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The sad state of game critics. This game caught my interest about a month or so before it's release and based on the generic descriptions in the previews, I was already on board. A modern day, spy centered RPG by the same designers of Knights of the Old Republic 2? (One of my favorite RPGs ever in terms of character and story depth.) Sign me up.
Then about a week before release, the reviews started rolling in. Horrible graphics they said, glitches that render the game almost unplayable they said, frustrating control scheme. Almost everything that could be wrong with a game was listed as being wrong with this game, and obviously I was disheartened.
I eventually passed on this game during launch day and started looking for the next great RPG, which had me waiting for Fallout New Vegas basically, but after a week or so of waiting, I came across an Alpha Protocol review here.
The reviewer, another RPG fan like myself, pointed out that reviews from "mainstream" game sites like IGN and Gamespot, are often not only biased, but different features weigh more heavily to them then to the average gamer. For example, games with "amazing graphics", like God of War III tend to end up with high scores no matter how dull, short and repetitive the rest of the game happens to be. Yet on the other hand, things like depth and plot don't seem to count for anything in the mainstream game critic world.
I also get the feeling that certain games are given artificially good scores based on how much hype is surrounding that particular game. Perfect 10 for Grand Theft Auto IV? REALLY? I mean, the game was good, but aside from the improved graphics, it was a step BACKWARDS from GTA San Andreas in every way.
Anyways, enough of my rambling about the game review industry and on to the actual game. Basically let me put it this way, if you like a good RPG story and the freedom to make choices that dramatically effect how the story plays out, then this is your game. Period. Anything you may have heard regarding glitches, bugs, bad controls, AI, whatever, it's not enough to take the wind out of this one feature. Every choice I've made in the game so far, (I'm probably a good 6 hours in), and I'm already dying to know how it would've turned out if I made one of the other multiple decisions. (And yes, I even reset the game a couple times just to check.)
As far as gameplay goes, just remember this one little fact about the game and you won't be disappointed at all. THIS IS NOT A SHOOTER. Don't play this game like Gears of War, this is more a realtime RPG combat system than anything else. Train your weapon of choice up to a respectable level and you should have no problems taking out 80% of the guys in the game. I will admit that boss fights are rather tough if you don't have a little bit of assault rifle, but they're nowhere near impossible. Just might take you a couple tries to do it with a different weapon.
However, if you're one of those graphics perfection who flips out and returns a game just because they saw one tiny bit of clipping or texture popping, this game clearly is not for you. The graphics are probably, at best 3 years old in terms of quality and texture popping is somewhat normal. Even so, it's hardly enough to take away from your enjoyment of the game or make it unplayable.
I guess in closing I just wanted to say I felt this game got a bad wrap. This game delivers on exactly what it promises and has exceeded my expectations. This is what Mass Effect 2 SHOULD have been, but instead, the boys at Bioware seemed to bow to the trends and make their game into more of a shooter than an RPG. Good for them I guess, but props to Obsidian and Sega of America for keeping this one much closer to the RPG genre than the shooter genre. | video-games_xbox |
Only for Heavy Metal fans. While the other reviews posted so far seem to love the game, I think it's improvements are so minor that it is barely worth mentioning.
Game has a lot of things I didn't like, but to be honest, the music selection biased me as I'm not a huge heavy metal fan, which means there were maybe 10 songs in the game I liked enough to enjoy playing. I liked the other games with a bit of variety. If you don't like one style of music you don't have to play 80 versions of it during quest mode.
The game play has a few improvements over GH5, mostly the held strums on the base. This is one area of play in Guitar Hero that I think really puts it ahead of Rock Band, but considering the upcoming keyboard and pro modes of guitar in Rock Band 3, I don't think this is going to be enough to make me even put the game back in the machine once RB3 is out. The individual statistics available after a song are still a huge advantage, though.
Graphically I was shocked to see people saying they were impressed with the "improved" graphics. Compared with the 2 year old RB2 graphics, these look about 5 years behind. Character motions are a lot worse, and the faces are absolutely horrible. I'm a visual person, so this is a huge deal for me.
The guitar that comes with it is also very disappointing. First, to give it credit where it is deserved, the guitar looks spectacular, even without the Game Stop "blade" version installed. The problem is when you go to play it. The whammy bar just feels sluggish. I liked the one from GH5 with the long bar where the lever gives it a lot of play for a little effort. This one is shorter and doesn't feel as good. Second, and something that is a major gaff on the designers part, if you make the guitar thinner, change the strap. The end of the strap coming off the lug where it's attached digs right into my wrist whenever I try to use it. I've tried to use it a few times but I just keep going back to the GH5 guitar.
