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One of the most underrated Xbox titles you can get. I remember a lil' game that hit stores a few months ago called "Breakdown". The game was suppose to be revolutionary and all that stuff but I see this game didn't get very "great" scores if you know what I mean, and seeing this is from Namco(the same people who braught us the awesome SOUL CALIBUR)I decided to finally buy this game 4 days ago(and man was this a good 14 bucks)and I must say, anyone who didn't like Breakdown for its story or visuals are just plain STUPID!
Lets get to it..
Breakdown plays in FPS mode through out the whole game with no visual cutscenes or nothing like that, it's all in Real time. I'm not going to get into the story but you can just read that for yourself from gamesites or gamemagazines. Besides the fact that Breakdown acctually has a great Story, the visuals were suppose to be like the way they are. I don't understand why it's getting all this bickering over the visuals, what!? Were you expecting Doom3 visuals???..Jeez, other then the superb story and great visuals the gameplay is both awesome......and very frustraiting..
The gameplay is what got this game mixed reviews for most, I must start off by saying you ONLY get 3 weapons, 2 of them are pretty useful(which is the rocket launcher and the pistol)but the most usless and somewhat frustraiting weapon is the SMG, my god...this gun WILL NOT kill the person your aiming for unless you're like 5 feet away from him!!! And maybe it's just me but I want to kill those idiots at Namco for making such terrible controls for the hand to hand combat, you will die so manytimes from the frustraiting learning curve that it's not even funny...There were times(such as the first time I met 3 T lans)were I'd throw my control on the floor in anger, this game can get very, very frustraiting EVEN ON EASY MODE.. And why is everyone complaining about the lengh, the lengh is pretty decent, not great...but decent...same lengh as Halo 2, if you ask me...Other then that...
Good
-Great Visuals
-Great hand to hand combat engine
-Superb Story that is being bashed on by alot of gamers
-Great sound, very detailed and great characters
-Unique, original and very very wierd...
-Decent length, took me about 9 hours and 50 minutes..
Bad
-Terrible, terrible, frustraiting hand to hand combat learning curve
-60% of the game, or even more, is just mostly opening doors, running to the next linear hallway, open the next to door, ect..
-Most people will get turned off by it's extreamly Linear gameplay levels..
-Frustraiting enemies like fighting 3 or 4 enemies at once might push some gamers to throw there controls on the ground in anger...like myself..and trust me, it ain't pretty
Other then that, if you got 10 bucks to spare, get this game, it's not only an awesome game, but it's pretty original and has great visuals, great story and great action....the only bad thing about it is the frustraiting controls. Alot of people will hate this game and Alot of people will love this game...I personally enjoyed this game(but I mainly got this to get my mind of Doom 3 for xbox) Overall...I give this a
4.1 out of 5 stars | video-games_xbox |
Totally worth it, but some issues need fixing. Alright where do I even begin? I reviewed the previous game on Amazon so I feel obliged to review this one as well.
The good:
- Just like the last game, the game play is fun and addicting.
- They developers decided to add a 'hub world' of sorts from which you can access all your game modes, as well as do quests and grind for XP. It is nice to be able to try out a new character in this environment before jumping into online play.
- Most of the new characters are fun and interesting.
- The new maps are creative and well designed.
- I guess this game is great for kids? I am 19 but I love it anyway. Sure it is violent but its not like there is blood and gore.
- Leveling up is much easier and more rewarding.
The bad:
- I have not personally experienced this but there are apparently issues with the 'Garden Ops' Game mode.
- You really need an internet connection to get much enjoyment out of the game, not my issue but it could be for some others.
- If you have played the first game, you have essentially played this one. Sure there is some new content but it is really more of the same.
-The Zombie hero class called the Imp feels under powered even with the mech.
The ugly:
- This is the reason I gotta knock off a star. It is really hard, as of this date (3/3/2016) for the Zombie team to win games because of the new Rose hero class on the Plants team. This class was from what I hear meant to be a support class but it ended up being able to just shred anything in its path. THANKFULLY THERE WILL BE A PATCH TO FIX THIS SOON SO I HEAR. However, as of now Rose is a real pain to deal with.
The conclusion:
-If you loved the first game, you will love this one. I wish I could give it 5 stars but the character imbalances just left a bad taste in my mouth. I still think it is worth it though, as the developers have stated on twitter that they intend to balance some of the characters in a patch. BUY THIS GAME, it can only get better from here. | video-games_xbox |
Are the instructors supposed to be talking. I've been a Zumba fan and participant for over two years now. I have the video collection and work out to them at home numerous times a week. So I was really excited when, after buying the Kinect, Zumba Rush came out. I anxiously waited for it to be delivered and couldn't wait to get started once it came. And lo and behold, to my surprise, the music starts playing and the instructors start to dance, but there's no talking. No telling me what moves we're doing or about to do, no words of encouragement, nothing. I see the instructors' mouths moving, but there's no volume coming out. The music is nice and loud, though. I figured adjusting the visual cues and/or music would do the trick, but still nothing. I tried Googling it, but I couldn't find any source or forum post or review or anything that mentioned that the instructors talk or how to turn them on.
Now, I'm not a Zumba novice. I'm very familiar with all the moves and the rhythms. However, there are plenty of moves where you're not directly staring at the TV or, as I'm not a psychic, even with the pop-ups that tell you the next move, I have no idea of knowing when the next move will actually start until they've already started it. In the Zumba workout videos, the instructors talk to you, tell you what to do, even in the advanced videos, and talk to you and encourage you. Here, there's nothing. This game has gotten such good ratings, and after trying it out a few times I'm really wondering why.
Yes, the features are great in that they give you a lot of different music styles and classes to choose from, and it gives the option of choosing from numerous difficulty levels and class lengths so you can match your Zumba workout to your mood and ability. But the bottom line for me is if the instructors aren't talking and no one can tell me whether they're supposed to or how to turn them on if you can, then this game, in my mind, is a complete waste of time. | video-games_xbox |
Not worth the extra money. This is a difficult review to write for me. I love the idea behind the Kinect, and even had the first gen version. However, this device has been seriously mismarketed. The only really positive thing to say about buying this is that when I turn my Xbox on or off, it turns on or off my other devices as well. It can get annoying if I don't need the console to be on, but it is only a minor inconvenience. The negatives far outweigh the positives. I can now see why there was such backlash when it first came out.
First it is claimed that the Kinect will take your heart rate during a workout. This is only limited. For example, using the P90x for Xbox One, the only way to get a heart rate reading is to stop the program, stand still, and wait for the device to get a reading. Which, by the time you hold still long enough to get a reading, it is inaccurate since your rate has changed. Second, there really isn't much it can do beyond the voice commands. Those commands must be precise, clear, and without background noise to interfere. Not ideal for people with any noise level in or around the device. The voice commands are limited and will require you to talk to your Kinect over and over. If you happen to enable the always on feature (for more electricity) then you have the fun option of turning your console on and off with voice commands. Which is cool, but not critical. Finally, the device does not always see or hear everything it is supposed to. This can be frustrating when attempting to take advantage of the Kinect to its fullest potential.
Overall, I would say to pass this device by unless you have the extra money to blow. The Kinect is certainly better than its previous generation, and it has a lot of potential to do many cool things. However, the technology, recognition, and more are still a long ways off. I am a big Microsoft fan, but I cannot help but feel like I was seriously mislead with the Kinect. | video-games_xbox |
the best snowboarding game for REAL snowboarders. As an avid gamer and snowboarder, I felt that this game has been unfairly assessed by critics and gamers. For the reviewers who gave Shaun White a low score, I often wonder have they ever even snowboarded before?
If you're a gamer looking for a snowboarding game in the vein of SSX you're going to be dissapointed. Luckily, that isn't what this game is about. I've been snowboarding for 7 years, and have been waiting for a game that captures the spirit of what snowboarding is all about. To date of the 3 most popular snowboarding games: SSX, Amped, and 1080, they focus on either one or the other: racing or obtaining the highest score possible on a linear path.
Here's a quick summary of what you should expect:
Gamers will hate:
- the controls (they take a while to get used to) and they should be customizable
- half pipes and impossible tricks are missing
- runs have no straightforward path
Snowboarders will love:
+ you can choose any path on the mountain you want (almost no boundaries)
+ Graphics are the best yet with the Assasin's Creed Engine
+ Hitting challenges with friends over xbox live or psn
+ Having a plethora of real merchandise to customize your character to match the gear you actually wear
+ No fake tricks (ie SSX), pulling 360 rodeos in the game feel realistic and fulfilling
+ 4 mountains to choose from (Europe, Park City, Japan, Alaska) that allow you to carve down the entire mountain any way you please
+ backcountry, gaps, and lips to explore
+ physics are for the most part accurate. Uses havoc technology for the momentum of the tricks, and speed (gravity) you travel down a mountain. Characters have a weight to them.
In the end, this isn't the perfect snowboarding game that it could have been. There could be a bit more polish (controls should be completely customizable, interface and animation could have been a bit smoother) But, this is by far the best snowboarding game I have ever played. I highly recommend Shaun White Snowboarding for xbox 360 or ps3 with the caveat that you snowboard and play videogames, if you're a gamer expecting a Tony Hawk snowboarding game look elsewhere. | video-games_xbox |
A great RPG with fun characters. I was not sure whether I would love Tales of Vesperia or just like it, as most game sites scored it around 8/10. But after watching a few hours of gameplay on youtube and enjoying it, I knew playing it would be even better so I bought a copy. I think Tales of Vesperia deserves to be in the upper 8 to lower 9 range (out of 10 points). It is now one of my favorite games.
Pros:
-Most of the characters are well-voiced and have interesting back stories. The main character, Yuri, is not your stereotypical hero. In fact, he has a bit of a dark side to him, which makes his character even more interesting. Some characters might seem over the top at first, but they all grew on me after a few hours, and I don't dislike any of them. One of the girls can be a bit annoying (Estelle), she does play the naive, cute heroine well though. Even the little boy, Karol, who I thought would annoy me (as most kids in JRPGs do), is actually pretty well voiced and I grew to like him as I played.
-If you love dialogue, you'll get tons here. Most if it is well written and quite funny at times. If you only want action, stay away from this game (though I'm not sure why you would be looking at an RPG in the first place).
-The story is mostly good, though people who have played tons of RPGs might find it a bit stereotypical. Even so, there are enough surprises to keep you playing. People who haven't played many RPGs will probably love the story.
-The battle system is fun. No random battles, and you get to control the characters.
-Friends can join in during battles and take control of a character (only local co-op, no online). Friends can drop in and drop out easily.
-Huge world to explore. This will take you at the very least 50 hours to finish.
-Very pretty environments and characters. The graphics aren't taking the Xbox 360 to a new level, but they do look great overall. I particularly like the Anime style.
-Grinding isn't really required to beat the bosses, as long as you fight most enemies in the dungeons.
-Tons of optional side quests. Lots of items and monsters to find/fight.
Cons
-Near the end of the game, the story slows down a bit. The story in general might be considered average by hard-core RPG gamers.
-Dungeons are pretty linear, and the puzzles are extremely simple. This isn't Zelda. Luckily, dungeons aren't huge, there's just a lot of them. So in between dungeons you'll generally get some story progression. I've played Baten Kaitos (Gamecube), which has similar linear dungeons, but for whatever reason I liked Vesperia's better. Could just be because I care about the characters a lot more, so the linear dungeons don't bother me as much.
-Some people might find the characters/dialogue cheesy. I personally didn't, but I can easily see how others might feel differently.
-Only local co-op, no online.
Overall 9/10. One of my favorite games, and highly recommended. If you've never played an RPG before, you'll probably enjoy this game a lot. If you are unsure, watch walkthroughs on youtube to get an idea of the gameplay/story. | video-games_xbox |
Finally EA comes close to racing perfection. It's been quite a while since I've played a NASCAR game that I've liked, dating back to the old PC game that was much more simulation that simple game. Electronic Arts (EA) has the license for NASCAR games on console systems, so if they don't deliver or if you aren't happy with what they have delivered you're left doing what I've had to do over the last several years -- skip it. Not so this season! Finally NASCAR racing that is challenging, yet not overly so, and still F-U-N.
In previous incarnations, at least over the last few years, the game was challenging, but not in a good way. For example, in NASCAR08 beginners (like I normally am) were easily frustrated as the computer controlled (artificial intelligence or a.i.) drivers were very aggressive and would spin out human drivers in an instant. Instead of avoiding wrecks, the a.i. drivers would simply barrel on through the human driver and end your race. NASCAR07 had problems and frustrations of it's own and failed to deliver a product that could be recommended for purchase.
NASCAR09 has taken much of the best of previous versions and put the fun back in the game for novice level players. It is much easier to set fair and realistic competitive levels for the computer controlled drivers and thanks to that even a novice can grab the game and run a fun race.
NASCAR09 brings a Madden like reputation system to the game that lets players build up their reputation and gain rewards for doing so. In the career mode gamers sign team and sponsor contracts and again get rewards for completing the obligations that those contracts bring. Basically, if you complete your contracts you'll get performance points that are used to improve how well your vehicle performs on the various track types. In addition to gaining points from completing contracts you'll earn points from completing tasks in the Sprint Driver Challenges mode -- a series of 'mini-games' that help you get familiar with the game's controls and performance of the various vehicles.
There are a few areas where the game could be improved, and eventually make it 'the perfect racing game'. For example, bringing back some variation of the team control mode of a few years back would be such a place. In addition, the game really needs to include another variation of the drivers reputation system, in this case a reputation system for driver agressiveness and grudges -- if a driver is too agressive and is too dangerous on the track, at least to other drivers, the a.i. drivers should take take note and vary their style to try to take revenge and offer some payback.
Thanks EA for finally offering a fun and highly playable NASCAR game, it's a honor to be able to recommend this one for purchase for racing fans. Once you do get the game go along with the intro modes and jump into the Sprint Driver Challenges. You'll be amazed at how quickly time passes as you enjoy playing the game. | video-games_xbox |
Shootin', Stabbin', Stranglin' Nazis. Finally there is a proper revitalization of the Wolfenstein series! I have played these games since I was a little boy growing up in the 90's. I can still remember traversing the maze-like corridors that Wolfenstein 3D offered on the SNES. As the years progressed and my demeanor changed from; adolescence, pre-pubescense, angsty teenager,and now a young adult- the Wolfenstein series has been there through each of these points in my life. However, as my wisdom grew stronger through the years, my faith in the Wolfenstein series faded like days of my fleeting youth. However, Wolfenstein: The New Order has revitalized that faith as if the Fountain of Youth is surging through my veins once more.
While I'm not saying this game is "perfect", it is definitely a stride in the right direction. First of all the setting of the game is absolutely stunning. While it may not feature the "next gen" graphics experience we are all looking for it does showcase familiar architectural structures and locations laced with a "Nazi Flair". It only makes it that much more believable that you are traversing through a post apocalyptic, Third Reich inspired future. The voice-acting in this game is also fantastic. From senior citizens of Polish decent to B.J's 1940's American Marine dialogue, each character you encounter draws you in like a moth to a flame and creates an emotional attachment within the minute of meeting each entity. The gun play is fantastic and is a great throwback to the days of old while mixing in an element of the new.
However, while the game offers strengths it also has its weaknesses. The other reviews mainly say that picking up each individual ammo/health box is annoying, I feel it is not that bad and is reminiscent to the old-school versions of first-person shooters. My biggest complaint about the game is the AI. While they are usually spot one with combat you sometimes find them not moving or not even firing there weapon at all as if there are stuck in a state of stasis. With that aside, every element of the game holds true and is worth discovering.
All in all, if you are a person who enjoys and GREAT first-person shooter then stop hesitating and buy this game. Most people of this day are only willing to buy a game if it has online capabilities, long-campaign length, and innovative game-play mechanics. Well Wolfenstein: The New Order features a long-campaign (around 15-20 hours) and very innovative game-play characteristics. If you are worried about the lack of online game-play, don't be. The greatest games of our generation are known solely for their campaigns (Grand Theft Auto, Gears of War, Assassin's Creed, Bioshock, The Elder Scrolls, etc.), so do not let a "campaign only" game frighten you. Get the game, it is worth every penny.
Here are the aspects of the game based on a 1-5 rating:
Story: 4.8
Design: 5
Gameplay: 4.5
Presentation: 4.7
So what are you waiting for? Get out there and kill some Nazi scum! | video-games_xbox |
G.ets T.otally A.nnoying. GTA 4 was the biggest disappointment in video game history. It is "The Star Wars Holiday Special" of the GTA franchise. An installment which has become completely irrelevant, useless and forgotten after only 5 years. Everything about that game was ANNOYING, BROKEN and CHOPPED UP to the point of being unrecognizable as something that should have even been called "Grand Theft Auto".
-The world was 1/5 the size of the previous GTA games.
-The graphics were "prettier"... but everything in the game looked HIDEOUS. Not in a Resident Evil or Fallout 3 type "hideous"... more like a DMV type "hideous". Gray, dull, boring... just like the rest of the game.
-Driving was completely broken and "boat-like". The city was totally boxed in on all sides and whenever you hit a tiny bump in the road... you went flying through the windshield. A driving game with... broken driving. I'm not making this up.
-All of the save points were cleverly disguised as Polish crack houses... inconveniently located on one end of the map... and since most of the driving controls were broken; the Taxi with the "let's skip the broken driving feature" quickly became the most used vehicle in the entire game (golf clap).
-That nagging cell phone. Annoying? Just a little.
-Fire truck, ambulance missions and most of the other classic mini-games were completely removed and replaced with "one trick ponies"... one time stunts that were about as much fun as a fart in a space suit.
-Most of the best weapons were removed. Flame thrower, mini-gun, and the other stuff... gone. What fun.
-Great vehicles like the hydrofoil, planes, jet pack... etc., removed. It's not like there was any room to use any of them on the super-compressed streets though.
-Customizations... non-existent. Well, except for the 1982 Woolworths "winter collection" of clothes. Good times... not.
-It's not all bad though, they kept the DATING GAME!... Good God. Stiffen up that eggnog C3P0... it just gets worse.
-Broken controls. Broken targeting system. Broken camera. That duck and cover system was more flawed than the one the civil defense was using in 1959. After forcing myself to finish this game, I played the first Saint's Row and thought to myself, "this is pretty good... compared to GTA4". ANYONE!? IS THIS THING ON!? TAP! TAP! TAP! HELLO!
-No garages so I have to Park my broken POS car on the street... so... a wild NPC car can hit it and knock it out of it's spot... Then it will disappear and be gone forever when I come back after I save. Oh. THAT'S why the garages were there...
R2D2 forget the eggnog, just hand me the bottle.
-They sold HALF A GAME. Then they parted the rest of it out in expansion packs. LAME expansion packs.
Well guess what? GTA5? I don't care if it's the most epic game ever made. I'm not buying it in pieces. No "pre-order" for you. I'll be sure to pick it up used, long after the entire game is available. That is, IF it's even worth playing. After the frustrating, Windows Vista-like letdown of GTA4, I'm a little leery about anything GTA now. I really don't want to go through anything THAT painfully traumatic EVER again. | video-games_xbox |
Feature packed at a bargain price. I will do an informal comparison to the (much) more expensive Logitech G920 for Xbox One as that is what we've been using for the last 6 months or so. They are very similar in that the Thrustmaster TMX adds a lot of realism to your game that you just can't get with a game pad. You can feel the difference in terrain as you drive over dirt, asphalt or in the rain. You feel the grip tighten or loosen, shake or smooth out, all depending on how you're driving and the conditions you're driving in. They are very comparable in this sense, though the Logitech wins out in build quality. Where the Logitech is made out of leather and steel, you're playing with plastic with the Thrustmaster TMX. It doesn't really affect your gameplay at all, it just serves to feel a little less realistic in your hands.
Both wheels have the option of an additional shifter that is sold separately. I didn't have the opportunity to test out the Thrustmaster shifter, but if the quality of the wheel is any indication, I would imagine the shifter is great as well and will add a new dimension to your racing. Where the wheels differ is in the pedals. Where the tension can be adjusted in both, the angle and width can only be adjusted with the new Thrustmaster TMX. Seeing as our Logitech wheel is used by both kids and adults, any opportunity to adjust for each rider is welcome. The Logitech pedals when set up with a high quality racing seat like the Open Wheeler are a bit far for riders under 5 feet. Pedal adjustment would be fantastic in these situations. For taller drivers, however, I haven't seen the need (yet) to adjust the angle or width of the Thrustmaster pedals at all, but it is nice to know it's there for the kids.
One area where the Thrustmaster soars above the much more expensive Logitech wheel is with compatibility. Both Logitech's wheels (for Xbox One and PS4) suffer from a very limited library of compatible titles. It's incredibly disappointing to spend so much money and find that it can't be used with more than half of the racing games you own, and when racing games are all your kids play, that disappointment is very frustrating. Thrustmaster claims full compatibility with ALL Xbox One titles, including menu screens, so no need to keep a regular controller nearby for navigating menus, even in the console menu. We didn't test all Xbox One racing games, but of the ones we did test, it worked flawlessly with all of them. It makes me question why Logitech can't do the same.
Both wheels have 900 degree rotation, so they break even here. If anything, the Logitech gives a little more pushback the harder you turn which is more realistic, but it could just be that I haven't fiddled with the settings of the Thrustmaster enough yet to get it to the same level. Both wheels are highly customizable in that regard. The Thrustmaster claims to be quieter than helical systems, such as that in the G920, but I haven't found that to be true. Both are pretty quiet, and definitely not noticeable over the roar of the cars when you're playing, so it's kind of a moot point.
Both units also mount securely. For an authentic racing experience, I highly recommend purchasing (or making) a stand for your wheel and especially the pedals. Neither wheel really has a great solution for using without a mount. The G920 has spikes on the bottom that are supposed to grip the carpet to keep it immobile. It works far better than not having anything at all, like with the Thrustmaster TMX, but it still moves a little bit and any pedal set will always move around if you don't have it screwed onto something. I highly recommend the Open Wheeler racing seat if you don't mind spending the money. You will be much happier than with any couch and table combo you might be using now.
Overall, both are great wheels, and the Thrustmaster TMX gives the G920 a run for it's money at half the cost. If you don't mind the cheaper look and feel, you will get very similar performance to it's more expensive competitor. Very minor differences felt during gameplay give the G920 a bit of an edge, but for racers on a budget, I have no hesitation recommending the Thrustmaster TMX. | video-games_xbox |
Pretty good. This game was pretty good, not amazing, the story wasn't as compelling or dramatic as AC:2 and AC Brotherhood, nor was constantinople as well designed, but the graphics were still good. The hookblade is a nice addition, and it makes climbing a lot faster, and assassinating guards from zip lines is pretty fun. Also, when you recruit assassins and send them on missions, you can send more than one assassin on a mission, so if you have a level 15 assassin, you can send him on a mission that gives out 5,000 XP, and have a level 3 tag along and rank the 3 up to a level 7 pretty fast. I hated how in Brotherhood I couldn't complete any of the difficult contracts. The addition of the tower defense game, I initially thought that it would be really fun, and the first one was really fun, but then the second one, they had this thing that shoots greek fire, and it is almost impossible to kill, and you only get to shoot your cannon at it about 4 times, and that only takes it's health down to 25%. if you manage to beat that, the third one you get a barricade that shoots greek fire, but then the templars have a machine gun seige engine that spawns enemies, and that is nearly impossible. I finally failed at the third one, when the templars have a cannon seige engine and no matter how many times you upgrade your barricades, it still destroy's them with one shot. If you get one of your dens attacked, just let the templars take it back, then kill the den captain. The story had some pretty compelling moments toward the end, when all the S**t starts to hit the fan and Ezio gets super P*ssed. the controls are the same as the previous games. Another con is that money is hard to get, all the treasure chests have in them is bomb ingredients, which there are a lot of treasure chests, you'll come across one every 30 seconds, and after about 30 or 40 treasure chests, you'll have maxed out your bomb ingredients, plus, anyone you kill, when you loot the body, you get bomb ingredients too. all the swords and armor and stuff costs a rediculous amount, and it is hard to buy stuff, even when constantinople brings in 13,000 coins every 20 minutes. The combat system is the same as brotherhood, and it is fun to get a lot of guards on you and go on a killing spree. the only hard unit to kill is a jannisary, and they have guns to shoot. overall, this game is pretty good, but has some stuff I could do without. | video-games_xbox |
I bought this consoled from amazon cause it was on sale and I wanted to play games like hockey and any xbox one exclusives. 3rd UPDATE: the Xbox one is repulsive.
2nd UPDATE: So I tried to buy the next season hockey game. I have 2 credit card numbers on my account; both expired. My new card has the same number as one of the expired accounts. The xbox won't let me exit the existing card account or let me add the new card because its already listed in the system. Oddly enough; I'm allowed to edit the information on the other expired card listed. So the Xbox One even fails when it comes to taking your money; which is usually the only things these companies make sure is solid before anything else. What a crap system.
UPDATE: I still regret this purchase. I'd never thought I'd say this about an Xbox but I hate the Xbox one. For the money build a PC. If you. Don't know how then learn, it's easier than you think.
ORIGINAL:
I owned the original xbox and have a 360, xbox live member for 8+ years. While 2 years ago I shifted all my gaming budget into PC tech to prepare for the oculus rift, I bought this consoled from amazon cause it was on sale and I wanted to play games like hockey and any xbox one exclusives.
While I only own 2 games on discs, the disc drive has not recognized that I have inserted these games multiple times. Plus, I had to wait over a day to play them because you can't play off the disc; you have to install it which is a tedious process (games purchased online take about 3 times longer to download onto the drive). Furthermore, the whole GUI is a gobbledygook, and every choice is delayed, sometimes you can't tell if it is just delayed or the console has frozen (the console has frozen at least 10 times in the 5 days I have owned it). For instance, he netflix opening screen is frozen right now, has been for about 15 minutes despite restating the console a few times... Oh yeah, you never really know when you have shut down any game or app you have opened (if they ever shut off at all). Going back to the install, I but a new disc in this morning and while it says it's installing, there is no other indication to see if it's true or if it's just. Frozen; cause hours have gone by.
I'm sure I have more to say but the console has me so annoyed I want to stop thinking about it. My impression was that playing video games fall down to about the 3rd or 4th priority of importance to the makers of the xbox one, the 1st priority to gather and sell as much personal habits/information as Microsoft can identify.
I mean, my feelings dropped from being unimpressed to grossly disappointed to being a regretful consumer. | video-games_xbox |
Well, I don't share your enthusiasm, but. I am the kind of gamer who absolutely requires, in this order for a great game: a good plot, good controls/gameplay, and good graphics. This game, in my opinion, falls short on at least 2 of these.
The plot is sort of neat, but it really feels more "in the background" than anything else. Nothing terribly exciting happens that you couldn't predict, but it is nicely done. I especially like the fact that he's telling the story, and its funny to hear him go, "no no, that isn't what happened...". Nonetheless, the story is addicting and you really feel like the prince.
The controls were hard to become accustomed to, but they ended up being great. Since the combat is fairly unique (the sand people have only one weakness--dagger of time), it takes a while to learn your abilities, but they are very neat. The gameplay IS SO LINEAR YOU COULD CHOKE. This is by and large the most annoying failure of the game. There is only way to go, and only one way to do it. You'll be running, jumping, swinging, climbing, dodging, shimmying, etc. the whole game. Whereas I do agree with someone else's review that this you feel great pulling these things off at ease, it gets tedious and repetitive. It never gets more difficult, the only difference between the beginning and end of the game is harder battles and usually timed switches. You cannot have a great game built off the concept: jump the gap, pull a switch, lame partner jumps a hole, pulls a switch, repeat repeat repeat.
The game is also too short. It really is a better rental, as it can easily be beaten in 3-4 days (if that). The major point is the graphics and sheer fun you have performing the acrobatics. The game is immensely fun despite these setbacks, and the scenery is indeed beautiful. You should definitely play it.
For those who care, it is also nice to know that the game is not that violent. You can only call it gore if you count flying sand as gore. The battles are hard, but the rest is easy, appealing to younger and less experienced gamers. Recommended. | video-games_xbox |
Very old batteries can be "fixed" with a little effort. Update:
I ordered two more of these, and both charged fine out of the box. I didn't have to "trick" either one of them, fortunately.
The thing is, these are official Microsoft batteries. They're well-made. They *can* be charged, but they're very old and may need some initial help due to being so drained and not getting proper periodic charge cycles over the years.
If you plug in the battery and the light turns green pretty quickly, you need to disconnect and re-connect it to charge. This could take anywhere from 4 to 20 times. You're basically getting "a little" charge into the battery each time, until the "smart" charger recognizes it fully and will begin charging as normal. Even after a full charge, it might drain faster than usual (ex: 2 to 4 hours of game play), but fully charge it again afterwards, and it'll get its life back.
If you plug in the battery and the light stays off entirely, it's so dead that it's not being recognized as a valid battery. You need to jump-start it using a good battery. Using bent paperclips or something similar (I actually used twist-ties with stripped ends), you need to bridge/touch the #2 PIN on both battery packs and the #5 PIN on both packs, at the same time. Hold for several seconds (I did it around 10 seconds). Then put it back on to charge. If it doesn't begin working, jump-start it again and try charging again. You might also need to "reset the battery indicator" which involves just the dead battery. You bridge PINS #1 and #5, release, then PINS #2 and #6.
How don't know how long these tricks will continue to work, but for $5 batteries that can be fixed, it's worth the added effort to get them working again.
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Original Review:
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Like others, I didn't read the reviews on the Microsoft Pink battery packs before purchasing a couple. I've had good luck with these batteries and the price was really low. However, these batteries are VERY old and have completely gone dead.
Neither of the batteries I purchased would power a controller out of the box. One of them worked again after I did the trick mentioned in another review. I plug in my controller with the Play-and-Charge cord to charge, and the controller light would go from red to green almost right away. To fix, just unplug and re-plug -- several times -- until finally it'll begin charging as normal. I've been using that battery and it seems to be fine now.
The other battery was trickier. The light would flash green just for an instant when plugged in, but then it would go off entirely. It wasn't being recognized as a valid battery at all. I tried the unplug/replug multiple times trick, but it would never even begin to charge.
But there is hope. I found some information about NiMH batteries which helped me get the second one working fine again.
I followed the instructions here:
[...]
This amounts to "discharging" the battery completely (which may be a non-issue, since this one already was), followed by "resetting" the battery indicator. It requires that you have a paperclip and touch two of the metal pins together.
With the "logo" right-side up (so that the pins are on the bottom half of the battery, not the top half), count the pins left to right as 1 through 6:
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
Reset the indicator by using a paperclip or something to touch pins 1 and 5 together. Next, touch pins 2 and 6 together.
This didn't solve the problem for me, but it's possible that it helped the next thing I did that *did* fix the problem.
For this, you need two paperclips. The Positive and Negative pins are 2 and 5. You will need a second battery that already has a charge in order to do this. Put the batteries side by side on a table, then use the paperclips to bridge pins 2 on both batteries and pins 5 on both batteries (2 to 2, 5 to 5). I did this for maybe 10 seconds, put the pink battery back in the controller, plugged it into USB, and now it appears to be charging correctly. The red light is on, where before it was unlit entirely.
For the price, I may order a couple more and see if they work with either of those tricks. If so, it's a good deal. | video-games_xbox |
Great Gaming Fun for all ages. I loved the original Lego Star Wars game. It was incredibly fun, very replayable and had a wicked sense of humor. Lego Star Wars II is just as fun, and covers Episodes IV-VI!
It's very rare to find a game that kids can play, adults can play, and everybody truly loves it. This is one of those games. I'm sure kids enjoy the game quite a lot - but pretty much every adult gamer I know loves this series as well. It's fun, it has classic scenes from the Star Wars movies done in a VERY funny style, and you can keep replaying it. You can play it with friends! You can unlock new episodes, new ships, new characters, you name it.
The first thing you notice when you enter the "Cantina" is that now you can MAKE NEW CHARACTERS!!! Yes, you can mix up Darth Vader's head, Princess Leia's torso and a stormtrooper's pants. You can mix pretty much any character you find in the game, and give them personalized names! Then you can bring 2 of your creations into the game with you on free play mode. Talk about fun!!
The game gets even better. Yes, you work through all the classic scenes - Luke buying the droids, the Death Star blowing up, and so on from the "first 3 movies" (in release order at least). The cut scenes are VERY funny. Being able to play along as the various characters is amazingly fun in story mode, and even better in "free play" when you can randomly switch between a variety of characters to find all the hidden items.
I love the stud finding system. You want more money? Just replay a mission a few times. You can get all sorts of fun "cheats" (not cheats, really, but fun add-ons), you can buy new characters to use, and much more. It really gives you incentive to keep playing.
Is a youngster in the house having trouble playing? Just have an adult pop into the game for a while to help out, then the adult can pop out again, to let the child keep playing! It is just brilliant. I love this game.
The graphics are superb, as last time, with little lego movements seeming just right. Their swaggers and sliders are incredibly funny. The sound, of course, is the real movie soundtrack and is superb. You couldn't ask for anything better.
Even the tiny touches are funny. If C-3PO starts getting hit, he loses an arm, then another arm, then a leg. You have him hopping along valiantly behind you, trying to remain with your team. Chewie rips off arms from stormtroopers.
Now of course, there are always a few things the game designers get wrong. While Chewie's arm-ripping is quite funny, it is REALLY annoying when he does it - very slowly - in the middle of a firefight when you wanted him to be blasting away. The characters automatically switch into close combat mode if they think someone is nearby, even if you really needed to fire away at someone with the blaster. Even more annoying, if you're blasting away at "destructables" (wall items, whatever) and your friend gets near you start bashing on him!
The camera is also really annoying. You get a *slight* amount of view control, but not much. When you are craning around trying to find a mini-kit on the screen and the camera keeps swooping wildly exactly where you do NOT want to look, it can get very frustrating.
Still, these are minor problems in a game that is so stellar. I highly, highly recommend this game for any gamer of any age. It's incredibly fun. | video-games_xbox |
Fantastic! Impressive! Amazing. As a family I believe we have the world of gaming systems covered. We have XBox360 & XBox1, PS3 & PS4, Wii & Wii2, along with other assorted older game systems.
My son and myself are mostly into shooter games. Our middle son is into role playing and the youngest is a Mario addict. Unlike previous reviews that I have read we do not use ours for music listening although that certainly will be done soon. For games like Call of Duty and miscellaneous other war and shooter games it is Fantastic! We've only had inexpensive headsets and mics before. The difference is astounding. Commands I have never heard before while playing are as clear as day. Speech that seemed to be mumbled or said in a whisper are clear and concise. The group I play with says our new mic makes it easier to hear and understand us. I am super impressed with the quality, the results and the ease of set up!
