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Not truly multiplayer on Xbox One! Only the high score is saved per round. We own several Just Dance titles for Wii. My kids and their friends love them. They enjoy competing for top scores on their favorite songs. Dancer Card set up for each title was more cumbersome than picking existing Miis, but ultimately this was not a big deal and each kid could save their score on their Dancer Card. We only have two wiimotes, but at least two kids could compete and keep scores at the same time by associating their Dancer Card with their wiimote after the song selection. The descriptions and other reviews I've read for the Xbox One version are very misleading about multiplayer features and scoring. I specifically got this title for Xbox One instead of Wii because you can have "up to six players at a time", and the manual states "Use your Dancer Card to track your progress ... shows your stats and personal progress". However, on Xbox One, only one profile is active in the game at a time. The game does not use the kinect to recognize anyone playing, nor can you associate a "Dancer Card" per player like you can in other versions. Instead, each player is associated with a "coach". The coaches have the same default names as the default Dancer Cards in other game versions, but you cannot change them. After a dance is complete, the highest score amongst all the coaches is awarded to the Xbox One profile in use. All other scores are thrown away. This completely defeats the purpose of having multiple players in my scenario. Effectively, now there is only one player at a time, and if they want to be sure to record their score, not the best of the current dancers, they cannot even have anyone else on the dance floor with them. This is much worse than what I had on Wii. Add to this the poor kinect implementation in this game mentioned also in other reviews, and I wonder why you would buy this for Xbox One if you could buy it for some other game system. | video-games_xbox |
As good as a Golden Axe 3D remake could ever be. [...]
People get angry when they fight each other for a reason and it isn't just because of the pain inflicted on them in the fight. A fight can take on a life of its own and drag both fighters, kicking and screaming, with it. This is exactly what Golden Axe lets happen while never taking control away from the player. A fight with or without weapons is simple. Each person in a hand to hand or weapons based combat situation essentially has three choices, attack, retreat, or hold your ground. Golden Axe lets the player switch on the fly between all three options thanks to the parry and evade defense system. Golden Axe's combat is not the standard button mashing combat system seen in games like God of War or Devil May Cry. The player will not be rewarded for mashing buttons, being uncoordinated or not paying attention to their surroundings. Even though the fighting techniques are exaggerated and overly dramatic, the sense the player must have for fighting is fairly realistic. Golden Axe is constant combat in the truest sense I have ever seen in an action game. This concept is what will either make or break an individual's enjoyment of the game.
Golden Axe gives these choices in every scenario. Tyris can hold her ground, in which case the player will wait for opponents to attack and either parry or evade as appropriate. This is the only game that I have played that forces the player to either parry or evade based on whether the attack is horizontal or vertical in nature. In Golden Axe, much like real life, if an attack is coming roughly straight down or up the player can evade it by side stepping. Naturally, if the attack is coming from the left or right in a broad stroke, side stepping is less beneficial. As with all video games this is vastly simplified from what can happen in a real fight, where a combatant can both parry and side step at the same time and thus give themselves extra time to deliver the counter blow. Since we're playing with game controllers and not our brains, abbreviating the actual possibilities of a fight is a good thing.
Tyris can retreat, and as is true with a real combat situation, retreating should only be done to recoup and set oneself up for a better position within the fight. By running away and then turning back around when sufficient distance has been made between Tyris and her foes, the player can get all of her opponents in front of her. Obviously this is the best position to be in, as the player now has the option to kick opponents into each other, launch ranged magic, or simply bull charge the group to knock multiple opponents down. From there Tyris can switch back to holding her ground with the parry and evade system or go on the offensive.
On the offensive Tyris can do a normal variety of attacks. The player can tap the weak or strong attack buttons for quick but weak or slow but strong combos respectively. Tyris can also switch back and forth between weak and strong attacks in a chain combo, only the last strike in a combo causes Tyris to pause. The combat mechanic in Golden Axe is designed so that the player may avoid taking damage by means of attacking first, parrying or evading. Only if the player responds to the incoming attack with the wrong defensive option does Tyris become unable to recover. That means whether or not the player thought they should sidestep or throw an attack, if they did it too early or too late, or chose a response that was inferior to the opponents attack, they incur damage. However, Golden Axe allows the player to make up for the mistake of attacking first by means of the parry and evade cancel system, which will immediately switch away from a combination to parry or evade.
This much would be enough that if it were to replace the simple combat system in a game like Grand Theft Auto, the entire game would be better for it. Golden Axe, though, offers more than simple group based combat in the form of the beasts. In homage to the original Golden Axe games, there are four main types of beasts which Tyris will ride throughout every level. The beasts primary function is to give Tyris a shield and more powerful form of attack than fighting on foot would. Secret Level, the game's developer, also designed Golden Axe's levels in such a way that the player would need to use beasts to break down barriers or magic obelisks. Beasts will also naturally be used to get through some of the more dangerous combat scenarios the game creates. Since the beasts don't have the parry or evade system, the easiest way to use them is to run at groups of enemies and attack while running through them. Should any enemies survive that, the player can do a quick sliding turn around while running to make a second, third or even tenth pass until all combatants are defeated. On smaller beasts Tyris can also use her sword to swipe at enemies, which can double up the damage the beast is doing on its own.
Last but certainly not least is Golden Axe's magic system. Tyris is given three main magical options. The first magic, selected with the left digital pad, is a fire missile that acts as a ranged weapon for single or multiple opponents. The second, selected with the right directional pad, is an explosion that bursts all enemies in the immediate area into flames. The third, which is the up position on the directional pad, is the Golden Axe which can be used to hit enemies that are out of range, and must be used to destroy undead enemies before they resurrect. With an adequate grasp of the game's combat system, the magic is a simple but welcome accessory that may be used to clear an area much faster than fighting ever would. All three forms of magic upgrade throughout the game, taking on more powerful forms that eventually kill everything in sight while wiping out Tyris' magic jars.
Having described Golden Axe now in roughly one thousand words, we will move on to the hideous beast that is the mass media's presentation of the game. The media hated Golden Axe Beast Rider giving it an average score of 4.0/10. IGN said that the game had no combos in comparison to games Devil May Cry and God of War, and that the defensive moves were annoying. IGN's Chris Roper didn't understand the concept that a parry is not a block, but a deflection to set up a counter. Team Xbox's Dale Nardozzi and Gamespot's Chris Watter's likewise lambasted Golden Axe's combat system as "unfun." It should be noted that all three failed to describe what was not fun about the game's combat system, which indicates that the reviewers did not understand the game in the first place.
Tyris will only actually parry an attack if the parry button is hit after the enemy attack has begun. This should be obvious, since the parry and evade mechanic makes a distinction between horizontal and vertical attacks. Roper calls this "frustrating" and "annoying" because he has no concept of what a fight actually is. In a fight, even the most well thought out plans can go awry, and that's why being flexible to the ebb and flow of the fight is key to survival.
Being that this is an update to an arcade classic, I find it ironic how the media functions in today's gaming culture. A handful of non-gaming professionals with "personality" can play a game for an unspecified amount of time and tell everybody else not to play it. What's disgusting about this is that it appears as though the gaming public actually obeys them! If people were standing around a Golden Axe arcade machine in 1988 telling everybody in the arcade not to play the game because they thought it was not fun they'd have been laughed at. Read it in a magazine today, and sales figures plummet. Dave Halverson's scathing comments on the subject need not be reiterated.
The only criticism that can be leveled on Golden Axe Beast Rider is its lack of multi-player. Especially since the original series was such a great multi-player experience, and the ending teases the player with the fact of Tyris, Gillius and Ax Battler's alliance, this is a notable exclusion. With that said, nobody has developed a multi-player hack n slash that is as detailed as Golden Axe and seen it succeed. Secret Level did such an admirable job in bringing the series into the HD generation that their achievement should not be marred by what they did not include. The level design and combat system of Golden Axe simply would not have worked in a multiplayer scenario, end of story. If challenging and action packed combat is your thing, pick up Golden Axe Beast Rider for $20 on Amazon. If it isn't please go find yourself a nice story game to play and leave would be classics like these to the professionals. | video-games_xbox |
Beats Beats Just Dance. The only real problem with this game is the play space and what may or may not end up destroyed by an errant ball fake or a missed crossover. Beyond that, the things that are missing are superficial, things that I would expect to be added into the next version if the initial game's reception warrants a second title (more songs/content etc). Part of the reason I went out and bought it immediately was to support the concept.
I was not disappointed in my full price purchase. Not in the least.
I have a cheap flat screen mounted on the wall in my garage and highly recommend the game to anyone who has a setup that will allow them (or their kids) to play worry free in a safe environment.
I actually play for the skill building and for the workout. It's quite intense, especially on Baller mode. The lower two difficulties are more laid back in what they ask of you, but even with those modes, you can't help but break a sweat, especially if you run song after song. My heart rate is usually up in the 150 to 170 range when I play.
I also agree with "hoopsking"s October 29th review in regards to this being a great stationary dribbling tool that will help you become more comfortable using both hands and keeping your head up. Moving at full speed would obviously require different muscle memory, but at the same time stationary dribbling skills do carry over to dribbling on the run, it's just a matter of altering the angle of your dribbles. This game, if played consistently, is guaranteed to boost your handles and overall comfort level with the ball in both hands.
The last thing I'll add is that the Kinect recognition of you and the ball and the way it displays you on the screen is extremely precise. I move front to back and left to right on the crosses and other moves and really play it like I'm trying to put moves on a defender. It tracks and records very well and the sensor is rarely fooled by a missed move. I even benefit from seeing my Kinect silhouette, which allows you to see just how believable and quick your movements are.
SUMMARY:
If you have a safe, large space and love the game of basketball, this is a must own. Majesco did a great job on this initial title and deserve the support required to put out a second offering. | video-games_xbox |
Star Wars: Revenge of the Lightsaber Duel. This is not the game for fans of the "Sims" or fans of alternate storylines. Who cares about game pre-release developement?! Don't get it twisted...this is a game for the action fan! So if you're one of those gamers that feels like a game is not worthy of 5-stars simply because you can't change the destiny of the main characters don't waste your money on this one...go play a "Sim" or get over it! You're not supposed to change the destiny of Darth Vader (although there a couple of nice treats for those of us who complete the game on the "hard" level).
Now, with that out of the way...this is probably the best game LucasArts has put out for lightsaber/Force dueling. We finally get to use every force power dreamed of with the main characters instead those fake, over-the-top clones of the ultra-geek expanded universe...you know, the one's where everyone has a double ended lightsaber or a curved hilt (so much for originality). Not this one, you can finally play as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader at the peak of his powers as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi.
If you don't want to spoil your movie-going experience I'd say hold off playing/purchasing this one until you've seen the movie. It follows the main storyline very closely with actual movie clips included. The only things you won't get are the love story and politics. No Jar-Jar or Padme, just Jedi and Sith.
The only drawbacks I had (which are really no big deal) were the shortness of the game (specifically the Anakin/Obi-Wan duel) and the fact that we don't get a fight with Darth Sidious. You fight side-by-side with Yoda on one level and can unlock him to fight on a bonus level but that's it, no Sidious duel.
It would've been a nice touch to have at least one of the Sidious duels in there but I suppose they need to save some surprises for the movie. At least it was subtituted with a nicely done, gratuitous fight scene between Anakin and Mace which is not in the movie. Buy it or rent it, regardless you will enjoy it! Trust me, all of the "Force" is with this game. | video-games_xbox |
FINALLY, a headset I can keep. Been looking for a replacement headset for a couple of months to replace my 4-yr old Turtle Beach X1 that I use for my Xbox 360. It's been a roller coaster ride trying to find one that didn't get returned. Here's what I bought:
<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>: Can't use the headphones while they're recharging and very uncomfortable.
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Sharkoon-X-Tatic-Air-Gaming-Wireless-Headset-for-Xbox-360-and-PS3/dp/B009WI7VA8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Sharkoon X-Tatic Air Gaming Wireless Headset for Xbox 360 and PS3</a>: Makes an irritating tinny noise every time you press a button on the controller. Sharkoon said it was a defect and told me to return it.
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Ear-Force-PX5-Programmable-Wireless-7-1-Dolby-Digital-Surround-Sound-Headset-with-Bluetooth/dp/B003O6N64Y/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Ear Force PX5 Programmable Wireless 7.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound Headset with Bluetooth</a>: Arrived dead. Took a factory reset to get working only to find the sound dropping off every minute or so, plus noticeable static.
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Tritton-Detonator-Stereo-Headset-for-Xbox-360/dp/B0057S9JQ6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Tritton Detonator Stereo Headset for Xbox 360</a>: When enabled, SVM caused a loud buzzing sound. Tritton website said to move USB cable to rear port but still didn't fix the problem. Submitted a support ticket and never heard back.
Finally tried the DXL1 and they've been great. The sound is excellent and with the DSS you really can pinpoint the location of other players, e.g. in Halo 4 SWAT I know when someone is in front, behind, above, below, etc. and that really gives you an advantage. Set-up was quick and easy and while there's more cables with the DSS it's not a big deal.
The DXL1 is light and comfortable. No clue about why someone said the ear cups were scratchy, mine are soft and cover the entire ear. For those who wear glasses some headsets can squeeze the ears and makes it painful after extended play time but that's not the case with these. I've gone through marathon gaming sessions without any discomfort.
I'd give these a 4.5 stars if possible. With fewer cables they'd be perfect, especially for the price. | video-games_xbox |
Can be really fun, but not realistic. Man, if you knew how much I was anticipating the release of this game... For months, I read every piece of info realeased on this game and talked about it so much because of that the developers said would be in the game... I was really happy when I first played it, but it's majorly lacking in other areas.
Head to head with a real person is what makes this game so fun. Fights actually go to a decision unlike FNR3. The fights are often nailbiting slugfests that have great, I said GREAT back and forth action. So it's great to play online unless you play some guy that fights cheap of course, and it's fun against friends. This unfortunately is where the fun ends for the most part.
Like another guy brought up, the reaction times are a little too slow at times. The in/out fighting is really flawed and unrealistic. You can't effectively outbox a guy like you should be able to, or like they advertised you'd be able to and the "in" fighting is awkward with guys making awkward movement or awkward punching. Punchers like Kelly Pavlik are brutal from the outside, but completely useless on the inside which isn't all true for their style. Sure he's better from the outside with fighters at the end of his reach, but he's not completely useless when someone is close. That's how the game has made him. You can apply this to about half of the roster too unfortunately.
Body punching is next to useless on this game. It takes away stamina, but that's about it. The only knockouts from the body is if the guy can't possibly take another jab without going down and you happen to hit him to the body, he'll go down. That is not at all realistic. In real boxing, I would almost contend that most knockouts come from body shots. From amateurs on up, most dudes HATE getting hit to the body and it slows them WAY down taking punches to the body, not the case in this game.
The career mode is a total joke. Half of the good guys in your division or the real fighters on the roster retire by the time you get to fight them unless you previously rank them at like 38-28. Who wants to fight the best guys at the beginning of your career? Wouldn't you rather beat Mosley, JC Chavez then Pacquiao to unify the Welterweight crown? Not gonna happen, most of them retire before you get to that point no matter what. Even if you're in line for a title shot after 15 fights with hardly any training, which also leads you way over matched because you didn't train as much as you should've anyways. So you're left to fight fictional guys. Keep in mind, even if you win the title with less than 20 fights, you'll be defending it against the same 6 guys for the rest of your career pretty much. Another thing is, the fighters have ridiculous, unrealistic records. You'll be fighting someone that is like 26-19-0 with 1 kayo that's the champ. That might be realistic in MMA, but not boxing. You'd sooner be fighting a guy that has 5 losses or less, and that would be if the guy fought nearly 50 times and he'd sure as heck have more than 1 kayo. What's the fun in that? You're beating a guy for a title that has 19 losses already? Not to mention you're probably going to fight him at least 4 more times over your career.
Gameplay:
Counterpunching reigns supreme. I used to box, and yes, counterpunching is really effective if you do it correctly. But to barely miss a guy and still have your shoulders squared up to the guy after missing, hands in position ready to block but can't just because they programmed it that way and you get damn near knocked out by a counter JAB is completely stupid and ridiculous. I could see you getting knocked down and even out if it was a counter hook/uppercut/straight right etc... but from a jab, as often as it happens is plain stupid.
There's a million more flaws with this game too, but I figured this was enough to get the points across. This game had all the potential in the world with a few minor tweaks. It's a damn shame that the guys at EA didn't consult with REAL boxers other than to match their styles. If they did, those boxers don't know anything about actual fighting because it's not realistic. It's possible to have a realistic boxing game that is as much fun as an arcade game. I hope next time they don't miss that mark | video-games_xbox |
fun, but way too many technical problems. First let me say that I bought the 20th anniversary edition, which comes with a copy of nfl head coach 09' and a madden 09' bonus disc, which has a classic madden game from snes along with extra videos, screenshots etc. Not worth the extra $amount$ at all.
MADDEN TEST:
This year in Madden as soon as you start the game, you'll be greeted by the virtual John Madden. He will explain to you that in this years version of Madden, you will be able to go through four drills, (rushing offense/defense, passing offense/defense) in a virtual trainer. Depending on your results, this will determine the difficulty at which the game is played. Your performance in any game that you play (besides online play) will reflect on your personal difficulty, and either drop or raise your "Madden IQ". This a pretty good concept, and I think it improves your game to a certain extent. If your trying to build stats in franchise mode, good luck. Your better off using one of the preset difficulty settings (I love the fact that you still have a choice from custom difficulty, and preset rookie, pro, all-pro, all-madden).
REWIND/BACKTRACK:
A new in game feature for Madden09 is the rewind feature, which allows players to press the X button at the end of a play to rewind to the start of that previous play. I can see how it would help someone new to madden, but couldn't they just play the game without the rewinds and still get better? Backtrack will show up after a play occasionally when you make a mistake. Chris Collinsworth will explain what you did wrong on the play, and mention your other options. It's cool I guess. Again, this is designed for someone new to Madden to help them learn the game quicker. I always skip it anyways.
GAMEPLAY:
Madden 09' is the best football video game experience that there is. There is no competition, and that is part of the problem with these new releases of madden. Occasionally during gameplay glitches are very prominent. receivers won't run routes correctly, linemen won't block their assigned men, running backs will have a slower first step, quarterback will sometimes run straight through the line when using no huddle, during breaks in action, (2min. warning, halftime, new quarter, after touchdown, after kickoff/return, after playcall) the game will show extended long shots of the stadium, and sometimes will never return you to gameplay. Sometimes you can get away with it by pressing start and then resuming the game, but that doesn't always work.
There are a lot of improvements in the running game. The ability to immediately use any of your highlight stick moves as soon as you want, no matter what move your already engaged in is very good. Makes running the ball very fun. Created playbook/plays is as good as last years. Hot route control should offer more options, with more detail. Post-play hot route controlling is the same as last years, not impressive at all. You might as well just run for it if you see a sack coming, you really don't have much control at all. There are more spectacular catches, more end zone celebrations, more interactions from the fans, coach and players not on field, but its still not nearly enough. Besides the field itself, and the on-field player models, graphics are not up to par.
FRANCHISE/SUPERSTAR MODE:
Franchise Mode is better than last years, but that still doesn't make it great. First off, the technical problems in FM are far beyond what I expected, (in comparison to last years) You won't have access to certain areas of the menu, pictures/stats won't load for certain players, franchise options will sometimes reset by themselves, the game can freeze at any point, (this happens waaaay to often) and you can loose a lot of hard work if you don't save often. The pre/regular season, (you have no control of players moral, there are no incentives for players or coaches. You have the option of importing a player from ncaa football09 right before you advance to the regular season. You can make 3 selections for team captain before you advance to the reg season, I still have no idea how/if this actually affects anything in game to those players named as captains or they're teammates. You can train up to 3 players each week before your scheduled game. This is good, but there just aren't enough drills. What about kicking/punting drills? some of the positions that compete in the same drills but for different attributes, are very difficult because those drills weren't specifically designed for them. i.e - linebackers trying to improve their pass rush/finesse move in the d-line challenge. You must hold offense under 1119 points for all madden, but the lineman will get 2000 points for one pancake block, which is something you cannot control. The menus are setup nicely, very organized and easy to navigate.) The off-season, (which is what I live for in madden, besides online play) is fun. Practically the same as last years, you have the options to sign staff, edit your stadium, (buy upgrades, select a sponsor, relocate, build a new one) check your finance, (highest paid staff/players) compare the current year to prior years in franchise. I was upset to see that you could not create a player to add to free agency. There is an argument that you could just create all juggernauts to beef up your squad, I personally don't care, (you don't have to make them a 99 overall) for the ratings, they should have made it determined by how well you do on certain practice drills. Like the superstar mode. Once you advance to the off-season, you can see retired players, make re-signings from your current team, 30 days of free agency, (I would like to see the option of offering incentives to players) the NFL draft, (scouting reports from the players that you scouted earlier in the year are no different than the reports that you have on other players in the draft that you didn't scout. Draft needs to have a lot more detail on the players) sign draft picks, (there should be the option in the off-season tasks of training your draft picks/players, as you can during the pre/regular season, just with more detail) reorder depth chart, and advance to new season.
Honestly I don't ever play superstar mode. Its very long and tedious, and never keeps me interested like franchise mode does. Its good if you want complete control over ONE player, it can be especially fun if you've uploaded one from ncaa09. Overall its just about the same as last years version.
XBOX LIVE:
If you have xbl get Madden09. You'll find yourself playing one game after the next, trying to become the best in the world. Tournaments are very cool, you have a lot of options in creating them. Users can make their own leagues, so you can play with a group of friends from Sweden in one league, and your friends from work in another. Very cool.
Overall Madden NFL 09' is an improvement over last years version. It is currently the only NFL game worth buying (since there is no other one). A lot of fun will be had, believe me. But the technical problems and glitches take away so much. It should be easy to fix, but EA probably won't do that.
3 1/2 out of 5 stars
fun - 4 out of 5 stars | video-games_xbox |
Halo 4 is the Best Halo Yet. Campaign - Let me start by saying that the campaign has more to do with Cortana than it does with Master Chief and that's not a bad thing. From start to finish, this campaign had me hooked. The connection between Master Chief and Cortana has never been stronger. It has phenominal voice acting and I like all the characters. Halo 4 went a step up in storytelling from Halo 3 and all the other ones. Is this the best Halo campaign? I say it is; mainly because of Cortana and the new enemies, Promethians. Halo 2 was my favorite Halo campaign until I played this. I played this alone on normal difficulty and it took me like six hours to complete. It has eight missions with awesome cutscenes. I actually expected the campaign to be longer, like 10 hours long. There were two out of the eight missions that I really hated and couldn't wait for them to end. Will I play this again with my friends on Legendary? Most definitely. I was fine with the playthrough though and the ending of the campaign. What happened at the end was unexpected, now I can't wait for Halo 5's story. Killing aliens with the chief has never been better and I applaude 343 Industries for taking the story in a new and promising direction. 100/100(A+)
Graphics - This game has really amazing graphics and really utilizes the 360's power. This game proves that the Xbox 360 doesn't need a Bluray drive to play big games like Halo 4. It's the best looking shooting game I've played on Xbox 360. I won't go as far to say that the graphics looks better than Battlefield 3, because many would argue about that. In my opinion the graphics does looks better than Battlefield 3's because of the character modeling, the facial motions, and the quality of the cutscenes. Look at Halo: Reach then look at Halo 4, big improvement. Best of all, I haven't noticed any tearing or framerate drops. It plays smooth. 100/100(A+)
Gameplay - Halo 4 has the best AI. The AI is very entertaining. I love to hear all the alien sounds and fight a variety of different creatures. Halo 4 has this amazing new game mode called "Spartan Ops." You would pretty play different chapters of an episode and there are even new episodes for people to watch. I've watched and played two episodes so far with my friends. They were really good. The team at 343 really put hard work in this mode. It's pretty much a replacement of Firefight. A great replacement. 343 said they will release new episode every week. So far two have been released and three more are coming. You can have custom loadouts in Spartan Ops. The gameplay covers many things. You have special abilities, a variety of special weapons, and cool vehicles. There is not one single flaw in this game's gameplay and I will never get tired of it. Forge is pretty fun too. 100/100(A+)
Multiplayer - The best multiplayer experience to date. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 use to have my favorite multiplayer until I played this game. The progression system is better, the game is still balanced, and now you have custom loadouts. There's this new thing called an "ordinace." It's pretty much a killstreak reward for when you are doing good, even if you're just getting assists. When you get an ordiance, you have three options of what you would like. One thing I hated about Halo: Reach, you needed headshots all the time to kill someone. That's not how it is in Halo 4. The game is more competitive and takes more skill. I like that. I can't help but admit that a lot of aspects were taking from Call of Duty; such as perks, custom loadouts, killcams, and killstreaks\pointstreaks. This isn't a bad thing to me. I enjoy the game the multiplayer. As of now, I have a 1.57 kill/death ratio. Not bad, not bad at all. Play Halo online has never been more fun and playing with friends has never been more fun. Also, you have a lot of cool spartan customization. 100/100(A+)
Playing Time/Content: I'm going to be playing this game every week. It's too much fun. Spartan Ops will keep you entertained and so will the multiplayer. Heck, even playing the campaign on legendary with some friends will keep you entertained. Halo 4 provides enough content that doesn't make you ask for more. I am so addicted right now. I would have paid $100 for this game. $60 seems like it's too low of a price for this game. Halo 4ever, until the next one comes out. Also, the soundtrack is amazing. I bought that as well. 100/100(A+)
Overall Score: 100/100(A+)
Don't know whether to spend $60 on Black Ops II or Halo 4? Get Halo 4. It's way better. Trust me.
+ Spartan Ops
+ Graphics
+ New multiplayer features
+ The story
+ Master Chief
+ File sharing
+ Enemies
+ Soundtrack | video-games_xbox |
Betrayal of long time Halo fans. Before I say anything negative, I have to admit that Halo Reach is a good game. It is well made with lots of options to hold your interest. However, my opinion is that they have sold out their classic halo fan base in favor of the adolescent Call of Duty crowd. I'll go into why later in the review. People like to read pros and cons so I'll organize my thoughts that way...
Pros
Storyline/Campaign: For halo fans, the books were the only way to know what led up to Halo: Combat Evolved until this game came out. The storyline is wonderful, following an elite team of spartans with gorgeous graphics and even more beautiful cut-scenes. The campaign itself is fun but the strategy for beating it remains the same as the previous 4 Halos, except with some more flair added. My friend and I beat it in one night on heroic in about 6 hours. The campaign adds closure to the entire Halo saga.
Firefight: Haven't played it much and seems like a game type for when you get bored with the game. From what I've seen, it is similar to the ODST firefight. No negative points here.
Forge: This is where Reach shines. The developers have done a really good job giving players the means to build anything. That plus the massive map, Forgeworld, which has room for any idea. All the tricks from Halo 3 forge have been turned into tools in Reach. I've seen recreations of halo 2 maps, race tracks, artsy sculptures, and even a floating recreation of In Amber Clad.
Cons
Gameplay: Several dislikes in this category. First and most troubling to me personally was the excess of equipment. I was really hoping that they would have gone back to their roots with this game to be more like Halo: Combat Evolved with a dozen basic weapons, both human and covenant. Instead, there are more guns than any other Halo game and armor abilities, which just makes gameplay more convoluted. They included brutes and brute weapons too, which I always thought didn't join the covenant until the Halo 2 storyline. Lame.
Also on the subject of weapons is gun recoil. Seriously? One of Halo's defining concepts was its lack of realism and relying upon pure aiming skill. When you can't shoot 2 shots quickly and accurately over distance, you begin to find that killing people takes a really long time due to shields. Also, the DMR, the new BR, is more like the infamous Halo: Combat Evolved pistol than a BR. I feel like this ruins gameplay because aiming skill matters less when you only have to hit one shot instead of three. Because of these two reasons, I seriously doubt the competitive potential of this game compared to Halo 3. MLG on this platform would be a total farce.
Overall, I really feel that any hardcore or original Halo fan would find the gameplay an appalling sellout to Call of Duty in an attempt to engage a larger gamer demographic. It seems like a more easygoing and casual game as a result of their changes. I've had some fun LANing but I think I'll stick to Halo 3 for intense, classic Halo combat. | video-games_xbox |
Simply Awesome: "Dis Thing is Da Bomb. I'm an old "wood and steel" pinball guy and could never stand "video" games. However, I bought this XBOX combo as an Xmas gift exchange with a relative. Because of the "high price" of the mystery gift, my relative opted to not consummate the gift exchange. BIG MISTAKE!! I kept the XBOX combo and set it up on my A/V system. From the very beginning, I was impressed with the extreme quality of the gaming console, wireless hand-held controllers, and their electronics. Set-up was a snap (much less complicated than I had expected), and I am impressed with the speed of the wireless communications between the controllers and the gaming console. I like the 250 GB storage on this Limited Edition Console, I now use it also as a "data vault" for archiving and playing back multi-media on my wireless network. The game that is bundled with the Limited Edition Console, Modern Warfare 2, just blew me away with its realism. I am one of the few licensed to actually own and use the real-deal machineguns, submachine guns, and destructive devices depicted in this game. Also, to gain my firearms certification and training, for law enforcement, I was detailed to the U.S. Marine Corps in the 1990s. I have to say that it is almost surreal how life-like and accurate the Modern Warfare 2 experience is to "live-fire" weapons practice and many aspects of actual weapons training for military and LE. I was so mesmerized by the realism of the Hogan's Alley training scenario, and the combat missions, that I began wondering if Infinity Ward (the software developer) had actually developed it originally as a military / LE training simulator -- it is that good. The "first person" perspective on weapons handling and situational judgement is outstanding. I highly recommend this XBOX 360 Modern Warfare 2 Limited Edition bundle. The product quality and performance is supreme, and well worth the price. For action movie enthusiasts, this is even better than a motion picture ... it is like being IN the movie, and being in a movie with a million different possible outcomes based on the actions you make and the decisions you choose. It is an ultimate "virtual reality" experience. The vibrations in the hand-held controller when you load / charge / fire weapons adds nicely to the sensory experience. I can't believe this ... the XBOX 360 Modern Warfare Limited Edition is transforming me into a gaming geek / nerd and I don't care!!! I've always been a Sun Microsystems "big iron" enthusiast, but when I experience the quality and extensibility of the Microsoft offering in their XBOX 360 (in regard to what software developers like Infinity Ward can do on the XBOX operating platform), I understand why Microsoft is "king" to the popular masses. | video-games_xbox |
I absolutely love this console. I absolutely love this console. It's great. The controller is better than the Xbox 360 version; it's lighter and feels much more comfortable, especially after long hours of playing Battlefield 4. The user interface is simple, personalized due to customization options, and responsive. I like how the UI is more organized and neat than I initially thought it'd be. The Kinect 2.0 is a pleasant surprise. When I first plugged it in, I honestly was not expecting it to function as smoothly as it actually does. I'd say that the Kinect works about 90 to 95% of the time. When it does work, it's highly accurate and really fast. It's a very impressive device, and I'm starting to like it. The funny thing is, the Kinect really spoils you. The idea of ever having to actually turn off my TV or console manually ever again seems obsolete and old fashioned. For the times that the Kinect doesn't respond, it was usually due to the fact that I was incorrectly saying commands (the Kinect requires specific commands like "Xbox Go Home" instead of just saying "Go Home" or "Take me to Home"). For the few times when I was saying commands correctly and it just didn't respond, it was usually because of loud background noise like my family talking or another TV that was really loud. However, there was a handul of times where I was saying the correct command and the room was quite and the Kinect just didn't respond at all. However, this is rare and is not the norm for the Kinect 2.0. Xbox Live is as reliable and smooth of an experience as ever. I have no complaints. I also really enjoy how fast the system boots on when you say "Xbox On". Then, it instantly signs me in with facial recognition. Overall, the Xbox One is a very impressive and convenient console and it truly feels next gen. I love this thing, and I look forward to a great generation of gaming on it!
P.S. The Xbox One is fully capable of playing games in 1080p. For an example, Need For Speed Rivals, a multiplatform game, runs at 1080p on the Xbox One, and it looks gorgeous. Same with Forza 5, which is truly a jaw dropper when it comes to graphics.
My only complaint, I'd say, is the price tag. Other than that, the Xbox One is a great console! You're going to love it! | video-games_xbox |
What a waste of money. Don't even think about buying this game unless you're getting it for online play. Having played through the campaigns of "Halo 3" and "Halo: Reach"(which I enjoyed immensely), I was excited to get this one as a Christmas present. But it seemed like I had just started the game when all of a sudden I found myself fighting the villain in what can only be described as the lamest boss battle of all time. As the credits began to roll, I sat there in disbelief thinking - "It's over? Really? No. How is that possible?." Even my wife commented, "Didn't you just start this game?"
And don't believe any of the publicity about "exploring the relationship" between Master Chief and Cortana. This made me believe that there was going to be something resembling a story. The plot is basically a random villain shows up, starts sending the same old enemies at you (even though he's all-powerful) as you run around on random missions (usually involving pushing a button). Finally, the villain randomly shows up a second time and this time you kill him with the help of Cortana (not sure why she didn't help me the first time). And the "relationship" that is explored with Cortana is basically that she's "dying" - and Master Chief doesn't like that. But then he doesn't bother doing anything to try and stop it! And besides the short length, the gameplay itself is pretty bland - far less interesting than the previous versions. The settings are unimaginative, the villains are less interesting, the vehicles and weapons are nothing new (in fact, they don't even have many of these segments). This game might be good if you play online, but for someone playing at alone at home in Campaign Mode, it's a waste of money.
I was so disbelieving that this was all there was to the game, that I went online to see if I was missing something. I was. There was "Spartan Ops". But for some inexplicable reason, even though it's on the second disc in the game box, you can't play these missions without an Xbox Live Gold membership. Why? Why not let us play them alone or in a local split-screen game if we don't have a Gold Membership? I assume it's because Microsoft wants us to fork over the money for one. And even the local multi-player modes seem to be missing. I finally got my wife to play "Slayer" in "Halo 3" with me (she seems to get a disturbing amount of pleasure from blowing me up), but I can't even find those custom game modes in "Halo 4"(I can't believe they would remove this from the game, so if I'm missing something somebody please let me know).
I can only hope that the online gameplay for "Halo 4" is great for those large numbers of people who buy Halo for that purpose (though I've read lots of complaints online about even this). But if you are considering "Halo 4" for a single player game - save your money. Replay a previous version of Halo. Or buy "The Orange Box". I purchased that game to get "Portal" (after having enjoyed "Portal 2") and discovered "Half Life 2" which came on the disc as well. Between the main game itself and the two additional episodes contained on the disc that game lasted FOREVER. I got several months of gameplay off that disc as opposed to the maybe two weeks of casual gaming I got from "Halo 4". | video-games_xbox |
Good Game all round. I scoured the internet yesterday to get a feel for what critics think. The majority said the same thing, "It's good, but adds nothing new to the formula", while this may well put you off paying full price, and in this case I wouldn't blame you, it is by no means a bad game. I am fortunate enough that this is the only game in the trilogy that I have been able to play on a machine that could actually run it properly (Xbox) the previous two games I managed to load onto my dying PC and while playable did cause me many moments of teeth gritting fury that my poor beloved PC finally needs a replacement.