Overall I really wish I had just said skip this one. I bought it for the guitar, but as I said that stinks, and the game itself is just the old one with songs I like less. | video-games_xbox |
Great Game, Terrible Guitar. Thankfully, Guitar Hero has finally lived up to its name for the first time since Guitar Hero 3. There are 93 new songs, and almost all of them are geared towards guitar. There is still the full band option, but unlike gh5, gh smash hits and gh world tour the priority is a good song for guitar. Warriors of rock has songs by classic bands like aerosmith, bu also has newer ones like linkin park and muse. Also, Activision put on a hard song by dragonforce, which makes the game infinitely more fun. There is about 6-10 hours of gameplay on quest mode, so even if you try to finish as fast as you can it still takes you several days. One small problem with so much gameplay is that you can't actually play the hard songs on quickplay until you have passed them in quest mode, a week after you got the game. But overall the game is very fun to play, and if you haven't bought a guitar hero game since gh3, or even if you are just starting, i would definitely recomend getting the game. But DO NOT get the guitar.
The guitar is the reason why this is a four star review and not a five star one. The guitar works great; it has a fast whammy bar, good strumbar and a slightly smaller neck than other guitars, and it looks much better than others. However, three hours into playing the game, my strum bar, which Activision called a "shredders best friend" completely broke. It neither up strums nor down strums. Useless. Luckily I have an older guitar that still works, and 90 day warranty means I can return the guitar and get another one, but it was still very disappointing. Maybe it was just my guitar that didn't work very well, but if you have another working guitar I would strongly recommend you buy the game alone.
Overall, I would say that the game is second best in the whole guitar hero series; I would recommend it for both hardcore and casual players, but if at all possible do not get the guitar. | video-games_xbox |
Who says a fighting game can't have a good story. I'll start right off the bat with the fact that I am not a fighting game fan. I cannot speak for the gameplay elements in comparison to other mainstream titles such as Street Fighter or Tekken as I've only spent a little time playing either franchise's more recent editions. I wasn't much for either, mostly because I suck at both but also because there was just something missing from it all. Then I heard about BlazBlue.
To avoid any confusion, BlazBlue has three games in the current lineup. Calamity Trigger is the first game, followed by Continuum Shift. The product here is Continuum Shift EXTEND, which is sort of a package deal and this being the limited edition, it comes with some goodies that I've always been a sucker for but most of them are worth it for the price I paid.
EXTEND contains everything found in Continuum Shift but includes the latest gameplay balance changes that to my understanding are what you will now find on modern BlazBlue arcade machines. It includes all of the extra downloadable characters for Continuum Shift but allows you to play them in Story Mode, where as Continuum Shift did not. Each character has their own fully realized storyline this time.
BlazBlue has a high learning curve for a fighting game or so I'm told, but my own experiences know this to be true. One must input commands faster and smoother than other games I've played to pull off some of even the most basic combos. However, EXTEND has a "Stylish" mode that allows you to cheat a bit by letting you string together combos by simply pressing the attack buttons and occasionally inputting a direction. This doesn't turn you into a pro-fight gamer by any means but it can help you feel more comfortable with fighting games in general.
Something else to make the player more comfortable is the most extensive tutorial system I've ever seen. I learned about fighting game terms such as "Cancels" and "Mix Ups" from a vampire midget whose instructions were both amusing and mean, but that's why we like Rachel Alucard. Anyway. The tutorial goes over everything from the most basic of basics (This is how you jump, this is how you block) to more advanced mechanics. It even includes tutorials for each individual character so you can understand a bit about how each is played and that is extremely helpful.
This is because one of my favorite points about this game is that each character plays so entirely different from others. This is due to the fact that each character has their own gimmick, or in this case, "Drive" that allows them to really change the way things work. Ragna the Bloodedge can drain the health of his enemies and restore his own using his drive attacks. Rachel Alucard can summon gusts of wind that alter several of her attacks, making them faster or allowing her to escape into the air and out of harms way. Lichi Faye Ling can fight both with her pole in hand or without, actually being able to plant the pole on the battlefield and then use it remotely, alowing for some very interesting combos. Each character has a very radical gimmick that adds a new level to your basic fighting game.
Other gameplay features of note include the Barrier Guard and Burst systems, each adding another layer of complexity to defensive gameplay by allowing you to completely avoid damage from attacks that would normally break through your defense, or to buy you much needed space from a relentless opponent. In addition to all these actual gameplay mechanics, the game encourages a variety of unique gameplay modes. By variety I mean lots.
Story Mode, Arcade Mode, Versus Mode, Score Attack, all pretty much your standard fare. I'll get to the story mode in a bit but here's where things get crazy. You get access to Unlimited Mars, which is where you fight powered up versions of the normal characters at a high degree of difficulty. The first time I tried this mode I was taken down in two rounds, in less than twenty seconds without landing a single hit on my opponent. My first opponent. So if you're looking for a challenge, you've got one in Unlimited Mars.