We had the role player try it, but he only uses PS3 & 4, and is not at all into shooting games, so he was not interested. Perhaps if there was a unit for Playstation he might have more curiosity. The youngest simply shrugged and kept driving his Mario Karts!
This is our first Turtle Beach product. I've seen them before but the name was a turnoff. It just didn't seem like a name that implied quality. I was wrong! If this set lasts I will be extremely happy. Others have mentioned a short battery life, and uncomfy headphones, but to us, that is unimportant. I doubt that we will ever use the headset for 10 consecutive hours, and the set fits us perfectly...much better than the cheapies we own now.
The ability to appreciate music to the fullest is not one of our priorities. When Garth Brooks and Blake Shelton are your favorites, it doesn't much matter. I am pleased to know that functionality if there for the future if we ever decide there is a need.
The Turtle Beach Ear Force Elite could get more stars if the were more to give. This is the best addition we could ever add to our XBox1 gaming system. | video-games_xbox |
Good for what it is. First, I am an EA Sports hater! Why? They are lazy when it comes to graphics. Theytry to put as few details as possible in order to meet their annual "updates" to their sports games. The level of detail could never get near a GTA 4. I also hate them for buying up the NFL license in order to prevent - not beat competition! Then for further insult, they bought the ESPN license to take away anything that 2K had left in their supperior games. Lastly, they also stole 2K's graphical styling starting with Madden (I think 2001 or 02. The one with McNabb? on the cover). Before they took 2K's style, Madden was lame.
Now, I kind of left Madden alone after the 2nd one for the 360 which cut back on the graphics and the gameplay. I never bought these mind you, I played them at a buddy's house. I miss playing a football game so I decided to get this one. I was very concerned after EA messed up the Fight Night 4! However, this one is pretty good.
They did pump up the graphics. Still not as maximized as I feel sports games should be on the 306 or PS3 (GTA 4 shows you where things should be!), they did step it up. The uniforms now look kind of realistic and you can see the satin and even the numbers look like the material they are made out of. You even get your choice of uniforms, throwback included. You can also change the helmets, jersey's, pants etc. to what you want them to be! This is good as it can get boring seeing the same thing. The stadiums look good and jump at you like the first Madden for the 360.
Play wise, it played well, but I soon found out why else I hate EA Sports! No matter how the game is going, they always control the game and possible outcome, they never let the player's skill determine the flow of the game and the outcome. Let's say you are up by 21 after the first half. The game will give the other player an opportunity to score by allowing them to get intterceptions, fumbles and anything else that can help them. EA always does this and I hate this! We are supposed to be playing a game, so our skills should guide the game not the game!! For example, I just through playing (I got this on release day) and the game (Eagles vs Steelers, online) had a good 6 interceptions! These were not interceptions caused by the skill of the other player, they were caused by the game! I know both teams have good defenses,but this is crazy! The other guy was down and the interceptions are what cuased him to come back and win. I know Ben throws them, but come on!
Also, unless I was unable to read, challenging a play seems to be a hard thing as I do not see it in the instruction book. In fact, I don't see too much in the book. I also noticed how I have to press my buttons twice alot. It hurts when you try to call a fiar catch or throw a fast ball and it does not happen due to the button problem. Yes, my control works well on other games. The recover the fumble systems is not bad because it gives both a fiarer chance to recover. I actually like it since I seem to recover all of the time.
I would say get it. I just wish that EA would not let the game guide the flow or even the outcome. I know that some games become field goal games and outhers are blowouts, but the player's skills should determine that, not EA. There are still things that could be done, but there always will be as they need to make it appear as if each game is a new one, when it's just an old with a new number and roster/uniforms/stadium changes. | video-games_xbox |
Fun zombie stomper with some frustrating aspects. First off, let's acknowledge that this is a Capcom game about surviving a zombie outbreak. This is not Mass Effect or even Dead Space, and if you came here in search of transcendent meaning or to be touched to your very soul, you and Commander Shepard will be very disappointed.
What Dead Rising 3 does offer is a fun gonzo take on smashing zombies with a huge assortment of weapons and vehicles, many of which you can construct yourself after you find either semi-random or plot triggered blueprints. The weapon and vehicle construction is fun stuff, though the game's decay mechanic means that you can never enjoy any weapon for too long, by design.
As I alluded to above, the dialogue and plot would embarrass the writers of a children's cartoon and the zombie stomping can get tedious after a while. But my biggest complaints about the game are (1) the inventory system, and (2) the annoyance of trying to find important items on the ground while being attacked by scores of zombies.
The inventory system annoys the @$%@ out of me. You start with four slots and can upgrade later by a couple. Four would really be fine for weapons (even though they decay and you can quickly run out of weapons, there are almost always a bunch lying around), but that number includes healing supplies and anything you want to craft. So if you see two things you want to craft you must pick both up, possibly dropping other items, then craft them, then hopefully remember to pick up your dropped item. Would a backpack be too much to ask for? Probably. Again, this is a zombie smashing button smasher and it shouldn't have to make apologies for it. (Later in the game, there are "safe zones" where all items you've discovered appear in lockers, making dilemmas over keeping items irrelevant.)
My other complaint is that the game aspires to have interesting side quests and points of interests like the Batman Arkham series, but the objects you are supposed to be collecting or the "scenes" that you are supposed to investigate are not always clear. I've died many times in this game after receiving a helpful alert that a "tragic ending" is nearby that I should investigate. But, even if I can find it, the mechanism for interacting is to pick up an object. This can be difficult when you are being swarmed by an endless horde of zombies. Modest suggestion to Capcom: code it so the events trigger when you run over them.
It would also be nice if you could clear areas of zombies for a little while. There's one scene on a bridge where you get access to a ton of weapons--not unlimited but maybe 20-30 assault rifles and shotguns. I cleared every zombie from that bridge. But within minutes there were practically as many as before. It would be nice to get both the temporary sense of accomplishment of clearing an area and the perfect zombie apocalypse terror of realizing that you'll never be able to keep them down for long. (The game does provide some "safe zones" where you can hide out relatively unmolested.)
There's also no sense, like you get in Dead Space, of having to conserve bullets or save a good weapon for an emergency. Weapons are too plentiful and its too big of a pain to try to manage inventory to worry about saving a primo weapon.
On a technical level, the game is extremely pretty, but not mind-blowing. Load times are indeed incredibly long when the game first loads and then non-existent. What astounds me is how long the game takes to quit. It's a good thirty seconds after you tell it to quit game. What on earth is going on there? The menus are good, the inventory is frustrating, and the leveling system is motivational. Bosses are really not that bad, except that you have to train yourself to run around looking for supplies while fighting them, which seems odd at first. Deus Ex: Human Revolution used the same dynamic and it always seemed odd to me--ah, what a careless villain to leave the objects of his destruction lying about! But whether you love them or hate them, the boss fights are few and far between.
All of that said, this game falls squarely into the mindless fun category and, the category of games that make me ask: if I was fourteen, would I enjoy this game? The answer: heck yes!
If you enjoy whacking zombies, this is your fast paced nightmare zombie game. If you cringe with bad plots and dialogue or like your games to be a bit slower and thoughtful, you probably won't like it.
(I hope you found my review helpful and won't down vote it simply because you either unconditionally love or unconditionally hate the game. I've tried to provide an honest take of the pros and cons of this enjoyable, yet simple game.) | video-games_xbox |
games sound good. Without the proper settings. Sentey Harmoniq Pro Real 5.1 Gs-4840 sp
Use - Windows 7 64 bit w/ over 60 Steam PC Games plus some Origin Games & Blizzard Games
Software - Plug and Play Windows Software which automatically loads, plus lastest software from Sentey Website for these headphones.
Settings:
Harmoniq Software:
System Input = 8 Channel
System Output = 6 Speakers
DPS = Off [no virtual]
Equalizer = Default
Environment Size = Medium
All Environment Enhancement Options = None Applied
Optional:
In Windows Sound Options with Headphones Plugged into a USB 2.0 slot:
Right Click the USB Speaker Symbol and select "Speaker Configuration" from the Drop Down Menu.
Make sure 7.1 Speakers are selected (they should be automatically). And for the tick boxes, check "Full Range Speakers" for Front, side and Surround Speakers [Enabled].
On the Manual Control Knob attached to the Headphone USB Cable. Back Off by 1/3 Front, Rear, and Center Speakers, which will raise the volume of the Subwoofer Speaker in the Headphones and give you more control over how much bass you want.
* With these proper settings, games sound great.
* If you have games that have 5.1 surround sound in the sound options of the game, enable it. Otherwise games that don't have this option seem to automatically enable the full sound. In fact I'm positive they do, Skyrim is a good example.
* The subwoofer may not be what you expect, but sounds good with all games I've tried. Without the right settings, the Subwoofer may sound like you're in a barrel and very poor quality. With the right settings, it's good. With movies, it's absolutely great. It's as strong as you want to make it.
After downloading and installing newest software from Sentey, and making the right settings with in that software, these headphones are very user friendly. Just plug it into the usb slot and it automatically starts working. When you unplug it from the computer, your normal computer speakers will automatically start working again.
By the way, I use this with a 3 meter USB extension Male to Female USB cable, for a total of almost 20 feet of cable. The works perfectly, and makes it easier to unplug the headphones as well since I don't have to reach to the back of my computer. I just unplug it from the extension USB cable.
The only challenge was Diablo 3, but with the right settings even that turned out good enough.
* The Mic. I did not try the mic. But, it does fold back easily to be out of the way.
* Comfort. These are very comfortable headphones. I can wear them all day long. They are extremely comfortable for me.
* Construction and Quality of Materials. Very good, sturdy, well designed, durable.
Games I've tried this with: Skyrim, Dues Ex Human Revolution, Dead Space 1, Dead Space 3, Diablo 3, Dead Island, Doom 3, Crisis 3.
Movies I've tried this with: Doom and Alien.
Closing thoughts: Without the right settings, these headphones will not sound quite right in games. After you set the settings like I mentioned here, you "may" only occasionally want to adjust one of the settings on the control doggle attached to the cord, like center channel volume or subwoofer volume, but even transitioning from game to game or movie to movie, or game to movies, I don't really need to touch it or adjust anything. Once it's set, it's set.
These by the way are real 5.1 sound. And the difference between virtual and real is significant. Real 5.1 is MUCH better then a virtual effect produced from only a 2 speaker system. These really open everything up. I love the fact that you can control the volume of the individual center, side and rear speakers. In games and movies, voices for example usually come through the center channel, so you can have the voice volume exactly how you like. I have to tell you, these headphones are the best headphones ever. But I almost sent them back at first, because my settings weren't right and the sub didn't sound quite right in games.
Even still, in Diablo 3, the bass doesn't seem deep enough, although the bass is loud enough. And it seems too much over to the right side of my head (because the subwoofer is only in one ear piece, the right side). But I know it's not a problem with the headphones because in movies it's rich and deep, and you can't even tell that the sub is only in one ear piece since it penetrates your entire skull, in a good way.
P.S. The Harmoniq software will actually control the settings in the Windows sound speaker options menu. But you may want to go in once as I mentioned, to select the boxes for "Full Range Speakers" for front, side and rear.
And I get no "crackles" here whatsoever, or any other sound artifacts, as one reviewer mentioned. It's just clean, excellent sound. I highly recommend these. I'm not a paid reviewer, and I did not receive any free headphones or anything of that nature. I'm just trying to help people because I know how hard it is to research these types of items. I spent 20 hours researching before deciding on these. I'm very happy I did, and would buy them over again above any others in a heartbeat, especially after experiencing real 5.1 sound. The sound separation is just better.
Update:
For Diablo 3, the Best settings are
Input = 6 channel
Output = 4 Speaker.
Diablo 3 has never sounded better. This also shows their software can come in really handy. I love these headphones more than ever with each passing day. I'm almost tempted to get another pair incase anything happens to this one. | video-games_xbox |
Great for intended purpose. This remote works great for what it was intended for, to be a DVD-remote for the Xbox 360 and to controll your TV while doing so. It has the basic TV controls which is all you need while using the 360 to watch DVDs.
Programing of the remote for my TV was easy and quick. Better than many OEM remotes I have used. Only thing I didn't like was that the TV codes are only available online and do not come with the remote, I had to waste like 2 minutes looking them up. : ) It would be nice to include some with it, at least the major TV brands. Also has a TV scan so you don't need the codes, but I find that they don't always work but I didn't test it on this remote.
Only major flaw I found is the lack of a TV-menu or Sleeptimer button. I like to fall asleep watching DVDs but I'll still have to us my original TV remote to set my sleep timer.
For those that thought it was going to be the ultimate universal remote, 2 things:
1) Did you really think that a remote at this price could really do everything?
2) If you have a reciever for suround sound and want the remote to control other electronics, why are you watching DVDs on your 360 instead of a DVD player? Only exception there is the HDDVD player add-on.
The Media Center button is cool also, I don't usually have my 360 connected to my media center computer, but I tried it out and is a nice feature.
Buttons seem to be good. Numeric TV buttons are in my opinion not in a good spot and to use your thumb to press them means that you barely are holding onto the remote, almost to a point where you could easily drop it. The numeric buttons also don't push all that great. The other buttons all press down fine. Ink on the buttons seems of decent quality, I'll have to wait and see how long it lasts.
Remember, this remote was designed as a DVD remote for the 360 first, of which is does an awesome job, for those that do not want to use thier controllers, and second as a TV remote.
With the recent price drop, it is worth it. | video-games_xbox |
For the seasoned shooter. I was very excited to receive this through the Vine program. Upon arrival I ripped through the packaging and found a rather large and intimidating gun. I say intimidating because I no longer play shooting games as much as I would like since the kids have gotten older and occupy the video game systems.
There is shooting gallery modes as well as a story mode that takes us to the past and back to the present. The graphics are impressive and it is rather nerve-wracking when a wide variety of beasts close in on you from behind and you need to rapidly turn around. It is too much for my skill set, but my hubby does very well. The gun has two sensors that supposedly measure your heart rate and it is incorporated into the games sight and steadiness. It's great if you are a shooter because it brings a bit of realism to the game. I personally find that my arm begins to hurt and it becomes rather cumbersome holding up the weapon throughout the game. Button placement is severely lacking. Reloading is not an easy task and considering all of the beasts racing at you from every direction. So many times I was caught because I believed that I had reloaded when in reality the button placement had made it a miss.
I find that there are a bit too many animals for you to annihilate very quickly and it makes it a game that you need to practice a bit before becoming a seasoned player.
Recommend for anyone that is interested in this genre or hunting in general. If you love to shoot zombies then this game is the opposite of that. I always loved zombie shooting games and this one is not one that I will reach for often. The button placement really was a severe miss and makes it just too difficult for both my husband and self. It's great that they tried to come out with a 'new' gimmick, but the heart rate function just isn't enough to make it a popular title that will fly off the shelves. This is a completely niche market product. | video-games_xbox |
Good w/ room for improvement. I have enjoyed this franchise since Madden 97. Madden 11 was one of my favorites. I waited to get this year's edition as I was very unhappy with Madden 12, and wanted to read some other user reviews first. The demo played nicely, which helped me make up my mind.
*You can't import a draft class from NCAA 13 to this game like in past years. I have no interest in buying both games -- they look and play almost exactly alike, so why buy 2 of the same game. Some people like college, and others prefer pro.
Some of the negatives you may be aware of are:
- ability to edit players is limited
- no soundtrack like past years - anyone have an iPod? Playing your own music in the background always worked before. I used to get tired of hearing the same 12 tracks anyway.
- Offline franchise is limited to one player - it would be nice if they changed this with a patch, but I doubt that will happen.
- Can no longer create a team
That being said, the franchise mode is tweaked a little, but there is still a franchise aspect to this game. While the developers made changes, they didn't flat out REMOVE this game mode. I realize people like their routines or habits, so if you don't like this change/addition, go play Madden 12 (virtually unplayable due to glitches IMO). There are a few annoying glitches with this version, but they don't ruin the experience.
Some more positives:
- The player models look great.
- CBS broadcast and presentation is very nice, but I have to admit I often skip the intros to get right to the game.
- Ultimate team is re-vitalized - Madden 11 still had the best edition of this IMO.
Despite a few changes, this is a fun game. I don't consider this the same as the prior year's game with roster updates. Change can be good. Doing research before buying ANY game is smart.
Edit (11/1/12): Almost all games have glitches, but after trying to get into this game, I've encountered a 'salary cap glitch,' which makes that mode of the game basically unplayable. $1 Billion in cap penalties, preventing signing of players = BROKEN. MUT is fun for the most part, but that alone doesn't make this worth buying.
I wish I returned this sooner, but now I can only get half value as a trade-in.
I wish I rented or borrowed this game.
Thanks for being loyal to you customers, EA??? | video-games_xbox |
Assassin's Creed is Impossible to Forget. Assassin's Creed is a game about heart pounding speed, swords, and survival that is impossible to forget. Through advanced technology the player revisits experiences of their ancestors, trapped memories waiting to be discovered in our DNA. In this case, we uncover memories of Altair, a highly skilled assassin in the thick of the crusades in 1191 Israel. Unravel history by fulfilling your place in it and see to the removal of high ranking misguided leaders. Gather field intelligence, stake out your mark, and develop a plan, knowing that stealth is required to do what must be done. Once the hit is made though, your speed and your sword are the only true allies you have.
Altair finds himself constantly struggling with the reality of his task and it's lethal end, finding no solace in the confessions of his targets. He rides horseback through Israel to expansive and detailed cities like Damascus and Jerusalem, stopping to lend his sword to save a helpless citizen, or rescue a clergyman being mugged. Then it's up, time to explore and take in the massive cityscapes, smoothly leaping from roof to roof, and gracefully climbing every surface around.
The remarkable town structures look authentic with an added abundance of handholds and footholds on a massive scope. Altair will grab and climb everything, scaling the peak of a watchtower and the steeple of a towering church. The serene view is balanced by the deadly chaotic chase the will eventually come. With nerves rattling, the intense chase scenes are a thrilling mix of speed and swordplay. Being circled by eight guys with swords requires a quick hand and timed defense, making the blade to blade combat a perfect example of sword fighting finally done right. Stopping to fight pursuers can lead to an exciting realization though, that you are outnumbered twenty to one with more guys coming from the ally. Fight or flight, and now it's time to go, but one misstep can be your last, because a dead end while on the run is exactly that.
When gathering Intel on your target, sometimes the knowledge is not as helpful as it could be. For example, in Crackdown, paying attention to the info gets you to your target due to the knowledge of the most unguarded way, but I found Altair would have to do whatever the game intended, regardless of the preparation before the strike. Also I enjoy any opportunity to travel horseback, but the fighting is so well choreographed, that when on my trusty steed, I lack the efficiency with my blade that I came to expect.
The way Assassin's Creed keeps me thinking about it is a true indicator of it's memorable quality, and of it's need for a sequel. The cliffhanger ending opens potential doors and leaves an anticipation that no hype can equal. The aspect of running for your life at full tilt and climbing anything you see is like playing Tombraider with out ever stopping once to look around, sometimes leaping on faith. Going after your high ranking target is like Crackdown, but with swords set in deadly hands. Swords that do so many things, that you find impossible to forget. | video-games_xbox |
I feel like the entire development staff is filled with "video game . Another "Ubisoft production."
This is the first Ubisoft game I have purchased since Assassin's Creed Unity and this marks the last.
These idiots still haven't gotten their act together. I feel like the entire development staff is filled with "video game school" dropouts.
The entire production is reminiscent of the online bug fare found in Unity. Constant crashing, constant disconnects, etc. The only improvement over Unity is the saved session state. So if you do crash or get disconnected, if you promptly return to the game--your place is saved, barring the owner of the group doesn't remove you, if you were previous owner--the new owner can kick you.
It's another game riddled with glitches such as invisible walls that you cannot clear around corners, betraying lazy programming that couldn't bother with removing the invisible barriers that prevent the player from smoothly clearing a corner, which can be quite counterproductive in challenging missions while you're taking fire and spell the difference between success and failure. The actual combat system is funky and counterintuitive. A player might try to instinctively react to an incoming grenade by fleeing, while simultaneously indenting the right joystick to spring and move in a diagonal direction, let's use northwest for instance, and doing so results in a northeast direction of travel...toward the epicenter of the grenade explosion instead.
I'm no rookie gamer, most games with fluid combat systems let my hand-eye coordination shine but this is not one of those games, folks.
This game does have its qualities and is definitely worth playing for its unique and innovative offerings but the bugs make it a game that will stay shelved once something better comes along and coupled with the little replay value, in light of lack of something better to play right now is why this will remain a 3-star production.
My advice to prospective buyers is to wait 'til it falls to the $35 US-dollar price tag range.
Good luck, gamers! | video-games_xbox |
Trade in one problem for another. Pros. You give up the wires, you don't have to fight the cords anymore.
Cons. You have more problems with your controller.
Ok, the one I got has the GameStop logo stamped right in the center of it, and it's orange like it was a trademark off of Half/life or somethin', unlike what you see here. It also has the 2.4 GHz mark in right handle.
I bought this item back in 2011, so it's well past it's refund policy here on amazon. But when I first got it, it was ok to work with at first. Over time thou, the more you handle it, the more you begin to see problems developing, (depending on the game of cores). The first problem was the left control stick was slightly off from it's center. For some reason, when you let go of it, the character wants to face the lower right, not go to the right, just face the right. So you'll be fighting that though-out all the games.
Like if you're playing a 3rd person game, when you're done moving the character to where you want it to go, it'll face to the lower right, almost looking back at you. If you're playing a 1st person shooter game, you'll be looking down at your right foot once you're done moving him. In a side person mode, (usually side person visuals are common in fighting games). The player will knell in a crotch position for a second. In a over-head 3rd person game like Marvel ultimate alliance game, the player will always face in a lower right corner.
So you'll be fighting that problem no matter what game you're playing. I tried to fix this problem by sprinkling some powder-like substance on it, in hopes to fix it, but all that did was turn a bad situation worse. Apparently it caused all the buttons to not work at all. *Sigh...* So, I had to go and take it apart and dust out the powder that was trapped in it by air-blasting it out. Once done, It started to work again, but under it's "own" terms. Like now, the buttons are becoming unresponsive in time in crucial times on fighting. Try playing Wrath Unleashed and you'll see what I mean. (That is if you get the same POS controller). But in other games it works just fine, (with the exception of the left joystick doing it's thing as always). And before you ask, NO it's not a battery thing either.
I've seen it all now. Have you ever had a controller fight you on which games to play? So that it, if you buy this thing, enjoy the frustration. | video-games_xbox |
Rise of the Nightmares-Good Game: Yes Flawless controls:NO. I bought this game a couple of months ago when it came out on sale, I saw the reviews saying it was definitively a scary game for the Kinect and I thought it looked worth the price.
I think it's safe to say that the game is scary when you scream bloody murder while playing it, Yeah I'll admit it, this game horrified me. In a good way, in a way many horror games miss out on.
With so many horror titles being released that are sub par or only have a couple little scares here and there or just plain aren't scary, this one is definitely an unseen little diamond. That doesn't necessarily mean it will terrify everyone out there though, I think of myself as someone who is hard to scare but not impossible. And some of you might have had more experience with scary games. But in my opinion, this game is legitimately scary, it's got these clockwork people that jump out from coffins and creepy rooms, believe me you by the time you get there you won't want to walk into the dark creepy rooms! its alot scarier then it sounds. But I'll go ahead and admit that it scared me so much I screamed bloody murder playing it. That's my testimonial for the game itself
So here is why my review is four stars, the game itself is awesome, and I'd give it five. But here's my biggest problem.
Reviewers who say this game is proof of how the kinect can work are lying. I don't know what game they're playing that works so flawlessly with the kinect but it sure isn't this one.
We all know that with the release of the Kinect it had some bugs to work out, I really hope they do work on it over at Microsoft and fix it up because it needs work, and that's the end of the story.
As far as the game goes, the controls leave much to be desired..
First of all, this game seems to want you to have the space of a football field for the kinect to read your movements. You need a LOT of room, a LOT, so I hope you have a good sized living room, if not consider moving some furniture around.
You'll have to readjust the Kinect very often.
Secondly the walking controls... They don't work. Not in the least. You're supposed to be able to walk by standing in one position and moving one foot forward. Here is where the problem starts,
The Kinect will constantly fail to recognize your feet, lean forward lean left lean right, it just will happen. Sometimes the guy just stops moving or even worse walks backwards which is never a good idea in any scenario involving mutant clockwork dead people and razor sharp traps. So basically the walking function barely works, something that works in even the worst and most broken games.
The fighting I will say works alot better, sometimes it misreads your movements, and if you move too quickly or swing all over the place it will only be to your disadvantage. The game tells you not to be shy in your movements, but what has worked best for me is to use more precise movements, and aiming at the spot or target i want to hit.
One of the biggest problems with the combat is that when you move your arms and upper body the rest of your body is bound to move with it... And unfortunately the Kinect tends to misread that as moving backwards and forwards like a drunkard swaying completely out of control. My advice is to remain as still as possible and make more precise movements with your hands, aim carefully because chopping off limbs really helps in this game.
So in the end, this game is awesome, and it's definitely worth getting, I think it would also make a great gift for any horror fan or kinect user... One that's over 18. It's got some great scares and is really fun to watch and play.
But if your looking for a game that revolutionizes the Kinect, look somewhere else because the movements and controls are not precise and need a lot of work. (I don't believe it's the game developers fault I think it's the Kinect) And make a LOT of space for yourself. Last of all Enjoy! | video-games_xbox |
A well-built LEGO masterpiece. I stopped questioning why LEGO with Star Wars was a great combination when I started to like peanut butter with pickles and pizza with milk. Traveler's Tales and LucasArts put together a wildly popular adventure with the original LEGO Star Wars game, which took Episodes I, II, and III and mixed wacky LEGO-inspired humor with accessible gameplay. For the most part, I avoided the original game, labeling it as a "kiddy game." With LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, I realize my mistake and will be picking up the original as soon as possible-LEGO and Star Wars go together like cake with icing, pizza with cheese, brownies with nuts...well, unless you're allergic to nuts.
LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy isn't a sequel, but it takes you through the original Star Wars trilogy, composed of Episodes IV, V, and VI. Those three classic films are the bread and butter of the franchise (yes, I promise I'll stop talking about pairs from here on out). Traveler's Tales did an absolutely amazing job recreating the films and telling the stories from each film in LEGO Star Wars II. You'll live through all of the memorable scenes, like the Death Star trench pursuit in Episode IV, the betrayal at Bespin in Episode V, and the chaos with Jabba the Hutt at the Sarlacc Pit in Episode VI. They even do it all authentic-Han shoots Greedo first in the Mos Eisley Cantina! That's what I'm talkin' about, Traveler's Tales!
Each of the 18 story-based levels features a lot of shooting, things blowing up, and in true LEGO fashion, putting things together to solve puzzles, make switches and vehicles, and all sorts of other items. The creativity that is shown here is impressive, and the level design is excellent. The boys at Traveler's Tales definitely deserve a pat on the back for almost all of these levels. Though some of them tend to drag on a bit-especially some of the last few, which are much longer and more difficult than those in Episode IV-they're all worth playing through and beating LEGO Star Wars II shouldn't take even the slowest gamer more than 10 hours to complete.
Of course, beating the game and finding all of its seemingly-endless secrets are two different things. For those of you looking for some replay value, you've come to the right place. Each of LEGO Star Wars II's levels contains 10 capsules that unlock ships that you can view outside of the game's main hub. Levels also contain hundreds of little LEGO nuts that act as currency, and collecting enough of them unlocks a "True Jedi" rank for each level in both Story and Free Play modes. On top of all of that, you can find elusive Red Bricks that unlock cheats and secrets. I'd estimate that it would take a gamer about 30 hours to find and unlock everything this game has to offer-and it offers everything. I mean, seriously, you can play as some of the most popular characters (Boba Fett, Vader) or some of the more obscure ones (Bossk, anyone?).
The gameplay in LEGO Star Wars II features a lot of puzzle-solving but also a lot of action. The puzzle-solving elements can range from very simple to extremely clever, but not at one point are the puzzles cheap or impossible to figure out-usually I just wasn't looking everywhere or shooting enough. In fact, in almost every puzzle, you have to destroy something in order to build something else. Near the end of the game, if I was stuck, I started shooting things and that seemed to solve my problems. I thought this was nice, since some of the younger players will inevitably get stuck and start shooting things at random.
The action isn't quite as impressive, but it isn't bad, either. Shooting and gunplay show a little bit of LEGO Star Wars II's average side-targeting isn't very dependable, and there are far too many times where I felt overpowered. There are also too many respawns for enemies and too many enemies appear from off-screen and off-camera, meaning a lot of damage can be done before you even see enemies. Dying is extremely annoying in this game! It causes you to lose some of your LEGO nuts and hence some of that progress towards a True Jedi ranking, and exempts you from those elusive "Unbreakable" Xbox 360 Achievements unlocked for winning each level without dying. I felt taunted when I'd get shot from off-screen and I'd watch my little LEGO Han Solo explode into a thousand LEGO nuts. Still, it is always fun to clear out rooms of Stormtroopers and fighting bosses like Darth Vader, the Emperor, and that annoying spy with the goggles and snout in Mos Eisley.
Shooting levels make up about four of those 18 Story missions, and they range from being very fun to very annoying. Fun levels include the Death Star level at the end of Episode IV and the Hoth battle at the start of Episode V...but after those two, prepare for some of the most excruciating missions in the game. Don't even get me started on the Episode V Asteroid Fields or the Speeder Bike level in Episode VI. In short, they were two of my least favorites.
Visually, LEGO Star Wars II isn't as boring and blocky as you might expect. It's actually quite colorful and the visual charm goes quite well with the story. Nice touches like explosions and particle effects that send LEGO pieces flying everywhere make this game, at the very least, a pleasant sight. My favorite note on presentation is the lack of voice acting-it's appropriate and fits the game's humor very, very well. I'm glad that Traveler's Tales skipped voice acting, because it saves what would inevitably be an endless bashing on bad voice acting and stupid dialogue. The sound effects are also appropriate, and you'll hear every blaster and light saber sound effect conceivable before the game's over. Last of all, one can't forget the all-too-memorable John Williams score that heartily picks up when the action picks up.
If you get bored playing alone, LEGO Star Wars II has a fantastic pick-up-and-play cooperative mode that allows a second player to jump into the action at any time. This co-op mode makes each level much easier and even makes the most annoying flying missions tolerable. It's not a big disappointment that there isn't Xbox Live gameplay or competitive multiplayer, so I'm not complaining-the co-op mode works great, feels great, and is good enough for me.
LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy isn't just a kid's game. To discredit it as such would be a sin for any Star Wars fan. If anything, it's the perfect throwback to all of the old memories and memorable scenes of the original Star Wars classics. LEGO Star Wars II isn't perfect-the gunplay is a little frustrating and some of the levels had me cursing at the TV-but it's a fun game that people of all ages can enjoy. Parents, there's not a better way to get your children into the greatest trilogy in film history. | video-games_xbox |
Lay waste to 1000's on your way to victory. Dynasty Warriors returns with it's 6th installment and for fans of the series, it doesn't disappoint. There have been many versions of 3,4 and 5 but 6 is the first actually built for next gen systems and it shows.
Dynasty Warriors has been a very successful franchise (especially in Japan) that uses actual historical battles and figures from chinese history. The game has you re-enact these battles and largely pits you in a 1 vs 1000 role to decide which clan will dominate the land. You choose a soldier that's part of a clan, each with their own story lines, and even though there are other officers and soldiers at your side, you are the one to decide victory or defeat. Success of the clan depends on your skills, which improve with every battle. Life, strength, weapons, horses, combos and special attacks will all see dramatic change as you power up by defeating officers and claiming treasure left behind. These are huge scale battles that can take up to 45min to 1 hr. to complete, depending on how you go about victory. The accessable thing about DW is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. There's no blood or any of the other horrors of war to make us believe we're simulating reality. It's really the best way to go for a game like this.
Many criticize this series for it's AI which, in reality, doesn't really seem that intelligent. Most enemies and allies seem to stand around the battlefield while you do all the work. DW6 hasn't changed that much. There's a seems to be some more activity and chaos but not much over past iterations. Your fellow soldiers charge in and out and set themselves up for battle, but upon watching them, you see that they do very little to increase your chance of success. While foot soldiers are largely inactive, the officers are much more aggressive on both sides. Some are quite challenging. Lu Bu is a beast and more dangerous than ever.
There are some new additions here that are noteworthy. There are some new characters, new move sets for older ones, and new abilities like swimming and climbing ladders. I also like that you can start out with a selection of horses so you don't have to run everywhere like in previous versions. Not only that, but at anytime, you can hit the D-Pad and your horse will find you so you can ride to or away from any situation that calls for it. Most noticably are the improved graphics. While not mind blowing as some of the newer games, they are much better than before. The character models look very good as do the menus and cut scenes. There's still some pop up from characters but the framerate seems smooth and didn't slow down when many were on the same screen. The landscapes are still a little bland but in the heat of battle, you don't notice them much anyway. I also still like the hard rock tunes that jam out on the menus and during battles. Why ancient chinese armies and metal go together, I don't know, but it's always worked for me. The character voice acting seems a little better this time too.
I do wish we had been given more control over the armies. There are some tough battles where your officers are being killed and you have many squads sitting about on other places on the map. It would be great to be able to send them where they're needed the most. It's been a frustration in the series for years and I'd like to see it fixed. I'd also like to be able to charge my special attack while running. It was a great feature when implemented in DW4 but instead of having to stop and charge, I found many instances when it would've been alot more helpful to run while charging. I'm missing some of the variety from past titles too. Where are the native forces whith the elephant troops? Or the windmills that cause you to fight against the wind till you could destroy them? I'm not saying we need the same thing but I was hoping DW6 would give us more enemy and tactic types. Also, even though I know it'll probably never be done because it would take a ton of memory, I can't help thinking how cool it would be if all the bodies of the fallen from both sides stayed where they fell instead of disappearing. That would be very cool to see.
Nevertheless, I've been a big Dynasty Warriors fan since it began this formula with DW2 and I'm not disappointed here as I kind of knew what to expect. Fans know that each year is a slight impovement from before but that there's never anything drastic. I think this is a bigger leap beyond others though and don't see any reason for current fans to be disappointed. They should feel right at home considering the formula is largely unchanged. There's alot of playing time here with Musou mode. Solo or co-op Free mode and challenge mode extend the games life and give it legs. For those new to the series, I'd suggest a rent, or aquiring an earlier installment on XBOX or PS2. This series may not be for everyone, but it's for me. | video-games_xbox |
The Bioware Formula: almost perfected. I've had a love/hate relationship with Bioware for a very long time. They are a company that plays at greatness constantly, but can never quite find the correct balance of story and gameplay. At least, not since <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Star-Wars-Knights-of-the-Old-Republic/dp/B000067DPM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic</a>, a game which I still hold today as my most favorite game of all time (in addition to being my favorite story of all time). But ever since the days of Revan and the Ebon Hawk, Bioware has since attempted to bring that true RPG experience back to the players a few times over. And while they've yet to fully succeed in my eyes, this game certainly comes the closest.
DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS is a tale of dark fantasy that takes place in the nation known as Ferelden. It hearkens back to Bioware's earlier days in the gaming industry, when they were primarily known for their FORGOTTEN REALMS games, based on the popular Dungeons and Dragons setting. The land is being swarmed by an ancient menace called the darkspawn, creatures left over after a group of mages attempted to conquer Heaven and failed horribly. With the dark armies in motion, the player must join an equally-ancient group, the Grey Wardens, to quell the invasion before it destroys Ferelden.
I apologize ahead of time for my long-windedness here!
PROS:
--These days, if you play a Bioware game, then you play it for the STORY. Bioware have become the eminent storytellers of the video game industry with games like <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Star-Wars-Knights-of-the-Old-Republic/dp/B000067DPM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic</a>,<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Jade-Empire/dp/B0006ZJPSC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Jade Empire</a>, and the most recent <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Mass-Effect/dp/B000OLXX86/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Mass Effect</a>. The story for DRAGON AGE does not disappoint in the least, and I would say that it is one of the best ever put to disc.
--For the first time in a Bioware game, the Taris Problem has been solved. You know what I mean: the beginning part of a Bioware game that you will be doomed to repeat over and over should you have the wanting for a second playthrough. The part of the game where you're almost on autopilot the entire time, like Eden Prime from MASS EFFECT or Taris from KotOR (Endar Spire, Undercity, Swoop Race, Ebon Hawk, lightsaber--done!). The Problem is solved by giving the player several options for a unique beginning each time you play. There are three different races, each with one or more origin stories (six in all), with your choice of gender altering each of those in turn.
I chose to go with a male city elf to start out. Your origin story isn't something that's left behind when you get into the bulk of the game. It will constantly come into play, all the way up until the grand finale, which makes the game seem that much more dynamic. At the end of my first playthrough, I started up a female human noble, which was dramatically different from my last experience, and packed just as much punch. There is a great opportunity here for the player to walk away feeling like a unique story has been created just for them. I know that's how I felt.
--The CHARACTERS that will eventually become your traveling companions are marvelously characterized. Each is unique, likable, and confidently voiced. You'll find yourself investing a lot into them and how they interact with you. I loved them all, with Alistair, Morrigan, and Oghren standing out the most to me. I dare you not to laugh when you start discovering Oghren's inability to handle his drink.
--The GAMEPLAY is applied very well on the Xbox 360, considering this game was meant to be played with a keyboard. You're given a set of six hotkeys for your various talents and items, and a radial wheel that pauses the game so that you can choose talents that you weren't able to slot. It handles very well, though with a class like the rogue, it's a pain to pause the game to select another sword attack when the action is so furious.
--The gift system is a big plus for me. Giving a character a gift raises their opinion of you, which unlocks hidden talents. But, listening to your friends' stories actually pays off. One of the characters loved the smell of leather, so I have him some leather boots, which unlocked a cutscene and a conversation that led to more revelations about their past. A terrific concept that I hope is implemented in further games.
--As you might have experienced with other Bioware games, the worst thing about them is that they end. After investing so much time into your friends and the story, sometimes that drastic cut to black can be a downer. To ease the pain, there are several different endings to fall into, depending on your choices throughout the game, and a lovely epilogue at the end that gives a feeling of closure, rather than a cliffhanger.
--To touch on the graphics argument, I found them to be very adequate for a game like this. Not once in the game was I disgusted with the quality, with the exception of the dungeons, all of which looked as though they could have been made overnight.
CONS:
--This is a very hard game. I set the difficulty on Normal initially, and I died on every boss, in every city...all the time. This game shows you no mercy. If you want a pleasant experience, I highly recommend that you swallow your pride and set it to Casual. Even then, be prepared to die.
--I suppose I'm spoiled from playing OBLIVION and FALLOUT 3 so much, because I can't stand a disjointed RPG setting any longer. You will find no shortage of loading screens in this game, they are everywhere. Between cities, between streets, and sometimes between rooms, no matter how small the house is. I once entered a house the size of a shack, and there was a loading screen to get to the top floor. It was very hard for me to get used to it all, and I'd like Bioware to get to a point where their games feel more like an open world, instead of a collection of stages.
Although, I must give them props for implementing the campsite, which is easily one of my favorite parts of the game. At any point, when you're traveling between cities, you can choose to go to a campsite, where all of your companions will be lounging about. Many great discussions can pop up here, and it really makes it feel a lot more like true fantasy: traveling the world with good friends.
--I hate dungeons. I think there was a time, back in the day, when dungeon crawlers had their place in the world. And maybe they still do, but not to the extent that Bioware implements them here. This is a long game. Skipping most of the sidequests, my first playthrough clocked in at just over 33 hours. You will be spending most of that time underground, in dungeons so uninspired that I swore that some of them were exactly the same.
To me, they were boring. They took hours to complete, were filled with similar enemies, and often offered little reward beyond finally letting you progress the story. Again, I must give props to the story, because these parts of the game seemed like major speedbumps, but I pressed on just to see the outcome of what I was doing. (Special mention goes to the "Broken Circle" quest. One of the WORST gaming experiences I have ever had.) In further sequels, I would love if there were more things to do out in the open. Pleaaaase.
--The Bioware Formula is in effect here. Whether it's collecting starmaps in KotOR or coordinates in MASS EFFECT, you will be doing something similar here: collecting armies. If you've played other Bioware games, how the story progresses might not surprise you.
--As is common with games of this size, there are a number of glitches that put a damper on certain key moments. Dialogue went unvoiced a few times and some triggers wouldn't activate, which required a reload. There were no game-ruining glitches, but there were enough that it became noticeable.
CONCLUSION:
Don't get me wrong, there is much I hated about this game, but there is also so much I liked. The lore is as original as fantasy can get these days. The characters are amazing, and you will be sorry to see them go when the credits roll. The story, while predictable, is very entertaining. The combat is accessible, fully customizable, and fun. All of these save DRAGON AGE from being a mediocre RPG, to making it one of the must-play games of the year.
In the end, I desperately wanted to see my character's, as well as my companions', stories continue. The game's epilogue promises further, and more grand, adventures on the road, as all good fantasy stories do. I hope I don't have to wait too long to hit the road again with Oghren and the gang, but if we do, I hope that Bioware corrects the glaring faults that this game suffered from. Less monotonous, labyrinthian dungeons, more adventure, and more of that wonderful story.
And I really hope to hear the end of Oghren's joke about the human and the elf in the bar! | video-games_xbox |
Decent and worth playing, but has some annoying flaws/quirks. I don't' remember DA Origins, so I'm reviewing this game based on recently having playing Dragon Age 2 and Dragon Age 3 (Inquisition) in reverse order.
PROS:
-Decent plot and compelling moral decisions. Without spoiling anything, you make some very difficult and game-changing decisions in this game, which is one of its better features. I beat the game in about 35 hours, which was half the time I spent playing DA Inquisition, but 35 hours of gameplay isn't bad for the price of this game.
-Combat is fairly straightforward for your character and decently intuitive. I'm not into controlling every move of my party, but that ended up being problematic at times..see the cons.
-Upgrades on skills and abilities were good. Nice gear to pick up for your character.
-Interesting characters whom you get to know pretty well over the course of the game, and you can romance some of them, although don't expect it to be too complex. It's more of a "flirt a few times and then cutscene to making out" kind of thing. You are always able to check to see if your companions are rivals or friends, which is a great tool to have, as getting them on either side can give bonuses in combat.
Overall, decent graphics, lots of quests, and fun to play.
CONS:
-Loading screens! You have to load screens ALL the time in this game. Even traveling within the same city or just to a slightly different area requires a pause and wait. This can get a bit frustrating, and will be annoying after awhile.
-You basically go to the same places in the same city in each story act. No traveling outside the bounds of set places. It can make some of the quests rather dull, particularly since the layout of several places is identical, which was a poor move for the game developers.
-Combat is clunky with your party in some ways. They won't heal themselves. They put themselves in harm's way and won't back off when about to die. This makes your job in the more difficult combat scenarios much harder. You are the party healer, strategist, etc. and have to be thinking about your other companions when you're in the middle of battle. Thankfully, this got way better in DA Inquisition to where your party members heal themselves and you don't have to deal with the battle strategy nearly as much.
-If trying to level up, there aren't a lot of foes to defeat when you're out of quests for a particular Act. If you revisit places hoping foes will respawn, they won't typically do so until the next Act starts and new quests arise. This is a pain! When I was stuck trying to defeat a particular challenging enemy, I couldn't find other foes to defeat to gain more experience because I'd completed the quests for that Act. I had to completely re-strategize my party makeup and make some weapon/gear changes because I couldn't level up. Luckily it worked for that quest, but didn't later for another.
-You can't outfit your companions with gear (except for rings/belts/necklaces). This is an unfortunate choice, because I love outfitting my party and DA 2 doesn't give you the option. In my opinion, they end up being rather weaker in battle as a result of lack of armor specialization.
-A few of the foes you must defeat feel darn near impossible to kill. I had to drop to casual level play to beat them, and only after I'd tried several times with different companions and gear. That quest required me to keep a rather weak mage in my party, which left me very vulnerable and essentially stuck.
-"Rivalry" (and the companion system of friendship vs. rivalry) is odd. Everything I did that was "nice" to a certain character made me more of a rival to her, and I couldn't figure out why and never did. Even so, she still wanted to romance my character and move in with me. I don't get it! Was this a bug in the game?
-Some confusing quests required me to resort to using a walkthrough. Sometimes you won't see the quest marker on the map because it either doesn't appear until you're closer, or doesn't appear at all, so you have no idea where to go. This happened in the last Act of the game here and there, and was annoying.
However, despite its flaws, this game is decent enough in its own right, and a compelling storyline makes up for some of the odd/annoying quirks in the game, as well as the power to make a lot of moral decisions in the game that will affect your gameplay. This game also helps you understand the setup of Dragon Age Inquisition a bit better, as it serves as the backstory. | video-games_xbox |
Seriously good game with serious flaws. Overall this game is good, and I will probably buy it as a result. The shortcomings are pretty awful, though. That's why it only gets 3 stars.
Cons:
* The save system is awful. It almost singlehandedly ruins the game. You die (which is very easy to do) and you lose all the progress since the last time you accessed some very inconvenient save point that takes 15 minutes to get back to.
* You can only have one save game, so it is very easy to save and then not be able to complete the story mission without starting over... I just ran into that. Without being psychic and knowing what the upcoming missions will require you to do, it is hard to know if you are saving yourself into a corner or not. Expect to have to start over a few times.
* A character in the game, Otis, calls you constantly, like some jealous girlfriend, and you have to drop whatever you are carrying to answer the phone (seriously... you can't answer the phone when your hands are full). If you don't answer he'll just keep calling back, forever. He usually wants to chat in the middle of boss battles or when you are surrounded by zombies. I'm really hoping Otis dies in this game. Or that I can at least get a restraining order against him.
* The game starts out hard. It gets easier as you advance... which is the exact opposite of what you would expect in a game. You have very poor stats and very limited inventory space, which means you run out of weapons and food very quickly. You have very little life so you can easily be killed by zombies if they grab hold of you. You are very slow, have no skills, and have weak attack power, so it is easy to get overwhelmed by zombies.
Pros:
* The only good thing about the save system is that you can save after you die (which really just deletes your saved game), start over and keep the level you attained. If it wasn't for that feature, this would be a 1 star game and it would have gone back already.
* Zombies... lots of them... masses of dumb zombies, just like I would expect.
* The weapons are brilliant. There's quite a bit of variety and some are pretty clever. One boss that I was unprepared for, I killed with pop cans. Seriously. It is also smart that the weapons break very frequently, which forces you to use weapons you wouldn't otherwise use. I wouldn't choose a chair or a cash register to beat zombies over the head with, but if I'm surrounded and my last weapon breaks, I don't have much choice.
* The food creation system is very well done. The things you can make with the food creation system really make a difference in the game. And who wouldn't want to drink a smoothie made from a slice of pizza and a bottle of wine?
* The photo system is somewhat unique and interesting.
Overall a good game with some serious, almost game-breaking flaws. Hopefully they will come up with a sequel that fixes those problems. That could be a 5 star game. | video-games_xbox |
So close and yet so far. So much promise, with nearly fatal flaws.
Before even starting on the review, I'll note that you need to bypass your TV's audio. Pipe the console's audio directly to speakers or an analog tuner. This drastically cuts down on latency and makes the game actually playable.
What worked:
As advertised, you can plug in a real guitar and play a Guitar Hero type game. This is pretty awesome. Track selection is decent, certainly good enough for a novice player who will take a while to master even some of the simpler songs.
The mini games are a brilliant idea, but hit and miss as to whether they actually improve your abilities at all. So far, the only one that has noticeably improved my playing is the chord game.
What doesn't:
The menuing system is a study in bad UI. The main 'campaign' will often show a short list of songs and only give you the option to play one of them that the game has selected. If you wish to practice one of the other songs you have to go digging. Navigation of the menus themselves are horrifically bad. There is a vertical list of options on the left. Confusingly, these show the options that are not on the menu level you are currently on. You also never use up/down to navigate said vertical list. There is a horizontal control for that.
Colour coded strings: What works for Rock Band doesn't work for a real guitar. This should have been simply EADGBe or something similar. Even if you are using a different tuning, that would have been consistent enough. For true WTFness, they didn't even pick a pseudo rainbow order. Low to high is red, yellow, blue, orange, green, purple. This is my single largest complaint and will eventually be the reason I set the game aside.
Summary:
If you are a true novice or experienced guitarist, this is probably not worth your time. If you fit into that 'learning, but not very good', this might add an interesting different way to practice. That said, with the flaws, it is not worth the high sticker price. If it comes down at some point, perhaps consider it then, or keep an eye out for it used. | video-games_xbox |
Better than NHL 13. So far, I've played ~160 games (I had the early release) in EASHL with most being in club play, but a handful of OTP games as well. The good things I've seen so far are that hitting generally works, skating seems reasonably fluid once you have enough stats on your player, goalies aren't making saves they shouldn't and aren't letting in too many weak goals, the new EASHL seasons makes things a bit more exciting, stick lifting now seems to work well enough and not give constant penalties, and that the AI seems to be improving on the offensive side.
On the other hand, it also has a few areas for improvement. AI on D during a rush is almost useless and gives up the toe drag wrist shots from the high slot as it has in the last 5 years or so. On top of that, these seem to be going in at an alarming rate for players who likely are well below having their legend card yet. Larger players seem to have a big balance boost, which makes it nearly impossible to knock down a player more than 4 inches taller than you. Poke checking seems inconsistent. Forcing passes through defenders works too often, and offense seems to be much more able to pick up loose pucks than on defense.
While at first fighting seemed like an improvement over the old system, after getting into a few dozen fights the majority of online players just seem to mash the punch button and manage to win more often than not. There doesn't seem to be much of a way around this either. Using R2 to dodge and counter is somewhat difficult to do, and if they manage to connect with a hit, you might as well just let them win. At least the old system gave you a ton more control as far as dodging went.
More disappointing is that face-off spamming (continuously trying to win the draw before it is dropped, making your character twitch) still works in the game despite countless complaints and EA promising to fix it. As a top 50 center right now with 60% wins, I still manage to have games against these guys where I go 30% while they are clearly exploiting the system. Its been going on for a few years now, and should have been fixed long ago.
Finally a more minor issue is that low speed skating that you would do defensively to get into position and face the puck is more difficult than it should be, and results in too many cases where I'm out of position because the game decided I wanted to do a big spin rather than just turn my hips.
It will be interesting to see how future tuners change this, as EA doesn't seem to have much of a rhyme or reason for many of the changes they end up making, so we could be looking at a much different reaction in 3 months or so. | video-games_xbox |
New to Madden. Let me start off by saying I have always played the demos for Madden games year after year and they always seem somewhat lackluster or at the very least more of the same. I was into the Blitz series for a bit but that was only because I liked the hits and the tackling within that series of games. I bought NCAA 11 because I felt it was heading in the right direction and I have played it to death but I have never gotten into Madden. Now we flash up to present day and this is the first Madden game I have purchased...ever. The demo actually blew me away enough to warrant a purchase! When I played the demo everything was fluid, from the running and passing games to the cuts in between plays. But what impressed me the most comes back to loving the hits and tackling of the over the top Blitz series. Madden 11, though not over the top, delivers in its tackling system, gone are the days of seeing the same animation over and over again, also gone are the days of "phantom tackles" where your receiver is far away from the tackler and yet they magically catch him. The collision detection is fantastic in this game and upon buying it I have to say the whole package is even better then the demo was. I actually have cringed at some of the hits that have happened and the way that a players body reacts to multiple people hitting him is very realistic. If a player is fighting his way through a tackle and gets blindsided, you see it like it was real, no more canned animations that defy the laws of physics!
The graphics are fantastic but I am not one to focus on that aspect of a game. For those of you who are though...they are great! Being from Michigan I am a Detroit fan through and through and they got Ford field perfect. I have never personally been in an open top NFL field so you will have to trust the other reviews that they got the lighting "perfect" for those fields. All I know is that the weather effects are extremely believable and the stadiums look pretty :P Only con here is the crowd...but it seems that every sports game has a problem on the crowd so nothing new here.
Having not played Madden before I guess I fall under a Franchise Mode player since I like to be able to control everything about a team. I haven't finished a season yet but I am five games in and I gotta say the Injured Reserve list works like you would want it to. Also cut days in the pre-season are brutal but not in a bad way! The idea that there is a diamond in the rough makes you have to think long and hard about your veterans, especially if they haven't played well all pre-season. Free agent bidding is more fun than I expected but you have to go in with a plan and try your best to stick to it or you will lose out. I haven't tried the other modes yet so you will have to consult the other reviews for some more insight into those.
This game is amazing and is the most fun I have had in a football game in years. For me it is the best Madden to date and it may even be better than NCAA 11 which for me is pretty big. I wanted to get out here and just let people know that even for somewhat who isn't a Madden die hard this game is amazing. As long as you like football and like sports games then I think you should love this game, it has everything I ever wanted and what I have always expected from a Madden game! | video-games_xbox |
Hope you have plenty of room or a tiny TV. To me the one thing this video game generation has really missed out on is light gun games. I missed those things and really wanted to play some. But the only ones they really have on Xbox are the Cabela's games. I detest hunting but after watching some reviews of the games, they still looked pretty fun, so I finally broke down and bought it.
After I put the game in, the first thing I want to do is calibrate the gun so I can shoot straight. It turns out that this is entirely impossible. It has a target at the top left you're supposed to shoot to start calibration. But when I aim at the target, the game no longer recognizes my gun. It only recognizes the gun if I aim at the bottom middle and to the right. I try all kinds of stuff over the next hour. Moving the TV farther back, moving the sensor bar from the bottom of the TV to the top. Sitting on the couch, standing on the couch, sitting on the floor, standing behind the couch, pointing the TV left, pointing the TV right, taking pieces off the gun, putting pieces on the gun, changing batteries, changing games, curtains open, curtains closed, lights on, lights off, fully dressed, in my underwear, fully nude. Nothing works.
I turn to the internet. Lo and behold it turns out that these guns don't really seem to work for anybody. All of the documentation tells you that you need to have around 6 feet between you and the TV. What it does NOT tell you is that this ONLY applies to TVs under 32 inches. For anything bigger you need to be around 15 feet away from your TV. If you had trouble using Kinect, well good luck with this LIGHT GUN. Basically you need to put your TV at the end of a hallway to be able to use the thing and then you have to be a sniper to make any shots. Seeing how this is America 2012, I didn't even know they still sold 32 inch TVs.
The question is, how was this SOOOOOOO easy with Duck Hunt a 100 years ago, but with all this amazing technology of 2012, you have to have a empty warehouse for a living room in order to be able to do the same thing that was so simple then?
The other question is, how do these people get away with selling these guns when they absolutely are 100% unusable to most people?
The game itself is fun. I played it with a standard controller and it was pretty good but the whole time I felt like it would've been way better with the gun. It's not a game worth 60 bucks, but it's a few hours of fun. | video-games_xbox |
Fable II. I was deeply disappointed with Fable II. But even so if I could give it 4 and 1 half stars I would. I played the game and fell in love with the storyline. I thought that was great. I would rate it 5, but the glitches were so overwhelming that I fought about giving it just a 3.
It was short. It took me less than a day to complete the entire game. I had read about all the bugs and thought maybe it'd be okay, and that perhaps it wasn't as bad as people said.
The first time I played the game I ran into a glitch from one of the sidequests, fortunately I was near the end and didn't need to enter one of the areas where Giles farm was again and was able to complete it. At the time I didn't have any way to connect my Xbox 360 to the internet so an available patch wasn't an option. And most forums on the matter were dead.
My next gripe was that I was only allowed 1 save. I've never encountered a game where I had one save. I am aware they do exist, I just never expected it from Fable and was very annoyed. The only way to play Fable II again without destroying my progress was to either use a different storage or a different profile. If a glitch occurred I was unable to go back to another save. The only way to approach the save issue for me was to think of it as part of the 'challenge' and to view it as 'life' no turning back. But I don't feel I should have had to.
While playing this game for enjoyment I found myself on edge, holding my breath. Worrying that if I walked too fast through a door or went off to do a sidequest (which they had so many of) that it would be a game breaker and cause me to restart from the previous save (hopefully before the glitch unless you saved after), or restart the game completely.
I read somewhere where the game makers used as an excuse for all the glitches when you have something this big there are bound to be problems. It was an excuse and not good enough. I thought I'd never find a game like Fable II or better, I thought it was unique. Until I played Dragon Ages, a huge game with very very few glitches and none that are gamebreaking, with a far stronger replay value.
I was glad they allowed me to be female, and I was very happy to be allowed to dress the males up in female clothing etc. But I was disappointed that it didn't allow me to further customize my skin and face. And that you didn't grow old like in Fable I.
I was a bit annoyed they made you pay extra for the See into the Future bit and thought that it should have been apart of the main package. But it was what it was and the price wasn't outrageous. Just money schemes, but that's typical and to be expected of some people, not a big gripe.
Nevertheless despite all the issues with Fable II I do look forward to Fable III mainly for the story (though the storyline sounds boring) I am interested to see in what advancement in game technology they plan to improve. Hopefully they'll learn from their mistakes.
I did think that the voice acting was amazing, and for me the voice acting added to my connection to the characters. My favourite character being Theresa because she was the main connection between Fable I and Fable II, and I always really liked her. The world itself was also amazing. I enjoyed watching the movies, never once did I want to skip through them, though it would have been nice to have the option (at the same time I'd rather not have the option. I accidentally hit buttons too many times sometimes).
Overall the game Fable II is playable. And I was able to enjoy it because I got lucky during certain points of the game. I would not recommend Fable II to buy unless it's for $12 or less (and it's going down since I brought it around $17/$22), I would suggest renting it if it were an option. | video-games_xbox |
The best XBox 360 game ever. This game is awesome. The plot is excellent. One of the best we've ever seen. It's about a man attempting to cope with the death of everyone he loves and the voice acting displays so much emotion. The characters are all likable, even if they seem like biker stereotypes at first.
I think the moment I realized that this was the best game evar was when I was in a vital cutscene (which I won't spoil) in which you kill the main bad dude and realize... he was your grandmother. The emotion the main character displays as he faps to his dead grandmother's corpse is astounding, and truly cements the game as the best in the 360's extensive lineup.
Pros:
+ The frame rate is butter smooth. It runs better on my XBox 360 than my PC/Toaster I got at a yard sale.
+ The gunplay is so realistic. It feels as though you are wielding water pistols, which is truly the real man's weapon, as if you can kill a man with water guns, you can kill them with anything.
+ The characters are all very likable. One of the guys in the game is a narcissistic, whiney, cowardly, jibber jabbering dude who sometimes will mouth words, have no sound come out of his mouth, yet other characters seem to react to him. What a badass.
+ The dialogue is amazing. I just love how much emotion they put into it all. It beats out Twilight and the Matrix!!!
+ The plot is amazing. You'll trek across five galaxies, shooting space Nazi's and Donald Trump, before ordering takeout and then calling over your prostitute.
+ The world is so interactive and dynamic. Once, I clipped through a wall and fell through the Earth. Woah! So interactive, as you can BECOME part of the planet.
+ The voice acting is top notch. I think I heard Tim Curry at one point. Seriously, Deep Silver went all out with this voice cast. They all speak as though they have their heads in a toilet-- so relatable!
+ Driving sections are incredibly fun to do, and you can even stab dudes while driving your motorcycle, which is pretty cool because the other guys shrug off your stabs a couple of times, making them all the more intimidating.
+ Melee combat is meaty and enemies rubber-band more than... well, a rubber-band. This means that they look like they're teleporting while you fight them, making them even more challenging and intimidating.
+ QTES!!!!
+ Limitless content because you can replay levels hundreds of times. And it never gets boring because it's so fon to play.
+ Enemy AI is astounding, as they'll literally walk where their friend's corpses are and let you shoot them. It truly balances their ability to teleport and ability to get stabbed in the faces.
All in all, BUY RIDE TO HELL: RETRIBUTION. You'll thank me.
(do not actually play this game at all, in any form, even to see if it's really this horrible. Yes, it is, and you'll be better off if you do buy it, and then stick it in your microwave) | video-games_xbox |
After 6 hours in the rain, and no sleep. I'm happy. Wow. I am at work now, reeling from the 6 hours of standing outside in the rain and the realization that I haven't slept at all. And I'm happy. I have to say I didn't think that Rock Band would blow my socks off, and it really hasn't yet to be sure, but it will undoubtedly be a huge time sink this upcoming weekend.
It is much, much different from the GH series. The obvious: Mic and Drums. Duh. The drums are pretty tricky, and actually feel pretty real. I'd be really surprised if they don't make their way into a middleschool music class for rhythm. Serious.
The mic is the mic. Nothing to say there. I'm going to buy a stand after work for it. ought to be on a stand if it's supposed to be a rock band, eh?
Finally, the guitar. meh. It's ok. I am undecided. Maybe I'll love it, maybe I'll hate it. The buttons are a little mushy, and the strum thing is rubbery. The pickup selector is pretty sweet, which allows you to change effects like Flange, Chorus, Echo, and Wah-Wah.
All are plugged into (wireless coming soon I hear) to a 4-port USB hub. I have enough chords on my floor. Annoying. I don't like yelling at my cat to stop chewing on the tangle of chords during the middle of a song.
Aside from that, the game plays very well. Slightly different look fom GH, but you can adapt quickly. Trust me. The graphics are not great, but do they really need to be? Overall, I can't wait to go through all modes--it's really like 4 different games, all of which are solid.
Have fun.
***warning*** it is a known issue, which I encountered last night: It is common that the strat's down stroke button (the picking swivel thingy) is already having problems and is worn out!!! The demo one in the Best Buy I bought mine at had the same problem, and I didn't think much about it as it had tons of use and mis-use I'm sure. There was maybe six hours of use on mine before it started having problems, and now I can only 'up-pick' so frustrating. I'm glad I got the warranty, but where the heck am I going to get a replacement?! Anyhow, I'm sure future models will fix this, but now I'm stuck playing with my GH2 guitars (I still like them better except for the neck buttons). ***buyer beware!!!!*** | video-games_xbox |
Could have been eternally remembered. The potential for this game was so extraordinary. Everything about this game could have turned into possibly one of the greatest RPG's off all time. But, due to lacking execution, the game fell very, very short of that title. The entire game's premise was very unique, had very vivid imagery (especially for being one of the more "older" titles), and wonderful music, but everything else did not hold up to the standards that the others placed. The characters are very plain, and hardly any of them went through any type of character development. The battle system was very simple, and even the new restrictions placed on during battles as the game progressed did not place more depth into the system. The story was poorly executed, which is such a shame because of that unique premise it had. The money system in the game made it so you could have been filthy rich at the very beginning of the game, so that you would never take the time to actually earn your money (I do not know if this was fixed in the PS3 version). The game is also short and rather easy (but, if you chose to go through a Newgame+, the difficulty shoots way, way up). However, the game is very educational and bringing to light, whom I think, is one of the more underrated classical composers, that are supposed to be recognized within culture. After each chapter, there is about 5-10 minute segment concerning Chopin and his life, giving the player an educational experience. Within those breaks, some of Chopin's more famous works are playing in the background, and give a little explanation about what the song was composed for. Despite the easy difficulty of the game, it makes the casual gamer stick through a bit more, and it can keep them around to let them learn a little bit more about Chopin.
In short, a very promising RPG that fell short of what it could have been. It is in no means a terrible game, but there are some issues. If you are looking for good RPG, this is one to find. It's a diamond in the rough, essentially, and if you can find this game used or in a bargain bin somewhere, you will get your money's worth. | video-games_xbox |
When Ghost Recon Meets Star Wars!!!!!!!!!; Two Thumbs Up. Star Wars Republic Commando is a breath of fresh air for the Star Wars genere!!! Like I said it is a strategic first - person shooter like Ghost Recon except with kick @$$ sci-fi weapons, the vast environments which include: Genosis, a Republic Assusalt Ship, and Kayhssk; which the game spans out on!!! You play as a an elite Clone Trooper unit called Delta Force, specially trained commandos trained for the most dangerous and deadly situations!!! They are trained to be silent and swift and can make noise, lots of noise if needed!!! This elite squad of commandos include 07 "Sev"-he likes to get some head shots from a distance- sniper specialist; 40 "Fixer"- he likes to slice through systems and hack into enemy networks -computer specialist; 62 "Scorch'- he likes to blow stuff up - Demo specialist!!! You play as 38 the squad leader!!! It is up to you to direct your squad and to keep order during a deadly fire fight or engagement!!! You get a special weapon with different types of modifactions which has regular blaster rifle, sniper zoom, and anti - armor charges!!! During the game you must rely on your squad and they will rely on you!!! I included in this review an outline of the Story, Weapons, and the game in general!!! I even have some buying advice and ways to save money!!!
Game Outline:
Graphics:
Some of the best ever ,almost seems really their combating against those Seperatists scum bags!!! Great pixles and shading effects with smooth character design and enviroments!!! Truly unique!!! 5/5
Environments/Level Design:
The environments are awesome with great graphics, level design, and always unique!!! It was cool how you went from Genosis- a desert filled with lots of droids and Genosionans, to a mysterious Republic Assault Ship with the structure twisting and turning and with the enemy setting ambushes, for example coming out of the vents!!! You can also use the environment to your advantage like setting up traps or blowing your way through walls!!! It is unique and always suprises you!!! 5/5
Weapons:
The best variety I have ever seen, from different attachments yo your gum from picking up enemy weapons and using them, from the rocket turret, from the Wookie Crossbow and Wookie Heat Sensitive Rocket Launcher, to enemy compulsive and beam weaponry!!! The environment is also a weapon for example laying out traps or shooting an explosive crate!!! You also get a big variety of gernades from Thermal Detonators, to Flash-bang gernades, to sonic charges, and ion gernades(a droids worse nightmare)!!! Weapon design and combos are perfect!!! 5/5
A.I. Intellengence:
The Commandos are almost as elite as you but, they will fall apart without your guidence!!! They will be able to cover you set up bombs, slice through computers, blow stuff up and to get out of the way of a gernade of explosion, and opperate turrets!!! They will rarely heal themselves though which is up to you!!! They even have a sense of humor and are as elite as real commandos!!! The enemy is also intellengent, for example if you throw a gernade at them they will sometimes throw it back!!! Some of those slaver mercanaries get on my nerveres in a good way I suppose!!! 5/5
Multi-Player:
Awesome, online play with great maps!!! Split screen is awesome too, this is some great stuff!!! 5/5
Overall, this game is one of the best games of all time from start to finish which shows more of the soldiers role instead of the jedi and force stuff!!! This was one of the best First-Person Shooter from a strategigic angle I have ever played!!! Both Tom Clancy fans, and Star War fans will find something great out of this!!! This game is so good even people who don't like Star Wars will see this as a materpiece!!! This is the absolute best Star Wars game by far, it is pretty hard to beat something like this!!!
In This game you will rely on certain tatics and commands to keep your squad alive!!! Like I said before you will rely on them and they will rely on you!!! It is awesome how you can set up your squad in sniping positions, anti-armor and gernading positions, opperating turrets, slicing through computers, and blowing stuff up!!! There are 4 main command though that you must know how to use if you want to survive!!! They are the following:
Secure Area:
This command is used for when you need an area cleared or need to hold position or deffensive strong point!!! It is very useful, for example you can have your squad hold by a bacta station and set up a deffensive point of fire while you heal your squad!!! You don't have to do all the dirty work if you use the correct tatics!!! This is a great tatic when under heavy fire!!! The cool thing is that it can be used for a offensive or deffensive purpose, a great move if used wisely!!!
Form Up:
This tatic is used to have your squad regroup to where you are!!! An example if you screw up, and have to get your squad together to regroup!!! During a fire fight and you need to fire at a specific point or if you need back up!!! This is a deffensive tatic used to get your squad together!!! In a fire fight this could save your squad if used correctly!!!!
Search and Destroy:
Is used if you need your squad to move, at a fast pace while engaging the enemy!!! You can easily direct your squad during an ambush in this position or have your squad concentrate their fire on one target!!! This is an offensive tatic when advancing on a objective!!!
Cancel Maneuver:
This tatic is used for two purposes, the first being when you have to advance you order your commandos , cancel maneuver, and they will stop whatever they are doing ;like holding a sniping position, for example!!! Also when things get rough during a fire fight and you have to re-position your squad or just have to get them out of their, this is the command!!!
These tatics and commands are just the tip of the iceberg compared to the seemingly endless posibilties and options!!! I give credit to George Lucas for creating this awesome Star Wars game that seems more like Ghost Recon or Rainbow Six 3 in the galaxy far, far away!!! This game is just plainly awesome and is very addictive!!! I like the change of being a bad @$$ commando then being some kind of jedi who uses the force or has a lightsaber!!! This game is on the same level of greatness than the Halo games and the Tom Clancy games!!! It is hard to come up with anything this good, which makes it hard to beat too!!! In my opinion this has to be the best put together Star Wars game of all time!!! I wish more games could be like this!!! Great job to the people who made this possible!!!! I strongly reccomend this masterpiece and work of gaming greatness!!!! My final score has to be 5/5!!!! This is a good change for the Star Wars genere, I love it, it was sad when I finished the game it left me wanting more!!! The Online play and multi player are darn fun too!!!
... I only give a brief descriptition of the story, so if you want to know more buy the game, it is worth every penny!!!
