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Supreme Commander 2 is a shallow shadow of its predecessor. Is Supreme Commander 2 a good console RTS? Yes, I would say SupCom2 is the best Xbox 360 RTS ever made. However, for long time fans of the series and for most PC users, beware! Let me explain:
The Total Annihilation and Supreme Commander series always catered to a pro gamer audience that wanted the ultimate RTS game. No, the game was never easy for a neophyte to step into, however half the fun was learning how to master the game and slowly reach the upper echelons of pro tournaments and teamplay.
Unfortunately, after playing Supreme Commander 2 for over 20 hours, I can fairly say that it was a complete and supreme let down.
They took away the root aspects of the game such as the real time economy and resource management. No longer will your shields fail when the enemy blows up your power reactors. No longer will you waste mass if you aren't properly using your resources. The whole economy has been revamped to be just like any other plain old RTS out there.
There were very specific reasons why I never played C&C and Starcraft more than a few months. That is because they got bland and did not challenge me any further. Everything was based on the "Zerg Rush", and with the original TA and SC Forged Alliance games, you could only rush if you knew how to manage your eco and take out your opponent early in the game. Otherwise, you had a plethora of other tactical options to win. However, now with the revisions made to Supreme Commander 2, you no longer have that enjoyment or feeling of "I outsmarted you triumph" when you play. The game is just another clone of C&C and Warcraft and is uninspired, yet it's imaginative I will give it that. On the other hand, the artwork is too cartoonish compared to Forged Alliance. I honestly feel like the graphics in many ways are worse, but I do like the new 3D style maps.
Supreme Commander 2 has less of an epic scope when compared to it's predecessor Forged Alliance. For starters, the maps in Supreme Commander 2 are very small, and the amount of units you can control at once as been reduced from 1000 to 500. Also, the number of unit types has been halved. Now, the reasons for this are specifically because the xbox 360 does not have the memory or processing power of most gamer PC's. However, if this was the case, I would've appreciated that they makers of the game went with a different title, instead of the award winning franchise name of Supreme Commander. This game ultimately trashes the good name of a great series in my humble opinion.
Will I be playing this for years like I did with Forged Alliance? No, I doubt it unless they can return back to the roots that made the original series unique and fun to play for gamers looking for a little challenge and fun times with their friends. | video-games_xbox |
Final Evil. If you have been following the RE storyline, this new installment increases the deep story driven series. The game deserves 5 stars because in the last two RE games capcom introduced the upgrade ability to guns and health. Along with purchase of weapons and some gear. In RE 6 You can find weapons along the way, more realistic I feel. And instead of upgrades you have skill points you use to give yourself some perks and upgradable as well. This is a different step in RE that feels more like the originals becasue you have to find things to survive.
And another thing about survival. Alot of people are saying its not a survival horror game. I beat RE2 in under two hours once I new how to beat the game. So they were never really the peek around corner and walk with your gun drawn kind of game. They were puzzle games in the 90's and there horror/action now, with some puzzles. RE has not left there roots, just follow the story and you will understand. There are no plot holes in any of the games and transitions between games. The story is the reason why your not creeping around a police station or mansion by yourself anymore.
The situation of bio terror has grown so big that if you didn't have action it wouldnt feel like theres a global threat.
Alot of people bash this game and they are just stupid because if they really have played the other games they would understand why the game play has changed. No one on here even talks about the story and how theres nothing wrong with it. Everyone just wants to put a fat 0 on here and hurt the franchise.
The game is very long the first time through as well so be prepared. Auto save feature alows you to stop at certain points. My only issue with the game is the new inventory screen. There is no pause button so the journey never stops while playing, and due to the scrolling inventory system it makes it hard to put together meds quickly to heal yourself.
Resident Evil 6 blew me away with stunning cutscenes and a few parts made me jump just like in RE2. I am 24 and not a 13 year old writing this so take into account I know what I am talking about. I started playing RE since the begining and have no intensions on stopping. There is a reason my tag is FinalEvil. | video-games_xbox |
Why rent when you can buy it for 10 dollars. I have to say all these negative reviews are relative to the game being full price.
I for one watched the movie and didn't care either way about it but I really enjoyed the developer Grin's previous game Bionic Commando. Everything you read is true from the other reviews but I feel many of those reviews don't have the correct prospective.
For around ten dollars, you get a really fun, action packed shooter. From the beginning, the game throws you in the mix of a huge firefight, going rooftop to rooftop gunning people down left and right. The tutorials are simple and to the point and flows well with the narrative showing Wesley's change from a normal guy to a trained killer.
The game is short but some of the reviews claiming to have beat this in three hours are probably playing on easy. Wanted is everything a third person shooter should be with style to spare. Unlike games like Gears of War where you have to hid behind cover and slowly advance, here you'll find yourself zipping from cover to cover and sliding over obstacles in such a smooth natural way it's like chaining together combos in Tekken. The controls are spot on and the curved bullets, slow mo,and death grabs are a blast and make you feel like a complete assassin badass. So, yeah, the game is short but it's one great roller coaster ride and I have to say that I really enjoyed playing on the Killer mode to unlock more achievments.
On the negative side, the cut scenes are kinda ugly despite the regular gameplay looking really good, it's a shame they didn't do these with the in game models instead of this prerendered nonsense. While the game is fun, the freshness wears off and the last half of the game could have added something to make everything less rinse and repeat. The one gameplay change they do have is two gun turret sections and a few sniper shootouts. The sniper sections are alright but the stationary gun sections are lame and it took me a couple tries to realize you have to look up to avoid the bullets coming at you. There's also a completely awesome airplane shoot out which was really gripping and ridiculous, I just wish there were more set pieces like this.
All I can say is that I didn't particularly care for the movie, but the cool style and breezy gameplay won me over. I took me a couple days to play through this and what's here is really good. For the price on Amazon, you really can't go wrong. You can literally buy this for the price of a downloadable game and the airplane sequence is worth the price of admission alone. | video-games_xbox |
Bullet Ballet. When the original Max Payne hit PC users in 2001, it was generally considered a success. Bullet Time in videogames was still a shiny new concept and the unexpectedly over-the-top "film noir" style kept fans shooting away, despite complaints that, really, you were just doing the same thing over and over.
To a lot of people, however, Max Payne was a game that was far more than the sum of it's parts. Many people (myself included) fell in love with the gritty, absurdly heavy style of the game. Those that didn't really "get it" complained about Max's constant use of insanely overwrought metaphors, ever-present gloom, and ridiculous storyline, but everyone who was able to see it as the campy homage that it was had a blast.
When part 2 was announced, I was thrilled. Max Payne is a series that lends itself pretty well to a sequel because, really, you don't have to change much about the game mechanics. They're pretty simple, and they work fine. It had already come to light that there were going to be no fundamental changes beyond some minor tweaks to Bullet Time and a completely different plot, so it sounded good to me.
And, upon playing through the game in one sitting, that's exactly what I got.
What this means is, if you liked the first Max Payne, you'll like the second one, if you didn't, you won't. Easy as that. Gameplay is IDENTICAL. There are a few alterations to some of Max's moves and skills (i.e. There are now deeper levels of Bullet Time, attained by winning gunfights while under the effects of slo-mo) and a few new weapons (An AK-47 and a somewhat impossible dual-Desert Eagle approach) but that's it.
The really marked improvements over the first game in the gameplay/technical regard are the graphics, which are gorgeous (and Max no longer looks horribly constipated), and the physics engine, which now means Max can bump into and knock over things.
The biggest change, though, is the level design, which is absolutely outstanding. The Fun House stage gets special mention for sheer brilliance in showing what can be done within the game engine if you're creative enough, and thankfully the more annoying stages from the first game (namely, Max's fever dreams) have been completely redone to be much more playable.
Plot wise, this game has me with some mixed feelings. The story is much tighter this time around, and both it and the rest of the game feel toned down from the slightly insane events of the first game. Depending on what you actually thought of the first game, this can be seen as either a good or bad thing.
For example, while the game has kept the much-beloved "graphic novel" storytelling, Max's own personal narration on things (read: some of the most ridiculous metaphors ever recorded) has been mostly dropped in favor of dialouge. There's no massive snowstorm this time around to act as a parallel to Max's own battle, and neither killer designer drugs, evil corporations, shadowy secret societies, or the occult play a role in the story. Instead we have the less fantastic but more solid plot concerning gangsters, lovers, assassins, and lots and lots (and lots) of bullets.
Again, this garners mixed feelings. If you liked Max Payne 1 but thought it was just a little too warped in the story department, then part 2 will be dead-on for you. Personally, I slightly prefer the story from part 1, but there's no denying that Max Payne 2 is the better game in all other regards, and it's not such a radical departure that it feels weird. This is still Max Payne, and the game developers were well aware of this, make no mistake.
On a final note, someone on the Dev. Team also figured "Hey, since the game is M-rated, why have we been censoring the curse words, anyway?" It's a good question, and one I was asking myself during Max Payne 1. I don't think that games should be loaded with curse words just for the fun of it, but when I have a mob foot soldier calling me a "freakin' cop" repeatedly, I almost feel more insulted than if he'd just let fly with the F-word. I mean, Max Payne (either of them) make no bones about the fact that they're adult games, and they're already violent enough that kids should be nowhere near them, so maybe we could actually let our mafia bullet-sponges let out a blue word or two?
Max Payne 2 does just that, and thank God. In the same way that The Sopranos does, Max Payne 2 lets it all hang without actually drawing attention to it, and the result is dialouge that sounds a lot less, well, video game-y.
So, bottom line, Max Payne 2 is an outstanding game in it's field, which is straight-up, heavily stylized action. It's about as long as the first game, has better graphics, has MUCH better level design, and is really everything fans of the series could have asked for. PC and Xbox versions are near-identical, so go with whichever is more comfortable, and get ready for a Max Payne love story.
A violent, bullet-riddled, hard-boiled love story, but is there really any other kind? | video-games_xbox |
Pretty good. I had the pleasure of playing many of the Kinect launch games in advance. The games are definitely trying to grab the casual gamer market with simple but fun games. The Kinect reminds me a lot of the Nintendo's Wii. When the Wii came out, it was new and exciting with it's motion controls, but after playing for awhile you'll notice that the control aren't very precise but good enough to have fun. Kinect is the same way. The control is just good enough to make playing fun but there are times you'll wish you had more precise control like a release point in bowling or when you are throwing the javelin in Kinect Sports. One area the Kinect really does well in is tracking major body movements, so running and jumping in the track and field events are done really well, but when it comes down to small details like a twist of the wrist in bowling, it won't read, unlike the wii controller with the motion plus. To put spin on the bowling ball with kinect you have to swing your hand across your body.
Dance Central is fun but I feel it would have been better with 1:1 motion tracking of your avatar. First of all I am not a dancer so I have no idea if my dance moves look good as I fallow along with the on screen dancer. If I was somehow controlling my avatar on screen and able to see how I dance it would have been a better and much more fun way of learning to dance. Part of the magic of Kinect is it's ability to track your major body movements 1:1 and I wish they applied that to Dance Central.
In some games Like Kinectimals(when driving the RC car), the motion control, while they work makes it harder to control then if you actually had a controller in your hand. You hold your arms like you are holding a steering wheel. You have to stretch you arm forward to make the car move forward and pull you arms in to slow and reverse. Of course turning is done by pretending to turn the wheel left or right.
Overall it's a great product and in the future if they can improve on the technology, it can be amazing! | video-games_xbox |
It's...different. I feel as if I have to write a review for this game seeing as how I've beaten every numbered FF game, even played FFXI online for a few years, I did skip X-2 however...
In saying all of that, this game certainly is different...
First of all it is fairly linear for the first 20 hours or so. I mean linear in the sense that there is a hallway and you run down it and fight monsters along the way. Gone is the time where you have a world map in which you can roam and battle while building your characters up. Instead you have just a few small groups of monsters to fight and kill then run around and wait for them to respawn. The battle system is different as well because now you only control one character and if that person dies because your fellow AI heal someone else with lower hp then game over. This happens too often but there is a retry option after you die which puts you back right before you started the fight so you can regroup and try again. Gone are the battles where you can control an entire team and rely on eachother to overcome the monsters. Paradigms allow you to switch up job systems on the fly but too many times it's too little too late.
Also new is the star rating system after you win a battle. It is reliant on how fast you finish the fights which to me is utter crap. Why can't I take my time and build up a strategy facing a huge boss without having to worry about time constraints for a guitar hero like ranking?
The characters are well developed and the story is a little foggy for awhile until you understand all the names i.e. falcie, ilcie etc. Annoying teenage characters, big macho hero type, stern soldier, silly older guy are all a little cliche but still work well with an interesting story.
The music is good at times but then is replaced with wretched "music" that sounds like rejects from dance dance revolution.
I had to play this and I will go through with completing this game because I have been playing FF for years. All in all I'm still enjoying playing and am at a point where I can roam finally after almost 30 hours of linear maps. | video-games_xbox |
Myst IV for the Xbox? - I am so Happy. I have been a big fan of the Myst games since I played the original on my brand new 486pc. I have played them all, and I am very happy to be able to play the latest offering.
When Myst IV was initially released for the PC in 2004, I was upset to discover that my current machine would not be able to run it. Therefore I was surprised, and greatly pleased, to find that Myst IV was released for the Xbox, and at such a great price to boot. I had been hoping for months this game would be released for Xbox, and I can only wonder how UBI managed to sneak it in without anyone knowing, especially considering I had even scoured their website for information about just such a release. While I am sure the game would be better if experienced on a PC, for those of us that do not want to spend the funds to upgrade, the Xbox version is the perfect (and only) alternative.
There are a few complaints about the game, but they are minor. The biggest issue is the loading time. The game seems to have to buffer the data into memory, and moving to new screens can take a few seconds. Return to previous screens is a bit faster, but on average, it will take about three to five seconds after clicking the move button to actually see the new screen.
I have read reviews that usually focus on poor video quality in the Xbox version. I have to say that I have not noticed any substantial problems with video quality when compared to the previous games on the PC. Not surprising, when you have someone appear and talk to you on screen, the video for this is clear, but not quite as smooth as the world around you. Let's face it; plugging some video into a world that is already created virtually is never going to fit in seamlessly. In all honesty, it does not look any worse than what was experienced in Myst III for the PC. One issue though is the lower resolution of the television screen. While reading the handwritten journals in the game, the resolution is sometimes too poor to read the writing. This is helped a lot with a zoom function to see them better. Perhaps it is the poor handwriting of the author that makes them hard to read, but even zoomed I found myself squinting to read the pages.
This current game also features a new "touch" option. This is made even more so by implementing the rumble feature of the Xbox controller. Users can tap objects and hear a sound specific to it, along with an appropriate vibration on the controller. This feature also extends to having to "move" objects, instead of just clicking on them. To open a drawer, players must click on the drawer, and then drag the hand down to open it. It can be difficult at times to tell what items can be moved or not, as the slight change in the hand cursor is sometimes too subtle to see on a television screen.
This new game also has a divergent story line that will change depending on how you treat the people and things in the various ages. If you open a box and release some beetles early on, the owner of the box, upon their return, will criticize you. If you leave the box alone, the owner will instead talk to you about the experiment they are performing. I admit the change is small, but it can be cumulative, and has potential to change the way people will respond to you in the game. This is very different from the previous three games where players could fiddle with everything without the risk of causing problems, just wasting time.
My favorite new feature is a snapshot option. This allows the player to take a snapshot of an individual screen and view this same snapshot anytime. This is a great help in the game as I have previously filled pages with my own notes of something I just wanted to be able to reference somewhere else in the game. With this snapshot, I can take an image of it, even if it is a journal page, and go back to it at anytime.
The last new feature of this game is the implementation of a help system. I myself have not utilized this feature, but I was pleased that when you select this option, players are warned that using the system may affect the storyline, and to choose to proceed or exit. Having this feature at all makes this game much more accessible to new players.
Another problem is that Myst IV was a game created to be played with a mouse, and not a controller. Using the joystick to control the on-screen pointer can be tedious at times, especially when trying to "move" an object on the screen, and the screen moves along with it. These times are not common, but they do take away a bit from the game. Thankfully there is an option in the game to adjust the sensitivity of the joystick.
Overall I am extremely please with the game. Keep in mind that the entire Myst series is a cerebral adventure, and it will require a large amount of time to figure out the puzzles, let alone just figuring out what the puzzles are in the first place. If you enjoyed the other games, Myst III in particular, I would highly recommend this game. The only real detractors for the Xbox version are the loading times, and the occasional difficulty with control, resulting in a score of 4 stars instead of 5 overall. | video-games_xbox |
Play at your own risk. So I am going through my backlog of 360 games. Finally got around to playing this. I won't do my normal review. I am going to just squeeze in my thoughts about this game overall.
The story is pretty deep and I like how there are factions that you come across. You play as 3 different characters starting from very humble beginnings to actually being a prince. I know I can write some spoilers as this game is old but I prefer to leave some things out in case people haven't played it yet. From that point on, whoever you choose, you start in different places on the map. This game really follows a Dungeons and Dragon approach to its style. There really isn't any exploration as it is not open world. It is more linear than anything else that allows you to see what is around you in a corridor. The way it leads up to the end is okay but there are some boss battles that you need to be well informed about before you battle them. But the way that Bioware brings the 3 kinds of races together is unique. I will say that even if you can figure out some of the story before the end, there are at least 3 big surprises that you don't see coming. And with them giving you the ability to make the choice in the first place, you will be engaged.
For the combat of the game, I found it to be ultimately disappointing. I see why in the Dragon Age 2 they went with the action approach. This game, at least on console, gives you the impression that it is an action RPG when it plays similar to a real time combat RPG along the lines of Final Fantasy 13 but not as fast. Actually it was very similar to Knights of the Old Republic on the Original Xbox where you enter commands and it does what it's suppose to without you necessarily have to push a button. If you can take that, then you will get through the game.
Overall, the game is playable but it wasn't my type of game. So if you are looking at my review, just know that it is not to be compared with modern games. This game came out in 2007 so its more than 7 years old. Graphically it's better looking than it's ps3 counterpart, but it looks horrendous. That is something that usually doesn't bother me but it will bother someone else according to today's standard of even good graphics. Play it to experience it but go in with the expectation that it might feel really archaic. | video-games_xbox |
Highly recommended for those on a budget. If your tired of buying batteries or don't want to dish-out over $50 dollars for a controller, then you should give this one a try.
THE BAD
It has its quirks. It has a glossy, smooth surface, that makes the controller a bit slippery when your hands start sweating. As other reviewers have noted, the joysticks are made of plastic (unlike the rubbery material on the original official 360 controller) and also become somewhat slippery. The placement of the Back button is in a somewhat hard-to-reach area (you have to kinda reach over the left joystick). Finally, both the joysticks and triggers lack initial sensitivity. For example, say you're playing Halo 4 (shooting game) and you barely move one of the joysticks a millimeter or two; nothing will happen, you will not move. Move it a little more and you start to move. Or say you're playing Forza (racing game) and you barely press the right trigger; it doesn't register and your car doesn't move. Press a little more and everything is fine from that point on.
THE GOOD
The controller feels solid; nothing on it feels like cheap plastic. It actually feels more comfortable than the original; especially the bottom horn-like area. This area is more contoured than the original, and fits the palms better. Another thing that makes it more comfortable is that it's lighter (it doesn't have a battery pack in the back) and therefore feels more balanced. Placement of the Start button is easier to reach and in a more logical location (the A, X, and Start buttons are almost aligned perfectly). The price (about $20) is great, but also the many more dollar$ you'll be saving for not having to buy batteries! Looks great (as shown in pictures).
Even with the issues noted in the BAD paragraph above, they are all issues that one can adjust to over time. Highly recommended for those on a budget.
Side Tip/Note: It's possible to swap the plastic joysticks of this controller with the rubber joysticks of the original. So don't throw away your original (if you were thinking about it); some pieces may be exchangeable. | video-games_xbox |
A great console that has a LONG road ahead. I have mix feelings about this console but it is indeed a good console none the less. There a lot of strange things with the Xbox One going on and I see this console is going to need a lot of updates to really show what future this system holds. The Xbox 360 have many features that makes it simple that this console does not. I'm just going to break this down as quickly as possible:
TV and Video apps : I do enjoy the video and TV features very much. The voice commands makes it much easier to get to switch video apps. Sometimes voice picks up and sometimes it doesn't; often times you have to repeat yourself but when it works...it works pretty well. I like having HDMI IN and watching cable TV on it but if you ask me it would have been so much better just to put a cox input in the back of the device and work with cable providers in areas. Apps pretty much needs Xbox live so you have to pay a monthly or yearly sub to use things you already pay for like Netflix and Hulu, This absolutely makes no sense when their competitors like Wii U and PS4 doesn't have these apps behind a paywall. Why do I need to pay to use You-Tube? So far app apps work without a hitch, but there are some Apps on Xbox 360 that missing from here. Also I don't even know why DLNA is missing from this console. That is something they should add back in.
OS: Its pretty much Windows 8 on a console. Some will hate it and some will love it. that depends on the person. I really don't mind it but the OS really feels like its still suck in a "BETA" stage at this time of writing. Everything is in deep layers and its not very intuitive. There have to be a better way to organize this console OS. Once Microsoft fix this it will be an awesome. I would like a way to organize my pins better personally so I can have games and apps from each other.
Games: Games looks great but I'm a PC gamer and have already been spoiled by finer graphics. That's not to say the Xbox One doesn't hold its own and the games looks awesome for what it does. Enjoyed Killer Instinct and I have to say one of my favorite on the console; pulling off combos on this game is very satisfying. Forza Motorsport 5 is a beautiful game and pretty much a great racer in my eyes. My girlfriend enjoys playing COD and Dead Rising 3.
Every game I have tried have to be installed to the hard drive, There is no way around it. You will simply have to wait until the game is ready to play. For me this is not an issue because I use Steam but I pretty much can see how console gamers would be annoyed at the wait. But then again with games like GTA V and COD Ghost on PS3 and Xbox 360 had to be installed on the HDD. That's pretty much what the future is now so you have to get use to it going into the new consoles.
Here is where my problem comes in...The Digital games in XBL marketplace is still the same price as when you buy it in stores. Amazon has Forza 5 pretty much for $50 while on Xbox Live is still sitting at $60. For them to expect us to go all Digital with out games why not have some weekly sales already? if you want to be like Steam show some promise to the gamers that you can pull this off Microsoft. Otherwise Digital will always be dead in the water.
Design: Its a black box and yes it looks like a VCR. Which doesn't bother me at all because at-lease now this console is well ventilated from the Original Xbox 360. What bothers me is the glossy shiny black on this console and its really annoying. It baffles me why they didn't go with a Matte color all the way around. This thing is a massive dust collector and after 2 days of use it already collecting dust upon it.
Kinect 2.0: I like using it to be honest. When it works...it works well. My girlfriend and I often find ourself using the voice commands the most. Like I said before sometimes a repeat is necessary but I do see updates coming in the future to fix these problems. None of the games I tried that used Kinect 2.0 really work that well with motion controls but the one app that did work perfectly was Xbox Fitness which I love using. Kinect Sports Rivals was not a good example and it was more frustrating then fun.
Overall: Yes, The Xbox One is a good console and its really solid. I have to hand Microsoft that even after all the terrible PR they are going through. You really get a lot for your money....but to me this console isn't worth the price tag of $500. I would wait until the Xbox One is $400 or less because truthfully the Xbox 360 and PS3 would still tie you over for at-lease 2-3 years. While the Graphics are great they are nothing earth-shattering that you would need to have RIGHT NOW. This console needs A LOT more updates and I do mean a lot before it can really shine but I believe once it receives that treatment this will be one of the best consoles out there even with the negativity surrounding it at this moment. I will not be returning my Xbox One because I see there is a pretty big future and promise as long as Microsoft stick with it. | video-games_xbox |
Had high hopes. So, as someone who is an avid FPS player, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the Razer Onza TE controller. I have been a Call of Duty, Halo and Rainbow Six/Ghost Recon player for about as long as I can remember. I am a very competitive gamer, posting K/D ratios of at least 2.0 or higher in every version of these games, including my own Youtube channel with gameplays and tip videos. Now, with this controller I was totally excited to be able to remap buttons to the two shoulder buttons available. This works fairly well, however, due to the design of the controller, it makes it a bit tough to get used to and also to actually "find" the remap buttons during gameplay. This might be corrected with more use and breaking muscle memory. After 2 months of using it, I still wasn't totally satisfied, though I do have to say it is a solid implementation. The D-Pad is ok, although a bit loud which isn't a plus for late night gaming if others are trying to sleep....the D-Pad buttons are that loud lol. The face buttons (A, B, X, Y) are nice, well lit and have a very nice feel to them when pressed. No complaints there. Now....here is where this controller falls WAY short for me. The analog sticks. Anyone who has played with an original MS controller is going to HATE these thumbsticks right off the bat. Most notably, the right thumbstick. While there are "tension rings" that are there to raise/lower the tension of the thumbsticks to make them looser or tighter, I find that one drawback of this is that when you tighten the sticks, it also increases the "dead zone" on them. Meaning, the time it takes from resting position to register a movement on screen when pressed in any direction. This of course makes aiming a bit of a downfall because you cannot make subtle, small adjustments to aiming when needed, and sometimes a small, precise adjustment is all that is necessary in shooting games. This caused me to loose quite a few gunfights that I would normally win with a regular Microsoft controller. That's the greatest detriment to this controller for me, and one that I can't get past. I kind of wish I had spent the money for this controller on another regular MS controller and a pair of Kontrol Freeks, which is what I had used prior to my original MS controller finally giving way after over 5 years of use and abuse. If you plan on using this for FPS games, beware of this caveat. | video-games_xbox |
Example Windows 8.1 Instructions as of 7/18/2014. Giving this a 3 star instead of 5 because it's cheap, but it's questionable whether you'll get it to work or not. My advice is: if you're familiar with installing drivers and fooling around with computers, then this will probably suit you. But if you're a little more used to plug and play, I would avoid this product and see if you can get the official Microsoft one that will work the second you plug it in.
To be helpful, I'm listing what I did to get mine to work. I have Windows 8.1, by the way:
1. Plug in the adapter.
2. Google Xbox 360 Controller for Windows. One of the links will get you to the Microsoft page for this. For me, it was the second link. The first one was a support.xbox360 page, but this was not correct. I went to the microsoft.com/hardware... link. On that page, there was a "Support" tab that had all the drivers.
3. From the Support tab next to "Which operating system are you using?", select Windows 7 (64-bit only).
4. Under Support and Drivers, select the "Download" button next to "Xbox 360 Accessories Software 1.2 64-bit for Windows 7".
5. Install the file you just downloaded.
6. Right click on My Computer and select "Properties"
7. Select "Device Manager".
8. One of the devices will say "Unkown Device". For me, there were two that said this right next to each other. I right clicked on one and selected "Uninstall".
9. Right click on the remaining unknown device and select "Update Driver Software".
10. Click "Browse my computer for driver software"
11. A list will come up with different driver options. At the bottom of the list is a driver option called something like "Xbox 360 Peripherals". Select that one.
12. A new list of options will come up. Select "Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows Version: 6.3.9600.17054 [3/17/2014]"
13. The driver should now install. Once it installed, I my Xbox 360 controller linked right up and I was playing Borderlands 2 in no time.
Good luck to all. If you risk it and buy this, I hope the instructions help! | video-games_xbox |
While waiting for great mech combat on the xbox 360. Front Mission Evolved is totally different than the previous version of Front Mission that came out for the ps2 <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Front-Mission-4/dp/B00025ETC8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Front Mission 4</a> and the DS <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Front-Mission/dp/B000SSPI4C/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Front Mission</a>. These older versions of Front Mission were turn-based strategy games in which you customized your mechs (wanzers) and moved around in a manner that resembled chess.
Front Mission Evolved keeps what made the earlier games cool and brings the action to the front through third-person shooter gameplay. In many respects, Front Mission Evolved is more closely related to the Mech Assault franchize from the original xbox <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Mech-Assault-2-Lone-Wolf/dp/B0006BK5AI/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Mech Assault 2 Lone Wolf</a>. Enemy mechs, tanks, and soldiers come at you and you have to balance close up melee combat with long-range missiles and machine guns. The graphics are good during gameplay and really brilliant in the cut-scenes.
The wanzers' controls are exceptionally intuitive. Moving between the walk, skate (like a sprint), jump, and hover is straightforward. The only manuevers that require some practice are the dodge and EDGE system (a fancy way to track enemies). Weapons are sensibly mapped.
You can equip four weapons and a backpack. There are multiple weapon types (missiles, rockets, rifle, shotgun, machine gun, and melee). And there are a variety of backpacks that provide bonuses like more ammo or greater manueverability. Each body part (arms, legs torso) can also be upgraded for armor, energy, or agility. On top of this, each weapon may also have a special effect assigned to it (such as shrapnel, inferno, corrosive). So you can see the customization is nearly endless.
The problem with 3rd-person games like Mech Assault and Front Mission Evolved is that they both sacrifice the element of giant warmachines duking it out with arcade "power-up" and such scattered around the landscape. While ammo is limited, all you have to do is find a glowing crate liberally sprinkled about. Which means that while Front Mission Evolved is the best mech game on the 360, it is not perfect.
Front Mission Evolved, because it does have online multiplayer, now ranks as mech game #1 for the 360 (the multiplayer edging out Chrome Hounds which was a great under-appreciated game).
Unfortunately, however, I think the venerable Mechwarrior 4 <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/MechWarrior-4-Compilation/dp/B0002VRP7S/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">MechWarrior 4 Compilation</a> is still the best mech combat game around. I am waiting patiently for the Mechwarrior Reboot that has been in the works for years. However until the new MechWarrior Reboot comes out (if ever), Front Mission Evolved is my mech arena of choice. | video-games_xbox |
Not Very Good. If you compare the price of the XSATA to the price of additional (or larger when they are available) XBox 360 hard drives this seems like a great deal. That's what prompted me to buy one as the 20GB drive fills up with downloads really fast. I ordered one of these the first day it was available for order online at the end of May.
First let me describe the construction of the unit. It's hollow on the inside with two plastic half rings on either side of the unit. At each end there are a pair of LEDs, one touching the end of each half ring to create the blue glow. Because of this, the lighting is uneven, and really is only strongly blue in the front and the back, and it's a very light blue color. If you were so inclined, it would be very easy to swap LEDs (of any size) for the ones in the unit, if you don't like the color. Aside from this, there are two PCBs in the device: the one in the front has a pass through from the proprietary XBox 360 SATA interface with two short SATA cables and a power cable connecting it to the back PCB which has SATA to USB adaptor, and also provides power via another short cable to the back LEDs. The back PCB outputs to a custom mini USB 2.0 port (they include a mini USB to USB cable in the box). The front PCB is loose, connected only to the cables but not to the unit, so that it may be adjusted to fit the port well.
The XSATA doesn't use the same type of locking mechanism that the 360 drive uses to snap on to the 360. It has these plastic nubs that snap under the top plate that were extremely hard to get in, and it also makes the unit almost impossible to remove once it's on the 360. The drive does not snap on easily and it does not rest flush with the top of the unit.
The custom mini USB to USB cable they provide is very short, it's probably somewhere around 4-6 feet which I guess is fine for some setups but I have to have it go out the back of my entertainment center, around the side, and out to the couch, which clearly requires a longer cable than this. I had to use a USB extension cable to make use of it, but as they don't have a standard USB port in the back, you can't use your own USB cable.
I don't have my 360 in the same room as my PC, so I had to connect this to my laptop, and I set up a share on my network to use for the 360 backups and whatnot. It's a shame there's no ethernet output, as then you could just access the 360 as a wired/wireless (with an adaptor) network storage device. As it is, you're tethered to the 360 with a USB cable.
It doesn't mention this on the box but you cannot access the 360 hard drive with your PC and your 360 simultaneously. The XSATA doesn't share the drive between the PC and 360, it switches dedicated control between the 360 and the PC. You have to boot the 360 with the USB cable attached to the PC and it will have the 360 power on to power the drive (but not boot the console). Then you can access the files with your PC. When done, you reboot the console without the USB cable attached and it boots to the 360 with drive control. This is just in theory as I couldn't get it to work.
My first attempt at connecting the unit had it working backwards. Without the USB cable, the 360 didn't boot, with the USB cable connected to the PC, the 360 booted, but didn't have access to the drive (and neither did my PC). This was clearly no good. I removed the unit with great fear of damaging the console housing as it was nearly impossible to do and put it back on and re-seated everything. This time the 360 booted no matter what, but with the USB cable attached it didn't have drive control. This is at least closer to how it was supposed to function, but I couldn't access the files (and yes I'm using the software they supplied on the mini CD).
I figured I'd try to get it to work later and unplugged the USB cable and rebooted the 360. Everything seemed ok but I noticed some serious slowdown on the dash and then the console froze. I rebooted and it seemed fine but then I tried to get some downloads on marketplace and it froze again. I rebooted yet again everything seemed fine but my gamertag loaded with 0 reputation and 0 gamer points. At this point I had had enough. I shut it down and again struggled to remove the unit. Thankfully my rep and points were intact when I booted up, but I think it's safe to say I won't be using the XSATA again (did I ever really get to use it?)
Datel's customer support is nonexistent. After a maze of menus, you are told you will speak to a live representative, but then it goes to a machine that says they are busy and it hangs up on you; there's no queue to wait in. If you press 0 to speak with an operator, there's no operator, just a machine asking you to leave a message. I tried many times over a period of about 2 hours during normal business hours and got the same results.
I will definitely be returning this item. All in all, this was a device that could have been really cool and should have been way better than it was, even if it did work as advertised (which it didn't). A total disappointment. Stay away from this and hopefully someone else will release one that actually works well. | video-games_xbox |
Kinda wish Treyarch would stop making games. The game is worthless. I bought this game knowing the multiplayer would be disappointing but I didn't realize just how bad it is until THE VERY FIRST TIME I STARTED MULTIPLAYER.
But lets talk about single player first. I do not like zombies, They are played out. yeah it was fun in the last Treyarch release, COD: world at war. But come on you did it again? AND if you are a perfectionist and enjoy getting all Xbox achievement for each game You HAVE to play zombies. There are at least 4 (cant remember if it was 5 or 6) Achievements associated with zombies. That was my first disappointment. Im playing through the story and am seriously lost, you play as a "Father of the character", the actual character, and the "future character" HOLY S*** there are 3 story lines going... and the cut scenes are horrendous.
I would have to say I do enjoy being able to customize my load out for each mission... But other than that I despise playing single player.
Multiplayer. Good luck. The Treyarch servers are as bad as EA servers. Any game that tells me I have to wait to load textures is built horribly. The lag in this game is a constant battle. Im directly plugged into a T1 line... annnnnnd "cant synchronize game settings" - this is where you start to fall down the rabbit hole. After 45 seconds of this message while trying to enter the game, you get kicked. then a screen comes up that says "reconnecting to party" wait for that s*** because there is no "B- back" button. you are locked in. and all while it looks like your friends are back in the lobby- NOPE. they are still playing. after about a minute of trying to reconnect if finally times out because hey THERE WAS NO PARTY TO RECONNECT TO!!! So now you have to get your party back together, because lord knows, even though it says "join session in progress" that s*** is full. Re invite everyone... and try again. Bigger the party the more you spiral down the rabbit hole. I cant tell you how frustrating the game is. It can take 10 minutes to get a party of 4 to actually get in a game and play. The in game experience will frustrate you even more. You can shoot 10 bullets see 2 hit markers and you still die. watch the replay and on there screen you fired 3 times and never hit them.