With that in mind I enjoyed the opening levels of Origins immensely, it's a great looking game, feels nice, plays nice and the story kicks off with a bang. After several hours of playing I am still enjoying myself, the story is pacing itself nicely and I'm intrigued about where it's going and I like the subtle differences in Bat's character, he's angrier and it shows, he's new-ish to being Batman and it feels it.
The map itself is familiar but expanded which I like, however I feel WB Montreal (the developers) really should have looked to certain sandbox RPG's for a bit more innovation and set design because despite being nice and big it's also nice and empty save for various groups of criminals and corrupt cops you can pummel.
The real problem is, as stated by many, the lack of anything truly new. If you loved Arkham Asylum and drooled over how city expanded beautifully on it's premise this will not change your life and would have been astonishing as an expansion for about 25 or some DLC.
However if you loved the previous games, or have never played them at all, and love Batman and just haven't gotten round to it and simply want more of Batman's story however it comes and progress into amazing video game innovation means nothing to you I am sure this will consume your life for a while. It is good, there's nothing wrong with it as an action game with a great story, it's just... Good and not great like it could have been if they spent another 6 months on innovation and really pushing their ambition. | video-games_xbox |
Blown away. Picture gta San Andreas' landscape with zombies instead of people and random events taking place across the whole map.
Add some scavenging and running to keep from dying and you've come close to what state of decay is.
Graphic wise there's not much there, but it's in its tone and sense of urgency that this game shines.
It forces you to think on your feet by making your characters fatigued while on the run so you can't always run from zombies.
It forces you to run into buildings or out into the open if you get attacked
Your cars breakdown if they have taken too much damage so you can't always run them over.
Guns and ammo are scarce so you're forced to scavenge.
You raid houses and abandoned construction sites for anything you can find to build your camp as the ever increasing amount of survivors need a bigger place to stay, workshops and medical camps to keep morale high.
The game does a great job at reminding you not to care for the characters much as a horde of zombies or a feral zombie might just devour you and your team at any moment, forcing you to try and keep all survivors at a good balanced skill set.
I played the hour long demo on Xbox 360 and as soon as I saw the graphics I was disappointed.
I told myself I'd play it the whole hour before judging too harshly though, being that I have heard so many good things.
After about 30 minutes in, I was hooked.
I started doing research and found out the Xbox one version would be released soon.
I immediately preordered it.
I've been playing this game for about a week or two now, and the fun factor is still there, I'm hoping to play this for at least 2 more weeks before it comes to and end.
this is what the walking dead survival instinct should have been.
Hands down one of the best survival horror games I've ever played.
It's got rpg elements mixed in in all the right ways.
I prefer ps3/ps4 games, but I had to buy an Xbox one for its exclusives, dead rising 3 and state of decay are two of the top 5 games I've ever played on an Xbox system.
I can only hope left for dead 3 shows up on the system as well.
I highly recommend this game to all as it has something for everyone.
Graphics-6
Gameplay-9
Overall-8 | video-games_xbox |
pretty design, good features, poor execution. I needed a wireless headset (headphone + microphone) in order to get rid of the cables from the PC in my living room. I also looked for a headset that would recharge when you simply put it down on its cradle - plugging a USB cable into the headset just for recharging is nonsense these days.
The Razer Chimaera fits the bill. It is wireless, and charging does start when you merely put the headset down on its cradle. It connects to my PC via analog audio, which is what I need. Also, the design looks nice. So far so good.
I chose these over the more expensive Chimaera 5.1 because the "5.1" is a gimmick. Those don't have multiple speakers inside - it's still one speaker per can, one left, one right. They just do tricks with frequency filtering to make your brain believe it's receiving surround sound. But it's not the genuine article, and it can never be. Regular Chimaera is $40 cheaper and does no such silly tricks.
Compared to my wireless Sennheiser RS 120, you have to aim a little bit more carefully when you put the cans down on the cradle. But it's no big deal, it's easy enough, and it's much much easier than plugging a USB cable for recharge. Love it. Great feature. I'll never buy wireless cans if they don't start recharging automatically in the cradle. This is the 21st century, for crying out loud, don't ask me to plug in cables. :)
As others have said, the 3.5 mm audio input socket is too loose. The cable will make contact only in a certain position. This is an embarrassing glitch. 3.5 mm connectors are such basic components, surely it would not have increased the manufacturing costs too much to use a better one.
The range seems decent enough. The cradle is across the room, near the TV, while I'm sitting on the couch. In the same area there's a WiFi access point, and plenty of wireless gizmos overall. No problems at all. I even walked to another room wearing the cans; while the sound quality decreased, I was still getting intelligible signal.
Sound quality as a gamer: If you're a gamer, it's good. Plenty of bass, explosions and whatnot sound big. A few levels in Mass Effect 2 sounded pretty satisfying. Overall, the sound I get is pretty clear. I almost prefer using these phones for games instead of the beefy sound system here, even if I don't NEED to use phones (e.g. when I'm alone).
I'm not using the microphone a lot, but I did tests on Skype and it's okay, about the same quality like the microphone in an iPhone, I've no complaints. Don't forget to also adjust the volume on the microphone (the buttons are on the other side) - by default, it's set to about 50% or so. I keep it at 100% on the phones, and let the software deal with it (but your situation may be different).
Sound quality for music: For music, if you're a discerning listener, these cans are junk (meaning: about the same like average headphones you could buy at the gear shop nearby). I listened to a song on these cans, then switched to a Sennheiser HD 280, and oh man, what a big difference. Bass on the Chimaera is artificially inflated about +10 dB. Transparency is muddled. High frequency response is funny - it seems strong, but stuff is missing at the top; can't quite put my finger on what the issue actually is. Bottom line: these are great for gaming, not for music. But this is the case with so many cans out there, including big and famous names; it's so hard to find cans that do well with high-quality music (and most reviews you see online are so ignorant). So nothing unusual here, probably all gaming headsets are the same, although I am always hoping for a nice surprise.
The instructions seem to indicate that the Sync LED stays on after sync is achieved. This is not the case. The LED turns solid green for a short while, then turns off. This is confusing. The instructions should more clearly indicate the actual behavior.
It is said the phones will automatically turn off when there's no sound. They do that, but not always. I'm not sure what the issue is. It's no big deal, as I put them back on the cradle when not in use, I just thought I should mention it.
Battery life is plenty. The nice thing about the batteries is that they are easily replaceable. You could go to any electronics shop and get an extra pair of NiMH batteries (AAA format) if you wish. The ones that come with the headset are 900 mAh, make sure you get the same or better. Make sure you use NiMH, not any other kind. I wish all wireless phones and sets were the same. This is a great feature. My wireless Sennheiser RS 120 are the same. Love it.
The cover on the phones that goes over the right side (the battery lid is underneath it) is flimsy and fragile, yet it does not come off easily. I can definitely see how a more impatient user may break it in half when trying to pry it open. I wish they used a better system.
Overall, like I said, these cans have a well thought-out set of features, and they look great. I just wish they didn't cut so many corners in manufacturing, to increase their revenue. I decided to keep them, mostly because I just couldn't live anymore with all the cables snaking around on the floor. | video-games_xbox |
Epic Game. Let me start out by saying I have been playing games since the early days of the NES, I did not play Demon Souls although it was and still is on my list of games to eventually play.
My friend and I both picked up this game at around the same time, after dying several times in some of the early areas of the game we both had different reactions, my reaction was ok this game is hard, but if i approach it differently and start to play more carefully I think I can handle it.
My friend had the opposite reaction, basically said I can't do this anymore this game is too hard, and he was about to trade it back in, meanwhile I had finally hit my stride in the game and was advancing steadily. He called me up told me he was trading it in and I convinced him to give the game a second chance take it slow, respect the world and the enemies and you will be able to do it. He went back gave it a chance learned the strategy behind the game and now we are both over halfway through the game and loving every moment of it.
Yes the game is hard, yes it is unforgiving even at a higher level if you play stupid you will die. Personally I enjoy the bonfire system yes it can make the game harder but you can use it to your advantage by respawning certain enemies that drop more souls (XP).
Also I have read several reviews criticizing the multiplayer and the story of the game, the story is all around you in this game through the world it is amazing how the world connects almost seamlessly, and the multiplayer is all around you despite being more of a solo game, touch a bloodstain see a mistake someone else made and don't make it read the messages other players leave to help you out or even summon a player to help you with a tough boss.
Again this is a hard game don't be fooled by that you are not going to blaze through the game like God of War or Dante's Inferno, this game is built upon trial and error and risk vs reward and taking down a huge tough boss in this game is one of the most rewarding aspects of it. Easily the best game I have played this year and in several years. | video-games_xbox |
Hardcore Gamers Only. So, like most of us with a new Xbox 360, we've all downloaded the demo of this game on Xbox Live and grown to love the one level available for play. Some of us have probably even developed some decent skills. While this is grand and a great way to spend some time having fun, I believe the demo of this game is very misleading.
The game's official page boasts of 16 huge maps in which to wage multiplayer warfare. While this is true, all 16 maps are indeed playable, only 3 or 4 will ever be seen by the average gamer. Why, you may ask? Battlefield's online play operates on a popularity scale, in which players may vote on which maps are used. 99% of the time, the choices are A Bridge Too Far (from the demo) and Backstab, a heartwrenching adventure set within a Muslim city. While these choices are fun on their own, what happened to the other 14 maps? Unlike its PC predecessors, Battlefield 2 offers no option of the multiplayer game offline, that is, without all the hardcore gamers voting on which maps to use. This is extremely frustrating.
The second problem I had with this game and the demo was that in the demo, you're playing against other newcomers. Once you buy the actual game, you're exposed to people who obviously have no life whatsoever outside of playing this game, and have no qualms about making you miserable. These people apparently have no jobs, girlfriends, or exposure to sunlight, and have devoted countless hours on the playing of this game. Many of them are supposedly in the military, which makes playing with them unbearable if you're not in the military yourself. The other group consists mainly on immature adolescent boys. The learning curve is extremely steep in this manner, and unless you're absolutely dominating the demo version, you're going to have a rough time with this.
Speaking of playing online, expect to lose your connection quite regularly. The EA server is troublesome at best, and no work is being done to correct this issue. Thanks guys.
The other problem is the campaign mode, which highly differs from the ones in previous games. Campaign mode is nothing at all like the multiplayer version, there is no spawning once you've been killed, and as such, you only have once chance to get things right. There are no difficulty settings, so unless you're a master, don't expect to get very far at all. Your AI teammates in campaign mode will not be much help, and usually die within 15 or 20 seconds of the start of the mission.
Overall, the game does have amazing graphics, with very much attention paid to detail. The controls can be a bit clunky, especially when operating the vehicles. The campaign mode is much more realistic than multiplayer, as there is no respawning of soliders once they die, but the learning curve is incredibly steep.
Bottom line: Unless you're a hardcore gamer who has hours on end to devote to this game, you're better off looking somewhere else. | video-games_xbox |
Over-looked; under-appreciated franchise. Lost amongst the Halo's, COD's and Gears of War's, this series (War for and Fall of Cybertron) was the most enjoyable for me. Granted I grew up watching the Transformers on TV and playing with the action figures so the IP certainly meant more to me than most who grew up with the Michael Bay nonsensical adaptation. Regardless, if you are a fan of 3rd person shooters and haven't played this game because it seems more geared for children or because of the negative movie-tie-in connotation, then you're missing out. Fall of Cybertron has a more cohesive and epic story than the first, but War for Cybertron had better boss battles which were grander in scale. You also lose out on the option to select your character in this one and it is a bit easier, comparing normal modes on each. Aside from that, they are essentially the same game and tons of fun. I've kept my review short, but here's my review of the first game if you haven't played that, which holds true for this one too:
No, it is not the best looking game, nor is it without glitches here and there; however for any latchkey kid who grew up in the 80's watching Transformers after school, this is the game that brings it all back. I didn't even know about this game because of the negative tag that comes with a movie/tv game tie-in, but the reviews about this game are spot on--it is just a lot of fun. You can tell the developers were fans of the original series because they've captured the essence of the characters perfectly...Megatron is a megalomaniac, Starscream an insolent side-kick, Optimus the consummate leader, BumbleBee the brash little guy, etc. And they've put these characters in a story that is actually well written and believable (in the Transformers world) that you don't mind watching the cutscenes. I've read reviews that state the game is difficult and short on ammo; I would say it is not too difficult for any 3rd-person shooter veteran. It's actually quite easy aside from some spots here and there. Ammo and health pack are usually spread around where you have to find them off the beaten path. The boss battles do require you to remember their patterns, but they are epic in scale and quite enjoyable. The best part of the game, I think, is that you have to incorporate your ability to transform in order to get through it. It's not just some tacked-on feature that you can do with or without. So, how do you know if this game is for you? Well, if you are a fan of the Gears of War series and the way it looks and feels, then you'll probably like this. The only thing it's missing is headshots, blood, the lancer (although the melee in this game feels really powerful) and the cover system. I haven't tried any of the multiplayer modes yet, but I am a huge fan of horde on GOW2, so I will probably spend much of my future gaming time on the escalation mode here. | video-games_xbox |
Sam Fisher, the ultimate spy. Pros:
Superb graphics, environment, and control
Likeable characters and plausible storyline (it's Tom Clancy, after all)
Breathtaking suspense without the heavy violence
Cons:
Enemy AI can be weak
People use stereotypical accents
Can cause adults to skip work
When it comes to spies, the image that we conjure up is typically of the likes
of James Bond, the flashy and overt kind, with lots of beautiful women and
coll-looking gadgets. In the real world, however, spying tends to be a little
more on the covert side, and the best spies are ones who haven't been
discovered--yet. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (SC) is that kind of game. It's a
thinking man's (or woman's) game where patience and stealth is rewarded.
In the game, you play Sam Fisher, a member of the NSA's "Splinter Cell" group.
This group, comprised of the mission commander, the "technical geek" (for lack
of a better term), the driver, and you. Most of the physical contact is between
you and the driver, and the commander and the "tech geek" are observing you
through GPS implanted in Sam's body. They communicate voally through an implant
in Sam's body, as well as a palm pilot that Sam uses to gather mission data. The
game is played in third-person mode, with the camera angles that are controlled
entirely by you. This allows more freedom of movement than other games of
similar genre (Metal Gear Solid 2).
The game is made up of 9 missions (10 if you count the training mission) that
are linear in sequence. The basic mission involves infiltration, information
gathering (or kidnapping), and extraction without being noticed. You are given
limited amount of ammunition so you can't just walk up and start shooting--your
enemies are better shots, and have more powerful guns--you won't last long. And
in some levels, getting caught or killing anyone results in mission failure.
The key to this game is taking advantage of the environment. The environment is
rendered so beautifully that it is a sight to see. The lighting effects are
dynamic, meaning that as Sam moves, or as the source of light moves, the shadows
change realistically. Darkness id your best friend, but in later levels your
enemies have night vision goggles or have dogs that can sniff you out. You move
from shadow to shadow, sneaking past guards. You can kill them, knock them
unconscious, or use them to open locked doors or computers.
The game control really sets this game apart from others. It's very intuitive
and not overly complex. Yet it still allows you to move Sam in many different
ways. The game also builds your skills as you progress through the levels. In
one, you may have had to rappell down a wall, in the next, you may rappell and
shoot. It make you feel confident, but one problem is that the game controls
where you save--and it leads to frustrating hours of trial and error because you
messed up just before the save point.
The acting is very good, and not overly dramatic like some Japanese Animes. Tom
Clancy like to be a little realistic and so he doesn't have Sam's Wife or
daughter calling him in the middle of a mission (see my review on Metal Gear
Solid 2), nor does he create characters that are sullen and try too hard to act
cool. Sam's a no-nonsense kind of guy with a dry sense of humor. His personality
adds to the dimension, but is not overpowering. You can identify with him. But
not so much with the enemies unfortunately. They tend to use really bad Slavic
accents (if you're in Georgia) or accents you can't identify (in Burma). I also
think Tom Clancy may have a thing for Georgians/Russians and the Chinese.
Splinter Cell and Ghost Recon, two of the titles of his namesake, have them as
enemies.
The enemy AI is very good; as your enemies patrol, they are sensitive to sight
and sound. The music plays a big role in setting the tone of the situation; when
you're caught, you'll know even before they fire a single shot. But, the AI can
also be very dumb. With unsconscious or dead comrades around, if the rest of
them can't find you, they give up by saying, "maybe it was a shadow," or "maybe
it was an alley cat" (plus other "humorous" phrases). When they patrol, it's on
a set course and they never vary, so many times it's just a matter of timing
your movements.
Negatives aside, Splinter Cell is a welcome and necessary addition to any
serious XBOX (or other consoles). You know it's a good game when you haven't
killed anyone, yet you're drenched in suspense. | video-games_xbox |
Excellent series. Minor spoilers ahead. I would only recommend reading my review if you've already played through the series.
I've been a Mass Effect fan since the beginning. I had my preorder of ME 1 secured well before it came out in 2007. I knew from the first time I'd heard about this game that I'd love it - a wide open sci-fi RPG where your decisions would have consequences in the sequels? Yes please.
I'm not sure how many hours of my life were lost to the first game, although I would scoff at anyone who heralds ME1 as some golden, shining light of a bygone era of gaming. The game is nothing less than a masterpiece, but it pales in comparison to its successors, thanks in large part to the bugs that'd allow you to get stuck inside the scenery, the sheer number of "collect a whole ton of this!" sidequests, the lack of marking quests in the systems they're in, the ridiculous amount of traveling in elevators and, of course, the Mako. It's no exaggeration at least 50%, maybe 75% of the game is driving around in the Mako on remote planets in vast expanses of nothing. Sometimes it's a red nothing. Sometimes it's a blue nothing, or a brown nothing. Sometimes it's hilly nothing, or mountainous nothing, but you get the idea. It's boring, and I cheered to the high heavens when I learned that ME2 would not have this awful mechanic. Overall, it played well and was a lot of fun, but those sidequests were a weak link. Another serious flaw is the fact that if you replay the game as a Shepard you previously beat the game with, Bioware did not reset her (yes, I am fully aware that Shepard can be male, too, but there's no point in saying he/she or his/her every time I refer to the protagonist) stats. Whatever you picked, she had, period. Bioware reset everyone else's stats, but not Shepard's, despite the fact that she's the most important character in the story.
Story's the main consideration, however, and in that the game excelled, especially when confronted with the second-to-last major decision. I sat for a bit, wondering which I should choose, as one involves sacrificing a large portion of an army to save the Council, or let them die. The game beats it into your head that a Spectre has to be willing to sacrifice for the greater good, but humanity is already feared by the many other species, so is allowing them to take over by killing the Council the way to allay those fears? The game doesn't give you answers to these questions, and you have no way of knowing the full extent of the consequences of your actions at the time. You only know what your choices are at that moment, and the fallout may not be felt until Mass Effect 2, or in some cases, the choices have little to no bearing in Mass Effect 2 at all but have a significant impact in Mass Effect 3 - an example of this would be the Rachni Queen. Sure, you get a VERY BRIEF discussion with a messenger who relays a thank you from the queen if you spared her in Mass 2, but that's it. Nothing else. The decision to spare or kill her in the first game has a larger impact in the third game, however.
One last thing on the first game - I do remember playing through Virmire and hoping that there'd be a way to save both Ashley and Kaiden. The first time I'd played through my character was a Renegade jerk, so I figured that the reason I'd have to pick one or the other was because I'd burned so many bridges that I was paying for that now. Of course, that didn't turn out to be the case - even killing Wrex doesn't save both your other crew members. It'd have had a bigger impact if I ended up being the reason I had to save one or the other. In the end, I understand why Bioware made the choice they made with Virmire, but it was still disappointing for that reason.
ME2 proved to be a major step forward for the series. Gone were the Mako, the endless hours of exploring barren, empty planets, the elevators, plus, this time you could actually reset Shepard's stats! They also got rid of the original Normandy, and it's sad to see it blow up, but this was the right decision, as its successor, the SR2, is by far a superior ship. After playing through ME2 and ME3, I can't really feel the same about walking through the SR1 again - I just like the SR2 that much. We also got a larger and much more diverse crew. Mordin was quite a treat, especially when talking to him and you ask about his past as a stage performer. While I was sad to not see most of the old crew on the new Normandy, it makes sense from a story telling perspective - Bioware was telling us a new story with ME2. The ending sequence was amazing - this time, your choices very much matter; having the wrong companion do a given task means that someone dies. It's not hard to figure out who to use, however - the game gives VERY STRONG hints about who is right for the task at hand. There was a generous helping of DLC, including the extremely well done Shadow Broker DLC, the good Project Overlord, the okay Kasumi and Zaeed quests, and weaker Hammerhead and Arrival DLC packs. Given the impacts they have on ME3, I do recommend getting them all, but for a DLC first go 'round, I'd recommend saving the Shadow Broker for last. (Just don't wait until after you've finished the main game to do that quest, since benefits for completing the SB are ongoing throughout the game.) The end boss was...odd, but easy to get over. I've seen some people complain about the last mission (seems like there's always SOMETHING to gripe about.) Basically they're upset that it's not only possible, but fairly easy to keep everyone alive. First off, that's not even a legitimate complaint, so be quiet. Second of all, if you want someone killed off, go right ahead - it's extremely easy, easier than getting them all out alive, in fact, to set somebody up to die. If you want a character to get killed off like you're in your own little "Choose your character and your character's death" story, then just search for an ending walkthrough and find out how NOT to choose the right character - I guarantee you, you'll have more empty spaces in the Normandy going out than going you did going in. Your ME 3 experience will suffer for it, by the way, since that character, if alive, will add to the mission you see them in, but hey, YOUR LOSS. If you want to have the touching scene where one of your crew dies so the rest can live, then knock yourself out. Me, I'm keeping my crew alive.
Then ME3 came out, and until the extended endings DLC was released on June 26th, 2012 I had to wonder what Bioware was thinking. Right out the gate there were so many easy-to-find (just play through the game NORMALLY!) bugs, including the oft-mentioned face glitch, some eye-bugging glitches, among others, which were thankfully patched. The Normandy....<sighs> I don't know why but Bioware saw it fit to make the ship dark. Really, really, really dark. In ME2 you could actually see, but in this game, only the bare minimum was spared for lighting. And there's the whole War Asset/Effective Military Strength (EMS) thing... Bioware stated that it would be possible to get the best ending criteria through single player alone. Well, sorry guys, but I'm not seeing it. I'm a completionist, and I ALWAYS scanned every system, got every asset, and I would still be well under the 5000 EMS needed for the best ending unless I hopped onto XBox Live and improved my numbers that way. The multiplayer's fun, but I fail to understand why I should spend hours playing MP to get a better rating for my single player experience, simply because the bar is set so high that I can't hope to reach it on my own, despite playing through all 3 games with the mindset of seeing everything all of them have to offer. And then, of course, there's that ending. Oh, that ending was awful. There are some people who like to patrol Amazon and Youtube for the slightest HINT of criticism of that ending and then immediately get their NOVELS of "Why the ending doesn't suck!" - novels that they've spent hours, days, weeks, even months perfecting - copied and pasted in an attempt to drown out the many cries of justified indignation over what was the most disappointing, broken, meaningless ending in recent history to a series that was about making choices and seeing how those choices would affect the universe as a whole. Simply put, it did the opposite - THE EXACT OPPOSITE - of what an ending is supposed to do. An ending is supposed to resolve the conflict and provide closure, two goals that the stock ending failed to do. You may notice that I'm referring to the stock ending in the singular, and I am. "Oh, but you're wrong!" you might say. "There are endings! Plural!" you might say. No there aren't. There's one ending, and one ending only. The only thing that changes is which color explosions you see - everything else plays out exactly the same with the stock ending. Oh, and don't worry about your War Asset count, either - that makes no difference, either. Yep, whether you did a speed run or carefully got everything, the ending is exactly the same. For some reason, that annoying as hell narrative voice for the primary codices is still back. Want to shut him off? Well TOO BAD, because you can't! He's been annoying us for three games now. I can read - I don't need somebody narrating to me. And he narrates every primary codex. Every. Single. One.
The extended endings DLC isn't perfect (especially since you have to replay the whole Citadel section all over again to see each ending, plus we still don't get to see what happens to Shepard after the "Destroy" option, arrrggghhhh!) but it's free (for now, anyway) and several orders of magnitude better than what came with the game. This time, no matter which of three different endings (yep, with an "s") you choose, that ending is a satisfying and complete ending. Each ending is also completely different. No matter which one you choose, there are very different consequences, both short and long term. Are any of the endings happy endings? Nope. But they are complete, satisfying endings, and everything is resolved. If you wondered why you see Joker at the end doing what he's doing, how your ground team got to be on the Normandy, how the other fleets will get back to their home systems, etc. you'll find that out with the extended endings DLC. Oh yeah, plus the fact that you get a heartfelt thanks from Bioware at the end for playing through the series, and not a "Congrats on playing through the game. Now go out and buy more DLC!" SLAP IN THE FACE is another thumbs up. They even added a fourth ending, although this one is arguably the weakest. It's different, but not as good as the other three. Bioware could've spent a little bit more time working on that ending, or just cut it out entirely. Wasn't really what the fans were looking for here. Believers in the Indoctrination Theory, beware, however - Bioware has made it perfectly clear that they never intended Shepherd's journey to go in this direction; not physically, not mentally, not spiritually, not psychologically or any other -ally you can think of - she did not get indoctrinated, not in Mass 1, not in Mass 2 or in Mass 3. Bioware has taken the clay pot you call the Indoctrination Theory and smashed it on a concrete floor, swept up the pieces, threw them into a landfill and covered them with concrete. You cannot reconcile the Indoctrination Theory with the extended endings in any way, shape or form. I initially had my doubts about the IT when I first heard it, and while it seemed compelling, I was not even remotely surprised that Bioware shot this to pieces. So as interesting and well thought out as it was, it's an incorrect theory, and anybody who tries to work the new endings into the IT would be reaching. And I mean REALLY reaching here. So if you're one of those people who wants to hang onto the Indoctrination Theory, then MAYBE you shouldn't download this, but I would strongly recommend the extended ending DLC for everyone else.
So, thank you Bioware, for proving to us that you do have the artistic integrity we once thought you did by providing this game with a proper ending. Kinda wish you gave us this ending to begin with, but late is definitely better than never.
In the end, the series is one of the strongest series in recent gaming history, and should be owned by any RPG fan. | video-games_xbox |
GOOD STUFF Frostbite Fidelity Goals galore Compelling story mode BAD STUFF Set-piece nightmares Hit-and-miss build up play. It's a phrase expectant football fans around the globe chime annually. That the start of a new season - and hopefully, one or two star signings - will pave the way for fresh hopes, dreams, and tantalising possibilities.
Fans of EA Sports long-running FIFA franchise are no stranger to the phrase either. For the better part of a decade, there hasn't been a title challenger in sight. FIFA didn't just get used to winning titles - it could stroll casually towards them without a care in the world.
Like Pep Guardiola's Barcelona, theres been no stopping EAs footie sim juggernaut - but times are changing. In recent years, Pro Evo has emerged as a serious challenger, forcing FIFA to work harder to keep its place at the top of the table.
If FIFA 17 is anything to go by, the EA Sports team really are starting to feel the heat, with some questionable decisions dragging the once unflappable champions back into the title fight.
They might still be on course to win this year's metaphorical trophy, but there's no denying it's getting tighter at the top.
POOR SUBSTITUTIONS
EA already had a near-perfect starting eleven in place after last years superb entry, so like all great managers, its job was to figure how how to make an already excellent line-up even better.
No matter how good a team is, there's always room to improve, but with FIFA 17 it's obvious that EA wasn't quite sure what to tweak, and what to leave well alone.
For starters, the revamped set-piece systems feel unnecessarily convoluted. To take a corner, you'll need to pick a target in the box by planting a jittering curser in place, before whipping or floating the ball in.
Penalties have also been given a do over, and now you'll need to control the run-up of your striker with the analog stick while simultaneously adjusting the power of the shot.
Do the new systems work? Just about. But they're changes that nobody was asking for. It honestly feels like the developers were scrambling around looking for something, anything to fiddle with, just so they'd have a new feature to harp on about.
POWER OVER PRECISION
For better or worse, there's also been some tinkering under the hood. Passing feels quicker, although not necessarily sharper, and this year's batch of digital maestros seem more prone to fumbling the ball under pressure.
Player movement looks to have taken a hit, and your teammates will sometimes behave like half-asleep Sunday leaguers, dropping back when they should be pushing forward, and failing to make even the most obvious runs.
It's more of a blip than a glaring issue, but still a noticeable one. You'll probably find your attacking moves breaking down through no fault of your own at least once or twice a match.
As if to make up for that lack of quality in the midfield, wingers have been given exponentially more horsepower, making it easier than ever to exploit the overlap or just straight up knock the ball past sluggish defenders.
You'll also notice opposition players shielding the ball at every available opportunity, so that tackling becomes practically impossible. It's fortunate then, that - even on World Class AI settings - they seem determined to give the ball away with suspicious levels of enthusiasm.
These are all adjustments that make the game more exciting than its predecessor. I'm already scoring more goals than I did last year, and frequent player mistakes result in more memorable end-to-end goalfests - but there's a downside, too.
I'm of the opinion that FIFA should allow players to build their dream team - whether it's a hard-hitting, ferociously fast counter-attacking side, or a nimble, quick-footed squad of tiki-taka experts.
FIFA 17 makes that difficult, because if you aren't hurtling down the flanks, whipping in balls for your strikers, or cutting inside and peppering the goal with long-range shots, it almost feels as if you aren't playing the game the right way.
Although, I'll admit, when you do score a sublime team goal worthy of the Nou Camp itself, it feels all the more special.
IT'S THE JOURNEY THAT MATTERS
Depending on how you like to play, then, we might have to disagree on how well FIFA 17's gameplay holds up. But if there's one thing we can agree on, it's that FIFA 17 looks and feels phenomenal.
The Frostbite engine - of Battlefield, Star Wars Battlefront, and Dragon Age fame - takes FIFAs authenticity to new heights. Players, stadiums, pitches, kits, and everything in between all look better than ever, especially when you're at ground level.
The new paint job is showcased best in FIFA's take on a traditional story mode, The Journey. It puts you in the boots of rising star Alex Hunter, desperate to become the next Marcus Rashford or Dele Alli.
The Journey might be something of a clich (an sporting underdog story about overcoming adversity through self-belief and gritty determination) but it's a charming one.
Players guide Hunter through the various stages of his career, overseeing his development as he attempts to make the leap from promising trialist to Premier League superstar. During matches, you can either take control of Hunter, or the entire team, depending on how you want to play.
By shining the spotlight solely on one player, The Journey becomes a captivating, tense experience. You'll become giddy whenever Hunter finds himself in possession, knowing that a moment of magic or a costly fumble could make or break the young star.
When you do score a screamer or serve up a world-class assist, you might just find yourself getting a little bit emotional. Hey, it's called the beautiful game for a reason.
It's down to you to write Hunter's story on the pitch, but the majority of his tale is told through a number of polished, well-acted cutscenes, complete with Mass Effect style conversation options that let you mould his persona. Its your choice whether to be a modest team-player, or an outspoken goalscorer with more ego than talent.
It's clear EA has gone the extra mile to immerse players in the world of football - the studio even gets real-world megastars like Marco Reus and Harry Kane to voice their digital doppelgngers - but in doing so they've ensured that The Journey is the start of something special. I can't wait to see where it goes next year.
FIFA 17 VERDICT
Somewhat ironically, FIFA 17 isn't too dissimilar from Alex Hunter. The game feels like a young superstar in the making, destined for greatness but also a little too desperate to impress.
It's got all the essentials, more than its fair share of flair, and the potential to do some great things in the future. But at the same time, it tries to hard, makes too many avoidable mistakes, and becomes unbalanced as a result.
Consistency is what FIFA 17 lacks. That doesn't mean it isn't a great game. It just means that the EA Sports team have plenty of work to do before they reestablish themselves as the very, very best.
GOOD STUFF
Frostbite Fidelity
Goals galore
Compelling story mode
BAD STUFF
Set-piece nightmares
Hit-and-miss build up play | video-games_xbox |
Saints Row 2 + GTAIV = Game of the Gods. As the title implies, I found certain things between this and the GTA series that made the game great, and few things between the two that made me want to grind my teeth down to nubs.
SR 2 picks up rather well after the end of the initial release. You, a Hispanic/African American/oddly hispanic looking but with a cockny accent, awake in a maximum sercurity prison after being blown up at the end of the first game. After an alarmingly easy prison break (I'd expected the tutorial levels to consist of cafeteria fights and an eventual guard bribe, or at least something to reestablish the background other than a 2 minute dissertation), your character proceeds to rebuild the 3rd street saints. You've apparently also had a significant amount of facial reconstruction, as its commented on by just about everyone, and also manages to help you free your best friend and head lieutenant after walking past 40-something cops and security guards.
This highlights my only real problem with the games, which is its storyline difficulty. Its far too easy. I expect games to increase in difficulty as they progress, and to a degree it does, but not enough to be more than barely noticeable. Story missions can all virtually be done on the frist try unless you happen to stumble by an exploding car. Your health regenerates if you manage to dodge enough bullets, and you can take more punishment than Robocop, despite having no kevlar or any armor, even on normal difficulty. The diversions and jobs however, more than make up for this. They all consist of 6 levels, the 3rd of which can be completed with 1-3 retries, and the 6th apparently can only be done by people who obsess over these kinds of games to a degree thats unhealthy. The difficulty is also variable, as enemies vanish and appear at random.
Despite this nit, which is a big one, this game is fantastic. The jobs are fun, and some of them could make a game on their own. A few will make you wince, nmely the one where you spray poo on everything that moves, but aside from, the side missions are almost more fun than the story missions. The story missions are also fantastic. While none so far have made my jaw drop, they are unique enough to not feel repetitive, they are well voice acted, and have a compelling storyline for each of the gangs, and a few you'll gleefully replay over and over, as the villians get theirs in rather entertaining ways (Case in point: "Get up." You'll know it once you reach it)
The customization is fantastic, and creative, though a few points are obscure, namely why some items are more stylish than others. The guns are entertaining, and a bit too easy to acquire. Items are cheap, so you won't have to grind for 10 hours to buy new gear or houses. The AI for enemies and your allies is vastly improved. All told, if this was made a little harder, and a little gritter, just a drop or two, this would've been 5-stars, and probably a top ten of all time. | video-games_xbox |
Demonic Three-in-One. PC games have come a long way in their short existences, in the early nineties consoles were dominating the market, but then in 1992 a group of hackers through to gather game that was a huge first in both graphics and game play.