Abyss mode is where you go through a gauntlet of fights, where each fight one takes you deeper into a "Abyss". The further you get the more difficult the fights become as additional modifiers are added to the enemy. You can add modifiers to your own fighter, and unlock more as you travel further into the Abyss. Depending on how you did in the fight and how deep you're going, the depth you travel changes, allowing you to skip quite a ways down the Abyss if you're good enough. There are three difficulties with the second two unlocked as you complete the previous challenge, each going deeper than the next.
Challenge Mode is where the game challenges you to attempt to pull of combinations of varying degrees of complexity using each individual character. Each character has their own list of challenges for you to complete and this is excellent practice in getting used to a fighting game's mechanics while also giving you a taste of what each character is capable of.
There's a gallery mode which is frankly huge. Each time you clear a hurdle in any of the game's modes, you will earn points. Collect enough points and you will rank up, unlocking the ability to buy things in the gallery with said points. Music, Artwork, System Voices (the announcer), Unlimited versions of the characters and alternate costumes. You can also watch any unlocked cinematics or endings here, from both Arcade and Story mode.
Diverting from gameplay for a bit so I don't forget, the Limited Edition of EXTEND comes with a small calendar, an artbook and a soundtrack cd. Now the calendar, while cute, is out of date and the artbook is mostly for those who enjoy having such things or want to further appreciate the great 2D art and animation of the game, the soundtrack is wonderful. BlazBlue has an amazing soundtrack. Hard Rock and Metal guitar riffs feature prominently, mixed in with that old school, quality BGM music that fighting games used to have. Capcom needs to take some notes here, their fighting game lineups have had absolutely horrendous music attached to them in recent years. Youtube "Indestructable" or whatever the intro theme was to IV if you want a laugh.
Now lets get down to my favorite thing about this game: The Story.
BlazBlue's story appears at a first, second or even third glance to be convoluted and senseless. This is because each character is offered only a small piece of the puzzle in each of their respective story lines. Some get larger pieces than others but relatively, they are all small. The game also does not hold your hand when it comes to the story and so attention to detail is necessary.
Now if you haven't played Calamity Trigger, don't worry. EXTEND contains a sort of condensed version of the events in Calamity Trigger for you to watch and play through. It isn't as good as playing the original but it does a good job of bringing you up to speed on the really important bits, though you might not get the full picture. The story progresses individually for each character with several choices being able to be made at different points along the way which can change your overall outcome. It also contains two side stories which go deeper into certain characters histories together and takes a deeper look at another group of characters in the past, bringing to light a few answers and more questions.
Each character has a "True Ending", a "Bad Ending" and a "Gag Ending", with the exception of Hakumen who is too serious to have a Gag Ending, though he is featured in others. These Gag Endings are hilarious, with the exception of one which isn't so much a Gag ending as a somewhat heartwarming and sad diversion, and they're totally worth grabbing. Bad Endings are exactly what they sound like. They don't end well for the parties involved but when you get a Bad Ending you get to enjoy a little theatre with tiny (chibi) versions of characters, giving you a few hints as to where you screwed up and these are also pretty funny.
The "True Ending" of each character is exactly what it sounds like. I want to say more but I can't. Once you unlock "100%" of all the character's possible gameplay routes, you unlock the chance to play the "True Ending" of Continuum Shift's storyline, which is what sets up the next game, announced for 2013. Needless to say, there is a lot of gameplay value here. Nevermind the fact that each Arcade mode has it's own ending as well. You'll be busy for quite awhile, especially if you're looking to unlock everything in the gallery.
The storyline itself is interesting, complex and worthy of a hardcore RPG as opposed to a fighting game. It's very deep and satisfies that RPG player and avid reader inside me but I can't mention much without taking away some of the surprise. This is an odd after thought but it bears mentioning that the voice acting in this game was excellent. I actually prefer the english language version. It fits each character better than their Japanese counterparts do, though partly due to the way the dialogue was translated. That said, the personalities of their English speaking versions are much better in my opinion. I hate dubbing with a passion, in all media but this? This is great. I stress that. You will enjoy the game more with the english dubbing.
Man it's really hard to sum up BlazBlue. If you're tired of your fighting games taking place in yet another "Worldwide Tournament" for either fame, fortune, glory or the pursuit of genetic perfection for super-soldiers, etc, than get BlazBlue. If you miss the look of 2D animation in your fighting games, get BlazBlue. If you're a fighting game pro looking for a new arena to test your skills, get BlazBlue. If you want a unique fighting game experience, get BlazBlue.