The Story:
The game starts off with a cut-scene at Kamino and tells the story about how the commandos became to be and introduces you to your destiny of being the leader of the commandos!!! Their are three campaign maps:
Genosis (Zero Hour:The beginning of the Clone Wars)/Day: 1
This campaign takes place during the events of episode 2!!!!
In this campaign your mission is your eliminate a top official of the Sepratists and help any Clone Troopers who need some help!!! After that you move into Genosionan territory to destroy an important droid factory, which would cripple their attack strength!!! you must fight catutiosly and tatically if you want survive!!! Finally, you fight your way onto, which includes lots of droids, Super Droids, and even a Spider Droid, Sepratist Capital Ship and sabotage it's systems and retrive launch codes to hault their evacuation of Genosis!!!!! Teamwork is the key to finishing this!!! Awhile after you get on the ship you must split up and each disable a part of the ship' the key to this is to stay smart and carefully take out the Super Battle Droids, it isn't two hard once you get the hang of it!!! After, rigging the ship to blow they must get the codes and get off the sip alive!!! You must move fast and use your head to survive!!! Once you get the codes you are home free and have completed your job on Genosis!!!
Republic Assault Ship (Day: 367)
This campaign takes place a year after the conflict on Genosis, during the middle of the war!!! Your first mission begins when a Republic Assault Ship that went missing, suddenly appears mysteriously!!! Your mission is to find out what happened and download specific info!!! For most of the commando you are split up so this is a test of your skills as a commando!!! Almost immediatly things start to get ugly starting off with wierd scavenger droids and the disappearing of two of the commandos!!! It get's better it turns out that slavers have taken control of the ship and all H*LL, breaks loose!!!*note* watch out for Ambushes!!!!! After you finish your primary objective you must regroup with the commandos and find out what is going on!!! You and "Scorch"are the only two that remain as you fight your way through a whole army of those slavers but, after that you find "Sev" and help him out!!! you then move on and fight your way through the detenion block and help "Fixer" out!!! Now that the group is reunited you must elimannate the threat and escape!!! Well it turns out that a Seperatist Battle Ship comes by and gives you a warm welcome!!! This is when the fighting gets real intense and tests your skills as a leader!!! You must try to hold off an entire army!!! After, running from hanger to hanger, you must now hold a position, nothing new for this level until you have a walker to help greet tham and blow them to "kingdom come"!!!! It's not over yet you must assist the ship that has come to rescue you by getting the ship's weaponry operational you must slice through 3 terminals while fighting off a lot droids, I suggest you have two people defend the position while the other two slice through the first two which leaves 3 commandos defending the position while, one person takes care of the last one!!! After completing this campaign you should give yourself a pat on the back!!!
Kayhssk (Day: 735)
This campaign takes place before the events in episode 3!!! This is the third and final campaign which is towards the closing days of the war!!! Your primary objective is to free leader of the Wookie Resistance and fight against the Seperaist forces!!! The fate of the war is in your hands!!! After freeing the leader you discover that General Grieveous is on the planet and then are attacked by his body guards, which are very fast, but if you got this far in the game it shouldn't be too hard, but not, too easy either!!! You must then move and rally Resistance forces and cripple enemy forces!!! Complications then strike, when a large ammount of ammo from the ammo dump falls into the wrong hands you must save it as well as the surviving wookie!!! You must then cut their supply lines, by destroying an important bridge, which would put a dagger through their heart but, it is easier said then done!!! The Seperatists don't just hand you the bridge they throw at you Super Battle Droids, Destoyer Droids/ Droid Decas, and a Spider Droid!!! After Depleting their supply lines, you must liberate the rest of the city and pursue Grieveous!!! Well... he gets away and you get to fight the freak show again!!! It is easy with the two Rocket turetets *note watch out for them during the earlier parts of the campaign!!! Afterwards you must reactivate the power deffense grid!!!After the grid is operational, you,then must take down a fleeing Seperatist Capital ship, for this task you must mend 4 differet turrets in different positions!!! This will be you toughest challenge yet fighting through lots of resistance eveuntally spliting up!!! After this you fire on the ship!!! After the ship finally blows up the game is over!!! When you radio in to your team something happens to Sev and thier is nothing you can do as you are ordered back to command!!! In the ending cut scene it shows you the Republic Invasion beginning which, leads to episode 3!!!!
The End
...that was just a brief outline of the story so if you want to know more buy it, you won't be sorry I promise you that!!!
Buying Advice:
...stuff you might consider checking out!!!
If you like Strategic First Person Shooter or Tom Clancy Games buy:
Ghost Recon 2
Ghost Recon Island Thunder
Ghost Recon
Rainbow Six 3
Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow
Full Spectrum Warrior
If you like First Person Shooters... no questions asked buy:
Halo
Halo 2
Doom 3
Area 51
Half-Life 2
If you like Star Wars buy:
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Star Wars: Revenge of The Sith
Star Wars: Battlefront
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic | video-games_xbox |
Could've been a 5 star. I am a fan of button-mashing beat-'em-ups and loved the original 'Final Fight' as a kid (also recently downloaded it from Xbox Arcade and had a blast). I ordered 'Streetwise' to get more of that type of action since there's not a lot of side-scrolling fighting games on the 360. I wasn't expecting a stellar game based on the reviews, and that's exactly what I got; an average game that could've been great if more time had been spent in developement.
First of all the good aspects:
- Fully compatible with the 360; I didn't notice any glitching or slowdown.
- Great attack controls and ability to do sweet combos. You have light punch (for throwing fast jabs), heavy punch, elbow, grab/ throw, use of various weapons, stomp enemies down on the ground, etc..
Now, for the bad:
- The horrible camera. In my opinion, it is the biggest problem with the game and detracts the most from more gameplay enjoyment. You can only play within the camera's view, but it doesn't follow your movement. You are able to move the camera left/ right, up/ down, zoom in/out. But once you've moved on to the next scene, the camera is once again completely out of whack. Enemies hide off-screen above and below to surpise attack you if you happen to walk off camera. The sprites are so big that when a bunch of enemies crowd the screen you often lose your bearings even if you zoom the camera all the way out. The arcade mode has no camera control.
- Bland, muddy graphics. I realize this game is nearly 5 years old, but even compared to contemporary Xbox games that are older, it looks a bit more sloppy. The colors are washed out and the background environments are unengaging. I can appreciate that they were going for the gritty, uncouth feel of inner city action, but that could've been accomplished without reducing quality.
Overall, it's a playable and mildly enjoyable game, but one best reserved for fans of the genre. Even then, it is a very average game that leaves you wishing there were a better version of it. | video-games_xbox |
Stellar Career Mode. Grid Autosport (hereafter shortened to GAS) is a fine racing game but let's get this qualifier out of the way up front. If you buy it expecting arcade style action, drifting, races you can dominate with a super-tuned car, or to amass a huge garage collection: save your money. GAS has other features, but the core game is focused on closely contested racing against challenging AI drivers.
The main menu shows these modes of racing: Career, Online, Custom Cup. Custom Cup is just that, allowing you to set up any sort of race or series against the AI. Online is as you'd expect, the portal to lobbies where you can race against other Xbox Live players using the Gold account. There's also a RaceNet mode where you can race for in-game $$ on the Codemasters servers in rotating challenge events. These you'll race against AI drivers but the leaderboards also rank your times relative to other players.
Where the structure may seem strange to those of us used to your garage being the hub of all activity, in GAS it's not. The Garage and the buying/selling cars functions reside in Online, completely separate from the Career in which your cars are provided by the teams. The Garage cars can be tuned and customized, but they're for XBL racing.
The Career is what makes the game for me. The physics are quite pleasing, an accessible blend of arcade and sim. Five difficulty levels mean you should be able to find one that matches your skills. The AI is outstanding, probably in some measure due to tight collision detection. The AI drivers react differently in the several racing disciplines. In Touring Cars, the action can be rough and tumble, the AI drivers attacking and defending in a way that makes it easy to forget you're not racing real people. Gives me the same adrenaline rush as a good close race online, fantastic stuff.
No, GAS isn't Forza nor does it purport to be. But if you fancy playing a driving game where the AI will give you a realistic challenge, where fighting your way from qualifying 9th to finishing 3rd feels as rewarding as outright victory in easier games, I recommend Grid Autosport.
Edit: Now that I've played for a while, the lack of a rear view mirror continues to be something of a handicap in the single player mode and I can imagine, a worse one in multiplayer. The proximity arrows are good so far as they go, but sometimes you get punted hard into a spin and it would be good to have a better idea what was going on back there. | video-games_xbox |
One of Very Few Great Western FPS Titles. I've been expecting this game for a long time...like about over a year prior to its release. I remember playing the demo for the PC version about that long ago and I remember thinking that Call of Juarez was a very fun, action packed, and balanced game.
When it came out in the US in June I immediately ordered it from Amazon for the Xbox 360 (b/c I wanted to get the whole visual and power performance). It arrived shortly after it's release on June 5th and I set to work playing through it.
Call of Juarez is not only one of very few Western themed video games but is also one of the extremely few Western themed First Person Shooters - which makes pretty much everything you see here original and new for the genre.
The game is fun and will provide a base time of maybe...7 hours of play including the story mode and the extra missions. The story is well laid out with tons of characters and great voice work. The settings are rich with detail - from open grasslands to thick forests and eerie ghost towns everything seems so alive and vibrant but still in that old times/rustic way.
One of the cooler aspects of the game is the duel players: Reverend Ray and Billy Candle. One's the hunter and the other is the hunted - providing two different ways of playing. As Billy you spend your time sneaking around, avoiding enemies, and progressing the story while as Ray you basically kill tons of enemies with your awesome slow-mo gun slinging ability.
Each character has their strengths and weaknesses and you can quickly learn what your character can or cannot do. Having the story from two perspectives is also a great idea and provides a lot of depth to both characters and the story itself.
Overall, Call of Juarez is a great game that is very fun to play if you're into Western themed games (like Gun). For your fast paced FPS lovers (fans of Halo, etc) this may or may not be up your alley - you run around with revolvers and simple rifles...not dual SMGs.
Although it has little replay value the game should hold over those that are expecting the release of far more popular titles this fall (Halo 3, Assassin's Creed, etc). I would recommend Call of Juarez to those that just want a great summer title to mess around with. | video-games_xbox |
Everything Gaming is About. Dark Souls is a surprisingly fantastic game that is absolutely not for everyone. Some people are saying that this is a game that is even better than Skyrim will be, and some are saying that is is a terrible game. I believe that it is neither. Or both.
I was not inclined to like Dark Souls, and only picked it up on the insistence of a friend. I had heard about Demon Soul's brutal difficulty level and did not feel like starting a game that had the goal of killing the player over and over again. So against my better judgement I started playing Dark Souls. To my complete and utter shock, I was swept away into a dreary world of death, despair, and hope that produced in me a feeling that I haven't felt since I was a little child playing the original Zeldas for the first time.
Dark Souls's environment is completely awe-inspiring and pulls the player in. The storyline is utterly weak, and all of the enemies are unexplained and largely unknown quantities. However, instead of feeling like a confusing mess as one might expect, instead it produces a sense of wonder. The player doesn't know what fantastic creature is waiting around the corner (and there are brutally challenging enemies around literally every corner). For instance, after pillaging a key from a giant spellcasting butterfly I went into a dark tower where I was confronted by a short little creature with a giant hammer. I was intrigued and ran up to him, and was promptly squished flat in one blow. After about the seventh time of trying to beat him I finally did, and went into a lushly dark and moody forest, where I was promptly slaughtered by a hydra shooting bolts of death at me.
Death is the ranch dressing that Dark Souls pours liberally on this salad of nostalgic wonder. I considered myself a decent game up to this point, but almost every new enemy manages to kill me at some point. It is not possible to die. You WILL die TONS playing this game. But through that death comes perseverance and hope. I thought that I would get super frustrated at the game and that my controller would end up through my TV, but I haven't felt like that. Every death just challenges me to do better. None of the fights seem cheap, just strategic. And you aren't alone on this journey of death and exploration.
The online integration is possibly the most thoughtful and effective that I've ever seen in a game. Players can leave messages for one another either helping or hurting their fellow players (NEVER follow the suggestions to jump off a cliff ;)), and players can be summoned into other worlds to help their fellow players with boss fights. But no meaningful communication is established (no use of mics), and all too soon the player is left to fight alone. But knowing that you are in a community of people who are experiencing the same joys and frustrations at you somehow adds so much more to the mood that the game sets.
I could go on for a long time about what this game means to me in terms of the nostalgic feeling that I used to get as a kid playing games that I've never been able to recapture until now, but suffice it to say that Dark Souls accomplishes everything that it wants to in this game. That being said, what it wants to accomplish will simply not please everyone.
This isn't a game for 'only pro gamers' to prove how great they are. This isn't a game for casual gamers just looking for a fun afternoon. This is a game selling an experience, not bragging rights (although they may come). This is not necessarily 'relaxing' to play, nor is it emotionally taxing. Rather, it is a complete escape into an undefined world that is what you want it to be. You will be beaten bloody and made to come back for more, but in the process you will start to overcome the challenges that killed you before and start to master the death that rules over the whole game. If you don't think you want a game this frustrating and (at times) unfulfilling, then this isn't for you. But I do recommend it to gamers who want to see what the gaming genre is capable of producing. This isn't a masterfully written epic, or a revolutionary system, but it is what games are meant to be, and as such can be extremely satisfying at times. Then you die again and have to take a break before you get too frustrated :)
Overall:
PROS:
Graphics are great, detail is stunning
Sound effects are very well done
The mood that the game creates is intoxicating and addictive
CONS:
Music is at times underwhelming
Game difficulty is brutally difficult and death is assured
This game is not for everyone. But it is for some people. If you're on the fence, I recommend borrowing it or renting it for a bit before committing to the purchase, just to see if it's for you. Hope this helps you make a decision. | video-games_xbox |
Don't buy unless heavily discounted. Good $15 game but anything above and your burning cash. I hope you like multiplayer and playing the same handful of maps with the same game types over and over because the campaign is crippling and the multiplayer is half baked.
Pros
1. Decent graphics and beautiful environmental detailing.
2. The Multiplayer's core killing aspect was much better than the previous installment by removing kill streaks.
3. Lots of armor customization.
4. Spartan assassinations are bigger and better than ever.
5. ADS and sprinting really adds the immersion of being a super soldier.
6. Great weapon and vehicle balance and the special versions of weapons really do make the difference to turn the tide of the battle.
7. The attachments for guns added a small unique feel to the weapons. The energy bayonet is a national treasure.
8. Forge can do a LOT more.
Cons
1. Lags and sputters when things get crazy.
2. Forge is very complicated and not user friendly.
3. Arena's matchmaking will put you up against the best or the absolute worst. It really does create awfully balanced teams.
4. Not a significant amount of playable maps (might have changed). This is what killed it for me and made me not come back. Most of the maps aren't unique enough to make each battle feel different and play different. March on Stormbreak and skirmish at Darkstar were the only maps that had a consistently different feel each time I played.
5. While the armor customization is plentiful, most are duplicates with slightly different trimmings. There are up to 3 or 4 small variations to the same armor.
6. Huge lack of playlists. They for some reason rotate the playlists and make you wait weeks to months to get the game type you actually want that's beyond a slayer variant.
7. The game file is HUGE, it's somewhere in the ball park around 100 Gigs.
***Spoilers Ahead*** Also this is where it gets a little ranty
8. The story was by far the worst in the series and is boarder line false advertisement. There was no real confrontation between the Master Chief and Locke. The Master Chief's loyalty was never truly questioned and the UNSC knew exactly why he was M.I.A they just wanted to spare his feelings by letting Locke finish the task. All those showdowns and back talk you saw in the trailers never happen. Halo 5 is solely about Cortana wanting to end all the wars by using force and the rush of everybody to get to her before the chief to spare his feelings.
9. There are "hub" missions dedicated to literally walking around and talking. This was great lore wise but walking and talking isn't a strong characteristic of a run and gun shooter.
10. Blue teams sudden appearance isn't explained at all game wise. They were present at Reach, The battle of earth in Halo 2, installation 03 in Halo 4 and nobody decided to include them in the series until now and obviously no explanation.
11. Jul 'Mdama wasn't bothered to be explained at all in Halo 5 either. You have to play Halo 4's built by scraps spartan ops.
12. The campaign was the shortest in the series, on normal I was able to beat it in under 5 hours alone on my first play through. Legendary was about 8 hours. You may say "Hey! that's average shooter time!", taking out all the cut scenes and hub missions it would shave off an hour or two.
13. The spartan A.I. are the worse than the colonial marines A.I.. They don't always attack, they usually miss their shots. They love to get stuck and left behind for the remainders of the missions glitched from ever helping you. They will almost never come pick you up after you get down, they will walk over your dying body and ponder their future without you.
14. The enemies are the exact same with the exception of the warden, so you're doing almost exactly what you did in Halo 4.
15. Very predictable and terminatorish ending. They end the game with Cortana failing to steal the Master Chief from his best friend Locke. Thus pulling a skynet and leads all machines to rise against the organics. The game ends with Cortana giggling as she starts to activate a halo installation. So playing Halo 5 literally just set up Halo 6 and really didn't answer any questions beyond the resounding NO to buying Halo 6 for the first few months of launch. | video-games_xbox |
Ninety nine nights review. Nintey-nine nights is a 3rd person hack n slash at its best. It makes a tribute to the dynasty warriors franchise, but creates something new in the genre, lasting appeal. There are a total of 7 playable characters each entirely different, having weaknesses and strengths. My first impressions of playing the game was basically dynasty warriors on steroids. A hack n slash where u can kill over 1000 units at one time. Something this game has, that not many other games have, is an amazing story line. The main story line is about a fight over a orb, that possesses the power to rule over the entire human race, and give ultimate power for those who posses it. Humans on one side, goblins on the other. It is one story line being played through 7 different ways, from each characters prospective. For example, the first player you get is Inphy. She is a hard and strong individual, who has always wanted to prove to her brother Aspharr, that she has the strength and will to be a leader of the army. She fights for the sole purpose of destroying the orb, and killing the leader of the goblins in order to stop him from getting the orb. Another character you can play as is Gwingvatt, a white goblin who fights for one purpose, to get revenge on the humans for killing his brother. An amazing story line being followed by the best soundtrack I have heard in a video game really makes this game an experience. The fighting system is easy to pick up. X being attack, Y being strong attack, A being jump, and B being orb attack. But again, it is still a button mashing hack n slash. One thing that stood out is no Checkpoint system. Some missions can last about 45 minutes. If you are near the end of a mission, and end up dieing, you must restart the entire mission over from the beginning. This was extremely irritating on account of boss battles being hard, and sometimes can be extremely stupid. There was a time I was fighting a huge goblin boss, and I was dealing very little damage to him with my attacks, and he unleashed a 4 hit combo that took away almost all of my health. Now imagine this, towards the end of a mission, and the boss kills you. Now you must restart the entire mission over again. Another huge part is the AI of your teammates. You can tell your units to attack, defend, or wait behind while you go attack alone. This works fine, I have had no problems with them listening to me. I have seen many times, during a huge battle, my team mates as well as basic enemy units, just move around and not swing there sword. This is normal in hack n slashes. Now lets say every unit were to attack and kill there unit they are fighting. Would that really make it more fun for the player? The point of this game is for us, the player, to kick the crap out of hundreds of units at one time, and enjoy a more in depth hank n slash, while building it around an awesome story line. The game delivers both these areas. Is the game perfect? No, far from it. But it is incredibly fun and has a high replay value.
Graphics : Pretty Decent, nothing spectacular, but nothing bad. The amount of units on the screen is incredible, and the draw distance is the best I have seen.
Gameplay : Very easy to pick up. Simple X, and Y cominations, mixed in with blocks, and dashes, make it a deeper hack n slash then lets say dynasty warriors.
Sound : Voice overs are pretty bad. I watched the trailer to this game, and the Japanese voice overs were amazing. Now they put it over in English which sounds no where as good as the Japanese Voice overs. Outside of that, the soundtrack is the best music score I have ever heard in a video game. The music seems to fit the stage it is put in, as well and working perfectly with characters personalities.
Replay Value : High. I have beaten the game with every character, and still go back numorous times to replay missions over. This game will last a long time.
Overall score - 8/10 | video-games_xbox |
Under Rated Spiderman Game. A lot of people may not understand how good this game really was. Most people now that movie based video games usually suck, most people now that most comic book/hero based video games don't live up to the hype(SuperMan). I'm here to tell you that this one broke that mold we've come to expect from games of this genre.
I have to say I've had a hell of time with this game. I loved the free roam element of the game. It just feels so good swinging around the city as spiderman spi. Although some of the side missions get repetitive, it's still fun for the most part. I just enjoy the game and I enjoy the story. All the villains are fan favorites and all the villains have good boss battles.
The combo system is one attack button along with the spidey sense evade button but, despite the fact that it's simple, it' still a blast to kick asses. You upgrade abilities(such as attack, speed, wall crawling and etc) as you earn the points from side missions that involve helping civilians. It could any where from the liquor store getting robbed to someone getting there car stolen. This adds to the feeling of being Spiderman. You can even take pictures for the daily bugle.
The negatives is that the side missions get repetitive. The story is not that long and the graphics are not exactly astounding. The pedestrians/vehicles don't look pretty but, when your swinging around the city at top speed, it's not that noticeable. When you stop to enjoy the view then yea you'll notice the lack of detail.
A lot of people talk about how great Batman Arkham City is, Don't get me wrong, I totally agree the game kicks ass but, this game goes under rated. This game may not stack up graphically or from a combat perspective, this game may not have the depth but, it's a very well done game. Sure some things may feel a bit cheesy, sure some of the voice acting may not have the emotion you expect and the graphics may lack from time to time but, the fun factor in this game is very high.
I think there is no doubt this game is worth a pick up. In 2012, with the price it's found for, I wouldn't hesitate. This is the best Spiderman game ever made in my oppinion, better than any "next gen" spiderman games and it's arguable whether it tops some of the older titles(like Spider-Man for the PS1 and arcades too) but, it's a very fun game.
For a cheap price this should be an automatic pick up. Don't hesitate, you'll enjoy this game if your looking for some cheap thrills. May not have the value of a Batman Arkhum City game but, it's well worth the time to play. | video-games_xbox |
Don't Overthink This One: My Just Cause 2 Uber-Review. Having a grapple hook, a parachute and a beautiful open-world like the one here is essentially a dream come true. To sweeten the pot this open-world goes out of its way to pat you on the back, for the destruction you cause, with Chaos points. These points allow you to unlock faster and more destructive vehicles, bigger weapons--from the Black Market--and additional missions to cause even more chaos and rack up points. This is Just Cause 2 and--though it has some issues--is a rather fun and wacky game.
We should immediately get one thing out of the way here: The story is boring. If you're even slightly interested in a proper narrative in this game then you're going to be disappointed. The protagonist--Rico Rodriguez--is paper thin and frankly not very interesting--but who cares!? To me he's essentially a 3D-model in a video game holding a grapple hook and parachute for me. I know that sounds a bit harsh but I honestly take no issue with it because Just Cause 2 isn't about character development or pushing a narrative--it's about having fun. It's essentially a baseball bat and glove. It's a bucket and shovel at the beach. It's having access to these extremely fun mechanics in a game that encouragingly gives a swat on the tush saying, "Have fun kid!" Don't over think it.
Avalanche was wise to make the grapple and parachute available from the get-go, and with it you can latch on to anything! It's great because it forces you to be as creative as you can with attacks--over all I found it to be a wonderful experience. You can pull many of the (well placed) explosive barrels onto or closer to your enemies to shoot, or attack them from above by grappling to a nearby building to lob grenades. No vehicles around? Just 'slingshot' yourself across the land, a feat which involves grappling onto something in the distance and engaging the parachute once you hit the air. How about plucking snipers from their far off nest, pulling guys over ledges to their death or even slinging yourself to a location behind your enemy. It really is an insane amount of fun and totally worth the price of entry--the mechanic just feels right. I do think that the game could've benefited from a Crackdown type of lock on feature since firefights can feel a little clumsy, especially when enemies are coming from different directions. The grapple mechanic could have been taken a bit further with some kind of upgrade system too. Perhaps the ability to upgrade it's distance, damage levels to enemies (like a shock feature) or even the speed of the pull. Though the game has a decent cover mechanic I think the ability to switch from left-handed to right-handed in regards to the protagonists on-screen location would've been appreciated by most.
Rico seems to have the absolute slowest running speed ever in a video game. No seriously--it's pathetically verging on unusable. Though the grapple is a really great way to get around there were times I found myself in desperate situations where I needed to quickly run for cover. To make the controls more awkward Rico cannot grab on to any ledges sans grapple. For instance when attempting to navigate anything in close proximity, like a nearby crate, it a hassle while under fire. It just feels slightly antiquated and annoying in times of desperation.
The game has a GPS system in place that allows you to drop a way-point down on the map at any time. It will even throw down some 3D arrows on the streets so you know where exactly to go. Off in the horizon lies a nice little quest marker telling you were to go in terms of direction so if you want to cut across the desert you can feel free. Unfortunately there were times when this little marker got in the way visually. It's not transparent and never changes size (even though it's relatively small) so when a destination is far off in the distance it's completely covered by it--it's strange.
The mission's tends to be your standard open-world gaming fare. The most enjoyable being the military base attacks where you side with one of the local factions--who's interest lie in taking back their island--to liberate it. These missions involved escorting a technician along with several guerrillas into the heart of the base. Once there you must defend them from an onslaught of enemies, while the hacker goes to work, which usually concludes with an attacking helicopter. They're relatively short missions and yield a lot of money and Chaos points. The bases are designed differently enough to not appear to be cookie-cutter out the climactic battles don't ever seem to change. Once completing these missions you fill 4 meters with gain a large amount of Chaos points: Agency Mission, Stronghold, Faction Mission, & Black Market Item. Once these meters are filled they unlock the next item that's relative to the meter. The nice thing about completing the military base missions is that you can sometimes get access to attack choppers and vehicles with turrets at no cost. The Chaos, after roughly 10-15 hours into the game went from outrageously fun to fun. It never ever hit a dull level but it did get a little long in the tooth eventually. Perhaps if the cities, landmarks or general populace were a little more interesting.
Side missions unlock as you spread out the different factions influence and this is done by gathering more Chaos points. The missions are reasonably plentiful but not the most memorable. Missions include venturing out specific places to destroy a complex, assassinate a guy, seek out a caravan of cars via chopper to take them down, stealing vehicles and more of what you would expect. Every once in a while, though, the game throws something at you that's relatively different. For instance at one point in the game someone required me to blow up a gigantic statue of the islands brutal dictator, tether his head to my tank and then drag it all the way back to his base. It was fun but unfortunately these unique missions are few and far between. For a diversion--and to earn cash--there are race missions involving cars, planes, jets and boats.
One of the more amusing things outside of the gameplay is the Propaganda that's blurted out to the islands via new radio once you've overtaken a military complex or liberated a city. At one point in the game I completely secured a base 100%--which involves finding all the hidden cash drops, vehicle parts, gun parts and destroying all the government equipment--and immediately the radio spit out "Hello! The explosions recently heard near the blah blah mountain range were caused by volcanic eruption. Everything is fine now thanks!" It's unsuspectingly amusing.
Speaking of the Black Market, it can be accessed anytime when there is no heat from the police. This is where you can upgrade weapons and vehicles or fast travel to any place you've already visited. Upgrading weapons is done by collecting weapon parts that're sprinkled throughout the game and using them here. Vehicles are upgraded in a similar fashion, but with vehicle parts. Like Crackdown's orb/noise system the game offers assistance in finding these items: They will sparkle from a distance, the signal strength of a meter located in the upper left-hand corner of the GUI grows as you get closer and once within close range a icon visible through walls pops up--in short, they're not hard to find.
Unfortunately--pushing the structure from average to mundane--the missions always begin with essentially the same exact in-game, canned cutscene: A boss drives up in vehicle, kicks an ammo crate off while spiting out your mission's details and then drives off. Sometimes they get really crazy and escort you personally via helicopter so you can just drop down into a base (don't be fooled it usually looks the same every boss, just a different palette/texture swap). Early on in the game I found all of this to be sort of amusing and figured it was leading up to some kind of a joke. "Hey" I thought, "This game is going be ironic and will make fun of itself!" but unfortunately that never happened. A few hours into the game you will just skip these boring cutscenes.
There is a decent save game system in place with the best part being the checkpoints system. It usually works often enough to avoid frustration--even mid-mission hooray! What's annoyingly missing is the ability to save anywhere at anytime. To be clear, you can initiate a manual save at any time but it performs a save state that warping you to the nearest town when loaded. It's not really that big of a deal since it just provides you with another excuse to purchase another vehicle from the Black Market or just hi-jack something nearby.
In some parts of the game there are Quick Time Events (QTEs) and unfortunately they're seemingly unnecessary even though they're attached to tense scenarios. For instance, in one section of the game I needed to open a gate to let my guys in and--while under fire--I was required to nail 5 buttons in a specific order. Another time I needed to hijack an attacking chopper and in order to commandeer the vehicles for my own use I had to successfully complete a QTE. Not hitting the right buttons forced me to start over.
The physics in the game feels just about right, but driving can be a mixed bag at times. It sits somewhere in between GTA4 and Saints Row 2 in terms of controls and feel. Plus the camera does this weird thing where it sits a little too close to the vehicle and shakes around, when going off-road, in relation to the vehicle. It makes off-roading slightly nauseating, but perhaps the point. There a various cars to buy, steal, grapple, jump on and drive off of cliffs--the same goes for flying. The variety feels good and plentiful and, of course, some handle better than others. The most fun I had was with flying. It's a gorgeous experience, especially during sunset.
I've played the demo and the full game on the PC and it appears that Avalanche has slightly optimized the game with the final retail release. I should also mention that once I turned Vertical Sync off I was able to run the game with most of the settings maxed out running at a smooth frame rate at a 1680x1050 resolution. I have a Q6600 (over-clocked to 3Ghz), 4GB RAM and a 4890 1GB video card. I do have an Xbox 360 copy and it looks strikingly good, runs well and looks great. Any version will make you happy.
I can see how this review could be easily construed a negative take on the game but honestly half of the issues I mentioned are trivial. Who cares about the voice acting, the narrative, Rico's pork grease laden hair--this game is fun fun fun. Get and get out there and have fun kid! <sWaT!>
More at:[...]. | video-games_xbox |
Amazing fun, spectacular graphics; great for parties or solo. Great fun, and good enough to convert all those non-FPS fans
I didn't like FPS's until I played Halo. I had played Quake and Red Faction, both of which had average graphics and game play. But Halo is a game that is so addictive it could take over your spare time and convert you into a FPS-loving fanatic. The graphics are often breathtaking - there is so much detail that, without exception, everything looks better up close. The bark on the trees looks so real that you feel like stripping it off and making a bonfire whilst singing kumbaya and toasting marshmallows with your fellow marines. When a grenade explodes, dirt fountains up in the air in a spectacular fashion, giving you a new appreciation of soil. The waterfalls look so good that you wish you had a camera. Rocks look like rocks. The list is endless. The game play is great fun, with some awesome weapons and vehicles - the Scorpion Tank ranks as one of the best vehicles ever in a video game - as well as an incredible cooperative mode that is five times more fun than playing alone. All the weapons have their uses, and despite being limited to carrying two at a time, there are so many weapons littered about the levels that it hardly matters.
Halo is basically divided up into two halves - the first five levels you battle the Covenant, whilst in the last five levels you battle both the Flood and Covenant. The Covenant is an amusing bunch of aliens, whilst the Flood are mutant-zombies who overtake the bodies of their victims. Occasionally you'll come across Flood and Covenant forces engaged in epic battles, and it is up to you whether you want to help sway the outcome of the battle, wipe everyone out with guns blazing, or simply stand back and watch the outcome. Fighting the Covenant is fun, since they are well-designed and seemingly have a lot of personality - the Grunts, especially, will cry out sayings such as: "Die, devil, die!"; "Run away!"; "He's going to kill us all!"; "There's TWO of them!". Whilst fighting The Covenant I felt some joy at massacring large numbers of an alien civilization. They cried, they grunted, they shouted with rage as I continuously pummeled them with gunfire.
The first five levels are the best, particularly levels three, four and five. It's in the first half of the game that you mostly fight on battlefields with your other marines, enjoying the intensity of war. Halo really shines when the action takes place on an open battlefield, with Covenant aircraft and hovercraft zooming around - that is, until you whip out your rocket launcher and destroy them. Even better is the fun that can be had with the sniper rifle, taking out Covenant Elite or gun emplacements before they even see you. Shooting your own men is also a hoot, especially blowing them up with plasma grades. I love watching a marine waving his arms wildly in the air whilst running around in circles and shouting "Oh god oh god oh god!" ... just before he blows up and another marine turns to me and says "You killed him, man!" If you kill too many of your own men, they turn on you, and that's about the only time in the game when cursing is heard. The oaths aren't anything that you wouldn't hear on an episode of "Friends." Your marines will also compliment you on your fighting ability, saying things such as "Nice shot!" or "He's unstoppable!" They also say mildly amusing things. One marine will say, "See? They're not so tough," and another will reply, "I hear some of them are wearing skirts."
My favorite level is number five, with some amazing snow effects and a large variety of vehicles and weapons. Level four is the exact same as the demo level. The demo level was on normal difficulty. Halo is an entirely different experience when you play it on the "Legendary" difficulty level. On Legendary you have to play very defensively, and the tension as you duck constant barrages of plasma bolts is palpable. Several times I found myself with sweaty hands. Other levels include settings such as alien ships, beaches, cliff faces, swamps, and seemingly endless corridors. Levels 8, 9 and 10 are repeats of levels 5, 3 and 1 respectively, which is a slight letdown.
Overall, a great game, and the best I have played on either xbox or ps2. Definitely worth a purchase. | video-games_xbox |
many, many flaws. It's hard to know where to begin.
Half of the missions are impossible to finish unless you figure out some sort of gimmick. Most missions force you to research them on the Internet.
There is no sense of reality at all. For instance, at one point you are shooting into a giant frame of steel girders, but you can only fire when the "doors" are open, even though it's just a giant, open framework. There is a submarine that your weapons can't damage, so you have to lure enemy aircraft into crashing into it. Again, use the Internet to understand how to finish the missions.
Most missions have a wingman, and while you are trying to do your task, you often have to keep an eye on the wingman symbol to keep reminding them to go and do something. It's so distracting that it really detracts from the game.
The game introduces too many random elements of play. Instead of flying and shooting, some of the first things you do include tail gunning, using a bomb sight, and intercepting a train at just the right spot so that you can hover over it for several seconds. These might make nice diversions after several missions, but they are some of the first things you do and just add to the random, haphazard feel of the game.