It was called Wolfenstien 3D.
But wasn't until a year later when Id software really earn their strips with a game that still popular today even though it is completely dated.
Doom.
Fast forward 11 years and the folks at Id went back to their roots, remaking Doom for an action shoot to a fright fest horror game.
You're a marine that just got station on Mars City, the hub of all research and Development for the Union Aerospace Corporation on mars. Right off the bat you notices something is a miss, people are missing, rumors are spreading of strange sounds, odd behavior in some of the personnel, and some kind of experiment going on in the Delta Labs?
Suddenly the lights go out and screams and gun shots echo up and down the corridors, there are suddenly flash of red and orange light, disembodies voices chanting. Suddenly your co-workers turn on you! Personnel become mindless zombies and suddenly horrifying creatures start crawling out of every corner. After one narrowing escape after another and intense firefights, you find out that these strange monsters are really Demons straight from the very burning pits of Hell. The Experiment in the Delta Labs must of open some gateway that allowed all of the Devils minions to invade the Martian Base.
Doom 3 is heavy on atmosphere, dark costraphobic corridors with an occasionally flickering light. This atmosphere creates a haunting sense of dread. It's dark, there's blood everywhere, half eaten corpses. The foreboding is intensified by sudden disembody voices, screams and whispers, sometimes even shadows dance on the walls and floor.
This atmosphare is always problemactic because when you enter a pich black room you have to switch to your flash light so see anything, making you utterly defensless if somthing jumps out at you.
Doom 3: The Collectors Edition, also has a fair about of booty, interviews with the game makers, concepti art, but best of all this edition comes with two more games, Ultimate Doom and Doom II: Hell on Earth, \now you can play the classic Doom games that everyone loved right on your Xbox. | video-games_xbox |
A New Spectre. ...and oh, do I love it!
Mass Effect is such a special animal; an RPG sci-fi soap opera that, somehow, garnered general audience approval. It's a different type of gameplay, where you spend far more time talking about the things that happened or just happened or will happen than you do actually experiencing them. I'm shocked it's been accepted (and well accepted at that) because the bulk of the game is simply experiencing the world. Talking to these weird alien races, learning about the rules of the galaxy and filling in the mythology and future science, is MOST of the game. Humanity is a new comer to the galactic scene - the whole race is the fish-out-of-water character and part of the experience is helping them find their feet culturally and socially. Yes, you shoot evil robots in the face, but you'll probably spend twice as much time talking and exploring as you ever will firing a gun. ...Seriously, how do you pitch this game to distributors of modern titles? It must have been a nightmare.
We can talk about combat very briefly, because it's the least satisfying aspect. It's fine; it's not broken or anything like that. But it is bulky and starting to feel its age. Basic third person, over the shoulder shooting and skill throwing; solid but not groundbreaking. They tried to make use of that automatic shift into cover gimmick... you know, where you press the character against a surface and they use it as cover right away? ...why doesn't that ever work? It sounds like a good idea, but it's always so awkward. Anyway, most fights are - find cover and shoot until their shields go away. The enemy AI is simplistic and outdated and will either sit in one spot until they die or rush right at you until they die. It's not overly dynamic but it is fun enough to keep you engaged. You do spend a considerable amount of time in a vehicle (the Mako) and you can argue whether these are the best or worst parts of the game; they felt considerably more natural and less forced on me than, say, the vehicle levels in any Gears of War game, so it didn't bother me so much. Again, blocky and imperfect but not broken.
No, what keeps the game alive (and what BioWare handled so very cleverly) are the characters. They are, by far, the most honest, most interesting and most dynamic portion of the game. The plot is great, a very classic, three act, hero-against-the-galaxy, take-down-the-Bad guy journey with a couple of surprising twists and reveals. But it's linear (as all stories are, and to expect otherwise is just silly); it's the CHARACTERS that are dynamic. They plot is always the same; you're gonna go to the same places and have the same showdown with the same villain each time. But how you treat your team, and the other people you meet, is what gives each play through its own special feel. The characters' opinions of you, even the general galactic opinion, changes based on how you respond to them, how you treat them, what choices you make, who you kill and who you spare, and the game is the most satisfying when you've taken the time to explore everyone's needs and listen to everyone's tale. The whole third act can have a completely different feel to it based on who loves you, who hates you, who's alive and who (if anyone) you've seduced.
And it all starts with your playable character, the one you create from the start. You've got the option to choose some backstory, some basic history that will influence how people treat you and create a couple of unique quests each time around. You've got six potential classes to build your hero from that are a bit of a spin on the old "Warrior, Mage, Rogue" choice; here called "Soldier, Biotic, Technician"... or something like that. But the flavor is the same, Soldiers use weapons and armor, Biotics use Sci-Fi magic, Technicians use... well, more Sci-Fi magic, but can also hack systems and open locks. There's also combo classes, that take aspects of two of each to form something unique. Each choice, while effecting combat, also effects your impact on the world. It's an INCREDIBLY detailed universe and whether you're a hardened soldier or a gifted biotic can affect how certain characters will address you or relate to you.
What I like most about the game (and what many people, I think, will hate) is the slow and even pace that it has the guts to stick to. Games are moving faster and faster and faster and Mass Effect had the guts to slow back down and takes the time to tell its story. Conversations move slowly, patiently, letting you absorb the tons and tons of backstory you need to piece out this weirdo future world. Hell, the game stops MID-FIGHT from time to time to let you try and talk things out! There's also a TON of text to read and, while you can completely understand the story without bothering with a lick of it, taking the time to comb through the codex and read each planet's description really fills out the game world and gives a much more fulfilling experience. The writers took a chance here and really asked the question that's at the heart of all Science Fiction; "What would happen if..." What would happen if the human race was suddenly and unexpectedly given the keys to interstellar travel and had contact with alien races that may or may not think that was a good thing? What if this "Mass Effect" technology really existed? Beyond letting the player levitate enemies, how would such technology affect the world as a whole? It's a brave choice to make, and I'm willing to bet there's enough story and backstory scattered about to fill a medium sized novel. And, much like Dragon Age: Origins, you get the best experience when you take the time to experience the best of it - hear meaning nearly all of it.
I do think the story is solid enough and the gun-fights engaging enough that most players can find fun here, even if they skip all the reading and most of the conversations. But those who appreciate a slow moving, well thought out story set in a deeply fleshed out world will get the most bang for their space-buck. | video-games_xbox |
Most Feature-packed FPS made and Great System. I received this special edition Reach Xbox 360 on release day and, after spending a full 12 hours with the game, I can honestly say that Halo Reach is the most feature-packed FPS ever created and it is THE BEST HALO to date period. Many reviewers out there really just bring the score down for minutely small details and flaws such as taking too many shots to kill enemies or comparing it to Modern Warfare 2. However, with this sort of game, you really have to look at the big picture, admiring the package as a whole and how carefully polished each aspect of the game is even though some parts of the game may be slightly imperfect.
The campaign is the second best of the series, following the masterpiece story that was excellently told in Halo: CE. The third best would be that of Halo 3: ODST for personal reasons despite the second and third games' epic scales. While friendly A.I. are helpful on grounded missions, they become utterly atrocious behind the wheel just as with all other halo games. Fortunately, the enemy A.I., especially the Elites, are absolutely nightmarish to deal with on heroic/legendary. Their complex and unpredictable behavior and the sandbox qualities of each level adds tons of replay value to the campaign.
If the campaign isn't enough for you, head on over to the bread-and-butter of Bungie's excellent series, the multi-player, now including tons of customization,options, and a plethora of modes to choose from. A beefed up forge, firefight, huge maps, and the inclusion of armor abilities add a whole layer of fresh to the series.
When starting the game up, I noticed the menu layout was especially striking and sleek. This amount of polish and care is carried over to all parts of the game. Imagine that!
While Bungie has always been super artistic with all of their games, the art, design, and visuals in this game are the best of the series and make you stop in your steps and drool at the amazingly detailed and believable background vistas and back-drops. It's truly a sight to behold and gives the planet Reach its own character. In addition, wildlife makes its first appearance in this game, which is a definite plus in my book.
The system itself is a true collector's item. From the silver matte finish to the custom halo sounds, even though they are fairly quiet, this system is just screaming Halo and win all over. The designs on the controllers and the system are also very indicative of the halo universe and bring the console to life.
In the end, Halo Reach is absolutely stunning in every aspect and delivers on all fronts despite few, if any, flaws and poor design choices. If you're a Halo fan and you want to witness a satisfying conclusion to the Halo series by Bungie, don't even think one second and pick this game up ASAP even if you're a newcomer to the Halo series. There's something in this game for everyone! I'd even hand over more than $60 for a game like Halo Reach. Seriously, it's that great. | video-games_xbox |
A little bit of everything with an open-world to boot. What's great about it: Fun, challenging, non-repetitive gameplay, and a great, gritty story
What's not so great: Average quality graphics, occasionally difficult fighting mechanics
Not since "Enter the Matrix" has there ever been a game that combines so many great qualities from other games and allows you to do so much.
Hand-to-Hand combat: Wei Shen grapples, punches, and kicks with ferocious strength and brutality. His moves are classic kung-fu. It is very much free-flow like "Arkham Asylum/City," with a plus that you can use several objects to destroy your enemies, such as fans, railings, phone booths, and window gates. You can even pick up a weapon and bash their faces in. However, grappling and counter-grappling is a bit difficult. But if you can master it, you can gain the ability to break bones and knock out your enemies very quickly.
Driving: Whether you're driving a motorcycle or a car, Wei Shen can drive as fast as he wants. When you're free-roaming or doing favors for random people, you can wreck as much havoc as you want. . However, during triad and police missions you must be careful not to cause too much damage or hurt innocent people, or you will lose Police XP. Also, much like "Just Cause 2," you can jump from a motorcycle or car onto another car and hijack it! You may also hijack certain vehicles from rival groups for a LOVELY, HEFTY some of money if you ever find yourself broke. But it's not always easy. Sometimes you'll be forced to do all the driving and shooting yourself!
Shooting: This game borrows a little bit from the video game version of "Wanted," in that when you slide or jump across cover, time will slow down, allowing you to aim better. You can also slide across cover and knock over standing enemies to disarm them. My only complaint is that the auto-aim mechanic is a little bit hard to use. You're better off shooting as many enemies as possible in parkour slow-mo. And speaking of...
Parkour/Free-running: Wei Shen is a decent free-runner. Wei Shen can jump-slide over cars, vault over railings, wall-jump climb, and can even climb a wall and push himself off of it in the other direction to reach greater heights.
Story: This game has a wonderful story about an undercover cop who infiltrates the Triads while simultaneously keeping the police informed of all gang activity. Wei Shen must find balance between helping the cops while not trying to blow his cover. He must be a cop and a triad at the same time.
Upgrades, collectibles, and special items: Wei Shen must keep a lookout for many things throughout the game. Health shrines throughout the city increase his overall health. Lockboxes throughout the city provide him with not only money, but special clothes and sometimes weapons. Wei must also find jade statues, return them to his old martial arts instructor, in exchange for learning new hand-to-hand combat moves. Wei Shen must also buy a lot of special clothing, which may either increase his melee damage, triad XP, police XP, face XP, price negotiating skills, or even his reputation with the ladies!
Buy this game. You will not be bored. And when you finish, you'll want to play again! | video-games_xbox |
Frustrating Gameplay, Decent Graphics, Interesting Historical Clips. I'm a pilot and my wife knows how passionate I am about flying - be it games, simulators or real planes. She got this for me as a Christmas gift and so I really, really wanted to like it. It does have some redeeming merits, namely the graphics and the historical WW-II clips with acompannying narrative that set up (only) some of the missions.
My main issue is that the authors have gone out of their way to make the game more difficult than it needs to be, even on the "simplified" mode. Yes the physics are accurate in that real planes stall and spin but real planes provide a pilot with sensory input that just can't be replicated in any simulation. Kills require marksman-like accuracy and too often battle situations leave a player scratching their head, like sitting 100 yards off the tail of a bomber with it squarely in the crosshairs, your guns ablaze with no effect.
Play on the Xbox-360 console has no partner mode and is single player only. An Xbox-Live account is required to partner and to access a significant amount of gameplay features (see below). Also worth noting is that the replay feature requires the XBox-360 hard drive.
MAIN MENU
* Historical Campaign (Xbox 360) - 24 missions
* Extras (Xbox360)
- Tournament Leaderboard (Xbox Live)
- Replays (requires hard drive)
- Encyclopedia (Xbox 360) - info on stunts, tactics and history
- Options & Credits
* Events (Xbox Live)
* Play Online (Xbox Live)
* Missions
- Dynamic Campaign (Xbox 360) 8 long, multi-mission campaigns
- Single Mission (Xbox 360) - 27 missions
- Mission Editor (Xbox 360) - tweak the dynamic campaign settings
- Quick Match (Xbox Live)
- Find Session (Xbox Live)
If the makers were to introduce a moderately forgiving "super-simple" mode, this game jumps to 4 stars. Fix the very slow load-times for missions and the annoyingly repetitive radio dialog "He's hitting me... I've got a problem here... He's hitting me...", then it just might climb to an altitude of 5 stars. | video-games_xbox |
Middle of the road. I find myself disappointed by this game. I was a fan of Dragon Age Origins which merited a couple of replays. By the midpoint of Dragon Age 2 I found myself very uninterested in the game almost to the point of shelving it. The party interactions are shallow at best and there are extremely limited party armor customizations. In DAO the friendships and conversations with the other members of your team opened new quest paths and conversation options. For Dragon Age 2 I felt less of any inclination for friendship or otherwise. By the end of the game I could have cared less if the rest of my team magically disappeared. They had become more background noise than exciting twists to the story.
The recycled dungeons are the main reason why I cannot give this game anything higher than a 3 rating. I would estimate that there are only about 3-4 quest areas in this game. This handful of areas is used over and over again. They may have different names, but they are all the same. For example the "cave" dungeons will always have at least one circle room with an entrance at the top of a flight of stairs and an exit at the bottom of the stairs. The stairs run along the right wall of the room. More than half of the time there will be a chest to the left of the exit. After about the third quest you will begin to ask yourself "Have I been here before?" Yes you have, and will have to again an infinitely painful number of times. You will find yourself beginning to memorize spawn points for enemies because you've played an area so many times.
It wasn't all bad though. The story was passably interesting and the setup for the possible direction of the next iteration was intriguing. Some of the boss/mini-boss fights required more strategy even in Normal mode. This is nice change from the general run and smash feeling of DAO. The most delightful change was the stylized fighting moves especially in weaponry classes. The push towards cross class combinations was also nice.
Overall for those who loved DAO and are expecting that style of RPG you will be sad. This game feels more like a transition point for folks coming from third person shooter action genres. | video-games_xbox |
MOUT Simulation - a tactical view. I liked it. This game is reminescent of Ghost Recon (2-team 3rd person) except that you yourself cannot aim and shoot. Instead you command others with a nice, quick and simple command interface.
I think one could better appreciate this game if one remembers that it was developed as an Army MOUT training simulation. In this game, as in real Army training, if you utilize the taught lessons dutifully, then you are positively rewarded with (almost always hitchless) success. If you fail to follow doctrine and err by not making covered moves or over extending, then you are jarringly "conditioned" with a graphic, slow-motion death scene with rag-doll physics engines, followed by a critique of what you did wrong and how you might correct it. As a training tool, as an interesting cinematic-type experience (ala "Black Hawk Down"), and as a replayable game, I think Full Spectrum Warrior is very effective and enjoyable. If you have an interest in the basic tactics of this type of combat in a maze of city streets, then you will find it worth buying. Be warned, it is somewhat short for an Xbox game and once you learn the "lessons" it is somewhat easy (I don't think the Army wanted to dishearten training soldiers with impossible missions).
Some comments on the tactics and gameplay:
1) the Opfor AI is not sharp as I think they tend to ignore obvious threats and are not themselves very aggressive.
2) a frustrating lack of range in calling in Airstrikes and Indirect Fire - inexplicably, you must almost be within spitting range of a target to 'designate' it, rather than LOS.
3) somewhat sparse load out - I know they intended to emphasize tactics to solve problems rather than firepower, but a M203 grenadier that carries only 3 rounds?? No AT weps. No Claymores. No optics. No ability to pickup enemy equipment.
4) essentially lacking any "interior" action and CQB even when it would be tactically logical to enter a building for cover or to get advantageous high ground. In fact, there is no provision for getting creative, outside the straightforward tactics of the game(like decoying, moving cover objects, vehicles/hvy weps, causing debris to fall, causing secondary explosions, etc)
5) perhaps MOUT doctrine has changed since I was trained, but I felt the troops were often deployed too close (a "C.F."), the choices for cover were poor sometimes (due to penetrability of objects), unwisely shooting over/cornering too close to cover (due to ricochets), and the squad was smaller than standard.
6) lack of reflexive fire in a sudden encounter (Opfor either shoots you first or runs away to cover). | video-games_xbox |
Barely just OK. As a fan of both The Division and Rainbow 6 Siege, this game is very weak. It tries to do a lot of things and does none really well.
The stealth aspect is weak. Even with a well coordinated team of experienced gamers, we get caught almost all the time and most missions devolve into a chaotic firefight. It's a crappy stealth game. R6 does it better.
Aggressive assaults are the same thing. All planning goes out the window immediately as chaos erupts. The Division is a much better all out shooter.
The tactical aspect is weak. Your shots kill the bad guys with one or two bullets. But likewise you're vulnerable to a few hits from the enemies who seem to swarm out of nowhere from all sides. The human fragility is well simulated but the human psyche is not. Who are these fearless waves of enemies who rush into point blank range and shoot you in the face? There's almost no meaningful way to scare, lure, trick, trap or bypass enemies.
The mission variety is weak and extremely repetitive. Sneak into town or camp and kill, steal or locate something or someone. Rinse and repeat for 40 hours or more. Um, no.
The loot system is so limited to be considered boring. Go and find guns and weapon upgrades located around the map. I couldn't be less impressed. These new weapons are not a major improvement over the starting weapons. So you don't feel much different.
The character progression is also weak but is still better than some of the other aspects of the game. BUT, my friends and I quickly all unlocked almost all the skill branches. So we all had tricked out drones. We all had mines. We all had....everything. So no one felt unique. We were all clones of each other.
The story itself is interesting. The trailer movie was exceptional. The in game scenery is BEAUTIFUL. The AI is bland, robotic and totally unrealistic.
In summary, Ghost Recon attempts to do something bold by blending small group teamwork, open world environment, tactical realism and a progression system. It does almost all of those things poorly.
After about 20-30 hours of gameplay, mostly running side missions with my friends, we just quit. It's just not worth it. We felt frustrated every single time. We wanted to love it but just can't. We would rather play the Division or R6 anyday. | video-games_xbox |
Not as expected. In view of a very busy Xbox One game release season, I had to write something about this game. Hopefully, someone in the EA will see it and may be draw some conclusions. I am a big Star Wars fan and I have been for the last 20 or so years. I also like video games. I am primary a keyboard-kind of gamer, so for me a controller is a necessary evil. However, I play for the experience that a game can provide and pleasure. Obviously when you are in your 30s, you don't have too much time to spare, so I am a casual gamer. When I saw the future release of the Battle Front, I knew I had to buy it. The graphics seems amazing. I pre-ordered the deluxe edition one month before the release. Luckily, UPS delayed the delivery by 2 days. I was so eager to jump in that ended up renting the game from Redbox. Upon the install, the game looked terrific!!! that sharpness of images, graphic details, the sounds, the music (The pros of this game) I was a bit amused by the short 5 minute tutorial that taught you how to use the basic controls. Usually, you learn those in the first assignment in the similar genre games. I decided to check the other missions. They were approximately 3-5 minutes long as well. OK, I moved on to the multi-player and I think I got what this whole game is all about Yes 30 minutes is all it took. I probably spent 2-3 hours playing the Supremacy Mode. (I played few other mods as well) I have to tell you at times it gets to the point where you are annoyed or even angered with the overall game experience. I also find it somewhat hard to compete in a multi-player with the younger generation (I am sure a lot of people will agree). I would rather prefer to play this game against AI and actually have some objectives in a mission- style game. I listed the pros of the game above, here are some of my additional cons comments:
1. Limited weapons. (Also you need to unlock those weapons as you level up and earn game cash, which is derived from your experience points)
2. Limited customization of looks. (I didn't get the point of it at all)
3. You cannot chose the side you want to be with. (Every other game you play for the opposite side. I would rather stick with the Empire)
4. The Deluxe edition of the game includes few items can be unlocked within hours of the game. (It is definitely not worth $10 to me) Other than that the game looks exactly the same.
5. Limited maps. (Within those few hours of game play I played one particular map 3 or 4 times) It sort of gets boring too fast.
6. Upon the release, I saw that you need to pay additional $50 for the season pass. Really?! The announced content doesnt seem to worth that much money and should have been added for free or even be part of the game on day 1. On top of that you will need to have a valid Xbox Live subscription to be able to play this game. With the deluxe edition, you will end paying ~$120 for this game. EA, my entire Xbox One was ~$500. This game is not worth 1/5 of that cost.
7. The game is very repetitive and after few hours it gets old
Now going back to the other big game release. I also happened to buy Fallout 4. It is everything I was hoping for. The game is so good that I ended up buying the game guide (you need it!) ($16) and the Season Pass ($30). I paid a total of ~$100 for the game. The replay value is enormous. I purchased the Season Pass, as a way to help the developers increase their revenues up front so they can continue their great work.
P.S. I ended up returning the game back still shrink-wrapped on the day it was delivered. I am sure the price will decrease drastically in the near future. I might even reconsider and buy it after all the extension packs are released and if some of those cons are changed. | video-games_xbox |
The comic fan's dream come true. Over the years, video games based on comic book heroes haven't fared well. Name one good Batman video game, I dare you. Spider-man has had the biggest success rate in recent years, and the Hulk had a pretty good entry last year, but beyond that you're stretching things a bit. When X-Men: Legends came out a few years back, it was the start of a positive trend. Now everything has been set perfect by Marvel Ultimate Alliance.
Taking a roster of over 20 different playable heroes, MUA allows the comic book fan to create dream teams never considered before. A-List heroes like Spider-Man, Captain America, the entire Fantastic Four, and Iron Man are joined by B-Listers like Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, Doctor Strange, and even Blade. Imagine a team with Wolverine, Blade, Ghost Rider, and Deadpool...who could stop you? There are even those mega-powerful heroes like Thor, Silver Surfer, and Captain Marvel you can throw in. Oddly missing from the line-up is the Hulk, but I'm sure they had to save someone for the sequel.
The storyline is simple: Doctor Doom has amassed an army of super-villains in an attempt to gain the power of Odin. Nick Fury of SHEILD gathers his own group of super folks to fight the threat. That's where you come in. Create your team from the roster available to you and go one the missions he sends you on. Along the way, you see cameos from characters you'd never have believed you'd ever see in a video game.
Imagine a video game with twenty "Non-Playable Characters" (characters showing up in cut scenes or computer-controlled). Now scratch that, and imagine a game with 120 of them! Heavy-hitters like Galactus even make an appearance! In one mission, you actually have to save a planet he's destroying. I can't even begin to list the villains and heroes you'll see. Suffice it to say, you probably won't recognize them all, but if you're into comic books your mouth will drop at some of them. The cut scenes in this game are good, but some are just plain amazing. One in particular with Nightcrawler in Doom's Castle actually proves he just might be the best fighter of all the X-Men. It's a scene you'll be watching again and again.
To top it all off, the heroes you control have different costumes to choose from. Choose wisely, because these aren't just cosmetic changes. Each costume changes the primary powers of that hero, so while Spider-man may look cool in his normal "red-and-blues", putting him in the black symbiote costume (the one showing up in all the trailers for the new movie) will change the way that character fights. The costume choices here are amazing too, as some of the most obscure costumes you could imagine show up center stage here. Remember Blade's very first green costume when he showed up in comics in the 70's? How about Storm's mohawk years? Captain America's World War 2 costume, Daredevil's red and yellow suit, and even the original "cowboy version" of Ghost Rider are playable here.
As a final bonus, you can create and name your own team, populating it with whatever heroes you'd like. As you fight with your group of four, you gain reputation points which eventually allow you to add more members to your team. And you can even play with four people at a time, so everyone on the team can be a real person and do some massive damage to the enemy armies.
So which cosole is the best to play this on? PS2 players get the short end of the stick with only 20 playable heroes. Next-gen consoles like the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions get two bonus heroes (Moon Knight and Colossus). In the handheld circuit, the PSP version gets four extra heroes (Hawkeye, Captain Marvel, Black Widow, and Ronin). The only downside to the PSP version is that there are times when so much is going on you can't really tell which hero you're controlling. The PS3 version wins as far as detail in display. You can actually see the threads in Spider-man's costume! I've played the game on all consoles, and have to rate the next-gen version the best.
The beauty of this game is its high replay value. Because you can swap team members up and each has such distinctive power sets, the game can be played in an almost infinite number of ways.
Easily my favorite video game of the year, MUA is a title no true comic fan should be without. With such an incredibly strong start, it's hard to imagine how they'll improve on it with the sequel, but I can't wait to find out! | video-games_xbox |
Reasonably comfortable wireless headphones. I bought these in January, I wanted to take some time to really see what they're capable of. I'm impressed. I used to have a pair of Turtle Beach X11's, and while they were very comfortable and lightweight, they were also too fragile. I dropped them, and they broke. So I came here looking for something a bit more durable, wireless, and surround sound. These headphones have all of that, in a very attractive package.
I also dropped these (fell off the couch), and they're still intact. The headband is reinforced with steel, for pity's sake. Holding them, flexing them, they feel sturdy. So, if you're looking for a pair that can take a reasonable amount of abuse, these might do it. Your results may vary and all that.
Sound quality is excellent for gaming, they let you add bass boost (the second function) which is great for grenades and other explosions. Immersive (third function) is difficult to describe, it makes it feel. . .bigger? Like the sound is coming from inside the room, not right in your ear. It's great for movies. And of course you have unenhanced, which just plays back sound.
Of course, there are cons. The material the earcups are made from isn't very breathable, and you'll want to take them off if you play for too long, three plus hours or so. That's the only flaw related to comfort, the other is just a little annoying. Obviously, these being Afterglow, they light up. Not always a good thing. First off, the base glows blue, you can not change its color. Nor can you turn it off, so if you leave it plugged in, you need to throw a towel or something over it to sleep. The headphones do not retain the color you set them to, so if you turn them off, you will have to reset them to your favorite color again, and you'll quickly give up on it. They don't keep the sound setting either, so if you like bass boost, you have to change back to it every time.
I have a very loud voice. When I game, I have to move the mics as far from my mouth as possible, which can't be done with these. This is rather a specific thing, but my friends often complain of my deafening voice, so I wish the mic a) wasn't so sensitive, or b) could be moved more than three inches.from my face. This is rather specific to me though, you may or may not have that problem.
In spite of these minor flaws though, they are good headphones and I am satisfied with them. | video-games_xbox |
Definitely surpassed my expectations and it can only get better. I'll start off by saying that I owned both an Xbox 360 and PS3 before deciding to get the Xbox One. I love both previous gen systems, but for different reasons. PS3 is my workhorse streamer and bluray player and the rare exclusive game that I'll get. Xbox 360 is dedicated to gaming because I really preferred XBL to PSN, the communities were much bigger/more competitive/more social, and I liked most of the exclusives more. I also completely loved every part of the Xbox 360 controller.
I decided to get the Xbox One first because it seemed like it fit into my desires more than what the PS4 offers. While PS4 certainly impressed me with it's promise of great next gen graphics, it didn't really offer anything else compelling to me (right now) because I'm not interested in "sharing" gaming content socially. I'm not famous and therefore nobody I know would be interested in watching my videos (probably not even my friends who play that game). I don't have a Vita, so would have to pay a couple extra hundred to take advantages of the second screen features the PS4 offers. While some of the exclusives look really good, there was no launch day titles that really made the PS4 of a must buy on day one. PS4 looks really good, but I don't have any problems waiting to buy it.
However, the Xbox One really drew me in because of all the "next-gen" feeling features that it included. I'll go through each of those features and my thoughts on them now. I should say that I've owned the Xbox One for a few days now and put in about 40 hours using nearly off of it's available features.
Games: This is the main reason people get the new consoles right? Ok, so maybe that's not totally true for the Xbox One because of all the media features it includes, but gaming is still at the center of what this console is meant to do. So far I have Dead Rising 3, Forza 5, and Just Dance as my games. None of these games is far and away better than the previous gen, but it is noticeably better. I expected this though, because it's not like we are going from standard def to high def like we did the previous generation. What really impresses me is the amount of content (e.g. zombies) on the screen at once the Xbox One can handle. I'm easily steam rolling hundreds of zombies at once with no slow downs. This is definitely in my opinion the best launch exclusive game. Forza 5 looks great and feels next gen, but the game itself doesn't really draw me in other than just for 15 minute burst racing sessions. Just Dance is a bit disappointing, but that is more a dock on the game itself. The Kinect portion works fantastically from what I can tell. Which leads me to,
Kinect 2.0: Wow, what an improvement. The precision is fantastic for both motion and speech recognition. I honestly don't think it's misinterpreted any command that I've given yet which blows my mind compared to where the previous Kinect was at. I can't wait till more games tap into this feature more. This might be the biggest surprise of the new Xbox One yet. I'm glad they made it such an integrated experience and bundled them together. It truly improves the experience. Yes, they could have made the Xbox One cheaper by not including it, but then it wouldn't be nearly as great of a product.
Interface: This is the part that I think needs the most work. I'm familiar with Windows 8, so overall I think it looks great and navigation is usually straight forward. There are just some things that standout. First would be the friends list and messages. It's much harder to look at your friends online and read messages than the 360. I'm hoping this is fixed soon as it seems a lot of people are complaining about it. Also I think the "pins" could be done a bit better. Make it easier to arrange them. Sometimes it takes too many actions to get to popular games/apps. This is made drastically easier by voice commands though which I've started doing every time.
TV Integration: This is the feature that I'm still getting used to the most. It takes a bit of time to relearn a new interface and way to navigation TV, but so far I think it's a big improvement over my normal cable box interface. Navigation is super simple with voice commands and it's a lot more customizable for getting to my favorite channels and looking at the TV guide. My favorite part of this is probably the "snap" feature where I can watch TV, but split the screen with something else. This has worked really great for me so far. I do think it can get even better though with better content to snap to the side. I also think the audio streams need to be able to get controlled. Right now they just play over each other which can be a mess. Should have voice commands to turn some on/off up/down. My wife also hasn't had much difficultly transitioning to watching TV through the Xbox. She's to the point now where she likes it more because it removes a lot of steps we use to have to do with remotes and she likes the voice commands.
Design: I'll admit that I don't really care about this that much. Is it big? Ya, it's bigger than my slim 360, but it fits on my TV stand no problem and I don't expect to move it. I like the look too. It's simple which I like. It's super quiet which is the most important thing in my book after my airplane engine original 360. The power brick is on the outside, but I don't care. That's hidden from view behind my stand. It keeps the Xbox One really low temperature which I hope increases its lifespan.
Controller: The 360's controller was my favorite of all time. It felt amazing in my hand and it was extremely durable (I only broke one, and that's saying something considering I'm a notorious controller thrower). The Xbox One? I'd say parts of it are better and parts of it are worse. It feels a bit more like a toy than the 360. It's lighter and feels a bit more flimsy. Maybe it's not, time will tell. The triggers feel amazing, but the best upgrade is the thumbsticks. They feel great and are easy to use. I don't expect any thumb fatigue from these. Lots of people say d-pad is upgraded which I'd agree with, but I didn't really have any troubles with the one on the 360. My biggest gripe about the controller is piece of plastic that seals in the battery at the back of the controller. I don't think it seals tight enough and wiggles around slightly which bugs me. I also don't like having to pay extra for a battery pack and charger. The battery charge lasts a long time so far, but it better with the price that I paid for it. Better have a long shelf life or I'll be pretty disappointed. The controller is extremely responsive, but so was the 360's controller. I'd say overall I like the controller a bit less than the 360, but who knows if that'll change overtime.
Other apps: The selection of apps for the Xbox One is good, but not great. It has all the standard ones like Netflix, Hulu, but is missing my personal favorite from the 360, HBO Go. They said they'll get that eventually and it can't come soon enough (the main reason my 360 is still plugged into my primary TV). Yes, you have to have XBL gold to use these which is a bit awkward. But my question would be why would you have an Xbox One and not have gold? If you just wanted to stream then a roku is way cheaper and smaller. Xbox One is mainly for gaming and XBL gold is super integrated into gaming and is one of the best features about the Xbox brand. Like I said earlier I'm not that sold on "sharing" features so I don't really plan on using like the Twitch app. Overall, the current selection is OK and what's there works well. It just needs more. I will mention that I'm a big NFL fan and like all the NFL app integration into the Xbox One.
Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase of the Xbox One. It definitely surpassed my expectations for how good it would be right at launch. It feels like a next gen system not because of significantly better graphics, but more because of the huge amount of features that really seems to be pushing this console into the center of the living room and the future of gaming. The Kinect is great, the HDMI input feature works well, and gaming is great to boot. It does have a lot of improvements that it needs. I expected this though. The Xbox One will only get better as they clean up some of the minor problems I had and once the gaming library starts to grow and there are more games that really make use of the better performance that the Xbox One offers. I'd definitely recommend somebody get this system if they have similar desires as I do for what they wanted out of a next gen console.
Pros:
+Kinect 2.0 is super accurate for movement and speech and offers great additional nearly all aspects of the console
+Games look great although not a huge improvement over previous generation
+Controller feels great overall
+Watch TV feature is a nice addition and really makes the console feel next gen and provide something totally new
Cons:
-Interface makes some features hard to get to and confusing
-Having to pay extra for controller battery pack
-System is still young and therefore not a large library of games | video-games_xbox |
I'm Impressed. After reading a lot of reviews and comments on Dead Island, it sounded like a bit of a let down. A few draw backs mentioned were the crappy graphics with textures and rendering times lagging, glitches, and weak story/plot. So I rented this game from gamefly because it at least looked like a worthy rental and the game play looked fun.
That being said, I was shocked. I was surprised at how immersive the game was according to zombie apocalyptic terms and fighting them. I mean, I feel bad for the makers of this game because of how much crap they're getting for it. I'm impressed by how realistic they made every weapon feel and the movement and physics of them. They actually make you feel every step you take, every swing you make, and accurately show where the weapon actually lands on the zombie. When you swing a weapon, you don't just swing it forward and keep on hacking away at zombies. You swing it forward, and with your arm coming down, you follow up with another swing from the other side of your body, and sometimes depending on if the zombie is close or far, you will recoil with different moves. This along with stamina make this realistic to me. I mean, for a zombie game, I've never played with such realism.
