am in my mid-30s and enjoy mature-rated shooters like Call of Duty, Halo, and Gears of War. While this game is different more casual, If you typically enjoy first-person shooter (FPS) games I'd recommend you give this one a try.
A couple of reasons:
1) Solid First-Person Shooter Mechanics: This game takes all of the bright colors, fun sound effects, and interesting themes and wraps them into a competent first-person shooter. As an adult gamer who enjoys Call of Duty, Halo, and Gears of War, this game was still able to scratch the itch. It does not take nearly the same skill level as a Call of Duty (e.g. you can't sprint, there are only a handful of upgrades for each character class compared to the "perks" system in CoD), but the resulting casual nature makes it quite enjoyable and much more approachable. There is still a satisfying feedback when you fire the weapons and the "ding" you hear when you land a critical hit or a kill. If you are a Call of Duty fan and have been disappointed by other shooters, this may not be for you. However, if you enjoy other first-person shooters even though they don't require top-tier twitch reflexes (such as Mass Effect, Tomb Raider, Borderlands, etc.) then you will be right at home with this.
2) A Legitimate Sequel to "Horde Mode" from Gears of War: While this game is from a different developer, it still has a satisfying "base defense" mode that was made popular by the Gears of War series. It's a great way to work cooperatively with a team to "defend the Alamo" from the attack and all the mechanics are here: tower defense elements, healing your teammates, reviving them when they fall in battle, bonus points when everyone survives a wave, etc. The casual nature of the game with the team-based defense mode is a great combo.
3) Lots of Item Customization Options: As it stands now, you use card packs to customize your character and to use weapon improvements in battle. You get these cards as a reward when you do things in game (such as damage an enemy, revive/heal a teammate, finish a wave, etc.) The customization options are fun and cause you to play more just so you can get that new hat or new outfit for your favorite character. (It sounds silly but it's a fun gameplay loop that keeps you engaged.)
4) Approach for All-Ages: I usually play shooters with other adults, but this is the first one that I'd feel comfortable giving to my 11-year-old nephew. The "damage" that you do to enemy units is no more graphic than what you see in the normal Plants vs. Zombies games on the iPad. There are a lot of great team-focused skills that can be learned from first-person shooter, and it's nice to finally have one that can teach those lessons while not requiring an "Age 18+" rating due to adult-themed content.
5) Bright Colors and Sounds: Similar to games like Borderlands, this game also taps into the great feeling when you are damaging an enemy and you see their hitpoints "spilling" out from them. It's easy to differentiate your regular hits from your critical hits. It's a very satisfying visual feeling and this game scratches that itch well.
6) Price: It's $40 on Xbox One and $30 on Xbox 360. That's not very much considering it's a pretty strong shooter.
As a core FPS player, I recommend this to all fans of the FPS genre. It may not dethrone your favorite shooter, but it's solid mechanics and colorful presentation will definitely bring a smile to your face. | video-games_xbox |
OBLIVION . . . WITH GUNS. For me, that sums up this game rather nicely. Both games have sprawling sandbox worlds, offer tons of hours of gameplay and feature great graphics.
You would think that all that would guarantee this to be a 5 star game, but alas, that is not the case. So on to the pros and cons . . .
PROS:
MOSTLY SOLID GAMEPLAY: Walking, running, shooting and operating vehicles is all very smooth and seamless. The controls are set up very well, as is.
LOTS OF GAMETIME: Like Oblivion and the original Farcry, you can spend countless hours roaming the world doing real missions, side missions, or just doing your own thing. A complex landscape guarantees that no two firefights will be the same.
NICE WEAPON VARIETY: You get several types of handguns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, rocket/grenade launchers and other explosives. Personally, I found the Sniper Rifle (primary), Mac-10 or Uzi (secondary) and RPG (special) combination to work really well.
JAMMING WEAPONS: Finally! A game that actually adds the realism of jamming weapons. To make it more realistic, the weapons of your enemies are more prone to jam compared to your freshly-purchased weapons at the store.
GRAPHICS: The least important to me, and although I've never been there, it definitely looks like Africa. This game does for fire what Bioshock did for water. And some of the sunsets are truly breathtaking.
CONS:
GLITCHY SAVE SYSTEM: I often noticed that sometimes I wouldn't start off where I last saved. Sometimes one or two saves back, even. Fortunately I kept 3 saves on file in case something like this happened so I could roll forward to the correct one.
TEDIOUS GAMEPLAY: This game is very nonlinear, meaning you can approach your target from different directions or even take alternative missions, but in the end, you'll find yourself having to take out at least one or two guard posts along the way. The times you bypass the guardposts you'll more than like run across a gun truck/boat.
MALARIA: Like Oblivion had the Vampire sickness, Farcry2 has Malaria. The difference is that while Oblivion's Vampire sickness was conditional (you only got it if you got bitten), in Farcry2 you START the game with Malaria. So what does the Malaria do? It makes the scene go blurry, but if it happens X amount of times, it ultimately warps you back to the doctor who tells you that you need to get medicine. Unfortunately, sometimes these Underground shacks with Malaria medication are far away, meaning that you might get sick once or twice along the way, which then automatically transports you back to the doctor if you don't get to your destination in time.
If you do get the Malaria medication, it's only a few pills and doesn't last very long. Also, there is no counter to tell you how many pills you have in stock. Sometimes when you rattle your prescription bottle it might sound like you have 3-5 pills in there when you really only have 1.
BUGS: This following bug prevented me from beating the game (I was at 62% completion). I had to get some more Malaria medication. Sounds easy enough. But every time I went to this shack I killed all the enemies . . . yet the door wouldn't open--an indication that there was still an enemy out there that I had to kill to trigger the script to open the door. I thoroughly decimated this little shack and the surrounding area, making double and triple sure that my enemies were dead, yet the game still bugged out, telling me that there was at least one more bad guy out there which is why the door wouldn't open.
So I figured I'd just try and finish the game without the Malaria medication. No can do. After two or three instances of sickness, you get automatically sent back to the hospital. Not enough time to finish some missions.
OVERALL: If it weren't for some of these bugs, this would easily be a 4 star game. But as it is, I was unable to complete it. So my rating stands at 3.5 stars. Hope you fair better in the wilderness of Africa than I did. | video-games_xbox |
It really isn't that bad, guys. Okay so I have a small problem with people grading this game based on the features of previous games. I feel like anyone reading these reviews will think that this is a bad game and that's not really fair because it actually is a good game. Is it as good as older ones? Debatable, sure, that's a discussion worth having, but for the love of Pete people, judge the game on its own merits as opposed to what you liked/disliked about the old ones.
So anyway, here's my review in a short list of pros and cons:
Pros
1. Amazing graphics.
2. I don't care what anyone says, the new announcers are better than the old ones, even if it's just "a fresher set of voices." Yes, they start repeating after a while, but let's face it, how many lines do you realistically expect these people to record? Lol, geez it takes a while voicing this stuff over.
3. I actually like the game play. Full of unpredictability which is nothing like any of the prior NHL games. Most of the times passes hit tape, but every now and then it bounces off funny and you have to wheel back around and deal with it. It's much faster than prior version and things are about as realistic as they ever have been.
4. I like the assist overlay thing. It shows me where my passes are going and lets me aim my shots. Of course, whether or not those shots go where I put them is subject to the stats.
5. The coaching feedback is much better and more detailed.
6. The various modes all seem to work pretty well. I haven't noticed any ridiculous problems.
7. The tutorials and on-ice coaching stuff is phenomenal.
8. It's a fun game. I can play it, it feels like hockey, and I enjoy it.
9. The layout seems to be a little more accessible. Less menu, more tile. I'm not always a fan of tiles, but these seem pretty good.
Cons
1. Player customization took a serious step back. Can't choose your hair or anything small like scars, black eyes, or individual facial features (e.g. those eyes with this nose). You choose a face, complete with hair, nose, and eyes. Then you choose your eye color and beard type (if needed). That's it, and it's laaaaaaaaame. I think I ended up with Rick Nash's face. I don't want to look like Rick Nash (great hockey player, but we don't look alike). Player customization needed to be at least slightly better.
2. There are some blips and glitches here and there. A game this complex, it's to be expected. I haven't run into anything so ridiculous that I hate it, but eventually it'll get slightly annoying. For instance, if I skate through a dude's stick, he doesn't loose the puck. Of course, neither do I, so I guess it works both ways, eh?
3. The online play isn't great, but I never cared much for it to begin with.
4. I'm going to miss the in-depth stuff in Be A Pro. Yes, the interviews were a bit lame and such, but it could've been improved, I think. I also miss the "calendar" view, which actually made me feel like a season was progressing. The tile hub thing is kind of lame in this case.
Every new iteration of the EA NHL series has it's own specific set of pros and cons. Whether the specific set of pros and cons are your cup of tea is entirely subjective. My best advice is to find/download a demo and try it yourself. I thought it was pretty decent and I would recommend it to hockey fans.
Really, it's not that bad, there are just a lot of angry people who can't believe they didn't get a slightly graphically enhanced version of an older game. I'm not trying to mock anyone, but come on, take a step back and read the reviews. It doesn't look like reviews, it looks like complaining :(
That said, given how much more powerful the Xbox One is over the 360, it does make me wonder why some things weren't expanded a little. I get rebuilding some game modes (e.g. Be A Pro) and thus, one step back to take more steps forward later...but stuff like the customization should've been a no brainer and the menus do seem to take just a bit longer to register selections than I'd like.
The game itself (once you start playing) is utterly amazing, though, so no complaints there. The play is smooth, the play is unpredictable, and it feels more like hockey than any game before it. Just wish the game around the game play were a little more expanded and polished is all :)
4 stars, would recommend to MOST people. Not everyone. | video-games_xbox |
Delighted it continued the "fall out tradition" so well. Fall out had humble origins. It started out as a pen and paper post apocalyptic table top role playing game. Eventually it was made into arguably the best 3 pc games ever. Fall out 1, Fall out 2, and fall out tactics are loved and idolized to this day. While they do not have mind blowing graphics there is A LOT to do as you explore the waste land.
So did Bethesda get it right with Fall Out 3? Though the game-play is very different (akin to a 1st person shooter or over the shoulder action game)Fall Out 3 is spot on. All your favorite 1940's-1950's songs,deco architecture, sprawling decimated bad lands, and make shift towns held together by a thread make a return. This time you are in Washington DC and it shows through in spades.
Making a comparison to Fable 2 I can say the NPCs in Fall out 3 are by far more lovable and interesting. I did not get to know my father James that well before he was forced to leave Vault 101 but he made a lasting impression as a good man. I was angered when Jame's friend Jonas who gave me a B B gun when I was a kid was killed by the fanatic over seer. I felt pity for the over seer's daughter who helped me escape. I even saved Butch's mother from rad roaches though he was a hoodlum that treated me like garbage. Indeed that day despite our rocky past we became "chums".
All that is just the introduction/tutorial. It does not explain why your father left the safety of the fall out shelter. It never explains "how" the over seer went crazy or for what reason he ordered his guards to capture you. The answers might be out there...but than again every answer brings with it more questions.
The first thing I'll address is that the customization of your character is very detailed. You can be black, Asian, Caucasian, or Hispanic. Everything from your cheek bones to your eyes and chin can be altered. I hear "jokes" about females coming out looking like male cross dressers but my friend Alex blew my mind when he created a sexy red head.
Secondly do not be discouraged if you did not like your results with the GOAT entrance exam or the stats you choose from your baby book. Right before you leave the vault you can redo things more to your liking.
So what is it like "out there"? It is what you expect fall out to be. You will encounter many people in your travels. You can save them or damn them. You can trade and barter honestly or steal from thy neighbor. Just like the previous game you can be a savior or savage raider and your actions gradually give you a "reputation" making certain people friendly towards you while others will be out gunning for you.
One argument was that it was too easy to get bad karma from stealing. I thought this implied when you picked things up you would not get a warning if the property belongs to someone else. Luckily that is not the case. If the text is "green" it is not shop lifting. If the text is "red" it belongs to an owner. Do not fret. Even if you don't pick pockets or loot stores there are plenty of ways to accumulate bottle cap currency and get equipment. Raiders always carry a lot of crap on them + certain creatures can be salvaged for meat you can eat or trade.
While it is easy to be evil in the game is is no more difficult to be good. This came as a relief to me because everyone commented how the dastardly road of villainy was much wider. I've not encountered that pit fall yet.
To me the best thing about Fall out 3 is it feels like a living breathing world. The people are lively,flawed, and even a simple merchant can have interesting gossip or an inspirational life story. No one truly seems "flat" and "lifeless".
It was also nice how even doing the smallest things such as deactivating the atomic bomb and fixing the leaky pipes of Megaton gave me a sense of pride. Bethesda managed to make these little errands "fun". As to how they did it is a mystery.
However there are problems with a free roaming real world dynamic. The first of these is that sometimes even when sticking to the straight and narrow and doing a low level quest you may still run into a death claw or super mutant. As you can imagine the end result of that is not pretty.
My worst adversaries were when I chose to help a boy find his father. Fire breathing ants attacked the town and came at me from all sides. Trapped and cut off I fled into the subway only to find my eventual demise. Overconfidence can kill you quick in this game. It is fortunate "saving" is automatic and occurs often and that you can also manually save your game from anywhere.
For those of you still worried rest assured. Fall Out staples such as the brother hood of steel and the enclave are portrayed in their full heroic and terrifying splendor. There are also ghouls and mini nukes. At first I was skeptical of Bethesda but all my doubts have been officially laid to rest. This is an addicting and fun game! Yes, it has a steep difficulty but if you have played the older games you know that is a fall out trade mark.
The only down side I see is there are not quite as many skills and perks. However if you reminisce back on Fall Out 1 and Fall out 2 some of those skills and perks were quite useless anyway. I know some fans maybe disappointed by this which is why I discuss it.
Gameplay is an odd fusion. On one hand you can play Fall Out 3 totally as a run and gun affair with 100% live action. However there is also "vats" which allows you to target specific body parts on your enemies and manage how many bullets or strikes per volley you'll execute. Vats is great for precision strategy but you will gradually run out of "action points" forcing you to once again go into quick combat.
Personally though this system was hard for me to adapt to at first I was grateful for vats. With it I was able to precisely target my enemies without hurting my allies. In the thick of a chaotic brawl it is truly a life saver.
The voice acting, music, and graphics are all superb. I cannot really offer up a critique for the audio or visuals department.
Bottom line the only recurring fault is sometimes my game will freeze. I heard it is worse for other people but I have no idea why the problem fluctuates in severity between players.
In closing this is as good as gaming gets. Whether you are a long time fan or know nothing about Fall out you owe it to yourself to pick this one up!
Pros
-Good game mechanics. Vats helps in all precarious situations.
-Lovable and quirky NPCs that act like real people
- A huge array of quests and ways you can interact with others.
-The introduction offers a good story line ensuring your character actually had "family" "friends" and a "life" before entering the post nuclear waste land.
-Large variety of enemy types.
Cons
-Game freezes on occasion.
-Steep learning curve near the beginning. Luckily everything becomes second nature after awhile.
-Those who miss the "top side view" of the other fall out games may dislike the first person and over the shoulder views.
-Not quite so many perks and skills.
-A lot of the cheeky and entertaining "promiscuous sexual content" was omitted from Fall Out 3 and the violence in my opinion became even more over the top. Most gamers will not even notice it but I did. | video-games_xbox |
Halo is worth buying an Xbox over. My first exposure to Halo came almost exactly one year before I actually purchased an Xbox. A friend had received the system for Christmas, and had already decided that the only game he'd be playing for the next six months was this one. A little cautious myself, I picked up the gigantic black controller with the clear bubble in its center, and embarked on the first of many four player fiascos. Truth be told, this is a very easy game to pick up on. Much like the N64's Goldeneye, it's quite simple to learn but nearly impossible to master. And, also as in Mr. Bond's Nintendo 64 excursion, there's really nothing I can say here to prepare you for the absolute madness which awaits you in the multiplayer mode.
Perhaps the most notable feature of the multiplayer mode is the ability to customize your character. With the Box's hard drive allowing for an almost infinite number of saves, it doesn't take long for the list of names in your player select screen to become unwieldy. It's something that was previously reserved for online PC players; there's no more guessing about who just killed you or who's controlling the tank. It's printed, right there on your screen, in bold letters. In addition to that, there's the underspoken ability to create, tweak and save your own game types. If you're hooked on deathmatches with multiple vehicles, no radar and infinite grenades, you need only make that selection once. The system saves all the information, so you won't need to select all the same settings the next time you're hungry for a deathmatch. It's an enormous part of what makes Halo so good, but it's also something that's very easily overlooked.
The single player, mission-based game is unbelievable. It amazes me how far the First Person Shooter has come since it took its first baby steps in the mid 90s, and Halo is currently the cream of the crop. You portray the "Grand Master", a legendary warrior cryogenically frozen and revived in Humanity's darkest hour. Players never see his face, but his deep voice quickly confirms both his identity and his authority. There's a REASON he's our last hope, and the experience heard in his voice misleads gamers into believing they're legends in and of their own right. It's a really cool feeling, to say the least.
Unfortunately, for a game of such visual importance, the actual characters themselves aren't everything I'd hoped for. You'll endure a few cutscenes that probably shouldn't be there; eyes and lips move clunkily. The seams are showing. Make no mistake, the big names and faces in Halo don't give Final Fantasy X's cast a run for their money. The captain (one of the game's centerpiece characters) is emotionless, and difficult to form an emotional tie with... which takes away from the impact of later levels, when you race against time to save his life. Cortana, a computer-generated hologram, is obviously meant to be the most visually stunning character in the game... and even she falls short. The real stars of the show are the enemies, but they're afforded the luxury of being completely new designs.
But while the character models aren't as incredible as I'd expected, the surrounding scenery alone makes up for it, and then some. You'll see individual blades of grass. You'll see the blood squirt momentarily out of an enemy, moments after you've shot him, and then pulse along the rhythm of his heartbeat. You'll hide behind individual leaves, or behind the thick mist accumulating beneath a waterfall. It's simply unbelievable.
I'll again draw the comparison to Goldeneye when it comes to controls. There's no question, the system's controller was designed specifically with this game in mind. After a couple plays, you'll be jumping, tossing grenades, firing, ducking, and striking enemies with the butt of your rifle. For god's sake, there's a button devoted to turning on and off your flashlight... AND IT'S CLEAR. Xbox developers may as well have labeled it the 'flashlight button.' Add to that a built in rumble feature, dual analog sticks (emulating the feel of a PC Shooter, where players use the keyboard and the mouse) and easy-to-reach trigger buttons, and you've got a sweet control setup. I don't have a bad thing to say about it.
Where the visuals of non-playable characters are lacking, the audio most definitely is not. There are hundreds of possible quotes from this game, more depending on which difficulty level you're playing under. That's right, the tougher your setting, the more mature the language surrounding you. They weren't kidding when they said things get more realistic on the hardest difficulty. The voice acting is on par with a major motion picture, with a few exceptions. The production is just incredible... everything is crystal clear, whether you're chatting in an echoing hallway or on the battlefield. Dolby Digital Surround is supported, and that too is top notch. Nothing can express the value of knowing which direction a rocket is coming from, especially when your back is turned.
The largest gripe I have with Halo is its bizarre, seemingly random awarding of checkpoints. No lie, I've been in the middle of the firefight when the system has decided to save my progress. While it doesn't immediately affect me, it does serve as a point of intense frustration when I die further down the line. Instead of reappearing in relative saftey to attempt the task again, I'm dropped right back into that firefight. It gives the player an unfair handicap, and ALWAYS catches him / her by surprise. I'd have much rather had the option to assign my own checkpoints.
What it all boils down to is this; Halo is worth buying an Xbox over. It's the end-all, be-all Microsoft desperately needed to put themselves onto the map as a force in the home console business. It's everything you've heard it is, and more. | video-games_xbox |
Though I would have liked to go into the Castle for the quest. I had mixed feelings about this game. I'd say overall I give it a 7 out of 10, I bumped the score up to a 4 star review because some of my complaints about the game can arguably be considered pros. My main problem with the game was the lack of overall immersion. This was caused mainly because of the lack of story and characters.
The potential cons of the game are for example, all of the side quests are just activated on your map, there are no cut scenes, no one to give you a mission, also no place on the map that is civilized. What they could have done to make the game more immersive is creating a map for the inside of the resistance camp. From there they could have a tavern that had challenges on a board (the bow, sword, stealth side missions) and a board for missing people (freeing slave side quests). They also could have had you interact with one of the resistance heads to activate power struggle quests. However had they done this, it would have disrupted the pacing of the game. Instead of having to go ALL the way to the other side of the map to activate side quests just to travel all over the map doing them, then go back to the board for more, not to mention adding two to four loading screens, would actually work against the game. While I personally would have preferred a fuller world, it really wouldn't have added much to the game. Of course there are cut scenes for the main quest. Though I would have liked to go into the Castle for the quest, then again, loading screen+ walking to the room+ loading screen+ leaving castle+ another loading screen.
The other thing some people might complain about are the weapons. In this game, you just have a sword, bow, wraith powers, and daggers. You do not upgrade armor, you do not get new weapons. Instead you upgrade your health and add rune slots to increase the power of your weapons. You really can't add any other weapons to the game because it would be silly to try to have a character that is Arkham Batman/AC speed while you're carrying a two handed weapon or wearing heavy armor. Having the rune and feat upgrading is a lot more meaningful than having a system where you just have to find a new sword every 2-3 hours. Though I really wish they would have given you traps and bombs to use, would have made stealth a lot more fun.
Other than these two things, the climbing mechanics can feel a bit clunky at times.
But what's good about the game? Combat is very smooth, I found the character was responsive a majority of the time. The AI didn't have any path finding issues. I wish the AI would have searched a little harder for my character at times, then again they are orcs. The Nemesis System is really great as many reviews have mentioned. Graphically it looks good. I wouldn't recommend spending 70$ on the game, personally I'd wait for the price to go down to about 35-40 bucks. Not sure about replay value. | video-games_xbox |
Kinect's First Baseball Title. As we approach the Major League Playoffs, do you ever get the itch to just jump right in and play along. Do you wish you could taste some of the excitement of ending a game with a walk-off home run? What about feeling the thrill of striking out Alex Rodriguez in the bottom of the ninth to clinch the win for your team? Wouldn't you want to be at the plate in the middle of Bikini Bottom and throw a turbo-powered slider like Ultralord? Wait, did I lose you on that last one?
Nicktoons MLB is the curious brainchild brought to us by 2K play. Interestingly enough, 2K carries with it some hefty and very successful baseball titles in the 2K series. Add this with the Nickelodeon license and you've got yourself some very interesting baseball. This game features 25 of your favorite Nicktoons characters, such as Spongebob Squarepants, Invader ZIM, and even Ren & Stimpy. Combined with the toons are over 300 MLB players. So yes, it is possible for Puppy to strike out Ortiz.
The most notable feature of Nicktoons MLB is the addition of complete Kinect control. This makes Nicktoons the FIRST baseball game for the Kinect. Having the light heartedness of cartoon characters on a baseball field makes motion controlled gaming a perfect combination. As long as you go into the game not expecting a baseball sim, you will probably have a good time playing.
Pitching is one of my favorite parts of playing this game. Instead of selecting a pitch and throwing your arm, you select the pitch the path your arm takes in pitching. In other words, to throw a ball, you might drop your arm and do an underhand pitch. To throw a splitter, you might throw straight above your head. Everything plays out nicely for the most part. While you won't be able to direct where the pitch is aimed at, you can determine how effective your pitch will be by matching the desired throwing speed of the pitch. If it sounds confusing, it is not in the slightest. Only very rarely would I accidentally throw a pitch or throw something I didn't intend. Most of the pitching mechanics work like a charm.
Hitting seems pretty straight forward. You can either bunt or swing. Everything is in the timing here. I would have liked the ability to direct the ball or at least choose power swing versus normal. What adds a little excitement to this is the use of turbo. As you make good plays, the turbo meter fills up. You can use this turbo to temporarily increase your hitting power and ability. Turbo power can also be used in base running, fielding, and pitching.
Like I mentioned, this isn't a baseball sim, so you won't have an in depth franchise mode with roster management, etc. What you will have are fun modes such as: pick-up game, tournament mode, showdown, and distance derby. You can pick several Nick themed teams with special abilities to enhance your players or you can pick any of your favorite MLB teams. You can also pick to play in any of the six different MLB ballparks and six Nicktoons themed ballparks.
The menus flipped nicely from one screen to the next, but it should be noted that your hand never really drops off the screen, even if it is at your side. Those that don't know this, may find themselves selecting things they don't intend to. Also, while in the game, if a person walks in front of you, the game will pause and try to re-identify you. If the game doesn't instantly connect with you, it will assign you as a 'guest'. Do not hit "continue" otherwise it will kick you out and make you start a new game. Just pick your profile and pick up where you left off.
There is a multiplayer component to the game, where up to 2 players can play against each other on the same console. While I would have loved to see online play, or at the very least leaderboards or stats, it is nice to have local play with either Kinect or Xbox controllers. Having a second player jump in and join the fun is super easy and works flawlessly.
The game is good for the whole family. Younger kids might have some trouble understanding the pitching mechanic or timing their hitting, but once they have that down they should be fine. There isn't much as far as fitness besides pitching and hitting. Base running and fielding only require lifting your hands sometimes and the occasional jump. My only other love/hate insight would be the inclusion of Perch as an announcer, but GIR as an announcer is enough to make you want to mute your television.
Overall, this is a nice Kinect title to get for any baseball fan...adult or child. While the game does support playing with a controller, I would not encourage picking it up for that purpose. You would be better off sticking to MLB 2K11. However, for the Kinect, everything seems to work nicely. So if you have that baseball itch and are looking for another Kinect title for your collection, you would do well in picking Nicktoons MLB up. | video-games_xbox |
Don't Buy It - You've Been Warned. UPDATED 4/17/14
After a month playing the game and Respawn's updates I am changing my rating from a solid 1-Star to a 4-Star. The game is now very playable and is challenging and fun most of the time. Now if someone asks, I recommend they buy TitanFall.
- Respawn ran the Match-Making Beta for a while and then incorporated into the regular match making - teams are significantly much more balanced now and if they are not, poof, the other team will disappear after a couple of `wipe outs' and a more comparable team will appear.