TL:DR
The single player campaign that is normally the saving grace is confusing. Multiplayer is pretty much par for Treyarch - Dont expect a great experience. | video-games_xbox |
Skippable. Crysis 2 reminded me heavily of Avatar. The two are dissimilar in almost every way except the one that matters most. In both I was left feeling like despite the amazing visuals, neither connected with me because everything contained within them felt contrived and unbelievable. I could not relate to anyone or anything going on because it was all so one-dimensional.
How could you relate to the events of the game, it's about an alien invasion, right? Well, yes. But that isn't the issue. The real problem with the game is that things happen that are so illogical you can't even suspend your disbelief to enjoy the game, even as fun popcorn schlock.
So I'm just going to say it: I don't know what the big deal is about the graphics. Obviously this aspect is a lot more important to some people than it is to me. But to me, graphics in video games are much the same as looks are when evaluating attraction in another person. Good looks aren't everything, but they aren't nothing either. However the greatest looks in history don't stop some people from being rotten and horrible people. The same is true for good graphics. They aren't nothing, but if it is all you have, you don't have very much. Not to me, anyways. I have an HDTV and I was underwhelmed by he graphics. Probably because it is common now. Metal Gear Solid 4 probably still has the best graphics I personally have ever seen, and that is just my objective opinion. But my point is, you can't just make things shiny and smooth and have that make it a great game. That's not how it works. I suppose that might be the easiest way to appeal to the most people, but for people like me, who appreciate even decent storytelling, I just spend the game looking at the plot inconsistencies instead of immersed in the action.
With such high production quality focused on the detail of the game environment, it is very unfortunate that seemingly so little attention was paid to the fluidity and cohesion of the story -- what little of that there is. The whole game you are ordered around like a mindless grunt. Crysis 2 also uses one of my least favorite game techniques, and that is playing a main character that never speaks. I assume this is so that the player can imagine the character having whatever voice they want. But to me, it just gets irritating, especially when another character calls you over the radio and asks you a question, and then continues talking even though you have not made any indication that you can hear them. Voiceless main characters should be used in RPG's only, if it must be done at all, because typically in an RPG there are multiple variables depending on how you make choices. Crysis 2 is not that. It is linear storytelling. And there is nothing wrong with that, except that your character essentially has no personality whatsoever because he never speaks and never makes decisions on his own.
The last big problem I have with the game is the AI. Crysis 2 is unique to me only in that it is an FPS stealth game. Especially on the hardest difficulty, you really can't have an out-and-out firefight with enemies, you die after just a few hits. So what that means is you will spend a good portion of the game cloaked. Which is actually interesting to me. However, being cloaked from enemies and having to sneak by them is only tenuous when the AI is decent enough to detect you. And they aren't in Crysis 2. I played the game the second time through on the hardest difficulty, and it is actually really boring. I spent most of the game cloaked, and the rest of the times were "boss" battles where you have to fight in order to progress to the next area. Considering that cloaking is one of the two main abilities of the Nano-Suit, the developers really didn't make it very exciting to be cloaked.
I really cannot talk about what plot inconsistencies there are because they involve spoilers in the game. But they are there, if you pay attention.
However, I couldn't do a fair review without also talking a bit about what Crysis 2 did well. The levels are big, and there is quite a bit to explore if you have the inclination. Weapon models are good, and the graphics are very well done. The game is also very smooth, considering the on-screen action, explosions, and everything else. It is also a fairly lengthy game, considering that it's a shooter.
In the end, I felt Crysis 2 was a game I could have lived my whole life without playing and I would not be sad to have missed it. I am glad that there seems to be a highly positive response to the game, but I just cannot agree with it because of so many blatant problems in the final product. If you enjoy good shooters regardless of plot, or if you like good multi-player FPS games, buy this, it is definitely for you. But if you're looking for something with any sort of complexity or originality, look elsewhere. | video-games_xbox |
Thanks MS. I bought the Play and Charge kit (which converts your wireless controller into a wired one while the battery is being charged up) when the X360 launched last year. It does the job, but it takes way too long to recharge the batteries and, while it gave the appearance of charging the batteries while the X360 was in standby mode, that didn't seem to speed the process up all that much. So, I was hyped when I saw that the Quick Charge kit was coming out and I'm glad I picked one up.
Not only can the Quick Charge kit charge up more than one battery at a time, it charges the batteries (at least ) 10 x's faster than the Play and Charge kit. I've had this kit for two weeks now and I can confirm that it does charge up a spent X360 controller battery in about 2 hours and two in about four. Most of mine have charged fast than those times, but I've never let one of the batteries totally die before switching it out (the ring of light flashing that the current battery is dying drives me nuts). The Quick Charge kit comes with one rechargeable battery, so be sure to pick up an extra if you don't already have one. With at least one extra charged battery @ all times, you should be set.
There's not really much else to say about this kit. It works and it works well. I would definitely recommend this kit over the Play and Charge kit b/c A) the Quick Charge kit is SO much faster, B) you won't have a recharging controller plugged into the front of your X360 as you would with the Play and Charge kit, and C) I've had some tech issues with the Play and Charge kit. (Sometimes it says the battery is charged, but when I use the battery and check its strength, the X360 dashboard says the battery is only 1/2 charged. Sure enough, in just a few hours, the ring of light will start to flash again, indicating that the supposedly charged battery is not so charged now. It doesn't happen every time, but often enough to be annoying. The Play and Charge kit also seems to take different lengths of time to charge the batteries. And sometimes, if I leave the controller plugged in, the recharge light will turn back to red after having been green for anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. Not so good.)
If you own wireless X360 controllers and game a lot, the Quick Charge kit will be worth more to you than 100,000 achievement points. Check it out! wb | video-games_xbox |
super fun as well as forgiving. This is a very easy to start, very easy to understand, and fun to play game. my kids under 10 had a blast. the dancers on the screen that you are supposed to imitate are extremely talented professional dancers, and i was originally concerned that the game might be too difficult for my kids to play. however, they were able to imitate as best they could, and the game was set in such a way that every so often they'd get motivational stars and "good" "okay" or "perfect" comments under their avatars (which showed their silhouettes dancing along)--in other words, the game is very forgiving, and will not make fun of you even if you're not a Solid Gold dancer (remember that show?). if you are a great dancer, you can compete w yourself and others to outscore one another, and there is plenty of room on the upside to keep you interested.
Unlike Dance Central, which we also own, this game is not really trying to teach you how to dance in a step by step way, or do specific moves (which Dance Central does very well, btw)- Just Dance assumes you can follow along with general, somewhat repetitive moves (like a workout) that requires some basic knowlege of dance-- like going to an advanced aerobics class-- some moves will be familiar to you if you have danced before, but will be much more challenging if you have not. my kids, who don't have any dance basics at all, were still able to follow along and enjoy w/o trauma. they went through about 10 songs in a row, which knocked some of the energy right out of them! i tried one song, and was immediately wiped out :)--this is great exercise, and a fun way to do it. in addition to new and old songs from the present back through the 70s and 80s, some of the dancers wear costumes (teddy bear, pineapple), so that you can choose to immitate something other than a human dancer. my youngest got a real kick out of that, and it made the game that much more fun for her.
all in all, a really fun game- up to four people can play at once- this would be great for a party. | video-games_xbox |
I really wanted to love it. I was pretty excited for this installment of Call of Duty. The story is relatively good. It follows a solider who was wondered in battle, discharged from the military, and joins a private military corp. named Atlas. Anymore than that I really couldn't tell you. All the characters are just hollow, caricatures of people in their respective roles in the story, Graphics are pretty good too. Good lighting, some textures look pretty jaggy though. Overall I'd say that its a pretty game. Sound in the campaign is also pretty good.
Now we come to the multiplayer, unarguably the highlight of every Call of Duty game. It introduces the "exo suit" Which enables the player to jump and dash around. Which is game changing. It took a few matches to get used to it, and I'm not sure how I like it yet. It's not a negative. What completely ruins the game though is the connection, lag comp, bad maps, lack of usable/viable weapons, and the inexcusable absence of sound ques.
Connection/lag comp - In almost every match I had people shooting me from around corners, seeing me before I saw them (Like face to face, the enemy not being in front of me, I die, and there was a guy right in front of me that wasn't there when I died)
Shooting multiple times and getting nothing but hit markers
Maps - I realize that this is more personal, but none of the maps flow. There aren't any routes to flank and they don't push teams into battle. everyone is just running around everywhere. Also, there is just tons of random scenery everywhere. I was constantly getting hung up on things on the ground, rails on doors, etc. It's very frustrating when you're trying to get away and you get hung up of something.
Viable Weapons - None of the weapons are viable except the AK-12 and the BAL. Seriously, not a one can compete. Between the jumping and dashing, the verticality of the maps, and the long sight lines make the Sub- machine, shotguns, and the heavy machine guns useless.
Sound ques - As far as I can tell they just took out most of the sound ques. footsteps, and guns firing are so muted you cant hear them of the jump/dash sound effects, which you also can't hear most of the time. Too many times I would be running to be killed when I turned a corner. But from my kill cam, I find that he had just killed someone and I didn't hear any of it. No gunfire, no footsteps, no dash or jump sounds. The sounds are there, just not when they are close to you. It makes no sense. You'll hear stuff from across the map, but someone will kill you from behind and there will have been no jump/dash/footsteps to be heard.
Overall - I really wanted to like it, but I just don't. Campaign is okay, but I just didn't care about any of the characters or the events that were taking place. Even Kevin Spacey couldn't make me care.
Multiplayer is, as far as i'm concerned, broken. The maps don't bring teams together or make weapons viable. The connection/lag and the strange sometimes there sometimes not sound ques, make this, for me, not fun at all. | video-games_xbox |
Amazing experience, mediocre game. Prey is a difficult game to review. Despite delivering a tremendous experience, one that every fan of games and sci-fi should get in on, said experience is marred by the "game" part of the package. Now before I dive deeper into Prey, I want to be clear, this is a game you should experience. I am recommending this game. That recommendation however, comes with caveats.
You follow Morgan Yu, who can thankfully be a man or a woman, as they delve deeper into exactly what is happening at the company Transtar. I dare not give more than that away because the story of Prey is, unquestionably, its strongest point. You're thrown an early curve ball and quickly find yourself in over your head and scrambling to survive. You will be exploring every inch of the incredible station, Talos 1, a stunningly gorgeous environment that never gets boring, with enemies, secrets, and stories dripping from the very walls. You'll never get too comfortable exploring because in Prey, the main enemies are mimics. They can be most thing's in the environment and they will be hunting you the entire game. This makes the beginning of the game tense and exciting. You never know when one may appear or even if that shiny item you're reaching for its really what it appears to be. Unfortunately, the novelty of this wears off VERY quickly.
You see, BECAUSE Prey's story is so strong, because Talos 1 is such a joy to explore, and because said exploration is so satisfying, having to constantly be on the look out for enemies that could be anything in the environment, or larger enemies that spawn at random ready to ruin your day, the immersive feel of Talos 1 is never able to be fully realized. Halfway through the game, I began to tire of having to deal with the distressingly constant stream of increasingly powerful enemies everywhere I went. By the time I began backtracking to places that I had meticulously cleared of enemies, only to find said areas filled with a greater number than before, and far more powerful, I actually began to resent the game.
That's because the world of Prey is deep, rich, and immersive. All I wanted to do was lose myself in the story of those who came before. Their hopes, dreams, relationships, fears, and eventual downfalls. The world of Prey is alive despite being nearly devoid of life. I came to care for certain characters that I'd never met, and knew only though the audio logs I found along the way. That is a rare and precious thing to come across. The constant threat of enemies might have been more tolerable if you actually gained anything from combat but the meager reward for slaying a foe is far offset by the price you pay in overly precious ammunition, medpacks, and psi ammo you'll burn through fighting them. Hell, I could even excuse this if the combat itself was satisfying but the enemies are one trick ponies. Once you see what they can do, they'll never surprise you again. It's simply a matter of getting their pattern down and killing them. Combat becomes stale, mainly because while your enemies pay no cost in attacking, every shell or power you use costs you in some way, and it becomes increasingly expensive to replenish your dwindling supplies. Sure you could just melee everything into oblivion but unless you're willing to sink precious mods into making the wrench effective, you're going to be using a weapon or a power.
Mods power everything about you in Prey. From how fast you run, how far your throw, to more exotic feats like blasts and shape shifting, all of it is accomplished through mods. While there are more than enough mods to, eventually, make your character a force, the scarcity of ammo, and high number of mods needed to be truly effective coupled with the fact that by the time you reach this point, every square inch of the game will be crawling with hordes of high leveled enemies, you're never allowed to truly explore without fear, which is a shame. The game says you can play it your way, running and gunning or stealthing it out, but the stealth mechanics are slow, boring, and ineffective. Simply running from all your problems is far faster, less effort, and saves on items.
Prey suffers from wanting to be tense and scary throughout, while also trying to have an interesting and engaging story throughout, and unfortunately the former interferes with the latter. For me, Prey is never truly scary and tense quickly becomes tedious. But the story only gets better, with an ending that I didn't see coming and made me crave a sequel very badly. That may sound odd, seeing as the tone of this review seems negative, but as I said, despite all these criticisms, Prey manages to deliver an amazing experience through its setting, characters, and story. The game mechanics, while irksome, are more than functional, and I truly believe this game is worth experiencing, even if that means only renting it. While I can't say this game is a buy, I implore you to rent or borrow it because Prey is a worthwhile experience. | video-games_xbox |
Solid FPS. One of the first things I noticed is that this game seems to be influenced alot by hollywood: movies like The Ring, John Woo shooters, and even star wars clones. The story really isn't that deep, but it keeps it interesting all the way.
One of the most important things when playing a shooter for me is the feeling of the weapons. Even though the 360 is a powerful system some games just do not feel right(Perfect Dark Zero) This game is off the charts in this part.
Althought looks aren't everything, this game is one one of the best looking games on any system (I have a friend that bought this game for the pc and he couldn't play it on the highest setting, and he had just bought a new $4k computer!)
Enemy A.I? its some of the best anywhere! on the average setting you don't really appreciate it. But on the harder setting enemies run for cover, flank you, one will cover or try to distract you while another hides for cover.. etc.. its fun! You never get the feeling that the computer is cheating. and it also never feels like the same fight twice.
Arguably the most important thing about any game is the controls. The controls are very good, but they seem a bit complex at first. The reason I say this is because you are given more options for melee attacks, you can do some cool slow mo, peak around corners, focus your aim at the expense of moving slower. etc. It takes a while to get used to everything, but once you get the hang of it you will have a blast. especially in multiplayer.
I guess some people complain about the game because they are hopeing for a halo type game with different vehicles, alien guns, extra ordinary story... etc.. But this game never even pretends to be that. Its just a shooter like Doom, Return to Castle Wolfenstein.. even Half Life.
The only negative for me is that all the levels seem industrial.. so in a way it does get a bit repetive. But to me its very minor since everytime I started getting that feeling a new type of enemy would pop up.
My favorite part about this game is the multiplayer, I haven't had this much fun since halo 2. The games inovative controls really shine. So if playing multiplayer is your bag then this is your game.
Overall this is arguably the best 360 first person shooter. So if your into these types of games you should check it out. | video-games_xbox |
When it comes down to it. The campaign's graphics were absolutely breathtaking. The amount of action from the environment and playable cut-scenes was epic. Being able to, once again, play it co-op over Xbox Live with my buddies is always a plus. Cortana's extreme emotions and constant, distressed yelling at you to do perform a task became a bit annoying, but hey... also, by the time it was over, I didn't feel like I did much except look at a bunch of, again, absolutely breathtaking graphics - I didn't feel like I killed enough stuff! haha xD
This is definitely the best multiplayer Halo has EVER had so far. You don't have to shoot someone a bazillion times before they die. There's no more having to race fellow players to the powerful guns on the map (which also provoked team-killing!) Almost every gun is useful - in past Halo games, there wasn't a need for some of the on-map weapons due to spawning with a BR or DMR. Surprisingly, despite the fact that you can instantly respawn, there is no spawn-camping. When you die, you can't manipulate your screen, aka see where your opponents are, and reveal their locations to your teammates (which is a good thing.)
[pause for breath] LOL.
The death of your teammates appears on your radar instead of a gawky 'X' on your screen. Like COD, earning new weapons and perks makes me excited to level-up (unlike ALL past Halo games lol!) A+ for the armor abilities this time - the jetpack isn't overwhelming, and the shield is a far greater addition than the joy-killing armor lock. The Needler and Railgun are KILLER. The rocket launcher's rockets are beautiful... and I really only have one issue... the DMR - it's separating everyone. One of my favorite features of Halo was the in-your-face combat. I don't feel that as often now because everyone is focused getting enough range to use the DMR - including me :/
Even with the addition of trait zones, Forge is not as great as it was in Reach. There is not a 'Forge World'... nor are the community file browsers even available yet... I hear some players complaining about Juggernaut and Zombies?... uhhm one thing I do like, though, is the 'duplicate item' option - HUGE TIME SAVER. | video-games_xbox |
The best Silent Hill story. Silent Hill 2 is one of the best installments in the series. Each game has it's own stand-alone plot and is only loosely tied to the other games in the series (with the slight exception of 1 and 3), so if you haven't played the first one, it's no problem. This game boasts arguably the best plot in the series and is highly recommended for fans of the horror genre.
If you've played the Playstation version of the game and are looking to get this one, I have a few cautionary words. First, the XBOX only has pressure-sensitive trigger buttons, which make the controls difficult to customize to the way you would be used to playing on the PS2. And second, the game is a little glitchy. I know that it's not just my copy of the disc because I have read a lot of similar complaints about this very version of the game from many other people on other sites. Specifically, at some random points in the game, the graphics will break down and stop showing any textures. So, all you see is the basic map design and no detail. When this happens, it becomes dangerous to save a game, because once you do, the game will refuse to even go to the main menu the next time you turn it on (at least on the 360. I'm not sure if this same problem happens on original XBOX). And one other minor glitch that usually happens is the sound getting cut out at random parts. Thankfully, these glitches don't occur very often.
Other than that, the XBOX version includes a couple of very cool extras for fans of the original. Born From a Wish is a supplemental game scenario in which you can play as the supporting character Maria. If you already knew this and were wondering how deep the scenario is, it's fairly long. I was very pleased with the sub-game. It's only one level - a mansion, similar to Resident Evil - and you briefly visit the apartment building and the streets of Silent Hill. Beating the sub-game doesn't unlock any new goodies, but you can enjoy using a Chinese cleaver and Revolver as Maria. Also, the story is a nice little prologue to the actual game.
One more extra that the XBOX version boasts is a secret UFO ending that has become a comic staple to the series.
Overall, as a huge fan of the Silent Hill series, and a XBOX 360 owner, I am very happy that I can revisit this old classic on my new system. Although the glitches can be a bit trying sometimes. | video-games_xbox |
but I'm a first person shooter fan and the beautiful graphics, vehicles and animals in the commercials got . I haven't played any other games in this series but I'm a first person shooter fan and the beautiful graphics, vehicles and animals in the commercials got me to give this a shot.
I was mistaken in thinking this is an FPS... after playing a while I would call it an adventure game played from first person perspective. The open ended / open world dynamic reminds me of Grand Theft Auto, but I would say the GTA series (I've played several) are more clever and better written.
The graphics are excellent. There seems to be a ton of 'skills' and weapons although most guns I've used so far feel exactly the same. There is a pretty interesting fire model where fire will spread and light you up if you're not careful. Stealth plays a fairly big role in the game.
Overall, I just don't like the gameplay very much. When involved in a firefight the there seems to be a subtle sort of auto-aim (maybe disappears at higher difficulty). If you don't use stealth, often enemies will just charge you which is ridiculous and often fatal early on when you can only absorb a few shots or slashes. The battles have not felt like fun so far - more like work to get to the next story sequence.
The grappling hook is a great idea but its use is restricted to specific attachment points which kills the fun of it.
I don't care for the vehicle driving dynamics - I preferred GTA driving slightly but wasn't a huge fan of those either as I recall.
There is SO much going on in the menus that it's completely overwhelming for a newcomer.
Wife wasn't happy to see me slaughter a ton of animals to make an ammo holder, etc... And the attack rate of predatory animals is nuts. I randomly get attacked by eagles. When has that ever happened in the history of human existence?
But BY FAR, and the main reason I'm writing this review, is the fact that every time I try to play, there's a problem loading. I think the servers are essentially ALWAYS down. I haven't played multiplayer but even single player mode has an "online" option. I stopped using that after a few failed load attempts. But now I'm getting problems even when playing in "offline" single player mode.
It gets 2 stars because it's an attractive game visually and incorporates a ton of stuff that *should* be fun... so far, it just isn't.
Very seriously considering selling this back.... | video-games_xbox |
Not bad , but A.I. team-mates in single player can get annoying. Left 4 Dead reminds me somewhat of a combination of the"Dawn of the Dead" and "Resident Evil-Apocalypse" flicks all wrapped up in a video game , which is not a bad thing at all.
The intensity and paranoia that a player is placed in from start to finish in this title is a both a breath of fresh air for this genre and a bit of an annoyance.
Placing yourself as the leader can end up with two results when completing a level : scoring kills+achievement points and accidentally shooting one of your team
mates due to the erratic behavior of your A.I. partners getting in the way. Close combat with hordes of the undead certainly adds to the tension , but when a partner
blocks your ability to get a nice head shot off it can kind of tick you off especially if you are replaying a level to boost you score stats.
Beyond this though , it's really not a bad game , not great , but not bad - I'm enjoying it.
If you plan on always staying up front , just be careful of the occasional "Boomer" or "Hunter" lurking around the corner, while these baddies add much to the games
charm , it's very easy to get distracted by your team-mates hopping in front of you at the wrong time without notice which can sometimes get vomited on by a Boomer
or pulled in by a Hunter. On the plus side the developers do give you an audio cue to warn you to whats waiting in the wings.
Cool game for those who enjoy Survival Horror (I myself love this genre), and I.M.O. amps up the intensity factor (just as good if not better) than the R.E games
with the exception of R.E.4 ,(can't compare it to R.E.5 since i haven't purchased that one yet, but it's on my list). A definite (4 Stars), would have gave it a (5),
but i already mentioned above why. Note : My opinion is based solely on the Single-player portion of this game , i haven't tried the Multi-player Online parts nor
do i intend to , but the offline coop sounds fun. Looking forward to purchasing L4D2 once the price goes down a little or get's released as a Game of the Year version. Happy Zombie hunting and don't forget to TURN OUT THAT LIGHT !! | video-games_xbox |
EA developing Red Alert 3 is like a Cover Band playing the Beatles greatest hits. I really miss Westwood, and I loved loved loved Red Alert 2! So Red Alert 3 had some big shoes to fill. Unfortunately, the latest game doesn't quite live up to those expectations for a lot of different reasons.
Firstly, the DRM - I bought this game about a year after it was first released. When I tried to deauthorize the game, the server could not be connected to. So there's a very real danger that people could buy this game and are unable to authenticate it because EA have screwed up their servers.
Secondly, rather than being a direct sequel, EA's new storyline completely erases the events of the first two games. I think they could've easily introduced the Empire of the Rising Sun without erasing Westwood's original storyline. Part of Westwood's charm was their utilizing Einstein as the B-Grade Mad Scientist. It's almost as though by erasing Einstein, EA are symbolically removing any spontaneity or fun from the game. As a result, I think Red Alert 3 takes itself a bit too seriously. There's none of the nudge nudge wink wink from both the actors and developers that made Red Alert 2 so much fun. The only actor who really gets it is JK Simmons, who plays the US President.
The game design doesn't seem to encourage the kind of insane tactics that made RA2 so special. I wouldn't dream of capturing a Soviet and Allied construction yard and wasting money on building rows and rows of Prism and Tesla towers (ahem). Or packing Tesla troopers into IFV's and using them to electrocute an entire base. Or producing packs of dogs just to kill an entire squad of Russian Conscripts...only to be run over by Soviet tanks. Ah! The memories!
And that is this game's biggest problem - Westwood and its legacy cast a long shadow. EA developing Red Alert 3 is akin to a Cover Band playing the Beatles greatest hits. The sound and fury might be there but the charisma, charm and insane daring of the original is missing. If EA really wanted to do us a favour, they'd create a REAL time machine, go back in time and stop themselves from disbanding Westwood. Can you imagine Red Alert 3 or C&C 4 produced by the REAL Westwood? Now that'd be games worth playing! | video-games_xbox |
Do Your Homework: Dg-16d2s Phillips Lite-on Drive for Xbox 360. Lets get a few things straight. If you don't do your homework you will either buy the wrong drive and
or install it incorrectly. Yeah, this is like school. If you want to succeed you need to do your homework.
This is not busy work, this is work required to succeed in fixing your X-Box if you are willing to put in
some time and effort. You may even learn something about yourself.
It was determined on my son's X-Box that both the drawer and laser were not working correctly. The
drawer was malfunctioning (stuck in and/or out) and booting up games seemed to take longer, even
with new game discs. Replacing the X-Box was too expensive and a self-repair was required.
Lets go over what you need to do to correctly identify your X-Box drive and what options there are
for installation.
(1.) Determine if Drive Needs Replacement. There are lots of videos or articles that can help identify
and fix problems with your X-Box, i.e., laser replacement. Seek those out and see if a less invasive
solution is a better solution. If those solutions don't seem to be applicable, or do not work, move on to
number 2.
(2.) Identify Drive Brand and Model: There is a sticker on the drive with the info you need. Open
the X-Box to find the correct drive model. There are about 6 different models in X-Boxes currently.
(3.) Search the Web. Use the phrase, installing Phillips Lite-on X-Box drive or a similar phrase.
At least 3 videos will pop up that will explain how to replace the drive. View each one and see which
will help you understand the installation process. Bookmark the one that speaks to you; you will need
it during installation. There will also be numerous pages that will detail what tools youll need.
(4.) Review the Process of Installation. Yes, more review homework.
(5.) Determine Which Option to Use (so your drive will play games). Go to the WWW and perform a
search to find the most articulate article or video that speaks your language and bookmark or print it
for future use.
- A.) Option 1: flash the drives firmware to transfer the key from your Old drive to your New drive.
This is what makes your New drive able to play the games.
- B.) Option 2: remove and replace your New drives circuit board with your Old circuit board that has
the correct "key" already installed. [ I did this because there is very little soldering required to uninstall
and reinstall the circuit board. Make sure you buy the correct solder specific to electronic work. ]
(6.) Amass All Tools and Instructional Info. Dependent upon your work-space space it is a good idea
to have your work in front of the computer screen. It is very helpful as you move through the process.
I was able to stop and start the video as needed. Once all your info and tools are together it may take
you 1 to 2 hours to perform the operation.
--- The Review ---
Once installed the Phillips Lite-on drive performed flawlessly. No problems, no issues and it is so much
quieter too. I was amazed at how much faster the drive booted up each game. It appears the New drive
is not faster but that the Old drive, due to aging, had slowed down and was not as efficient. I don't know
if this was due to the laser or for mechanical reasons, possibly both. 5 Stars for the drive and 5 stars for
me because it worked perfectly for the past 2 years and it is reasonably priced.
So, if you do some homework, become familiar the work required, and have a couple hours to spare you
too can replace your drive. If you did not do your homework don't blame the drive or the vendor. | video-games_xbox |
Total Rehash of Past Games. After playing through most of this game, I just don't get why so many people are raving about it. First of all, the actual name should be something like "Knights of the Old Mass Effect" or "Mass Effect of the Old Republic", because it's almost a complete redo of the KOTOR games down to a lot of small details. A group of galactic peacekeepers/police? Not Jedis, rename them 'Spectres' and yep, you've got them. A trusted and powerful Jedi/Spectre who turns evil and tries to conquer the galaxy with a super-powerful spaceship? Yep, got that too. An overwhelming evil that threatens all life? Yep. Jedi powers? Rename them 'Biotic' effects and yep, there they are. Same squad-type setup, same basic aliens just tweaked slightly (and REALLY non-imaginatively, they're all just basic humanoids who don't even act like aliens - it's the Star Trek method of putting a ridge on a forehead and BOOM! Hey, it's an alien!), potential romances with various party members, on and on and on. It was deja-vu all over again!
I found even the level designs surprisingly disappointing and LAZY - every spaceship you enter, every mine, every underground complex all have the EXACT SAME layout! I mean come on, is it REALLY too much to ask a supposedly 'next gen' game to have unique layouts for different areas??
And a major part of the game is incredibly annoying - the tank like 'MAKO' which you're forced to drive all over super-rugged planet terrains handles like a shopping cart with a busted wheel, and hello bad camera angles. Trying to get from Point A to Point B on these planets is an exercise in frustration and boredom, again NOT what you'd expect from a Next-Gen game with so much hype.
I could go on but really, this game is a 3 at best and certainly not worth the $60, unless you're REALLY desperate for KOTOR 3 and need a fix. Wait for it to go bargain bin, at $29 or so more worth it. | video-games_xbox |
Halo games apparently were the apex, now we're plummeting down. Game is playable. I finally ponied up some cash for a live membership, just to play against some semblance of AI.
Game is absurd!
Weapons ratings, quality, kick, firepower, lethality are so absurd that the weapons should not have used real weapon's names. Real weapon designations leads a person to have some expectations.
Guns that fire the same ammunition have wildly different lethality capabilities. Imagine that in the real world it would take 2 or more shots from a .50 Browning round to bring down an opponent, at any range... Or that another player could run through the stream of bullets from a light machine gun of any manufacture, without a scratch. Just how fast can they run? Also expect pistol calibers to be as/more lethal as the big anti-personnel rounds. Yes, the 9mm is effective and accurate when fired from a pistol/sub-machinegun, at what appears to be several hundred yards, as a .50BMG round. Imagine that! Shotguns are absurdly efficient at all ranges. Obviously the designers never shot a shotgun at targets in their life. It is easier and faster to shoot somebody at looonng range with a pistol than with a rifle. The game pistol snaps right up and fires, the game rifle slowly and cumbersomely comes up to the shoulder and then you have to aimmm. Stupid! Stupid! Just why do the designers think people in the REAL WORLD shoot pistols at a ranges of 7, 15 and 25 meters/yards? It sure isn't because they're accurate to several hundred yards.
Nor have the weapons designers ever heard of a guy named Newton, as in Isaac Newton. The the game designers, apples never fall from trees. Bullets never suffer from gravity or from air friction. Bullets just fly till they hit outerspace.
The designers go into an online vid spiel about how they designed in this progressive set of 'perks' for the weapons. kick, impact, attachments, focus, stability... What weapon designer would ever design a weapon/ammo for kick (reduced) or impact and not expect all troops to benefit? Or that weapons would need special perks to have more than one (what they call multiple) attachment or that experienced riflemen would be unable to hold steady aim and keep their concentration?
I am amused that these same designers think that it takes the same amount of effort and activity for a rifleman to learn to handle other weapons with equal facility.
There is a related complaint regarding scope power. For some absurd reason, the higher power the scope, the harder it is to aim the scope. All I can reason is that the designers do not know how weapons are used, nor how or why scopes are used. Since all of the higher power scopes in the game are strictly used on bipod weapons, this difficulty aiming is just irrational. If real world scope actions paralleled MW3's scope actions, no one ever would use a higher power. Game actions using scopes are so absurd as to be a 'Duh!' event.
That said, the combination of skill perks and absurd weapons makes for some alarming traits in MW3 player skillsets. It appears that these players believe that stay light, run fast, shoot fast with akimbo machine pistols, jump around alot when shot so as to minimize the injury and you will win this game often. I'll refer to these jokers several times, but this combination of skills, perks, weapons and actions highlights the cornerstone of this game and it's design.
There are personal choice perks, that one must often skill level up to. Running and aiming while moving are favorites of the game players idiots. These are the crazies who run and gun the most. Their idea of the modern warfare is that whoever runs around corners and shoots the fastest wins. Not only does one run fast, up stairs, up hills, down stairs, down hills but they also wield a pistol (usually a machine pistol) in each hand. Not only are these players deadly in the game, they make kills at incredible distances. The name of the game is if you throw enough lead down field quickly enough,, you win. And they often do. It doesn't matter that I'm behind cover, hidden, and in a ghillie suit; these idiots start shooting across the map and I'm dead. score one(100) for them.
When shot, like with a .50 Barrett, these yahoos start jumping around and firing at the same time. MW3 may consider them wounded, but I end up killed no matter the distance. Since the .50 Barrett jumps and it takes a bit to get a second shot, the yahoos spray my area with lead and get the points. Nice to know that future warfare favors these kind of tactics.
The maps, S_ck! Even in the 'sniper maps' there are very few paths, almost no real cover, generally no to little grass, and virtually no elevated firing positions. Even with the few that are there, expect obstacles to prevent a long view. Forget hiding in the bushes or scrub! Expect almost all bushes to be the same as a brick wall. The few places where one can actually hide in the bushes, forget using them! Everyone know those positions and they're the first places to get a rocket, grenade of blast of fire, just in case. This little fact is valid for almost every place on any of the maps where a sniper or soldier could 'be under cover'. the run and gun characters shoot these places as soon as they see them, just in case. Shell craters are useless and there are no foxholes!
Forget climbing much! See that orange crate, nope, can't get on it. See that fifty gallon drum, nope! Got a ladder, nope, at least not unless it is the right kind of ladder. Long gone are the days of Halo or Oblivion when a player could climb almost anything; now a palyer can hardly climb anything.
One of the most irritating in-game messages is the message that there is no prone position here. One gets this message whenever one tries to lie down in a place not designed for that position, which seems to be most of all maps. I've never seen a soldier who couldn't lie next to a wall, tree, ditch, shell hole, whatever and not only stay down in that position but be able to fire in almost any directions. If you manage to lay down by a wall, you will find your ability to aim extremely limited, say nonexistant. In fact if you are laying a body length away from a wall and your feet hit the wall as you swivel to aim, you will find yourself blocked and unable to continue. Which brings up another point, since when is it that a person can only aim straight ahead when laying down? I get shot frequently because the rungunners see my movement as I aim at them, well no wonder, since the game has my whole body swiveling!
Since almost every place on a map is unclimbable, hides nothing it means all of the maps are narrow paths down which everyone must run. Why call it a map and spend so much time designing backdrops? It's a simple oval, or oval with a center area, or two parallel paths with three intersecting paths. But none of the maps cam be called maps. One thing, the rungunners are so used to shooting the few hiding places, that they're not watching where they're running. I've gotten some pretty high multikills laying in the center where there is no cover... Watch where people run and gun, hide where they don't, even if there is nothing to hide by. | video-games_xbox |
Needs more songs,but you can download if online w/XBOX Live. **Update Sept 1st 05** - I've had this game for 9 months and Konami STILL has not offered any new song downloads with the exception of the ones that were offered when the game was released on XBOX Live. This is absurd. Why no new downloads? This changes my entire opinion of the game so put that 5 star away, because it' really now only a 3. With no new songs to download, this takes away any new replay value this game could have had. Major bummer Konami.
Review: This game took me off guard. I expected just a simple little Karaoke game with lyrics on the screen and nothing more. I never played the ones on the PS2 and really never wanted to, but when it came out for XBOX, I figured, what the heck, I enjoy singing so I'll give it a shot. In 4 words, "what a party game!" First off, Konami did a wonderful job of replicating the actual music from the original artists. The music is nearly cloned perfectly. People with home theaters will jam to this with the 5.1 Digital. The way the crowd reacts to you really gets your adrenaline flowin, if you sing bad, you're character will get booed off stage, heck, you do bad enough, the music stops--- if you do well, they will go nuts for you. It really makes you feel like you're at a serious karaoke jam. But not only do you just sing, you're also being judged! The game judges you by tone of voice and timing. It's very picky at times and when you don't know the words by heart, prepare to have a mean crowd by your side.
The different venues like county fairs, outdoor stadiums, party palaces and local bars gives the game a very realistic feel. The characters available are comical to watch on-screen and they move their mouth with yours, downright funny. The males will get a kick out of choosing the "Britney Look Alike Girl" and doing Friends in Low Places.