In my opinion, the graphics are great. The island is huge. It's not oblivion/skyrim huge, but you have the full sense of free roam and have a ton of quests and objectives filled with zombie killing to keep you occupied.
If I can warn people who are on the fence about this game, at least get into act 2. Although I loved the game from the start, I can completely understand why many people described the game as 'slow to start' but eventually it kicks in. At first, you simply get the thrill of killing zombies in unique realistic motions with an assortment of weapons to find. Then it starts getting serious where weapon upgrades, skill upgrades, and actually close attention to your combat is required. The harder it gets, the funner it gets. It never gets old slicing a zombies head off that is running at you full speed. Some of them, if given one chance, they can beat you to death and you can't recoil to stop them. That first swing counts. So everything you do is satisfying. Whether you fight one or two zombies... or ten... you'll feel the adrenaline of killing zombies. I've never played a game like this and honestly, I feel that it deserves more attention and play than gamers are giving it.
But hey this is just my opinion. I recommend people at least rent it, and play through to at least the middle of act II. You really start to realize how big the island is, and how much fun the gameplay can be. Though I was having a blast just beating a zombie to a pulp with a paddle haha. Seriously, this game has some really amazing and impressive mechanics that the makers should be given props for. I can honestly say that this is the best zombie game I've played to date. Just give it a chance and have fun! | video-games_xbox |
Don't bother -- it's not worth it. When the only reason you want to pick up, rent, try or buy a game is the fact that it has a new `revolutionary feature' of its genre, it's a surefire sign that the game is most likely going to suck.
Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger takes place several decades in the future, after a global financial incident has crippled many of the world's foreign, third-world countries. Because of this, guerilla factions are warring between one another, claiming territories of their own through terrorism and violence. This is what the game centers around--an event that, supposedly, should lead the player into an exciting first-person shooter.
To put it simply, I wasn't paying much attention to the story. The voice acting, the lack of a clearer, more defined visualization of what was happening (i.e, the loading screen,) and the cut scenes do nothing to enhance the story. The graphics, while not bad, look like something that could have come out of a final run of Xbox, Gamecube of Playstation 2 games. You should expect more when loading up a 360 games graphics-wise when they're so far ahead with their technology.
The combat, in a nutshell, varies between the levels and how you have to complete the mission. The first `tutorial' level takes place primarily in first-person mode, but soon switches over to the tactical, RTS-styled gameplay halfway through the level. First-person mode leaves nothing to be desired due to the fact that the game has so many flaws. Your team's A.I is so stupid that, at times, they won't even shoot enemies that are coming by them, nor will they attempt to take cover unless you yourself are near it. They follow you around like dogs and expect you to take care of them most of the time. The same problem happens in RTS mode, where, in normal, well-structured games, the units are able to defend themselves. Sadly, though, this doesn't work. Repeatedly clicking of enemies or cover is necessary to complete the missions without dying over and over.
The voice acting and animation is... subpar, to say the least. Mouth movements don't look like mouth movements, the voice acting is too load or sounds too much like voice acting in parts, and animation is clumsy. Enemies run/act the same, your team shifts around and acts the same way, and idle animations are repeated over and over again. Graphics, like I mentioned before, are bad. Even the weapons--which should be a quality part of a FPS--appear to be no more than wooden models or something you would find in a children's toystore.
PROS -
- The RTS, while not exciting, is better than the FPS mode.
Cons -
- Bad graphics and animations leave the player wanting more.
- A.I. Your teammates are about as smart as the average housedog and will do nothing but follow you around, only shooting when you shoot at something (or, in RTS, until you click on the enemy.) Enemy A.I is about as intelligent as you are, so it's basically a lose/win situation.
- Story. The story leaves nothing to be desired. The bad voice acting, cutscenes and lack of more engaging visuals on loading screens makes for a boring story experience.
- Combat. What should be the central and most entertaining post of this game falls short in the fact that killing enemies is extremely difficult. A shot to the head usually kills someone, right? Well, not in this game--at least, not always. Multiple shots are required to kill one enemy.
- Environment. Like the graphics, the environment could be better done, and could feature more interaction. Houses are not destructible, even when hit with a rocket launcher or a bomb; trees, plants and rocks do not react to your presence, and lighting does not reflect off your weapons or characters (at least, as far as I could see.)
I would've given this game more of a chance were it not for the unbearable amount of things wrong or underdone with it. The fact that I made it through three-and-a-half levels was amazing enough. A FPS game should be engaging in combat, which it isn't, and an RTS should feature more strategy than simply moving units from point A to point B and killing characters. Special commands are extremely difficult to use, combat is frustrating, and the A.I is unbearable.
I give this game a two out of five, if only because I managed to make it through the first three levels. Don't rent it, don't buy it, and definitely don't consider giving it to a friend--they probably won't be your friend anymore. | video-games_xbox |
For Gamers Who Appreciate Fresh Experiences. LIGHTNING RETURNS: FINAL FANTASY XIII is a game that catches a great deal of flack from the gaming community with little to no just cause. Consider that every single FINAL FANTASY is a evolution of the previous game, it should surprise NO ONE to see the games go in different directions. This is especially true of the XIII sub-series, although the first XIII bears more design similarities to the so-called series "classics" like FINAL FANTASY VII than the naysayers are willing to admit. Each numbered game is meant to stand on its own, not just in terms of characters and plot but also DESIGN. FINAL FANTASY XIII "dares" to stray from certain J-RPG tropes while embracing others, resulting in hipster gamers getting upset that it isn't a clone of VII. . . because THAT sounds like a good idea. Not. XIII-2 was also a departure from its predecessor is some respects, indicating further evolution would be a no-brainer in episode three.
Yet the "fans" still wine and act surprised. Oh, well. It's their loss, really.
LIGHTNING RETURNS serves as the conclusion to the XIII trilogy and, as the title might imply, stars returning character Lightning, who was not present as a playable character in XIII-2. I will say nothing of the plot to avoid spoilers, but I will note that the main cast of the previous games returns as events unfold. It's pretty awesome.
Game design is pretty unique here, in a good way. You must progress through the plot by completing a series of main quests. Along the way you can--and really should--engage in side-quests that usually entail coming to the aid of various citizens. These side-quests will reward you with items, weapons, currency, and--most importantly--stat boosts. You don't level up individual abilities in a tree like in previous games. Making progress by completing side-quests and saving souls is a key design element that cannot and should not be ignored. Thankfully there are plenty of side-quests, so careful use of your time means you can power up Lightning with relative ease. Traversing the different islands of the game's open world is fun, as each is distinct in its visual design, inhabitants, and challenges.
The sound department could have used some help with voice acting when it comes to minor characters, but I can forgive that. In fact it should be expected from Japanese productions translated to English. The music is great, however. It seems like a lot of games nowadays lack great music... or any music, in some cases.
I could go on describing battle mechanics and other things, but really I want to leave SOME surprises for you. In conclusion, LIGHTNING RETURNS is an over-looked gem of a game whose radiance is over-shadowed by the negativity of a fan-base that despises change and would rather spew ignorant comments than welcome anything fresh and unique. If NEW is something you're into, pick this game up. It will not disappoint. | video-games_xbox |
Heartbreaking game. Initially, I heard this game was for XB1 only, so I had to tell my boys they could not play it because Daddy wasn't wasting their college fund on a new Xbox. Then, to my delight, I saw it was available for XB360! I snatched it up right away, even though I saw it would require a Live Gold account. There are lots of games that requires a Live Gold acct to fully enjoy it, but you can still play the game without the online features. I WAS A HERO!!
Then I learned, while my boys were patiently waiting, that you can do absolutely nothing without a Live Gold acct. NOTHING! So, I opted to get the 1 month free trial, figuring we could play for a month and then every now and then I could renew if they liked it. So, I attempted to sign up. Though it was no fault of this game, signing up was like signing up for Obamacare! It just kept resetting and failing. After two hours, and a phone call to Microsoft, I had myself and boys signed up for the Live Gold acct. LET'S GO SMOKE SOME ZOMBIES!!
Oh, those poor kids! Guess what you cannot do on this MULTIPLAYER game? Play with multiple FRIENDS! You can play with random worldwide strangers online all day long, but you can't play with the crying child sitting on the sofa next to you, no matter how much they beg you to fix it. There is supposedly some way to create a party and very quickly, if your "lobby" doesn't fill with strangers, have your friends try to join your party. However, even if they are successful, they may end up on the other team.
So far, I've seen no mention of any response or attempted fix from Pop Cap regarding this game. I've never been one to get angry at things like this but this did it. My kids have been severely disappointed at their inability to play the game together. Now, the game is a great game as a multiple, random, hope you get on a good team game. But my boys are not as good as most of the players and so they are often a liability. They would be fine playing against or with each other, however.
I would be happy to upgrade this review if this MAJOR FLAW was corrected. Otherwise, I'll be selling this and buying the boys a football! | video-games_xbox |
Easily the best hockey game I've ever seen. This is hands down the best hockey game I've ever played for any system.
By best, I mean the following:
- It feels the most like hockey out of any hockey game from the gameplay to the excellent commentary and realistic graphics.
- It's loads of fun, no matter how you play it.
- It's fairly deep offering three major play modes - Franchise/Dynasty and the new online league play and be a pro modes.
- It's challenging. The difficulty level and gameplay can be configured and the AI defense adopts to your tactics (example: pass into the slot area too much and they'll start collapsing to their net and blocking those passing lanes)
A few of my favorite things:
- Be a Pro Mode is very novel. It locks you in as controlling one player, game after game. Your skill and experience slowly grow allowing you to move up to higher lines and eventually from the AHL to the NHL. The camera is centered around you, even when your line is on the bench. (Optionally, you can have it so you are locked in on your player's position so you play as other players in that position if your player isn't on the ice. You can also disable line changes so your player is always on the ice).
- The commentary is excellent. Not only is it fairly non-repetitive, but it also manages to be very relevant. The commentators talk about where shots are coming from and hint at necessary defensive and offensive adjustments. Even if you've heard those comments before, they still can tell you something you might not have noticed. It's extremely immersive and feels like you're watching a broadcast.
- The simulation aspect of the game is very nice. People dump and chase, players go where they're supposed to and run various offensive zone and powerplay setups accurately. There's a large amount of control over defensive pressure and offensive strategy, and it can be accessed on the fly. On top of that, Be a Pro mode gives you a little blue arrow that hints at where your player should be positioned to work with your team's strategy.
My complaints:
- The game has a practice mode that lets you repeat various setups such as power plays, offensive zone, defensive zone, breakouts, odd man rushes, etc. That's awesome, but there's no option to lock you into controlling a specific player in these modes, meaning you can't practice accurately for Be a Pro mode.
- On several occasions, I've seen he puck get stuck on top of the goalie. The AI completely stops doing what it's doing and the game stands still until the physics system recovers.
- On be a pro mode there is no way of modifying (or even viewing!) your current line's offensive strategy or power play strategy. You then have to guess which strategy you're playing (which changes when you're moved to different lines).
- The game controls let you do a lot, but there is a pretty big learning curve and executing a slapshop takes a bit of hand-eye coordination with the right stick. You can dumb down your controls a bit but you lose certain capabilities if you do this. I also found it hard to execute one-timers in Be a Pro mode.
Bottom line: It's easily the best hockey game out there and loads of fun. It's worth the price just for the new Be a Pro mode, let alone the franchise and online play. | video-games_xbox |
Deservedly a budget title. If I told you a year ago when the Xbox 360 was being finalized and games were starting to be talked about, that Rockstar was supporting the system, what's the first thing you'd think of?? Grand Theft Auto? Midnight Club? The Warriors? Sure, something like that. But then what if I told you in March that the first game Rockstar (keep in mind we're talking about Rockstar here) was going to put out on the Xbox 360 was Table Tennis (better known as PING-PONG!! in the US), would you have believed me? My very first reaction to that news was, "What, are they putting it out on Xbox Live Arcade??" I mean, seriously; Table Tennis?? From the guys that make rated M games? Were they serious? Was this a joke? The answer to those questions in order was: No, yes, yes, yes, and no. In fact, Rockstar Games was so serious about this game they really marketed it on the net and in game magazines. They were dead serious about it. And when you play Rockstar's Table Tennis, you'll see that too. While it's not a system seller, or a game that is going to revolutionize the sports genre, Table Tennis is not only solid, but authentic! This isn't an Xbox Live Arcade level game. And it's on shelves for $39.99, which is a relief from the usual $59.99 games. The question I pose is this: Is a Table Tennis game worth even a discounted price of $40? Well, Rockstar makes a heck of a case for it with a very solid game. And no, you're not playing against hookers, and armed Mafia gunmen aren't going to jump out from the stands with machine guns and start shooting at you. It's just Table Tennis.
Ok, some quick basics about Rockstar's Table Tennis. The game modes here unfortunately are pretty bare, and that has a little bit of impact on the game overall, but not a lot. There are 11 playable characters in the game; 7 men, 4 women. They come from all around the world; Japan, Germany, USA, Sweden, Brazil, and more. Each player has their own distinctive attributes and gameplay. Some are faster than others, some more powerful, some with more spin they can put on the ball. Who you choose to play with can be as important as the gameplay itself. There are only a couple of players at the beginning to chose from, and the rest you unlock by playing through the game. It seems like you unlock characters based on winning total number of games, but you also unlock them through playing offline tournaments. There are three tournaments to play with different difficulties. There is also an exhibition mode with three levels of difficulty. There's no create-a-player, nor is there a career mode; two things that a game like this should absolutely have.
There is some basic online play as well, and that's a given now with Xbox 360 games. And this game makes use of the 360's Spectator mode in it's "Table Tennis Network". In fact, you get achievement points for watching a match online. Then of course you have your ranked and non-ranked matches. The only problem with playing online is that there is no lobby system. Once you're game is done you're thrown back into the main area where you have to look for another game, or wait for another invite if you want to play the same person. You should have the ability to keep the room open to play another match. But that's minor.
What is amazing about Table Tennis is it's complete attention to the detail of the actual game. I played a lot of ping-pong in college. I am in no way, shape, or form, an expert or a tournament player. I played a lot for fun. But I did learn how to put spin on the ball, how to make drop shots, and how to take a step back from the table in order to really fire up my volleys. So I felt like I was a little more more than just a casual player. So I recognize the authenticity of Rockstar's physics engine they put in this game to make it feel and play realistic. In fact, I have to say this really is as authentic a game in regards to ball physics that I think I've ever seen. It's one of the reasons I am highly hooked on the game. Table Tennis as a sport is all about power and spin. In order for a player to dominate his opponent in Table Tennis, they have to master being able to put high amounts of spin on the ball so that when the ball hits the table it veers in that direction so sharply that the opponent either mis-places his paddle to where he can't effectively return the ball, or with the addition of power, simply can't react fast enough to get the paddle to the ball. The better your accuracy on the table, and the better your spin ability is, the better player you are going to be. It's a small table, but it's a big game. And I can't stress enough how impressed I am in the way Rockstar was able to capture that. The reality is that no volley will ever truly be the same. Just like in real life, you can place that shot that just grazes the table so that it still counts, but it never actually bounces. And yes, you can even hit the net with so much power and spin that a sure dead ball would actually "scoot" over and bounce on your opponent's side. I've seen that a couple times. But everything about the real sport is here, including high speed volleys, overhand slams, side-of-the-table saves, pop-ups, and every once in a blue moon a headfirst dive. That doesn't happen often.
The other thing that Rockstar did very well with their Table Tennis game was make the controls super-easy to learn, but challenging to master. And they give you two ways to play; letting you really pick your own style. Much like a regular Tennis video game, buttons have different shot types. With Table Tennis it's all about spin, and the amount of spin and power you want to put on the ball. You have topspin, backspin, leftspin, and rightspin. I am assuming I don't have to explain to you what each does? I'll say this, if you want the ball to slow down when it hits the opponents side, you use backspin. If you want to hit a real power shot, use topspin. So, you can do one of two things here. Each face button controls a spin, and if you look at the face buttons, you'll be able to tell which does what (A is backspin, Y is topspin, etc:). OR, you can use the right analog stick in the direction of the spin you want to put on the ball (up for top, down for back, etc:). As you might imagine, using the right stick is more challenging than the face buttons. But for some reason for me it seems more natural. I used them both, and I just preferred to use the stick. It just feels right. But you have the choice. Now the left stick moves your player around the table, but you also use the left stick to aim your shot. The longer you hold the spin stick or button, the more your ball will react in that direction; like pre-loading your shot. While you're doing that, using the left stick will stop your players movement and aims your ball. The longer you hold the left stick for aiming, the closer to the edge of the table you'll go. But too much and you'll hit the ball out of bounds or into the net; so be careful. If you're looking for a safe shot, simply don't use the left stick at all.
What makes Table Tennis so fun is that you get to focus on the table itself, and not running all over a court trying to return a ball. For the most part, you don't move a whole lot in the game; you stay fairly centric to the table. But when the time is right, you will begin to move your player around a little, getting into a corner, or stepping back to play longer volleys. And sometimes it's to play defensive as well when you have to go get a shot. But when you get to a point where you have to move around a lot and you want to sort of calm the game down a bit, or if you want to get that little extra oopmh in there to get your opponent out of position for a killshot, there are some extra controls you can use. The left bumper gives you a nice soft drop shot that has no spin, and no power. It's just designed to easily get the ball over the net so you can race back into your main position. It helps if it looks like you're about to get crushed. And if your opponent is far back from the table, dropping the ball in there could catch them off-guard and unable to return the ball. Now for the opposite when you want to get that little extra spin or power on the ball to maybe force your opponent to cover a deep corner, or do have to as I like to call "Tron Disc Block" the ball (holding the paddle like a shield) which can pop the ball up into the air for you to slam down, the right bumper is a focus shot. And with a focus shot you have a focus meter. The better you play and the longer your volleys, the more your focus meter fills. As you use focus shots, the meter depletes of course. If you are totally in focus and your focus meter starts to flash, you can get into a "full-focus" mode, where all your shots temporarily have that little extra spin and power to them. And your player will react a little faster as well. If you really want to see something cool, watch what happens when both you and your opponent go into full-focus mode. It's like the tournament scene in Forrest Gump. The screen around you gets dark and the crowd noise silences. All you see is the table, ball, and your opponent; and all you hear is the sound of the ball hitting the table and paddles. First one to flinch!
Now, I only have one complaint about the gameplay, and that is the computer AI. One would think with the power of the Xbox 360, AI in a sports game would improve. Not so here. I don't mind a competitive computer opponent. I can't always jump online, and if I want to get my achievements and Gamerscore points, I have to play the offline tourneys. But why is it that in every sports game, at some point the computer just decides enough is enough, and totally obliterates you? I could be playing the medium tournament and come up against someone statistically not as good as my player. But yet the computer decides that I am not going to win that round. So they just inject the computer player with virtual steroids and you get trounced badly. And I mean the computer player will make shots that you normally return with ease, but don't. And then you can hit the ball back and forth across the corners in a way that a ping-pong champion in real life couldn't handle. But somehow the computer defies the attributes of it's player and returns everything. And even if they have low power ratings, they'll shove the ball down your throat over and over. I've gotten beat by the same players 11-1 and I didn't even have a chance. Oh and while they never hit net, ever, I all of a sudden have this abundance of unforced net errors that just come up out of nowhere. It doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen enough to make you want to shut the game off and throw the disc across the room. Developers are going to have to start doing more with realistic human-like AI. Dedicate a whole processor core to it if you have to.
Believe it or not, there is more to the graphics engine than you might think. It's a pretty game, I must say. And sooooooo pretty in 720p HDTV. And not so much in the table or the background stuff, but in the player models and their animations. I am so impressed with the players and their realistic animation. Each of the 11 characters has their own style, own skeletal structure. The details in their face and skin are quit impressive, down to leg hair and other "attributes". When they are moving, you see actual clothing movement much like 2K Sports introduced in NBA 2K6, where the cloth actually moves independent of the player frame. In fact with some of the lady players when they move a certain way you get just a hair of midriff showing. Too bad Haley is just not that attractive. But I digress. You see scratch marks on their paddles from game wear. They even their own way of holding the paddle. Most hold in the traditional way, but Haley serves the ball with the paddle flat for example. And Liu Ping holds the paddle in a backwards position, using almost total wrist action instead of arm. All their movements and their ball-hitting animations are really authentic, and if you watch any Table Tennis on ESPN 2 or where else they show it, you'll see some of that motion in real life. Other things you see in the game's graphic engine are slight ambiance like overhead lights sheering off some player's clothes, or shining off the paddle surface. And you can see slight reflections of the players in the table. Little things Rockstar was able to do because you are focused in one area. As for the tables and the venues, they look all the same to me.
Sound effects are very basic. Paddle hits ping-pong ball, ping-pong ball hits table. Rinse, lather, repeat. The scorekeeper is very generic, and there is no commentary. The crowd noise is cool and if you do well they'll chant your name and such. If you make a great shot, the crowd will ooo and ahhh. When the volley gets intense you'll hear a little generic music in the background as if it was setting up for a climactic moment or something. For me, I always have my tunes streaming from my PC anyway so I can concentrate. I love that feature. I expect the PS3 and Wii to have similar features or I won't be happy!!
I'm at the end of the review, and I still can't believe Rockstar's first official game for the Xbox 360 is Table Tennis. Hey, at least it's not a port of The Warriors, or something that didn't require any original thought. The thing I am stuck on is the question "Is Table Tennis $39.99 good?" And I'm very much on the fence with that answer. If this were $19.99, even $29.99, this would be a no brainer. Heck, if is was an Xbox Live Arcade download it would have scored a 100. That said, I still think it's worth checking out, even if you're not a sports gamer. If you ever played ping-pong a day in your life, you will have instant respect for this title. I just wish it had more depth to it. That's all that keeps the game from being in the 90's. I still recommend this as at LEAST a rental with option to buy. It's no Midnight Club, but I have a lot of respect for the effort Rockstar put into this game. I went from laughing about it when it was announced, to playing a whole lot of it the last couple weeks. And that's what counts. | video-games_xbox |
Socomized is understating things. With Socom what do most people do? Skip the single player and hop online. Well that is the case this time, which is a shame because the first two ghost recon games had the strongest single player modes of all the squad-based shootera. Too linear, too restrictive and too limited. So if I were to attach a score to the single player, it would get a 2.5. Not worth it, especially for full price.
Online is a whole different story. You can also play lots of single player online, which can make up for the 1-P AI. Just so you know though random humans can also be a pain to work with, so try to only play people from your friends list. Then you have regular and team varients on a bunch of different things like deathmatch, siege, king of the hill and last man standing to name the main ones...within this you have lots of options to change. Maps are intimidating at first, but rewarding once you figure their layouts out. The main thing it has over socom is you don't regulary see people emptying full clips into eachother, but then again the death animations in GR2 can look very weird. Grenades have a better radius than rainbow six 3 as well. Frankly this game is much better than Rainbow Six 3 in a lot of areas, including graphics and sound. The graphics are vastly superior to Socom 2's, and the textures in general are better than Rainbow six's by a pretty good margin. Weather effects are done very well. The sound also is very well done, a stable of the ghost recon series. Surround sound is a very useful tool here. Interface wise it feels cheap for such a long-time developer of Live games. I mean searching takes forever, and even then you can't tell what the settings are until you join a lobby. This can get aggrivating, but the community for the game is generally good so most likely you'll stick with a group for a while.
Overall Ghost Recon 2 obviously has let down fans of the series without live, it really has been turned into the best military shooter on XBL. Don't trade in Socom 2(maps for that game are very hard to beat) but if you like that game look into this one. | video-games_xbox |
Excellent Campaign, Mutliplayer Severely Lacking. Overall, I would say that it is a good game. The campaign is great, albeit a bit short, nothing to write home about though. The AI are good, and friendlies won't get detected if you are trying to be sneaky. I won't spoil anything important, but the story is decent, somewhat typical of a modern shooter (U.S. vs Russia). The campaign can also be played with up to four players in CO-OP. Guerilla (Horde) Mode is nice, but is boring unless it is played with friends.
Mutliplayer in my opinion is terrible for what it could be. There are four (yes, count them four) mutliplayer modes which are nice, but there is no team death match, which is odd for a shooter game of this era. It is also slow paced (Somewhere between Rainbow Six Vegas 2 and Battlefield.) Some of the small gameplay features can be angering at times, like not being able to quit mid-game. It seems that the mutliplayer designers took no ideas from modern shooters like CoD or Battlefield. The other annoying feature about mutliplayer is that most weapons are specific to the Americans or the Russians, so if you found your absolute favorite weapon when you were playing in the campaign, you will likely only use it 50% of the time. Another feature is that you have three classes that you can choose between (Rifleman, Engineer, Scout), that each rank up individually. This is much like the Battlefield progression system is. Multiplayer must also be played in a certain style, the way the game is set up for you to play, not the "play it your way" style that is Battlefield. This style is hard to learn if you strictly play CoD or Battlefield, and unfortunately, most of your team mates haven't the slightest clue as how to play correctly. I'll admit, team mates have caused me to scream at my TV to no avail.
Now, possibly the coolest feature of this game is the gunsmith system, being able to fully customize your weapon is extremely fun. But, to unlock many campaign weapons, you have to complete certain missions or complete sometimes tough challenges, which almost requires a second playthrough.
One of my other beefs with this game are the graphics. They look closer to Advanced Warfighter 2 than BF3. The game engine is fine, but I still wonder why the graphics are so outdated.
I'll give some pros and cons for TL;DR purposes.
Pros:
Great Campaign w/CO-OP
Gunsmith System/Customization
Variety of weapons
The ability to play many missions how you please.
Good AI
Guerilla Mode (Horde)
Cons:
Graphics, seriously, they need to be updated.
MUTLIPLAYER, Very shallow and not well thought out, not worth buying the game for, very limited play style.
Limited single player ability. Somewhat short campaign, guerilla mode not very fun without friends.
Cover System, It can be obnoxious at times, your guy not doing what you want him to.
General Style, GR:FS game takes the shape of other GR games before it. Nothing new to see here, relatively the same combat, same types of missions etc.
If you are a GR fan, this game seems to keep with the style. For newcomers, this is a hit or miss. you will either like it or you won't. In my opinion this game is NOT worth spending near $60 on. If you really want it, wait for the price to drop to $40 or $30. Don't buy it if you don't plan on playing with friends (or if you don't have any that have the game). The fun factor multiplies exponentially if you play with friends; Campaign, CO-OP, Guerilla Mode, or Multiplayer (where you may actually win if you have competent friends playing with you). | video-games_xbox |
Disappointing ending to one of my favorite game franchises. I don't know if Ubisoft intends to end the Assassin's Creed franchise with AC3, but if they do, this was a poor entry to go out on. I might have been somewhat irritated that they dragged out the AC2 portion of the trilogy for three games (AC2, Brotherhood, and Revelations), but all of those games were fun. You liked Ezio, you started getting more into the mystery of the universe this game takes place in, and you even started to care about Desmond (a little). Even Revelations with its annoying Desmond puzzles managed to give you more interesting Ezio stories and it even gave Altair (who was as bland as wallpaper paste in AC1) more dimension and character than he had before, which made me like him a lot more. So honestly, after 4 good to great games, and a lot of build up to what this game was going to be, I was stoked and ready for a great third game.
This was not a great game.
Assassin's Creed 3 does have some things going for it. The game looks beautiful, hunting is fun for a while, the time period is interesting, and the naval missions are some of the engrossing and fun I've ever seen. That being said, these good things do no make up for the plethora of problems that plague this game. (I am avoiding spoilers as best I can)
1. The new Assassin is kind of annoying. He seems oblivious to what's going on around him and all of his actions seem to make everything worse and ultimately he seems to doom his people, the ones he set out to save at the beginning. His story has some interesting points, but they are all squandered by the end of it, which is one of the most anti-climactic and boring "final boss" battles I've ever seen.
2. The map is too big and the quick travel system is terrible. Particularly in the wilderness, the map doesn't account for terrain and you often have to take long circuitous routes to reach locations. There is a quick travel system, but it requires you to literally spend HOURS wandering around in dimly lit tunnels looking for rats to lead you to new exits.
3. The game takes away a lot of what makes this series fun. In the cities, the rooftops are so loaded with guards that the game is pretty much compelling you to stick to wandering around on the streets, thus taking away the incredibly fun roof-running element of the series. Also, a lot of the cool gadgets and weapons you had in previous games are gone, and the altered control scheme often had me randomly jumping onto things or climbing walls I didn't intend to, leading to a frustrating number of replays on a number of missions.
4. All of the side missions feel like busy work. There is no reason to do any of them except the trinket collecting one which will end with you being able to deflect bullets. The others net you nothing but money which you don't really need because there is nothing worth buying in this game. The assassin recruitment missions were irritatingly complicated and the assassin recruits were often not much use outside of their missions so I never used them. The only ones I would recommend are the naval missions because they are fun. Not because you get anything good out of them, but because they are fun. Nothing more.
5. The ending to the game (which I won't spoil) is AWFUL!! It ruins a lot of the fun I was actually having with the game up to this point.
This could have been a great game, but I get the impression that production was rushed to get it out in time for Christmas. They should have waited and made sure to iron out all of the gameplay problems and made a more engrossing game to play than this. As a huge fan of this series, I will feel disappointed if this is the last one they ever make. | video-games_xbox |
UPDATED- Xbox One is MUCH LESS frustrating. A recent XboxOne update has prompted me to revise my review. I have changed my rating from 2 stars to 3.5 stars.
Great improvements have come out of this latest update.
The Kinect voice prompts are working MUCH BETTER! MUCH BETTER~!!
This product does NOT do some of the things advertised.
The hand gestures still DO NOT WORK well. It seems the only time the system recognizes a hand gesture is when I cross my legs and it thinks my foot is a hand.
The TV integration HAS BEEN UPDATED and great improvements made! I am much happier with this function now.
The hand held controller is a flimsy poorly built piece of crap. It is shaped a bit differently than the 360 version, but the 360 controller had a much more solid feel.
The Kinect voice interaction has greatly improved with the latest update. Kudos to XboxOne on this. It seems they DO listen to consumer complaints.
I have had this for 9 months now and it has learned to adapt. - "Xbox volume up" "xbox volume down" "Xbox snap ____" "Xbox watch TV" etc..These commands are getting the proper response now.
I am still pissed off about this-- The included mic-headset broke after 6 months of use. MS admits it is a faulty component yet they demand the consumer pay to ship it to MS for repair/replacement. This is unacceptable.
The messaging system is still broken. Imagine playing a game, someone sends you an invite or other message...you click on it and the XboxOne starts to spin out..it can't handle it. The system will make you crazy with this action.
The Kinect will still pick up unwanted commands from TV or game soundtrack. This results in the XboxOne shutting off the TV or doing things like change channel, go to "home" etc.. while watching a show or playing a game, it will do inexplicable things that just seem to come out of nowhere.
MS XboxOne TELEPHONE customer support is useless. HOWEVER, I got support from TWITTER (@xboxsupport) who helped greatly to trouble shoot the TV integration.
TELEPHONE support still attempts to blame malfunctions on your TV, your cable provider, your hdmi cables,... every time I call xbox support they blame another component OTHER THAN THE ONE AT FAULT which is the xbox one. I have begun to realize the kid reading a script to you from some call center in 'where-ever' just isn't trained properly.
This machine is MUCH LESS frustrating than when I originally posted a poor review.
On the plus side;
The XboxOne does play games well (tho it does NOT play in 1080p).
It does interact with TWITCH.tv . I really enjoy the TWITCH app and the way it requires no additional hardware to stream live gaming. You can watch anyone play any game on any platform! This is huge. I understand the PS4 has a TWITCH app but it restricts viewing to only PS4 users. So, xbox one has a big plus there.
XboxOne is constantly attempting to improve with lots of updates but still....so many things are buggy.
Apps (netflix, amazon video etc...) are now functioning quite well. Another great improvement after recent update.
"I strongly advise against buying the XBOX ONE."--- I can now recommend this machine, however...I would advise you DEFINITELY pass on the KINECT. While improvements have been made, and I'm sure more will come, it is still just not that good.
I do enjoy not using a TV remote to change channels etc, but still the Kinect just....well, it is FAR from perfect.
It simply does not do most of the things it is advertised to do. Perhaps once they iron out the multitude of wrinkles in the system I will change this review to a more positive one, but for now --avoid (the KINECT).
The hand gestures still DON'T WORK.
XboxOne does provide great gaming, though I am still waiting for the update to 1080p capability.
Summing up- Great improvements after recent update, gaming remains fantastic (give me 1080p please, xbox), KINECT mostly is still frustrating even after some good improvements, apps work better.
The party system is a LITTLE better after the update but STILL flawed. The party system on Xbox 360 works much better. Why XboxOne can't duplicate this is beyond me.
So,... get the XboxOne now and you won't suffer so many frustrations as I did, but the darn Kinect is still a waste of money and patience.
Good luck. | video-games_xbox |
A Party In a Box - Fun Dance Game for All. Stop the presses!!! We have a new contender entering the ring. There are several dance games gracing the Kinect for Xbox 360, but I thought nothing would be able to stand up to the two juggernauts, Just Dance 3 and Dance Central 2. Well, that all changed when I started playing The Black Eyed Peas Experience.
For starters, even though they are both published by Ubisoft, The Black Eyed Peas Experience is nothing like Michael Jackson: The Experience. While Michael Jackson: The Experience is a great game, it is more of a tribute to the King of Pop, where you learn to dance, sing, and perform like MJ himself. With The Black Eyed Peas Experience, you essentially get a party in a box. That's right - open the case, put the disc in, and let the party begin. You'll be transported to several energetic venues, all inspired by their shows and music videos.
Immediately, I could tell The Black Eyed Peas Experience was specifically made for the Kinect. The folks at Uibosft already have an incredible history of making amazing games for the Kinect. That is why I was so surprised by how similar Just Dance 3 was to its Wii counterpart. Besides the fabulous Just Create mode and full body tracking, there really isn't anything that makes Just Dance 3 stand separate from the Wii version. The Black Eyed Peas Experience does several things to harness the power of the Xbox and truly stand out.
THE PARTY IN A BOX - INNOVATIVE, FULL OF MOTION, AND FUN
There are some games that you know, right from the beginning, have that magical touch. The Black Eyed Peas Experience is one of those games. As soon as the game loads, you'll see the Black Eyed Peas dancing. There are no hand-swipes or hovering to start this game. To begin, you have to copy the Peas - by dancing. The entire game flows from one screen to the next. You feel like you are attending a party, and you are the guest of honor.
If you have the moves, you can certainly hop right in and dance with your favorite Black Eyed Peas: apl.de.ap, Fergie, Taboo, and will.i.am. However, I would highly recommend jumping into the ultimate experience of career mode. Here, you can pick your avatar, earn new clothing options, learn dances, and unlock exciting new locations. Just a side note here, the avatars are more like Dance Central's choice of style, versus the plain faced look of Just Dance or seeing yourself, like Michael Jackson: The Experience.