- They have adjusted some of the weapon balance, and although I think there is still a good bit to be fine-tuned, the game is very playable with the tools at hand.
- There is still the frequent `how did that happen' lag moments - full clip in someone's back and they turn around and kill you with 2 shots - but I'm hoping for improvements on the server side for the game-induced lag and continued identification of cheaters using lag-switches so they can be moved off to the `cheaters only lobbies'.
Your Titan is ready, call it when ready!
==ORIGINAL REVIEW==
Like everyone else, I was excited for the release - played the Beta, etc. THE GAME HAS NO BALANCE!
1) Match-making: Scores of 250 to 20 are common - no BALANCE in team selection.
2) Pilot Vs. Pilot: Get a dead drop with a more powerful weapon - unload a full clip at point blank range - they shoot twice and you fall over dead. Whether it is mods, cheats,hacks or lagging the server (I don't care which) there is no BALANCE pilot vs. pilot - you should at least win close to 50% of the 'draws'. When you see players killing 20+ pilots in a match and no one on the other team gets more than 3 something is out of balance.
3) Titans: Whether it be Titan vs. Titan or vs. Pilot there is a grave UNBALANCE. Two Ogres can't take down a Stryder? An Ogre gets taken down by two hits of a missile, whereas when you are shooting at a Titan 5-6 hits does nothing.
That is the nitty-gritty. There is no satisfaction in playing the game - no BALANCE were you feel like you ever have an even chance.
To put it in perspective, this game makes Ghost's look good and we know how badly Ghost was hacked from the very start - yes they cleared up the leader board at the first patch, but didn't do anything about the cheaters involved. | video-games_xbox |
Easy setup, force feedback improves driving ability, very fun and addicting to use. Reviewer background-
Mid-20s grad student with quite a range of gaming experience (consoles and computer games, I play racing, fps, and RTS games). I bought a used wheel to see if racing games would become more realistic/enjoyable and I didn't have super high expectations. Just started playing Forza 3 and Project Gotham Racing 4 on the Xbox 360.
Pros-
Easy to setup
Wireless connection to Xbox 360
Force feedback helps quite a bit with driving ability after some practice, feels awesome, and makes Forza 3 so much more enjoyable and rewarding
Brake and acceleration pedal provide some resistance which somewhat simulate real pedals
Cons-
I've heard that the force feedback can break within a couple months and that the calibration can get messed up... I don't know if this is true yet or not, but I will update my review if my wheel breaks or has issues. As of now, it works just fine.
Suggestions for using the wheel-
1. In Forza 3, you can adjust the force feedback in the advanced controller options. Mine is currently set at 35% of max, this allows just enough force feedback that I can feel when the tires lose traction around turns or when they gain grip after hard acceleration. Force feedback at 100% was detrimental to my driving ability, since it prevented me from making sharp turns quickly enough. Also, I adjusted the inside turning deadzone to about 5% (originally 0-2%) to prevent my car from swerving on straight aways due to minor turning adjustments and the outside turning deadzone to 80% (orig 100%) to assist in making sharp turns without having to turn the wheel 90 degrees left or right.
Basically, make sure to play around with the settings to see what works best for you.
2. In Project Gotham Racing 4, I couldn't find any advanced options for adjusting the force feedback or deadzones. So far, I haven't enjoyed using the wheel for this game. Perhaps the game isn't realistic enough or maybe its because I don't like force feedback at 100%, either way, just realize that the wheel performs differently between games. So read up before you buy the wheel based on what racing game you have or will be using and see if it is necessary to play around with the sensitivity/controller.
3. When you first use the wheel, start with a slow car and work your way up. You will hate your wheel and think its useless if you jump in a supercar and expect everything to go flawlessly the first time.
Need to know before you purchase-
1. Force feedback only works with the AC adapter plugged into the wheel. The official AC adapter has 24V, 1 amp output; however my wheel didn't come with an AC adapter so I have been using a 12V, 1.5 amp output adapter which works just fine.
2. If you use the AA battery pack, you don't get vibration of force feedback. I found driving very difficult without any vibration or force feedback, I didn't know when I was losing traction, if the car was swaying or not, or if my counter steering was correcting enough.
3. Not all sellers include the AC adapter, read the item description to see if you will need to purchase one.
Final thoughts-->
I would purchase this wheel again for $70 but I am not sure if its worth $125-150. The value kind of depends on the long term durability of the product, which I cannot comment on, and how much you want vibration and force feedback. For $70, it has enhanced my racing/gaming experience tremendously. It is now addicting to play Forza 3 with the racing wheel. I like the solid feel of the wheel and pedals, and I don't feel like either of them will break anytime soon due to daily use. | video-games_xbox |
Good But Not Perfect. Ubisoft seems to alternate between good and bad versions of Assassin's Creed, at least with the versions I have played. The first Assassin's Creed was just okay. AC II was amazing, still probably the best of the series. AC III was meh at best. AC IV, Black Flag, was so much fun, though largely because of the fleet building aspect, which was a fun enough concept to create an entire stand alone game around (I really hope Ubisoft does this). Unity was probably the worst of the bunch, largely because of the rushed, glitchy launch. And now we have Syndicate. So how is it? By large it has met or exceeded my expectations. Here's a breakdown of the Pros and Cons:
Pros:
-Beautiful graphics and world. I find myself yelling things like "Blimey!" and "Shine your boots Gov'na?" in an Cockney accent the same way I sang sea shanties in while playing Black Flag. The world is wonderfully immersive and draws you in like that.
-New gameplay aspects add to the experience without taking anything away. Having two characters which you can take on different upgrade paths is a great idea. The rope also adds new elements and ease of getting around.
-Good characters. The Frye twins are likable and fun. The main villain perfectly encapsulates the dark side of 19th Century London. Dickensian, you might say.
-Good upgrade/crafting/improvement tree. It's well thought out and I like the addition of a few top level skills that only one character can get.
-Gets you to the action right away and has less cutaways to the present day. I feel like the old AC games took like an hour or two before you even got to the main game and then it was constantly cutting away to some present day side plot.
Cons:
-A little buggy. Nothing that wrecks the game, but I've only been playing for two days and have already encountered a few blatant ones right in the main story line.
-Nothing ground breaking. It's still the same old Assassin's Creed formula. A lot of games feel like this now: some stealth but not too demanding, special vision that highlights enemies and things of interest, climb up stuff like an acrobat, shoot a rope that takes you up stuff, combo based battle system, instant kill if you can sneak up on them. That sort of thing. It's not quite as tired as things like first person shooters like Call of Duty, but it's definitely aging.
-I've heard the ending is terrible, but I haven't gotten that far so I can't stay. That would be a shame though since it has a good story. Still, I probably only finish about 30% of the games I buy, so if I made it to the end that's a pretty good sign it's a great game. I never quite finished Batman: Arkham Knight or Tomb Raider, both of which are very good games. | video-games_xbox |
Not much different than a regular controller. This controller was supposed to 'revolutionize' the Xbox controller when really it just showcased the lack of engineering skill and dedication to providing the customer what they really want.
I heard about this controller and its ability to rotate the d-pad so it stops acting like a crappy Microsoft "platter" d-pad and acts more like the d-pad we've always known (Nintendo, Sony). I don't think it's worth any extra money, but the price I paid for the controller + recharge kit was less than buying a new standalone controller.
NEW FEATURES:
1. Rotating d-pad. FAIL: No matter which position the 'new' d-pad is in, it still works horribly. Even worse, there is a loud click whenever it is pressed, and the gap between the d-pad and the controller body both a) causes extra movement on the d-pad and b) provides a place for my headset wire to get stuck in.
2. New Grip style. TIE: Instead of the regular bumps on the analog sticks (up down left right) to keep your thumbs on them, there is now a lip around the edge of the stick and the grip is made of a material that provides more grip. I don't know how others position their hands, but I have smaller hands and I still don't use the tips of my thumbs to play-- I use the fat part in the middle of the first segment, which happens to be right under where my thumb nail starts. So I don't use the new 'lip grip,' but I definitely like the new material the sticks are coated with.
3. Color Palette. TIE: It looks cooler than the standard controller, being silver, black, and white. However, the controller body is silver and the battery is all black. On a side note, it becomes harder to play certain games where the game made it easier to know which buttons to press by color-coding them. (Boom Boom Rocket, anyone?) Where was the green button, again?
CONS: The play & charge kit royally sucks. The battery charges overnight, and it literally drains after a few hours of play. To put that into perspective, the play & charge kit that I bought 3 years ago (which happened to be one of the few where the batteries did not die right away and screw up the controller) will let my old controller last for up to a week, which can be up to 20 hours of play time. Even the regular AA batteries in my Rock Band 2 wireless drum set will last 20 hours or more.
SIDE NOTE: I should try using my old battery, charge cord, or both, with this controller. I should also try using this new kit with my old controller to see if it really is the play & charge kit or just crappy electronics inside the controller.
Either way, Microsoft is 'firesaling' its old hardware, which means it was either a bad lot or we're due for some new hardware soon. | video-games_xbox |
Live needs to take a seat on the bench. Have you ever watched a basketball game where your team was down and you thought if they'd just make a few adjustments, they'd come back and win it? I have. I've also played a series of basketball games that mimics this very well. It's called NBA Live. It's a basketball franchise that has always been that one step behind, missing that one little touch that would make it an excellent contender. I was excited to see that the 2007 might be the year that EA Canada really came out on top. I visited the studio back in early August and got a glimpse of NBA Live 07, and at the time I was slightly less impressed with its next-gen offering than its current-gen one. Flash-forward almost two months, and as I write this review, I feel the same way. NBA Live 07 dropped the ball in so many ways in its second next-generation season that it's almost more disappointing than last year's abysmal Xbox 360 launch title.
NBA Live 07 isn't a great basketball game in any way, really. In most categories, it just falls flat. It's like watching Shaq have a ho-hum game in the Playoffs, only to end up fouled out on the bench. It's quite sad, really, after seeing all of the work that went into so many different areas that ultimately don't make the most important factor of a basketball game: its entertainment value.
On the court, NBA Live 07 just doesn't perform. It performs so badly, in fact, that I'd almost consider it unplayable. Where EA Canada strived to deliver a feeling of momentum, they created an awkward and uncontrollable feeling of control that is actually too difficult to describe, so I'll quit trying. It just feels like crap, to say the least. Having dunk and lay-up buttons was a stupid decision, and I simply thought it was the most annoying thing in the world to watch a professional like T-Mac clang a dunk off of the front of the rim on a fast break. Similarly to 2K Sports' competition, NBA 2K7, the CPU in NBA Live 07 lacks any sort of awareness. Your players will simply watch as opponents hop up and down and all around for loose balls and rebounds. Rebounding controls are nonexistent. I can't say I enjoyed watching the CPU score more second-chance points than I thought were possible. On defense, the right analog control system is completely out of whack. It used to be a fantastic system that quickly allowed you to squat down low, swat at the ball, or even hold your hands up to defend the pass or close-range shot. Now it's sluggish and more frustrating to use than anything. In reality, telling you how badly it feels to play NBA Live 07 on the Xbox 360 is hopeless. It's such an embarrassing flop of a control system that it should simply be played to be understood.
Visually, NBA Live 07 would be a lot more successful if its animation wasn't as awkward and sluggish as its gameplay. While the character models are quite good and feature a ton of detail, they animate so poorly that it's almost funny to watch the players move around like robots. At least the commentary is good--and by good, I mean great--Marv Albert and Steve Kerr can really go at it in basketball chatter. On top of fantastic on-court chatter and realistic crowd effects, NBA Live 07 is definitely entertaining to listen to. It's just too bad it has to be done while playing a game of basketball that isn't much fun to control.
In terms of features, NBA Live 07 is loaded. It's got everything you could want out of a basketball game (sans the smooth animation and good controls). It's got a Franchise mode that is chock-full with deep options like hiring a staff that actually affects on- and off-court gameplay and managing funds. It's got the NBA All-Star Weekend mode that lets you play the high-flying Slam Dunk Contest and even the Rookie Game. It's even got ESPN Integration that lets you hear headlines and news clips in the sports world every single day as well as several other things. This ESPN integration is fantastic, and I'd say that it's the strongest addition to any sports game so far this year--but having this integration with a solid basketball title would have been nice.
Overall, NBA Live 07 makes improvements on its awful next-generation predecessor. It's an Xbox 360 basketball game that is missing a few very important touches, like playability and streamlined animation. EA Canada has some great ideas here. They've got the ambition, they've got the ideas. They've just got to execute. Like any rookie in the NBA, you can't just have the heart, you've gotta have the game to make it big and run with the competition. In the end, you won't be cheering for NBA Live 07. In fact, the chant will be, "DISAPPOINTMENT (Clap, clap, clapclapclap!)" | video-games_xbox |
Best hoops game around, still not perfect. First of all, let me say that I own both NBA Live 2004 and ESPN NBA, and that hands down this game is the better one of the two. It's a very solid hoops game, but it still has some problems.
The GOOD: Amazing graphics. Accurate player faces for EVERY SINGLE player in the league! The graphics blow Live away it's not even funny. The control also feels less frantic and more precise than Live, and the ISOmotion control, while clearly ripped off from Live's Freestyle, works pretty well. The 24/7 mode, which allows you to build a baller and play a variety of mini games and contests, is fun and addictive. It's not perfect, as some of the objectives are frustrating or boring, but it's a neat innovation that some lesser companies would sell as a separate game! The depth of customization is amazing, especially in terms of gameplay sliders, meaning the game can be as arcady or realistic as you like. The passing is much improved, and the commentary is decent. Tons of unlockables (teams, gear, courts) make this game addictive as well! Overall, a great game.
The Bad: Camera angles. So many developers overlook this, the most fundamental presentation element of any game. 2K3 had virtually infinite camera angles, since you could customize angle of elevation, zoom, etc for each camera. This year, we have... 5, and they all stink. You get to choose between "behind the player" and a couple of utterly useless "sideline" angles which give you no depth perception at all. Limited customization of your player is also a downer, given the attention to detail elsewhere. There are only a handful of faces and skin-tones, and they're pretty generic.
The Ugly: Some Isomotion moves feel out-of-control and result in you turning the ball over. I can't stand the stats layout, it feels pretty kindergarten.
Wish list for 2K5: More camera angles, more ESPN content like post-game interviews/player of the week extras, more player model customization, more intuitive menus. | video-games_xbox |
Problems with the Arcade and Gears of War 2. I purchased an XBox 360 after a good friend of mine talked me into getting it (I already own a PS3 which I got after Sony won the Blu-Ray vs. HD DVD war.). He said that Live (the on-line gaming network) was great, the graphics were awsome, and he wanted to play Gears of War 2. After finding out you can watch movies direct from Netflix through the Xbox 360, and reading about how they had put in a new chipset to prevent the RRoD, which had caused a huge number of XBox 360s to fail, I take the plunge, and my wife gets me one for Christmas.
I get it home, and my wife tries Sega Tennis, Monopoly and loves Uno. I try GOW2 and after about 15 minutes playing the game, I get an error, and up pops a box on screen which says "Disc Unreadable". I take it out, clean it, (even though it's brand new) and try again. 10 minutes later same problem. I figure it's a bad disc since we've had no problems with any of the other games. I returned it to Best Buy, same problem with the 2nd disc. I notice after looking on-line and doing some research that the disc has a strange wavy pattern on it. So when I go back to Best Buy for the 3rd time (three different BB stores), I look at the disc before accepting it. No waves. Cool.
Pop it in. An hour into the game same problem. Disc Unreadable, and it brings me back to the home screen. I figure that maybe these are new discs with the problem. So I try renting a copy from the local Block Buster video. An hour in, same error message. (Four different discs - same problem. People have been reporting on-line that they have been having the same problems. Some have been through multiple Xbox 360 Arcade systems AND multiple discs.) Google and see.
I called Microsoft XBox 1-800 number. I get a guy in India, he goes through the checklist. "Are the games and the system from the same country?" Well, yes, of course, you dummy. "Did you try cleaning it?" Yes it's the THIRD disc. "Let me go ask my supervisor." After half an hour, he suggests I bring it back to the store. BestBuy says call Microsoft.
Epic games blames Microsoft. Microsoft blames Epic (which designed the game.) I get the run around and a game that doesn't work. I loved the game, but I can't stand the support from Micro$oft, which is basically nil. I want to return the system, but my wife loves "her" games and wants to keep it. If you're trying to decide which system to get, and want to play GOW2, save yourself the headache, get a PS3, and Drake's Fortune. (Granted the Multiplayer is MUCH better on XBox.) Microsoft has the same problems with Xbox 360's, Video games, and Vista. Poor testing before release. | video-games_xbox |
The Truth about Dukes of Hazzard Return of the General Lee. Hello again and let me be the first one to say that this was a step out of my ordinary, as I don't play alot of racing games. However I have played the other two Dukes of Hazzard games made for PSX1 and will not be leaving reviews for these titles. I feel in a nutshell that this game, Dukes of Hazzard Return of the General Lee for PSX2, delivered in all the areas that the first two titles failed.
As I stated I played this title for PSX2 and not XBox being that I don't even own an XBox... I have my reasons. I also want to clear up the fact the the other two titles for PSX1 are not bad games... they are decent... but this game is better in everyway. Now lets get on with the review...
The game itself is the Dukes of Hazzard in alot of ways, from the music to the sounds and even to the voice casting which is top notch. I enjoyed this game alot and still do whenever I get a bunch of good 'ol boys together that think they can beat me in an overland race. The graphics might I add are better than the original games for PSX1 which of course is to be expected being that we are talking PSX1 to PSX2 here.
The only reason this game received four stars instead of 5 in both areas is because it is very difficult. As alot of reviews have stated they took no liberty in allowing for easy unlocks or fast playing. I don't think games should be easy all the time but when you have to win several specific "missions" to unlock certain cars for multiplayer... now that gets kinda rough.
All in all though if you stick to the wheel and blast the horn you will come out on top eventually. I would say if you are or were a Dukes of Hazzard fan... pick this game up. If your a racing game type of person... pick this game up, chances are your into racing because of Dukes of Hazzard and I'm sure you will enjoy this game either way.
Until next time... :) | video-games_xbox |
An ONLINE *motorcycle* racing game. Most motorcycle racing games are basically car-racing games with motorcycles. The controls are identical, and aside from a dramatic case of understeer, they generally play identically.
MotoGP, on the other hand, is dramatically different than most car racing games, and it's both its strength, and its weakness.
The control is the heart of the game, and with an independent front and rear brake, and the ability to control not only the side-to-side lean of your rider, but the front-to-back lean, you have an unprecedented amount of control over your racer. Anything from powerslides to endos are possible, and the subtlety of the control scheme makes the game feel distinctly like a *motorcycle* game, than just a generic racer. On top of the unique, and fantastic controls, the animation of the riders, and the graphic quality are outstanding. The textures for your custom rider are a bit sloppy-looking, but the models of real-life riders look quite accurate. The graphics are on par with other xbox racers, like PGR and Rallisport, so there's plenty of eye-candy to be had. When your screen is blurred from racing down a straightaway at full tilt, and you pass by another rider, and he turns to see which direction you're coming up on him from, it's a simple little animation that lends a whole world of realism to the game.
The downside of the unique controls is that there's a steeper learning curve to this game than most. Even going through a single turn takes a few minutes to figure out, and it'll probably be a few hours before you can go through a tight U-bend at speed, with any sort of consistency. The payoff's worth it, however, as the races are tense, and the sense of speed is uncanny.
If you're a racing fan, looking for variety, it's definitely worth picking up. If you're a motorcycle racing fan in particular, there's no reason you shouldn't already own this game.
ADDITION: MotoGP is going to be Xbox Live compatible, even though the packaging doesn't indicate this anywhere. You will be able to play multiplayer online through XBL, extending the replay value of this game virtually indefinitely. | video-games_xbox |
Fantastic for the money. After going through two Microsoft Chat Headsets in 18 months I decided to go with a third party peripheral and an upgrade instead of epitomizing the definition of insanity by buying a 3rd Microsoft headset. The component that always failed in the Microsoft headset was the microphone so I love that if and when the mic in this headset fails, you can get a replacement for about $10 on Amazon or eBay, major selling point. The TalkBack cable is wired into the headset though so take care not to damage that. I have used a 5.1 surround sound system for the last 10 years and it is now obsolete because even though they are not surround sound, this headset makes it easy to tell which way that shot came from or if someone is running up behind you. The low end rumble is much more intense than anything I could get away with at home, especially at night and like many other reviewers have said, I'm noticing sounds I never knew were there. My friends report that my voice comes through perfectly clear. To address some of the horror story reviews of this product: (1) If you somehow managed to destroy the USB puck port in your controller with this product; you are an idiot and should not be trusted with technology. (2) If you somehow managed to destroy your 3.5 mm jack on your new style Xbox one controller with this product; you are an idiot and should not be trusted with technology. (3) if the controls on the puck or the instructions that are included with this product are too difficult for you to understand; you are an idiot and should not be trusted with technology. (4) If this headset is not loud enough for you; you may be going deaf, see a doctor. (5) I consider my ears to be of average size, the ear cups completely encompass my ears with room to spare. If your ears do not fit inside the headset, you may be an Elf or possibly a Vulcan, see a doctor (6) I purchased this headset refurbished with a warranty for $39.00 if this headset does not meet your standards, there are plenty of options in the $200-$300 range. | video-games_xbox |
Used to be a Playstation fan. Sony makes a great console, but this thing is a beast! I slammed the Xbox One on so many forums prior to its release due to policies I thought Microsoft was going to have for the console. Literally none of those things happened. As I became more educated, I finally brought myself to trying it out. I've only bought one other thing in my entire life that I have loved as much as this thing
It's strong points -
Gaming is smoother than ever with any title I've played
Voice commands are surprising accurate and very fun
Super sleek controllers. My playstation controllers and Xbox 360 controllers feel awful to play on in comparison
The "Xbox record that" feature is incredible - recording my best kills without blinking and editing after is easy peasy
Skype on the Xbox one is better than Skype on any other device I've used (and I spend probably 10 hrs a week on Skype). It's auto-zoom and panning is seriously awesome and the microphone is very clear. I can Skype with my girlfriend while playing a game and she hears none of it.
Privacy settings and policy make me much more comfortable having a camera in microphone in my living room. (I still cover the camera when I'm not using it though, just to be safe ;)
Achievements are more beautiful than ever with specialized art for each one achievement you earn.
Kinect sensor is excellent
You can start playing a game before it's downloaded all the way. I wish I knew this while I was downloading Titanfall (which is a monster). Fortunately I learned it while downloading Tomb Raider - which I started playing with no interruptions with less than a quarter of the game download being done.
The video instructions are pretty great at getting you familiar with the console.
Home Gold - you only need one person with a gold subscription and everyone else can play online and use Skype or Netflix. That is going to save some families hundreds of dollars a year and was a surprising move from Microsoft who I always considered a fairly greedy company
Incredible customer support
It's weak points -
The Snap feature is kind of confusing. Not setup the best it could be in my opinion.
The Redeem Code button is in two different places on the Xbox, and I can't understand the logic in their placement. Without the voice commands, this would be a real head scratcher
Doesn't have voice control support for chat or internet browsing... yet. The bing search lets you search for things in the Xbox marketplace and it will hear almost everything you say accurately, so I know it's possible for them to make this happen - they just haven't yet
Games with gold hasn't hit the Xbox One yet. This one really sucks, but I know they are working on it so we will see.
All in all, I'm in love with it. I thought I'd have buyers remorse because the console isn't exactly cheep, but I keep finding more features to impress me. I'd recommend the console to anyone. It's just great. | video-games_xbox |
Intense, thrilling and most importantly: STILL DEAD SPACE. Dead Space 3 hasn't had it easy in the run up to it's release. It sparked controversy very early on in development with its announcement of Co-op, human enemies and the new much more open environment of Tau Volantis. The debate of whether or not the game will live up to the impossibly high standards of its two predecessors has been hot on everyone's mind for the up and coming release, and as some critics believed it did, and others believes it didn't. This review comes from a long-time fan of the franchise, someone who was seriously concerned about the game before its release, and someone who thought this game was the best in the series so far.
Dead Space 3 was never going to be scarier than the first game, just like the second wasn't. However it is by no means less horrific or jumpy. Infact, this game contains more jump scares than the first two combined. Whilst this may not appeal to those who desire to play an entire game scared to move, it certainly made the experience tense enough for me to know I was playing a Dead Space game. In my opinion, DS3 does not sacrifice any of the horrific elements that made the first and second game what they were. There less apparent sure, but there still there, setting an uneasy atmosphere that creates anxiety.
I also don't have a problem with the amount of action in the game, at all. The game is freaking tense! It's fast paced, loud, and bloody. The game balances action and horror elements excellently most of the time (I admit at times it gets frustrating when its clear the makers have sacrificed what could have been a great scare for an action set piece) and doesn't rob the game of any of its tension.
As for environment, some of you will be happy to know the entire game DOES NOT take place Tau Volantis. Infact, the act you play in the demo is around chapter 8 in the game. There's plenty of tight corridors, dark (almost pitch-black) rooms, and atmospheric lighting to be found throughout the game.
The graphics are stunning, as is the incredible sound and audio. Voice acting is particularly commendable here, redeeming its good, but un-inspiring plot. Whilst its enough to keep you entertained, the plot at times is very lack-luster and tacky, particularly the ridiculous love triangle between Issac, Ellie and her boyfriend (What were EA thinking?)
There have been some nice changes to gameplay, making Issac (or Carver if you want to play co-op) easier to control. However nothing to drastic to ruin the purposely clunky controls that make the game intense.
Weapon crafting is just, brilliant. Seriously I cannot explain how fun it is. Any weapon you could ever imagine in the DS universe is `craftable.' You can literally build guns from scratch, which is excellent in allowing players to craft weapons that support their tactics.
As for Co-op, I'm yet to try it, its never appealed to me, and to those concerned about it be happy to know it is not at all forced down your throat when playing the game.
In conclusion, Dead Space 3 is an intense, action-packed, and horrific experience; with tons of replay value (there are 4 modes to unlock after completing the first playthrough.) Although it may not be as scary as its predecessors, it makes up for it in incredible sound, graphics, gameplay and weapon crafting.