There are several "cheat codes" available, but if you use them they lock out the achievements. I presume the cheat codes were released to make up for how difficult the game can be. Frankly, people ought to be able to finish a game. Publishers can certainly add some harder modes for re-playability, but it's just ridiculous to make a game difficult to understand just to add hours of play. On the plus side, the game rates your performance in each mission so you could re-play them for a higher rating. Also, your rating earns "prestige points" that are used to buy upgrades. You might find it necessary to earn more points just to get the upgrades for later missions.
The game booklet is worthless for understanding how to play the game. It doesn't explain how to use some of the more obscure controls and it doesn't explain the map symbols. You just have to play and lose until you gradually figure it out.
The plot is ridiculous. So ridiculous that it's annoying. The plot is explained through voice acting (not stellar, but I've heard worse) and artwork. Fairly crude.
Some of the missions are fairly enjoyable, as they aren't all timed and don't all require completing a bizarre task. But far too many of the missions are simply repeating the same frustrating sequence until you figure out some gimmick that isn't explained anywhere except an Internet post by someone who also got stuck. | video-games_xbox |
Madden 07: Nailed deep in the backfield. In November 2005, I ended my review of Madden NFL 2006 for the Xbox 360 by saying, "Hopefully next season EA Sports can throw in some of the gameplay modes that made Madden so different while improving on a few of the annoyances." Now, nine months later, I'm sitting in my gamer chair rocking back and forth with those new gameplay modes I wanted, but all of the same annoyances and a few more that ultimately make the sophomore next-gen Madden experience a very sour one indeed.
Madden NFL 2007 for the Xbox 360 returns with beautiful graphics and attention to detail that made last year's game look and sound nice. The graphics have even been improved, the menus look sharper, there are flashy introductions to each game, and the animations look better than ever. There are some truly brutal tackles in this game. The field deformation looks fantastic and shows the realistic wear and tear on grass fields. The radio announcer is back again this year, as well as the increased amount of on-field chatter and far more realistic reactions from the crowd and stadium announcer. And once again, John Madden got a sock in his mouth As a guy who simply can't stand hearing meaningless, obvious banter, I'm very happy to not hear this man's chatter for another season. The soundtrack is pretty alright, with some of my personal favorite bands (AFI, Audioslave, Rise Against) being on the lineup. All of these things are the best things about Madden NFL 2007, which is why I wanted to get them out of the way. Now, let me proceed to tell you why you shouldn't be buying this game on the Xbox 360.
Last year, current-gen Madden players were treated to a new mode called Superstar Mode. Superstar Mode was very similar to NCAA Football 2006's Race for the Heisman Mode-players would create a character and take him all the way through an NFL career in hopes of making him a superstar and a future Hall of Famer. This mode was great in Madden NFL 2006, because you had all the same control over your team, albeit with an obligation to get the ball to your player (or, on defense, sack the crap out of opposing quarterbacks). This year, Superstar mode has shown its face on the Xbox 360-and I'm not pleased. I'm not please at all. In fact, I'm disgusted. Superstar mode, in my opinion, is the worst thing ever to happen to Madden-or perhaps it's the execution. In this new mode, gamers are stripped of most control over the game. You're thrown right into the shoes of your own created player, seeing the field from only his perspective, and doing only what he's supposed to. If your character is a QB and you don't like the playcall, too bad Make the best pass you can, and good luck getting into the Hall of Fame with all of those sacks and interceptions The new camera angles make it almost impossible to see so much of what is going on on-field. It's really sad, because Superstar mode, if executed more like NCAA Football 2006's Race for the Heisman, could have been the best thing to happen to Madden-not the worst.
Franchise mode last year was pretty bare, and it's sadly just as bare this year. I recently found a lot of enjoyment in creating a multiplayer Fantasy Franchise with a few friends in current-gen Madden NFL 2007, and I was very sad to see that once again, this option isn't available in the Xbox 360 version. Franchise is, simply put, a string of seasons with basic administrative options and the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl waiting at the end of each season. The only perk this year is the ability to go into training sessions with three of your players throughout each week of the season. Doing this will let you play some of the skill-based mini-games, as well as raise the statistics of your players if you succeed in meeting the scores in each of the mini-games.
As a bonus for when (and I said when, not if) you get bored with Madden NFL 2007, EA Sports included some highlight reels of dozens of NFL Hall of Famers. It's nice to see old players being awesome, and I'd really like to see more highlights like this in future iterations of the game. Sure, these guys are Hall of Famers, but I'd really like to see highlights of current players as well. For instance, seeing clips of cover boy Shaun Alexander's 5 first-half touchdowns a few years ago, that would have been really cool. It would be interesting to see, in future games of Madden, if highlights like this could be added into the actual game alongside commentary to show off the history and background of star players. They do this in real life, and if it's in the game, it's in the game, right?
After playing current-gen Madden NFL 2007, it's really hard to enjoy the next-gen version. I start noticing things that are so obviously necessary to the game. For example, there is no Playmaker control in next-gen Madden NFL 2007. There aren't as many hot route options. The play-calling menu, something I didn't mind last year, is abysmal for multiplayer games. Even the new and highly-touted Run to Daylight blocking feature was stripped down for the Xbox 360 version of the game. Most importantly of all, though, Madden NFL 2007 on Xbox 360 just doesn't feel like Madden. It's as stiff as a 40-year-old kicker. It's as chuggy as Peyton Manning's scramble. It doesn't feel quick, smooth, or fluid like Madden is supposed to feel. If Madden is supposed to feel this broken, they should put Limpin' Leftwich on the cover, hobbling to the sidelines.
Another thing: if A.I. in football games doesn't improve, I give up. Unless you're constantly playing All-Pro or All-Madden difficulties, you'll encounter some absolutely ridiculous A.I. Maybe it's just my bad luck, but the favor always went to the opposing team. For example, my defensive backs absolutely never knew where the ball was. More than 75% of my swatted passes were done manually. Interceptions are never caught, but batted away. Blocks are oftentimes completely missed by guards and fullbacks. Players get stuck together running routes. They'll run their routes as the football is thrown just over their heads, without ever trying to reach up and grab the ball. Some of the animations for play action passes and bootlegs are so lengthy that a blitz will cut straight through the line and result in an easy sack for the defense. Tackles in next-gen Madden NFL 2007 are so frequently shed that it's almost useless to do anything but abuse the Hit Stick. Alternatively, tackles are too easily shed with the Highlight Stick-a welcome addition to the game, but something that's so easy to use, it's hard not to feel guilty abusing it.
The problems don't end there. I encountered so many unexplainable flaws in this game that it's hard for me to believe it was finished completely. Is it a bug, or just a new rule that I haven't heard about, for the game to automatically cut off your control when you're winning in the end of the fourth quarter? Sure, it's unsportsmanlike to run up the score, but I'll be damned if I'll sit and watch the play clock tick down all 35 seconds to be a good sport in a video game. I think it's just a bug, because it happened pretty randomly in my play time. The graphics and frame rate stutter very often, causing frequent but short pauses that break up the fluidity of the game. And the bug to stomp out all bugs-the frequent crashes from Madden NFL 2006-return in 2007. My game crashed five times before I ever actually finished an entire game in Franchise mode. It's hard to enjoy a game when it crashes that often. Something really needs to be done here.
I love Madden. I look forward to its release every single year. I had never been so excited to play a Madden game before, and Madden NFL 2007 for the Xbox 360 turned out to be the biggest pigskin disappointment I've ever endured. What could have been the first true fully-featured football classic on the Xbox 360 ends up being nothing more than a game that should get passed up by gamers for its current-gen superiors. The sad thing is, I don't know where EA Tiburon can go with this game. They started from scratch with Madden NFL 2006 on Xbox 360, so my only suggestion now is to do what 2K Sports did with their NBA and NHL franchises: use the same engine as the current-gen games and simply beef up the visuals and presentation. I'd rather have a prettier version of current-gen Madden NFL 2007 than what came out this year for Xbox 360. Madden NFL 2007 looks and sounds wonderful, but if you actually want a fun football experience, look no further than the game of the same name on PlayStation 2 or Xbox. You'll have a much better time for $10 cheaper. | video-games_xbox |
A Definitive 360 Game. The first Mass Effect was a great game. It told an epic tale, the combat was fun, and it was genuinely pretty fun slowly developing your character and watching him/her becoming more powerful and deep as a character. But the game had a lot of issues. Side quests were pretty standard and it became tedious exploring entire worlds looking for new content. Also, the first game had a lot of issues. I won't go into too much detail here; take my word for it.
BUT the 2nd game took care of ALL these issues (I've HEARD of technical issues with this game, I just haven't experienced ANY of them) and improved - DRASTICALLY - on so much of what was great about the first game. They streamlined this game by cutting the fat while also making for a deeply involving saga to experience. The inventory system from the last game is gone, they replaced it completely with a much simpler one. Upgrading is far less daunting, but there are less options. Pick your upgrades wisely! Side quests as well as main (and main optional) are all stories unto themselves and NOTHING feels cookie-cutter which is... a truly remarkable feat.
All this being said, there is less content in this game compared with the first. Period. There's a ton to do, don't get me wrong - but the insanely high level of work and quality found in virtually everything in ME2 precludes that the universe will be smaller than in the first.
Graphically, this game is just. Beautiful. Colors are bright and intense and everything is fleshed out which adds to the authenticity of the game overall. The lighting is phenomenal - bright lights and deep shadows add to the epic feel of what you're doing, and are pretty to look at. But not just graphically is this game great to look at - the artistic direction is FAR more fully realized in ME2. Bioware put in a lot of time to immerse you in this world. It payed off.
The soundtrack is amazing, it also helps to immerse you into the dramatic circumstances you're thrust into. It propels a triumphant feeling when its needed, but also helps cast a pall over the increasingly dark nature of much of this game. I really don't want to understate this aspect of the game. The first had a spacey, 80's adventure feel to it. This one has a full orchestra behind it.
The first game never lacked in storytelling, and this one just improves on it. The game starts off in a pretty dark place which sets the tone for the whole game. ME2 is dark, and it slowly and ominously gets darker. That's how this game tells its story; it slowly builds and makes you feel like everything is coming to a head - that all the events that have taken place are leading you somewhere - and its not a good place. You may or may not come out a hero - but the story leave you emotionally scarred (well at least Shepherd).
The combat in ME2 is a lot of fun - and this game is more action-oriented that the first. Its just much smoother overall than the first. The combat wheel is still there - but with a lot less options to choose from, using it is much easier. This game strives to deliver great story AND great combat. It does. BUT they still haven't figured out how to make squad combat work. This is a one-player game and sometimes it feels like that's how it should be, because you're team-mates that always accompany you will NOT be on your level. Also, enemy AI isn't too great. But whatever, its so much fun kicking a$$ that I was rarely bothered. And kicking a$$ is really what this game is great at letting you do. Pick an aggressive class and get lost in how much of a bad a$$ you are. Add to that feeling by picking 'Renegade' interrupt options when they sporadically appear.
You've just read a few paragraphs of gushing praise. And few games ever made deserve it so much. There's a reason why IGN picked ME2 as the best 360 game ever made. It is one of the great franchises in gaming history - and hopefully of the big screen too (crossing fingers). Its a story and character based game with a lot of combat, and it is monumentally great in both those aspects (if quite a bit more in the former). I would highly recommend this game to anyone. Save SCII THIS is my favorite game ever made. Bioware delivers: Don't miss out on this VERY high quality, epic experience.
Things that didn't work so well:
1. Planet scanning needs to be fixed. This is how you find resources to fund upgrades, and it is... a DRAG!
2. The inventory/upgrade system maybe streamlined TOO much. Part of the fun of action RPGs is developing your character's abilities and the system in ME2 could have been deeper without being nearly as complicated as the first game's.
3. OK Bioware, I'm alright with a FEW cookie-cutter missions. There's enough content here - but there could have been more if Bioware allowed some throw-away missions.
All in all... you can find negatives with any game. The positives far outweigh them in this game.
10/10. | video-games_xbox |
One of the most immersive games I've ever played. I have compulsively logged about 35 hours into this game and I have to say at every minute I want to keep playing it more. It's super fun and addicting. The best part is, there's no *correct* way to play the game, though depending on your play style there are perks that are more favorable. The settlement aspect was a game changer in terms of making this fully immersive, and makes essentially everything you find in the game somewhat valuable.
My few tips for newbies:
- Read a few newbie guides online if you haven't played a fallout game before. They don't really explain things like the VATS system (LB button) to you and it's super helpful. If you're like me you can also spam VATS to pick up unnoticed enemies or mines (approaching a mine and pressing "A" can disarm it and add it to your inventory)
- Don't underestimate the value of the luck S.P.E.C.I.A.L category, it helps you find better stuff and generally helps things side in your favor. The luck perk tree is also very powerful
- This is kind of a cheat, but if you're about to try a charisma dialogue option (Yellow = pretty easy, orange = harder, red = pretty darn hard) you can save and if it doesn't go the way you want it to you can reload and try again
- Ignore the lead belly perk, it may be somewhat helpful early on but is essentially worthless later on
- If you plan to travel with the dog (Dogmeat) for the duration of the game, load up on the "Lone Wanderer" perk. He doesn't count as a companion for those purposes and it adds a lot of weight carrying capacity to you and helps you take much less damage
- Ammo is pretty darn scarce, so I've found the "scrounger" perk to be incredibly helpful
- Many of the guns are or can be turned into semi-auto rifles, so the "Rifleman" perk can stack some crazy damage on your hits and help you conserve ammo (+20% damage for each level)
- When you're hacking a terminal, if you see any series of parentheses that open and close, for example: (),{},<>,[] if you highlight the fully covered range and select it it will either remove a dud or reset your tries
- Kind of a cheat, but you can always exit and re-enter a terminal you're trying to hack and it will reset your tries. No need to worry about locking yourself out of terminals | video-games_xbox |
Stupid hard. This is actually a really fun game!
Pros:
Visually, this game is mesmerizing. When the griffon is throwing cars and eating people, it looks like a Cinematic film sequence, but your still able to run around and shoot at it. I don't think I was actually hurting it, but the stuff that jumps out at you and things that happen around you are just insane! They really keep you on edge, and it kind of reminds me of Doom in certain aspects.
~The controls are pretty easy once you get the feel for them. I just wish there was more configuration options.
~Gameplay is overall fun and constantly throwing different things at you. Random events just happen when you trigger them. Walk down a hallway, and all of the sudden a fire demon busts through the cement wall, or enter the streets again from the sewers and try not to get stepped on by a 100 foot golem composed of pipes, cars, rocks, whatever magnetized together by magical energy from Pandora's box. The scenarios in this game are just insane and will make your jaw drop.
Cons:
Monsters keep respawning most the time, or you have to kill a set number of them before you can move on with the game. I guess you could say it's a boss fight, but instead your killing 30 werewolfs instead. There is boss fights were you have to kill just one boss, but it just varies. Other then that, the monsters will just keep respawning every 20 seconds after you kill them off, and when your trying to look for your objective, it can get pretty frustrating and it takes alot away from the fun factor.
~This game is unbelievably hard, even on normal. I don't quit many games, but I got to this boss fight were I had to kill spirit werewolfs, and in order to shoot them, you have to turn them physical with one of your powers, and in order to get your power meter up to even use your power, you have to kill things, and I couldn't kill werewolfs because I couldn't shoot them because I ran out of power, so yeah. I started over and played on easy after that, but eventually I got caught on something else just as stupid. So I had to trade this one in. But if anyone wants a really hard challenge with some killer graphics, then I recommend this game. | video-games_xbox |
A basshead's wireless gaming delight. If 4.5 stars was a thing, I'd give it that. I'm no audiophile, but using these after having my V-moda XS's I haven't had a problem with audio quality.
This thing is awesome. It's very comfy, and the material won't let your head get too hot from long sessions.
I have my xbone and PC on the same desk, and it connects to both wirelessly at the same time (however does need to connect to xbox controller if you want to chat, the only downside)
The connections are simple. You run the optical from your xbox, and run the USB power from your PC, which you also use for a microphone, and run a 3.5mm line from your pc to the transmitter for audio. 3 cables and you're completely done setting this thing up. Plug in the short USB cable to the back of the transmitter to charge it when it's on the stand not in use. I'd recommend picking up a 6 foot amazon basics micro-usb cable so if it runs out of juice while you're playing you can plug it in and keep going. You will have to shave off some excess plastic on the micro-usb side though, just use a file or a mini-saw on a multitool. Just don't forget to update your headset and your xbox one controllers!
Anyways, onto audio.
I wanted surround on my PC and my Xbox, and this thing wirelessly delivers. With the aforementioned 3.5mm jack from pc to transmitter above, and setting it up as a surround connection with your audio devices manager, it sounds great. It delivers the sound I want from playing Battlefield on PC or Halo/Forza on my Xbox, big bass with nice clarity on the highs. You can use the other 2 pre-sets, 'core' and 'gaming' or whatever, but I just prefer the first one, 'media'. The other two artificially boost the mids and highs too much imo. Be sure to fine tune these even more on PC using your audio eq settings.
The mic is passable. It's nowhere near the best, but it doesn't bother my friends on skype, even when I just downgraded from the great V-moda Boom Mic. You can find a lot of mic samples with a quick youtube search.
There's not much more to say here. It wirelessly connects to my xbox and pc, sounds great on both, I can nearly walk across my entire smaller sized house (20-25 feet) without audio cutting out, it's very comfy for extended periods, and it just works. If it doesn't feel like it's fitting you well, try making the headband smaller, for my average sized head I made it go down 2.5 blocks on the headband.
The price on these may be steep, so just be a smart shopper. Look for used Amazon Warehouse deals specifically, I bought mine in 'very good' condition for 200, and the box's seals weren't even broken! 100 dollars off for nothing wrong! Sign up for amazon cards, get the giftcards and make sure you don't use them to pay when checking out since they are made default payment options. Be a smart shopper, and enjoy the best Xbox/PC wireless setup you can buy!
EDIT:
With the release of Windows 10, you can join and create parties within the Xbox App on your PC. So, if you plan on gaming with a party, you can have fully wireless chat and game at the same time! Just have your PC setup like above, and start the party. You can listen to both your PC and your Xbox at the same time, so that also fixes the music snapping issue completely! | video-games_xbox |
A wild ride with a few flaws (spoiler free. I have never been a FPS fan. I played the first Bioshock, but never played the second. I decided that since everyone was raving about the game, I had to give it a try. What I found was a breathtaking story about a city in the sky that probably ended up more convoluted than it should have been. I will try to break it down into a few categories.
Graphics: The graphic style is wonderful. Sort of a cartoony feel with just enough realism to be terrifying at times. The city is very robust with children playing in the streets and vendors selling their wears. They do a good job of selling it as a living breathing city. This is no Skyrim, but it does well enough. 9/10
Gameplay: This is where I have to knock the game down a few points. The game is a FPS without a few of the tools that make a FPS great. There was a bunch of times I wanted to use my vigor button to look down the sights of my weapon, but was unable to. This might just be a Bioshock niche though. The vigors are great, but I found myself using the same few over and over. That being said, you really don't need them. This is not a very challenging game. I played the game on Medium. I know I could have set it up a little higher, but I usually play all my games on the default setting (with a select few getting another play through on a harder setting). Is that to say I didn't die? Of course not, I died a ton! Why, do you ask, do I consider the game to be so easy if I died so many times? There is almost no penalty to dying. You get revived with more ammo and life and you are within five seconds of where you died. The baddies get a little health back, but not all of it. You lose a little cash, but I never noticed it missing. There was very little reason to be careful or stress about dying. Most of the time I would just burst in, guns a blazing. When I died I would just rinse and repeat until everything was dead. The zip lines are massive metal lines that you zip along to new areas or to help with combat. They were fun, but I became confused on more than one occasion about which way I was supposed to go. There is an arrow guide, but that isn't all that helpful on the rails. 7/10
Replayability: The story was a huge part of the campaign. When the story was all revealed, I had very little reason to replay the game. There are a few side quests and chests, but they never amount to anything but a little gear or something equally as trivial. The small choices you make throughout the game have no impact on the conclusion (which is very unsatisfying to me.) 5/10
Overall I would give the game a 7.5/10 (not an average). I know that is much lower than other people, but it just didn't feel like a game of the year to me. There was a lot of talk about Elizabeth being a great companion, but she seemed pretty average to me. She did do a good job of staying out of my way, which was nice. This was pretty much her story, with you along for the ride. The replayability isn't a huge issue, but it might be for some after paying 50-60 bucks for a sub 10 hour game. The overall story is good, albeit I had to youtube a few explanations at the end to clear some things up. And some of the stuff didn't make much sense even after it was explained. The final battle had the feel that it could have been something great, but it ended up being something you had to just grind through. I would wait till you can get it for 30 or less and pick it up, or borrow it from a friend. It is definately something you should pick up and play at some point. | video-games_xbox |
Welcome Back Campers - online play review. If you enjoy getting picked off by an unseen enemy, never even having a chance to fire back, if your game is to find some hidden perch, lie in the prone position and wait for some poor soul to walk in front of your crosshairs, if you loved COD2 because it rewarded your camp/sniping by making the sniper rifle far and away the most effective gun, if you were disappointed when COD3 made the sniper rifle's scope, smaller, cloudier and more difficult to aim, then you will love COD4 because Infinity Ward has put you back on top.
In an apparent fit of spitefulness for being snubbed on COD3, Infinity Ward has reversed all of the major improvements made by Treyarch in COD3, taking the franchise back two big steps. The online gameplay of COD4 is very similar to COD2. While COD2 was a remarkable game in many ways, it had one serious drawback, it encouraged camping out with sniper rifle, and discouraged moving about the map and trying to achieve the objective of whatever type of match you were playing. The field of view on the scope for COD2 was vast, the targets inside the field of view were enormous, and to place the crosshairs over target and fire was no challenge for even a novice player. A skilled sniper, on the other hand could make the game miserable for everyone else.
What was great about COD3 was that it leveled the playing field by making sniping more difficult. This was done in several ways. First, the field of view through the scope was much reduced. Transitioning from normal view to ADS through the scope was almost disorienting. If your distant target was not already in the direct center of your screen under normal view, it will likely be outside your field of view through the scope. Also, holding steady aim was made more difficult, and the glass of the scope was made cloudy and dirty--realistic changes. Lastly, and most ingeniously, you cannot camp anywhere on any map on COD3, without having the shine of your helmet visible to any targets in your sights. COD4 has restored the imbalance by bringing back the properties of COD2's sniper rifle and eliminating the tell tale shiny helmet. Once again snipers dominate.
Perhaps I have an unfair bias against the sniper but I don't really see the point of multiplayer gameplay when one party does not know the other is there. If you are a sniper, you don't really need to be playing with other humans. It is basically target practice--these players might be better off playing Duck Hunt on NES. They could get the same thrill of shooting an oblivious target, without wasting my time. I much prefer challenging another player or players head on, where we both know the other is there, both aim and shoot at each other and outcome is based on the reflexes, and skill of both players.
While there are many new features and improvements added in COD4 which I like, such as ranking system, and weapon unlocking, these are thoroughly discussed in the many 4 and 5 star reviews above. But for those of us in the anti-sniping camp, it is overall an inferior game to COD3 and does not have the same lasting power. | video-games_xbox |
I haven't even broken a sweat. I played the original Kinetic sports for hours. Broken my records numerous times throughout the years and played several of the sports.
I was disappointed with this game overall - I really really wanted to like it, I even gritted through all the slow paced tutorials and training videos, and really tried to enjoy the "clans" trying to gain my membership - all while repeating to myself, "Common, give it a fair chance, it'll get fun once you unlock the game modes and get used to all the new movement commands"
But it didn't happen, I have unlocked all the game modes, all I am left with is 6 "sports" with up-gradable clothes and power ups.
Where are the fun "Jump right in" fast-paced mini-games that made you break a sweat?
Below is the list of "Sports", please know that the graphics, sound effects, visual effects and music is all enjoyable and energetic in all of the sports types - together it gets you pumped up! But fancy graphics is not everything:
Wave Race - Meh, get's your arms tired at least
Soccer - Meh - slow paced - Haven't mastered how to goal more easily just yet
Shooting - All you need to do is point.. it auto shoots for you! This mode was no fun at all...
Bowling - This was fun! Throw somewhat realistically and the new kinect can detect the spin of your hand to throw a spin ball. Why oh why do I have to waste time seeing the computer opponent throw?! Just make it my turn already ( also no mini games?!)
Tennis - This was fun! Realistic version of the real game ( but no mini games?!)
Rock Climbing - Meh, didn't find the game mode fun, and I hate that I have to make a fist to grab the walls instead of a more realistic grab. At least it gets your arms tired, and on occasion you need to jump.
Also, this is my first time using the new Kinect and I find that the new select style is terrible "push in, then pull back to select"
I have played this game for hours, and I STILL haven't mastered the new select style, the little hand symbol jumps all over the screen. Perhaps I need to re calibrate the kinect...
I would not recommend this game.
I haven't played online yet - believe it or not, it was not made obvious how to start up a multiplier game, as I write this review, I don't even know how to start one up -I guess this means the game is not really easy to navigate - its a bit of a mess. I know it's there somewhere, a shame that I have to "figure it out".
I will update this review after I play the kinect with another person. | video-games_xbox |
Must Own Racing Sim. I have never owned or played a Forza game before. I have owned and played all of the Gran Turismo games. So that is the perspective I approach this game from. So if I list something as a pro that has been in for numerous games, that is the reason why.
Pros:
Force Feedback Throttle and Brake -- This is totally amazing and transformative. Now you can feel when the wheels start to spin on acceleration and when the brakes start to lock on braking. Unfortunately it doesn't look as if the $400 !? steering wheel pedals support this feature.
Perfect and Good Turn Feedback -- This is invaluable feedback for around the course. You can think you are going fast through a turn when in fact you are turtle slow. If you get a good or perfect turn, you know you did it right.
The graphics are drop dead gorgeous. The cockpits of the cars are so beautifully rendered you are going to want to stay with the inside view. In fact I have not left it and I don't know how to. The sound of the cars is beautiful. Music to my ears.
That would not matter if the physics was off. Initially, with a slower car I thought the physics might not have been quite right. However, after driving numerous cars and especially the Ariel Atom, the physics on this game are amazing.
Rewind button -- I really love this feature. With GT you can have a perfect race or lap going and then a computer car can do something stupid to you and it is all for naught. Start over. If that sort of masochism is something you enjoy then you will not like this feature. However, at any point in the race you press the y button and it rewinds you a few seconds. You can do that a few times. Then you start agin from that point. This is so intuitive that I found this feature by accident. There is a deduction in prize money and experience for using
1970s Formula 1 Gran Prix cars -- I own the 1976 Ferrari -- This car is amazing to drive. Unfortunately, it is not the 1000hp monster I was hoping for. It is an amazingly agile car with decent horsepower. The Ariel Atom is actually a wilder ride than the 1970 GP car. But so far this is my favorite car
I really like how the money system is tied to drivers aids and opponent difficulty. Want to earn money faster. Simple, turn off driving aides and make the opponents more difficult.
Tracks -- Wow there are some fun tracks in here. There are many familiar tracks and they race the same as in GT. The new tracks are really fun. The Prague is my absolute favorite. Unfortunately, there is no Nurburgring in this game. That circuit is a pain to learn but once you have it is and incredibly fun circuit.
Drivatars -- So far I haven't really noticed any pluses or minuses to the drivatar system. I do like that my drivatar can earn money for me while I am not playing. The Ariel Atom I drive is usually much lighter than the other cars I am racing. Because of this I have noticed I have been punted off the track a number of times. Whether this is because of aggressive drivatars or because of too many cars in too small of a space I can tell.
Remarkably free of bugs.
Jeremy Clarkson and Top Gear -- Enough Said
Cons
In App purchases -- Well you knew it was coming but you still wish you would get the whole game when you pay $80 for it. However, it will be very easy to spend $180 for the game when all is said and done. $80 for limited edition. $50 for 6 car pack season pass. $50 for enough tokens to level up very quickly. Now don't get me wrong, the amount of work that goes into making just one of these cars is staggering. So $180 really isn't that bad for the full experience. Just be aware that is the real price tags.
Car Packs don't put the car in your garage. You either have to earn enough in the game to buy them or use real money to buy some tokens to repurchase the cars you already purchased. There is no way that I have found to earn money in a quick fashion. With all aids of an tough opponents, the most you can expect to get is around $20,000. The Lotus F1 car costs $6,000,000. This means in a best case scenario it will take 150 races to earn that car. In GT, as you progress in the game, the races give you more money. And the best online challenge race gives $1,000,000 per event. As it stands right now, to get all of the best cars is going to take around 1,000 races. The Lotus costs 10,000 tokens which is $15-30 depending on how many tokens you buy. Nonetheless, if I pay real money for a car pack, I don't expect to have to earn it in the game or pay more money for the chance to drive it. This is a big foul in my book.
Once you do have your nice car there is not much to really do with it. There is a F1 series, 70 F1 series, Prototype series, etc. One of each series. After that there is not much point for the car you took 150 races to earn.
Interface -- The interface is confusing to me. I am sure it is because I am used to GT and I am starting to get used to it.
No 1960s Formula 1 Gran Prix cars yet
Leveling up doesn't mean anything. All it does is give you $31,000 bonus money. There is no real point of it.
No point to winning -- You get the gold medal for coming in third. With the current pay out system, there should be an increase in the challenge to switch the gold to coming in either second or first.
Amazon lists the following about the Limited Edition -- 1,250 car tokens (a $9.99 value) that will allow Limited Edition owners instant access to any car in the game -- This is not true as any of the really nice cars cost 2,000+ tokens with the most expensive being the Lotus clocking in at a whopping 10,000 tokens
Overall
This game is the reason I purchased the XBOX One. The visuals, realism, and driving experience have totally made it worth it.
For those of you who love GT, this simulator is a must own. For those who are intimidated by driving simulators but would love to drive million dollar cars, Forza 5 welcomes you and gives you any aide you might need to minimize frustration.
For me, it was well worth the purchase and, if you will excuse me I have to get back to my racing now. | video-games_xbox |
Elite? No. Fun with friends...duh. Modern Warfare was badass...Modern Warfare 2 got me to do the unthinkable-stop playing Modern Warfare. So when Black Ops came out I was excited but didn't feel like shelling out the $60 for it right away...after a 5 day rental, I was done. Black Ops was like Halo 2 for people who thought Halo 2 was for losers...meaning it was ALL run and gun, the entire multiplayer was horrible imo, and that damn RC Car sucked.
Now, MW3 got me to trade in ALL of my past MW games, WaW, and even Assassin's Creed....just cuz I wanted it right away.
After 3 days of playing and leveling to 58 I can definitely say it's better than Black Ops...however, this ain't MW2 either. Every review that complains about Maps is right..the layout is pretty simple, clutter. When there isn't clutter there's narrow bottlenecks...when there is an open space forget sniping cuz chances are there's 3 ways to get to you from behind you and you only get one Claymore.
The guns---meh--some are cool and for some reason certain guns kick ass for like 10 matches then become water pistols to someone else's gun that has horrible stats. It really is getting close to Halo in terms of run-and-gun...the only saving factor for the game is the new matchups.
Kill Confirmed---fantastic change in gameplay style
Protect the Flagger---ripped right from Halo and completely useless to anyone who cares about the kill-to-death ratio on their stats..you will die an redonk amount of times playing this.
Revamped weapons customization--cool but we never really needed 10 colors for our guns or 5 scopes.
In summary it's a step up from Black Ops and holy crap playing with tons of people I know really does make teamwork shine...so, if you have a clan or have friends who come over to play buy this game...if you don't...maybe rent it first.
In case you're wondering my favorite game right now is Arkham City...next favorite is LA NOIRE...
Oh and I didn't mention single player...on purpose. | video-games_xbox |
Not a Next Gen Game. It appears that EA has rushed its titles to make the 360 launch date, and Tiger Woods 2006 is no exception. Graphically it's slightly better than its predecessors (most notably are the trees, which used to be flat pixels...here they're all polygons).
However the faces of the characters actually look less similar to their counterparts than the previous versions. Tiger, for instance, looks like he decided to get permanent eyeliner tatoo. Gone are the vast customization of the create-a-player feature. One of the goals of this game is to create a player to look just like you, and to get the player to play the same equipment. Last year I got a kick creating a player that looked pretty close to me, with matching clothes, and even a custom built swing to match my flat-plane shorter swingpath. This year, everyone swings the same.
The pro-shop is now irrelevant, since you "unlock" items rather than save up money to buy the ones you really want. There's a fraction of the available items (clothes, equipment, balls, etc.) than from previous versions.
There is a saving grace, however. I was tired of shooting mid 50s in the past versions. Once I even shot a 49. It reached a point where I played without upgrading any of my abilities, so I was driving it only about 240 (which works for me, because that's as far as I can drive in real life anyway), which made the tournaments at least competitive. I also didn't like how you could dramatically change the spin on the ball so that if you didn't like your approach shot, you could work the ball mid-air so you could get the ball close to the pin. Yeah, pretty realistic. In this new version, that's gone. You have to determine your spin before hand. Also, with analog putting, you could be throwing darts out there onto the green, but could still get a double bogey if you don't putt well (which increases the difficulty).
All in all, however, it felt like a rushed game. Here's hoping that new courses and acessories are downloadable... | video-games_xbox |
Great second installment in a, hopefully, long series. RB2 doesn't stray too far from the formula that made RB1 so fun and successful. So for the sake of brevity I'm only going to focus on what has been changed.
There are of course many new songs which keeps this game fresh, that is easily the most obvious change from RB1 to RB2. Besides that some of the gameplay modes have been tweaked and some new elements added.
World tour mode can now be played any way you like it. You can play solo, local with buddies, or on Live. To make this new freedom functional the band leader restriction has been removed, so you can play with whoever is around with whichever band you like. No need to go creating new bands when dongman420[this is a fake name ... I hope] isn't available for a gaming session. The inclusion of online world tour is easily the biggest draw, and it's one of those features that really makes you wonder how you ever lived without it in RB1. Too much fun.
There is also a battle of the bands mode, which is exactly what it sounds like [band vs. band], and something called tour challenges. Tour challenges generate random setlists from your library of "hard" songs, although they may not actually be all that tough. The setlists are culled from all of your content, including downloaded songs and imported RB1 tracks, which is a nice treat. It's a neat little feature that keeps gameplay fresh.
As a side note the track select screen is nearly identical to RB1's store screen, which is cool because you can see at a glance the difficulty of song per instrument. I also like that you get album info on each track in the form of a little cover art icon as well as the publishing year. A small change but a really nice touch.
The drum trainer is, for me, the coolest new feature aside from online world tour. I'm an RB drummer and I've sort of hit a wall with my drum skill. The trainer lets you select from songs, beats that are rated in difficulty, and even a bunch of drum fills to help your fills not suck. I've been playing on expert since RB1 launched, but since I've been playing the trainer my scores have become even higher. A great inclusion if you dig the drums.