Up front, the music selection is a mixed bag and I won't judge if it's good or bad because different people prefer different things. It mostly included a little country, some 80's, 90's and some recent stuff. I know it's hard to make everyone happy, but the thing to do is offer more music. And that is where XBOX Live comes in. With an XBOX Live subscription (which is already $49.99 a year) you can connect online to get new songs. Of course there is no mention of charging us in the instruction booklet, but not to my surprise, there is a $4.99 fee for each group of songs. Each group of $4.99 contains 5 songs. I'm sorry, $4.99 is a rip off, especially when we may only want it for 1 or 2 of the selections. And we're already paying Microsoft to go online for our yearly subscription. Sigh. More money out the door...
And considering we spent $59.99 for the game itself, Konami seems a bit greedy. I would have liked it more if you could buy in singles for .99cents. Seems more logical. At this time "Jan 05" the downloads are pretty weak, only about 6 groups availalbe and the stuff they do have is pretty skimpy. A few 80's songs, Jessie's Girl, more Michael Jackson, some Britney Spears, Madonna, etc. Good stuff, but we need a wider variety. Hopefully over time they will get that price down and get more for us.
As a whole, I still loved this game, I'm a karaoke fan and love to jam out, other fans will love it to. As with me, some music you're simply never going to sing, or want to. The problem, some of the modes force you to sing what it chooses to continue on to earn new characters and venues. It's annoying and if it was up to me to market this game, I would make different genres of music to sell seperately instead of putting a mix of music on one game. How about an all 70's, all 80's, all 90's and "Modern" releases so people dont' get stuck with songs they'll never use. But as a whole,it's good fun and I'm lovin' the songs I do like, and the ability to download new songs is nice but when will they offer more?? And even for what they got, $4.99 for 5 songs is greedy and they should let you choose them individually. Duh Konami? | video-games_xbox |
Bioware's return to form. Dragon Age Inquisition is nothing short of spectacular. Proof that Bioware is still one of the best developers of RPG's. The game is a true return to form for the series after the lack luster Dragon Age II. The areas are huge and varied, characters are as well written and acted as they've ever been, Story is solid if a tad on the formulaic side, combat is fluid and a lot of fun. There is a degree of strategy but not as much as in Origins. The RPG elements are solid, however. Streamlined but in a good way that makes sense and is still very familiar. The game is also stunning to look at. Frostbite 3 serves this game well as the environments and facial animations are amazing. Lighting is also a huge factor in making this game beautiful. However, stiff animations do sometimes crop up but its not bad enough to be distracting and largely doesn't take away from the experience. The world and people of Thedas have never been more fully realized and the care and attention to detail surprised me at every turn. Choices also feel impactful in this game and there isn't always a clear answer for dealing with the many political or ethical dilemmas you are faced with. Thankfully just about every kind of response you could want is present and characters react realistically to you. The only problem I have about the game's world isn't really an issue for me but newcomers. It kind of expects you to know a lot. Logical since this is the third entry in a series but if you haven't played the first two you might be lost. That being said pretty much every problem DAII had this game corrected. It may not be on the level of Origins objectively but its damn close and a good sign for the future of Dragon age and Bioware as a whole. Pick this one up if you're a fan of the series. Just be sure to go to the Dragon Age Keep before you start.
I played this on the Xbox One and PC. The Xbox one version is solid but the PC version is way better looking. However, the PC version is plagued with some issues. Its manageable but can be a drag. Just make sure you have really powerful hardware and troubleshooting knowhow and have the latest drivers. | video-games_xbox |
UPDATE - NEVER MIND, IT BROKE*** - Spendy, but a very precise tool and engineered to be extremely durable, so 100% worth it. **UPDATE, 2 YEARS LATER** So, I should have updated this earlier, but my original Elite controller, the one that I assumed was going to be so durable and great and last years? Nope, that didn't happen. After a year it developed stick drift in the left stick, for which I have spent a lot of time researching ways to fix, with no luck. Also at the same time, the gray rubber grips started peeling off. Cool. So that first one, useless. I decided to buy a new one, which lasted me until now, just over a year again, and now this one the tiny little green buttons that the paddles depress have broken. They just lodged in in the middle of a game, and they won't come out at all now. I could hear something rattling in there, shook the controller a bit, and a few broken black pieces fell out. So now P1 and P2 paddle buttons (the same black plastic piece must have been behind both of them) are completely nonfunctional. Two Elites in a little over two years, $300, and done. Thanks for the great durable design Microsoft!
*UPDATE* Really surprised by the impact the tall thumbsticks have had in every game I've played. It's so much easier to make small steering inputs in Forza or small aiming inputs for sniping in FPS. I didn't realize how incredibly useful they'd be. Now that I've seen the light, frankly I'm a bit surprised that all Xbox controllers sold don't come with the tall thumbsticks as standard. This one feature really ups your game just by itself. Try it yourself and see! ***
The rubber grips on this controller feel fantastic, although I wonder how they'll hold up to dirt and palm sweat a year or two down the line. The metal on the paddles and faceted dish d-pad is cool to the touch and gives the controller a very premium feel and solid weight, although it's disappointing that the triggers and shoulder buttons are merely plastic painted silver.
I'm still getting used to the paddles, and so far have only tried them in Forza 6 to shift gears (which they are great for) but I see a lot of potential in the paddles as they give you a higher degree of control and give all your other fingers a job now where they had nothing to do before. To me, most of the value in the controller will be in finding new use case scenarios for the paddles. One huge knock on the paddles though; if you grab the controller the wrong way it can be too easy to dislodge them and they go clattering to the floor. They don't dislodge when you squeeze in the intended direction, but brushing them the other way too easily dislodges them. You do learn how to handle the controller to minimize this, but at this level of engineering some sort of sturdier locking mechanism for the paddles really should have been implemented.
The hair trigger locks are very cool for shooters, when activated they limit the travel of the trigger so it will reset more quickly and you can fire off more shots in a shorter period of time. The interchangeable thumbsticks are fantastic, and all of them click satisfyingly and magnetically into place. The longest thumbsticks offer the most precision, and the faceted dish D-pad and the shortest thumbsticks will be fantastic for fighting games that will employ their unique capabilities best. The USB cable feels quite premium and indestructible due to the braided nylon. Darn thing must be 6-8 feet long stretched out, which is helpful. Everything about this controller feels like it's been engineered to be more durable to withstand the test of time and abuse.
On top of all this, you can actually customize your button layout to the game you're playing using the controller app on your Xbox. You can even modify the level and locations of force feedback in the app. The button mapping is so useful and so overdue on Xbox. It would be great if Microsoft in a future software update also updated the cheaper standard XB1 controllers with the capability to change button layout as well.
So yeah, it's expensive, But if there's one thing you want to drop the money on its the tactile interface to the game you're trying to play. I've always believed in buying upgraded custom keyboards and mice for my computers because that's how I interact with the machine, and I think having an upgraded custom (and customizeable) controller is just as important. And because this thing is engineered to be so durable, it'll definitely live a few years longer than a regular controller will, which I think inherently gives it more value. | video-games_xbox |
Harmonix Delivers another Slam Dunk. Let me first admit that I'm a Guitar Hero fan. I adore playing all of the Guitar Hero games, and we have multiple guitars in the house (for multiple platforms) so that we can jam together. When Harmonix turned over Guitar Hero III to another company, I was really curious what they would choose to do next. I am THRILLED with the result - Rock Band, which combines together all the fun of singing karaoke, playing guitar (lead and bass) plus DRUMS!!!
My boyfriend is in several bands, and he plays lead guitar, bass guitar and drums. I love to sing. So we have played many, many games in all of these genres (including the Donkey Kong Konga game which is surprisingly fun). We were quite interested to see how the Harmonix guys would merge these variety of instruments into a single game.
First, the instruments. The guitar is FAR better than the guitars previously released for Guitar Hero. The buttons are "full fret" making the much easier to press. You don't have that annoying ridge line. You get TWO sets of buttons in fact - one for easier guitar solo play. You have sound settings. I can't say enough about this guitar. The only thing it lacks is stickers :) Really, couldn't they include a sticker set or two, to customize the thing? A minor flaw :)
The drum set is REALLY cool. It comes with a stand and it has a very nice feel to it. My boyfriend complained a bit about the wood sticks not being smooth, but heck, you're not paying for high quality sticks here.
There is a four-plug USB hub so you can actually plug all these items into your XBox 360 :) And there's a few headset adaptors, and a microphone. We already had several of these.
Now for gameplay. The graphics are visually lovely, although really, with up to four people playing and singing, the background stuff is pretty meaningless. The screen is taken up by all of the progress bars and alert bars and so on. I do have to comment that the customization for your characters is AWESOME. You customize their style of movement (punk, rock, etc), their facial look, hair style, eye color and much more. Plus you can buy all sorts of great outfits in the store. Never mind equipment. They really went overboard in this area.
I found when I played an instrument whose track was on the far left (the lead guitar, for example) that I could easily see the "overall progress" bar showing how everyone in the band was doing. I could see that the drum guy was doing poorly and slipping down into the red. However, when *I* was playing the drums - and the visual for my drum track was on the far right - I had NO idea how well or poorly I was doing. That overall band progress display was on the far left (past the other instruments' tracks) and there was no way to watch both my own drum note list and see how I was doing at the same time. So you almost need to designate whoever is playing in that far left track as the "band alert person" to yell out if someone is doing not so well.
The band works as a unit. If for example the drums are doing poorly, but the guitarist is doing well, the guitarist can use their energy the rev up the crowd which helps everyone in the band. So the guitarist can save the drummer, for example. On the other hand, if the drummer is really bad, after a few failures, the crowd gives up. You can't have the remaining players try to play the song out.
Which brings up one of my only complaints about the game. Let's say you start a band "Asia" with the leader being a drummer. Now any time Asia wants to continue on their career, the drummer MUST BE PLAYING. In real life, band members change positions sometimes. You have a drummer who also likes to sing. But here, if you have a position set as the leader, the game can't be played (with that band and the songs it's unlocked) without that instrument being played. We found that really annoying. You should be able to say that person X now wants to play instrument Y and keep going.
Now, interestingly, my boyfriend plays the drums. He found the drum pads AWFUL to use and thought they were broken. We swapped off and he took over guitar while I played with the drums. I did a 100% performance. So it's something about the way you hit them. I *think* they have to be hit pretty close to dead center, with a sharp rap. I'm not a drummer so undoubtedly I'm not hitting them "technically right" but I am able to sail through many songs on easy with 100%. So it's a matter of getting used to how they work.
The vocal / mike track is much like any karaoke game, and you "yell" to activate overdrive. It's a lot of fun. I did try several songs with a mike stand setup so I could play guitar and sing at the same time. It was a lot of fun - but part of the mike track is "cowbells" where you're supposed to thwap the microphone in time to the beat. Unfortunately if you're busy playing the guitar or drums you no longer can thwap the microphone. I tried yelling "POP" and it worked about half the time, if I used a very snappy sound to my POP. Still, it's a shame you can't sing and play because of this.
The songs in this list are GREAT. I really love some of them, and there were few that I simply didn't like at all. It's cool that they have multiple venues per location, instead of the Guitar Hero games where there was just "one Boston" and so on. You have to actually earn a Van or Bus or whatever to move on to a new city. You actually build up a fan base as you go, and lose it if you do poorly. That is all very cool. On the down side, the progression of songs is rather odd. You can play 2 songs you like in Boston, and then go to Chicago and play the exact two songs again to earn more stars there. The songs seem to unlock slowly. I'm also not overly fond of several modes where you have no idea what songs are coming up until 2 seconds before the songs begin.
They do have a training mode and solo mode, but really you figure the great appeal of this game is to play with your friends, using the various instruments. So we found that interface - where you are stuck with a single leader, and it is very much one-person-one-instrument oriented, to be a bit frustrating. Sure, I love playing drums - but I love playing guitar too! Sometimes I love to sing. It didn't seem like it should be THAT bad to let a person switch instruments once you'd unlocked a bunch of venues and songs.
Finally, I really like that right from the start you have access to all difficulty modes, and can set them by person. So if you have a really great guitarist in your family, and someone who is perhaps younger or just getting started, the great guitarist can set themselves to difficult and the younger person can set to easy and both can have a really fun, challenging time.
I am really looking forward to new song downloads too, and imagine that could make this game last years and years and be just as much fun.
Highly, highly recommended if you can get your hands on this thing. We were there right when the store opened to get our hands on ours, and it sold out immediately. Well worth tracking down!! Note that I have photos of the instruments on my website and am happy to answer any other questions you guys have about this game. | video-games_xbox |
A must have . I first played Devil may cry 1 , 2 & 3 on the ps2 and then played Devil May Cry 4 on my Xbox 360, and what an awesome ride they all were. We then were given DMC ( Devil May Cry ) as what seemed like a reboot of the series, it received a mixed bag of reviews, as some of the changes were just a little to much for some of the die hard fans of the original Devil May Cry to accept.
I think the biggest change was to Dante himself, apart from just not sounding like himself he also received a total new character model, the most shocking thing being the short dark hair style instead of the longer white hair . I know that something like hair length and color might seem kind of petty but MANY people really had a problem with it and I as well had to get used to the new look, voice and hair.
Now after the initial shock as I began to play the game the issues I had began to fade from memory as the gameplay of DMC was just as fun, flashy and furious as it was in the original games. During the early cut scenes I would see our new Dante and still get a slight feeling of wrongness about him, but after a little more play I didn't even think about it again. The game is just to great to let the little things I mentioned above keep you from having a blast with this game.
Now on to our new flashy Xbox One version ( Definitive Edition ).. This is still the DMC you remember except with upgraded polished graphics ( it looked awesome on the 360 ) and running at 60 fps and 1080P. I can tell you that the new polish and increase in frame rate and resolution make this already beautiful game simply jaw dropping.. DMC is full of color and is amplified to the extreme in this new version , leaving you drooling at the beauty of this game, and the 60 frames per second give you some of the silkiest controls you have ever had..
This is the question , is a game you have played before worth the purchase price again ? That is what you have to ask yourself. To me at the low price point of 39.99 it is a steal . The new graphics , frame rate and resolution alone are enough for me because I truly enjoyed the game on my 360. If you have never played this game or any of the past entries you are in for a real treat at a relatively low price point. Great price and great value , this is one game that I can say is a must play..
Solid 5 out of 5
Side note : If you don't like Dante's new look you can change his appearance with the character model skins that come packed in this new version. I have been using the skin from the first Devil May Cry and he now looks like our old Dante. There are a selection of skins , I think you have a choice of a skin from DMC 1 - 4 . so if for some reason you don't want to play as the new redesigned Dante you can put one of the skins provided on him and just forget about the new look.. I personally think that was a nice touch for this edition..
Edit : 3-15-15 -I have completed the game on Demon Hunter difficulty and have completed the extra content Virgil's fall.. The main campaign took me about 91/2 hours to complete and I completed Virgil's fall in about an hour & 45 min. I know some could complete this game faster but I am one that looks in every nook and cranny for collectables and such. But even if I didn't you could only shave off maybe 45 min to an hour . But I put in about a total of about 11 hours and 10 minutes into my first play through , and that's not a bad game length at all .. Not to short and not to long , it just feels about right and never over stays it's welcome.. Now it's time to start again on the next hardest difficulty and get some more achievements and enjoy the game all over again.
Edit : 3-16-15 - Last night at the beginning of my second play through I discovered a nice fun fact , this game has a play plus mode , now I know its not called that in DMC and I really don't think it has a name here at all it just simply is. As I started the game again on the next hardest level I noticed with complete surprise and satisfaction that I retained all of my unlocks and level ups from my previous play through .. This might have been common knowledge to some and it might have been present in the past games and I simply forgot but it is here all the same and I couldn't be happier. I thought I was going to have a tough time this play through but honestly with all the things I have unlocked and as high as my health bar is I really haven't had a problem at all , and I've cleared the first three levels with out dying and with everything I have unlocked it has actually made my second foray into DMC easier even though it's on a higher difficulty .. I just wanted to share this tid-bit of information to anyone that may not know and I hope this may help.. | video-games_xbox |
I don't know.... Is this Halo 2 or Halo expansion pak. Dont get me wrong, its still Halo, but its not Halo on fire going 1000 miles per hour with ninja's chasing it, Like Bungie Said. I don't really understand all the 5 stars, unless those people never played the first one. My halo 1 disc is faded and probably warped, because I played it so much. We own 2 xbox's and have the system link and everything just because of Halo. Maybe we expected to much. Well onto Halo 2. From what I can tell they didn't do a whole lot with the weapons. Yes you can hold 2 which is pretty sweet, but not as cool as some people would have you believe (although having 2 needlers actually makes the needler not complete crap, But again you have to have 2 or it is still complete crap) They added a few new weapons, and the new battle rifle is sweet, but a couple weapons like the new covent sniper rifle feels a bit corny, it should be alot cooler, and not just shoot some little white dot, but what do you expect from the convent their guns run on AA batteries. And what the heck did they do to the shotgun?!? it looks like a flare gun! I must have missed something to, because I thought there was suppose to be like 5 different types of warthogs, one with snow skies and tank tracks, there is only 2(I haven't finished it yet but I have only found 2) and the second one just has some rail gun on the back, not that inventive. And I was almost positive there was suppose to be ATV's. Now I can't say they lied because Im not one of those people that looked on the Bungie Website daily for info. but how cool would those have been? And then their was the convent missions, man those just plain sucked. I wanted to be done with it way way before it was over, and it just took forever. Plus, why would I want to be an elite anyway? I hope someone got fired for that one! haha. It left me wondering if they actually had this game done like 2 years ago and just sat on it so they could hype it, because they didn't do enough to it to take all that time. We should be on Halo 3 by now. I also agree with the one guy that said it wasn't open enough, I miss those big battlefields. Remeber that feeling that you got when they dropped you on the beach and you stormed the convent with your guns blazing and grenades rolling around and bodies flying and grunts screaming, and Elites laughing. Remember that!!! ya you won't get that in Halo 2... lets see what else can I complain about??? : ) no really the graphics are great, but long are the days where good graphics could push the game from good to great. And the new convent spetre is cool, and I like how you can get into the wraiths but they should have improved more.
I haven't really played to much of the multiplayer but im not that impressed again. Good thing they left in blood gultch and battle creek, and I haven't seen all of them yet but I hope longest and the big snow level are there. Why wouldn't they just leave all the old ones the anyway? Some of the new levels are kind of weird but I hope they get better as we play them. Bungie dropped the ball here again though, they didn't put the option in to have BOTS so you could practice "Multi-Player" when you don't have people over to play. And ya I know you can get Xbox live for all that but I just don't understand what people think is so great about LIVE. I love when all my friends come over to my house and we sit down with like 4 tv's going and just play with each other, and yell and taunt one another, its a blast. What is so great about sitting in your room by yourself, shooting some moron kid, in France that you don't even know yelling through a headset. Or how about the guy that sits on Halo 2 23 hours a day and knows your respawn sites and knows were every good gun is and just murders you ever 7 seconds... Man what a blast and it only cost you 50 bucks a year for live, plus 40 a month for broadband! Please Sign me up! I guess you gotta have friends to use the lan party though, and if you play Live all the time you cant go out and make any... Sorry Im just mad because I think bungie sold out to Live and left the BOTS out on purpose so people like me would have to get Live to play the multiplayer option, well guess what not gonna happen. Guess I'll go back and play Perfect Dark again. Well anyway, if you have Halo 1 go get Halo 2, you'll like it, but its no even close to the 1st one in innovation. If you haven't played Halo 1 please get it, before you go and play Halo 2, Then and only then will you get the true Halo feeling down deep in your soul. | video-games_xbox |
Welcome to the American Jungle. Video gaming has come a long way since the late 1970s and early 1980s. Game budgets have balloned into astronomical proportions and marketing campaigns have become blitzkrieg extravaganas. Major video game titles, like the major "tent pole" movies of the summer Hollywood so heavily relies upon, represent significant investment of capital. If you believe the marketing copy, each of these big budget video games represent the very best the video game industry has to offer. *
Sadly, such hyperbole is very seldom the case, especially with non-Nintendo titles. Unlike Nintendo's IPs, which are consistently recognized as some of the most enthralling, well-designed games out there, and also certainly among the most bankable, newer games must establish such a strong, realised world and marketing presence that big budgets are in demand. While Nintendo and Mario/Link are the family friendly alternatives, there exists an large opening for more adult oriented fare to enter and dominate the market place. Enter Rockstar and the GTA titles which, while always controversail, has long helped bring adult themed video gaming into the mainstream with writing that is both brilliant and deeply satirical of modern day life..
GTA V follows the Grand Theft Auto social commentary satire the series is so famous for, and expands it tremendously, becoming a mirror of America after the economic downturn. Rockstar paraodies everything form Facebook to political classes to celeberity culture, etc. The use of smart phones in our culture is also heavily featured. GTA has become the video game equiliant to South Park - there is no sacred cow left standing by the end of Rockstar's commentary on America.
CHARACTERS: Rockstar changes up the GTA formula by introducing three main protagonists. GTA V features Michael, a retired, bored middle-aged criminal who reminds me of Henry Hill's fate at the end of "Good Fellas"; Franklin, a young gang-banger reminsent of Carl Johnson, and Trevor, a psychotic, in-your-face nutjob who is so unhinged that you can't help but feel he is little more than a caricature than an actual person. Of the three characters, Trevor is by far the most over-the top. At any time (other than specific points restricted for story purposes) you are able to switch between the three characters, which are at differing locations depending on time of day. The game will then take you to where the characters happen to be at the time. Each location fits into the character's story and place in the GTA universe.
One of the weak points with the GTA series has always been the sometimes unavoidable narrative inconsistencies brought on by its open-ended gameplay, all the while moving the characters down specific narrative arcs. Likewise, the Elder Scrolls games from Bethesda suffer from this flaw to some extent. By introducing three characters, Rockstar is able to marry that illusion of cohesion between character and gameplay much better than the superficial unions of past games.
STORY: Rather than gradually introduce a wide cast of supporting characters and develop their backstory, Rockstar has streamlined the writing, focusing largely on Trevor, Franklin, and Michael, at the expense of having numerous, secondary characters that so frequently stole the show in previous titles. That's not to say there aren't any memorable secondary characters; rather, the narrative focuses on the big three (and I don't mean Harry, Ron, and Hermione) and delves expensively into their lives and how the characters' fates become inextricably intertwined as the game proceeds.
SETTING: After the sprawling landmass of GTA: SAN ANDREAS, which featured three cities divided by expansive countryside, deserts with secret government bases that may or may not hold alien bodies, and rural communities that appear to be straight out of Deliverance, GTA IV focused on a reimagined New York City. GTA V returns to the west coast, taking place in Los Santos, one of the three cities first introduced in SAN ANDREAS. While not as widely broad and disconnected as "San Andreas", GTA V features the series' biggest map yet, which also includes surrounding mountainsides and Sandy Shores, a costal village. Unlike previous titles, the entirety of Los Santos and the surrounding areas is available from the very beginning. The gaming world, while always artificial, feels truly alive.
GAMEPLAY: The gameplay elements of GTA IV have all been finely tuned. AI is superb,. You can engage in a wide variety of activities, such as base jumping, cycling, flying, golfing, hunting, tennis, triathalons, vehicular racing, and yoga. Expanding on "Vice City", "San Andreas" and "GTA IV", you can also unlock vehicle storage facilities and purchases businesses and go on missions to help those businesses make profit. You can even play the stock market on your smart phone. There are also individual activities tailored to specific characters (Michael visitng a therapist and playing tennis or practicing yoga, Trevor hunting, etc).
Like any GTA game, there is driving, and a LOT of it. For a series focused so heavily on driving, GTA V is the first time that Rockstar has nailed the driving down so effectively. Cars handle so much better overall (though the joy rides can still turn into some memorable crashes). Certain elements of driving in past titles have been frustrating, due to how wildly odd they handle. vehicles handle with precision, while still providing a wide variety of gaming experiences. Unfortunaly the flying sequences are still dreadfully awkward to control Another great addition is if you fail missions, you are no longer required to repeat the driving segments of those missions.
MISSIONS: The shining point of GTA V, undoubtedly, is the missions, which constitutes the core of the gameplay. Several of the missions are tailor made to one of the three characters. Michael's missions deal with his increasingly fragmented family life as he goes back into crime. Franklin becomes more and more involved with grand theft auto and assassinations. Trevor's missions intimately suit his extremely psychotic psyche with larger-than-life explosions and wild, freewheelin' rampages that would earn anyone in real life a one way ticket to an impenetrable mental instution.
GTA V grades missions on different qualifiers, contingent upon completing optional objects as well as time, appealing to the speedrunners out there. The biggest addition (and it's been a LONG TIME COMING), is, after failing a mission three times, you are able to skip that section of the mission, though your score will be directly effected. Since the 1996 N64 classic "Super Mario 64", open world games have been notorious for having that one, infuriating mission. In the GTA series, often times that mission must be passed in order to progress, and it's high time Rockstar has come up with a solution for those "one mission" nightmares that so often send us into tirades (I'm looking at you, "Wrong Side of the Tracks" from "San Andreas"!). Why develop all these hours of content if, because of one mission early in the game, the player eventually puts down your product, with the game unfinished? Likewise, you can replay missions at any time, another needed addition to the franchise.
A major addition is the heist missions, which involve all three characters. Rockstar is able to show off just how effective they are at featuring three protagonists in the Heists missions, and add a new depth of gameplay not previously seen in the GTA universe. The heists can be done one of two ways: guns blazing, ala Clint Eastwood, or channel your inner Solid Snake and infiltrate and plunder by stealth. Depending on what route you go, the three protagonists then must chose a crew (such as computer hackers, drivers, gunmen, etc) with varying degrees of experience. The better the crew, the more expense, but the less likely the mission will fail or you will run into further complications. The multiple character mode, the choice between stealth and combat, the action-packed setpieces, along with the variables of the crew you have chosen, make the heists some of the most engrossing missions ever seen in an open world game. Unfortunately there is only a handful of such missions in the game. The future of GTA, and sandbox games in general, resides in these type missions, and theres so much untapped potential in them that it almost comes off as a criminal waste. Off the beaten path you will find a wide variety of one-off missions that are both fun and imaginative.
VISUALS: Fantastic and breathtaking. The game features a wide variety of environments for Rockstar to show off their graphical prowess, from scuba-diving sequences to cross-country to wealthy neighborhoods to seedy, dank areas more terrifying than they are amusing. The variety of locals is astonishing and adds to the overall texture of the game. You will be very hard-pressed to find a more gorgeously looking game on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with all the details becoming much more crisp and the character animations superb.
SOUND: Fantastic as always. GTA V does everything the other games in the series does and more, with a wider variety of musical content, new original music, and the best talk radio (featuring the GTA III perennial favorite Lazlo) this side of Rush Limbaugh. The voice acting is top-notch, as always.
CRITICISM: The game comes across as rather misogynistic, with no strong female characters treated with respect, even given the criminal nature of the gameplay. Sometimes Frankenstien's seams show through, breaking the illusion of reality, and the scripting becomes apparent. While boundary-pushing content has always been a hallmark of the game, there is an (unskippable) torture mission that Trevor must complete that is little more than a veild criticism on the US policy of waterboarding. Even for a game as intentionally lewd and morally reprehensible as GTA V, this mission is deeply troubling and the one time that Rockstar breaks the illusion of "this is just a video game" and actually feeling dirty about yourself as a human being, even though you are playing as Trevor.
ENDING COMMENTS: The GTA games have become a massive cultural phenomena the likes of which few games can attest too, attracting both controversy and fanatical players. With the release of GTA III in 2001, Rockstar introduced a fantastically realised, open sandbox world which was deeply satirical in nature and have only built on the foundations laid by that groundbreaking game.
But twelve years in the electronic entertainment industry and pop culture in general can be an eternity. With the prevelanace of increasingly violent and sexual content regularly displayed throughout our culture, games like GTA V aren't quite as shocking as they were in 2001, let alone 1994 with Mortal Kombat's spine-ripping fatalities went all the way to the United States Congress. Even Christine Hefner, Hugh Hefner's daughter, has stated pornography has become such mainstream that it can hardly qualify as edgy anymore. By this point, the major groundbreaking gameplay elements introduced in GTA III has become a matter of course for big-budget titles. To Rockstar's credit, they have prefected and honed the GTA gameplay to such fine precision that GTA V stands proudly as among the best games ever made in the admittedly very young medium of video gaming [history].
Overall, despite the jaded, cynical culture we now live in, GTA V pushes the boundaries of sex, drugs, and violence to a new level. Like Insane Clown Possy's Dark Carnival mythology , I believe Rockstar is more moral than their detractors allow for. They hold up a twisted, exaggerated picture of life in America today, twisted by crime and sleaze which is enacted by deeply pathological, flawed people. Essentially, GTA V is a video game equivalent of the sleaze of Guns N Roses's "Appetite For Destruction", and, more specifically, "Welcome to the Jungle".
And what a twisted, warped, manically unhinged jungle that truly is.
*Both Steven Speilberg and George Lucas said Hollywood's reliance on huge blockbusters would cause the implosion of Hollywood's business model when several pictures costing over one hundred million would fail to recoup their investment, shaking the studios to their very core, Modern video games can also represent a significant investment of capital. Disney's video game division estimates the new Disney Infinity game, with its focus on NFC enabled action figures, has a development price tag of one hundred million dollars. Disney's video game division has lost 3.4 billion between 2010-2013.) | video-games_xbox |
This game is essentially broken. I have played NCAAF games since the mid to late 90s. I had to stop a few years ago because the games were unplayably bad. This is a slight improvement over recent years, but not by much. THIS GAME IS SO POORLY MADE, IT IS NOT WORTH FIVE DOLLARS.
OTHER THAN NCAA 11 and 12, THIS IS THE MOST FRUSTRATING PIECE OF WORTHLESS CRAP YOU COULD POSSIBLY WASTE YOUR MONEY ON.
Passing controls are STILL a disaster.
FOR PASSING, THIS GAME DOES NOT SHOW THE WHOLE FIELD, YOU ARE FORCED TO BLINDLY PASS TO THE OUTSIDE WHERE ANY NUMBER OF RIDICULOUS COVERAGE SCENARIOS PLAY OUT
Special teams: wonky
Playing offense in general is way too hard
Defense is way too easy
Overdone Menu Graphics make everything slow
STILL FREEZES CONSTANTLY
The computer STILL makes the game competetive by making YOUR players do the most ludicrous things instead of catching the ball or tackling the ballcarrier (as opposed to playing well itself)
Forget about throwing on the run.
Referees are used against you (ie: hiding defenders so they can make INTs, or slowing you'r WRs down, etc.)
Challenges: Don't even bother
Little things that used to be in the game are missing (Navy's uniformed student section for example)
They made options way harder to run for some stupid reason.
Game punishes you for playing effective small ball.
If you notice that you have a QB or running back that is playing extremely well, you can pretty much assume they will be injured within the next few plays.
The Computer will force your blockers to miss obvious key blocks to go chase an LB that is half way across the field
Short yardage will result in the most absurd tackles you have ever seen if the computer decides that you shouldn't have a first down.
If you score a TD on your opening drive, this blatantly triggers much better O for the computer.
If you return the opening kickoff for a TD, this blantantly triggers much harder D for the computer.
Rivalry games are an absolute joke. They're either laughably difficult or just a complete pushover.
It doesn't really matter how well you are actually playing. The game assumes how things SHOULD be going, and will throw any number of impossible turnovers, blown coverages, injuries, missed blocks and pointless penalties at you to level itself out. Early season games, Rivalry games, certain bowls, and forced upset bids will result in your offense running much slower than the D, despite their ratings.
Still too repetetive; there's no feeling of accomplishment when making it to a Bowl/Championship etc. It just plays out like a regular season game
EA clearly doesn't care about this franchise anymore, and it's a real shame. | video-games_xbox |
OK, so not as bad as everyone anticipted. I preordered this game and have had it since it came out. My first thoughts would have rated this as 1 star, but i decided to hold off on the review (some idiots wrote reviews before it came out) so i could get a full feel for the game. Good thing i did, because i like it a lot more now. I'll start with the campaign, then go to multiplayer, and finally co-op zombies!
So starting with the campaign, i would give it about 4 stars. Fairly easy during most of the game, and for some reason gets twice as hard at the end. Great storyline and entertaining graphics (body parts fling around and burning people alive with a flamethrower) that leave you wanting more. You can play as an American and a Russian, and bayonate the damn Japp's in the heart! Probably the best part is beating the campaign (any difficulty) unlocks zombies, which i will review later.
Next, we get to the multiplayer on xbox live which i will give 3 1/4 stars. So first off, you start without any good weapons. I basically used the Thompson and MP-40 until lvl 37. Be warned!, you WILL hate it until you reach level 37 and unlock the STG-44. After that for me was smooth sailing, getting better weapons and finally getting a rifle-mounted grenade! Something to bear in mind is they released a patch so modded controllers don't work, however they do make NEW modded controllers now that can get around it, which will most likely get fixed soon. I'll be 65 soon and can't wait to get a flamethrower. There are still a few glitches in the game, like getting under the map on Castle, which i actually hope they don't fix lol. Overall, better than some games, just preferred COD4 because i could prestige and start out with good weapons. I don't plan on prestiging in COD5, though thats what i said in COD4 so who knows.
I've saved the best for last, ZOMBIES! Definitely gets 5 stars! To play this, you either need to have beaten any difficulty of solo campaign, or be in the party of someone who has. I could prolly be a third prestige by now if i hadn't wasted all my time playing this lol. Definitely needs to be fixed because there are multiple glitches in it that let you go on forever. Make sure you do it with friends, not strangers that you get matched with or they will leave/ make you lose at round 10. I've only made it to round 19, which took like an hour so i can't imagine how long it took for the people that got over round 150+. If not for anything else, i would buy it just to play Zombies, because it is so addicting.
Overall i would definitely recommend that you buy this game, despite the fact it is WW2. You won't be disappointed, at least not after lvl 37 multiplayer =] | video-games_xbox |
Wait before purchasing, at least 6 weeks after release. NEW: Servers seem fine now. UPDATE: They seem to have a handle on the servers now. I had no problem getting into and staying in games. Some minor lag, the kind where your movement stutters.
I've upped my rating of the game. The pace (movement) seems much more realistic than most other military FPS. Though it seems, but I'm not certain, that sprinting may be unlimited. Kills seem to be more natural (not take a full clip on someone) though I have more difficulty getting bead at distance. This an issue with my display, not so much the game's fault. Also, knifing seems too easy, and I swear I've seen the lighter sniper rifle take 2 headshots to kill. Those should always be 1 hit. Honestly, though, I can almost never use sniper on the CoD games, but did okay (for me) in here.
Especially like how the ground control actually moves the line as you capture a set of points. Kind of like pushing the enemy back, or getting pushed back. Love the maps, nice suburban/urban settings, and even the more rural maps have wonderful buildings and cover. Much better (in my opinion) than MF2 and Black Ops. That said, I do find the CoD games easier to play, and my KDR in Homefront is horrible compared to those games.
Also, only a couple game types. Would be nice to have something. I don't know what, because the two do fit the setting of the game.
Overall, I find the game worthwhile, but probably would still be better if the the price was closer to $40. Not sure if it's worth $50. Also seems part of their solution for the servers is to only have skirmish, even if you choose a specific type (such as ground control.) Supposedly, skirmish allows a smaller number of players, so they might not be fulfilling the promise of large team, epic battles. Maybe they'll get that worked out.
I didn't mention much about the single player before (in the original review below.) Like most have said, it goes by a little too quickly, and you never develop much of a connection with the characters or the story. But, it seem to be open ended: the final battle is no where near the end of the conflict. Perhaps their will be additional campaigns through DLC. That could help save this game.