Final Verdict:
Gameplay: 10/10
Graphics: 10/10
Atmosphere: 9.5/10
Story: 7/10
Horror: 8.5/10
Action: 10/10
OVERALL: 9.2/10 | video-games_xbox |
Enhances The Gaming Experience. The <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Afterglow-Universal-Wireless-Headset-Blue/dp/B009CL6LA6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Afterglow Universal Wireless Headset - Blue</a> is a wireless headset for the Wii, PS3, and XBox gaming platforms. I addition, the Afterglow Wireless Headset is compatible with the Wii U, PC, and mobile devices (using the included audio cable). The headset enhances the gaming experience by giving the gamer a stereo listening experience that easily sounds much better than your standard television speakers; The speakers size is a robust 50mm. Using a USB hub that plugs into the USB port of the respective gaming device ("plug and play"), the hub has a series of RCA jacks that plug directly into the TV. Given that a PS3 (for example) already has RCA jacks, the hub provided has a place where the PS3 RCA jacks plug into the wireless headset RCA jacks; the Wireless headset jacks then plug directly into the TV. That may sound ever so complicated, but with easy to follow instructions provided via booklet, the process is really simple.
This headset possesses many other unique features, particularly compared to competing models. The wireless headset additionally provides a chatting microphone, which is retractable, something comparable models don't possess (<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Turtle-Beach-Ear-Force-X32-Digital-Headset/dp/B006W41X1S/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Turtle Beach Ear Force X32 Digital Headset</a>,<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Primer-Wireless-Stereo-Headset-for-Xbox-360/dp/B007W1XNJK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Primer Wireless Stereo Headset for Xbox 360</a>). The headset requires no battery costs as some models do, with some models requiring a lofty $65 in replacement battery costs. The Afterglow Headset falls short compared to Turtle Beach and Tritton models in tested battery life online (10 hours compared to 23-24 hours), but given it's rechargeable lithium power (via USB), that is ultimately a small concession.
Confortable, practical, and accentuating the gaming experience for the individual, $90 doesn't seem too much to ask for the <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Afterglow-Universal-Wireless-Headset-Blue/dp/B009CL6LA6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Afterglow Universal Wireless Headset - Blue</a>. Sound packaging with detailed features and a comparison table to other models just sweetens the deal. Highly recommended for gamers everywhere. | video-games_xbox |
A fun creepy game that made me jump!! (WARNING SPOILERS. Please disregard C. Temples review as it is not even a review, but more so illiterate babbling!
I have been a fan of SH since the first one came out. Silent Hill: Homecoming is a great addition to the rest! This is the first one I have played on an xbox360 console and not PC. While the controls were easy to get accustom to I must say the graphics were awesome! I immediately turned off all the lights in the room, turned up the volume on the surround sound and played on my 42" 1080p LCD (what a difference from the PC!!). The fact that Akira Yamaoka did the music for this SH made it even better and boy does he do a wonderful job!
A nurse with no face and a hot body pops out of a bathroom stall, a hole in a glass window is bleeding, lines of insects lead you to your next clue, the mayors digging up graves and you are stuck in a maze of a sewer and when you get it wrong the clinking of spidery creatures are coming! While I've never really jumped while playing on PC I found my body very alert and responsive to the eerie black environment, the sounds and creatures. The spine-chilling and grotesque themes are amazingly crisp and the creatures just pop out at you when you least expect it! And yes it can be difficult to "see" in this game, indeed it is very dark, but that is why it is so much fun because you can't "see the whole picture" if you did it just wouldn't be that scary. The story line so far is very appealing, as to why the relationship between Alex and is family is so flawed I have still to find out but it's pretty sad, they just don't seem to care about him! The fact that in his house there are only pictures of the family with his brother and none of Alex (though there is evidence on the wall that many other pictures were hung but have since been taken down) and the tape with his angry father and the memories of him make it worse and I'm dying to find out. I love the fact that they included Pyramid Head and the nurses unlike SH: The Room (The only SH game I didn't quite care for; it just wasn't creepy enough and the room indeed got old very fast). The bosses so far have been a good challenge and very crazy looking creatures; they pack a powerful punch as do many of the other monsters. The suspense grows when you find your health low, you've got no ammo, a monster chasing after you and most of the door locks are jammed! It gets even better when you hear the bone chilling siren and the flakes of paint begin to peel off the walls revealing a hellish revised world. This game can be very challenging, but it only makes you want to play harder, some of these creatures can literally rip your body in half! (And yes you see the entire thing when they do). I have enjoyed playing this game and it was worth the wait and the money thus far. I just wish I had more ammo and more health! : )
If you are a fan of SH I highly recommend playing Homecoming! And if you're into all the blood, guts, horror, suspense and grotesque creatures this is a fun game to play that is not based in a military/space environment.
UPDATE: Yeah the third boss is kinda hard....arrgg!! and I have to constantly talk to the dad until I can get to a point where I press start and attack the beast doll!! | video-games_xbox |
Excellent Product from Xbox. This is a truly excellent product for the Xbox. It was originally designed for the first Xbox console, but it works flawlessly with the current generation XBox 360.
This product basically works like an ethernet bridge. Once you have set it up, it should work with any device that has an ethernet adapter. You will need to connect it to your XBox 360 at first. Once it has established a connection with your access point, you can then move it to any ethernet-enabled device and it should work.
I could not decide whether to locate my wireless router close to my XBox 360, or close to my desktop computer. I needed an adapter that would work for either one. In the end, I ended up moving the router closer to the computer, away from the XB360. The XB360 is the one using this wireless adapter. The computer is connected directly to the router. But, I could have gone with the opposite set up.
It has been working fine for me. I use the console every day, downloading content from XBox Marketplace. And so far, this adapter has maintained reliable connectivity. Transfer rate is more than satisfactory, as the real bottleneck is the internet connection and not the home network. I also like the fact that this adapter has its own power supply and does not depend on the console's USB port for power.
Microsoft very rarely puts out a product that does not require some type of correction throughout its life cycle. Heck, they are still patching up Windows Xp seven years later! The XBox 360 console itself is still haunted by frequent hardware failures, even three years after its debut. But Microsoft got this one right. This is one microsoft product that works like it should. You will not need to install the included software if you are going to use it on a 360.
Should you buy this adapter, or the one specifically designed for the XB360? This one is about $30 cheaper. But it does have a separate chassis, and does require its own power supply. Whereas the XB360-specific adapter is a small, USB device that snaps and locks onto the back of the console. In other words, the more expensive device is a neater solution, especially if you have a white XB360. All you will see from the front is a small antenna. And the USB adapter will turn off when the console is off. This one will continue to run until you unplug its independent power supply. The adapter is black in color and does not match the white color of the Arcade and the Pro consoles. On the other hand, if you have an Elite console, the black box that is this adapter does not look bad at all. Performance should be roughly same. They are both capable of 802.11G operation.
This is a better deal than the USB adapter. And it is also more versatile because it can work with other ethernet devices. Highly recommended. | video-games_xbox |
I don't have time to explain why I don't have time to explain...how frustrated I am. Play the game and you'll get the reference. Well, I guess overall it's not a "bad" game, it just didn't live up to expectations one bit, especially for how much time and money was put into this thing. Coming from massive Halo fan and knowing what Bungie is capable of.... I'm not sure if you can even compare the two games. It feels like a more boring, less funny, more frustrating "Borderlands" rip off. The story is hard to follow and feels non-existent, and I'm not going to read the "grimoire cards" or whatever to fill in the gaps for the pathetic excuse for storytelling.
Pros:
- Very polished graphics
- Some cool looking Guardians. complete with capes
- Dancing with random people online
- Peter Dinklage
Cons:
- Supreme lack of story ("Grimoire Cards" and DLC might have been ok if they supplemented an already strong story)
- Speaking of DLC, $20 per DLC..... really? For one more raid, one more strike and a little more story that should have already been there at launch for the $60 I paid in the first place.
- Repetitive story missions. Your ghost finds some ancient/alien device, you guard him from swarms of enemies while he takes his time and he finishes conveniently at the same time the enemies stop coming so you can jump back to orbit.
- No matchmaking for the raids or weekly strikes. I can kinda understand the raids, they take hours and you want people committed to completing them and not just clicking on matchmaking and then quitting, but the Weekly strikes.... really? Give me a good explanation not to have matchmaking for the same strike at a higher level Bungie.
- Post 20 Leveling system (light levels) and farming materials (aka ascendant shards and strange coins) to buy/upgrade armor to increase your level. I've played a lot of RPGs and can't say I've seen anything quite the same as this, and there is probably a reason for that... it's not a good idea.
-Random Number Generator, you are the bane of my existence.
Overall if you stick it out, play through the story to the end game material you might get sucked in enough for another 30-40 hours of gameplay (like I did) to start doing matchmaking strikes (only 5 exist, you'll be able to do them in your sleep after the 20th time) and get better armor and some light levels. Then once you get to about level 26-28 the amount of time to get to the next level is just ridiculous and, like me, you'll stop playing until reading that Bungie fixes all this s*&t. | video-games_xbox |
great for pc gamers and a godsend for lefties. If you're used to playing games on a computer, then this device will make you feel right at home on the Xbox. I've always hated the controllers anyway so finding a keyboard/mouse option is fantastic.
I'm not going to go on and on, but simply this device works very well. There are reports of some incompatibility with certain keyboards and mice, but I think those are limited to high end wireless gear. It works great with just basic keyboards and mice.
It comes with a review card that lists the basic keyboard configuration if you plan on custom programming the keys (and you probably will). The review card is not accurate, so you need to start the game, hit f12 to get to the base keyboard layout, and then just start hitting keys to see how the game reacts, make a note of the action and then program that original key to your preferred key.
For example what is supposed to be the black controller button (keyboard TAB) actually turns out to be keypad +. So it takes some time to get it figured out and programmed properly, but after that it's fine. The device does not give you any on-screen help at all, you need to remember or write down your keyboard mapping.
For me the best thing about this device is that it gives left handers the ability to play on a level field. Some games, such as Big Red One, does not have a left hand controller layout. If you use a lefty configuration for Halo or Halo2, you're pretty much screwed when trying to play Big Red One unless you're willing to re-learn the controller layout.
I have to have the left thumb control the "look" aspect and the right thumb control "move". I find it impossible to swap the thumbpads, my brain just doesn't work that way. Plus if you move with the right thumb then it makes jumping a LOT less effective. But now I move with the 8,4,5,6 keypad, look with the mouse and jump with keypad 0. It's great - because I can jump while moving.
Just to give you a bit more of an insight: keypad 7 = reload, 9 = swap weapon, 2 = melee, 1 = black 3 = white, right mouse = right trigger, left mouse = grenade, mouse wheel = zoom/ADS. But I think I'm moving melee to keypad 1.
I have my Big Red One layout matching my Halo2 layout with just a couple exceptions. This is a great advantage when moving from one game to another.
I know of two other similar devices on the market, one is reported to be better than this one, and the other is reported to be much worse. You can't beat twenty bucks in any case.
Be sure to also buy the extension cable, the cable hardwired to the device itself is ridiculously short.
For up to date info, check out the forums at lik-sang.com | video-games_xbox |
Very fun Co-Op game. This game is definitely built for those people who enjoy playing in a Co-Op environment with a friend. Since my friend Dan and I enjoy going through a story line as a team, this game seemed like the perfect purchase for us. It took a little while to get used to the controls in this game, so if you get frustrated after a few minutes, don't worry that's part of the learning curve.
I was surprised this game was not a First Person Shooter, because I essentially thought this was a Halo rip off with a different setting. Instead this is a third person over the shoulder view, which is not the easiest for aiming at targets in certain situations. Usually I am not a fan of this view, so it took some getting used to with this game. When we first started playing through this game we thought it was just okay, but before we knew it we had played it until 2:00AM and at that point we figured it must've been better than we thought. Basically you play as two elite forces people for a contracting company, because the U.S. military isn't as good as going into places covertly and taking out the bad guys. You spend a good deal of time fighting in areas like the Middle East and fighting various terrorists, so in that regard it's somewhat of an "up to date" game. Don't worry there's actually a decent plot twist in this game that doesn't make it feel like it's that mundane all the time. The missions are actually pretty challenging and we had to repeat sections together once in a while.
I found the graphics fairly impressive for the Xbox 360 and I think they definitely use the higher processing abilities in that regard. Since this game takes place in modern times you get to use weapons that are currently available. The weapons selection ability was definitely one of the coolest parts of the game. As you take contracts and complete them for pay you can take your money and upgrade your weapons! This was one of the more fun parts of the game for me. Periodically the game gives you the option to visit your arms dealer so you can switch weapons mid-mission as well. The only part of this game I hated playing was whenever you had to control the hovercraft. Talk about trying to control an incredibly unwieldy vehicle. I wish standard vehicle controls for things like that were the same as the Warthog on Halo, but alas, I spend more time trying to get the hovercraft to move straight than I do trying to enjoy the game in those sections! Luckily it's not something you have to drive frequently.
This game is definitely designed with Co-Op in mind. I never tried it with just using the AI as my Co-Op teammate so I'm not sure how that works, but based on what I've read, it's not that great. Personally, I would only pick this game up if you do have someone to play with that also enjoys these types of games. | video-games_xbox |
GREAT game. I bought soul calibur V, being a fan of the series, and bought the collectors edition with Dampierre. I can't get enough of this game. Story leaves alot to be desired, but gameplay is just amazing and it has one of the best character creation tools I've ever seen. There are so many possibilities!
Offline modes:
Campaign: leaves aLOT to be desired. I beat it in less than an hour, but it's story isn't terrible. I think they should definitely have given every character a story, or just did the soul calibur 2 deal where there's a huge map. (2/5)
Legendary souls: Don't even bother. My friend holds the world record of 59 minutes... Definitely not worth the time and frustration. It's just overkill, especially if you're new to the game. Expect to get your feelings hurt with this mode. (3/5)
Arcade: A quick, fun group of battles. It's hard to go wrong with arcade mode. (4/5)
Quick battle: Great fun. Unlock tons of titles by defeating everything from the easiest thing you've ever fought to ungodly forces. I found hours of playtime and I've barely scratched the surface! (5/5)
VS battle: Great offline multiplayer system. I can't find anything wrong with it. No delay and no screen room issues. (4.5/5)
Training: Pretty good. I did find an issue: If you set your buttons to lb and rb / l2 and r2, it will reset if you press them close together. (3.5/5)
Online modes:
Ranked match: I'd usually be the last guy to complain about people being cheap (unless I'm yelling cause I just got rung out or grab spammed to a pulp) But the soul calibur online community is pretty much garbage unless you've got friends who are good. There is a penalty for leaving a match which is always good but it can be inconvenient if you need to shut off your xbox or something. It is fun overall but don't put it below anyone to spam or be stupid. Connection is never an issue, as you can set your search preference to 4 bars and above. Search tool comes in handy. Leveling up isn't impossible and you'll have some fun doing it. (4/5)
Player match: Spamming problem solved. Kick them. (5/5)\
Global colloseo: Sorta confusing, but useful when you just wanna fight without it effecting your rank. Tournaments are a bit stupidly set up, but you can always organize your own tournament. (4/5)
Creation mode: AMAZING. Best creation ever, hands down. You can not disagree that this is a great tool. (10000000000/5)
Overview:
Overall, this game is just great. It has alot of flaws, but it's so fun that those flaws can be overlooked. Amazing. (5/5) | video-games_xbox |
Expected performance from a $130 wireless. My primary interest in a gaming headset is sound quality, and mic functionality, with things such as comfort/wires/bluetooth being secondary concerns.
Sound: 3/5
Mic: 2/5
Form & Function: 2/5
Sound:
The sound from the large drivers was overall good and would likely be very impressive to anyone inexperienced with HQ headphones. There is a consistent low hum/buzz, which seemed to become louder daily. The "surround", although commendable, is noticeably simulated. I found the sound of the X12's (even without the DSS Dolby surround unit) to be clearer, deeper, and overall superior.
Mic:
The mic seems to be well designed, and the monitoring feature which allows you to hear yourself is nice; however, although my voice sounded fine through the monitoring, many players asked if I was using a Kinect mic. Yikes. That's no bueno. I can only imagine what it must have sounded like on their end for them to assume it was a Kinect mic. Bonus points for the monitoring and being removable though.
Form & Function:
I found myself consistently wondering why the ear cups were so much smaller than the X12's when they supposedly use the same drivers. The ear cups for the X12's are large and elliptical, the X42's are small and circular. The 42's are less comfortable, and distribute sound around the ear less effectively. Most high end headphones have larger cans like the X12's.
Although I'm sure they would've broken in with time, for the 5 days I wore them they became slightly uncomfortable after 2-3 hrs. I am someone used to wearing headphones for long sessions without any discomfort.
Also worth a note, all wires were difficult to seat, as though not manufactured well for their intended receiver. This was true of both the transmitter (optical cable) and headset (headset jack from left earphone to game controller).
BOTTOM LINE:
A decent set for the price, but unless you simply MUST have wireless, save $20-30 and get the superior DX12's. | video-games_xbox |
Division, fun while it lasted, adios until DLC drops. Fun while it lasted, way under baked.
I had a great time, leveled to 30 and ranked to 50. The problem is there is nothing further to do in the game.
I cannot in good conscience recommend this game to anyone unless they:
1. Go in knowing they will be done in a week with the story and the side content, until DLC.
2. Enjoy PvP and ganking noobs, because thats all thats left to do.
3. Love grinding crafting materials, it now takes soooooo much.
I will say the graphics and base story are stellar, wish there was a book series. But the Dark Zone is so much the gankfest. They could easily fix it by creating the brackets based on gear score. As it stands I feel like a light weight thrown into the ring with young Mike Tyson, and he bites both ears off every time I enter. Bracketing by gear score would be like weight class in boxing.
If there were a non-PvP Dark Zone area I would stick with the game. Maybe add to the north of the DZ, defend against hordes rolling south into the DZ. The DZ is fun, until a group of four role up on you, target and drop you before getting a rogue status that will drop a minute later. If someone ganks me they should remain rogue TO ME and possibly my crew for a week or maybe 24 hours. Start blood feuds and vengeance runs rather than easy no risk ganks. You gank someone and for a week you have to watch over your shoulder. How about adding a safety switch setting so those of us that never want to go rogue can fight without worry of going rogue and targeted. EVERY weapon should have a safety switch.
The new free incursion is a total bore, fun to run once but at the end of the day, its one room and you get stuck in a ditch with three friends for an hour or two. Supply drops only really reward the person that opens it seems, all I have ever received was a couple purple items. Fix the random number generator, I have yet to find a single piece of the new gear outside doing the Incursion, which I don't plan on ever doing again. How about limiting the grenade spamming, I feel like I am playing Frogger. Give us a shotgun that is actually useful, maybe a built in talent of stagger or knock back.
So much potential.
Thanks for all the ops, but gotta say adios,
MajorPepperHead on the XbOne
Edited: for more detail.
Update: I may have been wrong on the drop crates. I have heard that it is all based on random number generator, which is horably broken. I have still not found a single piece of the new gear outside the Incursion run. Making my character even further handicapped against the cheaters and glitchers in the dark zone.
I can still not recommend this game beyond the first 30 levels and story line, which were stellar.
The developers are busy fixing glitches, but until order is reached, and the playing field "fair", I believe all PvP should be turned off. This will never happen, leading me to believe that the developers are probably all cheaters, glitchers and griefers themselves and consider that to be "fun". Not what I signed up for when I purchased this game. I refuse to allow the developers to push me to playing in a dishonorable fashion, and feel that I am totally unable to play in the Dark Zone without cheating. I witnessed Rogues glitching into a building without an entrance to hide after killing a player. This method of glitching is common in this game, and could easily be stopped by disabling the mobile cover extension. Lets say that hasn't happened yet. The game falls further into chaos. The developers should admit failure, postpone DLC (which would probably introduce further bugs, glitches and unbalance) and focus only on bringing order. | video-games_xbox |
If it sounds too good to be true, it probly is. I bought the controller because it was cheaper than any other I could find, however since I was comparison shopping I forgot to read the reviews of all the products I was comparing, the description photo shows an OEM controller, this is anything but an OEM product. the signature Xbox X in the middle of the controller is not on the actual product, and as a whole the controller is VERY cheesy. I did not realize how bad it actually was till I held it side by side with the real thing, so here's my list of woes:
1. the triggers are poorly made, they have a very rough pull, seems like some rough edge is catching the side of the trigger housing.
2. The reason I had to return this controller was the triggers do not have a "full pull" only the last 1/8th of an inch actually has any effect this means that if you need a proportional trigger, this one isn't it. THIS CONTROLLER WILL NOT WORK FOR RACING GAMES that require a little finesse with the throttle, its basically like a keyboard, stop or go.
3. Bumpers are very loud and very hard to click, the bumpers basically are not bumpers, they take some effort to pull, once again, if your a racer, these will not work for shifting.
4. for the 4 main buttons and the d-pad there's not much to complain about, they feel a little differant then the real thing, but they do the job good enough.
5. playing Shift 2, I did notice the sticks had a slightly incremental pull, with the OEM product, I get a fluid steering wheel pull in cockpit view, but with this controller there were slight jumps all the way thru, it did the job tho, and most shooters won't be affected.
6. the push-in buttons under the sticks are very hard to press and very loud. I don't use them so I have little to say, but I'm sure in COD it would be hard to knife without accidently turning a bit.
7. the rumble effect is VERY loud, it is seriously annoying, I had to turn it off, if you wear headphones and don't notice this trust me, you will get comments from every other person in the room.
8. Start button and back button are very deep, it feels like your pushing them into a hole, and they don't push smoothly either.
Final Verdict: very cheap intimation of the Xbox 360 controller, good for shooters maybe, but the stick-buttons and bumpers will be very annoying for fraggers and knifers, the force feedback is basically unusable due to its noise, and the start/back buttons require concentration to press, which could be problematic for trying to check the score in the middle of a fierce round. For racing, this controller is completely unusable for anything but the most "arcadey" titles. Seller should really be made to change the description photo, as it's wrong and misleading. | video-games_xbox |
Awesome, action packed game, and Activision brought back the DLC for it!!! However, it will only be available until the end 2010. Originally, I had posted a review about this game about a month ago, talking about how disappointed I was in it because Activision had removed the downloadable content for it, which was basically an add-on that added five new characters to the game: Carnage, Black Panther, Magneto, Psylocke, and Cable. I still had given the game's fun factor a high rating because even without the DLC, the game was just plain fun, the way a video game should be. Despite this however, I was still sorely disappointing that Activision had removed the DLC from Xbox Live and PSN, giving very little time or warning that was going to happen. As I read different forums I found I was not alone in my disappointment, with many being down right angry with Activision, feeling as though they "screwed the fans", myself being one of them. Ya I know, its just a game and the game still kicks butt without the DLC, but for those of us who really wanted to experiencing the game in its all, we would not be able too. Not only that, but there are certain achievements in the game which became unobtainable unless you had the extra characters, another factor which was disappointing and made the game seemingly incomplete for many. I even voiced my opinion to Activision and expressed my disappointment with them in this move, but was only told that they most likely will never re-post the DLC for this game and it was gone for good.
This all came to an end however on July 1st, when I just randomly signed into one of the game forums, and saw a posting that Activision had put the DLC back. Quickly signing onto Xbox Live, I found that sure enough it was there. Not only that, but they also made the Juggernaut available to download, as well as the two compatibility patches enabling people who do not have the DLC to play with those that do during online gaming. I read that basically because of all the hate mail and bad feedback they received after removing the DLC the first time around, they decided to put it back up. They said that they fought to have it put back up largely in part due to so many of the fans requesting it. However it is very important to mention that IT WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE UNTIL THE END OF 2010, so hurry and pick it up. So anyway, I Personally felt like that was really cool of them. It just felt like to me that they did what they could to make the fans happy, and actually listened to the voice of the fans, a first in my experience as a gamer with any game publisher. Personally, I could have done without the DLC, and this is just a video game "life goes on", but to see a game publisher actually listen to the fans to the extent that they put back a small game add-on says a lot about them. So anyway, needless to say I felt a little regretful sending them my negative two cents in the past, and felt I may have misjudged Activision.
So anyway, about the game itself, its just awesome. You got all the coolest comic book characters at your disposal to beat the crap out of anyone who stands in your way. The controls are similar to the first Marvel Ultimate Alliance, but that is where the similarities end in my opinion. Where the game differs the most, is just the sheer amount of action and fast pace. There are twice as many enemies in this game than the first, and it is considerably harder at that. Boss battles are much more challenging and frequent, and require a little more strategy then just smashing away at the buttons, a definite plus in my opinion. Each character has their own set of four special abilities (probably the only thing I think was inferior to its predecessor since that one had many more abilities) and a number of character upgrades obtained with gold orbs you will get throughout the game. Overall, this game is not too complicated and most anyone will be able to jump right in and have a blast, the aspect of the game I feel is its greatest appeal. However, if you are sensitive to flashing lights and the such, be careful because this game is full of that. Basically, this game is very fun and addicting and in my opinion, is far better and much more fast paced than the first Ultimate Alliance. It is a must for comic fans, but also a must if you want a great enjoyable video game. | video-games_xbox |
Lazy old Bungie. Well, it looks like Halo sold out. Instead of making a good VIDEO GAME they scrapped much the fun and intelligence in the game for things like the energy sword and dual wield. I previously enjoyed the gore combined with the two styles of play. There was the slaughter version where you could run around whacking aliens to death and there was the strategical version where you crouched behind a rock with 1 health block trying to kill an elite that simply won't die. This dual playing has been removed from Halo 2 and replaced with some meaningless plot and some stupid bosses. I play Zelda to kill bosses, not Halo. I still can't understand that poorly designed Buddha-like plant. It reminded me of an animated pile of sentient compost rather than a plant.
The graphics most of you have clearly not paid attention to. Background graphics: hideous. I can't look at them without becoming angry and inserting my Halo CD. They are ugly, squareish (for xbox), extemely shady to cover up the lighting job, and poorly colored. I feel like I'm in the same level almost all of the time. There is scarcely any alien, human, or flood theme distinction. The falling snow made me really sad. The falling snow in Halo 1 was about 400 times more realistic. The unit graphics have been somewhat upgraded. Not worth it. The energy shield has been redone and I have found no way to tell exactly when I'm about to die. Its more like guessing.