All the other changes are pretty much cosmetic. The note and multiplier graphics are slightly different, and there are new band animations, background effects, and over drive effects. It's a good looking game but not drastically different from RB1.
Taken as a sequel RB2 does everything right, it takes the gameplay that made RB1 addicting and ratchets it up a few notches. (I will avoid the spinal tap pun ... you're welcome) Harmonix hasn't reinvented the wheel with this installment in the series, but really why would they? They've taken an "if it ain't broke don't fix it attitude" towards RB, and made a ton of little improvements that make the RB2 experience more seamless and more fun. If you loved the first one you'll love this one ... pick it up. | video-games_xbox |
Updated. Update 2/25/2018:
After a month or so of deliberation, Turtle Beach replaced these for me. No small feat. They sent me a seemingly brand new pair after returning the old ones. We'll see how they fare this time around. I'm pretty sure this company suffers from lack of competition but they might want to sort it out as more competitors are entering the market. As before, I'll leave the review I originally posted. They are great headphones with excellent functionality, I'm unsure of how rigorously they were tested before going to market. Take it for what it's worth.
Original Review:
I'll break down my review of the Elite 800x's into different categories so it's easier to read. There is a lot to cover!
Sound - This is easily the nicest sounding headset I've owned. Everything is crystal clear and the settings offered are numerous. Most of the time, you'll stick to a couple but overall, it's nice to have options. The surround sound is exactly what you expect and want. The only gripe I have in this department is the volume level for things like music. It just doesn't get loud enough despite the fact that the speakers can definitely handle it. Although it may be my preference to blow my eardrums out. Totally subjective. Noise cancellation is perfect.
Mic - Despite other reviews, I haven't had any issues with the mic. I didn't even update the things (although I probably should). The only complaint from others is that it sounds like I'm on speakerphone which is expected with a boomless mic.
Controls - A little learning curve but pretty easy. They are a little touchy but if you're not laying on them they shouldn't give you an issue.
Build - Quality! Feel sturdy, look sturdy and what an awesome stand/charger.
Comfortability - The first handful of hours can be painful until they're broken in... Or your ears are, one of the two. After that though, they are comfortable as can be.
App - It's cool and works well. All your options and the ability to add more from it is a nice feature.
Setup - Too easy, it feels like.
Overall - I would recommend these to anyone. The loudness for music and comfortability are not great but not terrible either. The speakerphone sound is expected. Highly recommend and well worth my money. I was originally on the fence about them as there are some negative reviews and others say the Astro A50's are better... The price tag didn't make it easy... But, I'm a believer. Glad I made the jump. | video-games_xbox |
Must have Launch title. Awesome game. Absolutely a blast. I've now completed the story twice. Once in the regular story mode, and again in Nightmare. Nightmare run took about maybe 5 hours focusing soley on main mission stuff. Did very little of the side missions because I did them on the first run. I was level 50 with every skill and attribute fully maxed and just about all of the worthwhile combo weapons. Ultimate Shout and Split Shot are really the only two weapon combos you need. Roller Hawg is IMO the best vehicle for mass road killing
Pros: Blast to play. MUCH easier than the first two in the series. Killling mass hordes of zombies is a breeze and very enjoyable especially using the vehicels. The roller hawg alone is well worth it.
TONS of zombies onscreen with negligible if any slowdown.
Story is really good. Had a nice twist in overtime mode that i really did not see coming.
Cons: WAY to easy to level up and hit max. With all those zombies to easily mow down, leveling becomes a bit of a joke. In the middle of my 3rd run through i have something like 38 attribute points that i have nothing to spend them on. Having more levels wouldn't work because your already overpowered. Not leveling at all would make the grind to get the max kill achievment a chore, so IDK.
Chapter select doesn't open up necessary areas or quests. So if for example you need to replay one of the last psycho encounters in the last chapter to get that last collectible, you have to play through the entire story again to get to it. Not that big of a deal because by then your so overpowered and over gunned that it only takes a few hours to get there. But still, its annoyance. Also..certain safe houses won't be available because you didn't do the quests that preceded them being open.
The past few days i've been getting many CTD (crash to desktop) issues. Game will just randomly dump me out. The console doesn't freeze or lock up like the 360 does in such cases, but if you haven't saved recently, it can be annoying. Which is why I now safe after every signifcant thing I do. | video-games_xbox |
A True Undead Oddity. Dead Island exploded on every gamers' radar when they released that tragic, heart-wrenching trailer of the little girl that turns into a zombie. As many, many others have noted by now, Dead Island is absolutely nothing like the trailer. What is it then? It seems to be a zombie game with an identity crisis.
The very beginning of the game proves from the get-go that this title is a bit of a mess. The first video is in the 1st person perspective of some unnamed character getting completely wasted at a concert, and sees a woman turn into a zombie and take a chomp out of someone. I have a difficult time seeing the "point" of this video, as it has no emotional clincher like the trailer, it doesn't introduce any of the characters of the game (except the rapper who's playing at the concert), it doesn't give you any sort of feel for what the game will be like, and it's not really very gripping or suspenseful.
Once into the game though, I immediately got a bit of a Bioshock feel. You awaken in a dark, post-apocalyptic kind of scenario, and get instructions from a mysterious stranger to escape. But once you're safely away from the hotel, the "open world" aspect becomes apparent, and Dead Island begins to feel more like Borderlands than anything else.
Yes, like Borderlands you have different characters each with branching skill trees and weapon proficiencies. You also pick up random "loot" but unlike Borderlands, where you have lots of crazy guns with different elemental properties, Dead Island's variety is a little lacking. Instead of finding and experimenting with awesome weapons, you're leafing through garbage cans trying to determine if the kitchen knife's stats are better than the butcher knife's stats. Given, there was definitely a lot of statistical analysis in Borderlands too, but in Dead Island it feels more apparent and more daunting.
So far this review has been a bit of a downer, but it's mostly because I found a handful of things I really enjoyed about Dead Island, which makes some of the faults stand out even more. For example, the combat system is the most satisfying 1st person melee combat game I've ever played. Jump-kicking a zombie in the face, and chopping off its head with a machete while its sprawled out on the ground feels satisfying every time. And bashing the arms of a "thug zombie" with a baseball bat until they're broken, and watching said zombie try to bite you while lunging at you all noodle-armed, is one of the funniest things I've ever seen in a video game. Dead Island certainly has its moments.
Unfortunately, those are outweighed by its faults. For being an "open world" game, the quests and the quest system are awful. I can understand a fetch-quest to get gasoline, but juiceboxes... really? It's not just the unoriginal, uninspired quests that stand out, it's the poorly implemented quest system. Pretty early in the game, you get a quest to investigate the forest to try and find a way off the island. But there's one problem, you can't get to the forest yet. I had to confirm with a friend who had already played a substantial portion of the game, and he confirmed that, yes, there are plenty of quests that you can accept, but at the time you have absolutely no way of completing. Why allow me to accept quests that I can't complete yet?
Another questionable aspect of the game is the "crafting" system. It reminds me a bit of Dead Rising 2, except you need X amount of random items like screws, bolts, nails, deodorant (???), lighter fluid, etc. In the first few hours you can't craft anything. I actually started to think I was doing something wrong, as I have a crafting bench that doesn't do anything. Eventually, though, I finally got a "blueprint" of a nailed baseball bat, which was really useful given that I was the character specializing in knives (sigh). I also question why you need a freaking blueprint to figure out how to smash a bunch of nails into a bat. It's times like this where the suspension of belief flies right out the window.
Some of the main quests feel pretty cinematic and intense, and makes me wonder if this game would have been better served as a more standard action game, with a 10-20 hour co-op driven story mode, with the occasional side quest, as opposed to the open-world system. This game actually reminds me a lot of Alan Wake. That game was originally built around the concept of an open-world survival-horror, but the developers abandoned the idea in favor of a more story-driven action-horror.
Despite my many grievances with this peculiar zombie game, I do hope for a sequel. At this point, it seems unlikely that they would completely abandon the open world aspect in favor of a more linear, narrative-driven co-op action/horror (which I think would benefit this title substantially). But if they can fix the many problems it has with the open world system, maybe the sequel will be on-par with Borderlands. | video-games_xbox |
Looks pretty good. It's decent enough considering the low price. It was a tad annoying figuring out how to put it together. It doesn't have directions but after a while it becomes pretty straight forward. (A small note get a TH8 AKA an Xbox 360 controller screw driver also sold on Amazon) the screws are as you might already know are TH8 (star bit screws with a bump in the middle) the torx TH8 screw driver works perfectly for this
When taking it apart be careful. The inside of a 360 controller is a motherboard with the trigger buttons & bumper buttons & the duel shock vibration motors wired together, the motors dangle from the wires so mount them properly inside before closing it up. The RB/LB buttons are easy to swap but I had to go on YouTube to see how to change out the triggers without breaking anything. Another thing to note is if you have trouble getting it apart after getting all the screws out, there's a screw under the bar code sticker under the battery pack. This would probably void a warranty poking through the bar code to get at that screw. Won't matter anyway because that area on the gold shell won't have company info or that bar code under it's battery pack.
I left the X, Y, B, A, home button & D pad buttons original because I just like a controller to have some original buttons. I did have trouble trying to install the start & back buttons from my original to the gold shell, they stuck but the gold back & start fit better. Everything else from the original controller fits OK. Found it odd that the connect controller button wasn't attached like on the original controller. I had to glue that button's mount to the inside so it wouldn't keep falling out when I was putting it together. So this she'll is OK for the price & being able to use original internal parts makes me fell better about it than buying a cheap off brand controller. The parts by them selves almost feel like dolor store quality but when it's put together it feels better. | video-games_xbox |
this game is THE BEST motocross game out there. Yes, except for a few minor and unaddressed bugs, this game is THE BEST motocross game out there, at least until MXGP 2 is released. I've played them all, from the early Motocross Madness through MX vs ATX and Dirt. They have done an outstanding job with this. CAREER MODE is by far the most amazing. You even get to check your social media fan feed, and the first few times, you'll even have fun reading it.
First play was devastating, I worried it was way too advanced (got lapped in a random race, constantly falling). It takes a while to get used to the controls, but it's a quick learn. Try MX1 career mode with 5 laps and moderate settings (some assists, easy AI). You can increase AI later on, easy enough, once you're used to the controls, and make it a challenge. On some tracks there are glitches (like Kegums, when they round near the start gate, everyone crashes!), and its disappointing they never released an update, but most of the program is clean. After MX1, take a team offer for MX2 and challenge yourself, more laps per race, realistic AI, maybe even some assists off, and make yourself sweat and yell. I found myself loving the challenge and continuing on for 2 more full MX2 seasons, leaving teams, staying loyal, banging bars, screaming, cursing... felt real.
You will learn how important the suspension and gear settings can be, depending on the track. Use the practice like the real thing, and sometimes go extreme the "other way" on settings, sometimes you surprise yourself what works for your style. Only thing missing is the ability to pick tires.
For the ultimate career mode (MXGP2?), I wish they allowed for injuries. When other riders go down, they shouldn't immediately re-swawn, and neither should you. If I'm out front and wreck, sometimes I'll count to 5-10 before starting again (depending on the type), just to simulate getting back on. But it isn't fair, because all the others re-spawn in .5 seconds. It would be awesome if one of these career modes really let you get injured and miss out on the rest of the season, or at least a race or two.. provided the same thing happens with other AI riders. Hey, it's CAREER mode.
Otherwise, great game, great fun, so realistic, and such a blast! | video-games_xbox |
A good remake - for fans only. The Good:
- It is a remake of one of the most revolutionary games. Crystal Dynamics has done a good job in trying to keep the original gameplay, while bringing in some innovations.
- Graphics are very good. While the 'blurriness' of Legend is gone, the graphics better match the goal of the game and still look very good. Textures are also very good resolution - which I cannot say about Call of Duty 4, for example.
The Bad:
- You cannot save anywhere. Actually - you can - but the only thing you save is the last checkpoint. This becomes a slight frustration starting with the Egypt levels, where Checkpoints are more further apart.
- Difficulty level is a lot higher than the original and actually any of the other TR games. Prepare to die ... a lot. This will not necessarily happen because of you, but because of camera shifting in the last moment or the grapple not catching the hook always, etc. This is a very unforgiving game, so if you easily get frustrated over replaying bits over and over, then maybe this game is not for you.
- There is always one and only one way to do things. This is probably the biggest weakness of this game. For example: in the Atlas level, you can climb a wall to activate a switch, but then - when the boulder starts rolling - you cannot climb the exact same wall, because the designers want you to do something different. Same happens in many other spots. In some levels you cannot catch a ledge until you do something else, even if the ledge is already there, etc.
- Controls, controls, controls ... Maybe I remember this different, but the original - with its square blocks - controlled a lot easier. Legend also felt better and even if Anniversary uses the same, they are not as good for some reason. One thing that is sure to drive crazy everybody playing this game is Lara's hand stand animation. This is an animation that start in some cases when you grab a ledge and try to get on it. For some reason, this animation will kick in almost EVERY TIME when you are in a timed puzzle. I do not know if that is the intention of the developers - to slow you down - or just poor controls, but it gets annoying fast.
The Ugly:
While games like Prince of Persia are evolving and newcomers get it right from first try (Uncharted, for example), the Tomb Raider series is -literally- stuck in the past. While the other games are about exploring great places, TR games continue to be about the 'perfect jump'. Crystal Dynamics should take example from Uncharted, where the game is driven by a great story. Controls never get in the way and it is actually very hard to miss jumps or die because of that. Same with Prince of Persia games. As an old fan of these games, I would really like to see an evolution, if a revolution is too much. Crystal Dynamics has got some things right, but they are still behind.
Conclusion: Despite its problems, if you are a fan, this is a buy. If you are new to this - stay away from it, as the high degree of difficulty will create a lot of frustration. | video-games_xbox |
Good game with some flaws. NHL 17 is a mixed bag of tricks. On the one hand, it's a deep game with tons of stuff to do. On the other, it can be highly frustrating. I'll try to keep this as short as possible.
Pros
1. The graphics and mechanics are good. Better than prior titles, at least.
2. There are a ton of game modes to play with. Tons of stuff to do from playing actual hockey alone to simulating a GM and playing online. Good spread of game play options.
3. Quick games for casual players. Setting the games to 5 minutes means you can get in and out of a few games inside of 20 minutes. Ideal for shorter playing sessions.
4. 80% of the time, the game is really fun to play. On higher difficulties, the game can be challenging without being annoying and you can tweak the game play settings using the built-in sliders. It's quite easy to customize the game to your play style and skill level.
5. The game's menu and interface are much, much better than last year's laggy nonsense.
6. As usual, the soundtrack is pretty good. A little more pop and electronica than prior titles, but that's okay.
7. Okay so basically, it's this: all the core parts of the game are improvements on last year.
8. Vladimir Tarasenko looks really happy to be on the cover of this game.
Cons
1. The AI needs a lot of work. It's not necessarily that they're dumb (we assume as much in EA Sports games these days), it's that they make the same bone head plays every time. Are you open for a pass while your defenseman is in the corner retrieving a dump in totally alone (no opponents)? He's gonna send it along the boards behind the net to whoever is waiting there and not where you're standing wide open every. single. time. Players will routinely pass into double or triple coverage or into players that are clearly tied up in front of the net, miss one timers (even from really soft passes), and blow coverage. No matter how you set the sliders, I can't stop Phil Kessel from trying an impossible cross-the-crease pass to a double-covered Crosby.
2. The game play sliders do a bad job at conveying how much change they make to the game.
3. The Settings menu in general likes to reset random settings without notice. Usually when updates are applied.
4. The fight slider still only has 3 settings: "Off", "Fight too often", and "Fight constantly". I should be able to lay a big, open ice, non-injury-causing hit without having to fight someone.
5. The Ultimate Team and Be A GM modes are fairly deep. The Be A Pro mode took a step backward from what it was 2 years ago and never regained anything. No interviews, no endorsement decisions, no interactions. You just play hockey and improve your stats. Would be nice to see some sim action in there, like having talks with the GM about waiving my no-trade clause or kerfuffles with teammates. Something to make it feel more in-depth would be nice.
6. The coach's reactions to stuff are annoying. I had my man covered, boss, not my fault both defenseman chased one dude behind the net to retrieve a puck while leaving 2 of 3 forwards wide open.
Super Cons
1. The game's training is mostly horrible. If you go a game without taking a penalty, you MIGHT get some XP for your discipline stat, but usually not. It feels totally random to me. However, any penalty lowers the stat by several hundred points. There is no consistent in-game way to increase your speed (you have to beat an icing call, because that happens all the time when you're slow and can't become faster), balance, or acceleration. Nobody knows what Poise is. Your potential is always "top 6 winger in the AHL". I like the idea of what they're going for, especially for defensive stats and shooting/passing stats. However, the physical and skating stats are neigh impossible to really pump up quickly. After 4 seasons (one in the ECHL and 3 in the NHL), I'm still slower than Connor McDavid was 4 seasons prior and I have only trained in speed/acceleration/agility. That's annoying. Give me some points for good hustle or for taking a sharp turn without falling down. Give me the option to not fight and have that add to my poise (and maybe lose XP for fighting skill). There are SO many actions that could be awarded XP that build up over time...but unless you're making good shots or passes or laying down great hits and winning faceoffs, your XP gains are totally random or non-existent.
Overall, I enjoy this game a lot. It's a good way to play some games without committing to longer play sessions. It's quick to get in, quick to get out. However, the game does have a bunch of flaws and bugs that I really wish the teams would spend more time working on. The Ultimate Team stuff gets updated constantly (it's the game's in-app purchase cash grab...totally innocuous if you don't pay attention to it), so we know the devs are still supporting the game. Come on EA, not everyone wants to buy packs of digital cards. Some of us just want to play hockey where our teammates actually have the guts to pinch on a play on the boards instead of backing off and giving up a 3-on-2 chance.
Maybe next year! | video-games_xbox |
A Great Game From A Small Company, But It's Not For The Kids. Before I give you my opinion on Outlaw Golf, I want to tell you about this game's offensive content, because there's a lot of it. This game contains strong language, coarse sexual dialogue and content, and bloodless, but still brutal, violence. It's single-handedly takes video game content to the next level. The next level is showing how games can be as, or almost as bad as, R rated films. This game may have a Teen rating (ages 13 and up), but don't be fooled. There are so many reasons why this game should have gotten a Mature (ages 17 and up) rating. The ESRB certainly didn't do their job when they rated this game.
Despite being extremely lowbrow, though, Outlaw Golf is the best golf game I've played since Mario Golf (N64). The graphics shine brightly with well-detailed characters and courses, and the game moves at a good framerate. On the sound front, this game sizzles with authentic golf sounds, fitting music and hilarious voicework. The controls score high points with a nice analog swinging function and useful camera angles. Putting is presented in an innovative way here: you first aim your shot, and then press X and see a line of where the ball will go when you hit it with the specified amount of power. You want to aim so the line goes into the cup, but there's a catch: you can only see the path the ball will go three times for each putt, making you have to aim properly. Much like Mario Golf, this game is made for non golfers in mind, but is also fun for golf fans. The humor may be lowbrow, but it adds a new touch to games like this, and the nifty composure system works well. For example, if you make a good shot, your composure will go up, and you will do better playing, but if you make a bad shot, your composure will decrease and you'll do worse playing. To refill your meter, you must make good shots or use beating tokens. What are beating tokens, you ask? You earn these by making Birdies or multiple Pars. You can use these to beat up your caddie in a brutal fashion. Think fights on The Jerry Springer Show, and you've got the right idea (complete with the audience chanting "Fight!"). If you beat your caddie up well enough, you will fill up your composure meter. You have to press the A button at the right time to execute the beating, making skill involved. These fights are violent, but really funny and enjoyable. All in all, Outlaw Golf is a great golf game, and a great first showing (for me, at least) for developer Hypnotix. Even if you don't like golf, buy this game, as long as you're of the age (I'd recommend ages 17 and up or mature 16 year olds).
FYI: Many people have complained that the game crashes with first generation Xbox systems, or the game just crashes, but I had no problems with the game. And for all you parents out there, don't let your kids anywhere near this game. Let them get Mario Golf instead. | video-games_xbox |
It's fun to kill zombies. This game is a lot of fun...IF you just want to kill zombies in a variety of ways using a plethora of weapons which you can make by combining items together. That being said, trying to navigate, maneuver, and "run" from one end of the game to the next can be excrutiating. There are several improvements from the last game while some glaring problems were not fixed.
Killing zombies is a lot of fun. What is even more fun is thinking up new and inventive ways to do it. This game gives plenty of options for those creative zombie killers with the combo card system which adds a lot of content and replay value. You can even attach chainsaws to a motorcycle!
Chuck, however, has the maneuverability of a geriatrich robocop. There is no sprint button allowing you to outrun WALKING ZOMBIES. I don't know about you but if I was in a zombie apocalypse situation I would not be sauntering about at a slow pace. That aside, some of his movements and actions are excrutiatingly slow. While trying to jump, or even swinging an item, Chuck stumbles and looks awkward. This is a huge pain when trying to fight psychos early on because some of them can actually run Chuck down because he can not sprint. This also makes moving from one end of the area to the other sometimes painfully long especially in a game that relies on time constraints.
There have been improvements since the previous game though. The biggest improvement is also still disappointing, the save system. It only allows 3 save slots first of all! You are still required to track down a bathroom stall to save but at least this time around the game offers the option to save after completing several cases. It is still not enough however. I found myself tracking down 4 or 5 survivors and running back to the safe house and bumping into a psycho who would kill me and erase almost 1 hour to 2 hours worth of gameplay. I know, I could have saved more often and blah blah blah. I think it would have been much better to have an auto-save option for every time you enter a new area. What makes this matter even worse are the somewhat long loading times between areas. Another improvement is in the AI of the survivors. In the last game it was painfully annoying to get a survivor from one area to the next but this time they actually follow you somewhat closely and push zombies out of the way or fend them off themselves. The diverse characters were pretty entertaining as well but the psychos seemed much harder this time, especially with the bumbling slow movements of Chuck.
Also new to this game is multiplayer and co-op. While I did not play co-op, the multiplayer was quite fun. Terror is Reality is a game show where whoever kills the most zombies or scores the most points by killing zombies in 9 different events, 4 per game randomly chosen. It mixes the game up a little for those who get tired of saving people or running down Zombrex. It might take awhile to get a game going but once it starts it can be a lot of fun with just a little bit of lag here and there.
The game in and of itself is a blast to play. The story is pretty good but come on, who really cares much about the story when there are thousands of zombies moaning for you to destroy them in various hilarious ways... | video-games_xbox |
Do not buy this game. Seriously. Just don't. To say it is mediocre would be to rate it too highly.
I'm not one of those people who's badmouthing this game simply because I thought the first two were better. I'd read reviews and heard stories about Path of the Furon, and I was expecting something fun with a good story that simply wasn't quite as good as Destroy All Humans 2.
I was wrong.
First, the humor:
The new developer, Sandblast Games, totally missed the point of the franchise's humor.
Take, for example, bodysnatching in Destroy All Humans 2. In Destroy All Humans 2, when you snatch a body and then talk to someone, Crypto makes no attempt to disguise his voice, or even speak in a local accent. Imagine an old Russian woman talking to a member of the KGB, calling him "Ivan," and speaking in a male voice that sounds uncannily like Jack Nicholson's.
That's humorous.
Now, look at Path of the Furon: Crypto bodysnatches an Italian don, and Pox reminds Crypto to speak like an Italian don. Then Crypto speaks in a surprisingly convincing (if stereotypical) voice.
That's not UNfunny, per se, but that's not directly funny.
Beyond this aspect, there's the writing. While playing Destroy All Humans and Destroy All Humans 2, I experienced many laugh-out-loud moments due to the spot-on writing and satirization of 50's and 60's America, as well as modern popular culture. Pandemic's writing was spot on, and their sense of comedic timing was brilliant. There were few "conversation trees" which mattered, and options in regular conversations were kept to a minimum - and were all written with humor in mind, and could be skipped if you simply want to get through the scene to kill more humans.
Sandblast, on the other hand, included conversation trees with many options into most conversations. Granted, the choices you pick STILL don't matter, but... they're not funny. The jokes all fall flat, are trite, and don't include any of the sharpened wit that Pandemic included in its writing. Worse, there are some scenes in which you do need to select every dialog item to progress - e.g., there's a scene in which Crypto has to tell four "jokes," and you can't move forward until you've selected all four jokes, and some of the selections aren't even actual jokes.
And then there are the details:
In Destroy All Humans and Destroy All Humans 2, when Crypto's running around as a human and walks into other people, they get knocked back and grunt and sometimes say rude things. The clothing of the average people on the street are sometimes exaggerated versions of actual clothing from that time period. Thoughts read from a passerby's mind might have been limited in quantity, but each one was cutting.
In Path of the Furon, people don't even notice when he runs into them. Hell, people don't even notice that an alien is running around on the street if you're not disguised! When you read someone's mind, there are many more possible thoughts, yes, but they're less interesting.
Worse, though, than the game being unfunny... the story doesn't make sense. Crypto and Pox constantly act out-of-character.
Why does Crypto want to own a casino? The purported story is that the casino's a front for gathering DNA, but over and over again Crypto talks about how his "dream" is to run a successful casino. And Pox wants a cut of the casino's profits, too. Why? The first two games establish that the two of them are here only to collect DNA, and to deal with related threats. And then - oh no! - Crypto is "outed" as an alien (after having run around town undisguised for several missions), then he and Pox need to leave town and go to "Sunnywood?"
There are far too many gaps in the narrative for the story to even begin to make sense.
Compare this to Destroy All Humans 2, in which everything fits the characters' motivations and all movements make sense. The plot may deviate from the basic task of destroying humans, but the reasons why make sense.
And then, there are the game's technical flaws.
I'd heard the graphics weren't as good as other Xbox 360 titles. I wasn't expecting, however, for Path of the Furon's graphics to be worse than Destroy All Humans 2.
I mean, sure, people on the street are drawn with more detail. And there's lots of detail in Crypto's model, and his saucer. But the world as a whole looks flat and lifeless and uninspired - it's closer to the look of original Destroy All humans than to Destroy All Humans 2. Which would be fine for a last-gen system title. But on Xbox 360?
On tope of that, there are frequent reductions in framerate, especially when any water effects appear on the screen or when you're fighting lots of enemies. There's no excuse for a game using the Unreal Engine to be so poorly optimized as to drop frames, when for example Batman: Arkham Asylum - another Unreal Engine game - has substantially higher character detail, substantially more detailed environments, and more detailed action sequences than Path of the Furon.
And then there are other gameplay issues. Bodysnatching, PK, and mind reading all improve the more you use the skills. Sounds reasonable, right? Except that I was able to max out all these skills in under 30 minutes, with very little effort.
In contrast, Destroy All Humans 2 had a "gene blender" - you needed to abduct certain combinations of humans, and by blending their genes you'd improve your abilities. This gave the game more dimension and gave the player something to look forward to, rather than simply button-mashing over and over to make powers better.
I could keep going, but there's only so much that's worth writing.
I bought Path of the Furon with an open mind. I was expecting something fun, that maybe just wasn't as good as Destroy All Humans 2. But now I'm disappointed that I paid money for this title, and I question Sandblast's ability to develop any decent games when they missed the mark so thoroughly - even on the simple stuff.
Unfortunately, Destroy All Humans 2 was never made compatible with Xbox 360, so I'm sure many of the people now buying Path of the Furon have only played the original Destroy All Humans. And I'll admit that, if the first game is all that you've seen, Path of the Furon might not seem as abysmal as it actually is.
But buying a used original Xbox and a copy of Destroy All Humans 2 is a substantially better investment of money and time than throwing away cash and purchasing Path of the Furon.
Will I still keep playing Path of the Furon? Probably. I'm about halfway through the game after less than five hours of gameplay, and I feel like I should at least beat it, since I spent money on it. But if I'd known what it would be like before I'd bought it, I never would've spent money on it. | video-games_xbox |
Biggest Video Game Letdown Ever. Of All Time. I rented this game after hearing good things about it. After playing, I definately have formed a strong opinion about it. I'll try to keep this review spoiler free.
(This is going to be a rather long review, so I'll put a TL;DR verson at the base of it)
Single Player
The reason I was so psyched for Homefront was because of the premise of the Single Player campaign. The premise sounded incredible: 15 years in the future, Korea has unified, causing problems for the US. The US is abandoned by its cowardly allies and is eventually hit by a massive EMP and invaded and controlled by Korea. You are a pilot named Robert Jacobs fighting in the Resistance trying to make headway against the Koreans.
Sounds like a unique, slam-dunk plot, right? WRONG.
To start with, the single player is ridiculously short. If anybody tells you it is a 5 to 10 hour campaign, they are SORELY mistaken. The single player campaign contains 7 levels, each lasting a half hour at most. 3 hours later, just as you get into the game, it's over, just like that.
Now, a short game is fine if the story works... but it doesn't. As you play, you meet 4 other main characters, but you learn virtually nothing about any of the characters, yourself included. There is no clear motivation behind anybody in the game. This results in you realizing that you really don't care about any the plot in general. Then comes the factor that the plot line itself seems to jump around between levels with little explaination, and then abruptly ends with no resolution.
Controlls are similar to CoD in that the same buttons are used to reload, switch weapons, crouch, etc. However, the controlls are much more sluggish than in CoD, which will quickly drive you nutty. And your AI teammates are just as slow as you are, which gets frustrating as you get stuck spending 5 minutes waiting for him or her to open a door or go up a ladder in front of you so you can continue on with your mission.
Graphics are strikingly low-quality. I saw comparable graphics last gen on my Gamecube. Now, I usually don't care about poor graphics if the gameplay and story are fun, but if they aren't, lousy graphics prove to be just another nail in the coffin.
Also, a side note: when you load up a new campaign in a shooter, you expect to be able to choose your campaign difficulty, especially when the game has multiple achievements related to completing levels on "Guerilla" difficulty. Halo does this, as does Call of Duty, Left 4 Dead, Gears of War, 007, and just about every other shooter I've ever played. Homefront, however, doesn't tell you what difficulty you're playing (normal by default). Instead, you have to actually seek out the difficulty settings below 3 levels of menus from the main menu. I didn't find this until I beat the game, and at that point I had absolutely no desire whatsoever to load up the game again.
Overall, the single player was probably the biggest letdown I have experienced in a very, VERY long time.
Multiplayer
After my very brief experience in single player, I continued on to multiplayer, hoping for a better experience. Needless to say, I was shocked by what I found.
Let me start off by saying I played a very small amount of the multiplayer. Some of the systems of the multiplayer did intrigue me, and I considered playing more, but I didn't. And here's why...
As it turns out, in an attempt to curb reselling of their crappy game, the developers included a single-use code for multiplayer access in the game. This means that, if you get the game used, borrow it from a friend, or rent it, you're screwed. You are allowed to play enough to get your character to level 5. You then have to BUY access for your profile to the game for 800 points. They are actually forcing you to buy access to content that 1) comes standard in most games, and 2) is something that we already pay for as Xbox LIVE Gold members. Also, over 300 of the retail 1000 gamerscore is multiplayer related, yet many people who pick up and play this game will immedialtey find that they can't get any of these achievements. You're essentially being forced to pay for a DLC pack just to be able to get the retail 1000 points.
TL;DR Version:
I can honestly say that, before Homefront, I had never played a game where it seems like the developers are actively saying "SCREW YOU" to the consumer, but Homefront said that and oh, so much more. The campaign does not deliver the gripping story promised but rather leaves you feeling bored and restless, and the multiplayer system gives the finger to anybody who borrows or rents the game.
AVOID this game at all costs. When all was said and done, I spent $3 total to rent this game for two nights, and I feel like I wasted my time and money even at that price. | video-games_xbox |
Great Gameplay - but Awful Environment. If you're into boxing, definitely take a look at Fight Night Round 3 for the XBox 360. The realism in the boxer models is rather impressive.
We know that the XBox 360 has great graphics, but looking at the characters in many other games, you might think that human beings were made out of plastic. When you see the characters here, they look *real*. Their skin has pores and imperfections.
On to the game. You get to customize your character both physically and skill-wise. You can make a small, quick hispanic, or a large, bulky, strong-punching dark skinned fighter. You can alter the hair style, tattoos, and much more. As you earn money, you can also buy new trainers and customize your skills further.
Your main career path is a mix of training and choosing contracts to fight. In training mode it's a series of standard button-pushing games that in some cases are just reflexes, but in other cases are actual combo practicing that serve you well in the ring. The training increases specific skills, so you can further customize your character by deciding how to train.
In the fight, it is of course you against a given character. There are varying levels of difficulty and we found that they did a good job of providing fun gameplay for different types of players. The beginner levels were good - although sometimes challenging - for a person who had never played this sort of game before. The higher levels of difficulty meant you really had to focus on what you were doing and land the combos to win.
Your character has a variety of fighting styles to choose from, and you can buy more - including taunts. You can even play as historic characters if you want, including staging fantastic fight pair-ups that would have been fascinating to watch in real life, if we had a time machine to get people into the same ring.
The in-fight graphics were pretty slick. If you hit someone in the head, a spurt of blood came out of their mouth. Characters had definite personalities - some were arrogant, some were hesitant as they entered the ring. When a really solid punch was landed, time "slowed down" a bit as adrenaline kicked in. Most people in real danger situations know how this happens.
There were a few down sides here. One, the training mini-games can get a bit repetitive. I would have liked to see more variety. You can skip them if you want, just accepting a "medium" level of skill increase. Also, you choose a "nickname" that the announcers refer to you by during the game. This is a neat idea, but it gets to be a bit much when they use it all the time.
Also, the commercialism in this game is just WAY over the top. There are Burger King displays all over creation. There are promotional items left and right. I realize that sports TV can be like that sometime - but you watch the TV show for free. They are paying their fees with that advertising. With Fight Night, I've already shelled out a lot of money to play the game. I didn't spend all that money to watch a multi-hour long commercial for Burger King. It certainly didn't make me want to go out and eat Burger King food - if anything it made me pretty annoyed with them, and unlikely to visit them in the future.
So in general, I thought the game was great, but that the "environment" you have to play in was really annoying. I would almost pay extra money for some sort of a cheat code / hack to replace all of those ads with blank space. Maybe they'll let me download that from XBox Live in the near future. | video-games_xbox |
First Game of the Year. First Game of the Year! I am glad to grab this game from Gamefly. Yes, I rented the game because I know just want to play the story mode and that's it. Online gameplay is not reallly my thing in this game. Nobody on my friend's list got this game so I was like a loner. Soon, I will try the online mode but other than that, let's talk about the game.