BREAK IT DOWN - WITH PIZZAZZ
The Black Eyed Peas Experience redefines breaking a dance down into pieces. When first coming across a song, you see several elements of the song, which need unlocked. Each element of the song has its own set of moves. The way to learn them is very interesting. You pop into the club and move from dancer to dancer. Each dancer is doing one move repeatedly. You are to copy that move several times. After successfully performing it, the camera sweeps to the next dancer to repeat the process for another move. Once you have learned a few moves, you must dance it all together.
Once finished, you are given a point score, based on several criteria, and a grade. You can redo that dance part, or move to the next part, eventually unlocking the entire set of choreography for the song. Feedback is given on your dancing by glowing orbs around your hands and feet. Unless, I either missed it or dance incredibly well, I didn't notice any negative feedback system. The avatar has glowing lights around them if you do well and nothing if you miss the mark.
While this may sound very similar to Dance Central's approach to breaking down a song, it feels very different. Dance Central plucks you out of the crowd and focuses on each move, one step at a time. The Black Eyed Peas Experience keeps the party moving by making you feel like you are just another person in the club. You're moving from dancer to dancer, doing different moves at each stop. The dancers don't stop, you just copy their move. You can slow it down, but the party is still happening all around you.
AN ENDLESS PARTY
The Black Eyed Peas have more than enough material to keep your body moving. This game features more than 300 dance moves, with over 30 songs across four albums: The Beginning, The E.N.D., Monkey Business, and Elephunk. All your favorite songs are here, from Boom Boom Pow to Let's Get It Started.
If this wasn't enough, there are downloadable songs and routines for purchase. But even better, there is an included Choreo-Maker Mode. I can't stress this enough, I think this mode is ingenious. Essentially, you can take any of the dance moves, available from all the songs, and piece them together in any way you want to. After you have created your own choreography, you can send the newly created dance to a friend over Xbox LIVE.
THE FIVE F'S
In reviewing Kinect games, I look for the five f's: family, fitness, fun, functionality, and firsts. The Black Eyed Peas Experience makes me want to add a sixth f - flow. I can't stress enough, how much this game makes you feel like you are in the club or at a party. You are bouncing around from one venue to the next with ease. I suppose this speaks to how well the game functions, because I never missed a beat.
The Black Eyed Peas Experience is family friendly with some mildly suggestive tones. If you have seen their videos or live shows, you'll know what to expect in this game. The game is incredibly fun and is easy for people to get up and involved in. And just like Just Dance 3, supports four players.
You'll get lost in the fun, where you'll take part in a game that feels like a continuous party. Dance Central 2 and Just Dance 3 both introduced some nice ongoing playlist features this year, but each of those has moments where I feel a slight pause in the action. The Black Eyed Peas Experience feels natural, continuous, full of energy, and needless to say - is an amazing workout.
SUMMARY
Pros:
Continuous party
Great licensed music
Innovative break it down mode
Choreo-Maker Mode
Cons:
None
Conclusion:
Make no mistake about it, The Black Eyed Peas Experience is no knockoff game, but rather a game that will help define the dance game genre. There are several new elements included that I would like to see spread across the other dance games. You may argue about their style of music, but there is no argument in The Black Eyed Peas ruling the club scene. If you would like a taste of that energy, then nothing beats the full-bodied experience of The Black Eyed Peas Experience. | video-games_xbox |
The Battle for the Universe has begun. First off, I would like to say that if you have any doubts about this game..buy the Star Wars Trilogy DVD collection because it comes with a free demo of SW:Battlefront. Let me just say that this game is probably the most incredible game I have ever played for the xbox (except KOTOR). In Battlegrounds you can re-live all of the battles of any of the movies! There are a ton of planets that you can journey to to fight your enemy. Theses planets are: Hoth, Tatooine, Endor, Yavin 4, Kashyyyk (Wookie homeworld, also in KOTOR),Bespin (cloud city), Naboo, Kamino, and others.
Now for the units.. It took me about 25 minutes before I could actually decide what unit I wanted to be. The choices are vast in numbers and all have tons of advantages in their own ways. I wound up picking the Republic Pilot, because I loved flying. My second choice, however, would have been the Republic Sharpshooter. The Classes are: Alliance, Republic, Separatists, or the Empire. The Units for each Class vary greatly, and each one is unique!
There is a single player on this games, and you can go head to head, or do conquer missions. The SP is a good idea to play at first just to get used to the controls and the surroundings at first. However, if you have Xbox Live, things just got better. You thought that you had a lot of choices with the units...well, that is nothing compared to what you can do on Live! You can play your favorite battles with up to 16 other players and customize everything you want. You can chat with your allies or taunt your enemies throught the live communicator.
PROS:
- Excellent graphics
- tons of worlds to choose from
- Tons of units, and space ships available
- Excellent depiction of the battles that took place in the movies
CONS:
- None (except if you don't have Xbox Live...get it...this game might not be totally meant for Live....but the best battles are fought over Live and you are missing out without it!)
Overall..GREAT GAME one of the best from Lucasarts yet! | video-games_xbox |
You don't play this game, it is more like watching a documentary. Playing F1 2013 I was struck by several contradicting qualities. The graphics are quite outstanding for 360. The racing model is great. Like other Codemasters racing games, the AI of computer drivers is very satisfying. There are lots of modes and content.
At the same time, the difficulty and learning curve is unreal. It is a bit like Dark Souls in that regard. Even playing on the lowest settings took me quite a while to finish races in the upper half of the cars. Also, there is a ton of unexplained things in the game. These are things that F1 fans would know, but if you are a layman or have no experience with F1 it is virtually impossible to figure out.
*Prime vs option tires.
*"The guy behind you is running full revs"
*Some cars are much faster than others, but the game doesn't give you car stats like in Gran Turismo or Forza
What made it even tougher to figure out is that I got this game free with the "games with gold" promotion, so no user manual.
I posted on numerous forums questions on these and other topics. After about 30 hours of racing I am now mid-pack with Red Bull, who is supposedly the fastest car. This is on the second lowest difficulty setting.
Probably a 5 star game if are an F1 fan, but virtually impossible to a newbie, especially if you don't have tons of patience. I can't say it has been much fun. But I did learn a lot about the F1 sport. So it felt like watching a good documentary.
Lastly, I picked up an official MS wireless force feedback wheel (cheap on Craiglist) and it works pretty well. If you go on youtube and search for AOR fisi you will see some incredible league racing. Some of the world class racers like TRL limitless do fine with a standard pad. So I don't think the control method will determine your success. It's just a matter of logging tons and tons and tons of hours of practice in this game. Learn every inch of every track, and perhaps give up other videogames for a while and focus. | video-games_xbox |
NBA Live is a Dribble In the Right Direction, but is Still Way Behind the Competition. NBA Live 14 has a long ways to go before it can give real competition to the other guy, but I do see potential in the foundation of this game.
Game Play:
The Good- The dribbling system seems very smooth and realistic. You can really tell a lot of effort was put into this part of the game to set up the future additions to game play.
The Bad- To many times it feels like I'm helpless when playing the game I don't know how each player shoots, and so I have missed so many shoots, and easy lay ups it starts to frustrate me as I try and enjoy the game. Free Throws, and Jump Shoots both have the same problem. You can't tell when a shoot looks good, or if it's bad. I feel like I'm throwing up prayers every time I take a shot.
Presentation:
The Good- This other thing I liked about the game that stood out to me was the nice halftime show, and commentary. Both of these seem to be some of the best I can remember in any sports game I have played.
The Bad- The halftime presentation also has a downfall. It's to long and drags the game out a little bit to much, Main menus are not bad but seem hard to read, and follow, but all in all I give this part of the game a thumbs up.
Graphics:
This part of the game was very disappointing to me, as it seem to be no upgrade what you would have seen in NBA Live 10 which I still have and play now and then still, so if this is the only reason why you buy the games then you might want to rethink...
You can tell this game has issues, and needs work, but if you want to experience the best ball handling game out there you need to at least give it a try, but if you can see the big picture, and can have an open mind you can see where this game can go.
Heck if the game had a shoot meter, and or a tutorial explaining how to shoot it would improve the game leaps and bounds! | video-games_xbox |
Surprise...NBA Live Returns to the Hardcourt. Got this game as a gift but I wanted to add my .02 cents to mix of reviews here. Ive played my share of basketball games over my 35 years of gaming and must admit my favorites have always favored the more arcade titles like NBA Jam or NBA Street over the much ballyhooed NBA2K series.
Upon opening the game, my son and I jumped right into a game figuring we would learn the controls as we went along. It didn't take us long to get comfortable and by halftime we felt adept enough to work our way around the court on both offense and defense. As a pickup and play game we enjoyed ourselves and will surely have some battles over the holiday season.
Once I got alone with the game I was a little surprised to not find any type of tutorial to help me learn the controls or refine my skills. Lacking that, I went into the Rising Star mode to create and develop my own player. The options are bare-boned compared to other EA SPORTS titles, but it does utilize the great player rating feature of FIFA as you play your career and level up your player.
From a graphical standpoint the game definitely banks on the added power of next gen consoles and does well to capture the thrill of an NBA arena. The overlays and player models put you in the game and the commentary does a great job of following the plays they even knew we were playing on Thanksgiving Day. If you like stats this game will bountifully satisfy you from the halftime report to providing clear objectives as you progress your career. The game also follows the real life action of the NBA giving you the opportunity to re-create plays and games of the week and also keeping up with roster moves and player performances.
That said, the game falls short in quite a few areas. The players you aren't controlling tend to be a little lifeless and I felt the game was lacking in real action big plays. Maybe I just need more time to figure out the controls to create these camera-snapping moments. Or maybe the game is too sim for my arcadish basketball tendencies. I understand this game is a re-debut for EA SPORTS and I look forward to see if they can build off this product and push the competition. As it stands now, the title is fairly bare bones for the buck and needs to find its identity. If this game is meant for hardcore NBA fans it has a lot going for it in the ways it follows the on-court news. It would be nice for them to consider implementing action for casuals to easily produce highlight reel b-ball excitement with friends.
If you are a big fan of the NBA I would at least check the game out otherwise Id say wait until a more fully fleshed out game may be delivered next year. | video-games_xbox |
A Big Disappointment. Years after Max Payne 2, we finally get Max Payne 3 after a long wait. Does it live up to the hype? Simply put, no. Marred by rough gameplay, obscenely long and frequent cutscenes, and lots of frustration at what could have been, Max Payne 3 is a disappointment in every sense of the word.
Gameplay: Like the previous iterations of Max Payne, MP3 is your basic third person shooter. What makes the Max Payne games unique and different is the inclusion of "bullet time" (a slow motion effect that allows you to take down multiple enemies while flying through the air ala Matrix style). This combination of classic over the shoulder shooting and bullet time should make for a great experience, but it does not. The gameplay of MP3 feels VERY similar to GTA 4. It does not feel like a unique shooter, instead, MP3 plays like all the shooting scenes you've already gone through in GTA 4. Going to cover is clunky. It can be difficult to stick to whatever cover you're behind, and getting Max to go to a particular cover can be tough. Bullet time is cool, but is nowhere near as fun as other reviews make it out to be. You fly through the air and shoot people in slow motion. It gets old fast. There are included on rail sequences which tell me that Rockstar needed something else to spice the game up to make up for the poor gameplay. A Max Payne game should NEVER need on rail sequences. The gameplay feels unpolished and loose. Its hard to describe in words, but a game of this caliber should have tight handling and smooth controls. MP3 does not. Again, it feels very similar to GTA 4's run and gun sequences when it should feel like Max Payne.
Graphics: The graphics in this game are excellent. Simply put, its one of the best looking games in recent memory. Characters have life when they move and talk, scenery and background pop and shine, and all the bullet effects are outstanding. The cutscenes in particular look very good, although the actual in game graphics aren't quite up to the level of the cutscenes. Still great though nonetheless.
Presentation: You will endure cutscenes in this game that are longer than gameplay sequences you just played through. This does a TERRIBLE disservice to the game. It completely destroys the eb and flow of the gameplay, and you will quickly find yourself wishing they were over. Between Max drinking and popping pain pills, things get old fast. The dialogue isn't "gripping" or "dark" like other reviews would have you believe. It's stupid. We don't need to be reminded every five minutes via a cutscene that Max has a drinking and drug problem. It just becomes laughable after the first few chapters, and its really a shame. Along with the cutscenes, you have to endure Max's seemingly endless supply of one liners while going through the campaign. It gets old faster than the cutscenes do.
Summary: I had to force myself to finish this game. The gameplay is not half as fun as it should be, and completely forgets where it came from with previous iterations of the game. Max Payne 3 feels exactly like GTA 4, with added slow motion bullet time. While the graphics are great, the cutscenes and one liners are a complete joke, and basically ruin the game.
Should you buy Max Payne 3? If you loved the shooting style of GTA 4, and have a thing for crazy long and frequent cutscenes along with stupid one liners, then sure, go for it. Everyone else, don't waste $60 bucks on this game. At the very least, wait for the price to come down. Its just not worth it. | video-games_xbox |
and you know there are the haters who insistently say that it is going to be terrible. Personally. Before you go off saying "he never bought it" just go to my profile and go to my PS4 version where it is verified.
Now to the review:
So, it's that time of year again. Whether you are plan on getting the new call of duty or not, you know about it. You know that there are the fanboys who ordered it ten years ago, and you know there are the haters who insistently say that it is going to be terrible. Personally, after Ghosts, I was one of the haters. I thought that this game would be just like the others again, just FURTHER IN THE FUTURE, which nobody wanted. I changed my mind a couple of weeks ago after seeing the multiplayer reveal. Sure, this isn't the revolutionary game which is so bold, that everyone has to have it. This game is different. It is different from previous Call of Duty's, and it is different from any game you have ever played.
What makes it unique?
You may be thinking a lot of talk, and no walk. Well, the only place i'm walking to with this game is my couch. Advanced warfare is a bold step in the right direction. Whether it is the new movements presented with the exo skeleton in multiplayer, or the new HUI. Advanced Warfare blends in the new and shiny into smooth movements, almost as if you have been playing with the exo skeleton for a few years.
Why only 4 stars?
I don't believe any game is perfect, and there are still a lot of doubts in my head with Advanced Warfare. I think that four starts suits this game well.
I am one person who will say that Black Ops 2 is the best Call of Duty to be made, and everyone has their own opinion. It is hard to tell, only having played this for an hour or two, whether this game will be right up there. I definitely see the potential in it, and am looking forward to playing it for the next year until the NEW one comes out. This is how the system works, but I am convinced this year is going to be fun.
If you are still on edge about it, I will be uploading some gameplays to my Youtube channel. Just search Gandalf The Teal, and it should come up. If this review helped you, please give it an up vote. If you have any questions just ask them and I will respond. | video-games_xbox |
Glad I rented it first. I didn't buy this game. After the Master Chief Collection came out completely broken, I don't buy games without playing them first. The only reason to have Game fly is to save me from the disappointment that I would have felt if I had bought this game. I wanted to buy this game after an ad showed people's reaction to the game. Glad I waited. Let me say this game was slow. I didn't know about the comparison to Resident Evil else I wouldn't have been so keen on this game. I dislike RE games because they're slow also. Bad camera angles, slow play, and an inability to make choices plague RE games. This was a lot like those. I really didn't get more than an hour into it before it went back in the mail. No running in a game is just a way to artificially extend game play, as is forcing players to wait for a character to leave a room before you can move forward. The very beginning epitomizes just how little thought went in to making a FUN game. Making a game with a weapon system like this game has is a slap in the face to all who buy it. A frustrating and confounding weapon mechanic, like only using a melee weapon once then poof, is NOT fun. All the elitists out there are going to say the weapon mechanics make it hard or challenging. I say hard or challenging dies not equal fun. Hard games can be fun, this is not so with this game. Again, it seems like every aspect of this game was designed to artificially extend the game play length. I give it 2 stars for the graphics only. Somebody needs to hire the art department from this game and put them to work with a good design team. I'm so let down by Bethesda. With the success of their open world Fallout, series I thought they would know what gamers like. This game is the opposite of Fallout. Why would you do the opposite of what was a hit 4 times? Some enjoyed this game. Good for them. I am so let down by this game. It's no wonder it's in the bargain bin at half price less than 4 months after release. Actually it was in the bargain bin back in December. In contrast Far Cry 4 is awesome. | video-games_xbox |
It burns like fire...or completly invisible radiation. I bought Bionic Commando with the knowledge that it was not the best game. I had heard that some people had fun with it, and that maybe the critics had been too harsh. I can safely say that this game earns every harsh word that comes its way. Not because it is a flat out bad game, but because what should have been a truly fun game seems to go out of its way to be the exact opposite.
First the good points.
1. The graphics are down right beautiful.
2. Using your Bionic arm is super fun once you get the hang of it.
3. It is fun to swing.
Wow. That was short. Now for the bad.
1. Those beautiful graphics that I mentioned only show ugly, delapidated buildings.
2. Your arm is limited throughout the first part of the game. You are shown how to do everything at the beginning of the game, but for reasons that are never explained, you aren't allowed to use your attacks until your never present commander reminds you how they work. Suck.
3. While swinging is fun, you are only allowed to swing in certain places. Even though the levels look huge, most of them are covered in nearly invisible radiation that kills you almost instantly. You won't know where these places are until you swing right into them and die. Super Suck.
4. The achivements are time consuming given how sporadicly the enemies are sprinkled throughout the levels, so you have two options. Try and have fun, or get the achievements. There is no in between.
5. Water is another near instant kill. Good luck finding something to latch on to in the 2 seconds you're given before you drown.
6. The snipers in this game can hit you from anywhere in the level. Tres unfair.
It seems like the developers of this game made two different versions. the first is a game with huge levels that you can use your super cool arm to zip around in while killing your enemies with style. the second game was put over the first one, and its only purpose it to limit how much fun you can have at any one time. Having fun swinging? Here take some invisible radiation that you can't avoid. You like the bionic arms combat functions? Well then, for the enemies that the style of combat would be affective against were not going to let you use any of the cool moves. When can you use them? When the snipers who can see from anywhere come into play and your melee options become pretty much zero seems like a good idea to us.
In short as well made as this game is, it goes out of its way to kill any fun that you could have had with it. If you want something like it, but fun buy Just Cause 2. Play now, thank me later.
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Just-Cause-2/dp/B0013RATNM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Just Cause 2</a> | video-games_xbox |
It's exactly how most people discribe it. This game is not for the faint of heart, short patient or casual gamer (and COD junkies...). as everyone has said and as it is printed on the back of the box "Prepare to Die", it's practically the focus of the game. Keep that simple concept in your head as you play; with due diligence and determination this game can be conquered. Plenty of people here complain, gripe and don't like this game because of the slow and unforgiving play style but if you even heard of this game than you knew what you were getting into, I've never even heard of this series until this game came out and immediately I found out about the intense difficulty for both games (it's predecessor Demon Souls), it's pretty much like the Ninja Giden Series in comparison with difficulty (actually Giden is easier, but as far as it's reputation for difficulty it's similar), so while prior RPG experience helps alleviate some headache, just don't expect to sit down and hack and slash your way through this in 6 hours or something.
Now that I got this out of the way and without going through every single detail, here's a quick synopsis and overview:
The story (though a bit underwritten and at times hard to comprehend) talks about a blighted world where the dead are born within the darkness, a great war broke out between three god-like beings and their followers and fierce dragons that ruled the skies. After the war a new golden age came for the humans, but it doesn't last long because now they're plagued by a cursed sign called the Darksign, which marks its victims to become Hollow after they die. You, the unnamed protagonist, is one such victim, you are Undead and is taken to a far off land to wait to become Hollow when you hear of a prophecy to change the world and save yourself, and now you journey to complete the prophecy and reclaim your soul.
Now for gameplay (as i said, because i'll be forever describing everything, this is a short run through), at the start you can choose your class and initial items and abilities to start with. Controls are jarring if your used to other RPG controls, especially simple hack and slash controls, but after a while you will get used to them and conquer them. Enemies, even the first few ones that in any other game would be fodder can easily kill you so patience is the best thing here. Like most RPGs, you can buy, forge and reinforce weapons and armor with the games currency, souls. And if you play online you have the option to play with others.
I think that covers most (you can find a more in depth review somewhere else), now for the pros and cons.
Pros: It's different. If you're like me and is tired of playing the standard RPGs that come out and games with the same gameplay in them as many others (I'm looking at you COD!) than this will serve as something different to cut your teeth on. It's something that you can't rush through so you have to think about every action because it could end badly if you don't (hell sometimes it does anyway...)
It's challenging. I cannot stress this enough, everyone who's heard of this game should know about the notorious difficulty so you know what your getting yourself into. I knew what I was in for when I bought this; I spent days trying to figure out how to beat a specific boss, and though that may seem terrible, it was highly rewarding to see the bastard die. Though the combat is non compromising, it's a good feeling to be able to survive the challenges. Even when fighting another player online, it's extremely hard but rewarding and even fun (even if you're on the loosing end)
And finally, a massive, beautiful and immersive world. No one can deny that this is a good game to look at, Detail is profound and lighting creates tension and atmosphere, and the world is practically free roam, as every part of the world that you can see you can visit at some point in the game.
Cons: No Pause. I know I said this game is immersive, and most like to not stop the action for anything, but a pause would be nice. Being that I do have other responsibilities that arise at a moment's notice, I never feel safe to just leave the game unattended, even in "safe points".
Seemingly inconsequential character choices. I personally I love games where you can customize your character and they be unique. This game kinda shirked that, the character creation seems a bit shallow when compared to other RPGs (Skyrim or Dragon's Dogma) and when you get going into the game, they become unrecognizable to what you originally made ( even if you have a Mage or Ceric like character, most of the time they'll end up looking like knights...)
and No Waypoints. While I don't necessarily need the game to hold my hand and tell me what to do, If you don't know where you're going you'll end up in trouble alot. Just a simple mechanic to point you in the right direction would be nice. I know that it's free roam and you could go in other directions, but I sat and watched a friend try two alternate directions to where I went and because of this low level and being ill equipped, he was easily slaughtered.
To sum this up, Like most here have said, If you are a hardcore gamer, someone who enjoys RPGs, has patience and determination, and is looking for a genuine challenge this is the game for you.
If you are a casual gamer who only plays games sparingly or to pass the time, is not familiar with RPG gameplay, and prefer over the top hack and slash (or *cough cough* military shooters) action, look somewhere else, this wasn't meant for you. | video-games_xbox |
Significant gameplay and career mode advancements, and high fun factor, while online continues to struggle. The failure of UFC Undisputed 2010 to capitalize on the success of the first entry in the series forced THQ and UFC to reevaluate the viability of their product as a yearly release. The result has been a nearly two year gap that now culminates with the arrival of UFC Undisputed 3. The extra time has paid some substantial dividends - but one design decision in particular and troubled online performance remain concerns.
UFC Undisputed 3 carries with it a solid amount of content. There is the standard exhibition fights in UFC or Pride, Career, Title, Tournament, and Event modes along with Online which are all pretty straight forward in what they offer.
The Ultimate Fights mode is intriguing in that they attempt to recreate popular fights from the past while including video packages about them. There are tasks set up to complete throughout the fight at specific times and a percentage grade is given based on how much is achieved. It can be tough to fight in that manner though - trying to complete the tasks rather than just do what is necessary to win doesn't feel completely natural or even necessarily make sense contextually at a given time. Career mode has stripped out frustrating elements while pushing the focus more on the fights and progression making that much more enjoyable.
Pride is a blast and a valuable addition to the series. Everything from the presentation to the varied rule sets and unique venue make it a lot of fun to play. It won't at all be surprising if fans tend to prefer playing in Pride vs UFC. Presenation has been enhanced elsewhere too and the new camera angle, though not going to feel drastically different, does bring the action much closer and the perspective works well for the fights.
Gameplay wise there isn't much to gripe about at least on the surface. Refs tend to stand up fighters a bit early - this was probably done on purpose rather than just becoming an unexpected issue as maybe casual types don't want to be stuck maneuvering on the ground with little success whether they're on the offensive or stuck blocking transitions. Ultimately though the big problem comes down to the flawed submission system which, going back to E3 last year, was the most cited gripe with the game and for good reason.
What amounts to a mini-game of `cat and mouse' not only takes the user's eyes off the fighters in these critical moments but the success of submission attempts remains inconsistent and unrealistic. Against the CPU it seems nearly impossible to submit them - at the same time there is little concern that the CPU will actually complete a submission against the user. There has yet to be a situation where either "caught" the opponent with a submission but instead the one in danger almost always escapes easily under the system. It's been the same way in head-to-head (both off and online) fights too with submissions easily escaped by evading in the mini-game.
That alters tactics and strategy greatly. Offensively I find there to be little reason to attempt submissions. Why risk advantageous position when the submission is likely to fail? Conversely I haven't found myself defending against submissions because they're easy to get out of and the result is actually a positive shift of positioning and momentum.
Otherwise the gameplay has proven to be fairly well balanced with counter-strategies to utilize based on any tactic an opponent could be throwing out there. There has yet to be any frustrating element beyond the submission system - the clinch is handled much better and the ground game simpler to understand.
Fights have been challenging but fair. Those that I've lost I've never gotten upset about and in fact often been impressed by the outcome. That is usually the best indicator of a good game - when the time spent with it is enjoyable regardless of a win or loss.
"Sim" stamina is an addition that the more hardcore crowd will enjoy. It makes a huge difference and forces fights to be much more realistic. Most will probably stick with the default stamina but the option is appreciated regardless.
The new "Amateur" controls have been a refreshing addition and something I quickly got comfortable with using. There is a slight advantage for those using the "Pro Controls" (as there should be) but in terms of simplicity and accessibility the "Amateur" set holds up well. The tutorials also can help get users accustomed to the game to an extent but aren't much more than just an introduction - there are even a couple that took a while to complete because they weren't clear enough in what was expected. It's just tedious to go through them one to the next and invest that much time but it's probably worth it in the end.
Online performance continues to threaten the completeness of the product. Most of the fights have been so lag-plagued that they've essentially been complete wastes of time. It has been encouraging that at least there have been a few smooth and responsive fights and they've been recent ones - but even then the masses haven't hit the servers yet so things are likely going to get worse before they get better. Quitters aren't getting losses or seeing DNF % rise either which means that'll be a serious problem to address and there's also no real reason not to choose the highest rated fighters so variety in match-ups will be sorely lacking. Since releasing the server has often been unavailable and the number of disconnects high. I'll update further in regards to online play in the near future.
Other notes: There is some sort of issue with installing the game to the hard drive on the 360 that requires being signed out of Xbox Live for it to begin the install. Tapping gloves at the start of the fight is seemingly dangerous as the CPU usually chooses to throw a cheap shot. The refs can be somewhat distracting as they vanish or appear out of thin air at times. They also don't end the fights as quickly as one would expect allowing for some awkward late shots. In replays collision detection looks iffy and there appears to be very little force on the blows. The "Highlight Reel" feature which was previously detailed is a nice addition but the best part comes with the game automatically storing the last 50 rounds of fights.
There is little doubt that UFC Undisputed 3 will be looked back on at the end of the year as one of the strongest efforts amongst the crop of sports games. Hopefully it won't fall into the category of "almost great" because of poor online play so that'll have to be monitored in the days and weeks ahead. Otherwise THQ has delivered a winner with refreshing accessibility, increased authenticity, stronger content, and fun balanced gameplay. | video-games_xbox |
HAD MORE FUN PLAYING DUCK HUNT ON MY NES. Normally I wouldn't write a review for games but destiny was so bad I didn't want other people wasting their hard earned cash
Not everybody knows that:
You cannot play this offline
You need a constant connection to the destiny servers which is very unreliable get ready for your game to be interrupted even with a good connection.
You need to reach level 5 before you can do multiplayer.
This is not a proper mmo like eve online
You will need over 5 gig left on your harddrive to play.
Despite all the hype prepares to be underwhelmed both by the lack of depth of the story or any real action do not believe the trailers.
This is not open world or sandbox there's nothing to explore you go on these dull missions kill someone then go back to the tower.
Also the story ends at the introduction and only gets mentioned every now and again
Story
I really wanted this to be good but alas it's just not worth your time an empty lonely game experience with a story that could have been amazing. If you're a story driven person I'm afraid like many online only games the main story just becomes a back story it's so sad.
Action
Also if you're not into level grinding then you may want to give this a miss as the enemy have main spawn points which they don't go out of and not long after killing all the enemy they will spawn back again.
The a.i's are not as intelligent as those used in say killzone or halo (throw a grenade at an elite he will try and commando roll out of the way not stand there like a moron)all in all they enemy are not fun to fight but pretty boring. The only interesting action comes from multiplayer but with that many better multiplayers' out there and more coming out again you'd better spend your money elsewhere.
Levels
As I mentioned the levels have nothing to explore in them if you're expecting something like skyrim or fallout 3 with a living world populated by interesting events, locations and npc's prepare to be shocked.
Take earth for instance you will have to keep going back to the same location for all of the missions so in real terms destiny is actually very small but this is the same for the other locations off planet.
Conclusion
At first glance it really seem's good but after a few hours play and then a few more you realize there is not actually a lot there in terms of story characters or action.
Don't get me wrong I love bungie but I just don't know where it went all wrong.(although from what I understand some of bungie went to 343 industries to look after halo maybe that's where all the talent went)
If you want something like this but better play borderlands or Dead Island a lot more fun and you can play it offline.
If you're really desperate wait until it's in the bargain bucket then you won't be so wounded by the money you have just wasted. | video-games_xbox |
Almost exactly like the first, but a few new additions. As the title implies, the game hasn't changed much from the original. The few changes it does have aren't huge, but they do enhance the game. First off though, for the people that have not played the first game, I'll go ahead and break up the strong and weak points that the sequel has.
GAMEPLAY: 8/10: The gameplay itself is pretty fun, but it takes a mission or two to actually learn how to play well. The mixing of RTS and button mashing had never been done before the Kingdom Under Fire (KUF from now on) games. You could be engaged in melee with your hero, fighting off a couple troops of orcs, and decide you want your archers to attack them as well, you just pop up your trusty Map, switch to your archers, and tell them to attack the guys attacking you. It's that simple to command multiple troops while already engaged in combat. The reason I gave gameplay and 8/10 is because the gameplay could have been enhanced a bit. Like waypoints and other such things, when you move troops, their pathfinding skills are sometimes horrible. (For instance, on a mission I played last night, my troops ran around in a circle twice before actually going through the forest to the area I wanted them to.)
GRAPHICS: 8/10: The graphics in this game are pretty good, nothing groundbreaking of course, but good. You can have many orcs, humans, dark elves and the like all in one screen fighting. The sheer numbers that can be on screen all at once is great. I do have a complaint though, although the voice acting isn't bad, the character's lips do not move except up and down every once in a while.
MUSIC/AUDIO: 4/10: Just like the first, it's pretty much the same song played over and over again, never stopping. Ever. The voice acting is kinda cheesy too.
USER FRIENDLY?: Partially: The complaints I have in this department is the fact that they took out the tutorials, or rather, the `training' during campaign. So basically the new people are stuck learning the entire game by themselves, unless they have friends that know how to play. The second complaint I have is that nearly all the `beginner' missions are more slated toward people that have already played the game. They require strategies and planning, which a newcomer wouldn't know too much about. Luckily though, Ellen's missions were slightly less despairing than the others, so my friends didn't get too discouraged with the game. I think that those were the biggest disappointment in the game.
XBOX LIVE: 8/10: This is where the game gets fun. It's basically just like campaign, wherein you get Experience to boot up your troops and get new troops to combat human enemies, enemies with actual intelligence and strategies.(most of them, anyway.) Although there is one, terrible and horrible problem with Xbox live. The lag is horrible. I mean horrible, for your heroes at least. When you're fighting in melee with your hero, you can't control him in real-time. In fact, you have maybe a whole 3 seconds before he does what you just told him to. I once spent a good 2 minutes watching, the controller not even in my hand, my hero run around hitting things while I was powerless to make him turn. Or anything like that. The other troops don't lag, and your controls on them don't lag either. It's usually just your hero in Melee.
Now onto the differences between The Crusaders and Heroes.
There are a few noticeable differences and a few not-so-noticeable.
First off, System link is gone, there is no longer ANY form of multiplayer other than Xbox Live. Although, there IS a custom game function in the single player menu (This allows you to use any char you want, and you have 1 million XP to use on that char and his troops.) There are new heroes, of course. But the old ones are still there, and with new moves. Also, there are three new troops, Earth Golems, Thunder Rhinos, Flame Wraiths, and Ice Maidens. These troops are pretty good, although they require 25 of their specified magic to make. And last but not least, you can have up to SIX people ply all at once, on teams or free for all.
That sums up my review on KUF:Heroes I hope it was helpful to you. | video-games_xbox |
Best SW Game Since Knights of the Old Republic. Revenge of the Sith is a 17 level story about love, loss and betrayal. Since this is a game that is based on the movie, the game follows it, and let me just say, the movie Revenge of the Sith will be awesome! Now on to the game.
The game play for this game truly is top notch. The moves in the game connect so well and so natural, it's as if you are literally in the movie. The controls are easy to learn and they teach you the different moves as you progress through the game. The difficulty on this game is challenging, but not impossible.
This game is mainly action/adventure but adds a little RPG into the mix by letting you upgrade the force powers. All of the force powers start off at level one, but as you earn experience, you can spend the experience to upgrade your power all the way to level three. If you do very well, you will up grade your character. You earn experience by killing enemies, the more impressive the finishing move on your enemies are, the more points you get. As I have mentioned, your character will be upgraded if enough enemies are killed. Obi-Wan and Anakin both start off at Jedi, but as you progress, they can eventually become Jedi Knight and finally Jedi Master.
In the game, there are also hidden health and force upgrades that allow your health and force energy bars longer and gives you more health and force capacity which is very helpful. Besides light saber battles, you also mount cannons to fire at certain object to complete certain goals, there is variety.
Multi-player can be done with a friend or a computer partner in the dual. The dual is characters that are unlocked battling each other like a fighting game, and it is treated as such.
The look is equally amazing. You can tell how much detail that was put into the game, very beautiful watch as you play. The characters are very detailed and the background is equally astonishing. As you fight, different things are happening in the back ground i.e. ships exploding and fighting as you fight Count Dooku. A lot of time was put into this and it really does show.
The story is told by actual movie scenes. When the movie scene ends, you begin to play and vice verse, as you play in the game it will cut to movie scenes. Both are very well done and work very well to help make the ultimate movie experience.
The music adds to this game. To the beautiful peaceful music, to the Star Wars theme, to the Darth Vader theme as Anakin begins to change, it really does set the mood.
As always, this game has extras, although be it not many. The only extras that can be unlocked in the Special Features menu are lots and lots of concept arts for the game. In the Special Features, you can also view the movies of the levels you have completed and you can also view the end credits.