The degraded quality certainly drags on the fun of the game, almost as much as a unit called drones. They fly all around your head, pissing you off, until you finally decide to shoot at them, wasting the little ammo they give you. This leads me to conclude that: This game was made for 12 year olds who want to play Halo 2 on Xbox Live. Do not play the campaign or many of the maps. The depth of the terrain on them is very warped and disorienting. The game wasn't horrible, just average. I won't be buying Halo 3. It'll only be another trip into Halo 1 nostalgia. | video-games_xbox |
This is the most accurate, best simulation game to date. Still room for improvement. This is a game that has mind blowing graphics, realistic physics, and gives you a real feeling of racing. But still there a few big problems.
The game is as challenging as you decide. At the begining of the game you are asked if you treat racing casual to serious. I chose serious, so there are no assists. I personally think any assistants is bogus; but then again I work on cars and have had my share of real racing expereince. This is as close as it gets so far. I wish the cars were more diverse, like there are a few Vettes but no base model Vette(like just a C2/3/4/5/6). Any real tuner knows that if you're going to jazz up a chevy you don't spend tons on the Camaro SS or the 01-04 Z06 Vette. So I have a beef with that, and still no 93-97(97 30thZ28[but we get the 92?]), 90-95 ZR1, 55 Porsche spyder(that was in the first one), Jaguar D-type, 77 Trans AM, 64 Ferrari GTB,street trim GT-one, or the GT-R(should have been in there though it is an addon), a lack of mustangs, and the loss of the Camaro SS 396. And there is drag racing, but no rallys. But they have the fox body stang. This is imporant because it is probably the most popular car to race in the states. So I liked that; and the import(or tuner) cars are well balanced. Unlike Gran Turismo who seems to excel in low horsepower cars.
Now the handling physics and mechanics are spot on, the traction is not. Let me put it this way, the tires don't heat up. Its like you're running on cold tires all the time. This effects the drag racing and kind of ruins it. AWD is the only realistic drag racing, where a 650hp stang can't do better then 11s. Real life its a 10 sec car. So I have a big problem with that.
The upgrades though are nice so I can't complain about all of that. And I think with as many complaints there are about the drag racing they should fix it.
This is the best game I have ever seen or touched. The interior view really gives you a real feel.
One word: Amazing game. | video-games_xbox |
A colorful, fun RPG that just missed the mark. I loved the original Fable, and I thought it was one of the best RPG's on the original Xbox.
Fast forward to the present, and Fable 2, and what we have is an extension of the original Fable in some ways, and a step back in others.
I'll break it down by category.
Graphics - 9/10:
Luckily, Fable 2 forgoes the current (and ridiculous) trend of desaturating the colors of the current generation of games and gives us a bright, colorful and beautiful world with an amazing color pallete.
I am so sick and tired of EVERY single current-gen game being the same browns and grays.
It's really refreshing to see bright colors pop off my HDTV. What's the point of having games play in HDTV which are capable of displaying MILLIONS of bright colors, if your games only output 4 of them???
Colors aside, the game looks very good, with a unique and interesting art-style that I find attractive.
It may not be the BEST looking 360 game available, but it's one of the more visually pleasing.
Sound - 7/10:
The voice-acting is EXCELLENT, and is the shining star of the sound, as well as the excellent (if familiar-sounding) music.
The music certainly sets the mood for each situation.
There were times though that some ambient sounds seemed to go missing, or were muted, but overall they were good.
My biggest gripe, especially in this day and age, is the odd choice for the hero to have absolutely no voice whatsoever.
I loved Oblivion, but that also annoyed me.
I want my character, the hero to have a voice! I would have liked to have seen Lionhead take a cue from Saints Row 2 and have you pick from a selection of different voices to apply to your character.
That would have scored the sound a 10/10.
But, they didn't, so it's a 7.
Gameplay - 8/10:
Ok, if you liked the first Fable, you will like this one. It's nearly the same game, but with one significant improvement. The combat system.
Lionhead did a great job by mapping the weapons/magic to different buttons.
This just makes sense, and plays out very fluidly. It's a GREAT combat system.
I don't know about anyone else, but give me THIS combat system over the TERRIBLE turn-based combat of most JRPG's. I HATE them.
THIS is how you do combat in today's RPG.
There are a bunch of fun quests to go on, and the differnt jobs you can take to earn money are simple, but oddly fun. I particularly liked the Blacksmithing game.
The Pub games are also a fun diversion, and my favorite is Keystone. I know Fortune's Tower received all the praise, but I found Keystone to be fun, and exciting.
I would have given the gameplay a 10/10, if it weren't for one of the most annoying parts of Fable's gameplay.
That is the interaction with NPC's. Since your character doesn't speak, the only way you can interact with NPC's is by using expressions.
This was interesting in the first game, but it was also limiting.
I like the idea, and I'm glad they expanded on it, but I would also have liked a true dialog system in the game as well. Playing the lute in the market-square to entertain people to gain reknown is a good idea.
Interacting with EVERY character in the game using NO DIALOG, is not such a great idea.
I wish they had included both expressions AND a dialog tree.
Another annoyance is there is definitely slowdown, and having slowdown when going to the menus to take a potion, or change outfits, is ridiculous!
Also, there is no true armor system as the original Fable had. There are clothes and outfits that you can buy/find, but they are not interesting at all, and not very varied, and none seem to provide any extra protection during combat. They only seem to affect your character's attractiveness to the NPC's.
This is a missed opportunity. I loved finding or buying Chain Mail, or Plate Mail, or cursed, or enchanted armor in the original game.
That has been completely scrapped here, and that's another reason the gameplay scores an 8/10. It's an odd decision by Lionhead to go this route in an RPG.
Summary:
PROS:
1. Bright, colorful, detailed graphics.
2. Great music, and funny voice-acting.
3. Fun, classic Fable gameplay.
4. Excellent combat system/controls.
5. The game truly makes you feel like a hero.
6. You can buy EVERYTHING in the game.
7. Jobs are a cool way to earn money.
CONS:
1. No voice-over for the main character.
2. Some sound bugs.
3. Slowdown, even in menus.
4. LONG load-times.
5. No armor, only clothing with no apparent combat benefits.
6. Expressions are the only way to interact with NPC's. No dialog trees.
Bottom line:
Most of the cons are fairly negative to me...but they may be deal-breakers for some.
I feel like some of this can be addressed with a patch, like the slowdown, and the load times will probably be non-existent when the NXE launches in November, and we can burn this game to our HDD's.
Overall though, the game IS FUN. It looks GREAT.
Isn't that what we want from our RPG's?
I don't think this game is better than Oblivion, but it's one of the great RPG's on the 360.
If you don't have 200 hours to put into a game like Oblivion, this is THE RPG to get.
It's got a good story (not as great as Molyneux promised), it's accessible to anyone and everyone, it looks beautiful, you can play co-op, and it has one of the best combat systems of any RPG I've ever played.
Overall, I would say 8.5/10. | video-games_xbox |
Very Pleased with Geniusmods. I recently ordered (and received) the Geniusmods controller for my son. We both have played with it and this is my review.
I have to state that my initial opinion of this controller was not so good. I had super high expectations that this would completely revolutionize our game play...But, after working with Geniusmods, I'm super happy with them and their controller. I'll give you my 2 issues first and then end with the positives.
2 Issues:
Issue 1: Modded controllers change the power distribution and ohm load; some controllers are VERY finicky when you go around messing with how they distribute power. Unfortunately, the one I initially received had a very bad aiming issue. The controller would not aim where I pointed the stick, it was very jerky. Though, I decided to play through this and see if I could adapt. Long story short, I could not. If I couldn't, I know my son couldn't!
Issue 2: Unfortunately, day one out of the box, I broke it. I had been playing with the controller for a couple of hours. Obviously I had to test it before I gave it to my son :) and in a heated battle I had been gripping the controller so hard I accidentally pushed in "mod" button and was unable to turn the mod on or off (I was playing with it mods on and mods off to get a good feel for how much different it would be).
Being the tech wizard that I am...I figured I could easily fix the controller; and we just got it, so I didn't want to send it back and have to wait again. Long story short...I couldn't fix the controller.
The Positives:
Positive 1: EXCELLENT COMMUNICATION! I sent an email to Geniusmods explaining my issues. I even mentioned that I opened the controller to try to fix it myself (thus voiding my warranty). I received a call from within an hour from the customer support team and they were very sorry to hear about both issues I was having.
Positive 2: WILLING TO STAND BEHIND THEIR CONTROLLER! After I explained the aiming issues, they immediately asked me to send it back to them to fix it. The lady I spoke with was concerned that I had opened the controller, but she said that as long as I don't open the new one, she will honor their warranty, fix the one I have and send it back to me (after ensuring the aiming issue is worked out).
Positive 3: WILLING TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND! I have multiple scuf controllers and I really like having the paddles on the bottom. I wanted to give one to my son, but I also wanted him have the functionality of the modded controller too. While I was on the phone with them I asked if they could combine the two controllers, she said that they could (for a nominal fee of course)...let me tell you, the nominal fee was very reasonable! So, I sent them the bottom half of one of my scufs and their controller.
Positive 4: MORE EXCELLENT COMMUNICATION! After I sent back my controller, they constantly kept me up to speed (via email) with what they were doing and when I could expect my controller back. They took some extra time to ensure the aiming issues were worked out and to ensure nothing was wrong with the controller.
Positive 5: CONTROLLER WORKS GREAT! My son is extremely pleased with the controller! The rapid fire modes work great, the aiming is smooth and spot on, and the look and feel is great!
Overall, I am very pleased with Geniusmods and if I want a modded controller for myself, I would definitely order from them. One piece of advice though, a modded controller will NOT help you aim better. If you play poorly because you can't aim, this won't help you...well, that's not technically true, it will help you because it does reduce the recoil of the gun...but, It won't help you initially get on target.
I hope this review was helpful! | video-games_xbox |
Not that bad despite the problems. With all the terrible reviews I was expecting this to be one of the worst games I've played. Granted, I did play it post patch so I'm probably not experiencing the same issues that people had day one. It's pretty much playable now and I've been having a lot of fun skating around and pulling off combos.
The physics of the game feel a bit different than the other Tony Hawk games but it didn't take long to get used to. The controls are basically the same as the old games but there is a new slam feature and I think it's a nice addition. I do wish you could get off your board to bail easier and there's also no option to skip falling animations. Otherwise the game controls nicely.
Maps are really awesome and I've enjoyed all of them. Pulling off big combos is easy and the power-ups are fun to use. I'm finding the maps to be much more dynamic than those in Proving Ground and I can see myself coming back to Pro Skater 5 just to mess around.
There's no story mode. Instead you get missions that need to be completed to unlock other levels. The missions aren't too great and they become repetitive as they are basically the same thing in each level. There's also free-skate objectives such as COMBO or find the hidden DVD/VHS. I was never too compelled to finish these objectives and they seem like a pointless throwback.
I'm not sure if a story mode would have improved things too much because I was never a big fan of the stories in the Tony Hawk games. I think the franchise works better with what we get in Pro Skater 5, I just wish it would have been implemented a little better. It's by no means terrible, but passable.
The online play is bad. When you select a map you are dropped in a room with other online players. I don't see much of a point in this but I guess it's fun to skate around with other people (there is an option to play solo). The problem arises when I want to play multiplayer. Getting a match of Trick Attack going has not been easy to do and sometimes the lobbies I play in are empty. There's also no split-screen which is a bummer.
The character selection could use some work. You choose a pro skater to play with and you get skill points to level them up. It gets strange when you can change the appearance of the pro skater to your own liking. Why not just allow us to create our own character like we have been able to do in the past? It's a little odd selecting a pro skater who looks nothing like the person. With that said, I do like the leveling system and collecting emblems is fun.
Overall Pro Skater 5 delivers a fun skating experiencing that could have been perfect had it been polished a bit more. It somewhat feels like a return to form for the franchise and I do prefer this game over Proving Ground. Just a few things such as the poor online and repetitive missions keep it from being truly great, but the maps make for a fun time. Get it for around $30 and it's worth it. | video-games_xbox |
A Very Good Game at a Great Price. Since the early 90's the market for NFL football video games has been dominated by the EA Sports Madden series, and for good reason. For years it has been the class of the market with its innovative game play and extraordinary graphics; that is until now.
With the new "ESPN NFL 2K5" release from Sega, EA Sports and John Madden have some awfully stiff competition. As I have gotten older I find less, and less time to spend gaming, but I have always been faithful to football. Each year I shell out the $50 required to obtain the latest Madden offering, and I have never been disappointed. This year however "ESPN NFL 2K5" grabbed my attention early, mainly due to the $20 price tag. I had been a fan of the Sega football games for the Dreamcast system, and at that price what did I have to lose? If I didn't like it, at least I didn't pay a fortune to find out. Well, I have not been disappointed at all. This is a very good football game. The graphics are top notch, maybe just a hair below Madden, but the game play is every bit its equal. What I have always found frustrating about the EA titles is that on the more difficult game settings it was nearly impossible to run the football, even with a good running team. "2K5" addresses that problem without making it extremely easy. So if you like to grind it out on the ground, you can.
A new great feature that "2K5" offers is the VIP system. This allows you to save your game tendencies into a file. You can then play against yourself any time your want. You can also save a friends VIP file to your system and play against him, even when he's not there! That feature alone is worth $20. But perhaps the best features of the game are the ones brought to you by your friends at ESPN. Each games features an optional half time & post game shows hosted by Chris Berman, complete with highlights and commentary. You also have the option of watching an edition of "Sports Center" with guests like Trey Wingo. But one of the coolest options is "The Crib". As you play each game, and reach new milestones, you earn crib points. With the points you can purchase new items for your crib like furniture, posters, bobble head dolls, rugs, even cheat codes, teams and players to use in later game play. All of this makes for hours and hours of fresh game play. Granted, I have yet to see the new "Madden 2005", but at this point and at this price, I really don't need to. Here is the run down as I see it:
Pros:
Price, Price, Price ($19.99)
Fresh ESPN interface & Highlights
VIP system (very cool)
Weekly game prep in Franchise Mode
More realistic Running game
The Crib
Great graphics
Superb sound (particularly if you have surround sound)
Cons:
Navigating the play calling screen takes some getting used to
Hard to find. Especially the X-Box version
I really don't have anything bad to say about this game. I've played for about two weeks and I really like it. It may not be as good as "Madden 2005", but it's about time that Madden had some competition. And for gamers on a budget, you can't beat the price tag with a stick. Give it a try. What have you got to lose? | video-games_xbox |
Come Fly the Not So "Friendly Skies. Wow, first off I want to say that this game looks amazing, the different landscapes are very impressive, and I wonder how long the people criticizing the graphics stuck with the game (not to knock 'em everybody is entitled to their opinion). The first couple of boards in Juarez, Mexico and in the Middle East were ok, but once you get on missions like Rio Brazil and the Carribean, Wow!!
Maybe it could be because I'm not really a flight simulator game player that the graphics impressed me (especially the Brazil mission), but I thought the landscapes were realistic, and I think that they were done with the assistance of the forefront commercial satellite map company Geoeye(?) (they may contribute to the Google Earth maps also ). And yes there is some interaction with the landscapes if you shoot a missle or drop a bomb on buildings they explode, and you do see fire on land if you shoot your gun cannon.
This game to me is probably much less in the tradition of the Microsoft Flight Simulator X games (from what I know about them), and more in the tradition of games like Sega Afterburner and Thunderblade (wow, showing my gamer age) that I played at arcades as a kid.
Now the reason for the four stars, instead of five. The gameplay does feel kinda awkward at first (again I haven't played alot of flight sim games), and it does require you to be comfortable using multiple keys with your left or right hand, I'll include a short list:
Left Hand:
w,q,e (accelerate, straif left or right)
s,a,d (brake, switch weapon, select new target)
c (camera view)
ctrl (switch between manual or computer assisted flight, important!)
left alt (create assisted attack or assisted missle dodge, also important)
left shift (shoot cannon)
spacebar (shoot missles, essential!)
Right Hand: (if right handed)
arrow keys (accurate movement)
mouse directions (for faster less accurate movement)
Before this I thought games like <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Tomb-Raider-Underworld/dp/B0012N5EQE/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Tomb Raider: Underworld</a> or <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Mirror-s-Edge/dp/B00198ZHC8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Mirror's Edge</a> had sometimes complicated and frustrating controls, fortunately the game is paced enough (on normal) that its pretty forgiving if you don't have the controls down at least the first few missions....
Overall I feel that this is a great game, but if you aren't used to playing games on a PC keyboard (or just a good typist) then it will take some getting used to learning how to fly without crashing and burning.
I took away one star just for the control aspect of the game and I've played about halfway through, so I may update later. I also now want to see about ordering the <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/T-flight-Hotas-Stick-Pc-PS3/dp/B001CXYMFS/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">T-flight Hotas Stick Pc PS3</a> just because I think that besides the complex controls, this is a gorgeous, and fun game, and having a real (at least for PC) flight joystick may help somebody get the most out of it, just like in the Sega Afterburner arcade days!!
My Current Set Up:
Windows XP
Intel Core 2 Quad 2.83Ghz w 4 gigs of Ram
Nvdia 9600 Card (768MB video ram)
Running at 1024x768 (?) average 60fps (according to the game test, highest frame rate over 100) | video-games_xbox |
Unbiased Review... Don't pay extra. Just so everyone knows -- these sticks are not Limited Edition or anything of the sort. They are being made according to the limits of production in relation to demand. Madcatz has never stopped making these sticks. This is perhaps the most unbiased review you will read... so listen up.
Oh, and don't bother paying anything more than retail. That's a joke.
Anyways, to the review...
If you pay anything more than $90 for this stick, you will be severely disappointed. Not only will you be required to void the warranty on the controller to prevent the joystick from breaking -- but replacing it with a new one will bring the cost up to near 'Tournament Edition (149.99)' prices.
What you are paying for is labor and an arcade stick box -- REMEMBER THAT. Quality arcade controllers run from $100 to $200 because of the labor involved, the inner circuitry/wiring, and the cost of the parts. For $80 you are getting a stupidly good deal on a box, controller functionality, and labor. A control pad for any system will run you about $50, so you are only paying $30 for the cost of high quality wiring, additional materials (obviously, the stick is big) and additional labor. It is a fantastic deal.
Here's what you are getting pretty much for free: The joystick and buttons. The parts inside are good for anyone new, but they will not last without your help. I'm talking a month or so max without personal modifications; with the joystick itself lasting you from a day to a few weeks(they are defective, check Madcatz' official site for info. They mention a small amount only, but I can guarantee you will not be risking it with $80 worth of equipment or more). IF YOU CAN FIX IT YOURSELF, AND DON'T FEAR OPENING IT UP AND VOIDING THE WARRANTY -- THE PARTS ARE REASONABLE. THE FIX IS EASY.
I have fixed about 20 sticks for people since these have been released all with the same problem (more have brought them in after it was too late to fix). Don't get shafted.
Replacing the parts inside is quick and easy however slightly costly. I don't recommend this unless you are absolutely sure you need to. This controller however, was built and sold for you to replace the parts inside. The craftsmanship and wiring are all 100% newbie friendly. You can know nothing about electronics and replace the parts -- all you need is the ability to turn some screws and pull some plugs. At best you will be paying $50 in addition as well as waiting weeks for the stores to restock their parts.
Like I said earlier, remember that you are buying a BOX and LABOR not a reliable Arcade Controller. That means that whatever you tack on above the price of this controller is simply giving it away to the seller, and a Box and Labor are definitely not worth anything more than what the retail on this controller is! The box is beautiful and is designed well. The quality of the wiring and the actual controller functionality for your specific system are fantastic. The actual buttons and joystick are DEFECTIVE!
UPDATE! 2/19/2012:
It has come to my attention that people are still interested in this item! I had thought interest would wane after production stopped for this particular model, but it seems I was wrong. When I wrote this review (very aggressively apparently), it was nearly a week after release and during a resurgence of fighting games. People were buying arcade sticks in such quantities that every brand and type was sold out! If that wasn't bad enough, these controllers were defective outside of the box. A washer malfunction caused the joystick to carve into the PCB (and permanently destroy the circuit) right out the box. The buttons were also prone to sticking. My personal stick suffered from both these problems, and I had to repair these issues for several others. This was a disaster, and I really wanted to stress the fact that what people were purchasing would stop working within a week or so. The silver lining was the fact that the going rate for an arcade stick box, wiring, and control pad to modify were far more expensive than this device! Not to mention the labor involved with the chance of failing. It was a beauty of engineering on the inside, but the inputs were terrible. That isn't the case anymore!
I purchased a PS3 version of this stick almost a year later to gut and make a dual console stick, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that all the problems had been fixed! In fact, the stick felt much better than before. I used it stock for a few weeks off and on, and from what I can tell Madcatz resolved their error. The buttons didn't gain any extra sensitivity, but they are still good for beginners.
Today, the latest version of this stick is the WWE Brawl stick. You shouldn't have any issues with it! I don't prefer the art, but buy in confidence! This stick is still beautifully engineered on the inside for easy upgrading. I would invest in this one rather than a similar priced Hori simply because of the simplicity of the wiring inside Madcatz' product. Hori sticks in this price range have parts soldered into place onto circuit boards, so modifying them takes extra work and materials! | video-games_xbox |
Starting to stray from core successes. My 9yr old daughter loves the Just Dance series....starting with 2014 we've had every release (including the Disney one). Part of what I like about the game is that she feels comfortable enough to operate it with the Kinect sensor so it's not a game where the parent has to get everything setup and then give the controller to the child.
In 2016 they've tried to deviate a little from their traditional model and I'm not sure it's for the better.
1. They now offer the option to no longer use the kinect to dance, but use your smartphone and install the Just Dance App. The app senses the movement of your body and translates that into whether you are doing the dance correctly. We found that it is no where near as accurate as having the Kinect actually "see" your body movements.
2. All previous versions relied on your XBOX ONE profile, however this version required my daughter to setup a Just Dance Accoutt with UBIsoft. I didn't like this as it was another step preventing her from going straight to dancing and it required either I use my own email to setup the account or give her an email account (which daddy doesn't allow). Not sure why Ubi switched to this, but it was an annoyance.
3. Ubi also introduced the "Just Dance Unlimited" subscription based service where you have access to hundreds of songs. Unfortunately I after paying $50 for the game, I'm not that interested in paying for a subscription based service. It does come with a free trial, however the songs that were on there were not the popular songs at all and to me they reminded me of when you bought a CD to listen to just one song on the album and never listened to the other songs. those "other" songs seemed like what was offered.
All in all, my daughter is happy so I can't knock it too much, but as an educated observer and a parent, I think Ubi is starting to drift from what made this product line so successful. | video-games_xbox |
Hey, I am having fun. So I played the game with my friend tonight and I was surprised at how fun ODST is right off the go. I am not a halo fanboy in fact I almost broke my controller in half from getting so frustrated with halo 3. This game is a TON OF FUN when playing with a friend and seems like it would be even more enjoyable with all 4 players. The campaign/co-op is a breath of fresh air in the halo series and while borrowing elements from the previous halo games it offers new style and gameplay. You are NOT master chief and that makes it way more intense. You end up running for cover alot more and thinking about how you approach enemies alot more instead of hopping 10 feet into the air while shooting until you get close enough to bash them in the face. The new silenced pistol and submachine gun are alot of fun. Firefight mode is a blast especially with the skulls you can unlock to add even more fun and challenge (I love the confetti head explosion one they give you at the beginning for free).
The environments are very well done and you often find yourself splitting up from your teammate(s) to go through a building to pick off some enemies from a different viewpoint (this is how you play most of the campaign/co-op). The new VISR HUD is way cool. Some hate it. I love it. Each person can set waypoints for others to move toward and helps you find weapons and stuff.
The second disk that comes with it is the halo 3 multiplayer with 3 new maps I believe. There was also a new game mode where everyone was not spartans and no health regeneration and I was getting killed with one shot by someone with a pistol (kind of felt like call of duty). The only beef I have is the same as most everyone, it is $60 new. But with the fun I have had so far I am happy to say that I don't regret forking out the cash. If you like halo I would say definitely get it. If you don't then I would say give it a try as there are several new game elements that would appeal to alot of new players. | video-games_xbox |
Halo Live is a giant sandbox for the world to play in. People are so creative. I love how gamers will take a set game and make their own fun with it.
Last night I got into a room with a bunch of guys my age who had come up with their own Halo variant called Zombie.
In short, everybody joins the red team except for one guy who makes himself the sole member of the green team.
He is the zombie, and he goes and hides in a dark place, while the red team spreads out and looks for him.
Usually, the zombie manages to kill a member of the red team, who then must switch to the green team and become a zombie himself. After a few minutes of this, the zombies begin to outnumber the red team and the tables are turned as the hunters become the hunted. Often this results in the last few red team members getting trapped up on a rooftop while all the zombies mill around below, trying to figure a way to get at them. To heighten the suspense, the guys who are zombies actually run around moaning, "brains, brains, brains" like in the zombie movies.
In one epic match from last night, I was one of the few remaining red team members and I was trapped high on top of a pitched roof. The two other reds were also stuck up a tree, but we could see each other with our binoculars and talk to each other through our headsets, so I would worn them if I saw zombies approaching their positions, and of course they would do the same for me.
They warned me that all the zombies had grouped together and were rushing my position, and sure enough, "brains, brains, brains" and the greens started swarming below my hold out, they could only come at me one at a time so I used a shotgun to blow them off the roof, and the tossed a grenade into a group of them and killed three in one blast. All the while, the other reds were watching with their binoculars and cheering me on.
The zombies always win in the end, ammo runs out or they manage to rush you, but it's great fun and I'm sure far beyond what the original designers intended.
It's fun to see how the public comes up with their own ideas, and then a group of total strangers can all agree to the rules.
There is a website for Halo players over 30 called geezergamers.com and it is perfect for those who wish to go online and enjoy this incredible Halo experience without getting cussed out by an 11 yr. old. If you have an xbox and a Live subscription, Halo2 is really a game you shouldn't be without. The online multiplayer alone is worth the $50, but then the campaign with co-op play just doubles the value. More please! | video-games_xbox |
X-box live makes the game. This is actually the third Ghost Recon game to date.