When I first heard about the game, I was confused because they were making the game like it was Dead Island. Then later on, I realized that the developers who made Dead Island were making this game happen. I quickly got comfortable with the game and I felt like I was playing Dead Island, which was a good thing. Some controls were different like the original JUMP button should have been 'A' than RB. Sometimes, I was in situations that I had to run away from the zombies and I will end up at a dead end and kept pressing A to climb the buildings, then I realized I have to use RB which was not comfortable to use, but I overcame that problem now. The game starts slow at the beginning and then builds up if you keep playing and understand the story. The story plot is amazing and I am glad that they did a great job with it. The game is pretty intense when you are going against crazy zombies, exploring at NIGHT!, and when you run out of weapons. You can hear the zombies around you like behind walls, cars, and even inside buildings. The map will get bigger when you are exploring. I was actually surprised that the developers made it huge unlike making another island lol but really, it is great to have a big opening with your friends to park-our everywhere. Hopefully in the future, they will make good DLCs for the game so your friends can enjoy more with the game. In this game, you have to be smart and be patient when you are out in the opening. Usually, people will start killing zombies before they start their mission; don't do that, because you will lose health and damage your weapons. Remember, this game is like DEAD ISLAND! Be smart with your supplies and don't grab a gun and start shooting like you are playing NAZI ZOMBIES! Being patient is one of the keys of survival. The most intense zombie you are going to face are the nightmare zombies. When it gets dark, you will see on your map that they will appear out in the opening and you will see that they are searching around for human flesh.
Climbing, killing zombies, and other stunts you are doing will give you XP so you can spend on skills and abilities. Of course, the better skills you get, it will be easier to go against the zombies. Remember, if you get killed, you will lose Survival points so be aware where you are jumping or who you are trying to kill. I am tried to kill the nightmare zombie, but it was too late for me because it called more reinforcements just to kill me. The best way to escape is running to the water and hide. They will lose you very quickly. You will get DOUBLE XP when you are out exploring at NIGHT! The most intense zombies will come out at night than during the day. Make sure you are not making to much noise. Use your weapons and supplies wisely, The tutorials in this game are outstanding. They will show you how to use stuff or when to use it. Always refer back to those information if you are in trouble or you just don't understand what to do situations that you never been in before.
If you like DEAD ISLAND, get this game because it is exciting to play and crazy too. DEAD ISLAND 2 is going to be made with different developers I think. I am guessing they won't be making games like these anymore because in DEAD ISLAND 2, it seems they are making like DEADRISING. Like I said on this post, I don't really like playing ONLINE MODE on here but if you have friends who play games like this, go ahead and get the game!
UPDATE:
FINISHED THE GAME WITHIN A WEEK! From to start to finish, the story was "phenomenal"! One of the best survival game that I ever play in my life. There were some ups and downs throughout the gameplay, but overall, these developers did a great job! GET THIS GAME! | video-games_xbox |
Your Shape Fitness Evolved. I have recently purchased the Kinect for fitness purposes and this "game" was an obvious choice for a workout/fitness regime. The reviews are pretty good and Ubisoft created the Assassin games, so I purchased with confidence. Please note that I have only had this game for a week. I will return with an update in a month or so.
Here are some initial reactions to the product (mainly cons): The body scan is kinda cool but it wasn't clear if they were going to use the scan for simply creating an "avatar" or if they were going the data gathered to determine my current weight, height, etc. There was no explanation but as the latter never emerged, I assumed it was only for the former (an initial disappointment).
In some of the other Kinect games I have played, there is an avatar that plays in your place, mirroring your actions but not in detail - while it can see your arms move it can't differentiate finger movement. This game is much better at determining your exact position and angle because they use you as an avatar. It is literally like a mirror image - not my favorite. On the same page, there are a lot of workouts or activities I'll do and it won't recognize that I completed them. The Tai Chi workout wouldn't recognize half of the movements I did because it would only recognize 2 or 3 out of the 4 limbs in position (the 4 one usually being the leg I was balancing on - how does that make sense?). The hip-hop exercise was pretty complicated and I had to stop because I was missing everything - and I am very coordinated.
The hand that acts as the cursor is mainly blurred and is very sensitive. If you hold the cursor over something for a mere 2-3 seconds, it will select it. It was irritating initially but it seems as if the use of the cursor gets easier the longer you use it.
While I thought the progress quiz was neat (based on your activity and some other factors, they will determine how much exercise you need to do per week) I was confused when it claimed to have a customized plan and I couldn't find it. This might be something I simply missed.
Also, I did a number of different activities but I did not see anywhere where the amount of time I had been playing or exercising was. It was not displayed like the calories were and I could not find it anywhere else in the menu.
Some Pros: I like how the amount of calories you burn is up on the screen at all times as a motivation and you can make it up to certain levels (looks like it is arranged in the same order/interval of how you go to the next belt in karate).
The music associated with the activities is upbeat and fun. It manages to keep me motivated during the activity and I like how what you're doing matches the beat (that helps a lot in completing the activity accurately).
The interface is aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate (minus the initial "getting used to" the cursor). The activities themselves are also pretty awesome. There are three main groups of activities separated by type and color: Yellow is for the Fitness Activities where you do things like punch blocks, jump rope, stack blocks, and "run around the world". Red/Pink is for Workouts for the typical focused muscle strengthening: abs, arms, glutes, back, legs, etc. The last one is Purple and that includes the fitness routines and dances. These are the following workouts that I have tried: Latin Dance, Tai Chi, and Hip Hop (see above for specifics). There was also Bollywood, African Dance, Boot Camp, and Yoga. Obviously, the muscle specific exercises like push ups aren't going to be as fun as some of the other ones but I was impressed by how the kinect/game was able to pick up my movements.
Conclusion: I have only been using this game for a week but I have had a lot of fun. Considering that the purpose of this game is to make exercising fun while using the Kinect, I think that goal has been met. The different dances are fun but challenging and the music and backgrounds keep everything upbeat and exciting. While there is always room for improvement, this product is well worth the purchase. I look forward to seeing the next edition of Your Shape Fitness and adding it to my collection of Kinect games. | video-games_xbox |
What a Disappointment. Figured I'd write a review here before I send this game back for a refund. When BF4 was announced I preordered it in a heartbeat since I'm a big fan of Bad Company 2 and BF3. However, before I got my game from Amazon, I read up on the player reviews and got a little scared since there were so many poor reviews but I figured it was just some people blowing things out of proportion. Boy was I wrong. When I finally got the game and started to play I thought that besides being a fugly game, it seemed to be alright but then a few days later, everything began to go downhill.
GRAPHICS: Holy hell is this game ugly. You would expect a game that has come out so late in a console's life cycle to at least look half-way decent but nope. This game looks like an early Xbox 360 title or a late Xbox original title. Obviously EA and DICE didn't give a rat's as* about making this game look any better and decided to focus primarily on developing the title for the PS4, Xbox ONE, and PC. I'm not a big graphics whore but when I shell out 60 bucks on a so called "AAA" game, it should look decent and not play like a POS.
GAMEPLAY: This pertains to multiplayer: The Battlefield experience is there but it's hidden behind tons of game freezing and glitches. At first, everything was running smoothly and I was getting into games pretty easily. Then a few days in, my console began freezing every few games. I would have to turn my Xbox on and off to get it working only to have it freeze again.
I also shouldn't forget about spawning without my weapons for the first few minutes in half my multiplayer matches. Nothing is more exciting then running and hiding from the opposing team because you can't do anything.
And the whole "destructible-environment" really doesn't apply to this game because there were a lot of houses and buildings in the maps that you would think could be destroyed but really couldn't be. Most likely another frikken glitch.
Also, customization of your multiplayer classes is also a pain: thus far, I can only change my loadouts in the middle of a game or online. What idiot thought of this?
Seriously Dice, whatis is wrong with you guys? Did you guys even do any extensive quality testing on the game? I can understand if when a game launches that it has some bugs and whatnot but this is just unacceptable. I don't think any of the other DICE Battlefield titles had this many glitches. I'm sure eventually Dice will address the problems with this version of the game but there is no excuse to have so many problems right off the bat in a finished title. Everyone who is considering buying this game as of right now: do yourselves a favor and just wait until the bundle comes out that includes all the expansion packs. As of right now, it seems like DICE is so focused on the next gen versions that they aren't even putting any effort into patching this game. | video-games_xbox |
PC better than Xbox. I've been playing this game over 4 years and have logged over 365 days play time.. Yes, average of 6hrs a day. I have 3 systems, PC, PS2 and Xbox360. I bought the Xbox to run this game only. I was hoping for a higher quality image compared to the PS2, but it isn't. This could be due to the flat screen TV I have, but that is not my main problem.
I've been running my Xbox for about 5 months now, 24/7. The problem with this system is the disc is required to be in the tray and it constantly spins, unlike the PS2 version and PC that play from the hard drives. My Xbox now has a hard time reading the disc and I have to smack it a few times to get it to read. (maybe due to dust build up?) It has also locked up a few times during battle and required a restart (over heating maybe?). I disconnected the Xbox system this weekend and plan to shutdown my 3rd account.
Some quick notes for new players/people interested:
1. PC is much better quality than other systems.
2. This game is HUGE. Even with the amount of time I've played, I've only experienced less than 50% of the thing to do/places to go. This is mainly because I'm stationed overseas in a Japan timezone. (Hard to join large groups of english speaking people to do large scale events).
3. You will need a PC/Internet access in order to look up information on quests/missions/monsters/gear/guides, ect.. Otherwise you will have a hard, boring time trying to figure stuff out and/or trying to locate items or places.
4. If you don't have the time to play a couple days a week, don't bother. This game is on-line only, you can't pause it or hit the "save" button.
5. Be prepared to kill hundreds/thousands of low level monsters to make money off the items they drop so you can buy gear/spells/food/ect.. You can do this while "looking for party" to level up.
6. There are a total of 20 jobs you can chose from, but you only start out with 6 available (I think 6). You can start unlocking other jobs when you meet the level requirement of 30 (lev 75 is max) and perform the required quest. Some other RPG games lock you in as 1 main job from what I understand.
This is the only game I play (for the most part) and I have no intentions of playing any other RPGs on-line.
See ya around, maybe!
Name: Svt
Server: Sylph | video-games_xbox |
a pretty good game. I bought this game without having read a review on it, so I was a little uneasy about buying it. However, once I started playing it, I found that I really like this game. Its fun, plain and simple. The graphics are good, but not great, as none of the graphics really take advantage of the Xbox, but it is by no means a bad looking game. In fact, some of the scenery is really nice. Some of the textures look very good close up, but some of them look washed out and bland. During gun fights, there is so much happening on the screen at times that it really makes you feel like you are really in the battle, and the framerate only stutters slightly when a WHOLE lot is going on. This occasional stutter never hinders the gameplay, however. At least not in my opinion. And, anyone who has played Halo will recall that even that great game has a few frame rate issues. The sound and music are good. The musical score is not exactly memorable, but it is very appropriate and it compliments the action well. There are also some very cool weapon effects, with heat waves blurring the screen when you use the rocket launcher or flame thrower. Overall, I like this game. Its fun. It is not perfect, and HALO it is not, but on its own merits, its very good. It has a lot of blood and you can even blow off certain body parts of the lizard army soldiers, which is a plus for any one who can stomach the violence. (Yes, you can turn the gore off, too) Anyone who enjoys first person shooters with lots of mindless killing will enjoy this game. And it is just cool to blast away at dinosaurs and other jungle creatures in the process. ANY living thing you see, whether it be a bird, a deer, a monkey, or a lizard (among others) can be killed. I know it sounds mean, but it adds to the replay value later on to go around hunting innocent creatures. Hey, you can't do it in real life, so why not do it on the game, right? | video-games_xbox |
this is no Halo 2- and that's good ... and bad. GR2 features a passable story line, really nice graphics, flexibility in weapons choice and frustrating game play. The single player missions are very linear - you move in pretty much a straight line and just blast anything that moves. You have 3 AI idiots to work with - they are incapable of doing much on their own - you can give them simple commands and once you learn to do that you can do much better. If they get wounded you can give them aid to keep them alive - then they get up like nothing happened. GR2 has almost no stealth to it ... it is nearly a Halo experience with the exception that it is amazingly easy to get killed. Now the thing that really bugs me is that the enemy AI is so dumb. I'd feel better if I knew the AI that snuffed me was crafty but here it seems to be that they kill you only because you can't see them. I've had them walk right over me when I'm laying exposed on the ground and other times zap me when I moving through a heavily forested area. Vehicles are introduced in a similarly meaningless way - attack helicopters fly overhead and hover so that you can shoot them with a MAAWS - unless the MAAWS won't let you fire because the targeting system refuses to let you launch. You can usually only blow things up the prescribed way - i.e. you can't use a satchel charge on a vehicle unless you're supposed to.
Mutliplayer is really fun - many of the players are older than the typical Halo crowd. The online action redeems the game. But even that is very frustrating. If the enemy gets to a good sniping spot before you do you are doomed - the game play can be very one sided. The gameplay is enhanced if you have a communicator but most of the players are into playing in Halo mode... charge in and shoot the place up and respawn when you're wasted...definitely a game that has potential but could use some improvement. | video-games_xbox |
A Good B Game. At times I love watching a good B movie, and lately some smaller game developers have been experimenting with making a good B game. I truly think this game succeeds, even though it could have been much better. Sadly the worst part of this game is the story, which is disappointing for an RPG. The game excels during all of the addictive side missions, but any time they try to inject the story it greatly detracts from the experience. I played as a warrior, generally staying away from the bow and sorcery, as I thought neither of them worked too well. For the warrior, it's nice that each different type of weapon has a different attack series, but I wish there were more modifiers, and more ways to evolve improve those special attacks. I actually really like their weapon upgrading system, but it just needed a few tweaks. Every weapon or piece of armor is made up of a combination of steel, iron, chainmail, wood, cloth, and leather. You can upgrade everything with a certain amount of these raw materials very highly as long as you have upgraded you stats. The best part of this is that every weapon you get from a downed enemy can be dismantled to its raw parts. This means that even when you fight weak enemies way below your level you are greatly rewarded with the same amount of parts received from high level items. However, this also creates the biggest problem, where you've upgraded your favorite weapon to it's max, but when you get a new better weapon, your former favorite is now useless. All you can do is dismantle it for the same minimal amount as the lowest level of equipment, or you can sell it for a couple hundred gold, which is also useless.
Like I said earlier, while the game itself is really fun and addictive, the story is horrendous (you're about to enter spoiler town). I can tell you the story in a few sentences: The story apparently starts right where the last left of (which is very annoying since I and probably everyone else couldn't play through the last horrible game) and your lifeforce is drained into your sister so the evil emperor can raise some evil god/demon. After being taken back to the dungeon a group of Orcs liberate you and then send you on a mission to essentially level up and learn how to kill the emperor. This is really the last of the story until later on where you start to learn about the annoying backstory of the emperor in an attempt to humanize him. Then once you finally get to confront the emperor it turns out he's a good guy trying to prevent the evil god form returning, while the woman you've been working for the whole game is actually the enemy. She then appears and turns into a dragon for your final battle. This is even worse because the only way to kill the dragon is to use these crossbows set up in a circle, a completely different mechanic that kind of works, and completely eliminates any benefits from leveling up the entire game.
Still I enjoyed the game, there's a lot of fun to had, it's a long game. I have high hopes for a third Two Worlds, as long as the developer again makes the game better. | video-games_xbox |
Refinement of a Proven Formula (Not Just More of the Same. First, let me say, I'm not a COD fanboy giving this 5 stars because of the title, regardless of the gameplay...I've always prefered the Battlefield series, but thoroughly enjoy both Battlefield and COD (for the most part...both series have had their "off" moments).
Now that the obligatory "not a fanboy" disclaimer is out of the way, I'd like to give my initial impressions of the game (after the first 6 hours of play time, split between campaign, spec ops and multiplayer).
As I'm writing this review, it is currently at three stars...the reviews are divided in a near-perfect reverse-bell curve, with the game split evenly between five star and one star reviews and very few two, three and four star reviews. I can tell you that this game deserves more than three stars, and is definitely not a one-star game. I say this because a one-star game should be one that, immediately upon loading it into your console, you ask yourself "why did I buy this?" and immediately return it to your local trade-in shop.
That being said, this is definitely not the same innovative title that was COD 4: Modern Warfare. The graphics, while crisp and refined, are from a dated engine; the sound is nothing special; the multiplayer modes (with a few exceptions) are nothing new; and, the single-player game, while entertaining, is short with a less-than-gripping storyline.
However. The key to Modern Warfare 3 is not "innovation", but "refinement". Everything about this game, while familiar, feels "better". It's hard to put it any other way. The first thought I had when I entered my first TDM match was "this feels great". Most of the refinements of the formula are subtle, sometimes to the point that you don't even notice. Everything from feedback in the controller to the aiming mechanism just feels crisper than before. Other refinements include a reworking of the leveling system, the ability to upgrade individual weapons, which allows you to beef up your favorites (personally, I use the M16 from beginning to end), and the new approach to prestige mode, making it somewhat worthwhile for reasons other than a few extra pixels next to your gamertag. This refinement is not exclusive to multiplayer, as it can be found in both the campaign mode and spec ops, as well.
In both campaign and spec ops, the "feel" of the game is just as refined as in multiplayer. I died a number of times in the first campaign mission, not because of the difficulty, but because I was preoccupied looking up and around the streets of New York City. I've not progressed much farther than the first handful of missions, but I'm hard-pressed to describe what I've seen so far as anything less than "epic".
Spec Ops is another example of "refinement of the proven formula". They've taken the co-op that I enjoyed in MW2 and made it "more and better". While there are roughly the same number of spec op missions, (so far) it feels like they've further pushed the necessity of coordinated tactical teamwork to achieve your goals. This is possibly the most exciting aspect of the game for me, as I spent countless hours playing and replaying the spec ops missions in MW2 with a friend until we bested most of the IW best times. Luckily, with the addition of Spec Ops survival mode, we no longer have to create arbitrary goals to force replayability. In MW3 they've provided us endless waves of terrorists to shoot, and added a leveling system as a bonus. I can already tell I will spend a ridiculous number of hours trying to top leaderboards with my friends.
Finally (I'm almost done) I'd like to comment on some of the negative reviews this game has received. As I've previously described, while it might be "more of the same", it's "more of the same, but better". I personally don't see why they should make signficant changes to a proven formula in a serial game. Look at other similar titles such as Halo and Gears of War. They might have updated the graphics engine, but it could easily be described as "more of the same" in each of those games, as well. Isn't that the point of a sequel? Also, regarding the comments that you have to pay $100 for this game...this just isn't true. COD Elite is completely free, if you decide you don't want the additional features (dlc, analysis, clans, etc...). It's not mandatory to buy the DLC to continue to play...the matchmaker throws you in to maps that aren't included in the DLC. I didn't buy any of the DLC in MW2 and still completely enjoyed the multiplayer experience for over a year.
At the end of the day, pros and cons aside, this game is fun and has boatloads of lasting appeal. For me, that warrants a 5-star review...ironically, many of the individuals who gave MW3 1 star reviews will play and enjoy the game just as much as the 5 stars...getting every map pack (even as they grumble about being ripped off). | video-games_xbox |
Bargain of a Game. This is my first year trying the ESPN brand games and, like most others, I was brought over by the bargain price. While I still by the EA Games I must say so far I have found the ESPN titles enjoyable. This includes NHL 2K5.
While I haven't played NHL 2005 yet, I must say that the presentation and graphics of the 2K5 is far superior to last year's NHL 2004. The game has a great TV feel to it and the announcing is entertaining so far. I think the animation and cut sequences bring something to the table that the EA games really lack. The presentation of 2K5 is very fun to watch and play.
The game itself is very solid as well. While I am still adjusting to the XBOX controls,the game is simple enought (I still have trouble hitting the black and white buttons though). You have your basic shoot, pass, poke check and body check controls and you can dump the puck, pin against the boards and use aggressive hitting. The game is very realistic with the way players block shots. The puck doesn't just hit the defenseman, who then has complete control of the puck, but instead will either bounch in front of him or redirect to the corners or over the glass. I find this aspect very entertaining and realistic.
The goaltending is pretty good to. The animations are neat (once, the puck was sliding behind the goalie and he fell on his back and laid on the puck, just like real hockey) and they rarely give up "bad" goals (of course, that also depends on their ratings). Most of my goals are on rebounds and top shelf shots. My only really problem with the game so far is the fact that I put up about 70 shots a game but I still have to highter difficulty levels to try.
The game settings are fully customizable and the custom soundtrack is fun and an underated feature I think. Currently, my Flyers come out to Linkin Parks "Numb." I also like how you can edit the lengths of penalities to fit the accelerated clock the game uses.
The Franchise mode is well done too. I like the minor league team addition, allowing my lesser used players to get some ice time and see how my rookies are developing. You even get scouting reports on the player from the scout you hire. I haven't finished a season yet but I heard your scout becomes very important as you send him to scout players overseas for the draft. My only quarrel is with the feature I think is very neat but not done right. I'm talking about injuries. Sometimes you players will suffer some minor injuries that will keep them unable to play for a few days which I think is cool...really hockey comes with its bumps and bruises. However, when this happens, it makes you edit your lines, even if your team is not playing that day. So, I find myself editing, scractching and unscratching players everyday, even if you are off for 3 or 4 days. You can choose to have the CPU do it but I like to custom build my own lines. Overall, the franchise mode is good and the contracts are real money, not points. You even can offer contracts with incentives for winning awards and achiveing a certain number of goals or assists. Far superior to last years EA game.
Overall, you can't go wrong with this game at a $20 price tag. ESPN's solid games are giving us gamers a great reward. We either have a nice alternative to our sports games, should EA games continue to be lazy with its improvements as some gamers have accused them of, or the competition will only put EA in high gear to step-up their product. Either way we win. | video-games_xbox |
Far Cry 3 - Entertaining Open World Shooter. Okay, Far Cry 3 isn't perfect. The main missions are sometimes annoying and the wild animals can be a pain in the neck, but the guns are cool and the shooting mechanics are excellent.
The game looks amazing on the XBox 360 and it excels when you free roam and explore and kill enemies. The variety of weapons and customization of most weapons give you a lot of variety. Stealth rewards you with some interesting silent kills.
The first island is loaded with enemy pirates, wild animals (you'll freeze in your tracks when you hear the hiss of a Komodo Dragon or the roar of a Tiger or Bear), and the colorful bad boss Vaas. The Komodo Dragons were nasty, because they were very difficult to see in the tall grass. Dogs and Dingos were fast, relentless, and often attacked in packs of 3 or 4. Unlike Far Cry 2, you won't get very comfortable swimming in waters with sharks and crocodiles lurking. You'll jump out of your seat when you have your first crocodile ambush. Nothing like running through the tall grass and brush and suddenly pulling up short and unloading your shotgun into a Tiger you nearly ran straight into. The wild animals can be a real aggravation, but they sure add suspense and thrills to your adventuring. Once, I turned around and saw a Tiger crouched and ready to spring at me. Very realistic.
Wiping out enemy camps allows you to free a small area and eliminate pirates from spawning in that location. This was good for safer traveling, but when you freed too many camps, you had far less enemies to shoot at. Somewhat of a double-edged sword. If you want to keep some hostile areas to hunt pirates, don't eliminate all the pirate camps.
The main missions were a lot less fun than just bushwhacking through the island or taking out an outpost. Some were timed and very linear. Yet, you need to finish some missions to increase your skill options. Getting to the second island requires finishing about 2/3 of the main missions.
The second island seemed a lot less fun to me. By then I had unlocked most guns and skills and the securing of a privateer uniform (they are the main enemies on the 2nd island) made it far too easy to ambush unsuspecting privateers.
In some ways I liked Far Cry 2 better (except for the annoying Malaria). Although the wild animals added amazing reality and heart pounding suspense to Far Cry 3, it was at times really annoying to try and sneak up on enemy pirates only to stumble into the path of a bear or Komodo Dragon. It reminded me of Red Dead Redemption, which was a game I really enjoyed till I got tired of being attacked by wolves or mountain lions every time I got off my horse to skin an animal.
Annoyances aside, the game aces the shooting, freedom to wander around, and vast areas to tackle. The weapons were varied, satisfying to use, and generally very accurate. If the main missions were half as much fun as the free roam mayhem, then this game would be even better. Still a heck of a game and one that will provide many hours of entertainment. Its flaws are far outweighed by the terrific mechanics and realistic gunplay in a vast sandbox environment.
(Update) Just recently tried the online co-op part of the game. Been having a lot of fun shooting up enemies. Quite different than the main game. Definitely not an open world co-op experience. You have a set goal and follow a linear path to its completion. Plenty of action though. As you build up experience and particularly "experience" with a particular weapon, upgrades become available. An interesting diversion from the main game. Nothing groundbreaking here, but good intense co-op firefights. | video-games_xbox |
Very challenging and a lot of fun. First of all, I am not a typical gamer. I'm a 38 year old mother of two who hasn't really played video games since my Atari days back in my teens (which I was pretty good back then). So when we bought an Xbox last month I didn't think I'd get much use out of it. The first game I played was Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I absolutely loved it!! The second game is GunValkyrie! I think it's a blast! I haven't had any trouble at all with the controls and I don't get what all the complaining is about. I followed the instructions in the beginning (the first level, you get pop ups that tell you how to do things). When I knew I needed to learn how to fly, I read the instruction manual and just practiced it until I got it. There is a big pit in the second level where you need to fly and I practiced a lot in that area and had some fun zooming all over the place. I read that another reviewer also suggests this and I think it is a good time to hone your skills.
I think the graphics are very good in this game. The sky looks really cool and when you look up at the sun you get solar glare. I haven't really noticed the music that some people have complained about at all.
This game is really challenging and you do get frustrated when you have to start a level all over again because you died but it is also fun trying to figure out how to get through each level. Yes, at times I'm ready to throw my control at the TV but I'd be bored stiff if the game was too easy. Just today I had a timed level where you are assigned to kill a specific species and I had 30 minutes to do it in and I had done this level a whole bunch of times and have gotten better each time but this last time I ran out of time a few seconds away from victory!! Not looking forward to doing it again but when I complete it I'll be thrilled!!
I suggest though because others have said that the controls are hard to figure out to rent the game first and give it a try. | video-games_xbox |
Best platformer of this generation. I grew up in the 90s, a decade where platformers were the flag genre of video games. As soon as 3D came around, however, platformers faded into the limelight. They didn't seem to work for 3D. Rayman Origins embraces that.
Sure, it's 2D, but I wouldn't have it any other way. The graphics are beautiful, showing that realism is not the only future of video games.
The story is hard to follow. As far as I could gather, the baddies living underground get annoyed at Globox's snoring and decide to try and take over the world. Despite the fact that it doesn't make sense, this actually plays to its strength. Rayman is about ridiculousness, and nothing is more ridiculous than Rayman Origins.
For parents: yes, this is kid friendly. Any jokes geared towards adults would go over a kid's head, violence is minimal (other than cartoon violence), and, quite frankly, I'm an adult and I couldn't understand half of what was going on anyways. It's mostly nonsensical, but nothing kids should not see.
The gameplay is by far the reason I would recommend this game to any gamer. Especially for co-op mode. I played through this game with my best friend, one who isn't a big fan of platformers, and we both had a blast. You'll probably get on your teammates last nerves as you accidentally fling each other into pits, but you will both be laughing the whole time. At least there is no life system to worry about.
I will note that the difficulty does get pretty high if you want to complete everything the game has to offer, but you can get to the credits without much trouble if you aren't used to platformers.
There is a ton of replay value, just simply to complete every bit of the game. Even after that, this is a game I would love to relive again and again. Different friends mean different experiences, but even with the same friends, you will have a blast.
Last, the sound. Sound effects are very amusing, especially once you get in a fight with your friend and start just hitting each other. Actually, all sound effects are quite amusing. As for the music... I wish you lucky. It's silly and quirky, it fits the game, and it's catchy. Problem is, it's catchy. To the point where some of the songs can be grating to hear repeatedly. Of course, you could just turn the music off. I wouldn't, though. Rayman Origins is meant to be played as the full package.
Which brings me to my closing statement. If you like Rayman, like platformers, like co-op games, like multiplayer games, like ridiculous games, or even just like laughing, Rayman Origins is for you. It may not be Modern Warfare 3, but it is worth a purchase. The first thing you'll think after you finally finish everything in the game is, "I hope they make a sequel! | video-games_xbox |
Good solid Effort by EA. As a b'ball fan, I love having options and I love having 2 games every year. If you're like me, you get both, but if need help deciding, read on. NBA Live always seems a step behind the competition for overall greatness, but when you start a franchise over from scratch, I really expected this game to be a few years in the making. Here we are, 3 years later, so is Live 16 worth a look?
While 16 is Still a work in progress I have to say, I have no regrets getting it this year. Live 15 was all right, had some bugs that I didn't like, but it thought it was fun and had some good moments. Live 16 is a good upgrade from 15 and at the very least, check out the demo and spend some time with it. Demo has 6 teams too and you have access to a lot of features. The new ProAm mode is probably the beset part this year, 5 on 5 basketball online with no lag? Yup, it's fun! Just look out for those hog balls! But get some friends, you got a party!
The core game has seen a big improvement from 15. I'm pretty much pleased with the game. There's a lot of depth here. Some of the Live haters think Live is a bit dumbed down, and not a true simulation ,but there's quite a deep game of b'ball here. The shooting mechanics is pretty smooth this year, they added a shot meter. My only complaint, is that the difficultly needs to be increased and varied for each player and by what difficulty level you're playing on, it's almost too easy to shoot with it and free throws almost seem automatic.
(It can be turned off though). The prostep/eurostep move is cool, but sometimes it seems overly powerful. I hope they address it in a patch. Players move around lively on the court, that's a beef the past Live games had, but they move and get open on this game. Calling plays is fun and I like the action. The post game works, but i feel with only one shot button, my moves in the post position are limited.
The A.I. needs work for the end game stuff. They just don't seem to make smart plays. Last game I was up 3 with 3 seconds left and they went for the quick 2 instead of tying the game for 3? Maybe hoping for a foul? It doesn't happen all the time, but their clock management is also in question. Truth b e told, you'll have much more fun playing with a friend. My friend and I played on the couch for 4 hours and we didn't want to stop. It's def better if you play with a friend. Online seems to work well, EA's servers have always been decent, so keep that in mind too.
Graphics are very very good. nobody can complain here. Up close the player detail is very well done. Nice looking face scans, details tattoos, accessories of all the players, socks, shoes. It's all well implemented! The courts are extremely well detailed, shiny, great use of lighting, nice looking stadiums, reflections, animated crowds, team benches, coaches, all looks really good. You even got scuff marks as the game progresses! Nice!
wish they had some more camera views, I want to be able to Zoom in and out, but the ones you have are acceptable, but more please.
Presentation is fantastic. Players show emotion, yes they show emotion in big moments! ESPN is splattered all over this game. Great stat screens, pre game, halftime and post game show. No complaints, actually I prefer the presentation over what 2k's game does. Also a decent soundtrack. NBA Rewind is back, and you can even go back to last years games for your team! And it's working! Also added a mode called ""Big Moments" where you can relive classic moments and change history! Some are only 5 seconds, some 2 minutes, some full games, I find it pretty addicting playing through these games!
The game has been updated daily since day 1. A big patch was released on launch and had some tweaks and gameplay touches. The rosters seem pretty accurate and has some rookies and most of the players seem scanned accurately.
One of my favorite modes is ProAm. I'll tell, I'm never a fan of going online, always have problems with connecting, lag, people cheesing, what have you. But overall, I don't have much of that on this game. You basically take your created player online against other players, 5 on 5. Sometimes you got like 2 humans with 3 cpu, or 4 humans one cpu, just depends on the time of the day. But you can jump into a game within a minute and start playing. The net code must be great, because I have not had lag at all and playing with people who love b'ball, it's a blast. Occasionally you'll get those jerks who hog the ball, but not too bad. If you play a team, all your skill points is used to build up your player, and it's really really fun.
Big Moments is a nice addition. You take a control of 1 player in a past memorable game and they have hundreds of them. Relive history or change history by making the ultimate comeback or winning a big game in overtime with your favorite player. You can even search by team too, which is nice! I really think you will too.
NBA Rewind lets you play past games of any game in the season. Because it was acting up in 15, you can go back to last season and relive every game if you want with your favorite team. I think it's clear, this game is going to keep you busy
NBA Live 16 is not going to blow your socks off, but one thing Live does better, is that everything seems to work well, and online is fun and the modes are robust and will keep you busy. The game still needs work, but i think you'll like it. Check out the demo on your system for a trial run and work from there. I feel it to be a good second option and there's plenty to do to keep you busy all year. God bless everyone.
Graphics 5 out of 5. You won't find any issues with graphics. It looks awesome on all levels.
Presenation: 4 out of 5. Commentary, just okay. ESPN implimentation is awesome, great stat screens, post game show, player of the game, who's hot, who's cold, signature highlights, etc. You won't be diappointed. Great soundtrack too.
Gameplay: 4 out of 5 Not perfect ,but overall, feeling good. My main issue is the overpowering Eurostep move. But the game flow is finally getting to greatness.
Replay Value: 5 out of 5 Tons of replayablity with NBA Rewind and Big Moments and the awesome ProAm mode. Of course the regular dynasty mode is intact too. Lots to do.
Overall: EA Got game! 4 out of 5. | video-games_xbox |
Rent this game first. I realize there are many other reviews on here, but i feel obligated to list the pros and cons with this game. The pros include:
Addictive combat scenes
Semi colorful equipment
Cut scenes look decent
Sound clips
Now, the cons...
The cyberspace? One of the worst things ive seen in a game
Extremely slow and annoying deaths
Slow movement except when in combat
Repetitive skill and combat styles
There are many other cons, but I will just post a quick summary of the game. The very first thing i saw was the cutscenes, which were nice. After that, it progressed into a worse game. You have to enter cyberspace many times throughout the game, and this is extremely tedius and slow. There is absolutely no action here, except running around different areas trying to find different ways to move on in reality. Also, i really wish there was a button to make you run faster. If you are superhuman, why do you have to basically waddle throughout every part of the game where there is no enemies? The equipment selection and weapons are somewhat cool though. I only played with the berserker class, but I felt like I had enjoyed enough of the game with one play through. You may be able to color your equipment with runes, but all of the combat is basically the same, even when you master all of the advanced combat moves. The same also goes for your skills: you have a skill tree, but it barely affects gameplay as much as Oblivion or Diablo 2 does. Also, there are a few times when there are many machines you have to kill, but every time you die it takes you atleast 15 or 20 seconds to come back to life. If you die 4 or 5 times in a specific spot, and the combat itself only takes two minutes, you are spending half the time watching an angel type creature take you up and come back to life over and over and over. The combat control was also very different. It was not completely bad, but it seemed strange that the only game that had this strange combat control style and terrible camera placement was with this game. If you like this sort of game, I would advise renting it first; you will probably get enough of it from playing it just once. | video-games_xbox |
I wish I could recommend this enthusiastically , but I cant. There is so much to like about this game but its the one issue that
capsizes the whole thing.