The game is playable now, and actually fun. Maybe not for $50, but if it drops another $10, I say try it out. It's different enough to be interesting, especially if you're getting bored with CoD and its ilk.
ORIGINAL POST:
I typically wouldn't write a purchase review. But, I'd like to help others hold onto their money.
I won't do much of a review on the game itself. Single-player campaign is okay, the story is interesting, but not quite worth the purchase price.
The multi-player side is where it could make up the difference. But, it doesn't, yet. There are are server issues making it nearly impossible to play a game. I recommend waiting a month or 2 after it's release of mid-March, before buying the game. Even then, try to find out if there are still server problems, or if anyone is still playing the game - they may have all left after weeks of issues.
The main problem is server capacity/connection. They admit to the capacity issue, and say they are working to increases. But, I think there is also a connection issue. When I am even able to get into a game, which more than half the time I'm unable to, I've not been able to play a game from beginning to end. Even when I have dropped into an existing match, I have only made it to the end of the game twice. All other times, connection is lost.
I would be willing to blame this on my dsl connection, except I don't have this issue with any other multi-player FPS games. Lack of capacity doesn't explain excessive drops. If you get connected, you have a slot on the server. If you get dropped, it's a poor connection. They could have capacity that's twice as much as demand, and would probably still have drops.
The multi-player looks interesting. They are doing things a bit differently than other military based FPS games. A bit light on game types, but that might be fixable with updates and DLC. Unfortunately, none of that matters if you can't even play a match.
So, wait until you hear they fixed the problems. It's not worth even $30 with how things are right now, never mind a $50+ price.
Yes, I gave it a 3 of 5 for fun. That's based on the single-player, and anticipation of multi-player. Heck, it could even be a 4 if it worked.
Oh, it might be fine if you have buddies that you can play system-link with. But, that's also limiting. Again, would it be worth the price if all you could do is system-link? | video-games_xbox |
The Negatives...Agree With Posters Here. I will keep it simple. A few reviewers already commented. My beefs are the same issues I had with 10, but I will add a few. It's pretty much computer AI.
1. The interceptions. If I throw into double coverage, I deserve to be picked off. But if I throw to a receiver 15 yards down the field, I don't want a linebacker who is nowhere near the receiver pulling a Spiderman and snagging my pass mid-air. And everyone here has seen the "phantom" interception...the ball somehow spins around your receivers waist and into the hands of the defender trailing him.
2. Pass protection. If the computer is on offense, you can call a blitz and the QB can go order dinner, read a book while waiting, take out the trash, and then eat the dinner when it arrives. But we're not done. For dessert, he will hit the receiver of his choice, no matter how covered. On the flip side, if you are being blitzed, you have about one second to make a throw.
3. In any close game, the computer will turn into the Patriots on offense and the Steelers on defense. Don't be surprised if you are trying to kill time and have a 3rd and 1...and can't convert on both tries. Also, don't be surprised if the computer has a 4th and lifetime and throws an across the body pass between three of your defenders for the first down.
4. Beware of Super Sim. It's a great feature, but even a scrub team will score a TD on a kickoff return....
5. SETUP plays mean a blitz is coming so don't run that play. You will be stuffed 90% of the time.
6. In Madden the screen pass works. In NCAA? Only if you have a desire for a two yard gain, tops.
7. Your player gunning for a Heisman will be injured sometime during the season.
8. If you call Aggressive defense, beware 3rd down. Yes! We stopped them! We...great. 15 yard penalty. Face mask.
9. Challenge any fumble. The AI always errs to the side of themselves, but at least if you challenge it they will give you the ball back if you recovered it.
10. I saved my biggest pet peeve for last. No matter what defense you call, there is always one receiver all by his little lonesome on the sideline chilling two or three yards from the LOS, with no defender within a country mile. If the AI decides to throw to him, it will always be a first down as he scampers. Now you try that with your receivers who do the same...wait, did you just throw a pick? Of course you did. He's more blanketed than you are with Grandma's quilt on Christmas Eve.
I do love this game, though. | video-games_xbox |
A force to be reckoned with. I bought the XBox and Halo about 3 months ago. Im glad I bought Halo to go with it. If your a FPS fan then this is a must have game. When you first get started with the game its a good learning curve. The game gets pretty tough in places but its well worth it once you get to the part where you can use the scorpian tank, ghost, warthog, and banshee. The controls are great but thats an opinion that you have to decide for your self. It has a great story line. Some of the enemys are can get pretty annoying. Its not that their hard to beat just there a waste of ammo, but I guess that their just their to make the story line better. I like the flash light feature so you don't have to go crawling around in the dark getting killed all the time. The weapons are alot of fun. There were only a few things I didn't like about the game. The fact that the light arrows don't always point the way your supposed to go but a simple stratagy guide can fix that, you can't have the music you ripped on to the hard drive of the XBOX as a soundtrack, and the fact that you can't use the banshee in multiplayer. Cooperative mode is great. My brother and I played Cooperative mode the whole day and got farther together than I did in one month (His first time playing so I was doing most of the work). The best thing about Cooperative mode is that you can make a plan together instead of relying on the weak marines to back you up. Cortana (AI that is plugged into your suite that can do a bunch of differant things) sometimes doesnt make sense. She can hack into a computer and unlock doors and she does that some of the time but other times you have to go around looking for a control pannel to open the door.
Pro's:
1. Great Story Line
2. Great controls and the feature that you can have it inverted as well.
3. Awesome multiplayer especially Co-op mode
4. Graphics are the best I have ever seen
5. Good variety of weapons.
6. Its fun to replay levels after you beat the game.
7. Vehicles are awesome especially the banshee.
Cons not much to be said here:
1. Can't get the music on your hard drive as a sound track
2. Kind of hard to find your way around in certain areas (a stratagy guide can fix that)
3. You can't get the banshee in multiplayer (except Co-Op)
Overall: Great game. If you like first person shooters then you should definatly get this game. Its worth buying not renting because it has ten levals and the campaign is really what makes the game worth while and you may want to go back and play different levels with friends a month or two after you beat the game. Have Fun!!! | video-games_xbox |
MERCENARIES is a fun and entertaining, if somewhat shallow experience. MERCENARIES is an excellent 3'rd person shooter from developer Pandemic Studios. This talented development studio has also been responsible for `Full Spectrum Warrior' and the `Star Wars: Battlefront' series. Easily one of the best third person shooters this generation and a game that every PS2 and Xbox owner deserves to take a look at.
The premise of the game places you in war-torn North Korea as one of three `private contractors' employed by the private military company Executive Operations (Ex Ops). You are immediately dropped into hostile territory and under attack before you can ever reach your first contact. You make your way across the vast landscape in all manner of vehicles, fulfilling contracts and hunting down open bounties. You main objective is the leader of North Korean forces, General Choi Song. The allies have a 100,000,000-dollar reward for his capture. He has the dubious distinction of being the `Ace of Spades' in a new Deck of 52, representing the 52 most wanted people in Song's military. You get the chance to capture or kill each and everyone of them, on top of working for the local warring factions.
There are a few major players in the North Korean theater. The Chinese, lead by the serious and taciturn Colonel Peng. The South Korean Union led from behind the scenes by the burned out CIA operative, Agent Buford. The Russian Mafia, headed by the off-kilter, hilarious, and in-over-his-head Sergei Voronov. Finally the Allied Nations commander for the region is a no-nonsense American, Colonel Samuel Garret. At first working for these faction generally pits you against their mutual enemy, North Korea. However the farther you get into the game, the more and more their missions will put you at odds with the other factions instead.
Great idea so far, but what about the action you ask? Well, I was getting to that. The game is a 3'rd person shooter in the best sense of the word. Controls follow the typical and effective dual-analog scheme, with one controlling your movement and the other controlling your aim. Combat is the main focus of this game, and it shows. You can carry at most two weapons and two types of grenades at any given time. This allows you to equip yourself based on what you expect to face or your personal preferences. An SMG and shotgun combo for mixing it up close, silenced SMG and sniper rifle for stealth, or an assault rifle and RPG launcher to face most anything. Although you can high-jack every vehicle in the game, with the exception of the jet aircraft the fly far overhead, controls aren't as tight as they could have been. Don't get me wrong, the controls are solid, but some vehicles (such as helicopters) just feel `better' than some of the other vehicles (such as tanks).
One thing that must be said about the vehicle high-jacking, is that it's not as simple as you may think. First you must eliminate the gunner (if there is one, such as on a tank or jeep), then you need to get to a certain point outside the vehicle before you can high-jack it. Let me just say this for the record, that high-jacking tanks NEVER gets old. It involves grabbing onto and swinging your self onto the barrel, running up its length to the turret, kicking open the hatch and gutting the occupants with a grenade before assuming control of it yourself.
Vehicles are not the only weapons at your disposal. What MERCENARIES does better than any other sandbox game (and arguable, any game in general) is the access you have to an incredibly destructive arsenal. There is a thriving black market in arms and equipment in North Korea, fueled by the Russian Mafia (hint: stay on the Mafia's good side). Access to their website, the Merchant of Menace, allows you to order everything from weapon and vehicle drops to artillery barrages and air strikes. The amount of air-power that you can purchase is staggering, including gun-ship runs (hail of bullets from the air, delivered by a C-130 gunship), anti-tank bombing runs, stealth bomber strikes, anti-air strikes, bunker-buster missiles, cruise missiles, fuel-air bombs, and even carpet bombing runs that level everything in the area. With enough cash, you can level every major city on the map.
What's more, all of this is done in glorious Havok physics. Yes, the same physics engine that powers games such as Halo 2, Psi-Ops, Max Payne 2, and most notable Half-Life 2 is present in this game. When buildings are destroyed, debris is blow out, and can hit and harm surrounding objects. C4 attached to vehicles will blow them sky high, as will launching an RPG at the ground right in front of them. Vehicles, crates, debris, and soldiers all flip, tumble, and collide with one another. Needless to say, the RPG launcher is one of my all time favorite weapons within the game.
Another important aspect of the game is the AI. MERCENARIES comes with the good and the bad. The AI can act very stupid at times, however what the AI lack in smarts it makes up with aggressiveness. The AI in MERCENARIES is some of the most stubborn and tenacious I've ever played. Enemy soldiers armed with RPG's will fire them at you at point-blank-range. Enemy personal will try to run you over, even in nonmilitary vehicles. I can't tell you how many times being run over by a North Korean supply truck has killed me. Enemy AI does make use of cover, often hiding behind vehicles and tree. What's more, the AI is programmed with a fluid cover AI that allows them to use debris, crates, and other dynamic and movable object throughout the world as cover. They are smart enough to hide behind a nearby overturned car, or stack of crates. And if you destroy the car or move the crates, they look for new cover accordingly. Just know that the enemy will swarm you, hunt you down, and try their very hardest to kill you; even going so far as to attack you with attack choppers and battle tanks.
Overall, the experience of MERCENARIES can be a bit shallow. The characters lack a lot of personality, and the story is loose and open-ended. But as long as that doesn't bother you, you should have plenty of fun. Its true strength is its open-endedness. Although there is often a `preferred' way to complete a mission, how you go about doing it is entirely up to you. Do you sneak in and pick off the enemy with a sniper rifle? Do you assault them with a hummer, tank, or even helicopter? Or do you call down an air strike (or two, or three) to level the entire area? How you complete each mission is entirely up to you, and the game can be completed without finishing even a majority of the missions. Really, how you play the game is entirely up to you.
Lastly, there are a few gripes I have with the game. For one, trees are indestructible. You can level an entire city and the tallest things standing will be the destruction-proof trees. The draw distance is adequate, and the enemies will never attack you from out of the fog-of-war. But when flying in a helicopter, you can't help but wish you saw that mountain you just hit, a bit sooner. Your character can't swim, so falling over the edge of a bridge or ditching a helicopter over water is a death sentence. Also, I really wish that your actions towards the factions where a bit more permanent. With enough money you can always bribe yourself into a faction good graces. However I can see that they did this as a design decision, as loosing access to the Merchant of Menace shop ran by the Russian Mafia could make the game unbeatable at times (especially the last mission, which often requires the spending of a few million dollars to complete).
Over all, MERCENARIES lives up to its sales pitch, `Playground of Destruction'. The game is an open ended and entertaining, if somewhat shallow experience. Overall, I'd give it a 5 out of 5. | video-games_xbox |
This game will enable you to add a couple of new numbers to the top of your frustration meter. I really have to give Sledgehammer credit where credit is due. They did what I considered impossible, and by a large margin. I thought Ghost was the ultimate in crappy games but AW put the lie to that notion.
Campaign. Eh, not to hard, finished it in two evenings on veteran. Pretty much the same old, same old. Kevin Spacey was an interesting twist, but fairly predictable by the 2/3 mark in the game.
Multiplayer: Pass the barf bag, please.
Lag: You can get further around a corner and still die than in any previous CoD. The trailing hitbox is enormous. And the lag messes with the response to controller input. Sometimes it's quick, sometimes you wonder if you didn't push the button hard enough.
Spawn death: I don't know why they won't ask Treyarch how they solved it, but in Black Ops II, I played for close to two and a half months before I thought,"Hey, i was just spawn killed." With Ghosts, it was the first day. With AW, it was the first game. I've lost count of how many times I've had back-to-back listings on the death feed. Once, I spawned in a corner (I know because I tried to back up and couldn't), so I took one step forward, and was shot in the back. Yes, it spawned an enemy so close behind me, we probably looked like we were spooning.
Since I only play HC Team Deathmatch, I can't comment on other games modes. Team deathmatch is an objective game, that is play as a team. It's gotten worse with every release but AW is by far the worst. Not only do 90% of the players play it like free-for-all, but they also, quite literally, do nothing but sprint around the maps as fast as they can. This contributes to the spawn death problem.
The vertical dimension added by the exo-suits is not enough to overcome the very bland maps, and all are mostly variations of the same idea. Whereas MW@2 had Derail and Wasteland, as well as the usual midget maps, each new iteration of CoD has less and less map variety.
Guns: Meh, lots of other reviews deal with that, but suffice it to say, not a lot of difference in terms of end result. | video-games_xbox |
As deep and immersive as the first - instant classic. Here's the thing: right now I'm wandering nighttime Seattle, having escaped the opening invasion of my shady spy academy/genetics lab by creepy hooded cultists. I don't know where I'll go next or what I'll do, but odds are it will be violent - I was never a man of peace in the original Deus Ex, and I am true to form this time. During the bravura opening sequence, one of the school's security guards told me to sneak out the back way while she dealt with the cultist in the next room; instead, I followed her out the door in crouch mode, let the cultist riddle her with bullets, then grabbed her gun, snuck around the darkened perimeter of the room, and capped the guy from behind. Of course, I didn't *have* to do that - I could have knocked the cultist out with my nightstick, or distracted him by throwing something at him, or I could have followed the guard's advice and avoided the situation entirely.
That decision lies at the heart of what made DEUS EX a game for the ages. And that heart is still beating in INVISIBLE WAR, which, like KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC, brings a deep PC-game sensibility to a new audience of console gamers.
DEUS EX is about creating immersive gameworlds that feel like the next best thing to reality; worlds where you make choices that have real consequences. Will you focus on stealth or go in like Rambo? Will you preserve life or end it? No matter what you choose, your actions will come back to reward and haunt you later in the game, as NPC characters remember where you have been and what you have done. Even your initial choice of character gender has repercussions on down the line.
The game feels right at home on Xbox, with solid, intuitive controls and an easily-navigable inventory system. Unlike other roleplaying games, or for that matter other first-person shooters, your inventory is limited to what a real person (or at least a real bionic agent) could plausibly carry.
But even though you can't lug around twelve suitcases' worth of weapons and medkits, you'll never be at a loss for tactical options, because you can almost always improvise your way through situations using the environment around you. Need to distract a guard? Send a beer bottle sailing into the alley behind him. Turret chewing you up? Upend a steel table and take cover!
The graphics so far are absolutely lovely; the fully dynamic lighting, in particular, has to be seen to be believed. Unfortunately, the human characters are animated rather stiffly - though better than in the original game - but watching the light play across the folds in their clothes as they move around is impressive. The environments aren't very big, and apparently none of them approach the huge outdoors levels of the original, but on the other hand the set design is finely-detailed and convincing - the lab, for instance, is built and laid-out like a lab, not like a secret labyrinth fortress of death.
The voice acting isn't up to KOTOR levels, but it's not bad, either. The lip-synching is also done admirably well. Your character has a lot more personality than JC Denton, though I admit that I found Denton's flat inflections kind of endearing.
The writing so far has been first-rate; the mysteries are piled on thick and more keep coming. This is clearly going in a different direction from the original, though: DX1 may have been all about conspiracies and secret societies, but the story was a pretty straightforward good versus evil setup, and you were never really in doubt as to which was which. In DX2, though, your choices are a lot more uncomfortable - right now, for instance, I'm being pulled to either support the big bad capitalist elite or the creepy hooded hippie cult. Neither option is particularly appealing, and of course neither group is exactly forthcoming with its real intentions. Which will I choose? Or will I play both sides against the middle? I don't know, but so far every path I've chosen has been fascinating and rewarding - and I have no doubt that the rest of the game will be as well. | video-games_xbox |
Great, challenging fun. Skateboarding is a fun sport - and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 lets anyone master the cool moves and spins from the comfort of your couch.
Let's start with the huge amount of customization available. You create your character, male or female, giving him a name, home town, age. You then can choose his hair style and color, shirt, pants, shoes, hat, logos, tattoos on ALL parts of the body.
For each item (say a shirt) there is a HUGE range of styles, colors and logos available. You can even tweak the various body parts to make them bigger or smaller! I was extremely impressed with how well you could really customize your player.
Next, there's a full skateboard park creator. You can build your fantasy park with ramps, benches, stairs and much more in it. Then you can have fun cutting loose! There are many sample parks included to play on or to draw inspiration from.
Now, on to the game. There's a Career mode that lets you move through a series of levels, accomplishing tasks on each one. You start out on the college level, zooming around, avoiding the cars on the streets or grabbing on to them for a ride. There are people hanging out around the college to talk to. One wants you to rip down signs promoting the local cop. Another wants you to search for letters. A third wants you to harass the frat boys that are causing trouble. There are a bunch of different missions, each one different, each one helping you to learn a different aspect of gameplay.
You can play single missions to, or against friends if you wish. It can be a bit tricky at first to get the hang of skateboarding, just like in real life. You tend to land sideways and go SPLAT on the pavement, little blood drops flying (you can turn off gore if you wish). But soon you get the hang of it and are doing cool tricks off the railings and walls you come across.
The levels are well laid out and very interesting, with fun scenery to interact with. The various challenges test different parts of your skills and help you learn new ones as you go. The soundtrack is great, with a wide selection of bands. You can turn on and off different songs if some don't appeal to you.
Highly recommended for sports fans! | video-games_xbox |
The Best Xbox One Controller. Pre-setup information: 1) Download latest firmware on your PC: [FIRMWARE LINK IN THE COMMENTS OF THIS REVIEW, POSTED BY NT]
2) Install the razer wildcat firmware updater program and run it
3) It will have directions on what to do, once you finish the installation it will say "Razer wildcat successfully updated" if it says razer wildcat not detected that means it is being recognized by windows as an xbox 360 controller or not recognized - in device manager it should say with a question mark or ! (Razer wildcat for xbox one) or something similar - if device manager reads it as this, it will update successfully.
Once that's done your controller is ready to use. Now for the review. The controller is great and with what limited options you have this is by far the best despite being a little bit expensive but Razer is known to be overpriced while not having the quality up to par. This controller however is good enough that I won't cry about the price. So basically the added buttons and the X/A/Y/B all feel like mechanical switches, the regular buttons feel normal. The D-pad is 4 separate arrows and very easy to use. You're allowed 2 custom profiles and one default profile. It's extremely easy to set up the extra buttons to do what you want, for example in Gears of War 4 I set my sprint, melee, and weapon pickup to the rear buttons - this way I'm able to run, melee, or take cover (wall bounce) without ever having my thumb leave the right thumbstick so I can keep aiming while in motion. The joysticks feel very responsive, the latency is reduced for being wired only, and the easy customization for the headset panel is super easy. I set the headset to have no in-game audio and only voice-chat audio, plus I can control the master volume from the controller.. it was super easy to setup and can be adjusted as you like.
The controller is light and ergonomic, the extra buttons are well placed and very easy to use. I do not use the rubber grips on the side because they're pointless unless you want to make it slightly more 'thick' - rubber grips are to prevent slipping but it's a controller which you hold with your entire hand and don't make any motion so it's not going to slip.. It's not a mouse. However the rubber grips on the joysticks are a must and feel pretty decent.
On the con side, don't ever hold the 'xbox' button and use 'turn this controller off' because next time it won't turn on until you unplug it and replug it in. It's a great controller all around and easily the best in the market, being wired only you never have to deal with batteries, the buttons are good, it's easy to use, and it's just all around a must have for anyone who likes to be a little bit competitive or just wants to not have to take their fingers off the thumbsticks. You can even use it in a racing game for easy gear shifting.
I highly recommend this controller and think it's one of the few razer products I've used that I'm fully satisfied with. | video-games_xbox |
I MAY QUIT WORK AND DUMP MY GIRLFRIEND TO PLAY THIS GAME 24 HOURS A DAY. I've been riding motocross bikes for 12 years and playing motocross games when the snow falls and I can't ride.
This game is fantastic! I've played several other motocross games by rainbow studios (and other game companies) and with each release they've improved by leaps and bounds (no pun intended).
The pros about this game:
-The motocross and atv content in the game is outstanding. If ALL you want to do is play MX or ALL you want to do is race Quads, then this is the game for you!
-You can race head to head quad vs. MX (but I find that the bikes are much faster!
-Rhythm is VERY important in this game, just like in real life. You can use your head to figure out the best line and carve it up. Should you mess up somewhere, there are other lines that will get you back in rhythm--FIND THEM!
-Each track is different and the jumps aren't made from a cookie cutter map designer. In other words, jumps have a variety of irregular and regular lips. Go over the lower part of the lip if you've got too much speed, or go over the higher part to clear that tripple jump!
-Seat bounce! You can get extra air by utilizing the suspensions compression and rebound at the jumps face. Very handy for clearing a jump if you simply can't get enough speed.
-Customize your gear, rider, and bike! Tons of mods.
-Rider views are great. Even the 1st person camera works decently well.
-Music is great
-Graphics are superb
-Physics are excellent
-Tail whip and 'scrub' feature
-Replay value is excellent. Because of the varying terrain, tacks, and race types/configurations I don't see myself ever getting tired of this game.
-Online play (I haven't tried this yet. I want to figure out the fastest lines for all the tracks first).
Cons: (Most of these could be fixed with a patch, should Rainbows step it up a little bit)
-You lose a TON of speed if you get t-boned. It sometimes feels like you're not planted to the ground when another mx bike or atv comes along and pushes you across the dirt. It feels like you're an air hockey puck and you just go from 40-50mph to like 10. It's bs. In real life you'd either bang handle bars and brush away or fall down.
-The music gets redundant. I must have played last night for about 2 hours. It was great but I wish I could add my own songs from my Xbox 360 or if Rainbow had added like 10 more to mix it up a bit more. Not a big problem, just trying to nitpick.
-The 1st person rider view could be improved a little bit more. I'd like to see more head movement so I could see the gas tank of the bike or to be able to look behind me (perhaps I haven't figured out the control). Either way, it's difficult to tell the pitch of the bike when landing a jump from the first person view.
-I keep wishing for a motocross game that allows for BIKE IMPROVEMENTS, i.e. increased horsepower. Remember those old Road Rash games? Where you started out on a 'rat bike' or a slower bike and worked your way up to a really fast pro bike? That's what this game needs. A career mode.
-Some of the atv tracks drive me nuts. I simply can't get the rhythm down or get enough speed or momentum to get over some of the jump faces--seat bounce or not. I'll figure it out I suppose, but fat, lumbering atv's aren't really my cup of tea.
-The tail whip could be improved slightly. It's great you can control that aspect now, but I was able to do that in Motocross Madness 2, where there was no such feature. Simply hit the brake in mid air and turn to the side. Tail whip. This game doesn't really make you hang loose in a tail whip. It's more mechanical looking and not as fluid as it should be. Still a rather small nit-pick from someone who actually has experience on the track.
-The replay mode. I was very disappointed I was unable to save my replays or pause it and move around the camera angles and take pictures. Rainbow Studios, you NEED this feature. Take a look at the game Forza 2. You can watch, control, (rewind!), change camera angles, AND TAKE A PICTURE which saves it to your Xbox's memory. This is great because you can show it to your friends and it's just a neat little feature. Plus I'd imagine it wouldn't be a bad way to get some free marketing since a bunch of people will be showing pictures of the game.
All in all, if you're a fan of off-road you shouldn't even be reading this far. You should be running (not walking) to get your credit card and swipe it right away and BUY THIS GAME. This game, simply put, is going to get much MUCH more game play than my Call of Duty or Halo 3 games. PERIOD. | video-games_xbox |
Lefty "Hendrix" Mode Review. Finally received this beautiful wooden strat from Amazon. I'm not going to repeat too much of what has been stated in the other reviews other than agreeing that this guitar is a work of art, great quality and craftsmanship, smooth fret buttons, and yes, the strum bar is very firm and clicky, it took some getting used to but I honestly stopped noticing it in a matter of a few songs, especially if you have your TV loud enough. And yes, it is heavier than the plastic guitars, but if you've used the Rock Band Squier or any other standard electric guitar before then it's not a big issue. For the current price of $59.99 it's an absolute steal.
What I can contribute is a lefty mode review for any lefthanders that might consider picking this up. The main thing to keep in mind is that this is a full sized right-handed guitar, designed to be held and played in the right-hand position. If you've ever seen or held a guitar like this in person you'd notice that the bottom left corner of the body is tapered down so when held properly your right strumming arm can lay comfortably on the guitar and the upper back side of the guitar(when held in playing position) is concaved to conform to your body/belly area. Flipping it over for lefty mode, neither of these design functions are there for you. The bottom right side of the guitar where your strumming arm would go over is actually the thickest, fattest point of the body due to the electronics and buttons being in that corner, so resting your arm on the guitar is a bit cumbersome. I found holding the guitar at a slight diagonal angle as opposed to parallel with my body to be more comfortable than trying to lay my arm over it. The body buttons thankfully are not in the way of my strumming arm no matter how I held it, whether it was by design or accident, they aren't in the way, to me at least. In fact, the proximity of the back "knob" button to the strum bar allows me to activate overdrive easily with the palm/edge of my strumming hand. (The tilt activation works fine as well with this guitar, but sometimes it causes me to miss a note or two if I'm not careful.)
As for the strap, there is only one anchor on the top for proper right-handed use, you can extend the strap long enough so you can flip it around for use in lefty mode, and for the most part the guitar hangs properly if you are holding it, however letting it hang freely will most like cause the guitar to flip over. I primarily play sitting down so this isn't a huge issue. If someone is skilled enough they can probably find a way to attach or move the anchor to the other side for proper left-handed use.
Other than these issues, the guitar works great in lefty mode just like any plastic guitar does. And being left-handed your whole life by now you've learned to adjust and live in a world made for right-handers anyways, so this is really no different than anything else us lefties are used to. I can't fault the guitar for being designed and built for right-handed use while trying to use it left-handed. Despite a couple minor comfort setbacks I would still recommend this guitar for any lefthander sheerly on the current price and quality of the guitar alone. One of the greatest guitarists ever used right-handed guitars left-handed (this guitar is almost spitting image of his '68 sunburst Fender Strat), so think of it as playing in "Hendrix" mode. :) | video-games_xbox |
Great if friends have it, otherwise rental. This is my review for Halo 3:ODST which is also posted on my website at [...]
Halo 3: ODST is yet another chapter in the Halo story, this game started off being an expansion to Halo 3 but enough content was put into it to make it its own game plus the second disc has hall the multiplayer maps from Halo 3 and that is probably how they justify the [...] price tag. The game came out Tuesday 9-22-09 and I was at my local gamestop at 12AM where I reserved it along with about fifty other people standing in the night air eagerly waiting to get there copy.
If you've been living under a rock for the last decade Halo is the Xbox exclusive first person Sci-fi shooter that love it or hate it always excels in sales. This Halo game puts you in the shoes of members of an elite cobat squad know as Orbital Drop Shock Troopers hence the title of the game ODST, this is a first as all the other Halo games you played as the enhanced soldier know as the Master Chief. My initial thoughts on this game as I played through the campaign story mode were really positive and pretty much still are except for the fact that it is a little on the short side(I played through it in about 6 hours on the normal difficutly). The mode I was really looking forward to and the reason I really wanted this game as I could see myself playing with others for a long time to come was the new Firefight mode which can best be compared to Gears of War 2's Horde mode where you take on groups of enemies with other online players. I am sure that if you have friends on Xbox live that have this game it is probably a great mode and a reason to keep this game, but as none of my friends have this game and there is no matchmaking like there is in regular multiplayer or even like horde mode in Gears of War2 I have already sold my copy of the game at the time of me writing this for just about what I paid for it.
My gripe with Fire Fight mode aside the game isn't that bad, the graphics are as good looking if not better than Halo 3's and I did like how the story played out where you find items in the burnt out city and then it takes you to play as the character that left that item behind, and if you don't own Halo 3 it's great that you can play those multiplayer maps on the second disc, however this game is not a keeper for me and I am going to give it a 3 out 5, if they had added matchmaking to the new mode I probably would have scored it higher, but there is no replay value for me in this game, and I could use the [...] towards another game in the future. | video-games_xbox |
A whole different ballgame. Forget everything bad you've ever heard about the first two Fevers, this one is completely different. If you've played either of the previous two, you might recognize the control scheme, but most likely nothing else.
The Graphics and animations have been completely redone, and players now resemble their real life counter parts. There are a lot of new tackling animations, and the way players run has been really smoothed out. Gone are the flaws like being able to get 10 sacks a game, 5 interceptions a game, and the ease of blocking field goals. NFL Fever has now added a little feature called defensive A.I.!
Maybe one of the biggest additions to the game falls in the passing category. The old school one button passing is still there, but unless you're a beginner, it won't bring you much success. The second option is trigger passing, giving you the ability to pinpoint the height and strength of your throws. The third, and hardest, is Read and Lead. You'll be using the right joy stick to aim your throws, and the trigger to pass. This will definetly take some time to learn, but it will be neccessary for maximum success.
The highlight of NFL Fever 2004, however, will undoubtedly be XSN Sports. With it you can organize your own leagues online, and all you have to worry about is showing up for the games. XSNsports.com will keep track of everything else.
As much as NFL Fever has improved, it still has it's downfalls. Somehow the announcing has gotten worse. They appear to have no concept of time at all, often questioning simple plays like taking a knee or going to a no huddle offense. Replays are not as smooth as they once were, and it often looks awkardly fast when players run to the line of scrimmage.
Overall, the NFL Fever series has now become a worthy contender in the football market. It doesn't have all the quirky little features like Madden, but it has transformed into a solid game of football. Anyone who's never played a game of NFL Fever should definetly give it a rent, but if you moderatly enjoyed the 2002, or 2003 editions, don't hesitate on picking this one up. | video-games_xbox |
Great looking, terrible everything else. NOTE: there are SPOILERS in this review, so bail now if that's not your cup of tea.
Let me start out by saying that I am a Final Fantasy fan, and I have looked forward to this game for quite some time. I went out and bought it, played it, finished it, and was stunned by how disappointed I was.
The best thing I have to talk about are the graphics - they are phenomenal, even on the 360. I've seen this played on the PS3, and unless you are exceptionally nitpicky, the graphics are essentially the same. The soundtrack is also OK. Unfortunately, now I have to move on to my gripes, and there are many.
First and foremost, have they mentioned the linearity before? Of course they have, but as it is the most fatal flaw of this game, it bears repeating AGAIN! You are forced down each path just as fast as you can button mash your way through the numerous enemies, your road set before you to the point that you could almost rubber band your controller, press A like crazy, and survive. Unlike most RPG's, XIII doesn't give even the illusion of explorability. There are several factors contributing to the linearity. First, There are no extensive side paths to add mystery, and side quests are nonexistent until late in the game. Even when side quests are finally available, they consist of simply going to kill different monsters, much like the marks of FFXII. Second, there are no towns or cities. Well, OK, there are a couple cities, but not ones in which you get to relax and stop fighting so that you enjoy a mini-game (there are none) or something. Third, You buy things from the save points, eliminating virtually all NPC interaction until much later in the game and any hope of juicy tidbits from the rest of the world. Without towns, this game becomes a rather boring series of battles, one after another, and the only breaks come from the numerous cutscenes. Fourth, there is no world map or ability to travel to previously visited locations. I had no choice about where to go and what to do, and this is something that I should never have to say about ANY game.
I'll talk about the battles next. While battles are occasionally visually entertaining and adopt a fast-paced feel, I still found my eyes drooping with a sleepy boredom on more than one occasion. I have several problems with the combat system in this game. First and foremost, I was only able to control my party leader. Also, until very late in the game, I was rarely even allowed to use more than two characters while fighting. This meant that, 9 times out of 10, my actions during a battle were limited to two simple actions: hitting A to tell my leader to attack, or asking my buddies to shift their "paradigm" to heal or buff the team. There was no strategy involved, and I used items so rarely they may as well not have existed at all. Second, I didn't see a noticeable difference in combat when I improved my character through the chrysarium, which is basically a flashier but dumbed down version of FFX's sphere grid. Battles were uniformly moderately difficult throughout the game, never super easy, never super difficult, and eventually mind-numbingly boring. My third problem arose with the lack of any real rewards. For me, a five star rating and a refill on Tech Points don't count. Although I occasionally obtained items that could be used to "improve" weapons or accessories (there was no armor), I never received money (virtually useless in this game anyway) or useful items for my trouble. Fourth, I couldn't go back to 99% of the areas of this game, so farming and level grinding were impossible. Despite the absence of materialistic satisfaction, of greater loss to me was experience. Don't get me wrong, my characters gained experience from each fight. However, as my level was capped at virtually every stage, most of the time, I really had nothing to do with experience gained and no motivation to go pick any fights. The joy of creating an unstoppable demi-god was squarely squashed. Fifth, for the most part, all the monsters looked the same. For all the graphic beauty of this game, the monsters all looked like different colored versions of monsters conquered in previous chapters! Sixth, I can't forget the aeons/gf/or whatever they're called in this game - I actually have forgotten, because I never used them. Summons provided some more brief moments of graphic awe, but I rarely used them due to the fact that they were useless. The leader is the only character enabled to use a summons during a fight anyway, and they didn't stick around long enough to do significant damage anyway.
Next, I feel the need to mention the lack of treasure. For me in the past, I received a great deal of joy in battling to the deepest depths of a dungeon in the most remote part of an obscure corner of the world to find the ultimate treasure. My fun was squashed here due to the facts that there was no really valuable treasure, and what treasure existed was blind-man easy to find. You could buy any weapon or accessory that could be found and upgrade it to it's "ultimate" status, so once again I experienced a lack of motivation to go and look for something better.
Finally, I wanted to mention character development. The cutscenes in this movie (game?) do a passable job of developing the characters, even if characters are developed into FF stereotypes. However, the development of the main character, YOU, is nonexistent. I did not feel like I was ever truly, deeply involved in the development of my characters.
I tried to like this game. I wanted to like this game. I just couldn't like this game. As a stand-alone game, the only plus that FFXIII has going for it are the graphics and, maybe, the story line. As a continuation to an epic series, well, it isn't, it doesn't, it shouldn't.