Though the one before it (Island Thunder) seemed like more of an expansion.
This game doesn't feel like an expansion,it feels like an entirely new game. Third person view is the most applaudable new feature. With the traditional first person aspect still here.
The game may seem completely new,but hard-core fans of the older games will feel at home with more tactical manueverablilty. You get quick access to the map and reloading guns and swapping them too.
New features also include the ability to use your x-box live communicator. Speak into it and give your squad commands take lead of the stealthy battles. This is an amazing new inovative feature. Words need to be crytsal clear too for the commands to work so don't get frustrated. The other features like swapping guns from enemies and third person were mentioned earlier. The game play feels sped up abit.
The online is the biggest feature. No,doubt the best x-box live game for tactics. Team work is essential. Wich is fun to be stealhy and demanding and plotting schemes two steps ahead of the game. It's always fun to watch your enemies team fall out and wonder,
"WHERE ARE WE BEING SHOT FROM!!!!".
When going solo you can't rely on teamwork, as you no longer have a team it's every man for himself.
The final big new feature is the Lone Wolf!
This alone is the coolest new gun available in the game.
You can hide and use the guns camera mode to see upcoming enemies. You can also fire the gun away and hidden and they won't even suspect a thing. Grenades are also an attachment to this gun making it an all around good gun.
Ghost Recon 2 is awesome the graphics are updated and almost lag free online. The gameplay feels improved but the level design feels clausterphobic. Controls i couldn't of asked for anything better. All in all,this is an amazing title and i say go for it.$20 is well worth the price. | video-games_xbox |
Could of been so much! Control? What Control. I saw this game linked as a FPS not a TPS(Third Person Shooter) and I had visions of Painkiller but with Zombies! What I got was... well OK at first and then of course I died 15 times and could not even get to the first cut scene... So no saving as well... The save system SUCKS! So here is my take on the basic Good, Bad and Ugly:
Good:
1. Lots of weapons to use!
2. Plenty of Zombie Action
3. Cut Scenes are great looking (HDTV that is)
Bad:
1. Save system... Or lack there of
2. Frustrating to no end when doors don't open when you stand in front of them like GTA. What's with that?
3. Load times can be long but this is a big game with big maps
4. Come on! 25 Zombies in a crowded hallway leading to a Save area? Reset to start! Ugh!
5. One save slot? Lame!
6. Lame Control System! You are looking at a crowd of Zombies coming at you... You switch to your gun... yea that will work! Wrong! You get eaten.. What happened? Your camera view happen to pivot the wrong way and you are aiming at.... NOTHING! By the time you turn around... crunch. Too late... Reset to start... Again!
7. Your cell phone rings... and rings... and rings...
8. Forget saving others... I can't even keep myself alive!
Ugly:
1. Saves.. Good Luck!, like you would even ask?
2. Aiming... Again Good Luck! You never know where you'll be pointing that weapon. Then your dead, again and again....
3. Text is very small even on HDTV (Try mine, 103" baby!)
4. Doors do not open (Sorry but had to repeat that)
5. Graphics (Not cut scenes) could be better for HD. Come on this is a 360 now...
Conclusion: I would have given the game 4 stars for fun except that with all of the bad and plain UGLY points it just takes them away because of the frustration factor. I want to have fun not get frustrated... I have been a gamer for what now... 23 years? And this was a big disappointment. by the way, the 103" HDTV is a projector/screen supporting 720P. Can't afford 70K for the new Panasonic 103" Plasma but then again who can?
Rent this first and if you can get past the bad and ugly, then enjoy. You know you've got a dud when you find yourself putting Call of Duty 2 back in for the 99th time because it's just sooooo much fun. Will someone ever come out with a decent 360 title? So far Call of Duty 2 is the only game that actually rocks the 360. Everything else is either like this title: "Could have been so much.... blah blah..." or just plane stupid... | video-games_xbox |
Horrific AI and awful combat spoil this decent RPG. The combat was just too imbalanced. Most battles are a breeze; you easily win every battle by doing simple combos and timing your defense well. However, when it comes to bosses the game becomes unnecessarily difficult and frustrating. Boss fights are overly hard for absolutely no reason. The bosses are so powerful that you can't approach them head on like 99% OF THE REST OF THE GAME, forcing you to use the frustrating other parts of the combat system such as "free run." Free run allows you to walk anywhere on the battle field, not just forward and backward. On Xbox360 you have to hold Left Trigger to use Free Run. This allows you to dodge attacks but it is so annoying to have to press another button just to move freely. And you MUST use free run on bosses because they are too overpowered so you can't use defense. This forces you to play a certain way, and that's no fun.
The AI will cause you to lose boss battles numerous times. I was fighting one of the first bosses in the game where there are plants that are on the battlefield that stun an area around them when you attack them. They don't actually attack or are considered enemies (because you don't have to defeat them to win). However, the RETARDED AI spent the entire battle ATTACKING THEM, STUNNING HIMSELF and then we died. Not to mention all AI characters will just stand in the line of fire until they die, including magic casters. This makes some boss battles almost impossible for me to beat.
I'm very upset because the story seemed kind of fun, although a little shallow. The characters felt natural and the dialogue was good. I want to continue the story, but I can't stand the gameplay... Unfortunately I think I'll have to quit without finishing.
EDIT: I forgot to mention how this game is an obvious clone of Eternal Sonata. In fact, the overworld music in this game is the EXACT same music from Eternal Sonata in the area where you collect the papers for the goats. Rip off? I think so. | video-games_xbox |
Overall a Great Experience. F.E.A.R is a game that I have been wanting to play for a very long time, and I am lucky to have finally played it. I was not disappointed! I am a big survival horror/scary game junkie. If I had to describe this game, I would say maybe Call of Duty with some horror elements thrown in?
Positives:
A really great story line, if you can follow it. I can understand how some people might find it confusing or hard to follow, but as long as you don't just play through the game without listening to the commentary, phone messages, ect., you will find it very intriguing.
A great selection of weapons, some seem reality based while some of the more damaging and advanced ones are really cool and fun to mess around with.
A great variety of locations and maps that the story is set in, which leads into:
A GREAT atmosphere. I'll get to scares and horror elements next, but I thought the ambiance created by the music, environment sounds, footsteps, and many other sounds (I won't ruin some of them for you) made for a very creepy game in that department.
A great variety of enemy combatants. There were two in particular especially, but I won't ruin that either.
The ending. Wait for it. All I will say.
Negatives:
I have two complaints about this game, nothing huge, but something I think is improved on in the sequels:
Firstly, when you are getting towards the end of the game, the just shooting everything gets a little old, I wish there were a few more scares and horror elements thrown in. There are some the nightmares or whatever they are, and whenever you see Paxton and Alma are very creepy, but not a whole lot in the actual game play is too scary besides the ambiance. This is all that kept me from giving it 5/5.
It wasn't overly challenging, there were two points in the game that I had to work at, but overall, it wasn't too hard to beat. Especially advancing through the maps, I had to search a little extra for a ladder or place to crawl through a few times, but I found it pretty easy to advance from Interval to Interval.
Overall, an awesome game to start off the series, I am a little through the 2nd one and I can already tell it is going to be downright awesome. Will post that review as well. | video-games_xbox |
The first great game of 2010 has arrived. Having never been a fan of the Devil May Cry games, I was apprehensive about getting Beyonetta because I assumed it would be a mindless button-masher. Fortunately, the game offers more immersive gameplay and plenty of strategy in it's fighting mechanic, and I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised. The insanely fast pace of the game and beautiful graphics make this the first great game of 2010.
The story of the game is interesting enough, but it merely serves as a set-up for the various fights. In a nutshell, you are a femme fatale who wakes up in a tomb with little memory of who she is and how she got there. She discovers her importance as the game progresses, and what we get is some fun, occasionally hilarious and sometimes dirty storytelling. But the story comes second to the action in the game. During the battles, you are able to pull of some impressive combos which consist of pressing the right button at the right time, as well as pressing a combination of buttons to enhance your attacks. Stringing together combos results in more damage and some nifty cinematics, and you will get better weapons and learn new combos as you progress through the game. Overall, it's exactly what you would expect. A slick, sexy and totally over the top beat-'em'-up.
The gameplay is easy enough for novice gamers to grasp, although it is recommended that you spend adequate time in the tutorial as you will need to commit the button combos to muscle memory, especially when the battles intensify. A casual button-mashing gamer can survive most battles, but there is enough strategy to satisfy the more hardcore gamers who want to be challenged. The graphics in the game are gorgeous and lively, and the soundtrack is also highly enjoyable. The only flaw I would pick out is the camera, which sometimes has a mind of it's own and this can be a nuisance during battle. However, it's hardly a deal breaker. The rest of the game is slick and polished, so genre fans and action gamers will definitely find much to like here.
With 2010 already shaping up to be a great year for gaming, Bayonetta is a great way to start the year off with a bang. The game may be more style than substance, but it's a great time and definitely a game worth checking out. | video-games_xbox |
Game Changer. I give LA Noire a 5 star rating because it is a revolutionary game; and for it being the first model of its kind, minus a few unpleasantries, is exceptional. Rockstar took a big risk creating a game that is methodical and not fast-paced as a typical adventure game would be or a shooter. I agree with those gamers who say: the clue hunts become routine and there is not much room for replay (although I like the ability to redo cases to improve investigative skills).
But, I think for Rockstar's, albeit any game creator's, first attempt at a game such as this is astonishing. The graphics and attention to detail of bringing to life 1940's LA is incredible. I actually like the aspect of the game playing like a Crime TV Series, even though I see it more along the lines of the movie LA Confidential...it gives the game that "realness" with cases being cases that could or could have actually occured. I, as a gamer, enjoy the change of from "normal playing games" where in LA Noire I have to use logic in conjunction with my shooting/fighting skills. I like that the game forces me to refer to my notebook and recall interviews with witnesses and suspects as well as moments in a cases in order to successfully proceed with investigations.
One major issue I have, at least I have troubles with it, is the "herky-jerkyness" of Phelps when he's in gun fights. I use the buttons, and Phelps will "pop-up" or "pop-down" or just run in full-view completely exposing himself. Another thing may happen in these moments the controls for Phelps around barriers will make it very difficult to see.
However, I believe these unfortunates will be worked-out by Rockstar in future releases of the Noire series. Since, I have read e.g. LA Times Rockstar is potentially planning/wanting to continue a series aside from just having the GTA. Aside from that, for myself the game is exceptionally fun and the setting is beautiful to behold. | video-games_xbox |
A lot of potential, a lot of wasted opportunity. I bought the xbox one standard edition at Best Buy this morning since they had a few left over that weren't pre-order. I figured it would be worth it since I have been trying and trying to win one on everytwominutes and it would be a couple weeks, or months til I could get my hands on one due to them being sold out generally everywhere and people marking them up. I was originally a playstaion (ps1, ps2) fan but switched to 360 back in 2005. Granted this is a vast improvement on the 360, but it seems like its much of the same - I don't understand why the need for new systems when in theory most of the things you can do currently with a 360 or PS3 would work the same. I think the ability to switch between games and tv seamlessly is probably the biggest improvement. That being said here are a few things that I didn't like:
A lot of people have said that the quality of the TV is a lot lower putting it through the Xbox...which is sadly true. I hooked it up this morning to my HDTV DirecTV box and although it was clear - it made the image a little more smudged and bright - almost like it was blown up a little. About 20 minutes ago I put the HDMI back into the tv from the receiver and its back to the way it should be.
I bought 2 games for it, Madden 25 and Ryse. I haven't touched Ryse yet, but I can tell you the graphics on Madden are blockish and not at all the way it seemed on promos. Its much of the same game as previous editions. Like I told my friend it looked like Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, and most of the players/coaches had cancer, lol. I'm hoping when I start playing Ryse later tonight it will be a lot better.
I like the design of the controller, and the kinect works just fine for me. I haven't had any disc drive errors and the system is very quiet - even compared to the Wii U that I had set up until i got this.
Overall I would say the launch titles could've been better, it has a lot of potential and I am very satisfied with my purchase. It will take time for things to get better for either system - maybe I shouldn't have bought it day one! | video-games_xbox |
Good, but overhyped. Overall:
A very good game. It's all the things everyone says it is, but it has some serious flaws. Since you can find the positives anywhere, I'll focus on the negatives.
Positives:
Very fun, entertaining game. It's easy to get hooked.
The gameplay is very detailed - there are a lot of things to do.
The graphics are stunning.
The subtle and not-so-subtle humor throughout the game is terrific.
Negatives:
Biggest negative thing is the combat mechanics. The auto-aim works well in most situations, but it seems to break down when you have targets that get really close. It's easy to die in a firefight when it won't target the guy who's right next to you, and occasionally you'll end up shooting at an innocent.
Ditto for using cover. Works well most of the time, but sometimes it's infuriating.
Be prepared to drive. A lot.
The AI could stand to be tougher, especially the police. The police cars don't chase you half the time (especially if you're on foot), and it's extremely easy to get away. The game makes up for it by making the police way too ubiquitous - they're roughly 1 in every 10 cars on the road, and there are guys on foot everywhere. It's still not a problem, though, if you know how to drive.
Car possession is a little too "loose". You end up stealing cars all the time (which is too easy to get away with), while the game doesn't want to remember the car that you are driving. Sure, it will remember it if you park it outside of your apartment, but what good is it there? If you ever die or drive a mission-critical vehicle, you can kiss your sweet ride goodbye.
As open-ended as the game pretends to be, it's really rather linear.
A minor thing: the cars aren't randomized at all. It's not uncommon to see four or five of the exact same vehicle (different colors) in a row. It's visually annoying, and makes stealing cars weird; you can only seem to find fast, expensive cars if you are already driving one. | video-games_xbox |
Awesome console. ok, this is a totally awesome console. to me look don't really matter, but it does look good. The graphics are awesome!!! looks like ur actually there..lol.especially when compared to the wii.(i don't have a ps3 so iwudnot kno how the graphiucs are comppared to the 360 but i do have a wii)
anyways the bad side is the xbox 20gb hard drive comes loaded with 10gb worth of stuff on it but it can always be deleted i haven't donw yet, it comes with a trial of Uno!!! i don't kno if it expeires.it also has pacman etc.
the HD cable really makes a difference i use it at 1080i. i have the newer model batch #734 with the rumored chip i have not ahd the ring of death but i hope i dont.
the play and charge thing only charges while the console is on but what i realized you can plug it into ur PC while ur using it and it wall charge or since i have a wii i plug it into the back of the wii and it charges while the wii is off.
i have Halo 3, gears of war, (wats really cool i think ihave the first ones that were ever made, u kno on the spine of the case at the extreme bottom you have these numbers but i have 00001 for both of them. how awesome right....hopefully it wwill pay off later on in liffe to all halo and gears of war collector people in the futre, [god, please don't let the disks get scratched up in mys system now])
total review
its awesme buy it!!!!!!!
halo 3 edition to me dosent really make a difference and for some people who didn't kno it does come with a one month complementary gold membership.
wats suks is that it doesnot have a built in wireless thing and its bigger than the wii and thw wii has it, also u have to buy an external HD dvd player to watch HD movies,i wish it was bluray.
newys its good otherwise
another suggestion on wat to buy is the surround sound system for it, cheapest here and walmart, walmart price is about $130 + shippin totally awesomer just buy it. | video-games_xbox |
Humana sponsored 3 of these workout programs. Humana partnered with Ubisoft to sponsor three of the workout programs on Fitness Evolved 2012.
~Strengthen Your Heart focuses on high blood pressure
~Active Kids is targeted at preventing childhood obesity
~Aging With Grace is designed to help the eldery with mobility & agility
As an out-of-shape senior, I'm not spending as much time with this program as I should. I began with the Strengthen Your Heart program. It tired me out yet wasn't too hard for me to follow. I checked out the Active Kids program which seemed to have some of the same exercises as Strengthen Your Heart.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Stack 'Em Up game & was fairly successful at catching & balancing the falling shapes. As a matter of fact, I beat my 23 yr. old daughter a few times until she got better & started beating me. My arms didn't get tired at all. I played for quite a long time.
I was disappointed with Run the World; the graphics weren't at all what I expected them to be. I was expecting to enjoy the sites as I 'fast walked', not ran, through NYC. I don't know how to explain the graphics, just that, they were computer generated, & I wasn't impressed with them. When I passed an important/interesting landmark, etc., a tour guide gave a brief description & a small photo of the landmark popped up on the screen.
I had fun with Wall Breaker & was fairly successful as I punched through walls of bricks & blocks. I'm a wild puncher & really wear myself out when I play these kinds of games. It was fun; even more fun when I beat my daughter a few times.
This game has several programs to choose from: Body Focus Workouts (these target specific areas, such as arms, abs, back, glutes & more), sports preparation programs, high energy African Rhythm dance routines, Bollywood (so much fun!), Latin Dance, Hip Hop, Yoga, Cardio Boxing, Boot Camp, Zen Zone (inspired by Tai Chi & Yoga), and if this list doesn't have enough choices for you...there's more.
Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012 has something for almost every age group & some great activities for those of us in the older generation. | video-games_xbox |
Batman. Batman, Batman, Batman! Where to begin with Batman: Arkham Asylum. First off this game is well worth the price of admission. From the opening interactive cinematic that has you as Batman ecsorting the Joker back into the bowels of the namesake asylum, to the final ( & somewhat) anti-climatic batlle with ol' Ruby Lips himself, this is a ride worth taking. Not since MGS4 has a game pulled you into it's storyline with great voice acting & dialogue that is this crisp, engaging, & in the case of the Joker, very funny.
I won't go into story plot points, there will be enough of that on the net in short order. I am going to focus on the gameplay mechanics and other factors that make you want to keep playing "For just a few more minutes." You'll find yourself saying that often. First the movement of Batman & all other characters onscreen is very natural. Imagine if the pages of a classic Batman comic came to life. This is how those characters would move & act. It's that convincing. From the way Batman's cape flows & trails behind him while walking, jumping, running, or during some well choreographed fisticuffs, you'll get the sense you are the Dark Knight. As for the colorful & rather intelligent AI enemies that are the cannon fodder for you, they give you a sense of what it must be like to be a 'Real Badass' & then everything around you starts going wrong. Your buddies begin to get knocked out one by one, or hung from a gargoyle in the hallway, & you suddenly realize that your not the hunter but the hunted. This one of the more shining moments in the game. Batman can easily best 5-6 enemies at a time in the game with some simple combat controls that translate to an ass whooping on screen. You will find yourself feeling sorry for these guys. Especially when they begin to panic & shoot blindly around corners while the Joker taunts them on the PA system & moniters. This clearly demostartes what has always been the most glaring flaw with Batman games since the earliest efforts on the NES. Batman was always a weakling compared to the most rudimentory bad guy. Boss battles were always hit or miss in those games also. I mean do you really believe that Penguin could beat batman in a fight? Of course not & this game doesn't present that scenario. What does happen in the boss fights is the creative manner that you have to approach them & figure out the startegy to win. Again no spoilers here but there are some unique moments. One glaring omission is some of the more iconic Batman foes make an appearance, but you don't get to take them on. But a minor gripe such as this shouldn't deter you from playing this game.
As for graphics & sound effects & soundtrack etc., this is the Unreal engine underneath so you can expect good things. It's comparable to any recent game released for it's visual flair & presentation. The dialogue & voice acting is spot as mentioned earlier. Just keep saying to yourself if i saw a Batman comic come to life it would look like this. You'll have a good time.
The game is not that difficult which reflects the current trend in the biz toward earier games. I finished it on normal difficulty in just one day. But I enjoyed the ride from beginning to end. There is also enough extra modes & bonus content to keep you busy for good while after you've grown bored with the story. From online to challenge rooms & extra unlockables, this is a treasure trove of Batman goodness.
If you are a fan of Batman in comics or movies, buy this & have a blast. If you just want a good action romp then maybe a rental is for you. Either way the folks at Rocksteady & Eidos deserve much credit for doing what has never been done before. They actually made a believable Batman game that is fun to play & will make you want more at the end! | video-games_xbox |
Over 120 Hours into it. I downloaded this game off of Xbox live on Black Friday and have not stopped playing it since. There are two maps you can play your career on, one is European and the other is American. I chose American...
You start off with one field on your farm and a handful of low end, basic equipment. Couple of tractors, an old combine, sower, tipper, etc. What I didn't figure out till later was that there was a bit of each type of produce already in the silos. So with your silo inventory plus your starter field ready for harvest you can get off to a pretty nice start. Pay attention to your PDA as it updates hourly for pricing on the market and it will tell you where to go and get the best return for your product. I found it best to wait for fields to come up for auction, which happens fairly regularly. You can save significant coin this way. For example a field that normally goes for $550,000 I got for $300,000 at auction. Selling the produce when market demand is highest will allow you to build your empire and upgrade your equipment pretty quickly.
Here's what I liked most about the game:
-The equipment is rendered nicely graphically, for a simulator.
-You can play in real time, or speed up the clock which helps to get past night time hours and waiting around for crops to mature
-You can do all the farming work yourself, however there are also certain tasks you can hire out, which turns out to be quite helpful as your empire grows.
-Animals provide extra income and with the exception of cows are very low maintenance. You can basically tend to these animals when you have nothing else going on.
-It's family friendly
-Lots of equipment options
Here's what I knocked off a star for:
-Limited equipment slots. You can only own a very limited amount of equipment. While this may be for realism, my stance is, I can build the bank account to over $5 million, but I can't add a few extra tractors, combines, or trailers? So basically I can be a multi millionaire farming mogul, but there is a limit to what my inventory could be? Lame.
-I can hire a worker to: seed, harvest, plow, and till....but I can't hire for fertilizing, baling, or foraging? What's the logic there?
-In order to hire for harvesting potatoes or beets, it will only work with the most expensive equipment....otherwise hiring is impossible? HUH?
-The tutorials are helpful, but there is so much that is unexplained. For example, I STILL can't figure out how to sell the milk my cows are making or re-use their solid manure. There are icons for help, but they are very vague and are not comprehensive.
Overall the game is freakishly addicting, and while there are a few items that frustrate me and I wish were improved, it is a very enjoyable game. I remind myself that it's a simulator that was under $40 and that to expect perfection on what was undoubtedly a low budget game is a bit harsh. I have seen other reviewers calling for multi-player....I disagree that adding it would add to the enjoyment of the game. Why do we need multi player in every single game?? I think that having another person meddle with the planning & administration of my farms would be annoying.
**Update**
- As someone pointed out I have since learned that the milk is picked up automatically.
- The solid manure is next to the cow pen, just takes a little while to build up. Had to wait on this to build up a bit before I delved into green houses since they require solid manure.
- There are achievements for collecting horseshoes, these must be on the European map though as I have yet to see one in over 200 hours of game play. | video-games_xbox |
A Solid Option, But Has Some Cons [3.5 Stars. PROS:
+ Highly responsive
+ Doesn't require batteries (b/c it's corded)
+ Looks cool from a distance
+ The cord is very long, more than ample for most gaming situations
+ Rumble controls are solid, on par with the standard XBox controller
NEUTRALS:
* Ridiculously lightweight--this may be a plus or a con depending on whether you prefer your controller to have some heft. (Although I acclimated to this controller, I find I do miss the heavier controller which, oddly, kept me grounded.)
* Although the wood grain is a nice touch, it looks cheap because it's obviously plastic (as in, it looks plastic with some wood grain painted on--there's no texture, depth/shadowing on the grain, etc.)
* The buttons/joystick doesn't offer much in terms of tactile feedback or tension when being pressed or moved--it just feels hollow, mushy, and makes an audible click...not loud, but enough to make me raise an eyebrow and then do a comparison with the standard XBox controller which is whisper quiet and has a bit of tension
* Sadly, while nifty in theory, the buttons on the bottom of the controller don't offer much in terms of utility, especially if you're already used to solely using the standard controller buttons...and in some cases, they'll just get in the way.
CONS:
- Corded, and *only* corded. There is no cordless option at all with this controller. I knew that going in, but still, having a cordless option would have been nice.
- It's very slick, as in slippery with no real texture to grip onto. If your hands sweat, forget about this controller.
- Volume control doesn't really work in too many applications or games (which is a bummer because it was the feature that most drew me to this controller, and something MS should have considered when they added the 3.5mm jack support)
This controller is a fraction smaller than my <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Dusk-Shadow-controller/dp/B01BYKK1PI/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Dusk Shadow controller</a>, which itself is a fraction smaller than the standard <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/XB1-controller/dp/B01LPZM7VI/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">XB1 controller</a>. And as far as controllers go, this is a solid option. It's responsive, functional, and seems sturdy enough. Only time will tell how well it stands up to continued gameplay, though.
Please note that I have only used this controller with an XB1 and cannot speak to how it performs on the computer. Should that change, I'll update this review accordingly.
UPDATE 11/23: It appears my controller may be glitchy. The controller randomly scrolled up and down though no buttons were depressed or stuck; only unplugging the controller and plugging it in again would correct the behaviour. It's happened twice in the span of a week which doesn't bode well for longevity. So far, the rating remains, but may change of the problem persists or the controller gives up the ghost. | video-games_xbox |
Great Headset for the money. I've had this headset for close to a year, and so far so good. I originally bought them to use with my PS3, and now I use them with my PS4. I only have a couple of issues with them, but nothing that would prevent me from giving it a 5 star review, they're mostly personal preferences.
Pros:
1. The price- It was very well priced for what it is. I had a Turtle Beach headset in the past, but didn't want to spend $100+ for a headset that I wasn't going to use as often as I did when I played a lot more. I found them on sale on Amazon, so I bought them here instead of Best Buy, Walmart, Target, etc.
2. The sound- Wow! I read the reviews for the SLYR headset, and they nailed it when it comes for the sound quality!! I can safely say they are an excellent alternative to the much more expensive headsets. The sound mixer is pretty straight forward. If you want to hear more game chat or more game sound effects, you can do so at will. Unless you have a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound going while you play (I only have a sound bar), you will hear sound effects you never heard with a sound bar or your TV's speakers.
3. Comfort- I wear a large/x-large fitted hat, and the headset sits comfortably for extended amounts of time (I usually game for 2-5hrs at a time). They aren't real heavy, the only real time I realize I'm wearing them is when my beard itches underneath where the sides lay on the side of my head. The mic doesn't get in the way of anything like drinking or eating.