My dad is 80 yrs old with a severely damaged spine who lives on pain meds
and a walker and he moves about as fast as this detective, a man whose very
profession demands a high level of physical acumen . He creeps up stairs like an old
woman and he feebly crawls over the smallest piles of rubble and limps and
lurches instead of striding normally and healthily. There is a bit of expository dialogue that
could be interpreted as an explanation of his feebleness but still. I'm not
a cop and i've a superior level of physical fitness than this guy. Heather Mason could
handily beat this cop to within an inch of his life!
This is a first person shooter with an emphasis on 'deduction'. You must divine
clues from the areas you're in in order to further the plot the details of which I wont
reveal but the devices you use which are handed to you by the game are
somewhat less than intuitive .
A couple examples:
I stood near a bunch of photos in chapter 2 as I was sure they were
relevant to the plot yet the clue detection function didn't activate. I moved
to a different part of the level and triggered a scripted event. That in turn triggered the clue
detection in regards to the photos but since I already examined them to no
avail it didn't occur to me to go back to those photos and stand near them but not too near
them in order to trigger the clue detector. I wasted time not realizing that player
movements don't sync with scripted events properly. When I DID realize that
my first assumption was correct I attempted to gather the requisite clue.
The device would not key in on the clue in question and it wasn't for another few minutes
before realizing the clue was ALL of the images in toto. Not a big issue but
a counter intuitive annoyance nevertheless.
Another is when I needed to collect a clue and I KNEW it was the correct
clue but the device would not execute its function, the clue was right in
front of me, No deduction necessary and I couldn't collect it! After a few minutes I realized
I needed to slightly reposition myself for the sample to be properly
obtained. Again,not a big deal but obtuse nevertheless and indicative of how the game presented
clue detection as a whole. Some other beefs:
I got caught in a doorway because a bar stool got in my way. An object that ,
in the real world, is designed to be readily mobile and easily moved was in
this game an unmovable obstacle because he was too enfeebled to navigate around it. I hate
to revisit this point but , This man is a cop! a 'man of action'! How can a
feeling of tension be evoked when you are reduced to feebly perambulating
through dark , deserted buildings and subways with NO measurable sense of
self preservation? These places ,though eerie and reminiscent of Silent Hill, are populated by 'people' whose villainous
relationship with him is ill defined ; Why is he being attacked by these people? WHO are they? Why
are they so sickly and diseased? and WHY considering their own physical
frailties are they beating the living crap out of him so easily? a COP! who
is SUPPOSED to have had at least ONE lesson in self defense? These sickly
unfortunates move faster and are stronger than this embarrassment in blue
who is so hopelessly outclassed by them! The way he limply moves around the
levels makes me think he suffers from painful Gout and Lumbago. Maybe he should have been
assigned a desk job and they could have gotten John McLane in his place!!
The creepiness achieved in this game is derailed by the disgraceful
feebleness of the 'hero'.
The weapon system in this game is based around the idea of using pipes
,hammers or whatever lying around to defend yourself with and is a clever
concept that I definitely liked except for the inability to carry more than
one weapon at a time. This 'cop' doesn't have a holster? he had one at the
beginning of the game! WHERE THE f*** is it!! Not only that but some weapons have dual purposes ie. Ax chops down doors and crowbars break locks and since you only carry one at a time ,if you need an ax or a hammer you have to lurch and feeble your way to where one can be found,exchange the weapon in your hand for it and feeble your way back to whatever you need to use it on to advance the plot. oi!
This game had real potential with its sleuthing and creepiness but it was
utterly ruined by this cop who is so pathetic and noodlie and seemingly
incapable of tending to his own safety! that I stopped caring about him and
at the end of my experience with this game I just handed him off to his
'enemies' to be beaten to death.
I will go back after awhile as I WOULD like to solve the
story and the levels ARE engaging and really well made and scary and Who knows , maybe midway through the game someone
injects him with testosterone? or at least his Gout clears up. | video-games_xbox |
I Really Wanted to Like This Game, But I Still Prefer Madden. I admit, I've been playing Madden for years. I'm so familiar with the Madden line that I can play the newest addition and tell you which positional AI was changed to provide a more realistic football game. Unfortunately, EA and Microsoft could never work out a deal regarding Xbox Live so the best way to play ANY football sim (human vs. human) isn't available on the Xbox's Madden unless you have company. Thus I decided to learn ESPN NFL Football. Like everyone will tell you, ESPN Football has one heck of a slick presentation. The halftime and weekly highlights almost feel like you're watching ESPN Sportscenter. Madden could learn a lot from ESPN's presentation. I usually ignore franchise mode when I play Madden but I thought ESPN had such a nice interface that I ended up playing the CPU a lot. Unfortunately, I never could get used to the game mechanics of ESPN football. One huge difference between Madden and ESPN is that players move much more realistically in Madden. Momentum is gone in ESPN and it almost feels like I'm controlling a player in an NFL Blitz game because it's so easy to cut and turn. But worst of all is the attrocious tackling in ESPN. You can play on the toughest difficulty level and an average halfback can look like Earl Campbell because he bounces off so many tackles. Speaking of difficulty levels, that was a real disappointment as well. Basically, when you increase the difficulty, all it does is make the CPU tougher, and you worse. So you can't tackle as well as your normally would but the CPU tackle goes way up! There are a lot of things in ESPN I wish Madden would try and I think if someone were ever able to combine both games, we would get the perfect football sim, but for now I'll stick with Madden. I would recommend ESPN for anyone that is new to football games as it's much easier to play than Madden and has an entertaining ESPN theme to it. There's a reason why NFL players stick with Madden though, it's still the best football sim out there. | video-games_xbox |
Incredible. Having played the first Bad Company extensively, I had pretty high expectations for this game, and unlike Mass Effect 2, DICE shattered my expectations and created the best first-person shooter I have ever played (and I've played many, on both PC and Xbox). First off, such amazing graphics shouldn't be possible in such an open-world and expansive game, and yet I would argue they're better than Modern Warfare 2. Even forgetting that MW2 has much tinier levels, non-destructible buildings, and no vehicles, despite this, even pitting MW2 vs Bf:BC 2 on a purely technical level, BC 2 is simply prettier, more alive, though I would say MW 2 has better particle effects, but that's purely on a technical level, as I think BC 2 particle effects are dirtier and grittier, and therefore more immersive.
Story wise, it's another non-issue. Though MW 2's story wasn't as awful as Modern Warfare 1, it was still pretty pointless and uninteresting, simply an excuse to go from level to level. I also hated the blatant jingoism in MW2, from the constant hoorah's! to alpha-male posturing that only people who have never been in the army would actually think happens in battle. I wasn't crazy about Bad Company's 1 story, as though I appreciated the attempts at humor to make things a little different than most war-shooters, for me most of the jokes fell flat, and the nonsensical plot was a bit to silly, even if that was the tone. However, I'm pleased and amazed to say BC 2 completely nails the humor, as pretty much every few minutes one of your squadmates will say something laugh out loud funny, and you'll be continually chuckling throughout. In BC 1, I laughed out loud once the entire game, and my first laugh at loud moment for BC 2 was about 10 minutes in ("Hey as******, how's my driving?") The plot actually moves with a purpose this time, and everything just flows so well.
The multiplayer is excellent, with the game rewarding you for being a good teammate being a particularly good idea, hopefully stopping any chance of the MW 2 multiplayer system of people being so worried about stats, so deathmatch games turn into 8 lone wolves vs 8 lone wolves. The maps are huge, and just like BF 1, it feels like war, with tanks firing, building exploding, and you just a small piece of a gigantic battle, simply trying to do your part. The guns feel right, with no particularly dominant gun or gadget, and best of all NO SPRINTING COMMANDOS WHO KNIFE YOU BEFORE YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON like in MW 2. Because that's such a prevalent part of "modern warfare," super fast knifers, that's all you ever see in footage from the Iraq War.
There really is nothing to complain about, no matter how hard I try to rack my brains. Maybe more variety for multiplayer faces, so it doesn't feel like your fighting an army of three sets of identical twins? Otherwise I wholeheartedly, fully, completely recommend this game to anyone who likes shooters at all, and even if you don't, you should at least try the pinnacle of shooters, which is at this moment (and for the foreseeable future) Battlefield Bad Company 2. There's so many more incredible things about this game I could just gush on and on, but honestly I wouldn't be able to stop myself. Just get it, and see what real modern warfare is like. | video-games_xbox |
Bravo 343i Industries. I had read the 1 star reviews prior to playing this game and was prepared to hate it being a huge Halo fan. My main concern was it wasn't going to be like the old Halo under Bungee. It wasn't like it all that much and that turned out to be a very good thing. It was in fact much better.
The game play at first was a little dry because it felt removed from Halos past. But as I got into it I became engrossed in it to the point that I couldn't put my controller down. It progressed in a way that kept me on the edge of my seat. Sure it was the old shoot, reload, shoot again genre but the game provided so much more. The various vehicles and methods to complete objectives kept increasing and increasing, making it loads of fun with high anticipation for the next level.
The story line was pretty standard but I didn't get this game to experience Shakespeare. But even the story line became more complex and interesting as the game progressed.
The visuals were beautiful. The music was perfect. I didn't even know music was playing which is what is supposed to happen. Music should never dominate a game or movie or anything like that.
As to the length of the game. I don't understand how people could say it was short. If anything it was longer than most. There were a few levels where I thought, ok this must be the end. Nope. More levels came and a few times I wondered if it would ever end.
The things I didn't like:
1. The creatures didn't vary too much. It was the same old ones level after level with a few brief exceptions. I would have liked to see more creatures as the game progressed. And those flying/shield things were just plain cartoonish.
2. It took WAY too much ammo to kill some of the creatures. I unloaded clip after clip on some of them and they wouldn't go down. And this wasn't the super huge ones either. It got old every time I saw one because I thought, here we go, 10 minutes of shooting to bring him down. This in turn made me worry about my ammo supply which ran out often. But there were, in all but 2 cases enough guns and grenades to be had.
3. The weapons. I never did figure out what the Bolt shot did. I would fire and nothing happened. It was like shooting air. With most of the weapons, the zoom would go away when firing. Why? The grenades that produced the red shield never actually killed anything because it was a time bomb. By the time it actually went off, the creatures were long gone.
4. In some cases, it was difficult to find where to go next. The direction arrows were not too accurate.
All in all, this game was fantastic. I say out with the old and in with the new. I like the new Halo and I think 323 Industries carried the torch well. It's obvious they put a lot into this game and spared no expense. I do hope they read these reviews and make revisions on Halo 5 with what I sited above. | video-games_xbox |
Skylanders Adventures. This was a Christmas present for my son who is going on 9. He had been begging for it as soon as he saw the first Skylanders set. So on Christmas morning when he opened this present he was besides himself. Didn't want to finish opening his other presents because he HAD to play it right then. Of course being the mean parents we are we made him open the rest first. :)
The concept of the game itself is really amazing. The graphics are great and it's a game that kids can figure out on their own which as any parents can attest to is wonderful. Last thing you want is a game that you end up playing half of it because they are confused.
This particular starter pack comes with the game, three figures (Which are your players in the game) and the portal of power. The portal of power is a stand that reads which figure you are going to use and transports them into the game. A small USB device comes with the game which you plug into the back of the wii system which allows the portal and the game system to communicate.
Each figure or "player" brings a specific talent to the game. They can be switched out at anytime if one is more suitable to get through a challenge then another. Which I will warn parents of more then one child that a sibling will find it funny to switch out a player while the other one plays to hear them get angry. There are TONS of different figures or "players" out there which you can buy for things as treats for good grades or birthday's which opens more games and brings new talents. So while your child might play through the game with say Spyro they can play a different game or the same game again with a different figure.
One added thing I love about the game is that the characters get tire. They will come on the screen and tell the player they need a rest which means it's time to turn off the game. Which forces your child to take a break for a while. Now I am sure you can just turn off the game system and turn it back on and they are ready to go again but my son has not thought of that yet so it works great for us.
So if you are trying to decide to pay this much for a game or even if this is the game for you I would give my recommendation and would assure you that you will not be disappointed. | video-games_xbox |
A truly novel game-playing experience. Most of the other reviews have done a good job in describing the game and the concept behind the game, so I'm going to take a different tactic.
Indigo Prophecy is a unique game, that tries immensely to be an interactive, fluid gameplaying experience that merges the adventure genre with the action/thriller genre, and succeeds.
Let me take a step backwards. If you're like me, most adventure games (especially anything by Dreamcatcher) turn you off because your character can't "die" - the worst case scenario is that you reach a puzzle that you can't figure out. This has the effect of nullifying the tone of suspense that such games work so hard to accomplish. Furthermore, most adventure game obstacles can only be overcome in a particular way, allowing for little or no deviation from the course. I had these problems with Still Life, which was about an FBI investigator trying to track down a serial killer. But, while this game is similar in tone to Still Life, I think Indigo Prophecy is hands down the superior one because it successfully sets an eerie mood which is enhanced by the perception that anything can happen at any time.
Indigo Prophecy manages to do this in several ways. First, there is a time component to many of the situations. In this way, it is reminiscent of the Hitman games, where events are triggered by the passage of time rather than by the approach of the character into the vicinity.
Second, you can interact with the environment in numerous ways, and how you do so can have dramatic or miniscule effects on what happens.
The control design is interesting. From what I understand, it is more troublesome for the PC version, but the X-Box version is not perfect either. I think I understand why the creators did this: they wanted the game to be less about button-mashing, and more about immersing the player in the action. But here their attempt backfired: their "Simon Says" color system, while interesting in the sense that it requires a like degree of coordination as the act expected of the character, has the unwanted effect of forcing the player to focus on the color indicators than on the action itself. So, ironically, the game distances you from the action instead of immersing you into it. They would have been better off just doing it the Silent Hill way.
Nor am I a fan of their alternating Left/Right button pushing for exerting physical acts like swimming and lifting. I often play video games at night while my wife and kids; you'd be surprised how loud rapid alternating button pressing can be, especially at the speed demanded here.
My critisms are relatively minor and did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the game. I think the creators really made something special here, something that I hope will have an influence on future games. It is obvious that this game was a labor of love for the director, and I admire both his aesthetic and his desire to bring a new level of interactivity to video games - something that most games are sorely lacking. This game is easily one of the best I've played since getting X-Box, right up there with Halo, Silent Hill 2 and Morrowind. | video-games_xbox |
It's not a lake. It's an ocean. Alan Wake looked fantastic for the past couple of years, but with all the delays I wasn't sure if it was ever actually going to be released. However, I am extremely glad that the delays didn't spoil the game with overproduction.
It is quite interesting to use light-based weapons in conjunction with normal weapons, and here the game succeeds, because the controls are very simple, even though you can do quite a lot with them. As someone else said, you point the flashlight at something, and it becomes your targeting reticule. Very cool.
The story is...confusing. You think you know what's going on, and then you find something out, but then it turns out not to be true...or is it? Who's lying? You don't really know. I spent a great deal of the time trying to figure out what was real and what wasn't. Because even about halfway through the game when you start to gain allies who believe how crazy things are getting, you wonder if maybe it isn't a dream. Anyways, it's a psychological game, not as dark as Max Payne, but in the same vein.
Basically though, it comes down to this: The game works. It is emotionally engaging, the characters feel real and believable, so we care about them and what happens to them. I'm sure more will be cleared up with downloadable content, and the ending is open enough to leave room for a sequel. The game doesn't take too long to complete...I started it last night and only played for about an hour, and then knocked out the rest in about six hours. And this is really the only drawback, and the reason it gets 4 stars and not five. Well, two reasons. There isn't a whole lot of replay value in this game. The tension and horror in the story comes from the unknown of it all, playing it again knowing where the scares are (Yes, there are some) and knowing where the story is going before the reveal would probably make it fairly boring. The second reason is the enemies. A lot of the game takes place in various forest setting and, to this end, the concentration of enemies in the forest is rather high, and it gets to be fairly repetitive. Luckily though, with the various light-based weapons the game manages to stay quite fun for a first playthrough.
Based on the relatively short game length and low replay value, I would honestly recommend most people rent this game. With a suggestion like that, I had to ask myself, does it even deserve 4 stars? But yeah, I still think it does. I forgive the game for being short because, quite honestly, the game doesn't BS around. Your character does what he needs to do, period. And I prefer that style to that of doing pointless filler missions to try to bulk up on the length of gameplay. You certainly won't find yourself thinking "Come on! Get to to it already!" If anything this game suffers a little from a lack of revelation. But being a psychological/horror game, you don't really expect characters to stand around monologuing all damn day.
One last word, and this is for people who have played it. The game is divided into six chapters, and at the end of every chapter, there is an intermission (with the option to skip it). The very first song played is "In Dreams" by Roy Orbison. Ughhhh, so awesome. I thought maybe they'd use that song for every intermission, but no. It's five different songs. And my gripe is about the other four after In Dreams. They all seem to really hit you over the head with simple lyrics and straightforward ideas. Turned out making it feel kinda hokie. But whatever, the songs are short and you can skip them anyways. | video-games_xbox |
Necessary for Any Steam Controller Owner. I ordered this along with the steam controller itself, applying it immediately.
This fixes one of the most common criticisms of the steam controller, which is that it felt like cheap plastic. This skin really and truly makes the Steam controller look more expensive and of higher quality, while making it more pleasant to hold for long periods of time.
My only real qualm are the dotted sides, which I feel protrude into my hands too hard. Thankfully it's easily ignored and even improves grip, though I'd recommend the creators to smooth them out in any future revisions. The start and back buttons also become slightly harder to push down because of an enveloping buffer around them, but otherwise doesn't impact any of the other buttons.
I'm incredibly disappointed that this didn't include a joystick cover like the other foamy lizard products do, though the steam controller joystick was designed in such a way that it doesn't need one as much as the competition. A lack of joystick cover is also easy to justify thanks to the $12.99 price tag, which is $7 less than Foamy Lizard's other products. And considering the possibility of using one of the owl-eyed touchpads as a joystick instead, it makes sense to not include a cover for the Steam controller's token joystick.
I criticized this product for not having additional colors, though obviously it does now. I would've liked to have had that option originally, but I won't criticize this product for not offering it sooner.
I used to think that this Steam controller skin had room for improvement, but it really doesn't The issues I mentioned are mostly negligible, and it's the only skin for the Steam controller on the market at the time of this writing. Until another company chooses to give consumers more choices in skins (Kontrol Freek and Valve itself would be ideal contenders), this is the best purchase that you can make alongside purchasing the Steam controller. | video-games_xbox |
Can a game be as good as a movie with the same setting. Is it possible to have a game and a movie set in the same universe, and love the game more?
In this case, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic harkens back to an era even earlier than the Star Wars movies. Thousands of years earlier to be exact.
The Mandalorians (the originators of the armor that Boba and Jango Fett wear) were still in power then. Just as the Jedi were fending the Mandlorians off, a major upset in the balance of power took place when Darth Malak and Darth Revan turned on their allies and returned from the Mandalorian War with a Sith fleet. Only one Jedi's "battle meditation" saved the fleet and now the Jedi are in shambles, the Sith run rampant, and Mandalorian bandits abound. Your mission is to find the disparate "Star Maps" that will ultimately lead to a world crushing machine of Armageddon proportions: the Star Forge. You must beat Darth Malak before he uses the Star Forge to destroy the Republic.
In this mix of high adventure are a host of characters (nine in total) range from Mandalorians to Wookies to druids, assassin and otherwise. Each character is carefully crafted and voiced by professional actors who do an excellent job with the material. And by professional, I mean movie talent: Ethan Phillips (Neelix of Star Trek: Voyager) and Ed Asner (uh...ask your parents). Given the number of possible responses in the dialogue, it's a truly massive task.
The game system should seem familiar to many - it uses the d20 pen-and-paper role-playing game system of the Star Wars RPG, with tweaks to make it easier to use for a computer game. The abilities blend seamlessly with the game play itself. I never felt at any time that I was playing a pen-and-paper game on a computer. Additionally, the game system uses Bioware's ever-evolving game engine used in Neverwinter Nights, which makes everything easy to use.
With multiple worlds that you can fly to at any moment, multiple characters (up to three active at one time), and a dizzying number of side quests, you simply can't get to them all. It doesn't matter though, because the metaplot rumbles along in the background every time you find another Star Map on another world.
The graphics and sound are exceptional. Sun glare flares on the game's camera and darkens your character's shadow. The controller trembles when large beasts are afoot (or worse, in combat!). The sounds are all taken from the movies, so lightsabers sound like lightsabers, aliens speak in their native tongues, and starships roar just like their cinematic counterparts. This is about as close to playing a movie as it gets.
The character development is worthy of mention. Your own character can be customized by body type, gender, and appearance. Your gender modifies the plot (males can fall in love with Bastila, the pretty Jedi mentor). All this uniqueness and yet the game never falters in dealing with it - your character's head never looks out of place in any of the cut scenes. Speaking of the cut scenes, they are all done with the same in-game animations, marinating the feel of the overall game play without stepping out of the action. And of course, your own character's background has a twist.
The NPCs have their own range of personalities. Unlike the current crop of Star Wars movies, there is a careful balance between the elegantly serious Jedi and their adventuring counterparts. Bastila provides a dose of class in the group as the somewhat taciturn Jedi master, but Carth is her balance, a gravelly-voiced war veteran who believes in the power...of a good blaster, that is. My personal favorites include Canderous Ordo, a grizzled Mandalorian of too many wars who loves a good fight. And of course, everyone loves HK-47. Like AK-47, only with an "H." That's right, HK-47 is an assassin druid with a mind of his own. HK-47 is fond of calling people "meatbag," except for his master...when he remembers his place.
There are plenty of old favorites too: Sand People, Banthas, Krayt Dragons, protocol druids, it's all here. If the characters don't remind you of Star Wars, the soundtrack will. It's true to the original score and in some cases, IS the original score. It's impossible for even the mildest Star Wars fan to resist.
All that, and there's a good old-fashioned subplot involving romance and betrayal, Light Side and Dark Side. This is the story Lucas dreamed but never truly brought to life.
The game is amazing in its flexibility. There are Light- and Dark Side choices in every conversation. You can solve puzzles or blast your way through plots, help NPCs or set them against each other. There are even logic puzzles that require the player to think, something I haven't been accustomed to doing in a long time.
There are flaws, but they're minor. In one case, I ended up killing a major NPC twice. There are puzzles that result in instant death failure, a no-no in game development. And combat is turn based: the player doesn't really determine very swing of the lightsaber, but rather the battle freezes and resumes as the player provides real-time strategy. Also, the game uses the same engine as Neverwinter Nights, which means it involves a lot of walking around talking to people. A LOT.
Still, this is one of the best computer role-playing games I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. I was thrilled when my character's romance with Bastila flourished, devastated when I saw a father-son argument between Carth and his son Dustil, and I laughed at loud at some of the spontaneous character interactions.
Can a game be as good as a movie with the same setting? Nope.
It's BETTER. I got far more bang for my buck playing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic than I got after two hours of special effects in the movies. In this game, the special effects at least had a heart. | video-games_xbox |
Best Batman Game... Ever. Overall - 5/5 Stars
Batman: Arkham Asylum is simply an amazing game and very enjoyable to play. It is easily and by far the best Batman game ever made to date. It is a very believable Batman story, and the characters are very well done. The creators really did their research; they even threw in a lot of extra character facts and info that make for a very interesting game, even for the most educated Batman fanatic. I completely conquered this game and I am proud of it.
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Gameplay - 5/5 Stars
Whether you follow the Batman comics or not, Batman: Arkham Asylum is a great game to play. I found that every minute I played the game was somewhat challenging, yet very entertaining.
This game starts you out just after Batman has caught the Joker and they are in the process of locking him up in Arkham Asylum. You spend the whole game on the island, Arkham Asylum. The creators took some liberties in creating a very rich and in depth history about the island than has ever been done before. If you know nothing about the Batman stories it's just fine cause you can learn about every main villain within the Batman comics, and even some that most people have probably never have heard of before. Of course the Joker breaks out of the Asylum and takes control of the island.
This game flows very nicely from one sequence to the next. I never got lost. This was a major plus for me because getting stuck on a part for hours at a time and then having to look it up on the internet. For those of you who like to look for Easter eggs in games there are 240 different riddles from the Riddler to be found. A nice feature is that the game had its own system to help you find these when you find the Riddler map for an area. An in-game interactive map such as this would have been useful for a game like Assassin's Creed.
This game is great for older children to adults because it has no blood or gore. However, it does show Batman beating inmates senseless so use your digression. The game received a "T" rating from ESRB, but I thought it might receive an "M" rating because of how dark and creepy it was. It is good they made it that way though because that is just how the Batman stories need to be. The intensity of the story and gameplay will not leave you disappointed.
The fighting system in this game is stupendous. There are two main types of combat in this game. One way is predator and it involves stalking each enemy one by one and taking them out without being seen. The other way has Batman entering into combat against anywhere from 3 to some 20 Arkham inmates at once. This calls for a pretty intense fighting system; hence the need for the Unreal engine.
The fighting system is sophisticated yet easy to learn if you simply work at it a bit. It is not just simply a button masher game. The game is built upon an experience gaining system. If you button mash you will find that you are getting hit more often than you want, and losing out on gaining more experience for performing long streams of combos on your foes. The best method is to strike soundly with each hit while watching for opportunities to counter attack the whole time.
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Control - 4/5 Stars
The controls are pretty intuitive and basic really. You press X to strike, Y to counter, B to use your cape to stun enemies, A to run or dodge (when double tapped), and the shoulder buttons can quickly be double-tapped to release Batman's batarang and later, his batclaw. This comes in handy so you don't need to manually select those gadgets using the d-pad to use them. The experience you gain can be put towards learning new combat skills, techniques, and obtaining/improving new gadgets.
There is only one frustrating part about the controls: while you are in combat the enemies sometimes will have guns or throwing objects and so you try to take them out first but because there are so many enemies around, you usually end up hitting the wrong guy. The game should have incorporated some sort of targeting system for that, or just simply allowed you to attack the foes in a general direction with guns or throwing objects. This lack of targeting also caused problems for me when I was trying to get really high combos which are required for some of the combat challenges the game offers. The problem is I would push a direction to attack but all Batman did was hit the air and break the combo stream.
The rest of the game has fairly easy to learn controls. Batman's movement is flowing and very realistic feeling. For the most part it has intuitive commands that prompt you when to execute them. This is typically done with the Y button. For instance, Batman can perform a wide range of stealth take downs. When an enemy tries to hit Batman you see a blue signal above the head of the attacking enemy and that is when you press Y to counter attack.
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Graphics - 4/5 Stars
They did an excellent job on the graphics for this game. Batman's cape has some sweet fluttering effects to it though, and the environments are rich and full of detail. It seems we have come to expect this from most games these days. This is part of the reason video games cost so much to make.
I was very pleased with the appearance of the game. It felt like I was really Batman and doing the things that he would do. The regular view in the game is awesome and there is also a detective view that Batman can enter into which allows you to look for clues, see through walls to find where enemies are, and even whether they are armed or not. While I found this extremely helpful I wish they had just made a mixture of the two views into one main view. When you are in detective mode everything is plain and simple looking, and when you are in the normal view everything looks detailed and cool. I found that throughout most of the game I needed to be in the detective mode and therefore I was missing out on seeing the awesome graphics and environment.
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Sound - 5/5 Stars
They did a great job with the music in this game. Even though it wasn't done by Danny Elfman, the music still sounded and felt just like Batman music should; it had that dramatic and dark feel to it. Also, the inmates were pretty believable with the way they would shout to each other and to you. If you liked watching the original Batman cartoon series then you will love that they got the same voice actors from it to do this game, including Mark Hamill as the Joker and a few others like Harley Quinn's voice actress. | video-games_xbox |
DON'T BUY THIS. Warning: This adapter killed my Xbox 360. Our old adapter wouldn't power up our Xbox. You'd get a brief light and some fan noise from the console and then a power off. We were able to confirm the adapter was bad by using a different one from our 2nd Xbox. So I took to the internets and looked around based on the model number from the factory adapter. This adapter from Ortz Gamez seemed to be the right mix of price, warranty and high customer rating. I even ordered late afternoon and still got it the next day. Needless to say, my kid was beside himself happy. He plugged it all in right away and settled in to some long awaited Call of Duty action. For about 10 minutes that is. He came running out saying he heard a "POP" sound, saw some smoke from the adapter and then smelled some awesome burning electrical smell. I was able to confirm that the adapter smoked but in addition, the Xbox is now completely dead. No life from a completely functional Xbox factory original adapter.
Naturally I did the thing that people should do and I reached out to Amazon for advice. They issued a refund and sent a return label within an hour. When I asked what I was supposed to do about the fact that my Xbox was now a door stop, they suggested I reach out to Ortz Gamez, which I then did. Complete and utter blow off. I think I got a copy/paste "I'm sorry you are having issues with our product" kind of thing but that was about as far as the recognition that it was entirely possible that their defective adapter killed my child's beloved piece of tech. I even offered to send the Xbox and adapter to them for them to investigate so they didn't think I was fishing for a freebie. Nothing. No compassion and no acknowledgement.
So I pointed out that when I write this review, if I stop just 5 or 6 people from buying this product, it'd probably more than cover the price of a console repair. My guess is that this situation might be 1 in 100,000 but it happened and it could happen to you. And if it does, you are out a console and Ortz Gamez couldn't care less. | video-games_xbox |
Good, but Somewhat Lacking. When I first put it in, my initial impression of this game was how awesome and cinematic it is. But as I continued, and now that I have finished it, my opinion of it has gone down. Familiarity breeds contempt, I suppose.
This is an example of a game that is trying to be shocking just for the sake of being shocking. This effect is novel at first, but wears off quickly. And what does it leave? A "rescue the girl" story is thrown in, but serves as little more than the McGuffin needed to get our hero from point A to point B. If the game's combat scheme were truly inspired, then other shortcomings could be forgiven. But as it stands, it is pretty weak. Just a button masher really, with little or no strategy other than spamming the B button.
I'll avoid any God of War comparisons here, as I really don't give a crap how similar they are. So the only important question that remains is: "Is Dante's Inferno a good game?" Well, that depends...
It has a very unique setting: Hell. For this depiction, the game VERY loosely borrows from "The Divine Comedy", Christian mythology, and European church history. Using these, it attempts to be as blasphemous as humanly possible. Is it offensive toward Christians? Of course. If you are okay with that, then you've just crossed the biggest barrier toward liking the game. But that doesn't automatically mean you will like it.
I liked the game, but some of the over-the-topness of it (or toplessness, if you prefer) made me start rolling my eyes after a while. The ultra-violence in it reaches the point that it becomes cartoonish and impossible to take seriously. And for some reason, the main girl is shown topless in every cut scene she's in. If you like that, more power to you. I just thought it was kind of dumb.
Enemies are repetitive, for the most part. Meant to be disturbing, and some of them are. Speaking of repetitiveness, that's another reason this game fails to be great. After a while, a pattern emerges: 1. Crawl down some walls. 2. Fight some guys. 3. Do a puzzle. 4. Repeat until you get to a boss.
And the Bosses... Just like in every other game these days it seems, each of them are about the size of a small skyscraper, filling your screen. None of them are very hard to beat. It all comes down to finding the right combination of attacks, dodges, and (sigh) Quick Time Events. Good grief. Did we really need another game with QTE finishers? Those are so annoying. Miss the button, start over. Oh, well.
One of the most original things about the game is its setting. The environment of Hell is done nicely here. There is always something interesting - if bizarre - to look at. Even beautiful in its own way, if the grotesque can qualify as such. Unfortunately, there is no camera control. So when you want to take a look around, just enjoying the detail the programmers put into the environments, you are out of luck.
Another disappointing thing was the overly-simplistic RPG / Leveling factor used here. It worked okay for what it was, but in building your character, you inevitably choose the Holy or Unholy path. But in the end, it makes no difference. None of it has any effect on the story line, or the ending. Just feels kind of empty.
Despite what seems like such a negative review, I still really liked the game. The mindlessness of the fighting is good in small doses. In the wholesale slaughter department, this game ranks up with - but is not nearly as good as - Spartan: Total Warrior and Ninja Gaiden II. That's not a bad thing.
And the game is short, which I also like. I'm tired of games that take 40 hours of my life away. This one clocks in at around 8 to 10, which feels just right to me.
Once complete, the game offers a decent challenge with its "Gates of Hell" arena mode. I really enjoyed this. It was fun, yet challenging.
And although the story was somewhat weak, I still liked it. It could have been more, but it's not bad. The in-game cinematics are probably the best. At times it uses narrated animated storyboards instead. These were okay, but always left me looking forward to the cinematics. The story as a whole felt suitably epic.
RATING: 5 out of 7 Decapitated Unbaptized Babies
DLC Review - "Dark Forest"
This add-on provides a prequel level. While the rest of the game is decently fun, this is not. Honestly, I can't recommend it. Unless you are an Achievement Hunter or a Downloadable Content Completist, there is absolutely no reason for you to buy this. It consists of a few fights using an already-maxxed out Dante, mixed with some sub-par cinematics and a couple of boring puzzles. One hour of value, maybe. But you're not missing anything here.
DLC Review - "Trials of St. Lucia"
This add-on is actually worth it and is recommended. It consists of a series of arenas, each one earning you player score or building up your stockpile of trophies. It lets you compare stats with other players, and even play two-player arenas over Xbox Live. It features a new character, St. Lucia, who plays similar enough to Dante to not feel weird, but still has cool differences. The best part of it is the editor, which lets you create your own Challenges and upload them for others to play. You can download any public challenge, try it out to increase your score, and then rate it. There's a lot of junk out there but there are some fun ones too. If you liked the main game at all, then you will probably like this.
I'm going to talk about the ending now, so those of you who haven't played this, stop reading. You've been warned!
***WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD***STOP READING NOW!!***
The twist ending was very interesting. I didn't see it coming. The whole time, I didn't suspect that about Dante at all.
I'm thinking the sequel will probably be set in Purgatory, with the final game set in Heaven.
Beatrice wasn't to be found at the end of part 1. Nor will she be found at the end of part 2, I predict. I think the first two games will end with the 21st century equivalent of "Thank you Mario but our princess is in another castle!" Only the third game will bring a true conclusion.
In keeping with the whole theme of being as offensive and blasphemous as humanly possible, I predict that the last game will have Dante facing off against God himself, and killing Him. Somewhere in the middle of the second game, Dante is going to come to believe that God has betrayed him, still denying him Beatrice. And then he's going to go to Heaven to kick some serious (bleep). But who knows? We'll see what happens! | video-games_xbox |
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