In summary, it seems like SE has sacrificed everything that makes a good game for good graphics. I have bad news for them - graphics alone will not sell games! I, for one, will probably rent the next SE creation instead of buying on opening day. In fact, if the next FF doesn't improve drastically, I will discontinue my support of their products entirely, and I imagine that there are many hardcore fans as well as first-timers that feel the same way. | video-games_xbox |
Not good, but still not the worst game out there. To start off, I played little of this game. I don't even own it. Most of my experience was at a friend's house and from watching Youtube videos of various people playing the game. One of the first things I notice in the first episodes is reluctance, even loathing of the audience that suggested this game. All-around, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG (also known as Sonic '06 in this article) has met some fairly negative response. I have noticed several five-star reviews of this game as well as one-star reviews. I'm assuming that these reviews are from children and adults, respectively. Me, I'm the middle ground - a fairly immature teenager. I've had experience with Sonic games for many long years, and though I've rarely beaten any of them in my first playthrough, I can say that I have a moderate level of experience and ability. And this is where we get into gameplay. Sonic's running speed, from what I have heard, is much slower than in previous games. I, personally, was never bothered by a lack of speed, save for during breaks in Silver's story. Oh, Nayru, that jungle overworld... Moving on... My main problem with the game was when things heated up - specifically, when Sonic entered his Mach Speed sections. When I played some of the game at a friend's house, I lost all of my lives in the first level thanks to this mechanic. Here's the system in a nutshell - you're moving at mind-blowing speeds at last. You can only move left and right, as well as jump, until you hit a ramp. No acceleration, no deceleration. IN ADDITION, if Sonic runs into any obstacle, he will take damage. If you run into a large wall, you're practically screwed. I have seen some people pull these sections off in a moderate time, without failing miserably, but I have never pulled it off. Combat, like movement, has also been slowed down. Enemies have health bars, similarly to previous titles in the series, and some must be struck as many as six times to be defeated. In addition, Sonic can no longer jump into enemies to defeat them. The homing attack is now the basic form of combat. This should be no big deal for people who grew up with 3D Sonic games, such as myself, but people with much more experience will most likely dislike this change in the combat system. The Spin Dash, fortunately, makes a return, but is rather downgraded. For one, you can only use it while standing still. Using it on the fly is a no-go in this game. It is also lacking a cancellation feature - unlike in previous titles, you can't cancel your Spin Dash with a jump. You'll keep going, grounded, until you lose speed or fall off of the stage. If I remember correctly, the Boost made a return as well. As you progress, you can purchase upgrades that aid in gameplay. Normally, the upgrades drain an energy meter, but due to a glitch in Sonic's gameplay, his energy - that's right - never depletes. This means that you can use the many upgrades, such as infinite jumps, a magnetic field that attracts rings, and more OP abilities along those lines, as many times as needed. At last, a glitch that is actually USEFUL... But I digress. I still need to explain the other characters. Like in the Sonic Adventure titles, you are given control of several different characters, nine total. The characters are Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose, Shadow, Rouge, E-123 Omega, Blaze, and newcomer Silver. Sonic and Shadow's gameplay is practically the same, with Shadow's levels being focused more on combat than anything else. Blaze also handles similarly, and also has an admirable double jump that makes platform ing a cinch. I, admittedly, felt the most at home while controlling Blaze when I was at my friend's house. Tails, of course, is much slower, and moves through levels in a manner similarly to his levels in Sonic Adventure 1. However, his combat is solely reliant on Fake Ring Bombs, which are kind of sluggish and make gathering lost rings after taking damage a little cumbersome. When Tails gets tired from flight, he immediately begins falling rather than simply losing altitude over time. Knuckles and Rouge control similarly to their Sonic Adventure 2 appearances. However, during collection missions, you aren't given a radar, so you're stuck wandering for a while. Rouge, if I heard correctly, also relies on those pesky Fake Ring Bombs. Amy Rose is back to her Sonic Adventure 1 gameplay, but her double-jump not only puts Blaze to shame, but she also possesses a random and rather worthless invisibility power. E-123's combat is now based on sluggish ballistics, but I don't know much otherwise. And finally, Silver. Silver is a telekinetic hedgehog from the future and Blaze the Cat's best bud and sidekick. Silver, for a hedgehog, is surprisingly slow, and he cannot use Sonic and Shadow's homing attack. Instead, Silver relies on the most unique moveset in the game - his psychokinetic powers, which allow him to pluck bullets from the air, as well as miscellaneous objects from the ground, and send them hurtling at whatever unhappy camper is in his way. Silver also possesses a limited levitation technique. When I asked my friend if I could play Sonic '06, I was dead-set on trying out Silver. His psychokinesis combat style was often a little more interesting than simply spamming the Homing Attack, or hurling a Fake Ring Bomb. So, I've mentioned some negatives, so now I'll quickly list some positives about the gameplay. The character models and environments are detailed (although the contrast between cartoonish Sonic the Hedgehog and realistic Princess Elise is just unnerving), and the soundtrack is among the greatest of any Sonic game. If you're scared of the horrible gameplay, then I highly recommend purchasing the OST just to hear the game's greatest asset. And, of course, Silver - who is a total idiot in the story most of the time - gets kicked in the head by Shadow in one of the most loved scenes in the game. A gif of the scene can be found here - [...] - and that's about it. I'm not rating this based off of plot, but this is all I'm going to say... Sonic and Elise kiss. Bleh. I'm giving this game two stars mostly because of my lack of experience with Sonic '06. If I had more time to get to know and understand the game, the rating might be a lot higher... or a lot lower. I seriously enjoy the original soundtrack, and, though I don't hate Silver, it IS funny to watch him get completely owned by Shadow's Chaos Control/Roundhouse Kick combo over and over. This game's memories are both good and bad, and I may get my own copy just to see if it can bounce back from this mediocre rating. If you want a challenge for keeping your sanity in the face of rushed game features, and love the rockin' music, I truly recommend this game. Otherwise, I suggest keeping your distance. | video-games_xbox |
Cannot recommend. I wish I could return it and get a full refund. Game Mode:
Replacing Franchise mode with the new Connected Careers Mode (CCM) was an epic fail. They took something that probably defined Madden from years past and essentially removed it. The new CCM is not even close to the classic Franchise mode. Controlling a franchise in CCM does not feel the same. From being able to edit players to the menus to adding your own players to having full control of your franchise, the classic Franchise mode had it right. I'm not an online gamer. I prefer to create a Franchise and play for many seasons until a new Madden comes out. Once EA removed Franchise mode, this game is pretty much useless to me. The new CCM really makes me want to return the game.
Gameplay:
Offense - Once you get past the fact that there is no Franchise mode, the gameplay has been okay at best. I like to play in All-Pro difficulty. I've been playing at All-Pro since Madden 05 up onto Madden 10. My offense has always been good. I would throw an average of 8 interceptions and 80 touchdowns per season. A little unrealistic but I threw on just about every down. I did all of these without the help of any sliders. Now, on Madden 13, I can't seem to go through a game without throwing at least a pick. I've been averaging about three picks per game. So I said to myself, "okay, maybe I shouldn't throw on every down." So I started mixing my plays, runs, short passes, and screens, yet, my offense was still bad. I cannot throw anything down field because it gets intercepted. The only types of throws I can complete are slants and crossing routes by the slot receiver. Anything over 15 yards? I better pray it doesn't get intercepted. Another thing, the players seem to fumble a lot. This really kills the game for me. Throughout the course of a game, I can complete like two successful touchdown drives. And once I get into a red zone, I can't seem to punch it in. If I try to zip the ball into the receiver, it gets intercepted. If I try to run it, the RB gets stuffed. Like 90% of my red zone attempts end in a FG. All the other drives usually end into a turnover. I'm so used to having such a high-octane offense that I can't seem to execute in this game.
Defense - This is the only reason why I can still enjoy this game to some extent. Why? Because my defense is crazy good without much effort. Unlike the offense, I play with the defense with no sliders and I keep the All-Pro difficulty. I run the same play with different base formations. That play is the Cover 2 Man. I run the same play and I get like three picks a game. I find it so dumb that my CBs can get so many interceptions. I play with the Chargers so their best CB is average. I was playing against Drew Brees and the Saints, and one of my CBs picked off Brees seven times. I picked him off nine times in total. Although most of them were user picks, I find it very hard to believe Brees will ever throw nine picks in a game, and this was all in All-Pro difficulty with no sliders and seven minute quarters with accelerated play clock. On average, the CPU gains like 150 yards per game with about 4 turnovers. Considering that I only get like 200 yards per game, I find it fair but very unrealistic.
Overall:
I really cannot recommend this game. Unless you're into playing online games, then you probably won't enjoy this game all that much. I should've just stuck with Madden 10 because it simply works. I wish I could return the game and get a full refund but at this point, it's too late. If you're on the fence about buying this game, don't buy it. Save your money. Wait for EA's exclusive contract to be over. I think at this point, I might not buy another Madden game without renting it first. Heck, I might not by another Madden game ever again! This game has been a huge disappointment, one of the biggest over-hyped pieces of crap I've ever bought. | video-games_xbox |
A Modern Day Masterpiece. I admit, I am very, very tired of the latest "Call of Battlefield" military-themed FPS games out there. They are all indistinguishable from one another - all involve saving the world, all involve similar tactics, and 10 minutes into such a game, you have a firm, "been there, done that" vibe. I played and greatly enjoyed Bioshock 1 and 2, because they were set in a very unique and atmospheric setting, and had a great story-line as well.
By the time of this review, this game as long been out and reviewed to death. Still, I wanted to throw in my two cents because I have now played through the entire game and feel it deserves every bit of critical praise heaped upon it.
You play as Booker Dewitt, an ex-Pinkerton sent to a city in the clouds to rescue a girl. It is set in the early 1900's. You have plasmids (like in Bioshock) but they are called Vigors here. The story is quite good, the voice-acting is outstanding, and the action is fresh, with plenty of action. About half way through it started to feel a bit repetitive, as most shooters do, but once I understood that I needed to upgrade my Vigors, I started using them more creatively and the combat finally clicked for me.
The graphics and colors in this world are stunning. It was amazing how much detail and thought went into even the smallest details, details you would miss unless you were looking carefully. The game ended, and I found myself searching the internet to see if others shared my interpretation of it. The overall story is quite thought provoking - something I expect from a book or good movie, not a game. Play it yourself and see. I don't want to risk spoiling anything, but if you love a good story in an FPS (think Half-life 2, or the original Deus Ex) this game is worth a look. At first blush it may seem more of the same, but it isn't. This is a modern day masterpiece - an overused phrase but once that applies here. | video-games_xbox |
Madden 2013, Why All The Hate. I've been a fan of the Madden series really since they started releasing the games on the Nintendo 64, but I didn't get into it heavily until they started releasing the game on the Playstation/PS2 and Xbox. Over the past few years Madden has received a bad rap mainly due to the game staying exactly the same (basically) except for the rosters being updated. So what happens this year? They do a COMPLETE overhaul on the game updating basically everything and people are complaining, why should I be surprised? The gameplay on this years Madden is excellent! The all new infinity engine is great and really makes for some awesome, more realistic gameplay than the past couple of Madden's. Although there are some bugs with the infinity engine, it still is great to see that they are trying something new as the gameplay in the past 5 of so Madden's has been basically the same besides a few things. Now, the main thing (at least I think) that people are upset about is the Connected Careers mode, no fantasy draft, as well as not being able to import draft classes from NCAA 13. While I am a little upset that the old franchise mode and fantasy draft have been removed from this year's Madden, I do think that they have improved on so many things this year that there is hardly any room to complain. Sure, it takes some getting used to while playing the Connected Careers, and sure, having no fantasy draft is kind of a drag, but the improvements that have been made on this game are phenomenal, and this is the most realistic gameplay that I have ever seen in Madden. Not only that, but they have removed Collinsworth and Michaels and put in Nantz and Simms in their place. They have also updated/changed the instant replays (making them more dramatic? Seems like that to me anyways). Also, the old generic scoreboard tracker (at the top when you are playing a game) has been updated to look like CBS, except it says EA Sports instead of CBS (Nice touch). All in all, if you are open minded to trying something new when it comes to Madden this year, I highly recommended this year's Madden.
* The only reason I rate it 4 stars instead of 5 is mainly because of fantasy draft mode not being included, and that it does take some time to get used to CC.
EDIT: As of 9/14/12 they have added the fantasy draft option to the game. | video-games_xbox |
Original Campain & New Reach Multiplayer Maps - Don't Expect More. It seems a lot of reviewers are already slamming this game - and in many cases it seems that they simply weren't aware of what they were buying. What you get when you buy CE:Anniversary is the original game, with the option to view it with shiny new graphics - the game play is the same, the HUD is the same, the voice acting is the same, it is identical, just with new window-dressing. And thrown in for good measure, you get a handful of new multiplayer maps and a new firefight map, all for Reach. You will probably be a lot happier if you think of it this way: it's like a remaster of an old, beloved cd, with a few bonus tracks thrown in.
And the bonus material is nice. I like the new multiplayer maps, though the new firefight map is nothing to write home about (343 did a MUCH better job with the firefight map that came in the Defiant map pack). However, as I stated, these maps are, for all intents and purposes, just a new map pack for Reach. It's my understanding that there are some playlists that contain some elements of the old multiplayer experience, but I haven't come across them yet. These maps are playable using the CE:Anniversary disc, though only certain playlists are available. There is also a download code included to use these maps with the Reach disc, a system which is - at least at this early date - somewhat confusing. (Just browse through some online reviews, and notice how many people seem perplexed as to exactly how these maps work.)
As for the campaign mode: as groundbreaking as Halo was 10 years ago, its campaign is now sadly dated, and no amount of new graphics will hide that fact. In the exterior levels it's painfully obvious that you are playing on all the old, low-poly geometry, just with a new paint job. I came to the franchise late - Halo 3 was my first, after which I ran out and got CE and 2 - and it only took my a few minutes playing the campaign before I remembered why I hadn't picked it up again since the last time I played it. (You would think that if they were going to spruce up the graphics, they would have at least made all those tedious, repetitive hallways look a little different from one another, but no. I was lost on the Pillar of Autumn within minutes of the action starting, just like the first time around.)
Because of that, I'm sad to say, I have to give this game a mediocre 3-star review. It would have been nice if 343 had provided us with some new game types that at least emulated the original multiplayer experience, and I personally would have liked to see the campaign totally upgraded, instead of just slapping a new paint job on an antiquated game. The new HD paint jobs are, in my opinion, a little weak, as well. The colors are too bright and over-saturated for my taste, and the result looks a bit tacky and cheap. 343 Industries have so far been responsible for a couple handfuls of multiplayer and firefight maps and some new graphics, all of which have been good, but not great. I can only hope they are able to live up the franchise's standards with next year's release of Halo 4.
So, if you want to relive the first game, or just be able to play it on your 360 without dealing with the backwards compatibility issues (slight, but sometimes annoying just the same), then you will probably enjoy this release. If you're only looking to add the new maps to Reach, you can simply download them online and avoid the campaign (and some of the cost) altogether. If you're looking for the original multiplayer experience, or looking for a modern, up-to-date campaign, then you will be disappointed. | video-games_xbox |
Great Platform Game. Skylanders is a 3d platformer for just about every platform out there right now , 3DS, Wii, Xbox 360, and PS3. The main characters are the Skylanders, who are monster-type characters who are fighting an evil force trying to destroy their world. For kids it is easy to understand and get into. Now comes the interesting part. The main character with whom you play as is also an action figure who is in the real world. Once this figure is placed on the portal, the character comes to life in the video game.
There are also light rpg elements to the game as well. There is leveling up as enemies are defeated and special items are collected, which are silly hats. This adds an exploration element to the game and is a bit more to bite into for more experienced players.
The physical figures themselves are very interesting. The figures have RFID's encoded in them which means all your data for your character, the level ups, the currency, the collectibles are all saved to the figure itself. So lets say you have the Wii version of the game, which we do, and a friend has the Xbox 360 version of game. When you go over to your friends house with your Skylander it will work with all your progress saved and the ability to play as that character on your friends Xbox version of the game. This is first time a saved game can be carried over to another system with such ease.
Now you might be saying to yourself, the figures themselves must have allot of moving parts, hard drives and such where they need to be handled with extreme care. Well this isn't true in the slightest. These figures can be banged around dropped, even frozen and submerged in water with no loss of data. RFID's are really neat and worth checking out if you are interested. FYI, RFID's are what they implant in your pet when they get chipped.
I would suggest playing this game with your kids, you will both be pleasantly surprised. We had the pleasure of trying out the Wii version and I have to say I enjoyed the game as much if not more then the kids, :) | video-games_xbox |
A Step Backwards from NFS: Carbon. I'm a big fan of the NFS series, so I'll make this short. There is no redeeming quality to this game, it doesn't show anything new or special or amazing enough to keep your interest.
I liked Carbon, thought it was fun, had a few interesting ideas, I was sad to see they left out a few game modes like Drag. The customizable vinyls were a great invention here.
I liked Pro Street, but only because the graphics and customization was really detailed. The thing I *DID* like was, aside from different teirs of cars, all the performance parts and vinyls and paints were unlocked from the start, and the only thing holding you back was money. You could have a pretty cool looking car, even at the beginning. The gameplay was suffering in some areas, like controls being a little sloggish, and having no story other than *beat these races to unlock these races to unlock these races*.
---= And now for NFS : Undercover. =---
First off, the controls suck, they're WAY over sensetive. You have to understand, I play Pro Street with the handling turned on expert, and I know all about using the ebrake, taking corners, and powersliding. In this game, your car jerks left and right and turns on a dime, allowing you to take corners going 50 miles an hour with no difficulty at all. If you TRY to slow down and e-brake, your car will probably spinout and do a 180. The first 5 seconds of the game shoved me into a getaway chase, and i kept slamming into cars along the highway, because i'd TAP the arrow key only to jerk wildly and overshoot my delicate steering.
The graphics are a huge let-down. It's not only a step back from Pro Street, but I honestly find myself wondering if Carbon looked better than this game.
The customization of your car has been CRIPPLED. All of the upgrades need unlocking, so you're back to the "I have to drive a crappy looking car until i beat half the game" syndrome. Also, while in the shop for vinyls, a happy little popup informed me
"To Increase Online Performance, Vinyls will not be displayed in Multi-player Mode."
...WHAT?! Fail. Fail fail fail.
Also, don't be tricked by them telling you the game has open-free roam racing. You still have magical barriers that appear in races, making all the courses linear, unlike the Midnight Club games.
the ONLY good thing about the game, is that the map is huge. They took every complaint about Carbon being too short, and seem to have added 2-3 more city areas to the world map. Unfortunately, the game is so absolutely unbearable, that after playing for a few hours, I couldn't take it anymore.
Skip this game, DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON IT. WAIT UNTIL THEY PRODUCE A DECENT GAME, AND NOT THIS SHODDY-RIPOFF. I'll be waiting for the next in the series. They've let me down, and I'll hope they learn their lesson to please the fans, not screw us over. | video-games_xbox |
Not much changed. They changed practically nothing, which isn't necessarily bad, the game play is gods, but I don't really see any improvements other than the stupid fighting for every big check and the ridiculous bouncy ball puck. seems to me they put that stupid stuff in the game so they can sell you the "improved" version next year. It was inexcusable to have such thing in the game.
I see no improvement in the other annoying things of the game. A lot of cheap goals going in, the computer getting rebounds right to their players stick while a rebound of your shot goes up in the air. The computer takes the puck right off your stick, while you have to poke it away to try and get it, often goes right to the same player or their teammate. or you check a guy, the puck sits right under him and he retains the puck. lots of passes intercepted trying to cross the puck, tons of blocked shot. Try to make a saucer pass, it's inaccurate. You get these great close up opportunities and goalie makes absurd saves but shoot from the point, you will score a lot. Or one move you score too often is coming down the wing (say left side with a right handed stick, move to center while holding puck in shooting position then aim to the left upper corner. Score so many times. I hate making great plays, getting no goals, then getting a cheap goal.
Another thing is your teammates. Come down 3 on two or one and your idiot teammate sets right next to you instead of going to open spaces. Or moving out of the zone they sit there way too long instead of moving up for a pass.
And I love Emerick announcing, but it's a lackluster version of him. Where is the super exciting version you hear on TV. All the good features seem to be on the newer consoles which is unfortunate. And the things they say are repetitive and annoying. "Geometrically passed" what the hep does that mean? Every pass is geometric.
I really don't think they did anything other than add new rosters and stop the bouncing puck and fighting issues. I expected a little more. I hate when they try to change too much so appreciate not that much changing but don't see enough improvements that still makes what is seemingly a great game maddening
RANT
Same things that drove me mad about 14 are all the same. The CPU has a different set of physics than your team. They make absurd moves you can make, they easily take the puck right off your stick, you have to poke it away and usually goes right back to them or teammate. Penalties! I have setting slow, CPU penalties high, yet I'm lucky if I get a PP a game, while I'm always in the box. How can you get the puck if every poke, or stick lift turns into a penalty. And Boarding calls are absurd, every big hit into the boards is a penalty, many times 5 min majors. It's fun to work the PP, but the CPU hardly ever gets penalties. And how often you have three guys in front of your net, and the CPU manages to pick up the puck and score. What the hell! This game drives me nuts. Keep messing with settings but don't want to win every game, but also don't want to be a frustrated at this stupid things the CPU can do that your players don't. It's ridiculous! This game can be so good.
You work to set up great plays and chances, get stoned, CPU shoots from point or stupid angle and scores. When they are on PP, they will likely score on any shot they take. So stupid.
Ahhhh! Why didn't they improve this stuff! | video-games_xbox |
Challenging although feels too fast. I've played through all the Gradius titles (thanks to my PSP and PS2) and a little bit of R-Type (I picked up Final while waiting on this to come out to warm up). I've always been a fan of shooters (or shump as they're sometimes called) and picked this up simply because I'm always up for trying new ones (even though I'm not fond of the theme).
The game's menu itself is different in that the right analog stick also doubles as a mouse cursor. I still find it faster to navigate the menus using the left stick and rapidly picking choices rather than slowly dragging the cursor along the screen. My only complaint is that there isn't a record screen that I could find. The only way to know which level each character was would be to complete a game or get a game over (and exiting a game to my knowledge rewards no experience).
I originally played through the game in Story Mode on Normal difficulty. It was rather difficult but at the same time I was given unlimited continues through it so I was able to just push through the story rather quickly. Pace wise the game felt extremely fast compared to either R-Type or Gradius V. As soon as your character got shot off the screen (instead of blowing up) she would be quickly put back into action with little delay and given one power up to either use or save up. It shares traits of Gradius V in that Options are thrown out in front to be picked up by any player later. On the negative side in Gradius V during the invincibility I could go through walls to recover lost Options while here it isn't possible. The story felt rather short but at the same time Gradius V with the instant respawn disabled and R-Type take forever when stuck in certain areas with no powerups.
The stages themselves are difficult but they're not demanding in terms of pixel perfect flying. There aren't any areas that will crush the experienced player or any areas of memorization that I could tell. Knowing how Gradius stages work can definitely help. On the other hand I can't lose lives by hitting the floor or ceiling which doesn't seem right (similar to that when I played R-Type Final) but overall it does remove that strain from the bullet storms.
Score Attack only has three lives and there is the option to submit the score to Xbox Live and to save a replay. There's a limit of how many replays can be saved but I'm given around however many are there per page times 10. It's best to set up the user profile in options because the leaderboards can be sorted by region, birthday (month) and character. A lot of people are lumped into January without probably realizing it.
I've played offline multiplayer with another person. As far as I know there weren't any continues and once the lives were gone the game was over. I might try out Xbox Live later on.
The Special Edition includes a soundtrack nicely placed on the inside cover of the art book. There are 35 tracks on one disc. The art book also contains artwork from the prequel Otomedius G (Gorgeous). The two pillow cases...No comment but I don't think I'll use them.
Overall it is fun and not nearly as grueling as Gradius although with it being centered on DLC in the future I give it four stars. I just hope Konami does well because as far as I know I was the only one who pre-ordered it from where I got my copy from.
(...I should probably buy a new TV and get rid of the 36" CRT) | video-games_xbox |
Why Xbox 360 Remains Relevant, And The Best. Well here are my reasoning's for why 360 will always be the best, right next to the PS2, and Super Nintendo.
1. The Overall game selection is so diverse and huge, there are literally thousands more titles than on current gen consoles.
2. As I said the library is immense, not only that but the games are/were so much more fun and innovative. Now everything is a sequel or "remaster" and it seems developers are running out of new IP's (ideas) Or just trying to hard to create new ones.
3. Even when you're offline you can play. Take it anywhere, plug and play.
4. The 360 controller is still by far the best ever made imo. And I like that the batteries last months, and not hours like Sony's dual shock controller.
5. Price, well yes years ago games and the console were expensive, now they are dirt cheap. And the games (used) are so cheap you can walk out of gamestop with about 20 games for under or around 50$, the price of one new one today.
6. Demo's galore, Xbox 360 is still the master when it comes to demos to test, even for older games. And the arcade titles are fantastic.
7. Lots of current gen games (over the last two years) are on this console. Destiny, Thief, Watch Dogs, COD, Rise Of The Tomb Raider (great I might add) among many others. And just a slight graphical upgrade to me just is NOT worth it. For either new console.
8. Overall the system is just more "fun", which I think people have forgotten about.
9. Backwards compatibility is just a gimmick on "Xbox One" to try and get people to get rid of their old consoles. Which isn't ever going to happen here. They will never have ALL the games emulated for XB1, so it's a no go for me. I have to big of a back catalog to even consider getting rid of it. And I'm just a casual gamer.
10. New consoles are really not that far ahead, just better graphics, but technology that's actually nearly 4 years behind what it should be today.
So Xbox 360 to me along with the other ones i mentioned, are just the ultimate gaming consoles in my mind. And as long as Xbox Live is up, the 360 will be just fine, I don't play against anyone online anyway. And as for it going "down" in 2016, nah, I don't see it happening since millions of players still play on 360 and Microsoft profits from it. And that's their forte'. I'd say as long as it's up for Xbox One it will continue for 360 as well. So just get this console, "new" even if you have an older one. Just for back up. I did, and it's sitting in the box. So if my old one goes, boom there it is. I love the old games, and play them very often. I tried XB1 and PS4, and played many of the games on them. And I just can't keep one, or get into them. It's like they are beta-testing machines and both companies are just seeing how they pan out. Hence why they are already talking about (upgraded versions of these new consoles). Also exclusives are thin, 3rd party titles are meh, and the overall feel just isn't there. So if I have to game with confidence "in the past" that's where I'll stay. Also I have a gaming PC, for if I there is an absolute must have. DOOM should play great on my PC, and Gears 4 is the only game I would consider "renting" on XB1. But we'll see when the time comes.
From what I see, XB1 and PS4 just aren't going anywhere fast. The games come slow if they come at all. Time will tell. As of now, this is the system to have for all casual gamers, and then some. If you're hardcore and need the latest, (and you're from 12 to 30), then go for it. I'm 40. So time wise I'm limited, so I chose to go with what I like. And that's this system. Until it dies. See ya. :) | video-games_xbox |
A blast, but still not what I was hoping for. In the tradition of the Disappointing Two Towers EA's Return of the King is an action based... well... hack 'em up. Its disappoint short, with mediocre at best graphics (Sorry folks I've been seriously spoiled by games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill 3) and its story is just barely enough to keep you playing, much like the last one. The big difference is that this game contains many more characters (nine in all) and a much larger amount of missions. Not only that, but ROTK also makes up for its shortcomings with an incredibly well done two player Co-Op mode. This is a feature that every hack and slash game needs! Although the graphics are better than the lackluster Two Towers (which looked like a high resolution PS 1 game) its still not up to my expectations for a game baring the Lord of the Rings license. There is no lip movement (which is appalling with today's technology) the animation is stiff, and the game contains some issues with clipping and collision detection. Don't let these issues dissuade you from playing this game, however, without a doubt ROTK is the best game based on the Tolkein stories, period. No other Lord of the Rings game comes close (though War of the Ring is looking pretty good). This game is genuinely good despite its flaws. It is nowhere near as flawed as Vivindi's Fellowship of the Ring (which borders on completely unenjoyable) and last years Two Towers (which was fun, but defiantly not as good as it could have been).
ROTK takes what Two Towers did do right and expands upon those ideas making a highly enjoyable experience that is actually worth the price of the game (even though it is still a bit short). I appreciated being able to play as every member of the Fellowship. It's what the Two Towers was sorely lacking, and I probably would have enjoyed the Two Towers much more if the character selection had been as versatile. After actually seeing the movie I would have liked to have more missions based off of Minias Tirith, but what's there was a lot of fun.
The end of the game promises a new EA game called "Lord of the Rings Trilogy" in 2004. It'll be interesting to see how this game turns out. If the two EA LOTR games are merely "demos" of a much larger game I'm going to be very upset. If this is the LOTR RPG I've been hoping for that lets you play as all nine members of the Fellowship and follows the best elements of both the book and the movie with a deep, rich plot focused story that will take what was in the movie, and ad events, and characters that were in the book, but neglected for the film and incorporate them into the game. Here's hoping that's what EA has in mind. | video-games_xbox |
Great 1 Tb Package: Go with it over a Kinect One. So there have been many negative reviews about this package. Here is my story and opinion:
So I have wanted an Xbox One for some time and was waiting for a larger hard drive system to be released at a reasonable price. I personally really did not care about the included Call of Duty game or the console graphics, I purchased the system to play Forza Horizon and the Halo Master Chief Collection. Both have been great games. I must say the console and included wireless controller look pretty cool and do not overly scream Call of Duty. The custom sounds the console makes when ejecting a disk and turning on/off are also not overdone. The graphics are pretty great (not as good as my gaming pc, but good for a console) and great games like Forza, Halo, Gears, etc. can only be played on Xbox.
There have been many complaints about the game downloading. The included game is a downloadable copy and not a physical disk copy. My school has terrible internet speed so at about 7/8 mb/s the 50Gb game took 3 days to download. The download can be paused and successfully install doing so many time. Those who were looking forward to the day one release were likely disappointed by the long download times ad server problems. I agree that a physical copy should be included.
Here are my problems with the Xbox One system in general coming from a 360:
1. You pretty much have to always be connected to the internet. When you first turn on the system it downloads a huge update for the system. When done you realize your 1 Tb system has less than 750 Gb on it. While there are technical reasons why 1 Tb is not actually a 1Tb in free space, the operating system os is still huge. Sloppy programming in my opinion as it is several times larger than windows 7 os. Anyways back to the internet, every time you want to play a game it seems there is up to a 100 mb download required to play. While you can unplug your internet to just play the game, it seems there are a lot of updates; almost constant.
2. Things like achievements, game dvr, etc. need to be connected to the internet to use. While the idea behind this is so that developers can constantly add new achievements or goals, but there are times when you just want to be safe and have the achievement pop up after completing something hard and not wait for your internet to catch up. A lot of cut scenes and extra features in games like Halo: TMCE buffer through a 3rd party app called the Halo Channel and with my internet have terrible quality.
3. You cannot join a party with xbox 360 friends. You can message them, but who does that?
4. You cannot play games from disk, you have to download them to the console's hard drive. With less than 750 Gb or so free to use, a few 50 Gb games like Halo, COD, etc. add up fast. You do the math, you can only have a few games installed at a time. My recommendation if you do not have a strong internet service always buy the physical copy. Downloading a 50 Gb game takes about an hour from the disk compared to the days from the Xbox store.
5. To use your old 360 headset like my expensive turtle beach you need the $30 headset adapter to use with the new console controllers.
6. No backwards compatibility with 360 games, at least not yet.
Overall I really like the console, but wish things like the party system and having to be connected to the web for achievements would be fixed. The COD edition is currently the only 1 Tb system and I highly recommend the space over having a Kinect, which I haven't need once yet. Unless you plan to run your cable box through the Xbox One, not really a necessary accessory. Hope my review helps, but again is my opinion only. | video-games_xbox |
An absolute masterpiece in a console generation filled with disappointment. ***purchased via Xbox Marketplace digital download***
In a console generation that has been saturated with overhype, borderline false advertisement, and rushed games not ready for launch upon release, I have finally found a game that would fully justify a next gen console purchase for those that are on the fence. CD PROJEKT RED knocked this one out of the park despite two substantial delays. In my opinion, the delays are simply a sign that they were not willing to release a product until it was the best it could possibly be.
If you enjoyed Skyrim, Dragon Age, Game of Thrones or even Red Dead Redemption you will likely love this title. You will become quickly immersed in the developer (not procedurally) created world and deep story telling. If you have not been following the studio's behavior pre-release, they have set the standard for proper customer service and how to release a game properly. They did not street date the game until it was ready, distributed review copies well ahead of launch, and even provided multiple goodies in the standard physical editions of the game as a thank you for purchasing. 16 FREE DLC packages have already been announced for the future, but if money is tight you will literally find hundreds of hours of immersion in this game alone.
With the time I have been allotted to play, the story is beautiful, with clear direction and unmatched story telling. What really sets this game apart, is the desire to explore and the wonderful things you find and can do while doing so. Just today (story spoiler free) I was on what I thought to be a small side quest to help a villager find a family member, when on the way back after completion I was ambushed, found intel on one of the attackers that led to a hideout, and then a small boss at that location that led to quite the fight. Keep in mind this was all separate from the main story!
I personally am not a huge fan of RPGs as I spend most of my time in first person shooters, but I can tell this game will likely have my attention at least until the holiday season. CD PROJEKT RED has restored my faith in gaming and a developers ability to make games for the gamer. I highly recommend this title for anyone who enjoys quality games and wonderful stories, and hope that if nothing else you support a quality developer in a market saturated with greed and shady practices. Yes, the resolution is improved on the PS4 and maxed out PCs, but I assure you that my experience with this title on the Xbox One has been nothing short of magical and it is still a gorgeous world to explore. | video-games_xbox |
The first game to ever talk me to death. (MILD-MODERATE SPOILERS)
I am writing you this review from the Afterlife, Amazonians. No, really. My cold, dead hands are still gripping my controller - but my spirit has at least moved on. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the first game ever to talk me to death. I literally died talking.
Talking.........to everyone. Everything. Every act, scene, town, city, hut, tree, monster, mountain, lake, side quest, story quest, fetchy quest, romance interest, jerk, princess, spoiled brat, baron and - as the Gwent card neatly puts it - "Poor F#&*ing Infantry"-man.
Lets not beat around the bush here. Everyone knows about this game. Everyone knows it got a 10/10, 100% perfect score from the various cookie-cutter game review sites. I have - and will - never see a review on one of those sites stack up to what I ultimately experience when I DO finally play the game. I guess that is ultimately due to the fact that each person and gamer is different, and wants different things in a game. I work full a full time job and have many other aspects of life to keep me busy outside of gaming - but that sin't to say that I avoid long RPGs. I went into the Witcher knowing full well it to be a long game that would eat up many, many months of my gaming life due to the fact that I don't have much time to play.
What I did NOT go into the Witcher knowing was the fact that time spent X'ing through conversations would ultimately deaden the game for me, and leave it nothing but an empty shell to slice through the last acts of as quickly as possible. I also did not know that it would punish me for trying to be a rational person and create rational outcomes.
You will literally spend longer lost deep in dialog in this game than you will playing it. CDProjectRed SERIOUSLY need to examine their game design plans because I do not consider this fun, worthwhile or captivating. For the first few hours (in White Orchard and the beginning of the Velen area's quests), yes - it was OK. I listened fully to people and talked with them until their hearts were content so I could get the next little side quest and make sure I didn't miss anything. But - somewhere between hour 17 and hour 200, this game lost me. Between the 150hrs of talking, 50 hrs of actual mission gameplay, and the TRUTHFULLY obnoxious characters you have to spend time with in it, this game well and truly lost me, oh yes.