The game really shines by having bonus missions that are unlocked as you beat certain levels. These bonus missions add game play to this game after the main game is finished. You play as certain different individuals and completing certain tasks, usually you have to beat a certain amount of enemies or survive. After the 17th mission is complete, an extra 5th bonus mission featuring the mechanical Darth Vader of Episode IV can be unlocked.
Besides lack of real extras, there is only one negative thing that can be said about this game and that it's not long enough. Sadly, this game doesn't go scene for scene in the movie and skips quite a lot of story. It mainly focuses on the action parts of the film, which is understandable; Lucas didn't want the entire movie spoiled before it was in theaters. There is nothing in this game about Anakin and Padme, but they do focus on the friendship between him and Obi-Wan. With that being said, this game is about six to eight hours long, depending on how long it takes you personally to beat the game. If everything in the movie was added, this would have been longer.
Finally, overall, despite the lack of extras, this game is a must have for all Star Wars fans. I haven't had this much fun in a Star Wars game since Knights of the Old Republic. Since it follows the movie, this game does contain A LOT of spoilers, so if you don't want the movie spoiled, don't buy until after you see the film. Luckily, it has a high replay value. So it is worth your money, especially if you want to get an early look at the film, or have something to remember the film by until you have the DVD movie. I recommend this to all! | video-games_xbox |
Not so sure we can call this a Rainbow Six game. I've been a Rainbow Six fan for years. Started on PSONE and have played since then.
This game should have been simply named Siege. It just doesn't feel like a Rainbow Six game to me. Their are some really good things this game does, but a lot falls short.
I'll admit I have been waiting (much like most Rainbow fans) for a very long time for a new Rainbow Six game. Vegas and Vegas 2 are my hands down favorite games for my 360. I played those games from release all the way up until about 6 months ago... I bought Siege last week and found I didn't even feel like playing it yesterday.
First the Pros
Being able to use the grappling hook on just about every building and anywhere on the buildings roof is awesome.
Blowing holes in walls to create new sight lines is really fun, and having to account for those walls in defending situations adds to the strategy.
It's still way better than COD and Battlefield...
Cons
Why can't I lean against the walls... Why? I can't blind fire to suppress people. Why? I can't pull the pin on a grenade and chuck it around a blind corner... Why? Why leave this out when it was the staple of the previous game that everybody loved. Ya I know you can lean with the rifle aimed. But which would you do..., Lean against the wall of a blind turn and check around the corner leaving inches of your body exposed, or tilt you rifle slightly and walk out to the edge with your chest exposed....
Why does every building have their doors removed and boarded over? The closet is boarded up for crying out loud. Try to sneak around and stay covert when every door you come to in every building in every situation has been removed and boarded shut. How do you open the door you ask? Well you can blow it to pieces with a breaching charge, slam it with the butt of your gun, knife it.... ya knife it... hit it with a sledge hammer or fire up the old machine gun and let it rip. So, even if you are trying to move around without detection and you are 5 rooms away from the closest enemy you might as well pull out a bull horn and yell, "I'm over here". Half of Rainbow games is moving around and setup attacks without being noticed... to hard in this game.
What happened to my night and thermo vision? What good is a smoke grenade in the middle of a fire fight if I can't see either? I know, I know they are for you to throw and run away... but are you telling me a Rainbow Op wouldn't have night or thermo vision?
Don't have my door camera either, but I guess if there aren't any doors I don't need that. I can drive my RC car under every boarded up door though. I guess the hardware store that these terrorist shop at don't provide a class on boarding up doors all the way to the floor so you can't drive a remote control car under them. Puzzling.
Can't remove and add my silencer in game... ugh.
Can't pick up a weapon laying on the ground in front of me.... Why?
The servers are the worst thing I have seen this side of Madden. Disconnects, random drops... The worst part is the game makes one player the hosts and sticks with that person. So when you are playing a game with a moron, and they die in the first minute of the round because they run through it thinking they are a COD god, then leave to go put their skills on display in another room the match ends and you have to start over. It's 2015 guys. Online games aren't new. You've never seen this type of player before? You didn't know this would happen ALL THE TIME. Come on man...
Team killing seems to be a serious issue. I am lucky that I have a group of people I play with, but when I do get online to play alone, I'd say 1 out of every 3 matches I get in a team killer pops up. After a few months, these trolls will move on to something else, but right now they need to be banned for days at a time after they leave one match and move to another and do the same thing.
Finally my biggest complaint and the thing that will keep me from playing this game like I did Vegas. You cannot build your own Operator. You can't choose a body type, an armor setting, which gun you want to use for a situation, etc... You have to stick with presets they give you... This is complete crap. If you power up Vegas and run this game side by side, it feels like a dumbed down regression... which is odd because Vegas is like 10 years old.
Overall, I hope this game does well enough that Ubi will make another one in a year or so, however I hope they go back to the Vegas formula and leave Siege where it is. | video-games_xbox |
Good, but definitely not perfect. In 2002, Sonic Mega Collection was released for the Nintendo GameCube. It featured Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic Spinball, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, and the lackluster Sonic 3D Blast. It also included extra games such as Knuckles in Sonic 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Blue Sphere, Flicky, and Ristar.
If you weren't gaming back in the Sega Genesis days, Sonic & Knuckles featured a lock-on technology. If you plugged Sonic 2 into Sonic & Knuckles, and put Sonic & Knuckles into the Genesis, you could play as Knuckles in Sonic 2. If you did the same thing using Sonic 3 instead, you could play Sonic 3 with Knuckles and play the two games as if they were one big game. If you plugged any other game into Sonic & Knuckles, you would get Blue Sphere, a game compiled of chaos emerald levels like those in Sonic 3.
Now, the X-Box and PS2 have also gotten similar treatment with Sonic Mega Collection Plus. Sonic Mega Collection Plus includes all the previous games that were included in Sonic Mega Collection for GameCube, and some additional games. This package also includes 6 Game Gear Sonic games including Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Chaos, Sonic Drift, Sonic Labyrinth, Sonic Blast, and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. The Game Gear titles are playable right off, but the lock-on Genesis Sonic games as well as Flicky and Ristar must be unlocked. There are two additional games to unlock as well. These games are Comix Zone and The Ooze.
The collection also features some nifty extras like comic book scans, movies from Sonic Heroes, other illustrations, and a complete set of instruction manuals for the games on this collection. Another feature added to the game is the ability to save anywhere on any game. Originally, there was no save feature in Sonic 1 or 2. Now, you may save anywhere in the game that you wish.
There is a bit of a downside. The collection of games is somewhat incomplete. I would've liked to see more Game Gear Sonic titles included such as Sonic 2, Sonic & Tails Triple Trouble, Sonic Drift 2, Sonic Spinball, and Tails Adventure.
I would've also liked to see some other games in this collection such as the Sega CD's Sonic CD as well as Sonic R from the Sega Saturn, and the often forgotten Knuckles Chaotix from the 32X. Another oddity is the fact the games don't take up the whole screen. Whether you are playing Sonic 1, Sonic 3, or even Sonic Spinball, all the games have a small border around them.
Overall, this is a good collection of classic Sonic titles. And for the bargin price, anyone with a PS2 or X-Box should definitely consider this title. If you already own the collection for the GameCube, you may still want to consider this for the additional titles, save feature, and extras. However, if you are a purist and want to play the classic Genesis titles full screen and without being able to save, you'd be better off hanging onto Sonic Mega Collection for GameCube. | video-games_xbox |
Diet Resident Evil 4. Resident Evil 4 was a masterpiece. A perfect - well crafted - masterpiece. Resident Evil 5...is just okay.
Don't misunderstand; I didn't hate this game. The story was captivating, and playing with a friend was a lot of fun. It just seems to me like the people who made this game would want it to exceed its predecessor. Instead it felt like they went out of their way to add nothing to the experience, and in the process, even took a few things away.
Firstly, There is no merchant this time around. In Resident Evil 4 you would encounter a merchant from time to time and would be able to buy and upgrade weapons in the levels. That isn't the case here. You'd better stock up on everything you need before the missions begin, because that is the one and only time you will ever be able to do it.
But even stocking up has been downgraded it seems. In RE4 you were eventually able to buy a bigger case to hold more items, guns, ammo, etc. Again, that isn't the case in RE5. You are given nine item slots and that's it. Now granted its nine slots per person which essentially means eighteen; but you have to switch items back and forth with your partner rather than being able to access them whenever you want.
And god help you if you need to exchange items in battle as opening your cases, weapon changes and item switches are done in real time! This is again in contrast to RE4 where the game would pause when you opened your case. I guess they wanted to make it seem more realistic this time around, but c'mon; it's a video game! I can't organize inventory and fight Zombies at the same friggin' time!
And guess what else you can't do at the same time? Run and shoot. You have to stay in one place in order to unload on your enemies. This is the same as in RE4, but in that game the mechanic blended well with the game play. I can't quite put my finger on it yet, but something about this "run or shoot but not both" seemed to clash in RE5. After all the advances made in games since 2005, you'd think they'd try to improve on this.
The long levels and puzzle solving from RE4 also seem to have been stripped this time around. It takes almost no time at all to get through a stage and all the while it feels like the game is throwing the same bad guys at you over and over again. There is almost no variety in the game play or in your opponents.
Now let's talk about the setting. For the most part, it sucks. RE4 was set in Spain and was centered around a lot of dingy towns, eerie castles and creepy dungeons. RE5 is almost all outdoors in a "may as well be anywhere" barren landscape. I can't believe no one (at least not to my knowledge) has commented on this yet, but this is supposed to be a survival horror game. So why is almost every stage in broad-friggin-daylight? You just wanna give Chris and Sheva a vat of sun screen half the time! They eventually get it right in the later levels, but for the most part the levels are the exact opposite of creepy.
I know it seems like I've complained a lot thus far, but in truth, the game isn't terrible. The graphics are absolutely amazing, the game is fun to play with a friend and there is lots and lots of Wesker; and lets face it, Wesker rules!
You are going to want to play with a friend by the way! Either that or find someone online to help you out. The A.I for Sheva is the worst I've seen in any game. If the object of this game was to wonder around where you aren't suppose to be, not give me the items I need when I need them, and shoot all over creation at everything except the enemy then it would have been a smashing success. Unfortunately this is a recipe for throwing the whole console out the window.
I know a lot of Wii owners were disappointed that this game wasn't coming to their console. If its any consolation to them; they aren't missing much. To reiterate, I didn't hate the game, I just didn't think it was very good. About the best I can say about it is that it inspired me to play Resident Evil 4 again. I guess that's something anyway. | video-games_xbox |
A Fair Game Review. It is fair to say that all game reviews (or reviews of anything, in general) are based on individual opinion.
That said, I am about 3-4 hours into the (XBOX 360 version of this) game.
The graphics, in my opinion, aren't quite as drastically bad as has been stated in some of the other reviews. I only own "Last Gen" systems, so maybe I consider the graphics to be fine in that I have not seen or played any "Current Gen" games.
My opinion may possibly be different if I had.
The story, or any story for that matter, seems non-existent in this game. Yes, there is a base origin story for the character, and the tragedy that shaped who and what he has become, but that's about it.
There doesn't seem to be much story progression aside from kill enemies, die occasionally, and learn to kill even more enemies, only a bit more efficiently next time. For some this is probably fine, but I (as a fan of the books, movies, and other Middle Earth-centered games) had hoped for a storyline a bit more consequential to the concurrent happenings in Middle Earth (War in the North and Fellowship of the Ring). I don't feel that I have been given that in this game.
The "free flow" fighting system works well, and although based in swordplay, is not so far removed (functionally) from the "free flow" fighting system that had been implemented into the recent (Rocksteady) Batman: "Arkham" series games.
It is well implemented, and works nicely.
The rest of the gameplay feels very much like the "Assassin's Creed" titles. The "open world" running about and acrobatically climbing structures feels nearly identical to the aforementioned series, and works nicely.
Overall, it feels like they did a nice job of implementing the (Batman "Arkham") "free flow" fighting system, and Assassin's Creed-esque gameplay into a Middle Earth (Mordor) setting.
The game seems well developed enough to me, but is missing the most important facet that would make this game more than just an endless fighting/combat simulation: A thorough and well implemented storyline.
There is fun to be had, but it doesn't quite register into the top tier of games (Arkham, Mass Effect, The Last of Us, Uncharted, etc.) in my opinion.
I paid $ 25 for the game, and consider it a better than average game at that price point, however I would have felt very disappointed at full ($ 60) price. | video-games_xbox |
Fallout 3 Enter the Wasteland. First of all the fallout series began with the developer Interplay. They developed the first 2 games in the series. The highly regarded Bethesda Studios took over the project of Fallout 3. The backround of the story is set in around 1960. America has advanced in nuclear technology and is attacked. This leaves nearly the entire Nation in a Nuclear Holocaust. You start the game in an underground vault which served as a Fallout shelter for the people. Outside in the wasteland are hideously mutated creatures. It is a dangerous world to be exploring in.
GRAPHICS:
Bethesda Studios Created the Elder Scroll series including the Game of The Year winner Oblivion and Morrowind. Following the tradition of open world gameplay and the go wherever do whatever you want gameplay is Fallout 3. The game itself in terms of graphics is stunning. There are so many objects on the screen at once and houses and buildings are filled with assortments. Within all this polish are some issues as well. Coming across as floating rocks, Stiff character animations, and some slowdowns in the frame rate. Texture pop up can also be an issue. Non of these really take away from the overall experience.
Audio:
The sound design is also top notch. Voice overs are very well done too. Every gun sounds different in the game from the blast of a shotgun to the discharge of an laser Rifle. There are alot radio stations you can listen to. Which plays music from the 50s and also a violin station. The score adds to the suspense and high flying action with haunting music hitting at all the right times.
Gameplay/Controls:
One of the major selling points of the game is the V.A.T.S. or Vault Tech Assistant Targeting System. With a weapon equiped you simply target an enemy, select a body part, the watch the slow motion kill cam. This is where the game gets very graphic in terms of violence and blood. With heads exploding and organs falling out. Parents be warned THIS IS NOT A GAME FOR KIDS!!! The language is very harsh too. There is a huge selection of weapons and types. Anyone who played Oblivion should feel welcome here. You can finish the main quest in about 20-30 hours but exploring every thing will go well past 100 hours.
*****Be warned after completing the main quest the game ENDS you cant play anymore. So if you want to get the most out of the game try doing some side quests in between main objectives. They can be very rewarding*****
*****Also be sure to save often, while rare there are some game ending glitches. I would recommend having at least 5 saves per character and to save every to minutes to avoid this*****
Overall this game gets a 10/10 With the extra downloadable content coming in the future it adds more to the score. | video-games_xbox |
This controller has major hardware issues that affect many people. These controllers have several major issues that have been reported by many. Some are fixable but require taking the neck apart or popping buttons out and shaving a little plastic off of them. Those issues deal with buttons that stick and do not pop back after being pressed, or buttons that meet some sort of resistance and when attempting to press them down too lightly from certain angles. The resistance scenario is not necessarily gamebreaking, but missed notes can occur every once in a while as a result, especially on expert where hand and wrist positions tend to change fast and change a lot, which therefore causes the angle your fingers press the buttons to change.
But the worst problem that is gamebreaking and is not fixable is the double strumming that kicked in for me after just 4-5 weeks of play. It's where a mysterious second strum comes gets triggered out of nowhere from only a single strum. It's not just me, either, for many people have reported it. One person even reported the double strum problem kicking in on their guitar within just 2 hours out of the box. The worst part is that it does not go away, and it happens a LOT throughout each song and in the game menus. I went from consistently being in the top 3 on GH TV to being lucky to get in the top 5 because I just cannot keep a meaningful streak, even on simple eighth note rhythms with one note or holding one chord. I've been a real guitar player for over 15 years and an expert GH player since GH 1, so rhythm is NOT an issue at all.
Furthermore, what is most infuriating is Activision's useless and cliche response to some of these complaints. When I was researching the web regarding the double strum problem, whenever and wherever Activision actually responded to the problem, the ONLY thing they ever say is "Try resyncing" or "Try recalibrating". I knew full well that none of those things were the problem, but I tried them anyway and of course nothing was fixed. In fact, no one has ever reported that resyncing and/or recalibrating fixed the double strum issue. Anyway, Activision has never even publically acknowledged the problem that I am aware of, and the problem has been around since the game's launch. They do at least exchange guitars, but some people have even reported the same problem happening with the new guitar Activision sends them. In fact, some people have reported the double strum and/or other problems happening to both guitars in bundle packs. I get that stuff happens, but problems like these should be rare or at least uncommon, but they're relatively normal instead. Not only that, but Activision needs to at least acknowledge the problem and let customers know that something is being done or going to be done to improve the quality of future GH Live controllers.
Now then, on to the review of the feel of the controller and the way the new design changes gameplay. The only reason I actually gave this two stars despite my complaints above is because of the new button layout. It changes the way the game is played enough so that it does not feel like just another Guitar Hero or even Rockband game. However, the two row layout is not particularly ergonomic for the guitar controller. As I mentioned above, I've been a real guitar player for a long time now, and so almost nothing makes my forearms sore or tired on the real guitar. That being said, certain songs on expert for GH live feel like they put a rather unhealthy strain on the forearm of my fret hand. So, in order to avoid potential strains or injuries, you may have to get creative with the way you make a couple of the new and more 'exotic' chord shapes that GH Live has for its controller. For instance, don't be afraid to use your pinky or make a bar chord with the tips of two fingers. One example, in the chord shape shown in the figure below, it can be rather uncomfortable to bar the middle row with your middle finger and hit the button marked "3" with your ring finger. Use this finger positioning instead for a more natural feel:
(x = Top row; black buttons, y = Bottom row; white buttons, 1 = index finger, 2 = middle finger, 3 = ring finger)
x 1 3
y 2 y | video-games_xbox |
good game overall. slighty disappointing. NG2 had a lot of expectations to live up to. Having beat it, here's my review of what Team Ninja got right and what it got wrong. (I played on Path of the Warrior difficulty, so the easy setting may be slightly different)
Good:
* Much more detailed enemies and graphics, including the ability of nearly every bad guy to be amputated/decapitated and or chopped in half.
* Bodies of most enemies stay around after death, giving you an increased feeling of carnage and destruction. Leave a trail of death to follow!
* Cool weapons
* Easy saving of games at Dragon Statues
* Massive Boobage - unrealistic proportions and extra jiggliness
Bad:
* Some massive slowdown in certain levels when lots of enemies are onscreen. Game over screen visual effects styling is bad and often VERY slow framerate.
* No map. WTH? Some levels you need a map
* Almost completely WORTHLESS ninpo! The Inferno magic is about the only one that does anything (homes in on baddies). But being that many of the bosses are fire-based demons or flyers, magic is almost worthless. Piercing Void is absolutely useless as it requires you to target an enemy and by the time you launch he ball, the baddie has moved. Short-range on the wind magic equally useless.
* Some lackluster level designs, especially caves, tunnels, or building interiors. Several levels feel rehased, especially the Flying Fortress level.
* Added feeling of "cheapness", due to reliance on button mashing and cheap tricks by the level designers. Several areas of the game are maddeningly frustrating due to this kind of cheapness, whose idea of challenging you is to throw wave after wave of the same enemies at you, or put ranged attackers well out of your reach. Examples are the grenade launching soldiers that spam explosives at you from afar or archers, usually appearing in pairs. Exploding jellyfish/mines that respawn. There must be at least 30 of these each time you encounter them.
* The damn biting fish are all back, including the big grabby swimming ones and the airborne ghost piranhas.
* Stupid looking/ugly enemies, with lots of them having some skull motif. Many of the enemies' faces are modified versions of skulls. Stupidness includes wolves that hold katana in their mouths and chop you with them?!
* Having to kill bosses a second time. 1 guy you have to kill 4 times. I know this is a trademark of the NG series, but 4 times???
* Lack of replay value. NO UNLOCKABLES except a measly sound test option and new colored costumes when you begin the game again after beating it. No Sonia as a playable character, no Missions like in NG Sigma. Would be great to be able to play Sonia or Muramasa.
* Lots of dumb unrealistic mechanics like the ability to swim in lava! WTH??.. Invisible barriers everywhere, limiting your interaction with the environment and keeping you several feet away from touching what looks like accessible scenery. Another is the lava filled armadillo boss that comes out of the crashed air fortress.. this thing was the machine's power core??? Back to the cheapness of the design: this boss exploded after you beat it, causing instant death if you don't know what to do before hand. This boss is tough enough if you are playing it the first few times through and to have it explode and kill you is a cheap trick.
* Some bosses are VERY easy to kill with a fully upgraded Scythe
* Much uglier, sloppier items interface w/ blood splatter motif.
The predecessors Ninja Gaiden Black and Ninja Gaiden Sigma were much better in terms of gameplay balance.
Rent this first if you are a casual fan. Having owned and beaten all the variations of the first NG, I am highly disappointed by this game, especially the lack of extras. After seeing how many features Sigma packed onto the PS3 version, I expected those to carry over to NG 2. No chance. No way to view beaten cut scenes, no photo gallery, concept art, rotatable models, nothing!! It feels like a rushed product. No replay value at all. Perhaps they're going to double dip and release NG 2 Omega. Still a very good game, mind you, but just feels half-done. | video-games_xbox |
A PC works way more efficiently than a Xbox One ever could hope to achieve in it's 7 year console lifespan. As of 2015 it works great, games not so much. It works worse than the 360 since it's 2 years almost since launch.
Pros: Titanfall is fun and its dedicated servers from Azure actually make it more playable than MCC, UI is great when it works, Kinect is fun when it works, controller is fun to use more than the 360 controller, that's it really.
Cons: The Kinect does and doesn't work, they provided a accessory that sits on the top of your television that you yell at for either listening to you wrong or picking up idle conversation like just saying XBOX will activate it, it doesn't matter if it was in the middle of a conversation. Controller is the best of the Xbox line, it's never let me down, maybe except for the time I've charged it up and it'll lose connection in the middle of a Crota Raid on Destiny, so I always keep it plugged in for fear of that happening again. Microphone is a piece of poo, I tried to save it from being one but it kept on surprising me with how poorly made it was, it broke after a year of using it day in day out, when I don't want to buy a new one it's kinda bad for it to break when it did because don't even think about using Kinect or you'll be yelling at your friends instead of talking to them. The USER INTERFACE is the worst thing I have ever had to experience in my entire life, it's slow buggy on every single app ever developed day one for the Xbox One, the Friends app/Xbox Live has always gone down for maintenance like once a day, like what did I pay $450 for (at the time)?
The games were hyped up to be more than they were worth
Destiny:For being the Halo Killer it was pretty boring, I got to level 29 just as everybody else as quick as possible. the most fun in that game was the loot cave which was patched out, boring levels after having to trek through them over and over again.
Halo MCC: This will be more of a Halo 5 wishlist, than a MCC cons list, it was hyped to be the seller of Xbox's, well we saw how that turned out, Halo 5 better play and work well in order for me not to sell the Xbox One for being such garbage, because Halo got me an Xbox Original and a whole bunch of games after that. It has to have dedicated servers for both Custom games and matchmaking working as they promised day one that MCC didn't have the chance to, it has to have and amazing story with a flawless save system unlike MCC, lots of armor we can actually customize instead of the static armor sets and pallets we get in MCC, a party system that doesn't crash or kick your party members out for having a worse connection than you unlike MCC, and over all not having such a heavy burden to actually play the game.
Over all the console isn't that bad, it's more of what do you pay for and what actually works. Does the Kinect work, do the games work as advertised, in all honesty a PC works way more efficiently than a Xbox One ever could hope to achieve in it's 7 year console lifespan. | video-games_xbox |
Dont Buy this for the Digital Content. First off. If your buying this Limited Edition for the digital content like the "Forward Unto Dawn" movie and you only have a DSL connection.... DO NOT BUY! Buy the Standard version and Save some bucks. The 90 Minute movie will be released on DVD/BD next month anyways!
The "Product Description" states that it is "Digital Content" but does NOT tell you how you are ONLY able to view it. Tt is STREAMED only through HALO WAYPOINT.. and if you have a slower DLS connection you won't be able to see the movie in HD without constant breaks in the movie while it loads like every 5-10 seconds. I would be happier with this purchase if it was actual "Download Content" where I cold view it from the XBOXX HDD... So lack of details about it being Streamed on WEaypoint ONLY,, is right there, FAULT 1.
Fault 2. They don't give you a Manual to tell you how to install it. As like all new games they say they don't want to use that much paper resources. but get this.. here is the ironic part of that.. they throw in this sealed envelope (not the red ziplocked envelope with the redeem codes init but the silver one you have to litterally rip open). and all you find in there is a peice of folded paper with some fiction "Top Secret" Mission information that is basically useless. how does that actually benefit us?!
I thought it was going to some high end CODE to redeem since it was in a literally sealed envelope. it says and i quote " Please READ and DISCARD".. yeah like I spent 100$ for this piece of paper you think i am actually going to discard it? LOL! It's basically useless and just a waste of paper! They should have put a manual in there inetead.
Third Fault. You get 6 "Early Access" Specializations. But ALAS, the "Product Description" doesnt tell you that They are NOT THAT early as you may think.. You have to work to get your character up to level 50 to get them.. Does it say that?!! NO it does NOT! But thats not that big of a deal. Just alerting you guys to be NOT excpecting something thats not going to be there when you think.
For 100$ they could have at least give us something more substantial like REACH did with the monument statue or with Gears of War 3 did with that Fenix Statue!.. This Halo4 package is as LAME as it gets! Missleading Product Desciption is the major fault of it. Like i said if i only known about the Forward Unto Dawn being streamed media ONLY i would have NEVER bought this so called Limited Edition package deal.
OK now lets talk about the game. To me it ISNT HALO.. I won't spoil for people but i will say that since BUNGIE left it in the hands of 343 it isn't the same Halo that we devoted fans came to love.. The audio basically is the worst. Grunts don't even sound like the usual fun grunt sounds they sound more like insects buzzing around. and thats just only part of the audio discrepancies.. BAD BAD BAD!
Granted the graphics are ok.. and the game is smooth framerate but that didn't help it to make it feel like a halo game more like DOOM or RAGE definetaly NOT a HALO game at all!
The story line of the Spartan ops mode are almost identical to the Mass Effect 3 story addons.. almost like the copied it... 343 cant come up with thier OWN original ideas without stealing them from other MORE popular games?! Another BAD fault for this game.
As far as this game is I rate this the worst HALO game to date and the Limited Edtion makes it even worse. A complete WASTE of money! We need Bunngie taking HALO back under thier wing and Release HALO 4 as it SHOULD have been.. If 343 continues with it, you lost one devote halo fan you may end up loosing more!
NOT WORTH it! | video-games_xbox |
Worth a Coupy Stars. Star Ocean: The Last Hope, has been released for the 360, and it is a pretty solid game. This is the prequel to all other Star Ocean games, and is supposed the last in the series. Which is a shame, I'm really enjoying this game, and I would've loved to see more done perhaps re-release of the entire franchise to the new consoles. In this Star Ocean the main character is Edge Maverick, I guess names were last on the list, who is a member of the SRF, and a part of the first humans involved space colonization on the heels of WWIII. The game has a very nice presentation to it, with a minimum of loading involved and for the most part the glitches aren't that horrible asides some slow downs and collision detection, but overall the game is very, very pretty. The musical score is great, with sweeping orchestral scores which adds to the epic feel of the game and brings some added tension to certain situations, which is needed in this game.
And there is my one gripe to this game, while it does the whole JRPG thing right, and properly regurgitates an old story in a good way, there is a disconnect between the player and characters. I found myself not being interested in the least in the characters and their relationships. Mostly because this game doesn't create an evolving kinship between the characters like Tales of Vesperia did. It was a small thing to have the dialogue boxes pop up in Tales with little tid-bits about the characters, but it was effective in conveying that the characters all had a story. Star Ocean while having times where the characters have personal time, they just don't come off as likeable or interesting, making situations where the main character has that usual hissy fit not as poingant. Example, not a spoiler, Edge is responsible for the utter destruction of a planet, and while this is something that might make the character go nuts and really question their own motives, the whole scene was ruined by the fact that the main character isn't that interesting to begin with because no definitive backstory was done for Edge, so the fit he did have was greatly difused. I haven't felt any connection with the characters, well Bacchus is pretty fun. Star Ocean falls victim to annoying characters and really poor dialogue.
Poor characters and dialogue aside, Star Ocean is still a great game, just on its face. The game does nothing wrong, and technically is strong, with pretty presentation, nice music, and some solid battle animations, and it has a lot do to in the game, with the trophies, yes trophies, not the PS3 variety, but in-game trophies on top of the achievements, lots of hording, item creation, the usual fetch quest that are well implemented. Overall, Star Ocean, is a great game, great in all the important parts except for characters and storyline. This game would've of gotten those two missing stars if more work was done the emmersion of the player in relation to creating likeable and vibrant characters and complex storyline, opting for a more heavy handed use of emotions, but hey I'm still enjoying this game, but more as a fan of role-playing games, this game will not interest anyone who isn't a fan of the genre or franchise. It's a good game, but with a few poor choices as far as script is concerned. | video-games_xbox |
Great Baseball Game. Many of the positives have already been said by other reviewers. The franchise mode is where the magic happens in this game with realistic manager/owner decisions having to be made. I'm currently 3/4 through my second season and as a die hard baseball fan, here are the areas that can be improved:
1)You can't play pitchers in the field or pinch hit with pitchers. Sure... you might not ever want to, but you should at least have the option.
2)If you bring in a pinch hitter for a pitcher, you cannot change his position once your team takes the field. Meaning, if you want to leave the pinch hitter in as your new leftfielder, you're outta luck. Major frustration.
3)Saving between innings is nice, but when you have pitcher warmed up in the bullpen after you bring in a pinch hitter and then do the save, the next time you start back up, you no longer have a warmed up pitcher and you have a fielder on the mound.
4)Injuries are funny. Sometimes they will show a player from the other team laying down at home plate writhing around like he's in pain, then a message will come up saying that YOUR right fielder has a broken eye socket and will miss 75 days.
5)Sometimes when I'm reading a bio on a certain player, the game will auto-reset.
6)You can't read player bio's or abilities during games.
7)Outfielders throws are way too accurate. 9 times out of 10 I get thrown out at the plate by a bullet throw from the warning track in left field that is right on the money.
8)Even if auto-dl handling is turned off, the AI will still decide for you who gets promoted/demoted when players come off the dl making a mess of your line up.
9)Every once in awhile, the ai will decide that your pitcher's roles all need to be changed.
There are a few other small issues, but overall, this is one heck of a realistic game. After awhile, like most sports games, you will mute the sound (after about the 200th "...and he hits a frozen rope to centerfield!"). The game play has enough challenge to keep things interesting and there are plenty of options to change the difficulty. | video-games_xbox |
Pretty fun for a very short period of time. My title says it all. I was anticipating a lot out of this game and it let me down. The character creation is very cool and had me ready to hop in game and test everything out. The first thing you'll notice is the character's are difficult to see in game, so my friends really couldn't make out my cool Fallout gear I got from pre-ordering from Best Buy. I normally buy 90% of my games from Amazon, but really wanted the Fallout exclusive stuff. I had to find a very lit up area for them to really be able to see anything cool I added to my character.
Secondly it is a GIANT pain to try and join or get friends to join when you first get the game. There isn't a lobby system, so one person has to start the campaign and then invite the others and the others don't get to see the first main cut scenes, which takes away from the experience.
Once in game its pretty chaotic. You can accept different objectives, which is cool, but can be a bit overwhelming at times when there is a lot going on. The campaign is very short. My friend and I completed the Resistance part in just a few hours. The challenges proved to be just as short. We both completed all the challenges in an hour or so.
So, after completing the challenges quickly and then beating the Resistance side of the campaign quickly we figured the game must really shine in multi player. WRONG!!! We tried 10+ games and EVERY ONE was so laggy that we backed out. I never had one multiplayer experience where we finished a round. I would like to note that we play multi player games almost daily and NEVER have lag issues with any other game.
In Summary:
The game has a cool concept. The SMART system is neat, but not anything like advertised. The graphics aren't great, but I'm fine with that as long as gameplay is great, which it isn't! The sounds are just okay. The guns all seem to be so alike that it doesn't really matter what you choose. The gameplay is so fast paced that it seems to take away any strategy that could potentially be used.
Seems like they wanted a game with a Team Fortress 2 feel with an xp leveling up system while adding a Parkour element to differentiate it from other games. It doesn't do any of those well. It's entertaining for an hour or two and then you'll find yourself asking "What now?". The answer is "Nothing". The game doesn't have a lot to it and the multiplayer is terrible. I bought it Tuesday and traded it in on Amazon an hour ago. This is the first game in a few years that I have bought and felt that I wasted my money. | video-games_xbox |
I have a camera and I know how to use it. Sept. 1987, a group of people enter Himuro mansion to research for a new novel. Apparently, strange rituals were performed there believed to be that of the Shinto. Mafuyu, a good friend of Jensei Takamine, the leader of the group, goes searching for them after they have been gone for days. After he fails to return within two weeks, his sister Miku goes out searching for him.
When you see the based on the true story on the cover, you're probably thinking 'yeah, right, its probably like 'Amityville Horror.' Wrong, the storyline on the game is based on a mansion that had been discovered where the owner went mad and massacred everyone there. The main plot of this game and it's characters have nothing to do with the original mansion other than some of the designs in the house and the room structures.
Starting off, this is one of the best Survival Horror games ever, but I do have to admit it sounds a little cheesy at first with your weapon being a camera. But after a while it seems to make more sense than those weapons used by the 'Ghostbusters' or using a handgun or rifle. The camera controls are a little clunky, but are easy to adjust to. You can upgrade your camera to defeat enemies easier. What makes this game scarier than RE is the fact that you're fighting ghosts and your character has a sixth sense, so she is able to see what happened and these things can be very...well gruesome and cruel. Most of the flashbacks you see are either of the past rituals or how a person died.
This game was already released on PS2, but there are more goodies here for you to enjoy. For starters, the graphics are a little bit better and the framerate is good. Secondly, there are some added features like an extra ending and a bonus costume. And, finally, you don't have to save on a separate block for your album because the HD can hold it all.
Personally, I believe this could have really happened because back then people would do stuff like that to their families if they thought they're against them or something. Stories like 'Amityville Horror' have other things against them that could easily disprove that theory. Believe it or not, its still fun to play the game. The only problem with this game is that the mansion changes a lot throughout the nights you are there so you will backtrack a lot into these areas, but they will be different because doors and things will fix as it reverts to its original form.
This game is a must-have if you play survivor horror games
Pros
- Better graphics than PS2
- Added ending
- More ghosts to capture than PS2
- Bonus ending that didn't appear in PS2 version
- Creepy atmosphere
- The eerie flashback scenes
Cons
- A lot of backtracking
- Easy to get lost | video-games_xbox |
No Other Games Needed. I have owned Oblivion for several months now. I am still playing and love it. I don't touch my other games and am considering cancelling my Gamefly subscription until I can stop playing this game.