Now for the personal gripes of the headset that I'd change, but aren't necessary. Like I said, these are just personal!
Cons:
1. Instructions- They don't show or talk about the PS4. I had to Google what was needed to hook them up. It's A LOT easier using them with a PS4 than the PS3 that's for sure!! I had to call Skullcandy to ask them about an issue with hooking them up to my PS3 using an HDMI cable to my TV. But after 5min, they had me going in the right direction.
2. Setup- If you hate wires, look for a wireless setup! For the PS3, you have to use the USB plugin AND the RCA plugins to your TV. I wasn't too happy about that because I use HDMI like most folks do. So I had to dig out the RCA hook ups from the PlayStation box, and hook those up with the Skullcandy wires...Yay... There were numerous times where the PS3 would ask about sound and inputs, nothing that a simple push of a button would fix, but still a little annoying . The PS4 hook up is A LOT simpler!! Just plug in the USB, push the PS button, and select all inputs for sound. Not at all the pain in the butt that getting the PS3 set up to play sound and chat through the headset.
3. Wires- I'm okay with the headset having a single wire going from the headset to the console, but having the RCA and USB cables split at the same place isn't really necessary. I would've liked to have them as two separate cables so I could put the RCA cables back in the box because you don't need them for the PS4. I know Skullcandy has to make a unit that's compatible across many platforms, but having the headset completely modular would've been better.
Overall, I'd buy these again in a heartbeat. I've recommended them to several friends, and will probably stick with Skullcandy in the future should I decide to go completely wireless. If you're looking for a great headset for your money, and don't mind wires, BUY THIS HEADSET!! | video-games_xbox |
Improved video and audio, but. I upgraded to these so that I could use the optical to connect to my Logitech Z-5500. Since there is plenty of discussion about optical cables not staying plugged in to the Microsoft cables I decided to go for the Monster package.
The picture appears to be a little better and the digital sound is great. However, the optical cable does not fit tightly into the Logitech's control panel. So I am not sure if this is the Monsters fault or Logitech's? If it becomes an ongoing issue I may try another optical for a better fit, but for now the Monster is working so I am happy.
PS - These cables look really cool though :) and shipping is currently free from Amazon! I got them in three days using regular 3-5 super saving shipping.
UPDATED 4/20/06: I am now using the VGA cables!
The reason that I ended up buying the VGA cable was due to the fact that the component signal (both 720p and 1080i) are subject to overscan. This means that the screen "zooms in" slighty so that you are sure to see a complete picture with no black or static edges. This is a problem though with the Xbox 360 because it ends up cropping the image. For example, the HUD in GRAW is cutoff on the corners when using the component cables. This really bothered me so I gave the VGA a try and viola!
I can now go into the dashboard settings and specify 1360 x 768 which closely matches my LCD's native resolution of 1368 x 768. Thus, I am able to see the whole screen without any overscan/cropping. The only downside is that the overall image gets "washed out" when using the VGA cable. However, this is not really a big deal because most of the newer games (GRAW, Oblivion) have an in-game setting for brightness which you can turn down to eliminate the washed out look.
I highly recommend that you at least give the VGA cables a try. Depending on your TV, you may or may not like them. No big deal though because you can just return them. However, you may find that you really like them and will be glad that you tried them out! Check out my VGA vs Component pictures and read about my detailed testing on my personal MSN space. Just go to Google or to the MSN Spaces website and search for "The Sergeant's Space" and you will be able to pull up my site.
Lastly, I have the Samsung LNR238W and there is NO ghosting issues when using the VGA cable. | video-games_xbox |
And now for my review of the XBox 360 Version. Previously I placed an order for this game for the xbox 360, however to my dismay I received the darksiders for the ps3.(The oversight could have been done on my behalf and not amazons.)Anyway being as how I anticipated this game for so long, I didn't bother to return the ps3 copy.
Well suffice to say, the graphics are sharper on sony's console but the controlers didn't feel right as I had a hard time beating one of the bosses (Tiamat) fast forward to an "exchange" for the intended XB version and the said boss was beaten in just one try. Not that I'm endorsing one version over the other, but it's all about the controls.
With that out of the way, Darksiders is a perfect blend of past game concepts i.e. God of War,Zelda and rail shooting stages like Panzer Dragoon. You play as the protagonist War, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse who is unjustly blamed for the apocalypse by answering the "call" and in turn embarks on a quest to unravel the one who had placed the call.
The gameplay is solid as well as the voice acting (And Mark Hamil is still doing great voiceover work .)
The weapons are very diverse for a hack and slash; from swords,glaves,a grappling hook to grenade launchers and automatic pistols. Yeah,with these "toys" War is as much of a badass as GoW's Kratos if not more.
One thing I might add, although i like the orchestral in game soundtrack, there are scenes in which i have to add my own choice of background music (courtesy of xbox's custom soundtrack option) from Metallica's my Apocalypse to Megadeth's Blessed are the Dead:
"A crowned rider with arrows and bow
A red rider with a great firey sword
Flames come from the one called death
Horror and apocalypse follows
(Ride!) Won't you four horsemen ride again
Before this kingdom is blown to kingdom come.."
Despite a few camera problems, and too many puzzles,Darksiders is a must have action title. While bayonetta has superior graphics and arcade gameplay, it's more of a been there done that game than DS which is original enough to stand on it's own.
Ride on!! | video-games_xbox |
wonderful game/bundle only a few issues. I have had this bundle for a few weeks now an i am extremely satisfied. I got this over the 'More fun time' bundle due to the extra controller, larger hard drive and, in my opinion, better game. The system worked right out of the package and setting up X-Box live only took a few minuets. (Only because i could not remember my windows live user name.) As far as the system goes the only problem I have run into is that for both of the games i have (Final Fantasy XIII and Assassins creed II) the text size is very small, which while not crippling makes it hard to read subtitles. I have only come across this in the games though, the text in the menus is very easy to read so its possible its simply an issue with my TV as i am using a rather old model.
Moving on to the game itself. I have read a lot of negative reviews saying that it is too linear, and while i agree partially i found that I didn't mind this confinement. Overall i really like this game, the combat is challenging and i rarely feel the need to wander around looking for more monsters to kill so i can limp away from the next boss fight. However, there are a few things that I found annoying. One is the voice of Vanille which is like nails down the chalk board of my soul. and two if your party leader dies you get a game over... Now this is annoying, yes, but they have compensated for this by doing a mini save just before every fight, so if you die you just start back before the fight began. personally i like that feature i just wish when i have a party with more than one healer that if i die they could simply revive me and the fight can continue. Such is life i suppose.
To sum everything up (for those who don't want to read that small essay up there).
The X-box works well and I have had no problems what so ever.
The game is very well made and i like 98% of it.
I would give this bundle a 9.5/10 and would strongly recommend it. | video-games_xbox |
beyond broken. You play as Carson Daily....erm...I mean just Carson. He is a construction worker from New York during an alternate-early-50's era where the Nazis have conquered Europe and WW2 is still raging on. One day you're on some steel gerders and BOOM! The Nazis begin attacking the United States!! You regroup with...the National Guard? And its up to you and your Resistance group to stop the Nazi invasion.
You'll travel the east coast of the United States to repel the attack. You'll start off in a decent replica of New York (and at one point will see the Chrysler Building ripped in half and laying in the street), Washington D.C. to save some fictional resistance general from execution and the constitution from being burned (which is an achievement), in the New York subway system, and a few other areas. The environments look, for the most part, pretty good.
The action is pretty intense and you can do these grapple moves where you run up and either use the Nazi as a human shield for a little bit or you beat the bajesus out of them in different ways. However, Turning Point is a very buggy and glitchy game, so the icon to indicate you can grapple the people sometimes does not show up until you are on the verge of death. You can run up and press the B button numerous times until you actually do grab the person. You get a bunch of "modified" WW2 weapons such as the "new" MP50, Gewher 45 (theres a new "Vampir" version that has thermal vision for oyu to snipe with), the M1 Garand, the version of the Thompson with the drum on the bottom of the barrel, the "combat shotgun", a multi-barreled Panzershrek, and the potato masher hand grenades.
Again, this game is really glitchy. For instance theres this stage you go into near the end of the game...its a bridge. You walk out and theres enemies on EVERY side of you..they can actually hit you through the wholes in the bridge but you can't shoot them. Sometimes you'll go to aim down your iron sights, only to find you can't shoot or get out of the aim mode for a couple of seconds to a minute. Sometimes your grenades won't explode or sometimes an enemy can hit you from a mile away with the shotgun..a lot of time the game will freeze up, the frame rates will drop, and finally the sound will cut out sometimes.
The AI is pretty bad too. Sometimes you can run right into view and sit there for about 3-5 minutes before they take cover and start shooting. Its pretty embarrassing for CodeMasters to have released such a terrible AI system upon the world.
The music is pretty good though. Its mainly an orchestrated score to help you feel heart wretched or pumped up. Additionally, some power sets like the Chrysler building being destroyed will push any New Yorker (like me) over the edge and want to finish the game.
The ending was somewhat believable. You board this Nazi Zeppelin that has a nuke on it, and you must disarm it before it blows up (I think) New York. Anyway, you kill everyone on the aircraft and reach the nuke. You take one look and notice you have 10 seconds left, and you attempt to stop it. The whole time your commander is telling you good job and what not but your character does not know how to stop a nuclear device. So, he sits down, shakes his head, and the nuke blows up in the sky. Your a casualty of war, but you stopped the missle from actually being launched at a target.
Overall, Turning Point: Fall of Liberty could have been so much better if CodeMasters would have taken more time to work the bugs out and make the gun power more balanced. On a scale of 1-10, I give it a "rent it first" 5.5. | video-games_xbox |
This game is awesome in every way.... except gameplay. Lets get down to business. I love the Resident evil series however this game is almost beyond description. The graphics are great with the exception of the Lickers now being reduced to the equivalent of pink tree frogs. The characters and different abilities are a definite cool touch and really do add to gameplay. You really do want to like them but in the end this game is destroyed by its combat system. It has all the right aspects, but somehow it just doesnt flow and the fact that you cant mantle over cover is infuriating to say the least. If you're looking for a COD or Gears of war fast paced and evenly flowing fire fight, then buy COD or Gears of War because you definitely aren't getting it here. Its more of a choppy disoriented version of Splinter Cell Conviction (which was a great game). The AI of both enemies and team mates is awful in every way. Team mates just tend to fire in the general direction of enemies and never really hit anything and if you're thinking about sniping....forget it because your squad loves to jump in your line of fire on every possible occasion. The creatures in the game (which should have been the main focus of the story and combat) are a walk in the park when compared to your average enemy soldiers who seem to have adamantium plates in their heads being that direct head shots leave them basically unaffected. All in all, I think the game could be fixed with patches but I really don't think they will even bother because as was evident with RE5, the developers are just resting on their laurels hoping that all of us hardcore fans of the franchise will just purchase whatever steaming pile they put out as long as the name Resident Evil is on the box. I am still going to preorder RE6 and am crossing my fingers and hoping for the best but as for this game, only invest the money if you are a die hard fan of the franchise, and even then, wait for a massive price drop first.
P.s. If you do buy the game anyway, the "alternative costumes" that are available simply involve turning the eye pieces of your costume from the original blue to red....Thats it. They didn't even put any effort into the DLC. | video-games_xbox |
Fun for the most part, but chaotic. The game starts out strong, and really leaves you thirsty for more action. You play as Alex Mercer, a victim of a spreading infection located in New York. As you start the game, you are put in the middle of the street with armed soldiers and the infected population battling it out with each other in what seems to be some sort of Armageddon. You start off with a fully upgraded character and some random control indicators that give you a glimpse of how to control him. After you finish the beginning, the boring stuff begins.
The plot is boring. There's an infection spreading through New York that eventually turns everyone in to zombie like characters. There are many types of monsters thrown in, as well as the usual military defense that attacks you, even though you are trying to help them. Alex's mission is to gain as much knowledge as possible to find out who single handedly turned him into the fighting machine that he is.
The game is pretty awesome. There are a slew of upgrades that Alex can learn, all through a nifty little experience system. Your experience points not only attribute to you purchasing upgrades and abilites for Alex, but they also give you health. You can consume people, evade armed forces, complete missions, complete side objectives, or just do an old fashioned rampage through the city, slicing and dicing to gain experience. Although Alex's abilities are awesome at first play, they lose their appeal as you play more and more. He can run/climb up buildings, leap 50 stories high, run with amazing speed, pick up heavy obstacles, shape shift into different characters and take on their abilities, and transform into monster like forms, all of which have their own unique touch for battling foes.
Like I mentioned before, while the game is great fun, it loses its glimmer after a while due to the limitations of what is achievable in the game. Once you clear all the extra events, the only thing to do is run through the town slicing and dicing the community. The main missions are very redundant. If you're not infiltrating a military base, you're either blowing up in infection hive, or keeping an ally alive. The targeting system is horrible, to say the least. It will never work the way you want it to, especially in times that you need it the most. Battling missions are very chaotic. There's absolutely no organization whatsoever. Everyone is going insane trying to blow each other up, whether it be with guns, tanks, or Blackhawks.
Graphics are decent. The world is nicely detailed, explosions are sort of cheesy, vehicle damage is laughable, characters have hardly any animation other than walking, mouth movement is out of sync with voices during cutscenes, and the main character animation is pretty realistic (as realistic as you can get for a super hero type character).
Overall, it's a pretty good game. Very fun with hours of entertainment, but the replay value is considerably low for a $60 game. Improve character AI, make the missions more interested and less redundant, make the damage effects more realistic, improve the targeting system A LOT and you've got yourself a great game. Worth a play nonetheless. | video-games_xbox |
The product itself is great! I've never used a pair of gaming headphones . ***Edit: A day after I wrote my original review, the headphones stopped working. The mixer is not receiving power for some reason. I've tried it both on the Xbox 360 and the Xbox One. I can hear white noise through the headphones when they're plugged in but no other audio whatsoever. Very disappointed in the product because they sounded great when they worked. I'll probably return them and opt for a different pair which works with the Xbox One out of the box.
The product itself is great! I've never used a pair of gaming headphones before and the difference is amazing! My problem with the product is that I bought it as a Black Friday deal that I could not pass up for use with my Xbox One. My understanding was that if you register the product online through their website that you would be eligible for a free adapter so that you could use it with your Xbox One and not just your Xbox 360. Like most things that seem too good to be true, the promotion has since ended. Instead, I tried doing my research to figure out what I needed to make them compatible with the Xbox One and ran into many dead ends. I purchased the Microsoft branded stereo adapter to see if that would work, but unfortunately that is not compatible with these headphones either. Now I can still use the headphones for audio through the Xbox One by plugging them into the console, however I am unable to use the microphone built in to the headphones to talk as that functionality requires the headphones to be plugged into the controller. Now I'm stuck using the headphones solely when I am gaming by myself and switching back to the standard Xbox One headset when I want to party up with some friends and talk to them.
Overall, great product and sound quality! I am just disappointed that it was not clearly conveyed that the promotion for the Xbox One adapter is over and I have not found a suitable solution to fix my problem. | video-games_xbox |
Could Use Some Work. I am an experienced guitar player who got the game for some summer amusement. I like it, but it seems to have several issues. First, apparently because I am an experienced player, the game started throwing notes and techniques at me at an alarming rate without offering a tutorial or explaining the notations. I scored a very high score on my first song. I did the same on my next song. By the time I was on my fourth song, it had every note in the song and added in some symbols to boot. As I had never played the game before, or heard the song, it was quite impossible to follow. The game was throwing things at me that I hadn't even unlocked yet, which is when tutorials are offered. The speed at which they whizzed by was also incredibly fast.
Second, it is very hard to read chords, and sometimes even notes, if they are close together. There are several songs where the chords are eighth or even sixteenth notes and piled so close on top of one another that you can not possibly see the different notes.
Third, the game sometimes doesn't register notes if a specific technique is used. For instance, there is a song by Jennie O. that took hours for me to get past because the game wasn't registering the hammer ons and pull offs. It also doesn't register standard strumming patterns even though they are called for in the song.
Fourth, if you are phased down a few levels, it's almost impossible to score enough points to qualify with the song. For example, if you miss the first three notes, play well, then miss another say four notes, play well and then another two, you can expect to play the song again, even if you haven't made it past the first chorus because the game will eliminate notes as you play.
Fifth,as an experienced guitarist, I found it very hard to switch my thought processes from EADGBE to red yellow blue orange green purple. I found myself having to look down to figure out which string they were talking about and therefore missing the note.
Finally, the song choices are a little odd. They have Clapton, Bowie and the Stones, just nothing that was ever considered one of their greatest guitar hits (except "Satisfaction"). I've never even heard of more than half the bands. When there are songs by bands that I have heard of, the songs aren't anything that ever made it onto the radio. There are songs on the download list that I do know, but when you add them, they show up in the system with no ratings and no point values.
Overall, I am having fun with the game, (I did spend hours trying to beat a song because I was entertained) but I would have more fun if I could play along with more songs that I know and be less frustrated if the game would register the techniques it was asking for. | video-games_xbox |
Sexy, but has too many flaws for my taste. The Good: Rayne is hot!, gore galore, lots of powers, fun death traps, decent story, cool cheats
The Bad: Button mashing, unbalanced difficulty, weak acrobatics, no skill when fighting bosses, lots of slow down throughout
I remember when the first BloodRayne came out I stared at the ad and drooled. I never knew vampires could be so sexy and right there she became on of my top 5 favorite female video game heroines ever made. Of course being younger I wasn't allowed to play such games, so in the end I never got the chance to play the first BloodRayne. When BloodRayne 2 came out I HAD to play it so I rented it for my PS2 and it was great...not amazing, but pretty solid, but now...well time ages things.
BloodRayne 2 has you playing as the half-human half-vampire Dampir Rayne who is trying to kill her father Kagan (who survived the first game) and kill all his children and demon spawns. Through this escapade Rayne runs into his new minions Kestrel, and Ferril, and Ephemera (who hate each other). While they are almost as sexy as Rayne their attitudes make up for it. BloodRayne 2 has pretty decent voice acting and Rayne's attitude is just something you have to love.
BR2 is very gruesome with lots of dismemberment, and gory death traps. There are two types of enemies in the game and they are unarmed weapons (that you can freely feed off of to get health) and armed enemies with melee weapons that will push you down if you try to feed. You just knock their weapons out of their hands before doing this. Yes I realize only two enemy types, but this is why the game could have been better. The designs for them are neat and they look cool, but seriously? You will run into sub-bosses an awful lot and most of these are just elite henchman, or giant minotaurs. This is where one of my biggest gripes come in and that's the fact that boss fights are all luck and no skill. It doesn't help that the game is a button masher and there's no skill involved what-so-ever. You just hit X for blade attacks and B for kicks and that's it. The blocking never seems effective and you are constantly relying on your powers.
Powers range from astral feeding, temporary invincibility, time freeze, and aura vision. These take up A LOT of power energy so you have to constantly kill to keep your meter up. You can level up to extend this, but it never seems enough. You also have your Dragon Pistols, but you can't level these up and you only get very little ammo then it feeds off your health. You have to kill to keep your ammo up, but these thing never seem effective until you get different ammo types.
You also have a harpoon that you use to throw enemies into deadly death traps to unlock different parts of levels, but the later on enemies in the Twisted Park can block this and you have to use your time freeze or super speed to get behind them, but some times THAT doesn't work...see what I mean? The game is so frustrating later on, so much in fact, I had to use God Mode through the last 25% because they threw way to many larger enemies at you and not enough people to feed on.
There are some acrobatics involved such as sliding down rails, swinging and climbing poles, but this is troublesome since the mechanics are so finicky and everything has to be aligned perfectly.
Now don't get me wrong, BR2 is worth a bargain bin purchase you just have to look past it's many flaws. When it comes to graphics the game is decent at best. The characters look good and so do the environments, but the pre-rendered scenes looks cheap and crappy. There is also a lot of slow-down through out the game when too much is going on on screen.
With button mashing, no skill involved fighting, unbalanced everything throughout, and weak acrobatics there is just something about this game that makes you want to keep playing and it's probably Rayne herself. | video-games_xbox |
My review of Madden NFL 16. EA Sports returns it's gridiron game to the masses in Madden NFL 16. This year's game host new features and old favorites that should appeal to anyone who has been a fan of the Madden Series. I will go over all the different modes you have to play. One of the new features that brings a whole new experience to the game is Be the Playmaker. You now have three different catch options to chose from. They are as follows.
1. Aggressive catch: This is a high risk/high reward option. Say you are down a score with little time remaining on the clock and need a big play. Using the aggressive catch could provide you the score or yardage needed to win the game. But beware, your receiver has a lower chance of catching the ball. It could however, be just the thing to lead your team to victory. It's all up to you now.
2. Possession catch: You this when you need a clutch pass to your receiver. You most likely won't get any additional yards after the catch but it comes in handy when you need a big play from your QB and receiver.
3. RAC Catch: Look to use this play when you need your receiver to make the big play and turn it up the field for more addition yardage after the catch. I would only use this when he's pen because you do have a much bigger chance of throwing an interception id he's cover well.
Another new feature in this year's game is called Draft Champions. I will be honest, when I first heard about this new mode of play, I was not impressed at all. I thought, here we go, another new gimmick I won't be playing. I could have not been more wrong. When I fired up the menu, I saw the Draft Champions mode and said, what the heck, I will give it a try. Now, I'm glad I did. If you are a fan and like playing Fantasy Football as much as I do, this is where you will be spending a lot of your gaming hours in Madden NFL 16. It brings the Fantasy Football aspect to Madden in a way that fun and enjoyable to everyone.
The Gatorade Skills Trainer Mode: This is a great place to brush up on your Madden skills. Whether you are a long time player of the game like myself or just starting out, you can learn the ins and outs of the game and the new features that were added to Madden NFL 16.
The Gauntlet: This mode was first introduced in last year's game. It's basically a series of drills that will help you become a better overall Madden player. It's a great way to try and beat your scores and improve your overall game.
Connected Franchise Mode: A lot of new additions to CFM makes this a more enjoyable experience for guys looking to create and control your favorite NFL Franchise. Everything from a new way to scout your players to giving the Commissioner more options to make your online CFM run a lot smoother than year's past. It's still not perfect by any means but it does show promise for future Madden games.
Online Head to Head: If you enjoy playing your friends, family or just looking to for a game to play, this is the mode for you. See how you stack up against some of the best Madden players in the world by going online.
Ultimate Team Mode: Build your NFL Dream Team in this mode. Long time fans will enjoy yet another Season of MUT in Madden NFL 16. I know a lot of guys will spend a lot of time and effort in creating their Ultimate Team. The more wins you get, the more coins you can earn in order to strengthen your squad.
Practice Mode: Need some extra time with your team to learn harness your Madden skills, then practice mode is for you. Learn your team's playbook backwards and forwards by spending time going over your go to plays. It's time well spent if you are a serious Madden gamer.
Super Bowl 50: It's the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. the Arizona Cardinals in this fictional Super Bowl 50 matchup. You can replay this opening of Madden NFL 16 as many times as you want. It's a great way to get a taste of the game.
In closing, Madden NFL 16 is just a flat out fun game to play for anyone who has enjoyed previous versions of the Madden series. It's not without is faults however, but has more than enough good traits to keep you coming back for more. This is the game Madden fans have been waiting for. I, for one, am glad Madden Season is finally upon us! | video-games_xbox |
For The Young Or The Young At Heart. "Kameo:Elements Of Power" was released as lauch game at the time the XBOX 360 was released and seemed really like a game for kids more than anything with its cute and colourfull graphics also the storyline is much of a kid legend. Actually its a pretty good games for kids as it doesn`t have any bad language and you actually fight trolls! But its still a game that grown ups can enjoy too even if it was more intended towards a younger audience,its actually really hard to beleve this game was rated "T" for Teens.
You play as Kameo a fairy in her journey to save her world and her elemental ancestors from the Dark Troll king who threatens the world. I found that the main character of the game being a female is a major change as in most video games your character is a male and just for that some girls are instantly attracted to the game,and its not hard to beleve as playing as a fairy is very appealing to most girls,as for guys...anyway its a nice change of situation and its different.
What is really interresting is the ability that Kameo has to transform into creatures such as Chilla a kind of Yeti with the ice powers or Pummel Weed(not what you think!!) a plant creature with boxing gloves(that is actually one of the coolest characers you will get to play as).As you start the game you have three creatures that you can morph into but you loose them a while after the beggening and must regain them along with all the others there are.
Kameo takes some strategy as sometimes just to get past some place you need to morph into a creature,jump,and while in the air transform into another creature and press a specific button to stick on the while and climb. Its really a kind of an adventure game with a bit of puzzle thrown in,and it works well togheter.
The graphics even tought they may seem kiddie are excellent troughout most of the game,unless you want something with more realism they should please you. At times they are stunning and some boss characters are very well detailed. The controls are pretty comfortable and good actually and are simple and easy to remember even if sometimes they will need to be executed quickly to perform a certain move such as climbing walls as mentionned above. A complaint i have is controlling the character of Deep Blue ain`t easy...especially since its against a boss.
Multiplayer is not really that good and worth playing to say the truth as there ain`t enough mutliplayer content on this game. If they ever do a sequel they should add more multiplayer elements in the games ans multiplayer specific modes,it would a must.
Unfortunatly once you have beaten the game there isn`t anything else you can do except beat it over and over again,wich is very disapointing. Had there a battle mode where you are both kameo(with different colors)and where you could pick three creatures from all the ones you captured already to fight,or something else it would have been better,but its just the main adventure and nothing else wich is disapointing...
In conclusion if you are looking for a video game for your childrens or a family game,this is a wise choice as the graphics,characters and the story told in the game is likely to interrest them. As for more mature gamers tought it wasn`t specificaly designed for them they can still get some fun at it and maybe like it. It depends for person to person but its not a bad game really,its a game that deserves at least a rental but a must own for kids or girls who can find the idea of the game very charming(its probably more fun for them to play as a fairy instead of a hot girl...).3 stars. | video-games_xbox |
30 Worth of Fun for $60. INTRODUCTION
After hearing about Brink, I was immediately in love. Mirror's Edge is one of my favorite games (as a one-time experience), but I cut my gaming teeth on games like Quake II and Counter-Strike. More guns were needed, and Brink delivered.