Yennefer's an absolute b$&ch and Ciri is the biggest spoiled brat I think I've ever seen. There are many purists and elitists out there who will sing the praises of the game dev and call upon their vast and storied knowledge they gleaned from "the books", that allow them to not only suffer the obnoxious characters, but actually LOVE them. I am not one of those people. So let me tell it to you straight, peeps - here from the Afterlife. Two of this game's central and pivotal characters are completely obnoxious and act like either spoiled brats or holier-than-thou, brainier-than-thou Queens who believe you were deposited from the backside of a cow two minutes ago onto their favorite pair of shoes.
I could go on but I don't have the strength.....my spirit power is waning. I will just use the last of what has been given to me to offer you a stark and frank warning. If you play this game - if you are a completionist like me and you actually CARE what ending you get.....for god's sake let the spoiled brat Ciri get her own way in EVERY. SINGLE. SCENARIO. Kiss her boots, stroke her teenaged ego, egg her on towards whatever knee-jerk reaction it is that she has had, and remain chivalrous in doing so (don't accept money from her father for finding her). There's about six different scenes during which your end game state will be decided by choosing one of two (or a handful) of dialog options when dealing with Ciri. Treat her as if you adore spoiled brats. If you don't - then no amount of fetch-questing, leveling-up, side-quest-completing or general good-citizenry will make ANY difference - you will get the worst and most depressing ending.
Merry Xmas. | video-games_xbox |
Patched and playable. I understand the initial scathing reaction to the game and it was severely broken. I would have been just as angry if not more so I won't speak in terms of initial release. I am speaking as someone who bought the game recently after its most current patch and for an excellent price. The game is a lot of fun in its current state.
It's not without some bugs but it's far overshadowed by its value. The game is like being in the future world of terminator. Autonomous ships and vehicles hunting you down and roving patrols in decimated landscapes. The game does this well and this is what sets it apart from other shooters. It does make you feel like your under the gun of a regime out to wipe you out and suppress your freedom. The ability to customize your weapons on the move during missions is excellent and adds variety. The enemy ai is vicious and effective. Your are really forced to use cover mechanics to survive. The campaign is long and at times a little bit repetitive but has shining moments. It's really fun to watch the tide get turned in an area. The citizens begin to revolt against the enemy as you undermine them and it's noticeable. The epic moments in my opinion were not quite capitalized enough though. There were times some moments should have had greater impact or lasting effect and it was too quick.
The multiplayer is the true strength of the game. Hands down some of the best coop since Payday 2. Teamwork will see you through each mission. There is a nice variety of missions and maps for up to 4 players. The open world coop is better and bigger than anything I have seen yet. I like the fact you have to earn weapons through random crates which you buy with earned cash. You and 3 friends can take the mission down any way you want. Now the cons are the coop is still a bit glitchy. I have dropped through the map a couple times but less than I ever experienced on payday 2. I understand why you can't pick up enemy weapons but it still would have been nice to get them or rob parts off them. Bottom line if your a coop shooter fan and the price is right get it. Growing up watching Terminator and Red Dawn I always loved the resistance concept. They got that part right and better than anyone else I have seen. Although the concept of North Korea taking over is ridiculous the core concept is still fun. I will give the studio credit for doing what's right in the end and fixing a mess of game. They could have dumped it and walked away like Aliens Colonial Marines but they kept working on it. I think they did good and they deserve a second look. | video-games_xbox |
A near perfect game. I've always thought Rockstar was one-step from making GTA into a perfect game but they always had to get too cute with GTA. Not with RDR, even the Undead DLC is a ton of fun. What's more fun than jumping on an automatic mounted chain-machine gun and mowing down hordes of zombies? I think a big part of the fun with RDR is the main character John. Unlike GTA, especially V, you don't feel a polarizing feeling towards John. The story and his backstory draws you in. You could be just like him .. you know, if you lived in the old west. You're going to get attached to the character, his family and you'll even enjoy the parts that normally would feel repetitive. I will say Skyrim and Fallout are also good at doing this. All video games, in my 30+ years of gaming, become boring. They drag. It's going to happen but if the developer can make you feel like you're accomplishing something for your character, you don't notice it as much. RDR does that. I'll give an example with GTA. I really like the GTA games but I eventually get tired of "playing by the rules". Like when GTA San Andreas had you destroying the comic book guy's remote helicopter toys and you had to use a remote helicopter toy to do it. In RDR, there's no real restrictions, if you can kill those legendary animals with a knife, have at it. Want to throw dynamite at them? You can. Or you find them from a distance, get your Carcano Rifle out and try to snipe the elusive beast.
My teenage son said it best, "Everything in it feels epic". I think that's what makes this game so great. From the side challenges like trying to skin X amount of a certain wild animal to trying to poke a knife between your fingers in a QTE game to my personal favorite moment of the game. You've just realized you have a bunch of animal skins to sell but haven't saved. Then you hear it. The sound of a cougar attacking. Those will kill you before you can get your gun pulled, kill your horse too. It's such a fun, intense moment in a usually mid-paced game. The characters throughout the game are either crazy or hilarious or both. Just wait until you have to run behind the bank and hunt the critters. It's a relatively violent, harsh game that doesn't use gore or shock to make it violent. It's almost like an old west simulator. I've had Red Dead Redemption 2 preordered since last summer. Even worse, I decided to switch from the XB1 to PS4, so now I'm going to have to cancel my XB1 preorder and preorder it on PS4. I would rate it as one of the greatest games ever made. The game that comes the closest in old west style is Gun. Nowhere near as challenging as RDR but similar gameplay and setting. By the way, it works great on BC. I've played it all the way through twice on 360, once on XB1 BC and wouldn't be surprised if I try it on PS Now. | video-games_xbox |
Over rated. Rockstar Table Tennis is a glaring example of how industry adoration can inflate ratings of otherwise poor games. It is no secret that Rockstar is beloved by many for giving us the GTA series amongst others but it is a puzzle as to why this game had universal praise since it was released.
Just to be clear, Rockstar San Diego developed this title using the RAGE engine which coincidentally powers GTA IV now. It was obviously a test for the developer and the engine. Fine. I would not rate a title poorly simply for this notion alone. It may be simple and far less value than a GTA title for instance but it still has the right to play well and offer a unique experience.
This was possible with Table Tennis, but unfortunately the game suffers from impossible AI and shoddy mechanics.
The single player Tournament mode is where the most obvious of these flaws presents itself. Imagine practicing the 4 various spins in the game along with the timing of shots, placements and almost uselss "focus shots" only to be faced with computer opponents who will volley the impossible. Whats the point you ask? Why does your character miss the ball when you've timed it right and the shot is not a reach? You can time a shot perfectly but for some reason your character will straight up miss the ball. If this was some kind of realistic odds manipulator placed in the game's code I would beleive it. Much of the games mechanics rely on your reactions but if your character's animations fail to reflect your reactions, then you're screwed.
Another bad mark on this games charts is the fact that the computer's AI (especially Jesper) can near impossible even on a Medium setting. This AI will decide when it wants to that it can reach any shot, score any ace and defend against the best shots you can send its way.
Characters are dull and quiet and there is no motivation to unlock any sort of jersey because they all look pretty bland. Yes the characters are unbalanced (Jesper) and you will always get beat by the stronger character.
Multiplayer isn't so plagued with the tyrannical AI but thats ok because the game trades that flaw in for a new one. LAG. lag is great in table tennis. Especially when you see a ball come back at you that nobody hit. nough said?
Finally the AI rubberbanding in this title is unforgiving. This is painfully obvious when you trounce the computer 10-1 only to be beat 11-0 the next time. If you can beat someone 10-1 why wouldnt you be able to score at least 1 or 2 points in the following match? Because the computer has increased it's own abilities mid tournament.
It is not that I want to rate this game as a bad game from start to finish. Its a slap in the face because it really should have been better. It was a arrogant and sloppy job on Rockstar San Diego's behalf and I warn whoever tries to buy this title. Don't. | video-games_xbox |
Can they fix multiplayer? And if so, who cares. With high hopes I arrived home to find BF4 on the doorstep. I immediately loaded it in my XBox 360, installed the required patches and updates and entered mutiplayer, eager to explore the new maps and begin ranking up.
I was able to enter a server easily enough, but it looks like I was the only one. For over 2 hours I explored maps, trying out weapons and doing reconnaisance and never saw another player, a scroll through the server lists shows a lot of empty servers.
As far as graphics, this game is nearly as good as Modern Warfare 3. Granted, the maps are huge and with a lot of interesting angles and environments, but the quality of graphics is really quite poor, at least on the 360. The hype over destrucable environments is just that, hype. It's a gimmick that isn't realized nearly as well as advertised, but that's to be expected. I knocked down a couple of awnings, blew a hole in a wall by shooting a fuel drum, and took down a tree with a grenade that never stopped rolling around awkwardly.
As with other BF titles, snipers are going to be a HUGE part of the game, and there's going to be a LOT of them since most players lack the quick reaction skills for effective CQB. Setting up a special class and developing tactics designed to mitigate their effectiveness or eliminate them entirely will bring an extremely valuable skill set to your team.
The weapons feel nice, sound great, have a good amount of kick and controllable recoil. Greanade launchers are accurate and have a good blast effect. The standard P226 seems like it's going to be a good weapon for close quarters combat since there doesn't seem to be anything like a compact SMG (such as the UMP45, or MP7), it's accurate, fires quickly and controllably and it reloads quickly. I can't say what it's damage values are on any of the weapons, since I never saw a live target. The default weapons, such as the AK12, are among the best the game has to offer. But, there is little incentive to upgrade to a weapon that doesn't outperform the one recruits are given, other than liking the way it looks and being prepared to take a performance hit to look "cool".
Yeah, I know it's the first day of a new release and issues are bound to happen, but I eventually put MW3 back in and had a great time playing Domination. Hopefully they'll fix the bugs that are crippling multiplayer because the maps are nice, just don't expect an improvement over the graphics that you're used to, this is not that game. I'm sure that it'll look a lot better on the PC, or the new consoles, but for PS3 or 360 users BF4 is not exactly blowing the doors off the competition.
Oh, well... only 6 days until Ghosts releases and after seeing what DICE has offered up, the need of a great new game for the holiday season is even more critical. | video-games_xbox |
Assassin's Creed III shines as the sun of America did back in those days. As an AC fan I must say that this game is amazing and the changes they made make it looks way better and fluid than the previous ACs but still, I love the previous games as much as I'm falling in love with this one as well.
So, why am I giving a 4-star rate instead of 5? Well, I believe this has a lot to do with the beginning of the game. As you may know, you start this great story (the one of Desmond since he appeared in AC 1 and that has kept me looking forward to the other Assassin's Creed games) with Haytham Kenway (Connor's father) in England (the theater mission is AMAZING... one of the best missions I've played in the series) and then you move to America looking for some people to have your own "gang" (I'll use this word instead in order not to spoil this part for the ones who haven't played it yet) and then in the process you get to meet Connor's mother. Well, I had a lot of fun in that part and during the whole thing I was stuck on my chair in front of the T.V. with my brother as if we were watching movie, really. But, by moments I felt that they could've cut some scenes or even some missions that were a bit long. Believe me, this has nothing to do with the character of Mr. Kenway. He was a great "assassin" as well but, in order to move things faster, they could've had 5 or 6 missions with him instead of 9 or 10 (that's not accurate at all... I'm just giving you guys the idea). My point on this is that, in order to get to Connor faster (believe me, once you start playing with Connor since his chilhood and teenage years, everything's so cool) they could've cut a couple of things there. Now, with this being said. I DO believe that the other "flaws" that a lot of people here have pointed out on the game are just not relevant to me at all.
The graphics on the game are STUNNING and yes, there are glitches here and there (some of them way too obvious) but, that doesn't stop me to play AC3 at all. I'm not interested in looking at that, I'm interested in what Connor's doing, what people I need to talk to and those kind of things, you know. Now, I've read that the combat mode changed for the worse according to some people. That's not true at all. Yes, it's hard at first to get used to the moves and buttons and stuff but, once you get them, it's so excited killing guards and objectives as well as sooooo fun. Now, people also have said that it's impossible to walk on roofs now because there are too many guards here and there and for almost anything you're spotted and you have to either fight againts 40 soldiers or run before they get you. So???? this is an Assassin's Creed game, hello??? When did Ezio or Altair have it easy while sneaking into a palace or market or whatever they were up to? I'm sorry but those kind of complains are just said by picky fans that expect to be the master Assassin without getting hurt. Come on! even Altair or Ezio had to run once in a while. So, stop complaining and start making tactics (as I do) in order to get through this "so called flaw". Now, I'm very happy with Connor's moves and health and everything because now that there are no magic medicines or formulas, this game gets more challenging and I like it that way. I mean, challenging doesn't mean "impossible" to do I must clarify.
Now I believe I'm half way in the story and so far I've enjoyed it so much mainly because of it (as common in every AC game I've played). You guys should know that I often stop killing people and running around the cities or woods in order to read in the animus the mini-biographies and information about the people and places you run into while playing (an addition I've loved since they included in AC2). Believe me I've learned a lot about the American revolution history and the people that had to do with it. You know, there's something that I have always enjoyed about the AC games, the way they combine fiction with history and facts that actually happened in the past (for example, in AC2 I didn't know that the Borgia family existed as well as Rodrigo Borgia or that the Templars were actually a real group of people).
If you are a fan of the series, you'll love this game and if you're not... it is a good place to start but I recommend you the previous ones in order to get really into the story. I'm looking forward Assassin's Creed 4! Wow! where would it be? In what time of history? A Must get for sure! | video-games_xbox |
this is what violence is made of. IO has blown past the video game barrier and made a work of art. Like the work of David Lynch or Jackson Pollock, people will either love or hate Dog Days, but none can ignore it. Kane & Lynch 2, simply put, is a roller coaster of violence from the very beginning till the end of it's single player campaign. The art style is decidedly reminiscent of the digital videos seen on youtube amping it's quasi-realistic tone to eleven. Kane & lynch are evil men doing what they do best, solving any problems they might have with bullets- TONS of bullets. The plot (if one can even call it that) is simply an arms deal gone terribly wrong.
now for some details to help clear the air before your purchase:
1. The AI in Dog Days is relentless and brilliantly constructed. The enemy will flank, duck into cover, and reposition to take you out by any means necessary.
2. The game is not broken! To give K&L a more realistic feel, hit detection (as with the first game) is slightly off on purpose- to give you the feeling of being in a real fire fight.
3. Headshots ARE censored as well as nudity by having the camera blur the said image. Again, this is a very youtube thing to do, and is pulled off incredibly within the game.
4. The game is a bit short in length, so here is my advice: If you are the type of person who plays tons of first and third person shooters- start the game on hard mode. This will almost totally guarantee a six hour plus single player campaign.
5. Dog Days youtube/cops style camera can make some easily sensitive people a bit neauseaous. The wobbly camera can be turned off within the options screen.
6. Play the demo available for download via xbox live. Like what you see? Like how it plays? This is the extent of the game. One giant shoot out after another till the very end.
7. K&L2 was givin the rating M for a reason. The game features obscene language, partial nudity, and extreme violence and gore throughout.
Adding to the overall package is the "Fragile Alliance" multiplayer game and a few neat takes on how it's played with "undercover cop", "cops & robbers", and the single player "arcade mode". Finally, is the much requested co-op mode, allowing you and a friend to tackle Shanghais sickest together!
"Dog Days" gets to sit on top of some of my favorite cult games like: XIII, Deadly Premonition, Stubbs the Zombie, Killer 7, Bullet Witch and the first installment to the Kane & Lynch series: Dead Men.
Keep an open mind and enjoy the ride! | video-games_xbox |
Not a good as FC3, but even so still a great game. So if I had never played Far Cry 3, I probably would have given this game a perfect 5/5. But there were several aspects about this game I just felt were lacking, that Far Cry 3 had. Having said that, if you even slightly enjoyed FC3, this will give you pleeenty of entertainment. There actually were quite few new elements I enjoyed:
- Helicopter thing - getting around is a little easier
- Fortresses - just basically huge outposts, lots of fun, and its cool to just have them on the map, and have them in your mind as something to do later
- Bell Towers - so I really enjoyed the radio towers from FC3, and I think they made these with me in mind. Much bigger, more challenging to climb, and often guarded
- Grappling - no ifs not free roam rock climbing but its better than nothing, and its kinda fun
- SHANGRI-LA- by FAR my favorite element of this game. The levels are mysterious, intense, and all around incredible. Very well done, and they add a ton of diversity to an already pretty diverse game. It KILLS be to give this game 4 stars with these missions in mind, but I think my criticisms of this game are just enough to knock off a star
What I didn't like:
Render distance - ok what the heck. FC3 you could see the entire map, miles away in game distance from the top of a mountain. Here? Grey. Everything's grey, it's all grey, grey everywhere. You'll be on a mountain or up in a copter and not be able to see ANYTHING. I know this game was made for the next gen, but I've seen gameplay of the next gen, and it honestly looked pretty similar. Like what the heck? How could they have taken a step back like that? It absolutely ruined the world for me, it never really allowed me to feel immersed in the world. Speaking of the world...
Location - FC3 was on a tropical beach, thick jungles, and grassy mountains. There was am enormous, cavernous hole you could jump into. This game? Nada, nothing. Its really quite boring in comparison. It has its moments, there are some cool grapple area's, but it just does not compare to the world of FC3. Combine this with the poor render distance, you've got a rather disappointing world.
The story blows - story is not good, and characters are not well developed. You don't really learn much about your character like you do in FC3, or how he became a cold blooded killer. I mean, that was part of the story of FC3, it was worked in so well. This game you just start murdering people, and helping to liberate this country, but its kind of ambiguous why. Also disliked the moral choices you were forced to make. Wont spoil the ending, but I will say you are left with a lose-lose ending, there is no way to have a happy ending.
- the radio is some of the stupidest stuff I have ever heard
Most of my criticisms obviously come with FC3 in mind. Still an excellent game, absolutely a must buy. I would recommend however trying to snatch up one of the next gen versions if you are able, just to maybe help with graphics. That grey sucks man | video-games_xbox |
Mad Catz More user friendly; But Still a Great Buy. The steering wheel is described on Joytech's website as having 'precise' control. They weren't kidding. It is a little too precise, and there seems to be no way of adjusting the sensitivity.
This is not a huge issue when using the steering wheel with a racing simulator like Forza Motorsport(which is playable on the 360), since the quick response comes in handy especially when driving over 125mph. The steering wheel however requires very careful and gentle hands when taking PG3 for a test drive. Since Project Gotham's physics are a bit more arcade-like, the sensitivity tends to make the car oversteer at even the slightest turns, sending you headlong into a wall, when all you wanted to do was cut off the car in front of you. This is even more exagerrated when using any rear wheel driven vehicles (which is just about all of them).
The Mad Catz Model has onboard sensitivity controls which allow you to adjust the long and the short end steering response. This in itself makes it a more comfortable choice. Its larger size also makes it more comfortable if you chose to play from your lap. However, if you prefer using a table, I feel the Joytech is better suited for this.
The Joytech is however an excellent choice if you plan on pluging it in to your PC. Since you can then make sensitivity adjustments, using your Windows controller profile settings. I have used it in a real Rally simulator and it excels.
It really is a good wheel, but comes up short in some features (and gives you others that you don't need, like a chronograph built into the wheel). Add this to the fact that Joytech's website is lacking greatly in the way of support for their products, and you have a product that is really only useful if you have the time to learn how to drive differently on each game you own.
I hope that Joytech will update this model and address some of these concerns in the future. | video-games_xbox |
Ho-hum graphics, tough races, but fun nonetheless. Midnight Club II is a decent but unspectacular racer that is pretty tough but fun if you have the patience to stick it out.
The game obviously has its origins in Rockstar's "Grand Theft Auto III". Everything from the feel of the cars to the look of the city and the behavior of the pedestrians can be traced to that game. MCII obviously adds lots of bells and whistles to the basic driving controls. You have nitrous boosts, can control the balance of the car in mid-air, and can earn "slipstream turbo" by drafting behind other cars until a meter fills up and turns red.
The cityscapes are great, with nice recreations of L.A., Paris and Tokyo. There are tons of hidden alleys, jumps, parking garages, and shopping malls to explore.
The cars are mediocre. You won't find actual Acuras or Ferraris here. Instead, the game gives us cars loosely modeled on actual vehicles. The models are okay, but are not as polished as, say, Burnout 2, another game with fictitious cars.
The actual racing is pretty fun, though. Most involve having to hit a series of checkpoints scattered throughout the city. There is lots of room for finding your own path, taking advantage of the aforementioned alleys, ramps and passages.
However, the game is pretty tough. I found I probably have to replay each race about 10 times before winning. Also, in each race you basically have to come in first. There is no bronze medal for placing third, you'll have to start over. Basically it is impossible to win a race on your first time out, as you can do in Project Gotham 2 and Burnout 2. The difficulty may be one of the game's biggest drawbacks. In fact, when I first got it, I eventually just quit because I wasn't having any fun doing the same race over and over. But recently I picked it up again and have been having quite a bit of fun trying to figure out the best routes, even if it does take a dozen tries.
In short, I would dock this game one star for the bad graphics, and one star for the difficulty, but give back one star now that the price has come down. Gamers who like casual driving games should definitely consider picking this up. | video-games_xbox |
Great storytelling, decent action, lacking in length. Halo 3: ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper) is a first person shooter set in the Halo universe. Your character, trapped in a futuristic Mombasa, battles Covenant soldiers in an attempt to locate his squad mates. The story of ODST unfolds in a series of timeline jumps that span multiple characters.
I played this game through, in co-op, in about 5 hours. It was very short, in my opinion, and really only constitutes an expansion pack's length worth of material. That being said, playing through the Campaign in co-op was a fantastic experience. The story is very rich and told in a unique manner, and the tasks required are varied enough that each mission feels different and new. ODST does have Halo 3's epic quality of story telling, but the scope is much smaller as it is contained to one squad and one city. The story is also supplemented via various "audio logs" that can be found as you go along. They are mostly obnoxious in that they can drown out the surrounding sounds -- so you either need to stop and listen to them, or risk missing telltale signs of the enemy near by.
The maps feels a bit more open than Halo 3, which is a nice change. You can use multiple tiers to circumvent or flank enemies, as well as traverse through some buildings to achieve the same goal. Having played the Campaign in co-op I never felt too choked with my partner near by -- which is the opposite of some of the Halo 3 levels. I felt like we had the opportunity to use team tactics more effectively on the enemy.
You really do feel like a lite version of Master Chief, however. You don't seem to get the special items, and your health works slightly differently. You still have a shield that regenerates over time, but you have static health. You can get health packs at various places in the game... but it basically feels the same. The only major irritation is the beeping sound you have to endure while your health is not at 100%.
I can't comment too deeply on the story itself as that would contain many spoilers. The story is the best part of the game, honestly, and is worth the full price of the game. What is startling is, when reflected upon, how few "levels" they actually created. They used the space well.
I tried Firefight with a friend and found that to be great fun. I highly advise anyone who picks this up to give that a shot. It is essentially a waves-style co-op stand-off game. It has its own intricate rules -- a shared pool of lives, the concept of "rounds", a central base that is restocked with supplies every round -- and so forth.
I have not ventured into the multiplayer action. My copy came with a second disk full of multiplayer action and maps. For people into the MP, I'm sure this is a great bonus.
All in all, an entertaining and fun game, though rather short, that is worth the cost. | video-games_xbox |
So much hype but such a let down. Controls - 9/10 Controls for this game a great!
Camera Angles - 8/10 I have had little to no trouble with the camera angles.
Graphics - 8/10 - Very visual
Audio - 9/10 Clear in-game audio
Redundancy - 9/10 - Game is extremely redundant
Difficulty - Varies (online only)
Story - 1/10 - It has an online campaign mode but lacks any substance to the story.
Online Play - 5/10 Gets boring quick
Overall Game Play - 3/10
This game needs a lot of work! While it is mildly entertaining, there are still quite a few bugs to iron out. I think Respawn made a mistake by not offering a single player campaign, I usually will not give a game a second thought if it does not offer the Single Player Campaign, however because I had friends getting this I decided to bite the bullet and try it.
Now, aside from the lack of single player mode; there is absolutely not $60 worth of content here. If they want an online only game then there should be many more maps and match types and introducing mods to change the flow of things would be great! There simply isn't enough variety, this game gets very redundant very quick I was bored within a few hours of game play. Players also have no ability to choose a preferred faction, there is also no option to choose a map (or let players vote on the next map to be played, it is all random, you choose your match type and you are randomly thrown in, replaying the Campaign is the same thing.
Someone had compared this to an MMO is defense of its online only restriction and well, just about every successful MMO offers a wide array of single player missions and PvP is optional. If they wanted online only that is fine but offer a co-op campaign for the players.
For FPS games, any good game should have and focus on the Single Player Campaign, the online play is just a perk; another way to play the game, it is a nice bonus for the price paid for a full game. FPS do not really make good online only games. It absolutely feels like I paid full price for a third of a game!
This game had huge potential, they really could have made something with Titanfall! I feel like the developers really let the players down with this one, I don't know if they just didn't feel like making it a complete game or didn't know how to tie it into a story mode but it absolutely feels like a half-butt effort.
So, if an online only FPS is what your looking for then this game may be great for you but I would advise you wait for the price to drop, new content to be added (though they will charge you again for any new content) and work out some of the "new game" bugs. Stick with CoD and Battlefield in the mean time. | video-games_xbox |
STEALTH ACTION AT ITS FINEST. When I first played Metal Gear on the NES I immediately fell in love with it. The stealth action was such a welcome relief from the fast-paced action of the various FPS shooters out there. Ever since then I would wait with great anticipation for any new stealth game.
MGS was a welcome sequel, Theif satisfied me and so did MGS2, but when I played a demo for Splinter Cell I knew immediately that it had far surpassed all other stealth games. I went out and bought it immediately. In my opinion Splinter Cell is, by far, the best stealth game ever made, and one of the best games ever made to date.
Where to start...? Perhaps the greatest thing about this game is the visuals. The lighting engine is phenomenal. Splinter Cell has set the new bar for lighting in a game, all future games should strive to meet it or exceed it. The character animations are one of the most realistic out there. The graphic details are spot on, from the stubble on Sam's face to the crumpled pop cans that lay strewn about. To best experience every little detail I recommend playing this game with the lights out! Also, crank up the volume when you play this, so you can hear every little noise that you make.
There is a learning curve to the controls, but they are great once you get used to them. There is no button mashing or rapid-fire in this game. If you want to complete this game successfully you'll need a delicate touch. The items and methods at your disposal are awesome: thermal/night vision goggles, sticky cameras, interrogation, human shields, silenced guns and more! The story is a decent terrorist/espionage plot. It's not the greatest story, but let's face it the visuals and game play are the real gems here!
I've seen some reviewers complain about how slow-paced and boring the game is. That's the point! It's a stealth game, it's not like other FPS games where you run into run and start strafing while your guns are blaring. If you are the type of person that loves fast-paced fighting and shooting games then DON'T buy this game. If you love thinking through a game and taking your time then this is the game for you. Sure there are some frustrating moments when you open a door at the wrong time or make the wrong move and you get the Mission Failed screen. But every good game I've ever played has those moments; it's these challenging moments that make a good game great!
I was happy to pay $40 when this game came out, now it's only $20 so get out there and buy it. I myself am eagerly waiting for the March 23rd release of "Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow." Until then I'm going back through the game to see if I can make it through without killing anyone...Sam Fisher out. | video-games_xbox |
Why bioshock was the most disapointing game I have ever played. Spoilers. Note I am not writing this review because bioshock infinite is such a bad game. I am writing this review because bioshock 1 is such a good game.
Good points.
Not buggy
I liked Elizabeth, She was great eye candy.
The concept of a flying city is great.
I got the game for 10 dollars
Bad points.
Its obviously an incomplete game. One of the things that popped out to me was when you looked into the sight seeing binocular things is that there was no zoom function in fact what ever feature you looked at had no change whether you looked at it with or without the binocular thing. The first few levels had awesome wallpaper heck it even showed parts of the city moving around but maybe halfway through the game all the wallpaper was changed into fog. There was no modification of anything besides your gun, and that was largely not worth it, and no I don't consider the tears to be modifications. Also after reading the reviews I found out that a lot of the features promised were not in there. If you ask me the twins in the game were originally supposed to be the final boss but they didn't have time to flesh it out.
The story.
To understand this first of all we have to compare the story of infinite with Bioshock 1. In bioshock 1 the story is based largely upon the book "atlas shrugged" which had a main theme that government screws up the economy. In the book a character named john galt makes a place called galts gulch where he brings hard working people to work without the interference from government. The main focus in the book is how government screws up stuff and there is little mention of how galts gulch would work. Bioshock 1 basically takes galts gulch and puts it under the sea and calls it rapture instead. In bioshock 1 we take a ride in a story where no government interference equals genetically modify little girls for profit. We see a corporation get so big that even though originally they wanted a free market they end up wanting to become a dictatorship. The two big themes that are relevant to us are "how much control should government have over business" and "how big is too big for a corporation". How relevant is this theme? After bioshock 1 came out the news started blaring about how some big banks and corporations are too big to fail. In a very real way bioshock 1 was a good reflection of our world and country.
The story for infinte appears to be based upon rants from random comments left on news websites about the tea party from far left people trying their best to demonize conservative republicans. I cant tell you how many times I have gone through the comments section and read about how the tea party is "racist, wants to make our country a theocracy, and wants to go to war with everybody that disagrees with them, and wants to keep women locked up in the house". First of all racism isn't relevant particularly when we have a black president. Secondly and I say this as a man who grew up in the south, for Comstock to both be some sort of confederate hater of lincoln, and bragging about all the indians he killed is just plain ignorant. One of the big reasons why the south lost the war is because a general named shermon burned cities to the ground, destroy crops and he also ordered his men to gang rape the southern women to destroy moral. To say the south hated him would be an understatement, and you can tell which confederate officers were spies by how they talked about sherman in latter years. After the war Sherman went west and started genocide against the indians. For comstock to have taken part in that and come back to the south the place that hated lincoln and get a whole bunch of people to follow his leadership is ignorant because no confederate would have anything to do with anyone who followed sherman and bragged about it. Yes I know that wounded knee was fought by the seventh calvary and sherman did not directly over see that slaughter but he was the general over the seventh calvary that would have ordered the attack.
Furthermore there are many games that have done a great job with the whole multiverse theme. a couple of zelda games comes to mind, chrono cross and chrono trigger come to mind also. Heck it was even fun to watch on stargate and star trek and dr who. In fact this is the first story with a multiverse theme that fails at least that I can think of.
when we meet Elizabeth we find out she wants to go to paris, in the first 4 seconds of seeing her she could have gone immediately to paris. When she first showed booker what a tear was she teliported, so again why doesnt she just teliport to paris? One of the really annoying glaring problems with the game comes when they go through the first tear trying to find a live gunsmith I was like wow this game is going to be twice as big, then they went through the second tear and Elizabeth was like we can not go back to the first two dimensions I was like this game just got more disappointing. Everything you did story wise up to that point just got cancelled. Furthermore it jumped from hey there is a bunch of people that need weapons to fight for their freedom to pretty much the same people executing all the white people (this is another reason why I think the game is incomplete, there is a big chunk of story missing). Somewhere in here you loose Elizabeth and when you find her again it is somehow 1984 and they are bombing new york. I am pretty confident that the f 16's of 1984 can more than take on the airships of Colombia. 1915 new york would have been more appropriate.
The ending. Please understand that bioshock 1's ending is my favorite video game ending of all time. In fact I would have stopped playing infinte half way through but I was expecting an ending somewhere near that level. What I got was a mess, and a paradox. I ,like the universe, despise a paradox. First of all when its revealed that booker and comstock are the same person, it defies the laws of reason. The story goes that booker didn't get baptised and comstock did. But the whole point of being at the baptism was that they felt guilty over wounded knee and killing a bunch of indians. If comstock feels so guilty over wounded knee to the point of getting religion, why the blank did he set up a museum bragging about killing the indians? Again proving that the whole thing about confederates killing indians with sherman is ignorant. And it goes to show that the game's story is about as shallow as a partisan comment on a website. Finally the grandfather paradox was just poorly done and disappointing. It suggest to me the game was intended to be bigger than it was but they did not have another year or two to make it what it should be.
I don't have time to even get into the unanswered questions, that based on the first game should have been answered but that too is disappointing. but here are a couple
how did booker cross the multi verse to get to where there was a different version of booker?
How did elizabeth get her powers?
Why do the twins power work perfectly while elezbeths are more or less incomplete?
why does booker say he gets the other bookers memories when he moves through the first tear but he never gets comstocks memories when they are the same person
why did booker change his name to comstock.
again I am of the opinion that this game is incomplete.
Gameplay.
Before I bought the game I was expecting to feel vertigo during the game, as in the first game it was easy to feel claustrophobia. But the only time I felt that was during the first time I used the hook and it ended quick as I realized that it was impossible to fall off with that thing. I actually only fell off the flying city once. And I don't think I knocked any opponent off the city.
The fps part of the game was at first average, but as the game progressed it became below average and more below average. The gun play is average at first and goes down hill, the vigors are pretty much just stuns, vs the all importance of them in the first game. By the end of the game you are having to shoot some of the enemies 5 or 6 times in the head with the sniper rifle to kill them. Heck I hit one guy with a rocket launcher point blank with a rocket 3 times before he died. Vs Bioshock 1 where as you progressed you figured out how to kill your enemies better. I don't like bullet sponges for enemies I think thats lazy.
The ai was weird. On the part of the game where Elizabeth is running from you, the enemies left you alone. I went into a shed with one enemy sitting at the desk and the safe was open so I took something from it and he started attacking me with a stick so I meleed him to death and all of a sudden all the enemies started attacking me even though they could not see me, did not see me attack their ally and well I used a melee weapon so they should not have been alerted. After this I noticed that if you attack any enemy all the enemies know your exact location. So basically there is no sneak attack, cause as soon as you attack one they will swarm you. This is the only fps that I know of like this, in fact I was surprised cause since the days of golden eye sneak attacks are rewarded and encouraged, not sure if no sneak attacks were intended or was the result of bad code. Actually to make it worse there were times where I had Elizabeth tear through a turrent and I had to go back through the area and the game spawned more enemies in the area and because the turrent shot them they went in the opposite direction and swarmed me. again not sure if this was intentional or not but it is the only fps I know that did this.
There are way too few kinds of bad guys. There is the sniper bait bad guy, basically the guys that one shot from the sniper will kill. then there are the raven guys. The fire men guys, the armored guys, snipers and finally the handymen. Irregardless of color sniper bait acts the same. There are maybe 6 spots where the raven guys show up, maybe 15 spots where the fire men show up, and then there are the armored guys that carry around rocket launchers, these guys ticked me off because if you hit them directly with a rocket they lived, if you knocked their helmet off and shot them in the head with the sniper rifle they took 3 head shots to die, I hate bullet sponges. There were like 5 maybe 6 snipers in the whole game, would have been a lot more fun if there had been many more. I think there were three handymen, for some reason their head is not their weak spot, so they basically became bullet sponges. Seriously they would have been fun to fight if their head could be taken off with the sniper rifle, or the hand canon, or rocket launcher. But they were just bullet sponges. with only 6 or 7 kinds of enemies again I have to say I think this game is very incomplete.
I should have had the chance to kill song bird.
no hacking.
the only thing the rails were good for was getting away from handy men who always knew where you were.
the game was too liner I was looking forward to exploring Columbia and all I got to do was look at it.
one of the most annoying aspects was that you had to look everywhere for money, you could practically search anything for it and then you only got like 10 at a time and the items you needed cost a 1000 or so each. Item search became button mashing.
basically game play for me turned into sniping people who were running straight at you and when they got there beating them to death. boring.