Oblivion is not the typical roll playing game. No longer are hours wasted walking around trying to figure out what needs to be done or where to go. There is a great navigation system that provides a nonintrusive "compass" that points to your next objective. You can also change this objective to another quest you want to follow or set your own makers. Another attraction is that once you visited an area you can "warp" to that area if you desire. I rarely do because I enjoy the game so much that I feel like I might miss something.
The graphics are outstanding, with the exception of the character faces. They seem lifeless and a little repetitive. I also find it odd that in such a vast world there isn't a single attractive person, but I digress. The music is so good I have wondered if a soundtrack is available. The classic score builds tention when needed and provides a serene feeling while observing the beautiful world.
The story is compelling and encourages the player to push on. The detail in the story line and of the world itself are astonishing. There are literally over a hundred books within the game that you can read about the places or people in the game. The side quest are optional, but I find it too hard to resist them. Most are fun and add to the gameplay experience.
The fighting and spell system are more than adequate. In fact it is the best battle system I have ever played in a RPG. The equipmemt and inventory is easily handled and does not distract from the gameplay.
I can't adequately describe how great this game is. You can literally almost do anything you want: read, explore, be hero, be a menace, be a loner, join guilds, get drunk, steal, plunder, murder, talk, make potions, repair armor and weapons, collect flowers and seeds, eat, sleep, sit, wait, ride horses, barter, pursuade people, and the list goes on.
I recommend this to anyone who can hold a controller and who is mature enough for a game like this. There is gambling, murder, stealing, demons, monsters, etc, available. How much is done is left to the player, but this game is not for children. | video-games_xbox |
Good (but not great) racer. Being a huge fan of the Burnout series (except Paradise), Midnight Club LA , as well as a serious Mario Kart maven since 1992, I felt compelled to buy the full version of Split Second after downloading the small demo on XBox Live. And while I am definitely not disappointed, I feel this game comes up short in comparison to these great racers.
The big premise here is you trigger explosions and enviromental disasters to wreck your opponents, by building up your "power play" gauge (done by drafting behind your opponents and around corners). The AI system then automatically targets the cars you can wreck. But you've got to be careful who, when and where, because this can backfire on you in a big way.
By not squandering your power play, you can fill the gauge entirely to trigger massive events. You are treated to eye candy such as a passenger plane on fire descending onto the track, exploding in a fiery mess of smoke, flame and debris which you must avoid, a building eerily similar to the Space Needle in Seattle collapsing in your way, and sides of mountains exploding sending plume and rock your way. Presentation-wise, you really are made to feel this is a real TV show (of course, the good folks at Disney had a hand in this). It is exhiliarating to take out your opponents in grand fashion, watch the event unfold, and zing past their smoldering wrecks to take the checkered flag. So here is where the game gets my 4 stars.
Like most other racers, you start out with slower, poor-handling vehicles and work your way towards the elite vehicles. Like Burnout, you get ficticious but awesome looking cars. A word to the wise, spend plenty of time with the game in story mode and get the best possible vehicles before going online to race. I took my best car ranked as a "4" against cars ranked "10". Needless to say, I didn't fare well.
So, why did I not give the game 5 stars? Not to compare, but in my humble opinion, Burnout Revenge is the holy grail of racers, to which all other racing games aspire. While this game makes no bones to compare to such a game, it would have been nice if when you hit your opponents car, they budge and take damage, instead of cruising along without losing MPH. The AI seems to play the game for you, in the way that events unfold at the same time, every time, with your only level of control being to gain and use power play as you attempt to place 1st. It compares a bit to the Midway re-issue of Spy Hunter for the PS2, where you basically steer around a pre-determined course and avoid taking damage.
In this day and age of 1080p HD gaming, the actual gameplay can be lost amidst the graphics (Nintendo has been a massive success doing the exact opposite since 1980). I think the selling point of Split Second would be the massive and incredible explosions which take place around you, with the racing aspect a distant 2nd place. | video-games_xbox |
A well thought out Anime video game you say. Every single video game I have ever played that is based off of an anime has generally been a disappointment. Not so with Rise of the Ninja. Honestly, this is probably one of the most well thought-out video games in existence. Someone actually sat down and made a video game that totally and completely simulates the "Naruto" experience. You are not playing a standard type of video game that just-so-happens to have the Naruto characters in it. You're playing a video game that was designed around the events of the series itself - from the graphics to the gameplay. And they did an amazing job, from the way you form hand signs to the way you focus chakra to run up buildings and over water. If you are not a fan of the series then I would still recommend this game since it is visually unique, a ton of fun and the core of the game is a really nifty fighter. However, if you are a fan of the series then you need to own this. Don't have an Xbox 360? Then buy one.
Both my girlfriend and I are not hardcore anime people, but at some point we both became fans of this series (we don't remember how) and neither one of us (she hates video games) could put this game down. It's like Naruto heaven. They built and rendered the ENTIRE Village Hidden in the Leaves. Really. The whole thing. And not just the horizontal portion either...you can literally explore the city from the little alley ways, to the tops of buildings without loading. It's amazing. All of the characters from the first 80 episodes, all the jutsu, the weapons and ninja goodness are all there. You really experince the storyline of Naruto from the beginning, and they don't leave out anything important.
I normally do not buy video games 'new' since I am a not a hardcore gamer, however I bought this one new.....and it was worth every penny. I haven't had this much fun playing a video game since I was a wee lad. | video-games_xbox |
Classified: Generic New FPS Vies for Your Attention at Half Price. The generically titled "Classified: The Sentinel Crisis" is a first-person shooter on a console where first-person shooters are plentiful. That makes it hard for a game like this to stand out from the pack, which "Classified" most certainly does not. On the other hand, in the realm of budget gaming, one could do much, much, much worse than to give this one a spin.
"Classified" puts you in the boots of Collins, a Black Ops soldier with the conversation skills of Gordon Freeman and the fashion sense of Master Chief. Your mission is to infiltrate a country torn by civil war somewhere in the Balkans and find a missing scientist - the very one responsible for inventing the experimental combat suit that your character is wearing. The plot is predictable and only barely interesting, but that's more than can be said of some similar games, particularly on the bargain shelf. Surprisingly good voice acting helps sell it all (all except for the lead heavy, who is positively laughable).
The rest of the game's production values don't go as far. The visuals are mediocre at best, and behind the times. Sound effects are muted and generic, and the music that accompanies the adventure is amazingly bland. These things initially conspire to make the experience seem like a wash. At first glance, and upon completion of the first mission, there appears to be little incentive to continue.
Persistent gamers will find that the game gets much, much better the further along you go. Although there are only two weapons in the game, one of these is an upgradable gun that can be everything from an assault rifle to a rocket launcher. Some of its modes can be rather satisfying, and at least this is a unique approach to most FPS games where you simply collect or swap guns in and out of the equation. Likewise, the "Halo" inspired combat suit that is the crux of the game levels out the playing field in what would otherwise be a very difficult game and makes it manageable. If you're taking too much fire, pull a Master Chief and take cover until your shields regenerate, and then leap back into the fray. It worked in the aforementioned title, and it works here as well. A good gaming mechanic is a good gaming mechanic, even in its most generic form.
The combat can become intense, which is the game's primary saving grace. Mission objectives are varied after a fashion, even though much of the game consists of running from point A to point B shooting virtually everything that moves. Unfortunately you'll face the same enemy types over and over again with little variation.
The game's art direction is bland at best. The overall feel somehow manages to be World War II with sci-fi elements, which may have been the developers' intention, but the two things don't go together well at all. The experience doesn't last especially long either, but it's debatable whether or not anyone would want it to continue beyond its current conclusion. That said, the finale does have finality, which is more than can be said of many name products.
Recommending "Classified" is difficult unless you absolutely must play every FPS on the market, or unless you're one of those people that enjoys budget gaming on its own merits. It's got a few slight twists on the genre, but nothing all that original, and the execution is bland at best. The word "generic" just can't help but leap into your mind while playing "Classified," but you get what you pay for, and I dare say I don't regret the money I plunked down for this one. It's a good, solid distraction between big budget titles, and there is some fun to be had if you're not too picky. | video-games_xbox |
Should be better. A fantastic follow-up to the best FPS in history. Halo 3, while it had a fantastic story, just isn't nearly as good as the Rainbow series in terms of gameplay. I'll start with the positives...
The weapons are fantastic. The way they shoot, the way they sound, and the way they look. They added a few new weapons, but I'd have liked to see a lot more. In addition, only being able to put one attachment on is a little silly. If you put high cap magazines on, for example, you can't have a scope. Unrealistic to the point of being silly.
They allow us to once again play cooperatively via split screen, online, or system link. THANK YOU! So few devs are letting co-op play get the attention it deserves, and they wonder why their games don't sell.
The new leveling system is wonderful. In the first game, the only way you could unlock the cool looking gear was to play versus online. And guess what? Not everyone likes to do that. This version allows you to get all the experience either online in versus mode, or playing the Co-op story or terrorist hunt.
Wonderful multiplayer options. You have your story, of course, and terrorist hunt, which gives the game unlimited replayability. The new online modes are cool too, if you're into that.
A few "negatives" for the game. First, the difficulty. Some of the silly reviewers found it so difficult that they gave it only one or two stars. Apparently they felt it was just that bad. The game is certainly more difficult than the first game, it sort of has to be. It had to be balanced to allow multiple human players. So although it may be a bit tough on single player, it is perfect when you have your buddies playing with you.
The player customization feature is nice, but unusually limited. In addition, the facial features like facial hair--all look the same. The pictures look different, but when its mapped onto the actual character, they don't really look any different at all. The goatee version--doesn't even have a goatee, lol. This is a mild complaint, because with camo and gear on your head, you never see the face much.
Not a lot of new weapons. Some people may not like the new "kit" system, but I think its pretty nicely done overall.
In a way it does feel like an expansion, as there aren't a lot of new features, but who cares? The first game was the best ever, and I'm perfectly happy having a bunch of new levels to play. They did add the sprint button, which is nice as well.
The BIG problem with this game was one that they claimed to have fixed after the first game. The spawning problem. For those of you who don't know, it is not uncommon at all for terrorists to appear, as if by magic, right in front of you--or behind you, in a room you had just cleared. Instead of populating the map with terrorists at the beginning, they sprinkle them in throughout--there is really no excuse for this. It is lazy game design and purely irresponsible.
And their idea of "difficulty" levels is just as bad as everyone else's. Instead of the logical thing, throwing more enemies at you, they just take away half of your ammo and reduce the number of respawns. Again, lazy design. I would have liked to change my rating from five stars to only 4, or even 3.5. | video-games_xbox |
Not Bad At All. Jurassic Park was such a huge part of my life growing up, I'm surprised I didn't evolve into a dinosaur during my youth. The books and movies are true classics in my opinion, and are gems that can be revisited again, and again. I knew going into this game that it received mostly negative reviews from critics and fans alike. I held off on this title for a long time because of the feedback, but I knew I still wanted to try it, despite the harsh reviews. I also knew that this was another quick time event game, but I usually enjoy games of that nature (Heavy Rain, Indigo Prophecy, etc...) so that wasn't an issue. Surprisingly, after getting through the game, I found out that it wasn't nearly as terrible as many people have claimed and had a blast going through it multiple times.
It truly is a perfect example of an interactive movie, and it continues the story from the first film flawlessly. The voice acting is great, and even though there are times when some characters could have taken the fact they are being hunted by dinosaurs a little more seriously, it is truly a gripping story line that kept me hooked until the end. The new locations and dinosaurs fit in perfectly, and even hinted at the original novel's vision in many moments. If you are a big fan of Jurassic Park, you won't be disappointed by this game, but keep in mind this is more of an interactive movie than a video game. I've played tons of JP games, from the excellent Sega Genesis titles, to the mediocre SNES versions, and this is a great way of progressing the story from the original film. Your journal in the game keeps updates on the creatures and facilities you explore, and gives some great background information on the way some of the dinos turned out due to the frog DNA that was used to fill in the gaps such as the T-Rex's motion-based vision, and the Velociraptors being much larger than historically accurate.
If you love Jurassic Park, and want a unique game that keeps it main focus on story, you will not be disappointed by this game. The action scenes are great, and the characters are lovable, for the most part. The new dinosaurs are really interesting, and even though this title isn't as good as the Back to the Future game, or their most recent The Walking Dead(which is absolutely amazing), it is a treat to Jurassic Park fans, and delivers a great story for a great price. Some elements, like the graphics, may not be up to par with the standards of today, but the game still delivers and I urge anyone curious about this game to give it a shot, because I had a great time.
Overall I'd say 7/10. | video-games_xbox |
It's about Ty-me. Introduction:
Stardate: September 15, 2004. Ah yes. All settled in for what is going to be the best platformer of the year... "Sly 2" of course. No, not "Ty 2", that isn't out yet! I'm simply dazzled by Sly's presentation. It's fun sense of adventure. The humor. Oh, then there's a little thing called... the gameplay. Not as impressed... but wait all the reviews say THIS IS the bees knees. I beat it and while I think it has elements that are fun, the gameplay just doesn't make any sort of impression and ultimately had NO replay value, a very bad combination. Too much sneaking. Too little platforming. I then cross off Ty 2 from my lil holiday list. Why? Well, if Sly 2 isn't all I hoped, what are the chances that Krome, the creator of Ty 1 can come through? I was thrilled with Sly 1, so if 2 was a bit of a let down, maybe it's time to re-think things. Better safe than disappointed...
Then how the hell?
Well, I got a Freedom Pass. I got it before anything 'new' came out so by the time a new wave of games hit I wanted to try out, I was exhausted trying out last years garbage... and some of this years (SEE: ASTRO BOY). Anyway, Ty 2 came in but they couldn't find the Xbox version, so I tried the PS2 version. It had some shoddy frame issues and honestly the game looked fairly limp. Ah, but they got in the Xbox version the next day. So having put a couple hours into the game, and liking it behind the mighty, err, not so mighty PS2, I got a full wiff of the Xbox version. BAM!
How's it look?
Well, the colors are crisp. The character models are still needlessly 'lite' but the environments are a staggering array of lush grasses and nice shimmering water fronts. The game never faulters and while the PS2 driving sequences seemed quite slow the Xbox version moves faster and looks more crisp, a nice pair. Each 'Rang' Ty carries around gives off it's own lil effect, which isn't different from part one but is certainly something most reviews never brush upon. Got the Ice Rang out...? Ok, lil snow flakes come off of it. To me, it is and will always be the little things:) Ty's animations are quit good, much like part One. His swimming animations are what really set this concept of the little things off... get out of the water and like any good Tasmanian Tiger, Ty hurridly shakes off excessive water. Nice touch again, Krome.
But how does it PLAY?
Funny you should ask. Cuz while this game might lag behind Sly 2 in terms of pizzaz, it is above par on what counts... playing the game! Call me some sort of simple simpleton, but I love to bust open crates! I really do:) No idea why, but the amount of crates in this game that contain the opals used to purchase upgrades is commendable. The game format is thus that the player can walk around in the city or even go into the Outback in the back of a truck. Going from point A to B is aided by a map but is often touchy and a tad confusing, but doesn't spoil the experience. The game offers many rangs as upgrades and many items to collect, just what the doctor ordered. The control is a bit loose but never really seemed to demand perfection so I'd say it definately is above average. If you too were put off by Sly's 'auto jump' feature which has the player generally never in peril, you will be glad to know it is YOU the player that determines where you jump... nice huh? Sounds like a great idea to me.
What's that sound?
This is the one area that is very important to me and Ty doesn't disappoint in the least. Nice catchy Outbackish tunes, nice thick Aussie accents, nice Ka-booming boomerangs, and in surround to boot. The humor in the dialogue is a welcome treat but again, is a bit 'lite'. Even the many vehicles in the game have unique sounds, in particular I love the reverse sound of Shazza's truck... and those grinding gears:)
Conclusion:
Well, I didn't dabble in the story at all, platformers do not seem to need them and since it is so far between cinemas the player typically plays these for the sense of adventure. I must not conclude this review without noting the Cart feature! Yep, tucked away in this is a racing game. It's a fun diversion but sadly it doesn't stand much on its own since if you select the Cart feature there really isn't much in terms of 'goals'. At least none I could see. Race around a track 3 times, rinse, repeat. I suppose in a multi player format it may be fun, but I never met a platform fan yet that loves multi player games. Could just be me but I'd rather play alone. The Cart racing is handled very well, and is by itself better than many games on the market. I love the very wide open nature of Ty 2 but at the same time it had a sense of itself, it never let's the player travel too far astray but it definately has an 'at your own pace' pace. I would like to conclude this review thanking Krome for a great game, and at $20, a great price. Factoring those two elements together I concluded it deserved a great score. G' day!
I didn't think I could alter my 'very' scientific formula, but I did! (Warning do not try this at home:) Ty > Sly, Jak > Tak, Sphinx > Blinx, VeXx > Gex... | video-games_xbox |
Severly overshadowed by the older games in the series refinement. I thought I would just post my two cents about this game finally and I will try be as brief as I can because the game isn't worth much good mention anymore. I will focus most of my reasoning for my rating on the multiplayer for as they so "You come for the campaign but you stay for the multiplayer" and I hold that statment to be pretty accurate for many. The Good, The Bad, and the UGLY. The Good is that the campaign is spectacular, it's action packed, and is like you're are the big star in a movie even though it is a reletivly short movie; also spec ops and survival is fun and the spec ops in some ways can be seen as a continuation of the short campaign. The Bad is that although multiplayer can be a lot of fun with or without friends it has a painfully nagging sense of it is just done wrong and even greatly skilled players suffer the consequence of frustration and scorewise alike with various nonsense and bad game mechanics simply gone awry. The Ugly is they keep adding in more and more into each game to get the "Oh COOL!" factor but fail to fix or even attempt to fix(to my knowledge) obvious and/or well known problems that ail the game especially within the multiplayer itself and the list of the games flaws I feel are extensize and numerous such as two enemies spawn one in front of the other, or the hitboxes and animations are just way off and only more reletive to the technological limits of games far into the past, or the actual registration of a gamers action is occaisionally yanked back as if the they never pulled the trigger to begin with even though the gamer sees their rocket for example fire out and go 20 feet all for it to disappear because something else happens to get the gamer and that has to do with a lag compensation algorithem method that is used in the game that has it's timing set to retard the effect of action for processing of the game data but is in real effect it has 'retarded' things too far for things to regularly work properly(Think of an old car with bad timing for the engine that makes the car backfire and also spit flame from the carburator when it normally should not.). I could keep going on and on about the bad mechanics of the multiplayer but I want to move on. Activision is seemingly playing the part of the evil giant corporate troll by trying to over push 'New Content' out constantly and then over charge for content even long after the typical 'expiration date' for the content to be relevent of the high price points and I also believe it to be Activisions fault in keeping the pressure on more is more instead of refining a good or decent thing into a great thing. Think of this anology, A sword can nothing more than a crude lumpy metal stick unless the core metal is refined and the blade's edge is honed and sharpened in a quality fashion. I apologize for this review being longer than I was saying earlier but I felt it needed to be said. As much as it pains me to condem one of my favorite franchises, I have to leave a stern VERDICT of a 2 out of 5 for although there are good things about this game, there is just Far Too Many things the companies behind it are obligated to fix but fall Far From Grace by ignoring the real problems with the franchise in the recent years but don't get me wrong I still love the franchise and it is still a lot of fun to play but the experiance is just spoilled time and time again making it feel like on overpriced product(or for one final anology-It is like a kid trying to give someone a hug but getting backhanded instead-Harsh I know but that is how it feels to me) | video-games_xbox |
Dark, Gritty, and Challenging. I bought this yesterday (3-1-05) the day it came out and have the honor it looks...to write the first real review of the game.
First, I have not yet finished the game, but after an evening of play I have enough impressions to provide some pretty solid feedback.
Republic commando takes a fresh look at the Star Wars universe and tones down the lighting and (finally!) adds some wit. Rather than describe the game again I'll give you my impressions on gameplay environment, and features I found good and bad.
Gameplay:
The controls take a little getting used to, but after about an hour or so they feel pretty natural. weapons are changed through use of the D-pad. Orders are issued to your commandos through the D-pad as well, but with the addition of the 'A' button being held. I found issuing orders to be fairly intuitive and easy to do. I found the commandos to occaisionally disregard my "undo" commands in order to get them to leave their sniping perch or the turret they were manning. This was rare though and although slightly annoying, easy to overlook.
Shooting is pretty standard. THe default look sensitivity is just about right for my style...true FPS players will probably ramp the sensitivity up a bit, but find that it's a steeper scale than say Halo 2. My only gripe with game play during the "campaign" mode is that they dump you immediately into the "geonosis" encounter (think of the end of Episode II) and with little to no time to get used to these controls you must shoot down flying (and rather agile) geonoshans. THis was a fairly steep learning curve, but not insurmountable.
Environment:
Gorgeous visuals. I can't say enough about that. The only "environmental" inconsistency that bugs me occaisionally is that the commandos are all clones...but they all have very different voices. In some respect I get WHY this is...the commandos all have very distinct personalities (except the one named FIXER...I have trouble figuring out what makes him unique) and the variety of voices helps in that distinction.
The AI responds intelligently and isn't over the top. And so far the environment has seemed dynamic enough to provide intense moments where you wonder where the next "baddie" may pop out, and then shifts into the natural FPS Chaos quite nicely. The fragility of your own health and those of the commandos requires you to keep them involved throughout the game, and that makes the game more cohesive for the feel they were going to. The "On-air" chatter that the commandos keep up is entertaining as well.
Features, Pros and Cons:
Pros: I like the use of the bacta healing stations that are interspersed through the environments. THis makes a nice departure from the "instant use" med kit. But better than this I like the ability to issue orders while on your death bed. If the bad guys kill you, the action doesn't stop. A menu pops up on your reddish blurry screen allowing you to tell the commandos 1. Keep going with current orders, 2. Stop what you're doing and revive me or 3. Load a previously saved game. In one instance I was able to allow the commandos to complete a level objective before they came to revive me...and then continue where I left off. This was cool. If your other commandos drop...you have the option of reviving them as well.
Another Pro is the dramatic difference in 'bad guy' units. Standard droids are as flimsy and weak as they are portrayed in the movie. The Droidica (rolly droids) are just as scary when they pop open and unleash a hail of gunfire. THe Super battle droids are as tough and imposing as they seemed in the movie and more than once I foundmyself wondering if perhaps a Jedi Lightsaber intervention might not be a bit more helpful in taking these guys down.
Then the genoshans who fly enter the picture...drawing a bead and successfully shooting a fast moving flying ..."stick bug" is HARD! but not harder than it has to be.
Cons:
Occaisionally I find myself managing the behavior of my commandos more than I'm actually working with them as a unit leader. My own shooting can contribute but when the commandos are not on the "same page" this can be a little frustrating. Over the course of the evening I developed an idea of when to apply a "move to waypoint and defend it" option vs. the "search the room and destroy the bad guys" option...one is more tightly controlled than the other....the search and destroy option will result in (once a room is clear of enemies) the commandos moving on when perhaps they shouldn't...instead perhaps they should heal up any health they're missing and THEN move on.
Also, one bug that I've had occur is the a commando getting "stuck". He could not move to join the unit and was simply stuck in one place. After experimenting by trying to kill and revive him and also by issuing other orders to him (or the squad) I moved on without him and fortunately made it through the level. It's only happened once, but I'm certainly leary for a second occurance.
One last 'Con': is that I didn't detect the possibility of a cooperative mode in the multiplayer options. I haven't checked in detail, but I find that playing the squad based games in co-op mode to be fairly entertaining with friends...and takes the pressure off of those who want to play but not necessarily competitively all the time.
Hope this was helpful | video-games_xbox |
I have a good network, and my NAT settings are open;***UPDATE TO MY REVIEW*** What a difference a cable makes. Ok, so I finally took the plunge and upgraded to new generation Xbox One a couple of weeks ago. Along with my purchase, I also ordered Grand Theft Auto V for Xbox One. So why am I still playing GTA 5 older version on my Xbox 360?
Well, I'm finding the new generation GTA extremely unstable to the point where I'm constantly getting disconnected. Or, if I can get online, I join a race just to be disconnected before finishing the race. At other times, I can't even log on.
I have a good network, and my NAT settings are open. Maybe its just me as I am reading numerous 5 star reviews with no mention of network complaints. Am I furious? No, not at all. I have researched network issues to find other users have been having problems too. Also, I'm sure Rockstar is working hard to get things running smoothly and this is all temporary. I am confident that in a couple of weeks, perhaps a month from now, the servers will be a lot more stable. In the meantime, I'll just play the 360 version or Assassin's Creed Black Flag which came with my Xbox One bundle.
Other than my network problems, I'd give this game a solid "5" or even higher if I could. I've been playing the 360 version since its release and I've never played a game with so much longevity.
One thing about this game I've always loved is the flying. This is the first console game I know of (maybe there are others I don't know about?) where you can actually take off and LAND. Yes, land. And the turbulance while flying is very convincing and feels real. I can recall other console games with flying involved that did not allow for landing. I was even told once that console hardware just didn't have the inner workings to allow for aircraft landings as opposed to PC.
What I love to is the quality. Just the little details built into this game such as dust flying up around the tires.
Other than my network problems with the new gen GTA V which I really believe are just temporary, I am very excited as I love the new first person modes for both driving/racing and team deathmatch, and the upgraded graphics are noticeably better though not jawdropping better. Just curious, anyone else reading this and who has the new gen version, are you finding the servers stable? Is anyone constantly getting kicked off?
***UPDATE TO MY REVIEW*** ***WHAT A DIFFERENCE A CABLE MAKES*** December 3rd
Ok, as I originally reviewed the Xbox One version of GTA V as having server problems, I did an interesting experiment last night and wired in my Xbox One to my router. What a difference a cable makes! I played two hours non-stop and online gameplay was stable and seamless. Not once did I get kicked off, the game played excellent. In fact, I had forgot to mention before that playing through wireless connection I had lag or choppy framerate issues, all this is gone with a wired modem connection. Therefore, I'm concluding that everything is good on Rockstar's end and for some reason, my modem just doesn't communicate well in wireless mode with my Xbox. I'm upping my rating to the game to 5 stars. The bottom line is if anyone out there is frustrated due to often getting kicked off or disconnected in the middle of GTA 5 gameplay, and you're playing wireless, try hooking your Xbox into your modem with a a wire connection. It made a world of difference, at least for me. | video-games_xbox |
Like a sofa of fine corinthian leather for your ears. I've tried many headsets from different manufacturers of console gaming headphone/headsets, and I can say that the AX 180 is the most comfortable headset I've used. I've tried the Turtle Beach earforce PX11 and found that they put too much pressure on my ears. I also tried Tritton's AX 720 and AX Pro and, although they didn't smash my ears (they have an around-the-ear design), they squeezed my head like a vice. Now the Earforce X41 are also comfortable but they cost $200, so I won't compare the AX 180 ($60) to them. Another thing you should know is that I'm a very big guy with a large head and ears, so head size won't be an issue with the AX 180. The ear cups fit comfortably around my ears without putting too much pressure on my skull. I really can't stress enough how comfortable they feel even after marathon 8+ hour sessions.
If sound quality is as important to you as comfort, then you'll be happy to know that the AX 180 sounds really nice, although not as nice as a $200 digital surround sound headset. But for $60, they sound pretty great. Overall, the sound quality is just as good as any other headset in the same price range. The gain on the volume is more than ample thanks to it's USB powered amplifier. Because of the amplification, there is a slight hiss in the audio; although, it would be very hard to notice it during a game. If you really need digital Dolby processing, you could always add a Turtle Beach DSS or Astro Mixamp. Furthermore, the mic is also very flexible and picks up my voice without too much background noise.
The bottom line is that the AX 180 is a extremely comfortable and good sounding Xbox/PS3/PC headset. It's design and versatility between game consoles make it a must-own item for late night gaming sessions. I am very particular when it comes to my gaming gear, and the AX 180 has really impressed me. So for those who want a quality stereo gaming headset and can live without digital input and Dolby surround, then the AX 180 just might be a dream come true. | video-games_xbox |
A little buggy, but tons of fun. I was mesmerized by my first glimpses of the game and had been waiting patiently for Advent Rising to come out. I was overjoyed when it finally hit the shelves, but became bit worried when when I read a few reviews before the fact, and found their verdicts to be mediocre at best, poor at worst. Undaunted, I bought the game to see for myself, and personally, I wasn't disappointed. The storyline, which pits humankind as a race of myth, destined to save the universe against the Seekers, a race that is bent on destroying them(and written by the great Orson Scott Card, no less) keeps you riveted, wondering what is going to happen next; the music is a top-notch orchestral work of beauty, and the gameplay is fast, intuitive, and pulls you in. However, the negative points will severely turn off some more nitpicky gamers, in that there is a major bug in the realm of frame rate. Some areas of intense battle slow down severely, and subtract from the experience.
Also, there is a problem with the targeting system in that it is EXTREMELY tricky and twitchy, switching from one enemy from another at the drop of a hat, and losing sight of the main character in intense combat moments. This can be frustrating, but like the frame rate problem, can be overlooked. Also, the sheer amount of obvious work and love put into the game makes up for these problems.
As it is the first in a planned trilogy, those problems hopefully will be addressed in the later games. All in all, Advent Rising is a game well worth its money, and plagued by overly harsh reviews. I say give it a try; if you're a bit nervous about it, rent it first and see. Aside from the framerate and targeting system, the game is a masterpiece, and like other reviewers have said, NOT to be compared to Halo. If its two major problems had been addressed properly, however, I believe that reviewers would have been kinder to it. But it is a game not to be snubbed for its shortcomings. It's tons of fun and a worthy addition to anyone's Xbox library. | video-games_xbox |
Excellent Game For All Ages. "Scooby Doo: Night of 100 Frights" has been a favorite game of mine since it was released about 10 years ago. Sure, on the surface it looks mediocre, but rest assured that it is not. To do this game justice, I'll break this review into segments.
Plot and Characters: The general premise of the game is that the Mastermind (voiced by Tim Currey) has kidnapped the Gang, Daphne's friend, Holly, and Professor Alexander Graham, so Scooby has to save them. As the game progresses and you rescue members of Mystery Inc, you discover clues leading to the end of the mystery. The game feels very true to the classic "Scooby Doo: Where Are you?" cartoons of 1969/1970, especially because the enemies in the game are mostly from that series. All of the characters look true to the cartoons, and the voice actors do a great job.
Graphics, Music, and Design: Perhaps the most unique aspect of this game is that the textures are all hand-drawn, as opposed to computer generated. This gives the game a cartoony-look, but in a great way. It makes everything very appealing to look at, even if it isn't as eye-catching as modern games. Most of the levels are designed around standard locations for Scooby Doo episodes, ranging from graveyards, to haunted mansions, to ship wrecks, and everything in between. All of them are well designed out and flow very well. The music is, as far as I can tell, totally original for this game aside from the Scooby Doo theme. Each track is unique and brings a different atmosphere to each level, depending on whether the song is spooky, upbeat, mellow, etc. It's a shame they never released a soundtrack for this game, it deserves it.
Gameplay: This is where I beg to differ with many people. A lot of people complain that this game is too hard for young children, but me and friends of mine beat this game when we were in Kindergarten. We are not hardcore gamers by any means, so that's not an excuse. Give them time and they'll figure it out, just like we did. However, this is by no means an easy game. I think it is a perfect challenge for younger players, as it demands excellent motor control with your movements in the game. One wrong jump will cause you to replay the section all over. Difficulty aside, the gameplay is almost flawless. Most of the time, the gameplay consists of defeating monsters and getting Scooby Snacks, which you need to advance through the game. The monsters are usually pretty easy to defeat, requiring only one or two hits to defeat. The Scooby Snack collecting is actually where the challenge comes from. Getting them is mostly straight forward, but sometimes you need to maneuver very precisely to get them, or know just how to get to a certain area. It took me years to figure out how to get every snack in the game. As you progress, you receive inventions which help you out. They allow you to do things such as walk on slippery slopes, to stunning monsters temporarily, to floating across the air, and more. There are 4 boss battles in the game, and most of them require a mix of luck and skill. None of them are too hard.
A cool but unintentional aspect of the game is that there are some glitches you can use to make your life easier which do not affect the game negatively. I've found a ton, and I'm sure there are more.
Overall, this is a great game for young kids and adults alike. After all, my friends and I actually have beaten this game about 20 times since I first played it. If that doesn't send a message that this game is great, I don't know what will. | video-games_xbox |
Just not quite there. I really, really wanted to give this game 5 stars. I absolutely loved Call of Duty 4. The single player and multiplayer just blew me away. I was hoping that I would have the same experience with this game - only this time in the WW2 setting.
So why did it fall short. It is hard to point to any one thing that they did wrong. On its own this game merits decent praise. It just isn't quite as good as CoD4.
For one, I miss the precise graphic qualities of CoD4. I'm tired of playing a WW2 game where the view is artificially grittier than it needs to be. On my hi-def TV CoD4 was amazing in its clarity. With CoD5 it appears grainy. Enemies are harder to spot, terrain is easier to run into, sights are harder to aim, etc. This is something I feel has hampered many WW2 shooters.
Secondly, the game is uglier than I felt it needed to be. The opening scene of the first mission was OK on me as an adult, but knowing how many 12 year olds are going to play this game, it bothered me that they felt it necessary to push to that level. Maybe I'm getting sensitive in my older years.
Another draw back was the shortness of the campaign. You can crank the difficulty up and that will slow you down some though.
The standard multiplayer is still fun. I don't like the vehicles - to me they felt too forced in and unrefined. In a game focused on infantry fighting infantry the vehicles don't seem to fit into the rules well. This appears to be a common complaint and I've played with groups who simply avoid the vehicles altogether because it is just funner without them.
The game is still a great game and the above is mostly nit-picking. I'm still having a blast playing it. Last night a friend introduced me to the 4-player co-operative campaign and that is so fun I can't believe not every game has such a feature. It makes me wish the enemy AI was smart enough to use suppression fire, flanking, etc. so your team could focus on being more tactical but I guess that multiplayer already gives you that.
In the end, this game is highly recommended. | video-games_xbox |
Major Disappointment! A lot of cheats/modders in multiplayer. Hands down, this is the most disappointing Call of Duty game in years. The single player campaign gets old quick. Here is the common scenario throughout the campaign: Move forward, fight a hoard of dumb and predictable AI enemies, kill them, move forward, repeat. BORING!
As for Mutiplayer, here are a couple of complaints: 1) Since the launch date I've been having daily issues where I get an error stating there is no contact with Xbox Servers. Very frustrating!