THE FEEL
Brink is what would happen if Al Gore watched "Waterworld", played Mirror's Edge and then penned the backstory for Bioshock. A floating arcology (The Ark, get it? lololol) is built sometime in the next 44 years out in the Pacific, as a(n expensive) haven for the rich, brilliant, and hip. Due to the seas rising, presumably from the polar ice caps melting, The Ark sees tourists replaced by refugees. In a scene right out of Snow Crash, all those extra commoners end up in an organic growth of boats and anything else that will float, moored at the edges of The Ark. As far as we know, no one in The Ark knows if there are any other survivors elsewhere on Earth. The two playable factions are Ark security forces, looking to maintain order, and a loose-knit band of rebels who want to escape and go looking for dry land away from The Ark. And maybe some olives.
I'm probably forgetting some classic, but this is the first game I can remember that really tells a compelling story within a round-based shooter. There are little cinematics before, after and sometimes during a match, with audiologs that you unlock as you level up. It made me unnaturally giddy to see my created character inserted into those cinematics, even if 'I' am just checking my weapon in the background while two teammate have a conversation. It's the little things that count.
Speaking of character creation and the little things, you maintain two costumes per character: one for Security and one for the Rebels. You can switch between them at will, and the music subtly changes for each. As you level up, you'll unlock new clothes to customize your officer and ragamuffin. Although some more choices would've been nice, especially regarding hair/hats, the last time I paid so much attention to my clothes was in Soul Calibur IV. Kinda random, but apparently there are no women in the Ark Security forces, nor in the fighting branch of the rebellion.
MECHANICS
Once you create a character, you can choose to play through the story, do challenges to unlock weapon modifications and get onto the leaderboards, free-play versus games, and tinker with your character & weapons. Modding weapons really stood out for me, since each gun can have up to four mods added, and each mod will improve some stats while lowering others. Most mods also are visible on the gun itself, giving you a sense of ownership after taking a 'stock' weapon and making it just right for you.
There are four classes: soldier, medic, engineer, and operative (read: spy). Each one has unique skills that you can buy with points earned from leveling up, and matches will generally require a mix of classes to complete multiple objectives. It's nice how classes are completely separate from weapon choices, and you can change your class at command posts mid-match. Pretty much anything you do in a match gains you experience points, even 'guarding' a door while you wait for the one operative on your team to come plant their doodad on it, fighting in close proximity to teammates, or playing online. It's a beautifully simple way to encourage players into playing the way that the developers intended.
Each level of the story is a match between the two teams, with the aforementioned cinematics and objectives that are appropriate with that part of the story. If your match settings are set accordingly, friends or strangers will simply replace bots. There's no gameplay outside of combat, unless you're like me and agonize over optimum weapon loadouts.
Within a match there will be a primary objective (e.g. a Soldier needs to plant explosives on a door), and secondary ones to help your team. If you aren't the 'right' class for the primary objective, it will display to you as Guard the Door. Hopefully this will encourage players to work together towards the primary goals. Secondary objectives might be blowing open a shortcut or securing a CP that grants a team-wide bonus. You can bring up a radial dial to select an objective, and it displays how many teammates are also working towards it. It's handy to see at a glance if no one is bothering with the most vital goal of the match. The levels are laid out like what you'd expect from a game that's about parkour gunfights in a dystopia, with plenty of places to jump, climb and slide around (except for the big, linebacker characters).
GRAPHICS
Yep, it looks like you're in a run-down shell of a place that was once great, except this time you're on top of the water. The rubble & such looks good, though... at least, as well as rubble can look. One complaint I had was that certain places were really dark at times. That's fine if it's for dramatic effect, but on occasion I would have trouble entering the battlefield, simply because our shipping-container HQ wasn't properly lit for emergency egresses.
SOUND
There isn't any background music during matches, unless I was so wrapped up in shootin' that I didn't even notice music. What you do hear, though... WOW. I was playing with headphones on, and I haven't heard such a satisfying shotgun since Quake II. Hearing that, I half-expected to see a head go flying 50 ft. as if I'd gotten a crit-hit with V.A.T.S. Oh, and the other guns also sound good & dangerous. Something rather random, though, is my character's apparent Foreign Accent Syndrome. I'm the type of player that will make created characters (the first one, at least) roughly based on myself, so it came as a surprise when my Washingtonian Filipino/Germanic avatar started talking with a Jamaican accent. Normally this would be a non-issue... except that you can't change a character's voice after he's created.
CONTROLS
Coming from Mirror's Edge, going nuts on junk lying around the environment came naturally to me, although there aren't quite as many moves available this time. If you hold down the sprint button (more like a brisk jog button), you'll automatically vault over obstacles and climb up ledges you jump towards. Crouching while sprinting will slide you under things like pipes & gunfire, and is a rather effective way to slide past enemies en route to putting some holes in the back panels of their armor. Raising up the sights for your weapons felt a little slower than I'm used to, but it didn't seem to affect gameplay. After the CoD series, it just feels weird. A nifty feature that I hope other games will implement is how a medic revives someone. Rather than running up to a downed teammate with defibrillators, the medic will toss them a syringe. It's then up to the casualty to decide if it's safe for him to revive himself. It's certainly not realistic, but you'll appreciate it the first time a pack of enemies run right past your almost-dead body.
ONLINE ASPECTS
There's been some scuttlebutt about Brink having issues with online multiplayer. It's all true.
Besides the $2 rental, I chose to try Brink on 360 due to the typically solid performance I've had with XBL. When I tried out a public game, the two other human players I was with brought the match down to a slideshow any time I tried to move. It definitely wasn't gameplay slowdown, as the bots were moving around as smoothly as usual when I stood still. I learned to play Counter-Strike on dial-up with ping of 200, so I can tolerate not having pixel-perfect accuracy & other players simply having better connections, but this was unplayable. This is why the big titles like Halo: Reach & Gear of War III have betas, even though they know the DVD factory is simply printing money: to iron the kinks out beforehand. It really burns my butter when developers & publishers are willing to let the early adopters be beta testers who pay $60 for the privilege.
Similarly, there's a Brink stats-tracking site; I even have the code to link my gameplay stats. Too bad the site isn't up, with no word (as of 18May11) when it will be.
CONCLUSION
I like this game. I really, really do. Bethesda or Splash Damage must have snuck a Polybius machine into my local theater, and used it to find out exactly what features I'd have in my dream game. That might also explain why I don't remember ever playing Polybius. And the night terrors.
Will I be buying it? YES... eventually. I didn't even play the game on release day, yet someone in charge at Bethesda, Splash Damage or ZeniMax thought it was okay to release a game centered around online multiplayer, with online features that aren't even finished. Am I just bat-guano crazy to expect a non-MMO game to have the features that work as advertised on release day, or have been adequately playtested? It's great that problems can be fixed after release through patches, but it seems like developers are getting lazier now that they know that the game doesn't have to be perfect by the time it 'goes gold'. Looking at what was shipped on the Brink disk +8 days of patching (or not), it's not worth $60. If I found it for $30 or less, definitely. If it's patched to the point where everything 'just works', I might ever reconsider $60. I just hope that Brink becomes popular enough that it'll be supported to the point where price meets quality, wherever that is. | video-games_xbox |
Solid - but for a specific purpose. Over the last year or so we have reviewed a number of PDP products, mostly their headsets, and they have all been received quite favorably, both by our reviewers as well as the general public. While we have used some of the PDP controllers, the PDP Mortal Kombat X Fight Pad is the first specialized controller that we have managed to get our hands on and today we have the Xbox One / Xbox 360 fight pad that we will be reviewing.
This particular pad is unique in that it works for both the 360 and the Xbox One as there is a simple switch on the bottom of the controller that allows you to switch between the different consoles. Now, this is a wired controller but fortunately the cord is long enough that most gamers will not have an issue plugging it in and leaving plenty of slack in the cord, though there are certain spots on my couch where the cord just barely reaches
Unlike standard controllers, the Fight Pad by PDP has the Left and Right Bumper buttons placed on the face of the controller so it looks an awful lot like an old Genesis controller. In fact, they look almost identical given that there are no analog sticks. That is right, this is a D-Pad only, 6-face button controller and has the Left and Right Triggers placed in their normal trigger position. The layout is absolutely perfect for fighting games but relatively useless for any other type of game (though I did put a few hours into Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and had no issues with it).
Admittedly the controller took some getting used to, as I have been playing console games with only four face buttons since the Xbox 360 came out (given that the original Xbox controller had 6 face buttons if you include the black and white buttons, which I do). Once I got used to the control layout though, it became second nature for the various fighting games that I have.
Where most controllers have relatively bulbous face buttons that have a long actuation point, the PDP Mortal Kombat X Fight Pad uses extremely flat buttons with a very low actuation point. It takes almost no pressure to push the button which allows a gamer to hit faster and more often without really having to press the button all the way down. The down side is that the buttons do not feel as durable as a regular controller, though after dozens of hours playing I have seen no reason to believe that the Fight Pad is not as durable and high quality as the rest of PDP's gear.
As the PDP Mortal Kombat X Fight Pad is a specialized controller designed for the fighting game arena and with its excellent custom Mortal Kombat X graphics and perfect button layout, it fits right into the genre. With the D-Pad only and light button actuation, combos, parries, and power moves are a breeze and can be pulled off quickly, though I cannot say much about the durability beyond the 30+ hours I have put in on the controller seem not to affect it at all. The PDP Mortal Kombat X Fight Pad is as high quality as PDP's headsets and will be a main staple in my fighting game arsenal from this point on. | video-games_xbox |
Some misleading reviews out there. Audio quality out of the box is poor with the default EQ. As far as I can tell, you can only store 4 (FOUR?!) presets on the mixamp. The "tournament ready" preset provides the best quality, but drowns out mic chat, so it's not exactly a winning scenario.
There are 0 (ZERO?!) presets available directly from the manufacturer, so you are left to download game presets from amateurs or develop your own. So don't expect game-specific presets like you would from Turtle Beach.
The headset itself is constructed from what looks and feels like cheap plastic, though, admittedly, the white looks much better in person than online.
The headband is terrible and uncomfortable for extended play sessions. Not the worst I have ever tried (that would be the Logitech G430 headband which has its design based off a medieval torture device engineered by one of the devil's lieutenants). Its fabric material tends to make my head itchy, too.
The earcups are reasonably comfortable for extended play sessions. I have thick-framed glasses, so I expect the headset to eventually get uncomfortable, and it does. So far as I know, only one headset advertises tech to reduce discomfort for eyeglass wearers (Sounds silly that such a feature is such a rarity, doesn't it?), but that headset costs twice as much.
So, back to the audio. I'm not quite an audiophile, but I know enough about audio quality that 1) never trust any one who recommends you wireless audio solutions, 2) multiple drivers aren't necessarily superior, 3) surround sound is not ideal for every audio format, 4) noise-cancelling headsets are not necessarily superior to standard headset environments, 5) the list goes on but hopefully you get the impression that I know a bit more about audio than the average schlub.
I bring this up so that when I say the audio quality on these cans is medicore you understand why. The base EQ (the Astro EQ) sounds hollow and fake. The flat EQ (natural bass, another one of the onboard defaults), will make you wonder why you paid for a gaming headset. Not once in listening to music, game audio (across a few different genres), or movies (mostly action) did I think to myself, "wow, this sounds so good!" Just as important, I could never hear people sneak up on me in-game, which has always been a killer feature to have in gaming headsets (and is totally doable in this price range). Sometimes the surround sound audio placement would be inaccurate, too, especially when trying to position sound in a 3d environment--for example, in Dying Light. I will say that it does well with the bass most of the time, though I have heard better bass from a headset--though that may be a result of manufacturers who care more about their customers and provide more EQ options.
Setup was a cinch on both Xbox one and PC. I downloaded the Astro Command Center (ACC) to my PC (this is how you customize presets) and it recognized the headset and mixamp right away. For Xbox one, you're looking at a mic cable from the headset to the mixamp, a digital optical cable from the mixamp to the xbox (for audio) and a micro USB to USB cable from the mixamp to the xbox (for power). All of those cables are included. For the PC, you just need the cable connecting the headset to the mixamp, and a micro USB to USB cable to connect the mixamp to the PC. So, if you have an extra micro USB to USB cable laying around, you can swap setups quick and easy.
But, the Astro falls short on a few features. You can toggle setup behavior on the ACC between PC and Console. If you want to change the default EQ when the mixamp powers up, you'll need to drag the different presets around in the ACC control panel, and I'm not convinced it even works right based on my experience. It always boots up in stereo by default, so you'll have to toggle to surround sound. If I understand the documentation correctly, it only supports one digital surround sound format (DTS). It has an inline mic, and the Mixamp allows you to manually control volume and shift emphasis between game and chat audio. Again, the mixamp/headset has trouble playing chat audio loudly enough, even when I crank the tuner all the way over to chat audio. Xbox one party chat seems to do better with chat audio on the console than in xbox party chat on the PC, so this *could* be an artifact of the platform rather than the headset.
Tl;DR All-in-all, this headset is a disappointment, but unfortunately, it's one of the best multi-platform surround sound headset solutions out there. HAHA, I'm kidding, it's not one of the best. It's overpriced and underfeatured, over-marketed and underdesigned, overrated and underwhelming. | video-games_xbox |
kill 1,000,000 orcs in mordor with barely any story or context. Everything the game has to offer gets old real fast.
When I first started playing this game, everything was fun and inviting. I was thinking game of the year contender.
The combat felt responsive and visceral, as did the stealth kills, as did harvesting herbs with my knife, shooting orcs in the head with my magic arrows, and generally just running around felt right.
But everything this game does, (including the graphics and the scenery) ceases to be fun after a few hours.
It's all very arcadey, even the difficulty. It's like the game wants you to cough up quarters every time you die. More flexibility in the quest system would have made the game more dynamic, more fun.
Enemies can't see you until you're very close, a design choice that makes stealth kills from behind quickly feel cheap and too easy to obtain, and the longer you play, the less fun they are, and imo, stealth kills are the best part of the game.
I also died many times because I suck / did not complete the game in the right order.
I went off on my own, trying to take down orcs in the order I chose, and rage quit after dying 20 times in a row.
I also did not like having to collect magic arrows for my bow. If they're magic arrows, why are they littered all over mordor for you to find? Orcs can't use 'em, orcs can't see 'em. Would have made more sense to put them on a cooldown, give you arrows for free as time passes.
The game is, essentially, one man against all the forces of Mordor. And that wouldn't be fun, and it's not.
The game doesn't do very many things, and what it does do isn't very good, and you're forced to repeat them over and over and over again.
The biggest problem with this game, is that everything you'd want to do in a lord of the rings game, like visit the snowy mountains of cahardras, the dark mines of moria, ride horses across the plains of rohan, see edoras, rivendell, osgiliath, ithilien, fangorn, minas tirith, the forbidden pool, the winding stair, shelob's lair, orthanc, etc etc, you cannot do. it's just a boring endless combat game in a bland, ugly environment that you quickly become bored of being chained to.
It squanders the rich lore of middle earth, the hobbit, and lord of the rings.
Remember the films? the beautiful colours and the wide variety of environments?
The unforgettable characters and villains?
Gollum makes a pointless appearance so the ranger can choke him, because every ranger chokes gollum.
There's this attempt to rebrand rangers as these uncaring and inhuman people. None of that s*** is actually in the books. But yet again, this game reinforces that bulls*** stereotype.
None of that is here. why should anyone give a crap about this game? it's not worthy of the middle earth license.
It's also got the bioshock vita chamber never really die thing going, which makes no sense for the middle earth universe. I quickly came to hate it, dying over and over with no point but to die again. It's not a good sign that this is the most interesting part of the game.
The ending is anti climactic and feels almost pointless
SPOILER
"You really want to quit? We should go kill some more orcs, forever."
The player certainly doesn't. | video-games_xbox |
Great game, absolutely love it but crashes constantly!!! UPDATED. Ok before I go any further I love the game! 64 players is awesome! The guns are sweet the customization is great! So many options and being a guy that actually shoots guns seeing all the options. That aren't fake and ridiculous makes it great! The vehicles are fun and again the options are endless! The maps for the most mart are great and challenging I'm just a little disappointed in the levolution! It's not as game changing as they said it would be.
Now the reasons why I'm giving 2 stars despite to info above...
First the game crashes constantly! You loose all your data from the round and I was even in the middle of the campaign and lost everything from it crashing.
The game lags constantly especially on Lancang dam.
There are several other bugs like one hit kills from assault rifles etc...
The game takes forever to find a server! I probably spend a good 1/3 of my time trying to get into a game after it crashes or I just turn my. Xbox one on and start the game.
Dice rushed the game and left too many holes in the game and even after the recent update the game doesn't seemed to have improved much if any.
Conclusion,
The game is great bad despite the issues it's still better the COD that's if you like the realistic physics, better graphics and a more dynamic world. That being said though wait for a bit until the game stabilizes and the bugs are gone. Dice was good though in giving players 2xp for a week and scope for the M1911. I think dice should have given us more considering the frustration, lack of customer support etc.
So if ignoring the bugs the game is 5 star worthy but now 3 stars is generous to say the least. So again wait for a bit to buy the game and when you get the game get premium it's well worth the extra cash. I had premium for BF3 and it was worth it.
UPDATE:
The game is a lot more stable now that a new update is live. The only thing that I hate now is the bs moments that plague video games like getting shot even though your around a corner etc... Which makes my guit from irritation but then again I'm not that great either | video-games_xbox |
320g hard drive definitely worth the buy. Alright so after viewing the reviews for this hard drive I was a little hesitant for my purchase but after receiving my product within three days from purchase was a great sign. I will say the product did not look like the picture shown;actually nothing like the listed photo. All that is printed on this hdd is " made in china". No big deal I suppose but it did get me a little concerned. Also,I read most of the 1 star ratings for this hdd; most state that once you put the hdd into your xbox you're unable to pull it out and the tab breaks off. Needless to say I installed mine with caution,now it does fit very tightly and it is a bit tough to pull out. I can see how some people might break their tab off by trying to yank the hdd out but I care more about my stuff than most so I am carefull. I put the hdd in and pulled it out two times before I formatted it,just to be sure. My recommendation on how to get this out of you xbox without breaking the tab,while the hdd is in fully-push the hdd in a little-pull the tab so the latch will loosen-now while pulling GENTLY-wiggle the hdd left to right-it will start to come out-once you can grab it with your fingers-pull it out. Rest assured this can be done. Now as for storage compacity. This hdd does state 320g but actually mine had 294g of storage space. This is absolutley understandable because of system files and such. 294 gigs of storage is plenty of space; at least it is for me. Locate this hdd on you xbox under storage and you will see it does say 'microsoft' toward the right, that's another good sign. Now what I did first was download all my saved games and data to a flash drive from my xbox console. Then I formatted the hard drive. I think you must do this first (format the hdd). When you are under 'storage' go to the hdd and hit the 'Y button'. There will be four options to choose from. Format is your choice. Now the message will state that upon formatting you must enter your xbox serial number. Do this step,then format the hdd. After I did this I put my flash drive back in to my xbox and COPIED my game data over to the hdd. The reason I copied and didn't just move the data is simply because if something happens to this hdd (like crashing) then I still have my data on backup. Can't be too safe,ya know. Now as for all my games and purchased dlc I just moved those because if I lose those on this hard drive I can always redownload them from the xbox live market. I have had this hard drive for over a week now without any problems. The company I purchased from was 'JACOBS PARTS' based in Indiana. This company has a very high customer review rating and I think they deserve a shout-out for quality product and prompt delivery. I'm not a company employee just an everyday gamer who wants to help out other skeptical gamers. | video-games_xbox |
The Force shall free me. . . If you liked Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic at all, you should already own the sequel. If you're on the fence, just buy the darn thing; it's easily more than worth it.
Even though only a year passed for development time, and a new developer took over the series, KOTOR II: The Sith Lords still manaages to provide a high-calibur and enjoyable role-playing experience, rife with replayability. The story is set 5 years after the fall of Darth Malak and the Jedi Civil War, and you take on the mantly of the only known surviving Jedi Knight, final target of the Sith. As the Dark Side of the Force grows in strength, the Sith have been waging a silent war against the Jedi Order, already weakened, and have not hunted it nearly to extinction.
One of the main advantages this game has over its predecessor is the characters, the main character especially. While there isn't a "Vader is Luke's daddy" level plot twist in KOTOR II, your main character is a very compelling individual, while still maintaining a high level of player customization. Your character has a definite past, but nearly everything about him/her is up to you. Once again, you have the choice to follow either the Dark or Light side teachings of the force, creating a savior of the Republic, or a champion for the Sith.
However, this time, you'll take your party with you. Employing an Influence system (through the game's multiple conversations), you can transform a goody-two-shoes idealist into a cold, brutal killer, or a student of the sadistic Sith into a paragon of virtue and truth. . . provided you have enough influence over them. This plays out in dialogue trees (which you'll be familiar with if you played KOTOR), and feels like a very natural extension of the first game's mechanics.
Which is pretty much the mantra for all of KOTOR II. The combat, the pacing, the character advancement, and even the visuals are very obviously building off of the foundation of the first game. However, as far as improvements are concerned, the devil is really in the details. For one thing, the game's Influence system makes managing your party far more enjoyable, as what you do affects their actions as well. Additionally, there have been tweaks to the combat, the menus, and the graphics that really streamline and improve the experience. Facial models are better, cloth looks much more realistic, the weather effects are better, and there are more options during combat, more skills and Force Powers, and more options for equipping and customizing weapons and armor.
That's not to say the game is perfect. There are still the issues with friendly AI that KOTOR had (they seem to really love running over mines), and sometimes the dialogue will get into annoying loops. Additionally, while the graphics have shown some minor improvements, there are still some nastily long load times, and noticable slowdown in large areas or during hectic combat. It's not horrible, but even with only a year, it would have been nice to see more improvements on the game's engine.
Also, as previously noted, the plot doesn't have the same kind of "Holy crap?! No WAY!!!" plot twist moments offered by the first KOTOR game. The narrative is still interesting, engrossing, and well-paced, but it lacks some of the punch and originality that its predecessor offered. And where KOTOR started out with a bang and a half, the first couple hours of The Sith Lords is fairly slow, and can get pretty tiresome and confusing. In addition, the villains this time around are slightly underused, though they are far more interesting than Darth Malak ever was.
Overall, while KOTOR II isn't a ligh-year-sized leap forward for the series, it's still a highly enjoyable role-playing romp through a galaxy far, far away. | video-games_xbox |
I was expecting some distortion, but I was blown away. Highly recommended. TV Type:
Sony Bravia S-Series KDL-40S5100 40-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV, Black
Samsung LN52B550 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color
Speakers:
Bose CineMate Series II Digital Home Theater Speaker System
Cables:
Monster Cable - THX 1000 4' HDMI A/V Cable
Xbox 360/PS3 Metal Braiding Ver 1.3
I guess you could call me an entertainment freak, I've tried all sorts of HDMI cables, component cables, and speaker systems to get the "best of the best" type entertainment. The rushed down to best buy the first day of purchasing the bravia and bought a super expensive monster thx 1000 4' cable. It came in a ridiculously blistered packaging that was tough to open.
The quality was decent, took it all the way to 1080p. Because my tv was 120hz, sports games really came alive. I also ended up purchasing a second tv, the samsung 52" touch of color. I'd tell ya, it's an AMAZING TV. I moved my bravia to my room for close viewing, and my 52" was my center masterpiece in my living room. I didn't want to spend another $100 for a hdmi cable, so I ended up purchasing one of these hdmi cables on ebay. I was torn between the amazon one and this one. I figured, version 1.3, 1.8m, why not?
The metal braids on the product really is what it states it is. I switch back and forth with this cable between my ps3 and my WD media hard drive reader. To me, honestly, the $100 cable and this cable performed exactly the same. This product delivers exactly as stated, it delivers crisp vivid images no matter what I switch the source to. My main sources are:
Cable TV: HD Channels --> Makes Life on Discovery look RIDICULOUSLY GOOD
PS3: Just watched Avatar Blu-Ray, amazing clarity and sharpness when the Navi are near those ancestral white threads.
Western Digital Media Reader --> I was honestly surprised at how clear the hdmi cable made the .avi files. my tv goes to about 1920 x 1280, so when you load the .avi files and stretch them, I was expecting some distortion, but I was blown away. Highly recommended! | video-games_xbox |
A Different Perspective. I enjoyed everyone's viewpoints in the Amazon reviews. I thought it would also help the potential buyer to know things about this game that aren't highly publicized, but are important to note.
Graphics - It's been compared to Gears of War as either being better or almost as good. This really depends on your perspective. Both games actually run on the Unreal 3 engine. Both games run at high frame rates and almost never stutter. I think Gears might look a little crisper, but the artistic design and lighting from BioShock is currently unparalleled within the XBOX 360 realm.
Sound - In all of the games I have ever played (and I am sure there are games I am missing here), BioShock stands alone and has actually created it's own league. The 1940s music & score coupled with voice-acting that sounds like it's from a 1940s movie (as mentioned below), weapons/environment sounds, and 5.1 implementation are second to none at this point in the game development continuum.
Gameplay - Here is where I would like to share a different perspective. The save at any time functionality, to me, is a good thing. I know some folks don't like it and say it lessens the challenge. I believe if you are in that camp, you have the freedom of saving less frequently thereby personalizing the level of challenge that's right for you. I particularly don't like doing the same things 15 times until I get it right. This promotes frustration and not satisfying challenges. With BioShock it is a necessity to be able to save at any time because you can experiment with different solutions in dispensing enemies. Each option is a joy to experience. Another under-mentioned fact is that the load and save times last only seconds allowing the "save at any time/point" functionality to be practical. Some games have extremely long save and load times, making the "save at any time/point" functionality a mixed blessing. Also the controls, while not revolutionizing the FPS/RPG-lite genre, are super tight. The controller layout is well designed & implemented. All these little game-play tidbits combined make this game great and head and shoulders above 99% of the rest.
Story -The story is on par with the God of War stories in that it takes an old idea/story (Greek mythology vs. Jules Verne) and creates something totally innovative, dark, and fresh.