Basically the only reason why I finished this game was to see the ending because the first games ending was so good and when I got there it contradicted the entire game, and due to the paradox more or less erased what you did.
Even if you like the story and you have to be a left winger to like this story I don't see why it earned more than 3 stars by anyone, This game's story was advertised as compelling and I do not see whats compelling about a story based on racism, especially since their are true stories about it that are fascinating, I don't see how an ending showing the grandfather paradox is compelling especially when its been done a bunch (back to the future anyone). I don't see how a game that has far less than half of the gameplay as its predecessor gets a good review.
Bioshock infinite is an incomplete disappointing game that needed at least another year in development. It should have been good and was not. | video-games_xbox |
Surpisingly good on a lot of levels. Being pretty into paintball, and having spent (way) too much time playing Ghost Recon 2 and Halo 2, I didn't expect much out of this game. Still, for the price (go to Best Buy to pick this up for significantly less than listed) I thought I'd give it a shot. And man, was I shocked.
The graphics are excellent. Not Ghost Recon excellent, but definitely good enough, and well above what I expected. No poly-clipping or slowdowns, smooth animation and movement, and nice little details like the magic puff at the end of the barrel.
The sound is a little gimpy. The general audio and the player babble is fine, the referee sounds good, and the "god" voice sounds like something out of Mortal Kombat. The music/soundtrack is definitely too limited and kind of niche-y, but it's mostly acceptable. Not the strongest point in the game, but it doesn't really take away from it.
The gameplay is where this game *really* shines. It is absolutely amazing how well it captures what actual paintball play is like. Snapping, running, diving, popping up, switching hands, it's all there, and it's all pretty intuitively put together. I thought this would just be a rehash of an older FPS engine with a 'paintball' motif, but it's actually a well put together engine that really takes into consideration a lot of the aspects of pball. There's even cheating, and while I originally thought that'd be a really silly thing, it's actually so well implemented that it really adds to the game.
Some things that shone less are the AI of your teammates and the online play. Your teammates (especially in the initial tournaments) are pretty useless, but as you improve (and the quality of your teammates improves) they actually do score hits and even pick up the flag. There's no way to speak with them, though, so the tactical aspects of paintball (at least in single-player mode) aren't really addressed.
Online play is where I really expected this game to be out of control, especially after playing the single-player. Unfortunately, Xbox-Live! games only last about 30-40 seconds as everyone basically runs around bunkering. Larger games (with more players) are somewhat better, but even the slightest lag makes the game unplayable. The observation mode once you're tagged out is really nice, though. If you play with friends on a consistent basis, you can really start communicating and making tactical decisions that add serious dimension to the game.
Even for full price, this game is worthy, particularly if you're even remotely into paintball. For any discounted price it's worth it, period. This game qualifies as a true 'sleeper', because it was designed to appeal to a very niche market but the gameplay is good enough to be enjoyable across the whole spectrum, regardless of age or involvement in paintball.
All told, the game's a blast. | video-games_xbox |
A preview of a worthy sequel...(rating based on first-look. If you enjoyed playing Prince of Persia - The Sands of Time, then you will be spellbound by its sequel "Warrior Within". This game no doubt, ups the ante of the previous rendition by a huge scale. Since I am not in a position to review it yet, let me state my first impressions of the game in the context of the videos and files I've gone through.
Firstly, the protagonist. The Prince in the first game was an up-and-coming warrior of immense skill and heart. Though naive, he had the courage to set things right . But he had no clear idea of what to do except restore the order of time.
In Warrior Within though, the Prince is 10 yrs older. And more mysterious. He is the ultimate warrior, having experienced countless battles since restoring the Sands of Time. He is dark, broody, independent and utterly dangerous to the point of being manic. And he knows exactly what to do now.
Sands of Time has a very brightly-lit atmosphere to it. All the surroundings are visually breathtaking and there is a soft aura of appearance to it, probably showcasing the transient beauty of the Arabian landscape.
POP-Warrior Within is the exact opposite in appearance. It has vivid and awe-inspiring landscapes, no doubt, but it is creepy, foreboding and unforgiving. It rather showcases the effect of the Sands of Time's disastrous effect on the world. It also has a completely re-worked graphics engine which looks terrific. The terrain and the characters looks extremely realistic and fluid in movement.
I wish to state that if there is any reason POP:WW might have a fallout with you, it could only be the environment itself. Take it for granted that the game will have a very dark, menacing look to it, all through. It will be gorgeous to look at, no doubt, but somehwere down the line, we might start asking "Why is it SO dark in concept?". This could turn us off quite a bit coz' we would want to relate this game to the fantastic feel of Sands of Time. Let's face it. Sands of Time had the most uplifting level design to date. I surely hope Ubisoft has not taken the word 'bleakness' to the extreme.
I also noticed that the Prince is not the same naive, likeable guy we know off. Hopefully he doesn't have a total makeover in his personality.
Neverthless, POP:WW has a lot more to offer.....
Sands of Time had the bubbly Farah as your companion. In Warrior Within, you seek no one's aid in combat. But a few new mysterious characters do help you at times, in achieving your objective. Variety is one thing you can expect.
In Sands of Time, the Prince has only a few but effective combat moves to his repertoire. In one hand he held the Dagger of Time and in the other, he had a Scimitar to deal primary damage and he could piece together a few combos to deal some effective damage.
In Warrior Within, the combat is truly groundbreaking. Just like Ryu Hayabusa in Ninja Gaiden, the Prince has some amazing combos to showcase his skill. Not only can he dual-wield weapons this time around, but he can also grab his assailant's weapon and counter target his enemy. He can also contextually use his environment to good effect, for instance, latch onto a pole and revolve-slash multiple enemies. The effect, I tell you, is something to be seen. Warrior Within is the first game to introduce 'free-form' combat, meaning, you can create your own combos and latch them together to deal some truly unique and incredible attack manoeuvres. Imagine. Think of all the weapons that he gets his hands on and the combos you can attach them to. The though itself is whetting my appetite.
Sands of Time had a sense of grandness that not many games could even think off, particularly the level design. Even Halo cannot compare itself to it. But Warrior Within is very similar to its predecessor. Though darker story-wise, it has the same sweeping sense of scale the first rendition enjoyed and provides a lot more than that. Ubisoft has been clever not to expose everything just yet but it is safe to say that Warrior Within is much bigger than Sands of Time.
The enemies in Sands of Time were few and all of them were zombies. With some understanding, they could be easily disposed off. Not so in Warrior Within. I believe there are all-together 9 types who range from the fast Executioners who attack in co-ordinate pairs to the massive Brute who can crush you with one swipe. There is another creature called the Griffin that could put even some Ninja Gaiden bosses to shame. All sounds exciting.
Phew !. If I go on, this preview would probably never end. Since this is just a general description of what you can expect in Warrior Within, I'd be hard pressed to discuss its finer details. It is astonishing how Ubisoft has managed to change the game completely in just over a year after the first game. I would be very surprised if you aren't impressed with its technical aspects. They are truly Next-Gen and among the three consoles supporting it, the XBOX version undoubtedly looks and feels better. But it is safe to say that Prince of Persia : Warrior Within will be a must-buy for any console.
PS: Thanx for going through the preview. If you are interested in my review, you can check it out in the Playstation version of the game.
Have a nice day. | video-games_xbox |
Nothing "Epic" about this game. I'm a Gears Fan. Have all 3 games and have shelled out the extra loot for the limited edition version of each offering. With that said I have the perspective of a gamer who is all in so to speak in terms of the franchise, and this game just didn't bring it. The campaign in this game is severely disappointing. Each chapter doesn't vary all that much from the next. I felt as though I was running and shooting endlessly on the same level. Gears 2 had a truly awesome and more varied campaign with a scale that dwarfs Gears 3. I mean hijacking a Brumak to bring down the Hollow? Sick. Riding on the back of a convoy and shooting thousands of Locust scurrying below? Memorable. Cutting out the heart of a giant man eating worm? Raw! And that brings me to the new Gears 3 campaign. There is nothing epic or grand, in size or scale, to what the characters are trying to achieve. Cliffy B said this game was the longest one to date. And it feels like it is. Loooooooooooong and tedious. Variety? Oh if you count the Retro Lancer which is completely useless, and the digger boomshot which negates the aspect of cover in the game, there are splashes of "new". Useful? Hardly. Thank goodness that there was no stupid Mad Max car with a spotlight on its roof stage. Has to have been the worst ever campaign scene in the whole series. No? Okay, then that honor goes to the submersible scene in Gears 3. They just get into the sub, magically get to the super hidden stealth island nobody has ever heard of and are soooooooo surprised to find out about after shooting a bunch of fish and one really huge fish... Sounds implausible, disconnected, and lame? Yeah, it kind of is...
I suppose the only thing I liked about the campaign was that it did wrap up the series and finished up the story. Had to see how it ended, right? One beef I had with the story though is Dizzy. I thought Skorge killed him. Or at least you are left with the notion that he couldn't possibly have lived. Yet he magically returns with no explanation. Whatever, I probably have that wrong and need to replay 2. Another was the Lambent. Can you say zombie infection? How about the Flood from Halo? Chimaira from Resistance? Its almost as if the writers of all video games sit around the same table and write all the story lines for all the these games at once. Let's move on from humanity having to save itself from some species eradicating virus. We've been there and done that over and over and over and over and over and over again. I get it. Now try something new. The Locust coming up out of the ground was a somewhat novel introduction of an enemy. That was ruined by the Lambent infection. Just my opinion. More of the same old. Which brings me to Online play.
Horde 2.0 is a shoddy attempt to relive an awesome addition to Gears 2. It fails as a true overhaul. The building of a fort seems like it would be a strategically enthralling addition to the concept of Horde. It would be if it wasn't so contrived. It turns horde mode into an arcade shooter and you can buy fortifications with money you earn from killing Locust. Annoying because the cost of said fortification is disproportionately expensive to the benefit of its placement and is easily destroyed. You get to the point where you run out of money. The in-game economy if you will, just seems broken.
The only thing new in this game, other than map geometry, is Beast Mode. Once you get the hang of how everything works, becomes a lot of fun. Its a quick game type that is a nice change of pace from the regular Multiplayer which can be best described as nearly a carbon copy of all the previous versions with less intriguing maps Wouldn't play this endlessly but it breaks up the monotony of the rest of the game types.
Overall I am still a fan of the series. I may have been overly harsh in this review but I had extremely high expectations for this game as the finale to a series I have come to enjoy. Now that the franchise is several years old it just doesn't feel as revolutionary or interesting as in the past. I was really looking forward to seeing what new treats Epic had in store for us. I must say that overall I was just underwhelmed. Still will play Horde the most but won't be when the new Duty comes out. Yeah that franchise is played out too. Just not enough here to keep me interested. I am glad to see so many people out there are enjoying this game. I liked it when I played it too, several years back when it was new and fresh. This version just isn't new or fresh. Its stale and dried up, like the end of a bottle of ketchup left in the fridge for a while. Oh well. I have other things to look forward to now. It is most certainly going to be a great gaming season this Holiday. I just don't think this game is gonna hold up in comparison to what is lurking in the not so distant future of all the coming Tuesday releases from now until X-mas. | video-games_xbox |
Not quite what I expected. Being a Resident Evil fan having played through almost every game in the series (finishing up 3 right now), I naturally picked this up when I went to pick up the Silent Hill HD Collection. I even put off Mass Effect 3 for a few days to play it, and in a way I wish I hadn't.
When I initially saw the Gamespot and IGN reviews, I thought 4 and 4.5 respectively were pretty cheap scores to give any game, and although I wouldn't score this game much higher, I found their reviews had merit.
As many people have mentioned, ammo is sadly scarce and enemies love soaking up bullets, something which creates quite the conundrum while failing miserably to induce tension. However, you cannot simply just run away from enemies to the next area like in previous RE titles (as your teammates will fight until they go down, which happens often, and you cannot move on to another area without all of your teammates with you), so you end up running out of ammo quickly, whether you like it or not. The funny thing that I experienced is that the game loves to give you ammo on the occasions you don't need it, but fails to give it to you during high stress areas where it is most needed. On top of this, the BOWs soak up an insane number of bullets in order to kill (the zombies being the least likely to drain your ammo, headshots aren't hard at all), and come at you in ridiculous rage-inducing number. My experience with the melee was that it was sadly underpowered (I spent 5 minutes kicking lickers around hoping they'd die so I could conserve ammo), as were the guns.
All in all this isn't the worst game ever made, and there is some fun to be had here, but the game could be improved in big ways (teammate AI, gun/melee damage, enemy HP, co-op would be fun if it were more like Dead Island's, etc.). Maybe in future DLC/patches they'll fix this, but my suggestion is that unless you're a rabid fanboy (and even if you are), or have a superhuman level of patience, keep your $60 and/or get something else until this ends up in Gamestop's bargain bin. | video-games_xbox |
not feelin your force, holmes. this will not be a comprehensive review, kids. i just wanted to throw a few things out there that were, unfortunately, not included in video game mag reviews (but then again, no one from Lucas Arts is paying me for ad space, ya dig?).
i played the PC version of Jedi Outcast at a friend's and really wanted to pick up a copy on my way home that day - it played well and looked sweet! that didn't happen due to work and school schedules and by the time i had any time to play a few new games, this puppy was out of the x-box = woo hoo! i was stoked that i could play this game in the comfort of my living room using a controller that works with my larger hands. another bonus was reading several publicized reviews stating that the x-box version was every bit as good as its PC partner.... nope.
the graphics for the x-box version are kinda sad. no, they're not Atari 2600 bad ("Go little yellow dot, go!!"), but both Lucas and Gates should be smacked silly for not utilizing the graphical prowess this machine has. the only conclusion i can come to is laziness and the assumption that hard-core fans will buy any game with the Star Wars license (which seems to be the case if you're played many of the early SW PC games. ech). if you ever saw the difference between the PC and PS2 version of Max Payne then you know what to expect. it's a shame, really.
the gameplay is not so great, either. for a big chunk of this game, you're playing a lackluster FPS, at best. i really wanted a fast and furious shooter that took place within the Star Wars universe. what i got was a lame FPS with goofy "puzzles" that annoy more than entertain (such as: just trying to figure out where you're supposed to go, finally figuring that out, but now you can't open the door you know you have to go through, and then spending too much time backtracking to find the switch that you wizzed past that opens another door somewhere else that leads to yet another panel that allows you to finally move on. this would be more interesting if there was action involved to break up the hunt for the hidden switch, but you killed off everyone on this part of the map within two minutes. snooooooooze). i really, really wish that someone in the various reviews i read had mentioned that there was a large puzzle element involved... and that they're pretty lame. if this game had been released on N64 way before GoldenEye, it would have been pretty cool... but we're way past that, now.
((and good luck if you get stuck with a friendly character that is tagging along for that level/map. they're really good at getting themselves shot and if you try to run ahead to protect them, you either get wasted or they run in front of you and you waste them = game over. repeat.))
making it to the point where you can use a saber is really not worth it, imho. i only made it that far to try and justify that price of buying this game new = waste of time and a big mistake on my part. the multiplayer is kinda fun b/c you can throw a ton of bots on the map with both weapons and sabers. it's chaotic, but pretty much any other game with such options will blow this one away. there are a lot of maps and game types to choose from but, again, the game doesn't look that great and you always have the feeling that you should be spending your time on something more deserving (like pulling nose hairs or waxing the carpet).
if you're a diehard fan, this game may still be worth it. you will see familiar characters and the sounds are all the same, but you should demand better. this is a licensing deal and not much more. the x-box port was either rushed or no one cared - either way, we lose. please, RENT this first if you're still curious... or, if you live in Cincinnati/N.Ky, there will be one more used copy on the market very, very soon. | video-games_xbox |
Diehard PS fan converted to Xbone. The following review is from a die-hard Playstation fan:
Having been playing Playstation systems since I was a child switching to the Xbone was a drastic change. My primary reason for going with the Xbone instead of PS4 is the fact that Sony no longer allows media content(videos) to be played from their system. Since a gaming system, for my uses, is not only used to play video games but also to watch movies and tv shows- this was a huge issue. Apart from that reason, my roommates both have Xbones and we can now play BF4 and Halo: The Master Chief Collection together.
Getting used to the interface, though not as good as PS3s interface, was the biggest challenge. Things are no longer in the locations that make the most sense. Regular use will alleviate this issue, but it's still my main annoyance. However the organization is lacking, the instant-access from in-game or movies is fantastic. I cannot express how much I like that feature. I could be in mid gameplay on BF4, but if I want to watch South Park real quick I can switch to the media player almost instantly. THEN, if I decide to go back to the carnage I can easily switch back to where I was in BF4. Speaking of the media player. This is something PS3 did much better, except the Xbone is USB 3.0 compliant (I believe). Simply fast-forwarding in PS3 was much nicer and easier to use than in the Xbones media player. There are not nearly as many options on the media player as there were on the PS3's. Another thing with the media player is that it will continuously play videos. After one show ends, it just starts the other much like on Netflix. Kind of a nice feature.
Another issue, though minor, is the lack of easily accessible USB ports. There is only that is easy to reach with my entertainment system set-up and it's on the left side. The other USB ports are in the very back and hard to reach. Luckily the power pack adapter I purchased has a long cord that can reach the back of the Xbone and all the way to the couch so I can still play on a dead controller.
Speaking of controllers. My personal preference is the PS3 controller because its smaller, but also probably because I am more used to it. There are some ergonomic features I prefer that the Xbone controller cannot accommodate. The first one being the RB and LB buttons. Frequently I find myself accidentally hitting them when playing BF4 or even Halo. This inconvenience, again, will probably fade over time, but for those still considering to switch it should be made apparent. Otherwise the Xbone controller is large, but manageable. I enjoy the smooth joysticks - though I purchased some aftermarket gold ones which looks so badass. And I also like the record video feature. Simply double-tap the Xbone middle button and then hit X. Its quick to record and quick to get back to gameplay. I do it regularly in BF4. The Xbone also records automatically when I reach a new level or do something awesome. Sometimes its accurate (on auto-recording awesome stuff) and sometimes its not. The clips do not record in HD though. Unfortunate, but understandable. This probably allows them to be saved for a much longer period. I have some that are still saved from a couple months ago. They will auto-delete when necessary, unless you specify which ones you want to save or if you create a montage (video editing software is available on the system, but I haven't tried it yet - seems simple enough though).
Overall I am happy with my purchase. The few features I described were very important in my decision to buy the Xbone. I would advise anyone considering PS4 or Xbone to go with Xbone. | video-games_xbox |
In defense of MTG. First off I will say I spent about 5 years of my life and probably hundreds of dollars into the card game version so I do know what I am talking about. For the reviewer who said this is just rock/paper/scissors you are right for the most part, but MTG has always been that way, every deck had a counter and you would just build counter decks to whatever your friend might have made so you shouldn't be too surprised. A lot of people also complain about the fact that theres only about 70 spells and considering the degree of animation to each one I think maybe thats all they could fit into the game, besides I think the 15 or so spells that were assigned for each color represent it very well. If you've ever played MTG you should know how each color has its own flavor to it and even know theres not a lot of spells I think the spells they did put into this game fit in appropriately. Also another complaint I don't agree with is difficulty, I never did a level more than 3 times and the few I did do 3 times were the bosses, yes a lot of levels were easy but thats only because in conquest mode the purpose was to give you an idea of how each card was to be used, you start off with one at the start and each level an extra one is added on which I think is great to help you learn the cards. Last but not least is I saw people complaining it doesn't go along with the card game because you can use spells as often as you like which I liked because in the card game a lot of times it got down to luck of the draw while with this you know what your dealing with from the get go and have these spells the whole battle. For the price the game has dropped to if you are a true fan you would pick it up and enjoy it for what it is because this is a great game using a different style of gaming with the world of MTG. Also if you've never played MTG and your looking for something different with a lot of great action this is a good choice especially for the price, and I would have paid $50 for this being such a great game but $15 is just fine with me! If you want some more professional reviewing try some proper game sites, gamespot.com is a personal favorite of mine. | video-games_xbox |
Ooooh Yea. Well, where do I start? This game is amazing. I don't think I have ever played a game with smoke effects anywhere near as good as this one.
Graphics -
Looks great, everything runs fairly smoothly.. Sometimes devastators cause a tiny bit of lag or clipping but besides that, the entire free-roam NYC area is very well done. Oh yea, did I mention that when the lips move in cut scenes you can ACTUALLY tell that they are speaking English etc? Thought I would add that as it always bothers me.
Story -
Great story, seems a bit repetitive towards the middle but quickly picks back up. You have the option of continuing the main storyline whenever you feel like it, so in between the main missions you can run around and 'eat people', cause cause mass havoc, or even play some of the events that you unlock.
Gameplay -
The story is fairly short and if you go through the game playing nothing but the missions it could take you less than 15 hours. On the other hand, you have upgrades you can unlock for your abilities, upgrading them or even unlocking entirely new ones. This concept extends the game, at least for me. Ontop of that, you can run through the game all over again with the stuff you unlocked on your first run through, basically making the replay value awesome :)
The parkour, or free running in this game is really really cool.
Almost everything in destructible, save for destroying CERTAIN buildings ;). Falling from high areas and hitting the ground actually does damage to things and so fourth, all in all the gameplay is insanely cool.
Overall -
This is one of the better games I think I have played for the xbox 360. Everything works really well, and the combination of elements put into this game are fantastic and can keep you glued to the tv for quite some time. The only way to explain this game, is Spiderman + Hulk + Spawn. More Spawn than anything. I've been trying hard to release some vulgar language in this review because I really think the game is THAT good. | video-games_xbox |
Great Bundle, Great Game, Good Console. So far, I am pleased with the XB1. The graphics are what I expect from a next gen console. MS has really gone above and beyond with all of the features, apps, Kinect, and interfacing. The XB1 truly is a do it all entertainment system. When you walk into the room and say, "Xbox On", your XB1 will turn on as well as all of your other components(cable box, TV, SS receiver). It takes a few minutes to set it up to your equipment, layout of the room, and the channel guide for your cable/sat provider. The Kinect will recognize you and sign you in automatically. Navigating the menus takes a little getting used to. I gave it 4 stars because it is a new console and there are always a few kinks here and there. The first and most noticeable is a slight static or crackling sound when you are navigating the menus and playing games. It is directly coordinated to button presses or stick movement on the controller. This is probably an easy fix with a system update or controller firmware update. I hear this sound through my receiver as well as the stereo headset. I have also had times, while playing Titanfall, the the sound would cut out completely(I am using the XB1 Stereo headset). This may be a safety feature or a built in hardware protection feature so that your eardrums or the speakers won't be blown when the volume reaches a high level. A few times the controller seems to power off and back on during gameplay. The final complaint that I have is similar to the other issues, while watching a BluRay, the sound will pop or crackle some times and the A/V doesn't appear to be 100% in sync and I have also noticed that the movie will play with a slight jitter or laggy. This could be an issue with my TV, but my other BluRay player wasn't out of sync and didn't have any latency issues. This can be an annoyance, but right now I am being patient and hoping that MS can and will correct these issues. If they do not or can not correct these issues, I will update this review. I am a resonable guy and realize that nothing is perfect when it is launched, but this is MS and if they can't fix these issues, they will have done their customers a great disservice.
Now to review Titanfall. Wow, this game is amazing! The concept is awesome and they executed it perfectly. What can I say that the commercials don't? It really is as good as it looks. The gameplay is easy to understand, think COD meets Halo meets Armored Core. The entire game is multiplayer, even the campaign. Which at first, I was skeptical, but it is better than just running and gunning a bunch of mindless AI and guaranteeing a win everytime. Win or lose, the story progresses. You play as the tyrannical IMC for 12 missions and then get your chance to play as the Militia for the same 12 missions, but you're playing it from the opposite perspective. I like that concept for this game. The other games modes are similar to the other FPS's out there, Cap the Flag, Attrition(Deathmatch), Hardpoint(Domination), etc. the game is 6 vs 6 with tons of AI troops fighting along side and against you. I like this idea too. At first I was skeptical, but it has grown on me. The AI are, at times, ridiculously easy to kill, but be careful, while you're focusing on mowing down AI troops, another player will take you down without warning. You definitely have to be on your toes. The titans are really fun to play with. Custom load outs of both the pilots and the titans add for some really interesting in game matchups. There's really too
much to list about this game. Just go get it, you won't be sorry. | video-games_xbox |
GRAW is excellent, end of story. You play as Scott Mitchell, captain of the Ghost forces stationed in Mexico, while the three presidents of the North American countries are signing a mutual protection act of some sorts. Things go bad at the signing when Mexican rebels led by a Carlos Oniveros storm the place, killing the Canadian president & forcing the US & Mexican presidents to run for their lives basically. Anyway, its your job to rescue said presidents and stop Ontiveros..sounds easy until you find out Ontiveros has the US President's "football" (Which is a brief case that has codes to nuclear ICBMs).
This game has it all. You run, climb, slide, dive, go prone, heal fallen teammates, take cover and lean against any flat surface, press select and you have a full 360 degrees rotatable map of the area, select a HUGE array of weapons (both with and without scopes), pick up enemy weapons, command not only fellow Ghost ground pounders but M1 Abrams tanks, Apache & Black Hawk helicopters, and many more. Ontop of that, your enemies are outlined in red (and once spotted are noted on that 360 degreed map for future planning), friendlies in green, and you also get night vision goggles.
I never thought I would be saying this about a Tom Clancy game, but Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter is one of the most action packed, combat heavy, intense tactical games I have played. You will constantly be swarmed by wave after wave of enemy rebels and tanks... take this one stage where the US Embassy gets bombed - you have to protect the Mexican president from seriously an army of rebels with just you and the three Ghost members. It's a very hard game, but extremley fun. One thing thats boo though is the fact that you really only get hit like three times until you die.. meh.
Graphics....are quite possibly some of the best I have ever seen; they easily blow Halo 2 out of the water and rank way up there with games like Perfect Dark Zero (blarff). The lighting is magnificent and enchanting, windows actually reflect the scenery, the cities look so real, and the characters look life like - in fact they even move as fluid as a real human being. Simply put, you'll be breathless and G.R.A.W. really flexes X-Box 360's video muscles.
The music is a blend between real bands such as Ill Nino, and Ubisoft's own symphony/rock ballads. Both really help set the atmosphere and fit in perfectly. Take, for instance, when Ontiveros shoots this guy in a Black Hawk that has been helping you the entire game - the music gets REALLY sad and depressing and actually fills you with rage and determination to take Carlos down. Amazing once again.
There is indeed an online and split screen mutliplayer. Both are pretty fun - you can play against people in a free for all or teams, or play co-op in a made up campaign or play against bots. Its pretty sweet and really helps you get the feel of the controls (though you can't command a team in multiplayer like you do in the solo game) and shows you how the game is going to basically be. One thing I didn't like about multiplayer is the fact that it's not in a third person view like the entire game is, but rather takes a first person approach. Im a fan for FPS, but I liked this game as a third person.. oh, the little things.
The ending was typical Tom Clancy, and was rather short to get to (11 missions) - Mitchell retrieves the football and kills Ontiveros thus securing the safety of the world from a nuclear strike. Ontop of that the FBI or something arrests some retired high ranking official in the US for conspiring with Ontiveros...eventually it starts getting all complicated with conspiracies so I didn't understand it.
Lets finish this review by saying this - if you own an X-Box 360, you better own this game. So far, it's the best game for the system, and is one of the best games I have played. | video-games_xbox |
1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back. As a longtime Madden player (have played/owned every iteration since 99), this year's version of Madden is perhaps the most over-hyped one since the move to the current gen of consoles. After years of gamers complaining about the lack of innovation between the yearly releases of Madden, EA finally took a swing at things for the better. Unfortunately, even with the new Infinity Engine and Connected Careers Mode the exclusion of a full fledged Franchise Mode from years past is sadly game breaking for this gamer.
Pros:
1. The Infinity Engine is a solid step forward for the franchise, and should only get better as the series evolves in this direction. This is the best part of Madden 13, and can only be truly appreciated once you play it. Comparing the gameplay engines from Madden 12 or even NCAA 13 is almost a night and day difference.
2. The gameplay itself is probably the best its been since Madden's been on the current consoles. Multi-player matches (co-op and online) in particular should be the best its been in this generation. Past annoyances like Psychic DBs, eternal pockets for QBs, or impossible across the body off balance throws are out or at least toned down.
3. For as much as I dislike it, Combined Careers did well in including the different ratings for players depending on scheme. The Twitter/Social dashboard is at least interesting, if a bit clunky.
4. Trade logic within CCM seems to be harder, a positive in my book since it takes out trading a FA you just signed for a first round pick.
Cons:
1. Well, as the rest of my Amazon reviewers have noted Franchise mode as we have come to know and love got the boot. The new mode, Combined Careers, is a combination of past year's Superstar and Franchise modes. Unfortunately, Coach mode (which is supposed to be the evolved Franchise mode) is sadly lacking.
2. Lack of editing players/rosters: no longer can you edit player numbers, ratings, or really even have that much control of your roster. For example, in my current CCM I have 3 players with the number 82 in the wide receiver position, a minor annoyance that the user cannot address since editing is completely gone. The inability to change ratings makes a bit of sense(so no one can just turn anyone into a 99 overall rating) if Progression actually worked. Unfortunately, I had a rookie LB win both Rookie of the Year and Defensive MVP...and lost rating (78 to 77). Finally, you no longer edit player positions and thus are stuck with whatever EA classifies the player as. Want to turn Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis back to DE's for the return of your new 4-3 Colts defense (in 13 they are 3-4 mirroring the real life switch)? Good luck, you can't.
3. Lack of a Fantasy draft - not a big one for me, but I know at least two of my friends refuse to buy this simply because of this being left out of 13.
4. Lack of a co-op Franchise - unless you and your friends are willing to shell out $60 per person (plus XBOXs/Live subscriptions) you can no longer have your friend play within your franchise. As it is, I can play/compete with my friends/roommates on one console in Madden 12 or NCAA 13 but not in Madden 13.
5. Inability to import NCAA13 draft classes - not a surprise to anyone following the Madden hype train, but disappointing none the less.
6. Being forced to go online -at the moment of writing this review all the benefits of the CCM are found by choosing the online (always connected to EA servers) option. Online gamers will get tuning updates days to even weeks before offline gamers. Perhaps the biggest hindrance to this would be anyone who has actually had to connect to EA's servers before, they are notoriously buggy and finicky. In my NCAA 13 dynasty I constantly lose connection to the EA servers, a minor annoyance in that game, a game breaking feature in this one. Because of the way online CCM is set up, any time you lose connection to the EA server you lose all progress in whatever you were doing...4th quarter up by 3 as the underdog in the Super Bowl? Tough luck, you are going to have to play that entire game over again.
Conclusion: While the loss of Franchise Mode (and the inability of Coach mode in CCM to replace it) is a serious one in my book, there is some appeal in this game. As it is, people who play Madden for the multiplayer quick games will enjoy this game. People who get Madden for the Franchise play will find it sorely lacking until/if they ever patch it. | video-games_xbox |
Everyone be cool! X360 owners, you have every reason to be happy. THIS IS A COMPARE/CONTRAST REVIEW, SO HEADS UP!
There's a reason I've stuck with 2K the last couple years, and in my opinion, here's the best of the two in each major category:
Visuals: The Show
Even though I think MLB 2K11 has done a great job of tightening some of the choppy animations in their series, The Show has had a fairly flawless visual component for years on end now. The one area where 2K11 beats The Show here is in presentation style. The closeup shots are better and the camera angles are great, which really helps when adjusting settings for batting/pitching. 2K caters much more to the user here.
Audio Presentation: MLB 2K
There's no question here whatsoever. Gary Thorne/Steve Phillips/John Kruk have reflective, thoughtful commentary for nearly every established individual player, and the sounds of the park closely resemble the sounds you might hear in the various stadiums. Hell, the musical selection even beats The Show every year, even if you can change the music.
Game play (analog control responsiveness a big factor here): MLB 2K
The controls are mighty smooth in 2K now, after years of refinement. The new fielding controls will force you to think and react more sharply. The hitting/pitching is as fluid as ever. The one thing I always liked about this series is how you can actually read the ball and still see it a split second before it hits the catcher's glove. The ball in The Show looks flat and disappears into the mitt. Hitting is also very erratic in The Show, often feeling like you have little control over where you take the pitch. Regardless, this is not an issue in 2K! If you want to inside-out a pitch, you can, and you'll feel every bit of control in doing so.
Online play (Stability and what not): MLB 2K
I've checked around, and it looks like once again, 2K is winning in server stability and ease of getting into and successfully completing games. If you just bought The Show for PS3, you probably haven't even been able to connect to PSN all day (3/9/11), thanks to their maintenance.
Modes (My Player, RRTS, Franchise, etc): MLB 2K
My Player is a really fun experience for us 2K players. It's got every bit of functionality as the popular Road to the Show Mode, but 2K took a great thing and has made it better, two years in a row. The games feel quick; you can spend an entire night in My Player and feel like you've made some serious progress. The Franchise Mode is deep as usual in 2K, and the MLB Today that now continually updates the stats/abilities of players around the league during the season seems very promising. This is one grey area where we'll hope that 2K holds up their end of the bargain.
The short? 2K has in no way peaked, but look out, because save for stronger visuals, this game plays and feels as smooth as any baseball game you may have played before. It paces well, and it's got enough to keep you busy till at least next year. Do we really want to see EA get MLB back!? I think we often forget how mundane their MVP series had become before they handed over the license to 2K. For you all-around sports fans, the only fair option would be a trade off in 2012. If EA gets their MLB back, 2K should get the NFL! Bottom line when it comes to deciding to get yourself 2K for XBOX 360, or any of the current generation system for that matter, do it. If it's graphics you want, get The Show. Otherwise, MLB 2K is now a stronger game in nearly every category. | video-games_xbox |
Without a Doubt, One of the Most Scary and Entertaining Games Ever. Condemned: Criminal Origins is a first person survival horror shooter, and it is truly a horrifying game, for all the right reasons. It's creepy atmosphere and scares are all derived, for the most part, from suspense and story telling, not constant jump scares which are the norm for most horror games and movies. Back when it came out, it was an under appreciated gem, and it's a shame that it never got the mainstream popularity it deserved. However, maybe that just makes it more special for us Condemned fans...
The plot revolves around Ethan Thomas, an FBI agent who is framed for the murder of 2 police officers and now has to catch their killer in order to prove his innocence. This takes Ethan, and consequently the player, though all those creepy parts of town your parents always told you to stay away from. The environments range from subway tunnels, to abandoned schools, to the farms of the countryside, and the enemies you encounter are also of a great variety.
The game play is mostly based around melee combat, which is developed pretty well here. It's more advanced than most games in the regard that each weapon has it's own stats, including damage, speed, blocking ability, and range. Due to the brutal nature of your weapons, the combat itself is gruesome, and the lack of firearms dissolves any sense of safety you would get in similar games like F.E.A.R. You do occasionally find guns lying around, but they have very little ammo so you need to spend each shot wisely, and even then, they will only take you so far. In addition to the primary weapons, you are given a taser. I personally don't like this, because the uses are unlimited, and you can use it like almost like a gun, which defeats the purpose of the melee combat.
To me, one of the greatest things about Condemned is that it is not an unrealistic game, for the most part. Aside from the paranormal factors, which are surprisingly not a huge part of the game, most of the game is set with places and characters we probably see on a daily basis. To me, this makes the game more terrifying, because it seems like it could really happen.
Many games lose their scariness as they progress because they lack a change up of their scare tactics. Condemned, however, throws something new at you every level. I don't want to spoil what kinds of things I refer to, but be warned, you will never see what's coming next.