2) Unfortunately, modders and cheaters have hit the multiplayer experience much faster and in higher numbers then other Call of Duty games before (a common cheat is enemy players are lit up with a red box making everyone on your team visible on the map making for an easy kill. You can't see this on the kill cam. An easy way to see if an enemy is using this is hide behind a wall or in a corner somewhere and crotch silently for several seconds. If an enemy turns around the wall/corner and immediately kills you in your hiding place, that person is most likely using that cheat code). It's sad that Infinity doesn't do more to stop this! 3) The majority of maps are close quarters combat so you need to use quick draw/quick aim perks to have a chance. 4) The biggest disappointment is the game is terribly unbalanced, favoring only those who play hour after hour. Past Call of Duty games (Black Ops) would allow you to quickly purchase upgrade weapon items giving more balance in a match so someone who plays five hours a week would have equal play against someone who plays 50+ hours a week. This multiplayer only favors the hardcore gamer. A recreational player will be outmatched and slaughtered which leads to an unfair and unfavorable gaming experience. Maybe Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games only want to appeal to the hardcore gamer now? Sad!
The only positive in the game is the new Survivor mode. Basically, it's a twist on the familiar zombie game play in other Call of Duty games. Instead of fighting hordes of zombies, you fight enemies who shoot back. It was the only aspect of the game I liked. However, after a couple of hours here and there, it started to get old. Not a complaint, just not worth keeping the game too long. | video-games_xbox |
I actually enjoy this game! BUT. I like the whole storyline of My Career. I like the concept. It feels authentic, from the voicing to the people in general. How you start in high school is cool, I like it. I actually stayed GLUED to the TV during the cutscenes, and I'm really happy 2k hired Spike Lee to script the story, I'm a big fan of his writing and production. 2k has made a lot of improvements. The soundtrack is dope. I wish we had more power during the beginning, in regards on if we wanted to stay in college or go into the draft. Maybe next year.
Pros:
- My team is WAY better and more customizable
- PRO AM is really dope
- Online is just as fun, of course.
- My team is more in depth and even better, it takes more of a challenge between games and free time
- Shots are harder. No more running and gunning, with every player being the same rating (Like the creator said, everyone can't be Michael Jordan). So there are caps, that depend on your height, on how high your stats will be. As far as shots, you have to set them up. I mean, feet planted and all. I've missed so many open 3's, it kills me. I have a 6'8 guard and his still shooting is 79, capped out.
- I like how you plan your own agenda in My Career. Sometime's it's hard to complete sponsors, while completing connections AND doing practices (That's how you earn more attribute upgrades). So you really have to balance your schedule out.
- The post game shows are HILARIOUS. Shaq took TONS of jabs at Kobe, I'm assuming they made up after he recorded his audio for this game.
- Did I mention the soundtrack is great? Jay Z, Drake, J.Cole, Wiz Khalifa...Need I say more?
- You can make your OWN jerseys and area. And customize it from logos to colors and seating! I made some Like Mike Jerseys for PRO AM.
Cons:
- During MyCareer, you ALWAYS have to be connected to Wifi, and if it d/c, regardless if you're in a game, it WILL end. I ended a game, had 30 points and didn't hit "Advance" and my Wifi messed up and I had to start the game ALL OVER and we LOST. Why can't it only connect and send your stats/earnings to the server when you play in MyPark? C'mon.
- Online games freeze and go for me. I don't know if it's my connection, but it's been doing that since 2k15.
- It takes WAY too long to find matches in Pro AM. Everyone has this game but it's hard to find 5 other people to play against us?
- Can't save more than one jersey. I hate that. I have to change the whole thing if I want a new set.
- Can't use my PRO AM arena until "enough are made around the world". C'mon, 2k. That's wack. I wanna play on my arena.
Side Note: If you ever saw "He Got Game", you might correlate the story to it. The agent is Italian (Like the movie), gold digging girlfriend (Like the movie), etc etc. Love the tie in. | video-games_xbox |
I'm Intrigued, EA. In the early 90's my mom purchased a Panasonic 3D0 with two games. The first game was irrelevant, but the second one was the first Need for Speed.
Back then, it was called "Road and Track's: Need for Speed"(published by non other than the ever-popular Electronic Arts) and featured several supercars, like a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, a Porsche, and the Viper in it's videogame debut.
I remember playing the game endlessly. It was the first racing game I had ever played in 3d, and what a sight to behold. Curves in the road, other cars, trees, and...hills! This game had everything!
A few years later the second game was released(Need for Speed II), this time featuring exotic concept cars, instead of the sexy supercars of the first game. I only played that game for about five minutes, at my friends house last year. Let's just say, it was not even on the same level as the first game.
Then Need for Speed 3: Hot Pursuit was released for PS1. This was another voyage into the world of fast cars and what not, but I must admit I wasn't intruiged, even after I learned about the Hot Pursuit mode, wherein you chased down speeders as a cop.
The last Need for Speed I played was #4, which was titled Need for Speed 4: High Stakes. The gimmick here was that you could race a buddy using the cars saved on you memory card, but if you lost, he got your car. If you won, you kept his. The game was pretty entertaining, but still lacked the magic of the original.(All though the music was stellar.)
There was at least one other release on the PS1: Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed, but, I didn't even look at it. My faith in EA shaken; I began to ignore the series for the next couple of years...
We moved into the PS2 days, with Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2, Need For Speed Underground, and Need for Speed Underground 2. I must admit, I wasn't interested even in the screenshots of those games. I still doubted EA's ability to provide me a solid racing experience.
However, with the release of Need for Speed: Most Wanted, I feel that they had a chance to rekindle my love for EA's racing games. It seems they've taken the best parts of the old generation; Hot pursuit mode, good car selection, and the best of the new generation; car customization, sweet fine graphics, and great music.
I did enjoy this game, but only for about a week. Then I started to see the flaws in it, and my re-kindled love was washed away. I saw the game without my rose-colored glassess, and I didn't feel entertained. But I suppose I set my expectations to high.
All in all, this is a decent game, and is worth at least a rental, but I don't see where people would be completely satisfied with a purchase here. At least, I wasn't. | video-games_xbox |
Best wild west video game ever created! Thanks Rockstar. Thank you for this awesome game Rockstar! I love Red Dead Redemption much much more than grand theft auto!
I am looking forward to future downloadable content. I really hope that we see the following in multiplayer as DLC
The Train Robbery! (Multiplayer)
Have a defending group as federal marshals defending the train and an attacking group of outlaws robbing the train.
1. It would be fun to have the game end with blowing up the safe on the train to get the money. (Along these lines, can you blow up safes to rob banks?)
2. Have an area where you can jump a horse from an overhanging rock formation onto the train or jump onto it during the multiplayer event.
3. Have another game option where you try to blow up a bridge before the train gets there. That's always fun.
Other things I would like to see...
Circle the Wagons! (Multiplayer)
Take turns defending a circled wagon train from Indians or play as the indians attacking the wagon train. If the Indians could use rifles and/or bows and arrows that would be awesome! Imagine shooting between the wagons or crouching down to shoot below the wheels of the wagons. Hmm, to bad we can't lay prone to shoot rifles.
A few more comments on DLC that would be fun to see. (Is there a link to an official DLC request forum for rockstar yet?) If so could someone please post it.
I would love to see
1. Bull riding game in Mexico
2. Bull fighting game in Mexico (Bull fighting outfit and cape to wield)
3. Hunting dog to bring birds and small game back to your feet (a companion hunting dog would be fun for those of us who love the hunting components of the game.)
4. A pond behind a beaver damn with working beavers chewing on trees would make for a fun environment in an expansion.
I hope some of the DLC has game play based on famous western movies. I would love to play a virtual MacKenna's Gold episode. Nothing like the mystery treasure in that movie and the final set piece was awesome. I'd pay about anything for a similar experience as a DLC episode. At least have your developers watch it for inspiration if they haven't already ;) | video-games_xbox |
Great System especially if you are more than just a gamer. I was really apprehensive about being an early adopter of any system. I have actually never owned an Xbox from either of the previous generations. I have owned playstation 1 through 3 and loved them all. To be completely honest I had planned on getting the Playstation 4 until I saw what the Xbox one had to offer.
The Kinect feature is one of those things that when you see it you think "I'll never use that" until you try it. The voice commands are great. A tiny bit buggy but it really just boils down to speaking up and annunciation. It really is convenient to just say xbox go to "insert whatever game/app here" and there it is. It sounds lazy, but when you are using it you just don't care because it's that cool. One thing that I don't really like because it is extremely buggy is using the gesture control. It is really hard to get used to and doesn't always track you hand movements accurately but to be totally honest you don't really miss it much because of how seamless the voice commands are.
I was very disappointing when I made the decision to buy a set of wireless headphones (Ended up with X32s because they are stereo and can work on any tv with a stereo out) and found out they don't work without an adapter. It just really seemed like they dropped the ball on that. It really wasn't a huge issue because I am good with a soldering Iron and spliced in a female 2.5 mm jack to plug in the turtle beach chat cable and it works like a charm, but I did have to hack up the chat headset that the xbox came with which kind of sucks but hey.. Turtle beaches are awesome.
The graphics are great. The colors are what really pops on on this console. They just seem brighter and more vibrant than everything else I have seen even the PS4 doesn't seem to have the vibrant colors that xbox does even with the better hardware and sharper graphics.
I had been playing on PC which was running rampant with hackers (no joke saw a guy flying around busting people with a sniper rifle in COD BO2) and my controller just wasn't comfortable. While I have heard great things about the new playstation controller there are also great things going on with the new xbox controller. Its very comfortable and just has a solid feel to it. The only downside is that stinking proprietary headset control that they have going on.
I love it and I would have given it 5 stars had they not done that thing with the headset and if they would have made the gesture control more seamless. Other than that it's an awesome console. | video-games_xbox |
Not polished, but OK. This game is really a perfect rental. You will complete it in about 2/3 days on the hardest difficulty and there is absolutely ZERO replay value. The game controls while you are fighting on foot really remind me of Mass Effect. The guns are actually similiar, and very loose (i am not however comparing the overall game to Mass Effect at all). While engaged in combat it is really pretty easy to stay alive. You do not get any special moves other than a jet pack that allows you to get around (and up and down) quickly, and even on the hardest difficulty engaging on land based battles is pretty easy.
The flight controls are VERY loose, but after some time you will figure out that it is easier (and a lot more fun) to just fly around tapping 'B' to hijack everything. If you just try to dogfight everything in the sky, I would imagine it would be very frustrating, but the hijack thing was actually very smart to add to this game. It actually seems out of place for this game, but because of the imperfect flight controls, it makes the dogfights much more managable and a lot more fun.
Not a lot here as far as weapon customization, and there really are about only 4 different guns you will actually use with any consistancy. There are only about 3 vehicles you will ever fly in (besides your jet pack) so the game is not that diverse. The chapters however are short and managable, there are a lot of battles that you will fight while climbing or dropping vertically, which is an OK change of pace. All in all, this is a fantanstic rental since it will get your attention for one playthrough. It is however not a great game, it has framerate issues, the controls are very loose, the story is well, I have skipped most the cutscenes at this point so the story is irrelevent. 3 stars is very fair, but I feel that most will enjoy playing it, especially when held up to other titles that have been recently released that fell wayyyyy short of what they should have been. | video-games_xbox |
BOO. Ok, i want to start by saying two things: a) I love RPGs and b) it does not take much to please me... heres the problem though... this game had a lot of potential and i tried and tried to get into it but in the end i just had to quit telling myself it would get better.
Pros: 1.seemingly good story line.
2. Some of the graphics are good. (note the word some...)
Problems:
1. conversations between characters is horrible. the characters talk in a wierd split screen design. it is like the designers were too lazy to program movements. (hard to explain. you would have to see it...)
2. gameplay is done on a difficult grid system. most players can only attack pieces of the grid making the whole thing long and drawn out. they were trying to do something original and it turned out horribly.
3. too repetitive. this game uses the "shatter away" enemy fighting system that FFX used which was fine. but in this game the enemies come at you again and again and again... and they are always the same enemies. you get to a point where you start to dread running down a hall because you know it will take 1/2 an hour. on top of that, if you run from a battle your parties health/stats go down and so by the time you get to a boss at the end of the hall you are pretty much exausted.
4. the story line... i think it is good but you end up doing all these side missions that are filler to make the game drag out longer and it gets to be painfully old. the cut scenes that move the story along TAKE FOREVER to get to. its like reading a good book and having to play 50 obnoxious minigames in between pages. they knew they were lacking and that is how they fixed it.
ENDING NOTE: I PUT ABOUT 20-30 HOURS INTO THIS GAME AND FINALLY GAVE UP. I TRIED AND TRIED TO CONVINCE MYSELF THAT JUST AROUND THE NEXT CORNER THIS WAS GOING TO BE A GREAT GAME. THAT CORNER NEVER CAME, AND I AM NOW A LITTLE DEPRESSED THAT I DONT KNOW HOW THE STORY ENDS AND THAT I CANT SEE ALL THE CUT SCENES THAT COULD/WOULD HAVE MADE THIS GAME WORTH IT. I WANTED THIS TO BE SO GOOD AND I WAS BEYOND DISAPPOINTED.
IF YOU WANT A GOOD GAME, OBLIVION WAS A BLAST. MASSIVE, SEEMINGLY ENDLESS. IF YOU HAVE PLAYED THAT, MAYBE FFXI BUT IS HAS A MONTHLY FEE. IF YOU HAVE NEVER PLAYED AN MMORPG THOUGH, IT MAKES FOR AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE. I JUST STARTED IT AND IT IS THE FIRST GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED LIKE IT (MMORPG). SOMETHING ABOUT PLAYING WITH OTHER PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE, TALKING TO THEM, ETC. IS REALLY COOL.
HOPE THIS HELPED! STAY AWAY FROM THIS GAME! | video-games_xbox |
Great overall, better than other alternatives. Review for the Ear Force X3s. Sound quality is fantastic. Get pretty deep surround sound, you can hear the sound in all directions. You will hardly notice you're not listening to the audio from external speakers.
Very comfortable. Some headphones are too tight, some too loose, with the adjustability on these and the distance of the ear from the earphone, they got it right. The microphone is also adjustable so if you don't want it you can move it without any change in the feel.
Great value for wireless headphones. Similar ones run way more expensive. These are about half the cost of their successors, the X4s, and from the quality these things deliver, it's hard to imagine it would be worth spending more for headphones.
Very good range. I have only tested from about 12 ft. away but there is no difference from that distance to very close. I have not tried over 12ft. however. I'm also not sure if you have to have the receiver immediately in the view of the headphones but I doubt it.
Great battery life. For some reason doesn't drain batteries as fast as I thought it would. Takes AA. Of course, forgetting to shut them off (common mistake with powered earphones) you will lose battery life.
Look decent. Probably not winning any awards for aesthetics but definitely not catching any flack for it either.
These headphones also have an adjustable microphone which is surprisingly sturdy and maneuverable. You also have to plug the headphones into your controller if you do want to use the microphone but I've done it and it's comfortable.
In addition, the packaging on these is too much. I had to use a pair of loppers to get them out of their packaging. Regular scissors would take a lot of energy just to get these things out of their plastic packaging. Also, I don't like the way they designed the on/off button, I would rather it be on the side as opposed to the bottom of an ear-piece. It's super small also so normally you can't immediately just turn it on or off but have to take the headphones off first, but maybe you could practice.
On the flip-side, these are a great solution if you are looking for noise control with your gaming or DVD watching like I was. They are worth the money if you compare the other models of wireless headphones, as well as the cost of wires you would need to buy in order to adapt regular headphones for use on the 360... but that wouldn't give you wireless headphones nor would it probably give you a mic.
On a final note, read the review by Daniel Rayburn who complains you cannot use these with a certain XBOX 360 setup. If you fall under that category then you should not get these. I use a regular XBOX 360 connected by component to my television and I have not encountered the problems he encountered. All in all I would buy these again because they reduce noise and are priced better than their alternatives. | video-games_xbox |
Fun game, but are forced to play career mode to get all cars. I got this game for Christmas and so far I have been fairly satisfied with the game.
Graphics/Look:
Though the graphics in this game are not as crisp as PGR's, they are still very good. The car's you drive and the opponent's cars are done very well with a lot of detail. However the car's of the computer controlled traffic are not done in the same detail. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does take away from the overall look of the game. The city you drive through has been done in a pretty good amount of detail. There is also a lot of advertising going on here, you will occasionally see Burger Kings, Cingular and other stores on the side of the street while you are cruising through the city. Also in this game are highways that are very believable, the highways are complete with green signs telling you what's at the next exit and what direction you are traveling. In addition while you are driving through the city, signs will tell you how to get on the highway.
Control:
The cars handle amazingly well, and they respond to you commands quickly. Unlike PGR, your car will not mysteriously spin out of control while taking a curve at 15 MPH. The only time where you will find the responsiveness of the cars diminishes is when you are doing drag races. For some reason you have to press the button a little harder if you want to switch lanes during these races, if not, you will often find yourself crashing in a wall and totaling your car resulting in an automatic loss. Overall however you can feel comfortable driving and not worry about your car spinning out of control for no reason, or having to almost come to a complete stop to take a turn.
Sound:
The sound is pretty good in this game, I wouldn't say its anything to drool over, but its adequate enough to keep you in the game. Your car makes the usual sounds while you shift gears and tires screech when you slam on the breaks. The one thing I don't like about the sound is that you can't choose you own tracks to play in the game like you could with PGR; you are forced to listen to the tracks that EA provided for you, which no doubt get old very fast. It would have definitely added another level of fun to this game but apparently EA didn't feel the same way.
Game play:
The first thing you will notice in this game is that you are only provided with a handful of cars to start with, even when you are doing quick race. I may be wrong but to me it seems the only way you can unlock all the cars is to play career mode unlocking cars as you reach certain levels. Sometimes I just want to race with fast cars and not have to jump through hoops to do so. I shouldn't have to play this game 5 hours just to get a Toyota Celica. The manual does not tell you this, so I found out online that this is the only way to get more cars.
I will focus on Career mode since that's what the game forces you to focus on. The game starts with a storyline reminiscent of 2 Fast 2 Furious and you are ultimately dropped off at an airport with Rachel's tricked out 350Z. She tells you to drop it off and you eventually end up at a dealership to get a car of your own, you are only given 4 choices in cars, Peugeot, Honda Civic, Nissan 240SX and a Ford Focus. I choose the Civic. Another thing I hate is that you are forced to drive with the car they have, meaning you can't change the color. Only later do you "unlock" a graphics shop that allows to you pick any color you want, and even then you have to unlock certain types of paint jobs. Again the manual doesn't tell you this, and I found this out online.
As you cruise through the city you get calls and text messages from your computerized friends informing you of races that are happening and other things going on in the city, the races that they tell you about never appear on the map, they just give you a general area of where they are and you have to find them yourself. The map does however have races that do appear on the map so there is always something to do. The main races are Drag, Sprint, Circuit, Street X and Drift.
As you complete races you are given money which you can use to purchase upgrades for you car and there are a lot of upgrades!! Anything you can think of, is included in this game; tires, neon lights, rims (You can even unlock spinners), graphics, body kits, exhaust tips, hydraulics, nitrous, and not to mention countless upgrades to your engine, transmission and suspension. This part of the game is very fun to say the least. Eventually you will unlock a graphics shop and there you can change your car's color.
Also as you reach certain points in the game more cars will become available at the car lot, and you can trade the car in you are driving for the new one. However you will eventually get a sponsor, and they will give you a free car so you don't have to trade yours in. I think you can have a limit of 5 cars at one time.
Another fun thing in the game is while you are cruising through the city, you can actually challenge others to "real-life" street races through traffic. When you drive up next to another person just press the up button and the game will immediately enter chase mode. The object of chase mode is to out distance your opponent by 1000 feet. Who ever is in the lead can choose ANYWHERE they want to go and the person trailing has to keep up. If you win, you get $100 if you lose then you lose $100. Regretfully there are no cops in the game, so speed all you want.
The game itself is not too terribly difficult, but the computer players will try to wreck you on purpose. The good thing about this though, is that you can wreck them too! Unlike PGR, this game seems fair and not impossible to complete. Another thing I like is that unlike PGR the tracks and city allow you to push to car to its limits, no more endless turns and being lucky to get your car over 110. I actually reached 158 in my upgraded Civic on the highway! I could never do that in PGR! "Borrowed" from PGR, This game also gives you bonuses for doing cool tricks while driving. The more cool tricks you do in succession, the more nitrous you get. I am so glad NFSU2 did not make the tricks the focal point of the game like the idiots who made PGR. This game concentrates on racing which is what "racing" games should do. You get rewarded for doing tricks, but it is very possible to progress without doing them. There is no car damage in this game, and the only real consequence of wrecking horribly, is that you will lose some nitrous. This is a bit disappointing.
All in all I am pretty satisfied with the game. The game itself is very fun and involving, I just don't think that I should be forced to play a career mode if I just want a quick race using the 2005 Ford Mustang. The only additional cars I have unlocked now are the Navigator, Escalade, H2, Celica, Tiburon, and the Sentra Spec V, I have no idea how long it will take me to get all the cars, but I just hope I don't get bored with the game before I get them.
I won't talk about XBOX Live, because I cancelled my membership. | video-games_xbox |
L4D2 Review. In a nutshell: A fast paced zombie game that quickly becomes a grind fest and then into complete abandonement.
The Good:
More enemies, smarter director AI, more gametypes, better weather effects, more weapons, more environments.
The Bad:
Too repetitive, ultimately predictable and unforgiving AI. Throwable game after 1 month.
Personal Opinion:
L4D2 is more of an upgrade to L4D1, beyond general updates, there does not seem to be anything new that L4D1 can't deliver, gameplay wise. The same basic formula is used:
you shoot zombies, you shoot a couple of special infected, the AI director kicks a horde of infected with a couple of specials at the same time, repeat until a long lul followed by a tank and an occasional witch in your path, rinse, ladder, repeat. The only difference is weather you live long enough to reach the next house until the grand finally which is just every enemy thrown in twice (or even thrice).
The biggest problem with L4D1 & L4D2 is two fold:
1) Its either too easy and you don't enjoy a thrilling game as you would expect, or its too hard and you get stuck repeating the same level over and over again until you quit.
2) Maps are dull and bland, you really don't interact with the world, instead the world is just another obstacle thats in your way. Setting aside the fact that the maps are pretty, theres nothing to appreciate about them gameplay wise. You just get from one point to another dealing with variations of infected, thats it. You just get to repeat them over and over again from the same point through nearly the same paths, over and over again.
Multiplayer:
One aspect that irks me the most is the method Valve chose to join game sessions. Its a pretty simple method really, you automatically join a game server and its insta action. The problem comes when you actually play, you have no idea whether or not your team is good enough to finish a level, which leads to 1) above. Another issue that comes to mind is when trying to join up with friends, most of the time they are already in a filled game, so you must either wait an hour, or join another game and wait for them, which is worse for the other team thats playing since you will abandon them on short notice.
L4D is a good idea, too bad valve didn't push the concept forward with L4D2 and decided to play it safe. I believe this sums it up: the moment you actually finish a campaign, you vent a sigh of relief then quickly quit the game.
I suggest not buying this game. | video-games_xbox |
A Story of Loneliness and Despair. You awaken in a dank cell, and watch as a soul is dropped in from above. Where is this place? An asylum, for those long dead. You venture forth, toward the light. You fight. Why? You cannot remember. The tattered remnants of your hollowed brain cannot pull it forth. How old are you? Who are you? None of it matters. It is said that those who repeatedly go hollow lose their minds. Perhaps you have lost it already.
A crow carries you to the Firelink Shrine, and you continue. Always forward, ever forward. Time is meaningless in this ruined, forsaken place. All you have is a few rusty weapons, and the feeling of unrest in your soul.
You die. Again. But what is death? It too is meaningless. The ancient magics of the bonfire draw your broken body back to it, knitting the bones back together, and you awaken. Undead. Rotting. But alive. If you can call it living... The souls draw your closer, ever pressing you onward. Can you recover the ones you lost? Weariness inside. All is loneliness, despair. Your Estus flasks refill. You try again.
A ghostly shape glows in the distance. It is one of the Others, fighting for his own life in a parallel world. You see him swing at unseen adversaries. Then he runs away, disappearing into the mist.
Here, you see a note scrawled among the broken stones, left by one of the Others. A hint? The meaning is cryptic. Should it be heeded? You press on.
An enormous red dragon flies overhead. You shudder to your bones. Fire issues from its mouth, as it clings to the castle in the distance. It is waiting for you. Watching you. Will you survive?
"Praise the sun," says Solaire of Astoria. The muffled voice startles you. You turn to see the knight, gazing at the sun. "Our fates are entertwined, you and I." Perhaps. You leave him to his madness. All are mad in this place.
A Cracked Red Eye Orb glows in your hand. Dare you use it? Instead, you make a mark on the ground with a white soapstone. It glows with magical power. Soon, you may be transported into another world, there to do battle for more souls. And humanity.
Humanity. You must regain it. It draws you in, even more so than the souls. All is done to regain your humanity. And why do you seek this thing? Is it because you wish to truly live? Or is it so you can finally remain dead?
A black phantom invades your world, one of the Others. Desperately you fight him. This time you fail. You awaken at the bonfire again. Next time, you swear to yourself, the invader may not be so lucky.
After many attempts, a black knight finally falls, and the treasure is yours. Carefully you press onward, shield at the ready. Overhead, a bell tolls, harbinger of another adventurer's success. A glimmer of hope awakens within. Perhaps in time, you will do the same. All things are possible, in time.
The world is cold, but the fire is warm. The darkness of the labyrinths is eternal, but you are not afraid. For you know that the sun - though unseen - still shines above. And you will emerge one day to see its light once more. You will succeed, so long as your mind remains strong, your will resolute. And when you do, others in their journey will also pause, listening when they hear the tolling of the bells. For all of us who dare venture forth in this land have learned the truth: Death is not the end. It is only the beginning.
Shed the mortal coil. New life awaits! | video-games_xbox |
I'm blown away... literally. Halo: Reach is my introduction to the Halo series of games. I've been gaming off and on for the last 3 decades, so I have had my fair share of gameplay. Frankly, I had heard of the Halo series of Xbox games, but I've been a PC gamer all my life, so I never went out and bought an Xbox or any games in the Halo series simply because I was satisfied with my PC gaming experience.
Last year, my wife bought me Xbox 360 with Kinect for Christmas from Amazon (yea!), and Halo: Reach (redeemable download from Xbox LIVE), among several others, came with the package. I was in no hurry to download the game because my internet download speed was only 1.5 Mbps on DSL. On Friday, I finally ordered a faster bandwidth DSL at 20Mbps and on Monday I downloaded Halo: Reach.
I was immediately captivated by the phenomenal graphics and quickly absorbed by the wonderful storyline. Fortunately for me, I have this week off from work, so I have been staying up until 3 - 3:30AM playing this game since early Monday morning and living on 4 hours of sleep a night this week,.. the story and gameplay is THAT absorbing. I LOVE IT!
I must warn you tho, this game is like a drug addiction. I used to pride myself in telling my wife I was never addicted to anything... that, is until now. I have told her I want the rest of the Halo series of games for our anniversary gift. Yes, I am completely addicted. I haven't been this addicted to video gameplay since StarCraft first came out. It turns out that Halo: Reach is a prequel to the Halo series and arrived on the gaming scene after Halo 4, so I guess I'm starting in the right sequence of gaming events in terms of storyline (prequel first).
I started playing Halo: Reach CAMPAIGN as a solo player at Heroic level and it does take a lot of skill and getting killed multiple times at this level of difficulty to keep advancing along, but man is it fun and challenging! I am sooo tired today (Thursday evening at 8PM , as I write this review) from lack of sleep. I keep telling myself "I'm just going to play one more mission - no more than an hour," but because the game is so addictive and your sense of time completely flies out the window, since Monday I have ended up playing from 9AM to 10AM till the following morning around 3AM to 3:30AM with onlt a break or two to use the bathroom and eat only when starving. Tonite, even though I'm on the final mission, I'm too tired to continue, so I'm hitting the sack after this review is posted (but at the same time very satisfied with Halo: Reach).
I haven't even played multiplayer yet... just solo missions in CAMPAIGN. I can't wait to see what multiplayer gaming has in store for me. Let's just hope I don't lose my job or marriage over this (LOL).
There are several killer features in the game, one of which is called FIREFIGHT that allows you to play against AI's ever increasing odds, which I spent an entire day playing. I like the fact you can customize your loadouts, scenarios, enemy combatants, number of assault waves and gameplay down to the nitty gritty before starting a scenario. What a blast it was!
Other features include MATCHMAKING, which allow you to take your spartan team onto Xbox LVE for live combat - I haven't tried it yet, but that should be a blast (literally). There is also a CUSTOM GAME feature that allows you to select and design rules and maps for example. It is set up as objective based missions that you create. Sounds awesome - will have to try it out in the future. Halo: Reach also includes a FORGE feature in which you edit and play variations of your favorite maps, as well as a THEATER feature that allows you to replay and watch your multiplayer battles.
All I gotta say is that this game is a WINNER!!! I'm sure I'll be enthralled with this game and its features for at least another year. But be forewarned, this game is like a drug addiction! | video-games_xbox |
My Hal0 Review. Alright..This is gonna be a review thats gonna say it all (This is also gonna be different from my other reviews)
This game is overrated because of one thing...Theve never saw a great FPS for along time. For example GoldenEye007 or PerfectDark. Or possably they never even enjoyed a great FPS game before. (Not like those crapped up ones)
This solves the WAYYYY OVER RATED problem.
The graphic engine sometimes gets to peoples nerves cause its 30 frame per second. Right?, Correct it is 30 framerate..But People that play Goldeneye007 or those other FPS fans will not even notice it. In short..This is the best 30framerate ever..But people that watch closely will experience a tiny slowrate..But in truth this games graphic has possably one of the best graphics for an FPS game.
s0unD: People of those fantasy will love this music junk. Its not like one of those ROCK,hiphop and rap like G-UNIT. People that like Fantasy music (Not like the lonly FFX music) will enjoy this. But for the people that enjoy G-UNIT,50-C,Watever will NOT enjoy this. But as for the Assualt Rifle or any sound like that Captures it..Otherwords..Flawless
Dislikers: Its true that this is from the ALIEN covernant or some idiotic terms like that. In other words this is why I rated it a 4 in the first place. I don't like the fact that im versing uhhh...ummm 4-5 inch Alien that screams at the top of his lungs? And Aliens that slap you silly? 0hh and don't forget the Parasite that looks like Popcorn..If your not of Sci-Fi or don't even like Aliens but like FPS games..its best to rent it first.
--Actually its best to rent everygame you thinking of buying b4 you buy it.
Truly if your a PS2 fan than tell me..WHAT FPS IS BETTER THAN HALO FOR PS2 EHH!!! EHHH!!!
Red Faction: O common ITS TOO SHORT! AND HAS BOSSES
Half-Life: YAH...Right! It doesnt stand a chance.
Redfaction2: Woah..ITS IN X-BOX
so thats ur answer... | video-games_xbox |
Mac user, LOVE IT. **Edited 9/11/14. I have a Mac, version 10.8.5 with a 2.4 Ghz Intel.
I was worried it wouldn't work with my Mac, so I bought this at a local store instead of on Amazon. Its a USB connection and it works great. SUPER easy to set up.
Pro's: easy to set up. Quick tips for every possible way ( computer, tv, consoles, bluetooth) Music sounds AMAZING in this. Like... it made me gasp it sounded so amazing. Playing games with this headset is so much better, playing with out them is like black and white vs color tv. Just not comparable. It has three modes, and I usually just use the immersive mode, but it is easy to switch between if needed. Changing the color of the headset is easy as well, and directions are very clear.
Con's: This is a heavy headset. Hours on a game with this on, just wear on you. I am getting used to it, but the first day was tough. When changing the color, I noticed that some cause a bit of a feedback on the right earpiece. However, I would still buy these. I plan to contact the company to see if there are any recommendations. There are other electronics around me, so it could be something like that.
These also do a very good job at closing off outside noises. However, I can still hear my family and people talking louder than normal. I cannot hear myself type when listening to music or in game.
**edited. The mike is great in game. I use Teamspeak and Skype at this point. Both work well. The mike is very sensitive though! It picks up outside noises if I have a window open. So a PTT voice com is advised IMO.
I recently had a problem with the wireless not working. The headset wouldnt mute either. After contacting PDP, they emailed me back with in a day, and sent me a prepaid form to mail my headset back! I assumed they would fix mine and send it back, but it really looks as if I have gotten a completely new one back! Once I test this one in game again, I will update this as well. | video-games_xbox |
A New Vision of Spyro for a New Gen. The new Spyro is different from the original PS1 Spyro series in many ways (most notable, Spyro is just one of many characters you can choose as your PC), but it's really a lot of fun. It's the first game with traditional controls that my four-year-old son and I have played co-op together, and it's very well done: beautiful graphics, varied environments, good amount of loot to collect, about the right level of challenge for a kid (with the option to make it tougher on yourself by trying to collect everything), nice variety of characters with differing abilities, good character upgrades to work toward, etc. We are absolutely having a blast playing it together.
That said, it's kind of an unabashed cash grab, due to the toy tie-in. To unlock all of the various areas, you need at least eight figures (one for each element), and only three are included with the game. Just buying five extra figures isn't such a big deal ($7.99 each, or $19.99 for a 3-pack), but eventually, there will be a total of 30+ characters and four adventure pack toys sets (which function as expansion packs, $19.99 each), and of course my kiddo will want to collect them all. And, frankly, I actually like the buggers too. They're awfully cute. So it's an expensive proposition if you're the kind of person who must collect everything, but if you aren't, it's not so bad $-wise. (Two funny Penny Arcade comics about this: [..] and [..])
Even for us, though, I feel like it's worth it because my son plays with the figures so much when he's not playing the game itself. He just plays with them imaginatively, carries them around the house making up stories about them, etc. So he's getting full value out of those toys, lol. :)
Btw, I should re-emphasize that we're playing this game on the 360. The 3DS version of Skylanders is 1-player only, and it's different from the home console versions from what I've played so far. The home console versions all have drop-in/drop-out co-op, and it's more of an adventure game with light RPG elements. The 3DS version we've played just a bit. It's more of a platformer, and it's a little too hard for my son to make progress on it alone, though I think he'll grow into it. So far, I've been playing through some of the levels while he watches, and then he plays with all of the characters in the sanctuary area, swapping them in and out to see their abilities, change their hats, and practice using the controls. He also like to play with the little 3DS Portal on his own with the little plastic characters when we're not playing the game itself (just imaginative play with the toys).
On final note: Another reviewer mentioned that the Skylanders Portal for the 360 is wired and noted that as a disadvantage. We actually like the wired portal, as there are never any connection issues (sometimes a little finicky with the 3DS version), and we don't have to use any batteries for it. (The PS3 and Wii Portals apparently take 3 AAs, and the 3DS Portal takes 3 AAAs.) To me, the fact that we just plug it into the system and don't have to use batteries is a nice advantage of the 360 version, as compared to the PS3, Wii, and 3DS versions. | video-games_xbox |
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