Conclusion - This game is not Ninja Gaiden challenging, nor is it meant to be (Ninja Gaiden is awesome in it's own right). It is an experience that I believe really starts to straddle the line between a movie and a video game. I agree with Hieronymus below that no one will know what game-of the-year is until the year is up. This is going to be one of the greatest years to be a gamer in that there will be so many AAA quality titles released this fall/winter. It will be tough to manage your time and money on which games to own and play. Nonetheless, BioShock will surely be a top-tier contender and a must-own title for any XBOX 360 owner. | video-games_xbox |
Awesome Game for REAL Motocross Riders ONLY. MX vs. ATV Alive is more like a true-to-life MOTOCROSS simulation. You won't find supercross tracks--THIS IS MOTOCROSS! You won't find tricks, flips, and silly stunts. THIS IS MOTOCROSS!
The controls aren't easy, timing is crucial, and understanding how to use the clutch, brake, seatbounce, powerslide, corner, and lean are critical elements to being competitive in this game. THIS IS WHAT ITS LIKE TO REALLY RIDE MOTO! They finally made a MX game that is realistic and made from the mind of a real rider instead of some fat computer nerd who THINKS he knows what it's like. If all you want to do is hold the gas down and win, go play midnight club.
MX vs ATV Alive is finally like RoadRash in that you can upgrade your bike! FINALLY!!!
You can also bang bars with other riders and not turn completely sideways (like what happens in virtually all other MX games!). Now, instead of tomahawking several controllers into my floor, my rider stays up and thanks to the reflex engine I have a chance to gain my balance (AGAIN, JUST LIKE REAL MX!)
Understand that IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE -- YOU WILL BE PASSED. This is typical of real life. You can't slam into a tree, get up, and expect to keep your position--that makes absolutely no sense.
My advice for the people who gave it 1 or 2 stars, you guys really need to STICK with the game for more than a few laps or you'll have find appreciation for the game like this.
Take time to learn the tracks, figure out which obstacles require a seatbounce vs the ones that don't. FINISH THE RACE EVEN IF YOU'RE LAST! You'll at least gain Exp and rank your bike up to unlock more powerful parts which will make you faster and more competitive. Why is everyone on live such a sore loser? It's just a game!
Beyond my praise, sure, this game could use some improvements:
For 1, the 1st person view still SUCKS. They fixed the headshake from Reflex, but the point of view / field of view is still way off. It looks like a helmet cam, perched atop someone's helmet instead of the way real riding is actually perceived. In real life, you can plainly see the gas tank, handle bars, and front fender at all times. You rarely see these in the game except in hard corners or when in a wheelie. This makes it extremely difficult to gauge which direction the front tire is pointed and thus makes 1st person game play difficult. Hopefully they'll fix this in the next game!
Second, the roost. C'mon guys. Why haven't you watched guys in the dunes dust off a nasty berm? Roost could have made this game a LOT more fun especially if a player in front of you splashed some mud up on the camera or blasted you with dust. Again, just speaking from real life.
Overall, I absolutely love this game and it's the best MX game I've seen so far. Of course there's room for improvement, but this is a definite buy!
FYI - My experience includes real life experience in motocross and motocross games for the past 2 decades! I've played every motocross game for console and computer. Everything from excite bike for nintendo to Motocross madness 1, 2, all of the MX vs. ATV series, etc. | video-games_xbox |
The Worst Strategy Game Ever Created. I have an idea! Let's create a Strategy Game in which the player doesn't get to decide where his characters stand or what they do. And even if the player DOES get to choose a good option the character might decide to "Reassess" and do something else anyway. This game is more based on random events than any kind of strategy. I'll try to keep this brief because I already wrote a 4 page blog about all the things that piss me off about this game.
This is how the battle system works in Last Remnant. You are given up to 6 different options for each team you control. These options are pretty much entirely random. You will have the option to heal yourself when you have full health. You won't be given options to heal yourself when you need to sometimes. You will not get the option to resurrect your other teams when you need to. You will have 300 Action Points available, but none of your attack options will be available except a normal attack or using only one of your weak Combat Arts. Your characters will decide on their own not to do what you told them if they feel like learning a new random ability at that moment instead.
When you get to the very end of the game where you are trying to kill the god-like bosses, the fights have the frustrating feeling of not having any real say in what happens at all. It reminds me of playing Madden 2003 and simulating a game, because all that really matters at that point is how lucky you are with the random number generator and your stats. Strategy really plays very little role in whether you win or not.
I wanted to like this game. I spent 80+ hours finishing every side quest, hiring and firing every soldier, and hunting for components to upgrade my weapons. The one reason that I wanted to finish the game was the story. Without spoiling it for anyone, all I can really say is that the final boss battle and the entire ending to the story are a huge disappointment. A complete cop-out that almost remind me of a bad M. Night Shamalyan (sp?) flick. It left me with a bad taste in my mouth that leads me to trade this piece of crap in the moment Star Ocean: Last Hope comes out. | video-games_xbox |
Wheel Required. If you are into racing games and if you're looking for a challenge then you need to look no further. Dirt Rally is unforgiving but this is mainly because previous games have spoiled us to the point where we expect games to include a rewind feature and the ability to change difficulty levels. People that complain and give this game a poor rating "because its doesn't cater to the casual gamer" should have done more research on the game before buying it with expectations that it would be an arcade racer....
I am glad that codemasters decided to not include a rewind feature as it brings a whole new level into the racing. This was something I loved about Driveclub and is one of the many reasons I love Dirt Rally. Each race has tension, especially when nearing the finish as one little mistake could send you right to the beginning. Restarting is something you will find yourself doing constantly but as you play more and more this number will begin to decrease. Unlike many games, this game requires your complete attention as the only way to navigate through the trails is by listening to your codriver and pay attention to the arrows. THERE IS NO MAP! This is another thing gamers have been spoiled with in racing games as many people basically relay on this feature to play most racing games until they memorize the map. It is difficult to do good if there are distractions in the same room as you and even thinking about something other than the next turn while racing will lead to a crash.
Each time I play this game I find it difficult to not have a blast and I always end up smiling because I am having so much fun. This is due to one main reason and it is that I use a wheel. I'm just going to say it, if you are playing this with a controller, YOU ARE MISSING OUT! This game was not designed to be played on a controller and to be honest its not even fun on a controller. I understand many people cannot afford a wheel setup and even less will buy one just for this game but DO IT! Trust me you will not regret it. I've never had so much fun playing a video game.
As for the career mode, money is slow to earn at the start but once you get out of the open class and into clubman money starts to pick up. There are also a bunch of cars to pick from but with so little money you will only be able to buy a select few from the majority. The exhaust sounds surpass many racing games however the graphics do not. It is very apparent they stuck with the older game engine as graphics are no better than xbox 360 although there is the increased frame rate. Personally, the bad graphics do NOT lower the value of the game because they do not take away from the experience. I would be having as much fun as I am now, even if the graphics were 10x better.
To wrap it up, Dirt Rally is not a game for the casual gamer. This is a game you buy because you know exactly what you're going to get and embrace it. This game is nothing like pervious Dirt titles and is probably the reason for many children buying this game and being utterly disappointed because it actually presents a challenge. Even using a wheel, I find this game extremely difficult and it shows me how bad I would be if it were real life. In the end, it is just a game but its not just any racing game, its Dirt Rally. | video-games_xbox |
Wait for the Jasper. This is my third XB360. I had two 20GB versions and recently upgraded to this Elite model. My first console died (RROD) and was promptly replaced by the retailer (Amazon). My second console lasted fourteen months before it died (again, the dreaded RROD). Microsoft repaired it free of charge. However, it did not have HDMI output, so I sold it after Microsoft returned it to me. I bought this Elite last month (October, 2008) to have the bigger drive, but more importantly, to be able to use HDMI.
The XB360 offers a lot of entertainment. I do not play first-person shooters, but I do enjoy Japanese-made games like Eternal Sonata and Soul Calibur IV. I also purchase and download various digital content from the Marketplace. Being a member of Netflix, I look forward to being able to stream video content directly to my XBox. The latter feature will become available next week to users who have a Gold membership with XBox Live. You have to purchase a Gold membership in order to be able to use this feature. For me, this will be worth it. I love movies and being able to stream the video to my console will be a blessing. Just bear in mind that you need a FAST internet connection for this service to work for you.
Why did I make the choice to pay extra for this bundle? Because of the 120GB HD and the included HDMI cable. The Pro and the Arcade packages do not include an HDMI cable. I recommend this package to you if you purchase a lot of digital content from the Marketplace. The extra hard drive space is a blessing. The included HDMI cable also comes in handy if you have an HDTV. Now, having said that, most people will probably be happy with the Pro bundle. The Pro bundle is fine if all you want to do is save games and download movies (the movies "expire", so you will have no reason to keep it on your hard drive). I don't really recommend the Arcade though, since it does not come with a hard drive. In my view, you need that hard drive to fully enjoy what this console has to offer.
The newest XBox consoles are being made with a new motherboard and chipset, called the Jasper. Supposedly, this new design is less likely to suffer from the dreaded RROD (Red Ring of Death), which is basically the common term for hardware failure. The Jaspers are designed to operate at a lower temperature and therefore, will have less tendency to overheat. The Jaspers are also designed to be more energy efficient, using less power than the previous models. And, I have read, that they are also quieter. Perhaps the disc drive has been improved, and also because cooler operation means that the fans do not have to spin as fast.
Unfortunately for me, my console came with the older Falcon chipset. My console was manufactured back in February 2008! Basically, my console was already 8-months old when it came to me, brand new! My advice to you is to wait until the supply of the Falcon consoles have dried up before you purchase an XBox. As you know by now, the XBox 360 is notorious for having one of the highest failure rates in a modern consumer electronics product. If you were to purchase an XBox today, the chances are that you will get one with a Falcon chip, not the newer Jasper. Jasper production supposedly started two months ago. But as you know, most retailers will try to move out old inventory first (FIFO, in accounting terms for those of us who have taken an accounting class in college!). If you want to be reasonably assured of a reliable console, my suggestion is to wait until Spring. Also, you might increase your chances of getting a Jasper if you buy the other bundles (Pro and Arcade), as they seem to be selling faster than the Elite. The faster an SKU is selling, the higher the likelihood that all of the Falcon units have been sold off.
XBox 360 or PS3? I recommend getting both. If you are serious about playing video games, you really should have both. I'm planning to get a Wii as soon as they become available here at Amazon.
What if you could only have one, which should you get?
The XBox, if you subscribe to Netflix, you don't mind paying for a Gold membership at XBox Live, and you have a fast internet connection. Also, if you like first-person shooters. The XBox has a bigger library of games at the moment, having had a one year head start on the PS3.
The PS3, if you have an HDTV and would like to experience Blu-Ray. By the way, Netflix do rent out DVDs in the Blu-Ray format if you like getting your movies through the mail. The PS3, admittedly, is a more reliable console and not likely to suffer from hardware failure. So if you do not have the patience to deal with tech support people, you might want to go with this route.
I cannot comment on the Wii since I have no experience with it. But it is selling like hot cakes. Nintendo must be doing something right!
In any case, I recommend the XBox 360 Elite to anyone who needs the hard drive space and HDMI connectivity. Also, the all-black design helps the console blend in better with your typical audio/video set up, in terms of aesthetics.
Update: 5/20/2011
Yes, you guessed it! The XBox died. This time, instead of the RROD, it was an E74 error. I sent it off to Microsoft this past Tuesday. It is a shoddy product. About what you would expect from Microsoft. | video-games_xbox |
A definite must buy for the Xbox. Metal Gear Solid 2 is a great game that ought to be in everyone's collection. The story of this game is one of the best parts of this game. There are some many cool characters, like Revolver Ocelot, the expert gunman, Vamp, a Romanian Prince who drinks blood and Fortune, a woman who can deflect bullets with luck. The story of this game is told through FMV and Codec conversations, both of which are well directed. One annoying thing about these story sequences is that many of them are very long and do not let the player get to the action. The graphics, physics and the sound effects in this game are very realistic in this game even though this game is originally from a year old PS2 game. The game play of this game is great. The game includes the original Sons of Liberty, more than 350 VR training missions, more than 150 alternative missions and five Snake Tails missions. There are two major locations of Sons of Liberty, the first level, Tanker, which is much shorter and is about Snake's reconnaissance mission to find out about the Marines new Metal Gear RAY. The second mission, Plant, which is much longer, is about Raiden trying to thwart a terrorist attack on the Big Shell. In both of the missions you will be encouraged to sneak your way through the levels, trying to avoid the enemy. If you are caught the person who found you will call for re-enforcements and you will either stand your ground and likely get killed by the enemies or you can hide and wait for the enemy to forget about you. This makes for a lot of fun and a lot of cool situations. You can also hold up enemies with your gun and take their dog tags to unlock cheats. Along with Sons of Liberty, there is also all the extra stuff that I personally only barely scratched the surface of. Besides some story sequences that sometimes get tedious, this game really is a nearly perfect stealth action game. A definite must buy for the Xbox. | video-games_xbox |
Color Me Impressed. I was an owner of the original XBox 360. I was in need of rent money so I ended up selling it. I've been waiting patiently for a year for MS to release a smaller, quieter machine. Let me tell you, the wait was worth it! The sleek finish is very nice. Although the pictures on the box and online show it upright, you can lay it on it's side, which is what I prefer to do. The power button is much like the PS3 phat, where you don't have to press it. You simply swipe your finger over it and presto! it turns on. There is one large fan located on the side of the 360 (top if it's laying on it's side). This fan is extremely quiet. Remember the jet engine sounds of the original 360s? They are no more! Now, I haven't had any of the other models of the 360, just the original, so I'm not sure if they reduced the sound in those models. All I know is my old 360 sounded like a turbine spinning up. THERE IS NO WINDING UP SOUND! I purchased Alan Wake and Mass Effect 2. I put Alan Wake into the drive and the only sound it made was a quiet "fan" sound. No case vibrating roar like the original. After watching the intro to the game, I went back to the XBox dashboard. There was no winding down sound, either. Just a very quiet sound as the drive stopped.
I highly recommend this item for those of you looking to replace your loud 360s or those looking for their first 360. Don't waste your money on the discounted previous models! The $50 extra you pay for this new version is definitely worth it!
*EDIT* 6/22/10
Don't listen to all the stories about red dots of death and overheating issues. The youtube video is sketchy at best. Did you hear the loud fan in the video? That's not the fan of the 360S model, it sounds like an older model. There's no proof that the 360 connected to the TV was the new model.
Yes, the 360S blows out hot air, it's supposed to! I've left mine on for over 10 hours, both playing games and idle. I placed my hand on the actual 360 unit in several places and the plastic remains room temperature. The heat is being moved out of the unit and not remaining trapped inside. If your 360 isn't blowing out hot air, you have a problem.
*EDIT* 6/24/10
Playing Alan Wake, I placed a thermometer over the air vent blowing out of the 360S model. I get a temperature reading of 119. I'm sure there are more intensive games that will push the 360 harder but 119 isn't bad at all. | video-games_xbox |
Nice add for a stereo headset. I purchased the DSS2 to go along with my Turtle Beach, Call of Duty Foxtrot stereo headset. I play alot of Call of Duty and I noticed that with my Foxtrot headset I could not distinguish what direction I was hearing footsteps and shots from. So I purchased the DSS2 hoping to correct this issue and it has definetly done the job. I am now able to determine in what direction footsteps, shots, etc.. are coming from. I must say, however, that I havn't noticed a huge improvement in overall sound quality but the sound quality was already very good with the Foxtrots. So, if you play COD or any other shooters that knowing the direction of a sound is important then the DSS2 is very nice to have. If you don't play alot of shooter games then you may want to save your money and just get a nice stereo headset like the Foxtrots or soon to be available Kilos. If you don't already have a headset yet and you also want surround sound, it is cheaper to just buy a surround sound headset from the start. Something like the Turtle Beach DPX21.
Now to the DSS2 setup. The DSS2 was very easy to set up. Just plug in the provided optical cable and USB cable. (The optical cable is very thin but it still works fine). Then plug in the headset to the DSS2. Very simple. It is recommended that you control your volume with the DSS2 and not the headset but I do not do it that way. The optical cable and usb cord are too short to reach where I sit so I leave the DSS2 sitting on top of the XBOX. I have the DSS2 set at max volume and I control my game and chat volumes with the headset. I have the DSS2 set on EQ preset 3 (aggressive bass boost) and I turn down the bass boost on the headset. And lastly, I use Surround Sound Angle 3. Honestly, any of the surround sound angles would work but #3 is the one that I decided to use.
In conclusion, I am happy that I purchased the DSS2 even though I think that it is a little overpriced (Which is why it gets 4 stars instead 5). It is a nice addition for anyone who already has a stereo headset and plays alot of COD or other shooters. | video-games_xbox |
Not my favorite-- outdone by previous gen. Let me preface this review by saying the product functions as you would expect-- The charge pack goes in the controller, it lasts about 1-3 days, and it recharges fine. However, I feel like it has a few quirks that detract from the overall product, thus I give it 2 stars.
I first started using Nyko charge bases with the 360. Bought it about 5 years ago and it was always on point. I really liked the previous charge base because the battery pack fit right on and came off easily (making changing a charged pack with a dispensed pack very easy). The controller seemed to slide right in and get a good contact immediately, and the controllers lasted long enough.
However, I feel like this Nyko charge base only hits 1 of these 3. First, the battery packs aren't all in one; it's a plate with a battery. I just don't get the point of that, its just 1 more part to potentially lose. The battery fits very snuggly (very tight) and the plate is awkward to get off. It's certainly not a deal breaker but its just more fidgeting and fumbling when all you wanna do is change the darn battery. I'll accidentally turn off the controller, turn on/off the Xbox, whatever when Im messing with this. For those with 2 controllers, this isn't even a deal, so take that in to consideration. You only will have to mess with it once.
The second miss is I feel like the controllers don't always slide right in and hit the contact to charge. Often I have to play a mini-game of moving the controller around a bit until it has a good contact.
The batteries do work. They charge quickly and last a reasonable amount of time. I just feel like I don't like this this Nyko Charge Base as much as the 360 one I had years back. None of this detracts heavily from the device, I just don't feel like it earns 5 stars. My $.02.
TLDR;
+Looks good
+Has a cool screen to show the controller is charged or charging
+Lasts reasonable amount of time
+Recharges quickly
-Doesnt always seem to make a contact with controller to base
-Battery pack is a plate and battery (why?) and is difficult to remove. | video-games_xbox |
Better Than The First, That's Saying A Lot. I had the original Bioshock for quite a long time before I finally played and finished it a few months ago. It was such an incredible game, particularly in its originality, that I couldn't wait for the second one to come out. Now that I have beaten Bioshock 2, I can say with confidence that it's even better than the first, which is saying A LOT. The second game builds on the first and significantly expands on the whole concept of the "little sisters" in the first game. Although the graphics were top notch in the first game, they really do up the ante a bit on this latest release. The audio, both sound effects and dialogue, are top notch as well. I won't spoil any of the plot by going in depth in this review, but let's just say that there are some twists and turns in store for the gamer in this one. In my opinion, the Bioshock games really excel in their originality and overall concept design. A lot of games today are mere copies of other games out in the marketplace, but not this series. . . The atmosphere that the developers have created is incredible and very engaging. My girlfriend could care less about video games, but these two games caught her attention more than once. I love the retro modern era vibe to both games and the short videos that play when you gather a new plasmid or gene tonic. You really stop and think at times about the depth of thought process involved to cover all of the intricate details in a game like this. It's no wonder the credits that roll at the end are very lengthy. This was a huge effort for a great team and they pulled it off with flying colors. I'm assuming/hoping that there will be a third installment in the series, but as it stands it's awesome as is. For anyone that doesn't have Bioshock 1, you can buy it now as a Platinum Hits title for under twenty bucks. That's an absolute no brainer and anyone getting that game for the first time for that price is getting a steal of a deal. I'd recommend both games VERY HIGHLY! | video-games_xbox |
Lack of content and greedy DLC model gut one of my favorite game series. Like many other reviewers here, I am a long-time Forza faithful. I still have a Forza 2 license plate frame on my real-world BMW M6, and I have Forza 4 wallpapers proudly displayed on my PC at work. I have preordered every Forza game since Forza 2 and ordered the XBOX One launch bundle specifically for Forza 5 (Already have the PS4).
I will give the design team credit for building a beautiful game with a robust physics engine and an improved paintshop/design editor. The depth of customization of the vehicles, including the unrivaled paintshop really sets the Forza series apart from its competition.
Unfortunately, I am infuriated at the relative lack of content provided at launch. This game has about half the tracks of Forza 4. It has much fewer than half the cars. It has fewer modes. The reason, I suspect, has far less to do with any rush to get this game out in-line with the XBOX One launch, and more to do with corporate greed. The number of microtransactions rivals many free-to-play MMORPGs. I was insulted by the immediate announcement of day-one DLC ($10 for ten cars that should have been included with the game along with about 270 others to at least match Forza 4's offerings). I have little doubt that Turn 10/Microsoft will eventually offer numerous additional tracks and cars (60 already announced with the season pass @ $50), to rival Forza 4 at a considerably higher cost. I really hate to see this series degrade to a microtransaction model. I can only hope that competitors seize upon this opportunity to develop a quality competing product with a reasonable amount of content included in the launch price. (Gran Turismo 6, I'm looking at you!)
Unfortunately, unless this trend is reversed, this will be my last Forza preorder. Forza 5 is a great racing game, but I am hard-pressed to justify a $50-$60 price point for this game with its current level of content. | video-games_xbox |
You don't want to miss this. I wonder about the people who gave this game four stars. They compare it to Halo and other FPS's as if it's inferior to them in some way. They probably said the same about Halo when it first came out. "It's alright, but it's no Perfect Dark/Goldeneye." In two months they'll be on the bandwagon singing Bioshock praises. This game is groundbreaking, and don't let the nay-sayers dissuade you.
Originality. We're getting Halo 3 this month. I'm as excited as the next guy, with the Legendary Edition and Limited Edition on pre-order (the Legendary version is staying in the wrap). But it's Halo 3. I've seen it before. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. I can't stand the linearity of the CoD series. I consider the games very uninspired. Bioshock. Enter a world that is unlike anything you've ever seen. Massive levels that you can't stop exploring because you have to see what's in the next room. The environments never get repetitive, which was one of my biggest concerns entering the game. Each level has a unique personality that you will remember long after playing through. The game is haunting with it's utopia-gone-wrong feel. You know this place was awesome once, and then something went horribly wrong.
I'm not going to spoil any of the story for you. This game is best played fresh, with no idea what's going on. Anyone who says it's predictable or boring is full of $#!T. It's one of the best stories I've seen in a game in the past few years. And how you play through it will definately have an effect in the end. The good ending even got me a little teary-eyed.
There is a review that complains about the lack of variety in enemies, saying there are only two types. These two types are more like categories. Big Daddies and Splicers. Splicers are the screwed up citizens of Rapture (who have been doing a lot of bad things) and have modified themselves in different ways. Spider Splicers, Houdini Splicers, Leadhead Splicers, etc. They all fight in different ways and require different ways of dealing with. There are only two types of Big Daddies, but fighting them is something you'll remember for a long time. They are completely docile until you mess with them. Then their eyes go red and you feel a nice little poo in your pants as the thing comes raging at you. It's awesome. Finding more efficient ways of killing them is even better.
Another complaint is that this game lacks multi-player. It's true, but who cares. Resident Evil would suck if it were online and so would this. Not every game needs (or should have) a multi-player component.
Summing up, picking up this game is a no-brainer. If you hate the idea of no multiplayer, at least rent it. You can play through it in 15-20 hours, but I took the time to enjoy it and put about 30 hours in on the first playthrough. Now I'm playing through it again. I've got to beat it on the hardest difficulty and see what happens when I kill all the little sisters. Gotta get back to it. | video-games_xbox |
Best NHL video game; continues to make improvements every year. Unlike the other EA Sports franchise(madden), NHL 10 continues to not just add a simple roster update, but gives you new features and detail. In a nutshell, NHL 10 is extremely realistic, be it graphics, passes, gameplay, strategies, uniforms, models and facial features, behaviors. Everything about NHL 10 gives you an authentic feel to the gameplay.
Highlights:
*First person fighting! A new feature that gives fighting a whole new dimension. I love being able to punch, block, and dodge. It could use a little bit more depth like letting you use both hands, punch into their body, but it's okay. I give EA a pass because adding first person fighting is an innovative addition to the NHL franchise. For the most part, it gets all the basics and typical things you'd find in a real fight in a NHL game.
* Details are off the charts in many aspects of this game. Skating is extremely realistic the strides, starting and stopping, snow showers, turns, etc. This also makes it a little bit more difficult for the player to get a certain place. That means that the gamer must make smart decisions and skate well or else they will be pay the price. The ice is very detailed. Turns and scrapes on the ice stay on the ice, and you can tell that the ice deteriorates as the period progresses. Player models and faces of prominent players are spot-on. Although not always perfect, they still did a good job with many of the players.
* Create your own play. I like that you're able to create your own plays on the offense - rush, powerplay, and offensive zone. And in those 3 facets of the offensive game, you can choose between the different strategies. Very simple to use and is a lot of fun to experiment with. This aspect of the game is very deep and detailed. Give it a shot, you might be the next great coach!
* Gameplay is realistic and has become more difficult to score goals as the NHL franchise has evolved. Whether it's using a good pass or play the boards well, the AI challenges you to do the right things to score. You can no longer skate from one end to the other and scoring an easy goal. You need to play a good team game - offensively and defensively, much like a real NHL game - in order to win.
* Playoff mode - If you really don't want to go through the season mode, just jump right in the playoff mode!
Some drawbacks:
* Although the AI is very good, every now and then you'll get a fluky goal. I mean, I know that goals can happen and that goalies can be very oblivious sometimes, but it can happen more than once in a game. It can be very frustrating. However, I've found that as long as I make it hard for the CPU (Getting in pass lanes, putting on a hit), fluky goals don't happen as often.
* No speed burst. I'm all for the realism effect, but some players like Ovechkin, Marleau, and Briere have game-changing speed. You won't really be able to change the gears.
Overall, a very complete game that simulates the real NHL game extremely well. You'll bite your tongue and be frustrated sometimes, but in the end, winning in this game is very satisfying. | video-games_xbox |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.