Overall, Condemned: Criminal Origins is a very solid game. It always has something new every level to keep you interested, and as the plot progresses, you'll want to find out more and more. Definitely pick it up, especially since it's so cheap now. | video-games_xbox |
The game just won't let me like it. I'm a huge Resident Evil fan; I met my wife on Resident Evil Outbreak, I have 3 shelves of RE themed action figures in my study, and nearly every Resident Evil game, even the critically snubbed Survivor series. I also did not object to changing the formula when RE4 was released, even with the shift away from horror to more of an action shooter. Resident Evil 4 was an excellent game and really brought the series into the new generation well.
The reason for my prior long winded gushing over the series was simply to make the point that my review of this game is not based on lack of knowledge or interest in Resident Evil, or due to any hatred of change from the original horror formula.
Resident Evil 6 is, simply put, mediocre. From the moment I opened the box, and found Capcom couldn't even be bothered to give us an instruction manual to read, it went downhill from there. This is a game that needed an instruction manual. The loading sequences give you `hints' but in a lot of cases, I'd already completed a campaign or two before I saw a loading screen with a `hint' on how to play I could have used before starting. Case in point, I didn't even know Leon could use 2 pistols until I'd completed all of the scenarios. Not a game breaker, but it took THAT long for that `hint' screen to come up. Not very prudent for instructions.
This game is rife with glitches, problems, and cut scenes. I've never played a single round of it without something either buggy, or downright poorly implemented detracting from my experience. As I write, my wife was just grabbed while playing Mercenaries by a zombie that she already blew the head off of. A bloody stump was somehow biting her to death. That's happened more times than I care to go over, along with other various issues like your character suddenly going invisible, the annoying white flash that comes on your screen when your partner is dying, the partner tracker that is somehow WORSE than RE5's...I could write a novel about all that's wrong with this game. Suffice to finish my initial thought: I have never played a whole round without something making me feel like I just want to stop for the night. I've never experienced a game that makes me lose interest and just want to put it down so fast, not even in anger, but simply because the game itself does so much wrong, that I don't care to play it anymore.
A shorter review would be what's right with this game:
The story isn't bad, the graphics are excellent, co-op is a welcome element, voice acting is well done.
There are other elements, and there are times I'm playing that I really start to feel like I enjoy it, and that it is a good game like I truly hoped it would be, but then something happens, like I get hit by a fat guy while being grappled by a zombie before being pounced by a dog while being shot by a zombie holding a magnum who has pinpoint accuracy....all of this frequently happens at once, and I at no point am given back any control to move or evade. I am rendered from 4 blocks of health to dying status without a say in any of it. Either that or a cutscene, which happens about every 1-2 minutes, plays and I come back into action inside of a zombie's mouth. Fun!
I love RE as a series, and I really really really wanted to like this game, as I have liked all prior Resident Evils. But I just can't, the game won't let me. | video-games_xbox |
Nothing's changed, and THAT'S A GOOD THING. This game will get A LOT of negative reviews because it is almost identical to NHL14, but I don't see that as a bad thing. Read on to find out why.
Bad things about this game:
- The developers, in many regards, copy-pasted 98% of this game directly from NHL14. The menu options are in the exact same spots they were in NHL14, the backgrounds for all of the loading screens are unchanged and even the little red block in the upper left hand corner of the screen during the initial auto-save is exactly the same. Many, many people are going to see this as some sort of shock, but guess what? Those menus, backgrounds and little red square were there in NHL13 too! We've spent our entire lives buying new sports installments every year with the promise of two things: new rosters and some new gizmo/update that we didn't have before. In Madden, it's QB vision or a truck stick. In NHL14, it was a new fighting engine and fiercer hits. There is nothing that 'significant' in NHL15 to date. Personally, I don't mind at all.
- As a Flyers cultist, my blood boils at the simple fact that Bill Clement was taken off of commentary, but as a hockey fan, my blood boils because they literally sat Doc at a table and had him read his script one night before he fell asleep. After several dozen game scenarios, I've never heard his voice crack or octave out like it does in real life. His voiceovers are completely and 100% devoid of emotion and passion. To compound that issue, Eddie and Ray speak FAR less than Bill did to supplement the color commentary in this installment. Ray sounds true to life, but Eddie also sounds artificial. Gary and Bill were much, much better. Too bad NBC is running the show now.
- You still cannot easily figure out how to do a simple (local Xbox) shootout between two people offline. You'd think such a popular party/quicky type of thing would be obvious, but it's not. If you want to do a shootout with two controllers, one Xbox and no internet connection, you need to press Play > Offline > Training > Shootout. Why is it considered a full fledged game mode for online and training for local? No clue. Get your stuff together, EA.
- In EASHL/OTP, simple glitches that could be fixed with 20 minutes worth of attention were brought right back over from NHL14. When two goalies try to fight and they don't meet in the middle before the screen reloads, you're stuck watching an alert in the upper right hand corner telling you the goalies want to fight. If someone drops out of a lobby one second before the game launches, the whole room will get booted before the first faceoff. And, most annoyingly (though it's a very rare occurrence), the game will glitch after a goal is scored. When this happens, the clock is rewound to the most recent face off and the goal isn't awarded. Totally. Unacceptably. Annoying.
- There are too many penalties called in OTP, but this is something that will be changed. There are currently game misconducts for most majors, but that was also the case in NHL14 before a very quick update. I foresee the same fix here.
But, to be quite honest, those are the only flaws I can find with the game. Sure, if you're not used to hockey video games and the skill sticks urk you, this game can be tedious, but, when compared to its prequels, this game is soundly coded. Now on to good things!
Good changes and updates:
- Characters on the same team now stumble if they bump into each other. This is a huge improvement in my eyes, because this is how real life would work. Forwards were becoming way too reliant upon sticking to boards to avoid hits and defenders tried to burn extra time off the clock by puck protecting all around their own zone way, way too often. Running into their own characters used to cause picks for players trying to pursue them and that's just physically illogical. This new system makes the game harder and more realistic, even though a lot of super small forwards with jacked up puck control will hate it. Man up, kids.
- You can now mute everyone in your lobby through the pause menu in both EASHL and OTP. To think this took this many years to implement is preposterous, but it's still a good change.
- The puck seems much more alive along the boards this year than in years past. In NHL14, for example, a puck would hit the boards and slide alongside of it instead of bouncing off of it like a real puck does. This also finally adds a new dimension of play for defenders who can make the behind-net-board-pass that has become so popular in the NHL.
- The hits, while not more ferocious than NHL14, seem more physically grounded than they did in the aforementioned prequel. My winger, for example, weighs(ed, in 14) 205 pounds. Even with a few sympathy points in checking, he used to bounce right off of everyone he tried to hit without even making them stumble. Now, regardless of your attributes for body checking, physics takes over and, if you're moving quickly towards another body moving quickly, Newton takes care of the rest. Little guys can hit now.
- Computer skaters have gotten better and computer goalies have gotten worse. While this is something that may upset some people, computer goalies used to be nearly impossible to score on with a corner glitch goal or double pump deke. Neither of those are fun to do over and over and over and over and over again. Likewise, worthless defender computers now actually know how to turn around, so they haven't been letting up nearly as many odd-man rushes. The downside, I think, is that (coupled with their superhuman passing skills when passing to each other) computers have been shooting a lot more than they used to. This is bad because they can place a puck better than a L3 winger can without even facing the net. They can do turn around shots that are utterly unrealistic and, while cool if they're on your team, totally annoying if it's happening to you.
So, there you have it. The game is virtually identical with some good and bad changes. Personally, I find this to be a great thing. The people who didn't do their research and rushed out to buy this one Xbox One or PS4 are learning now that dramatic changes occurred. True, things didn't get a whole lot better with the 360 version, but they could have been left out completely. And, if this game didn't have OTP or EASHL, I wouldn't ever buy a sequel. Wise up, EA. I'm going to list some things I think the game needs to improve in the future:
Things to move forward with:
- Fix glitches, obviously.
- Find a creative way to let players leave the ice surface if they need to take a phone call or something like that. Replacing them with computers could be a defensive strategy and liability, but it's stupid to accept that someone's only two options are to quit or fight to take a break. (OTP & EASHL)
- Make loading screens faster by limiting replay time. There are a ton of instances where a quick faceoff would make the game run more smoothly but, because we have to see thirty seconds of replay, time is wasted. (OTP & EASHL)
- If a game gets to be completely lopsided (I'm talking 5-6 goal leads), the players remaining on a team should have the ability to kick another player. I am SO sick of trolls playing goalie or defender and either leaving the net for a friend on the other team or going offside the whole game so it's impossible to score. Why should I have to take a DNF hit to allow someone else to boost? Worried innocent 9 year old Timmy will have his feelings hurt if he's playing goalie and he's doing a totally awful job? Oh well! All the more reason to find a position you're suited for a run with that. It's unacceptable to think that experienced players have to suffer because of trolls and Monday quarterbacks. (OTP & EASHL)
- If someone enters an OTP lobby and doesn't pick a side within ten seconds, they need to be kicked. There's almost nothing more annoying than getting 11/12 people suited up with 2:45 left on the clock and some genius won't pick a side or leave. (OTP & EASHL)
- Goalies should be treated like skaters once they leave their crease. If a goalie skates our for a puck in the NHL and is bumped by a forward rightly challenging for it, it is not called goalie interference. It's foolish that goalies are able to run out of their net with the sole intention of clipping a winger to draw a penalty. (OTP & EASHL)
- The main menu should be customizable. It's very annoying to have to press Play > Online > EASHL > Drop-In after EVERY GAME you play. I don't play NHL 94, so why can't I switch the two?
- Simming in Be a Pro takes forever (and always has) for no reason at all. Why do you need to spend time watching the cursor sim each day of the summer when you know nothing is going to happen? The sim option should just automatically advance to the point you want it to. (BAP)
Overall, I think this game is a success but many people only need to buy it if they're into OTP like I am. The rosters haven't changed dramatically and the gameplay is very similar. So, if you're new to the series or aren't a die-hard player, just buy NHL14 for $10 on Amazon and call it a season. | video-games_xbox |
Best Boxing Game of All Time. Finally, I have found a fighting game that I'm addicted to. This game is fantastic on so many levels... where to begin...
Legacy Mode - Hands down the best career mode in a fighting/sports game to date. Unlike UFC, your player gets older as the years go by (thank you). The detail put in to all of the statistics/rankings/fight history is truly amazing - not just your own stats, but ALL boxers in ALL weight classes. Creating/Downloading boxers and placing them in your Legacy Mode as an opponent is quite fun as well - I've been playing as Rocky Balboa, and I just beat Ivan Drago for the championship. I wish WWE Legends & even UFC had a career/legacy mode this in-depth & realistic - It has kept me entertained for days & days. I only have two minor critiques regarding Legacy Mode:
1) In UFC, you have to manage your time by balancing training with publicity. It would have been nice to have your boxer attend autograph sessions, do TV interviews, etc. in order to boost his popularity (at the potential expense of training/performance).
2) As the years go by, I wish I had the option of changing the hair style, adding tattoos & even changing the nickname of my boxer. You do get to change wardrobe & entrance music, but as the years go by, I'd like to see my George Foreman lose his hair & gain weight. Boxers age in statistical years, but not in appearance... that should change.
Controls - I actually like the "Total Punch Control" system; although I do agree, you should have the option of using buttons or the stick. I find TPC to be quite accessible & fluid - it didn't take me long to jump in and start using it with ease. FNR4 controls make for a MUCH more realistic boxing experience than its predecessors. For those looking for a slugfest, FNR4 gives you the option of adjusting the strength/weakness of your boxer & your opponent; I was able to lower the defensive/blocking skill of the AI, and turned the game into a Rocky-like slugfest. FNR4 can be as realistic or unrealistic as you want it to be. Minor critique: TPC can be a bit too sensitive when trying to execute specific punches in the heat of battle - this leads to throwing body blows when you are trying to land uppercuts.
Graphics - Best in the series - I could use a little more blood though.
A few more minor critiques...
1) Audio Commentary - It can get a bit repetitive at times. A several more days in the voice-over studio would have done the trick.
2) Create a Boxer - when you play as Iron Mike Tyson, you are referred to by the announcer & commentators as "Iron MIKE Tyson". When you create your own boxer, you can choose from a list of last names (as well as nicknames) if you so choose, but you can't pick from a list of first names. I'd like to have the option of creating a boxer who is announced/ referred to by his full name.
3) Venues - I'd like more gyms/theaters/arenas available to stage fights.
4) Ring Entrances - I LOVE the fact that you control some effects of the ring entrance (smoke, lasers, pyro, music), but the entrance cut-scene itself is WAY TOO SHORT! I would like to have the option of watching my boxer make his way from the locker room all the way into the ring.
In conclusion, FNR4 is an excellent fighting game which has kept me entertained from the minute I pressed "start". FNR4 is better than UFC Undisputed 2009, and in my opinion, FAR superior to FNR3. What truly "makes" this game superb is its detailed & immersive Legacy Mode.
10/10 - Hands down the best boxing game to date. | video-games_xbox |
Great learning tool. I have been a drummer for about 14 years. I have been around guitars most of my life, but never really felt like learning one, mainly cause hitting drums seemed easier to me. I got this controller about a week ago and I have already learned 5 songs on expert. If you are not very good with rockband/guitarhero guitars, but still love the game for singing or drums, this may be for you. I can't play a single song on the 5 button guitar controller on the expert difficulty setting. But in a week I can play 5 songs, easy songs, but full songs.
SIZE -- This this is slightly bigger than a 5 button guitar, but weight wise feels the same.
QUALITY -- I haven't had any problems with a button not responding and the strings are steel coated with nylon, which seem like cheap plastic from the sound they give off. But they are durable, they just sound like plastic. I don't mind this because they are infinitely quieter than uncoated strings. But make no mistake, this IS a plastic guitar controller.
NEW features -- With songs that have Pro guitar/bass charting you can practice the song like normal. But there is a new trainer unique to each song under the "learn to play song" section. Here the song is broken down to its basic components. For example the song "The Hardest button to Button" only had 3 components. You practice these components as you would a beat or fill in the drum trainer. Once you master the components you go to practice song and place them where they go and bahdabingbahdaboom you now know a song.
CONS -- None that I have noticed so far. But I am not too familiar with guitars so I may never notice. A friend of mine that came by to give it a shred said that with strings you can feel which string you are on easier cause on a "real" guitar the strings are different thicknesses. On this its just 17 frets of buttons, all the same size. (thickness, not width) But he loved this anyway, cause he learned to play a song he likes and has never tried to play before.
If anyone has a specific question about this, or even about the software (the game rockband) just ask here and i will answer asap. :) | video-games_xbox |
If Resident Evil were a summer blockbuster. Resident Evil might just be my favorite video game franchise of all time. Ever since I played the original Resident Evil while staying with a cousin when I was in middle school I have been captivated by the series. Having watched the Night of the Living Dead on a late night cable broadcast, I was intrigued by zombies and Resident Evil was a way to live immerse myself in a world of zombies. Zombies, monsters, live action video clips, arcane puzzles, a "haunted mansion" I was free to explore, and cool SWAT styled guys who walked funny and wore knives on their shoulders. All of these things just drew me in as a young teen. I've continued to be captivated by RE's charm and have watched the series evolve over the years. Now, looking at Resident Evil 6, how do I feel? Well, I think if the Resident Evil video games were turned into a summer blockbuster action movie, this is pretty much what it would be like. Resident Evil is broken into 4 campaigns (1 is a mystery campaign unlocked after completing the first 3) so it is a rather lengthy game on your first playthrough. Read on for one fan's thoughts on RE 6.
STORY and ATMOSPHERE
Resident Evil 6's story might be the largest in scope ever. It involves 7 playable characters, spans multiple countries, features the intervention of multiple governmental agencies, and features a handful of villians. If you are looking for a story to rival the works of great literature, this obviously is not it. If you are looking for a fun narrative that allows for the maximum number of action based setpieces, features interaction between a large number of the Resident Evil characters, and has some over the top scenarios, this should do it. Each of the 4 campaigns tells the story from a different perspective, only giving you the full story once you've completed the full game. The story is closer to a action sci-fi film than a horror film.
If there's one thing that all of the Resident Evil games have typically excelled in, it is atmosphere. From the mysterious mansion of Resident Evil to the creepy villages of Resident Evil 4, Capcom has typically excelled in giving us some nice, atmospheric locales. How does RE6 fare? Well, excellent sometimes but not so well other times. Where RE games have typically placed the protagonist into a creepy location RE chooses more often to flood regular locations with various creatures. Leon and Helena's campaign is perhaps the most atmospheric, featuring some truly creepy locations like old catacombs, a zombie filled university, and a graveyard. Other locales from various campaigns include an Asian city in the middle of an outbreak, a submarine, a demolished eastern European city, and an underwater base.
GRAPHICS and SOUND
I think the graphics look quite nice. Characters look great, cutscenes are amazing, and the creatures are wonderfully hideous. Small details will pop out at you in each level and the game features some excellent explosions and fire effects. Most of the time you can tell what enemies are around based upon the distinctive noises they make. The music is serviceable and definitely adds to the excitement and tension, but I don't think you'll be humming it afterwards or anything.
GAMEPLAY
Here's where I think some RE fans are going to have real issues. For the most part, RE is an action game. There isn't much focus on puzzle solving (there's a little in Leon's campaign) or on stockpiling ammo and healing items any more than in any other action game. Fighting many of the enemies requires strategy, as they have varying weaknesses, but you won't find yourself plotting routes like in RE 1-3 and Code Veronica. Think RE 4 and 5 on steroids. For some people, this will absolutely be a deal breaker for them. That's ok! For some folks (including me) there is quite a nice feeling at seeing the once rookie zombie killers now experienced to the point that they are one person BOW killing machines. Melee combat plays a big part in game and really is quite fun.
You will constantly be moving from place to place in this game, often doing different things. While the majority of time is spent on foot fighting zombies, you will also fly a jet, man gun turrets, drive a jeep, and man a motorcycle with your partner shooting from the back. The game has lots of cinema scenes and quick time events woven into the gameplay. Some people hate anything that breaks up the flow of the game, so be warned these are in here.
Each campaign seems to play a little differently. Leon and Helena's campaign features a more traditional RE atmosphere with more puzzles and regular zombies. Chris and Piers' campaign is mainly combat focused with enemies who fire backand some heavy combat scenarios. Jake and Sherry's campaign requires some sneaking and feels more survival based than the other two.
REPLAY
If you enjoy the gameplay, I think you'll find the replay value quite high. Each campaign keeps track of your scores (earning you different medals) and the difficulty level you finished the campaign on. Furthermore, each of the 3 main campaigns can be played with 2 characters, each with a different weapon set. Each campaign has multiple hidden emblems for you to find (similar to the emblems from RE5), which unlocks files and figurines. The game also features customizable dog tags which represent your identity online and have various emblems and titles that adorn the dog tag that are unlocked through different in game feats. Generally after every play session, you'll probably unlock a new title for your dog tags.
The Mercenaries mode is back, a fast paced mini game mode which has you fighting as many BOWs as you can during a set periods of time. While there are only three levels (w/ three more unlockable via retailer incentives or DLC), there are multiple characters to unlock with differing weapon sets and melee fighting moves. In both the campaign and the Mercenaries, multiplayer is available. Agent Hunt allows you to enter into another players campaign and play as various creatures, attempting to thwart the humans. While not a huge deal, it is quite fun. Further, Capcom has set up Residentevil.net to host various online events, challenges, and to allow you to use your inagme skill points to purchase ingame content like new costumes for the Mercenaries mode.
There are two aspect of the game I do not like and which I believe hurt replayability. The first is that unlike in RE 4 and 5, there is no way to level up your guns or use unlocked costumes in the campaign mode. While you buy new skills (you are limited to 3 at a time) this is not as fun as leveling up individual weapons. The second is that the chapters of each campaign are quite long, making it more difficult to sit down and replay a favorite section (I feel RE 5's chapter breaks were much better placed).
Overall: This is not a return to traditional RE in terms of gameplay, but I guess none of us really expectd it would be, right? While I do miss so many elements of the series, looking at this from a strictly gameplay and stmosphere perspective, I like what's here. I love Resident Evil 6 for what it is: a huge, globetrotting story of BOW disaster on a massive level featuring lots of characters from RE's past. In a way, it feels like where RE has been heading. All of these characters' lives were impacted by Umbrellas experiments and now they're doing what they have to do to fight back. It really is a fun game, in no way does it replace the older Resident Evil games which still sit on my shelves, and it has some great replay value. I'm satisfied. | video-games_xbox |
Soul Calibur V: NOT WORTH IT. Soul Calibur V: NOT WORTH IT
Let me start off by saying this: If all you care about is online vs. play then this game is absolutely amazing and gets a 5 STAR OMG BUY THIS NOW RATING.
If you like the rest of the 99% of people who actually want some product for their money then read the rest of the review.
Soul Calibur V is probably the weakest title in the series. I mean this game has nothing to make you want to pop it back in and play it again once you beat story mode.
STORY MODE: Okay this is where the game was suppose to shine. It fails, that simple. Why? Well first off its barely even a "Story Mode". Second the story mode takes close to 3 hours to complete. Third, the story revolves around the new main characters Patroklos and Pyrrha, the son and daughter of Sophita. You get to actually play as Patroklos, Pyrrha, and Z.W.E.I through the story mode. That's it. You can't play as anyone other than these three characters and to make matters worse the character you have to play is per-determined for each episode. The plot is very linear and not at all well fleshed out. Honestly its the type of short story that you would expect an 8th grader to write up as an English class homework assignment. Most of the rest of the cast make brief cameo appearances but don't actually contribute much to the story. Several make no appearance at all. But my ***BIGGEST CRITICISM*** of the story mode is its ***ALMOST COMPLETE LACK OF CGI ANIMATION*** With a few exceptions most of the story is told in really poor story board art that seams to have been scanned in at the last second so that they could get the game released for deadline. I mean come on, this is suppose to be the show piece of your new game, and this is what you put out. This would have been excusable back during the 8bit NEW or Super NES era but not when you've got the XBOX 360 or PS3 platforms. If all you get to play is 3 characters in this mode everything in between better be fully animated, with voice overs. I better feel like this is a movie in addition to a video game. The only thing that salvages the story mode is the fact that the ending was done right. It is fully animated and has some beautiful music. Had this not been done, I would have called this game totally worthless.
Lets move on to the next section: Arcade Mode.
This was a complete failure. Sorry, it sucks. Here's why.
-Reason number one: THERE ARE NOT ANIMATED CUT SCENES, STORY, OR EVEN ENDINGS FOR ANY OF THE OTHER CHARACTERS. That's right nothing. This is as simple as a fighting game gets. You pick a character, fight through six battles, face an over juiced boss, and that's it. No ending, nothing. If I was in an Arcade I would start kicking the machine and ask for the owner to open the coin box to get my money back. I'm sorry but even Street Fighter II had endings for its characters. There is no good reason why even brief animated endings where not included. This really diminished the replay value of the game. The ending is what you play for, its your reward for putting up with all the in game vs battle frustration. Take that away and all you have is a repackaged Training Mode and that's what this is.
Reason number two: You have 3 clone fighters. That's right not one, but 3. Edgemaster makes his return, which I'm sure the fans will be happy about. His whole gimmick is that is fighting style is randomly selected for every round so you never know what you're going to get. That's cool, but his gimmick is then cheapened by Elysium and Kilik. Elysium randomly selects her style from all female characters on the roster from round to round and Kilik has access to all the male characters. So we have 3 characters who all use the same Gimmick. Sorry but these slots could have been used to put in several more fighting styles. Its laziness plain and simple.
Reason number three: Dampierre. This character is either pre-order or DLC only. In other words you have to pay extra for him. So not only does the roster contain 3 characters that are essentially the same but now you have an empty slot to boot.
Next up we have: LEGENDARY SOULS.
-To sum this up. This is what happens when you set the game to extremely extremely pro hard difficulty. Most casual players simply will not use it or deal with the frustration very long. I understand why its there but the same thing could have been achieved by simply adding an extra difficulty mode the already lacking arcade mode.
QUICK BATTLE:
This is a sad shadow of its former self. At first it seems cool, you get to fight randomly generated characters and earn titles. Then you realize something. 1.) THE TITLES DON'T MEAN ANYTHING and 2.) YOU'RE JUST FIGHTING CLONES OF THE CHARACTERS IN ARCADE MODE. Once that revelation hits you, this mode becomes worthless. In previous editions, namely Soul Calibur III you had cool fighting modes, like wall slammer, where you had to wall smash your opponents or ring out mode. Not only did these make the game fun to play but you could practice these maneuvers in a themed fighting environment.
And now onto the CREATE A SOUL or CaS for short:
-This is really neat feature but they managed to goof this up as well. First off the same problem from the original Create-a-Soul option in Soul Calibur III is still present and in some ways worse. You can only COPY an existing character's move set. With the exception of the "Devil Jinn" Tekken fighting style, you cannot have a unique fighting style. Some people claim its because letting you select your own moves would be too complicated. For those in this train of thought let me point to Wrestlemania 2000 for the N64. You could customer build your character's appearance, entry music, and MOVE SET. Sorry, if a game of console that is 2 generations removed can do it then there is no excuse why it cannot be done here. To make matters worse, we've even seen a better create a character in Soul Calibur III and IV. In Soul Calibur III you could pick alternate fighting styles that were similar but not direct clones of the main cast. In Soul Calibur IV you could even customize your own weapon effects and fighting style with in game skill sets. While the character creator is pretty, and it allows for a wide variety of aesthetic customization, that's it. Its just eye candy.
But wait here's the real rip off: They are going to slowly release more and more parts of the create a character as items that can be purchased as downloadable content. So you have to pay more money, to improve an already lacking game.
Still Soul Calibur V does have some bright spots.
-The fighting styles have been nicely cleaned up. It feels natural. A good example of this is Ivy. For the longest time this character was very challenging to learn as you had to become intimately familiar with all her stances and transitions from sword to coiled to whip form and back again. In this version they've cleaned up her fighting style nicely, making it very fluid without destroying what made Ivy fun to play.
-Second it is beautifully animated and scored.
-Lastly if you just want a fun beat'em up game to share with friends at your home or online then you will not be disappointed.
That much being said for only those advantages this should have been a $20 Xbox live arcade release at best.
For $60 to $80 dollars I expect far more than that. I expect solid individual story lines. I expect tons of beautiful animations. I expect plenty of single player options to keep me entertained for hours, you know, like when my friends are off at work. I guess I expect a good video game. And I don't think that's too much to ask for.
It pains me to do this as I am a long time fan of the Soul Calibur series, but Soul Calibur V has no soul, and just barely squeaks by with a 2 star rating. My advice. Pick up Soul Calibur IV, its got more to do, but the online experience will be lacking. And if you still have a PS2 find a good used copy of Soul Calibur III and see what a good video game looks and feels like. As for Soul Calibur V, wait for it to hit rock bottom prices (like between $9.99 and $19.99) and then pick it up for your collection or better yet, just rent it and return it as needed. | video-games_xbox |
A real let down for the series, but worth buying if you're an addict like me. I am incredibly disappointed with SH Homecoming, and I suspect a lot of people are. It has a number of unforgivable faults where either the developers just got lazy or were rushed. However, if you adore Silent Hill and have been waiting for this latest installment, buy it anyway; there are some good moments and the classic ambiance is there ( to a degree). And of course the killer soundtrack...
THE REST OF MY REVIEW HAS SPOILERS, SO DON'T READ IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO ( GRANT IT I DON'T REVEAL THE PLOT, JUST SOME CHARACTERS SCENES AND MOMENTS.
The best part of Silent Hill is the opening, which is a dream sequence. It has the classic Silent Hill feeling, with a little bit of a twist. And when you wake from it, the town you enter ( Sherpard's Glen) really has the SH 2 feeling to it: murky, haunting but yet somehow approachable streets and venues that scare you and entice you at the same time. Along with Akira's score, it made me excited as hell to play the rest of the game.
Then, it takes a turn for the worse in several ways.
A.) Horrible fighting/ blocking
Alex does not respond quickly, so you may tap the button to block but he may not do it or will be delayed. Sure, he may swing his blade quickly, but that's about all he's fast at..
B.) Terrible menu system
Pulling up the menu is a major pain., esp when you are in combat.
C. Enemies that may look cool but are annoying and either SUPER easy or incredibly challenging.
D) Glitches
E.)The flashlight sucks to the point where you can't see a thing at times, and not in an eerie way.
F.) Pointless areas that are big, pretty empty/ enemy less and not pertinent to the game or feeling of the game
G.) practically no health items in normal, and sometimes not nearly enough save points
H.) FOr the first time ever, objectives are revealed to you, and it ruins the game play, as objectives that have nothing to do with the plot so far are revealed on your map. For example, when you finally get to Silent Hill, you need to get to the Police station ( that is your objective) but before you even start walking there, the boiler is circled on your map, revealing a future objective. You'll see what I mean when you get there.
I.) The worst part: the developers began using the movie Silent Hill for inspiration and added characters from the movie into Home Coming. Now, Gans is one of my favorite directors and the movie was alright ( the ambiance was great but it had annoying parts), however, STICK WITH THE GAME SERIES AND NOT THE MOVIE. The movie script was an adaptation of the game, and characters were altered and some added. The 'cultists' in the movie ( who wore those cool gas masks and were scared of the 'other silent Hill') were put into the game, and this is not consistent with the cultists in the game, who loved the hellish silent hill.
J.) Not many puzzles, and the ones that are in the game are not too difficult.
I loved every other game in this series so much, even SH 4 ( which I think is much better-though different- then SH homecoming)and origins. There were just so many faults in Homecoming and it could have been so good. There is a complete lack of balance of things, and they tried to change it in a way that took away from what the others had.
But again, if you're an addict like me, buy it because you will see the atmosphere. But after you play it write to Konami and let them know what you think. This series deserves a better sequel, and hopefully we won't be let down with SH 6. | video-games_xbox |
The Bar Has Been Raised...Again. This game is so good, it made me a Resident Evil fan.
I've never really liked the Resident Evil series. The dubbing wasn't particularly good, the characters weren't very compelling, and the scares...I'm fond of running and gunning, not sitting around waiting for the scary monster to jump out and eat me. Resident Evil never offered the kind of zombie-blasting experience I craved...until now.
Resident Evil 5 has a plot, but who cares about the plot? It's all about Chris Redfield and his superhot female companion, Sheva Alomar, blasting zombies away. Oh sure, there are nuances here and there: the zombies aren't really undead but infected with weird worm-like parasites, the zombies move fast, they're smart enough to drive vehicles and fire weapons, and oh yeah...the majority of them are Africans.
Whether or not this matters to you depends primarily on your discomfort level with a white guy attacking red-eyed Africans with a machete and stealing their gold. Yes, the zombies actually drop gold. My suspicion is that most gamers simply don't care, because the bad guys are zombies and thus fit into the same category as orcs in fantasy - faceless villains to be defeated in great swaths of destruction.
The problem is that Resident Evil's graphics are now so good that it looks like the real thing--if the real thing was villages filled with rotting animal carcasses and glowing red-eyed zombies. In fantasy gaming, we don't have a real orc to compare our opponents to. This is the burden of Resident Evil's hyper-realistic modern gaming environment.
If you actually play the game, it's clear that there is not an intentional bias against Africans. There are African military allies who are just as empowered as the zombies are moving targets. And Sheva is from the region, although she's admittedly lighter skinned than many of the other African characters.
Resident Evil isn't above breaking the rules to keep horror top of mind. Chris and Sheva can't simply run-and-gun. They have to stop and aim, which gives zombies plenty of time to sneak up behind them. Inventory is limited, ensuring that you will frequently run out of ammunition. There are cinematic sequences that have nothing to do with shooting in which you simply die if you screw up, like giant man-eating crocodiles and chainsaw wielding zombies.
Although Sheva is in the game regardless of whether or not you play-cop, the co-op mode elevates Resident Evil 5 from a beautiful but standard zombie shooter to an awesome gaming experience. The game has mechanics to specifically encourage teamwork, ensuring that you come to the rescue of Sheva when she's grappled by a zombie, heal each other when you're hurt, or hurl the (presumably) lighter Sheva up on rooftops. Who says having an attractive female companion doesn't have its perks?
Resident Evil 5 has a limited cover system, awkward reloading, and an aggravating inventory system. But that just heightens the tension. The zombie co-op bar has been raised...again! | video-games_xbox |
Wait it out. Too Human is a hit or a miss for most people.
On paper, Too Human sounds great, but when you're actually playing the game, it becomes quite a different thing.
In my opinion, the game breaks down into two pieces: story and game play.
The story of Too Human is based on the Norse Mythology gone techno. I'm not familiar with the Norse religion, but those of you who have played Valkyrie Profile would have a basic idea of the religion. The "big picture" of Norse religion is that it is based heavily on warfare. Now that sounds like fun, but Too Human puts an added mixture to it: robots and cybernetic humans.
I believe the biggest fault of the story of Too Human is the fact that nearly everything is related to technology. I feel that stories that rely heavily on technology tend to detach the main characters from the player. What I mean is, when you're fighting robots and so fort, you sort of feel detached because there isn't any sort of emotional relationship with the characters since robots aren't "alive." While playing Too Human, I didn't feel attach to any of the characters. I felt that the friends and foes you meet are just generic and not only that, it felt as if the creators just forced the characters on you. I mean there isn't any sort of hatred or love for any of the characters. You know certain characters have a past together, but the game just doesn't develop it well enough for you to get emotionally attached to.
The next piece of the game is the game play. Most of the time, you will be fighting and this game has a unique combat system. Instead of button mashing to combo opponents, you must use the right thumbstick to fight. The thumbstick fighting is relative to your enemy's position from the character. For example, if your enemy is to the left of the screen, simply move the right thumbstick to the left, and you will attack. This sounds all fine, I believe, but it's not intuitive in my opinion. What I'm getting at is that combat is not smooth at all and it feels rather automated. Simply move the thumbsticks and you will fight. You don't even get that many moves and even more so the enemies don't seem to challenge you all that often and when they do strike, it's usually because you're overwhelmed by enemies.
Speaking of combat, it's inevitable that you will die in this game. However, this game is quite unique in it's death system. Unlike most game, you continue where you left off and the only real penalty is that you lose your combo count - a meter that fills as you fight and as it grows it gives stat bonuses as well as the ability to use moves. This is really a hit or miss and in boss fights, you don't even really need to fight... simply do small damages, die, return to life, and then recycle.
Aside from combat, from time to time, you will be walking in town. The fact is the towns might as well be empty because you have zero chance to interact with people. On occasion you may hear people talk about you, but you have no chance to interact with anyone. I mean normally in games, I sort of ignore the townfolks, but in this game, I'm begging to just talk to someone. Simply put, when you're in town, you just go to some location, and then you're done.
Too Human has RPG elements to it in the sense that you level up and gain new equipments. If anything, this game has a full array of unique weapons, armor, and skills for you to try out. I must say I was quite happy to see how much stuff you get.
However, there are some serious flaws with Too Human's RPG system. First off, as you level up, so does your enemies. You don't really fight all that much, but simply a harder version of the previous enemies you fought.
The second flaw of the system follows the above. Remember how I said you can gain many new equipments and weapons? Well, you sort of have to change them over and over as your enemies changes. Basically, if you found some really cool set of weapons, you'll eventually have to change them either because they broke (yes weapons and equipment degrades as you die I believe - another penalty for death I believe), or because you leveled up and now the weapon is useless.
Overall, I am half happy with the game. In my opinion, if you're unsure to buy this game after reading the many reviews on it, wait it out. What I mean is wait until it becomes cheaper or at least trade in games. I have a younger friend who plays a lot of games, and he doesn't have a job so he gets money through chores and his parents. I felt really bad that he wasted 60 of his hard earned dollars for this game and only to be disappointed by it. If you have friends or family members you plan to buy this as a gift for his/her birthday, I say have the receipt handy in case. | video-games_xbox |
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