Get BlazBlue. | video-games_xbox |
An Amazing Entertainment System. First off, I would like to address all of the naysayers who are influencing other customers to wait for PlayStation 3. Personally, I own the Xbox 360 and I am proud to say that it is quite possibly the best console I have ever owned. In my opinion, the only way Sony can top all of its features is to steal some of Microsoft's groundbreaking innovations. In the reviews prior to mine, several customers stated that the graphics were "horrible" and that "PS3 will be so much better". No offense to these reviewers, but I beg you, please complete your research before submitting your clearly biased reviews. The Xbox 360 is made up of three symmetrical cores, and each core has a total of six threads inside of it, adding to a total of eighteen threads. Now, each one of these threads gives the system much more graphical power, along with the custom ATI graphics chip. Game publishers have announced that even some of the best looking games, such as Kameo: Elements of Power and Project Gotham Racing 3 only use around 1 thread! Now imagine what future games will look like when coupled with all of this console's amazing power. Now, other reviewers have stated that the PlayStation 3 demos at the E3 convention were, "the best ever and near lifelike". Again, this has been proven false. In a small-publicized event, Sony did announce that none of these videos were actually run on the PlayStation 3, they were all done on a computer. It is also known that Ken Kutaragi went to Steve Jobs of Apple Corp. for help with the PlayStation 3's hardware, and Jobs later replied that it was in fact not that impressive. This all may seem like a lot, but there are far more reasons why the Xbox 360 is a better console than the PlayStation 3. The largest of them all perhaps is the price. The retail price for the Xbox 360 is $399.99, while Sony's is expected to be $499.99 to $599.99 RETAIL, not to mention the online auction prices. Many people have also praised the PlayStation 3 for their investment in Blu-Ray discs that hold around 50 GB, 5x more than the standard layer discs of the Xbox 360. Regardless, Blu-Ray is an amazing piece of technology, but that comes with a higher price tag as well. Sony's games are expected to sell at $79.99, or else Sony would lose major profits. In conclusion, these researched facts can prove that the Xbox 360 will be a greater console than the PlayStation 3, despite the fact that Sony slightly has the edge in graphical power. But unless you're willing to spend around $600 for a console and a game (note: the hard drive is not included with the PlayStation 3.....it will be sold separately), you're better off investing in Microsoft's amazing innovations intheir console. | video-games_xbox |
An improvment, but still the same old grind and issues. Don't fall for the hype. They improved upon what Destiny was at launch, but once you reach lvl40 (after less than 8 hours) it is still the same old grind of the same areas over and over and over again. I played the beta and rented Destiny 1.0 at launch. Destiny 2.0 is an improvement, but it's still not a good game.
The game is still very lacking in content and leans heavily on repetition of the same areas for months at a time in hope of getting a decent set of random drops from the slot machine. It still lacks any in-game chat, group finder utility, or social feature that I would argue are a necessity in a game of this type, which makes it very hard to progress without a dedicated group of friends. Unless you just run strikes/crucible and rely only on RNG you will hit a wall of things to do about 15 hours in and will be vary limited in the amount of legendary marks (the top tier currency for buying new legendary gear) you can get per week. They have added a new layer of RNG on top of the ones from the previous system with the introduction of the "3 of coins" consumable buffs which offer a stacking increase at a chance of getting a legendary item - you get five "3 of coins" for 7 strange coins from the weekend vendor and it takes about 5 uses to get one legendary engram drop (and that is not even the most confusing/annoying addition). The new Crucible quests (which people complained about in 1.0, but are just as bad now in 2.0), which force you to perform irritatingly specific tasks, one at a time, on specific playlists are particularly annoying without a fireteam on voice chat.
All this and many other terrible design decisions leads to the realization that despite the good shooting mechanics and decent visuals, Destiny 2.0 and TTK are just wallpaper over cracks in a deeply flawed foundation. I really wish I hadn't fallen for all the overhyped "Destiny 2.0" nonsense and wasted money on this. | video-games_xbox |
Too Little Too Late. The movie "Antz" was a computer generated movie from Dreamworks made for adults and stared such big names as Woody Allen and Gene Hackman in it. That was four years ago in 1998, this is 2002 soon to be 2003 and the movie is forgotten by the general public and remains somewhat of favorite to a select number of people, most of which are adults. I'm not sure who decided to green light this project but I would have taken in these factors before deciding to go along with the project:
1. Is the franchise still proffetable?
2. Can you market a go kart game off a movie made for adults?
3. If you're planning on making this for kids is "Antz" something that kids will really want?
4. Is there enough intrest in this movie to release a game and still make it profitable?
5. If there is only a minimal intrest in the game can you still sell it ...?
Sadly I think the no's out number the yes's this time. What we have in the end is kids game based off an adult movie which is not highly profitable anymore coming out on a system made for adults at a {small} price! In other words I don't think this title will even sell all it's invantory in stock...I don't even think it will pass the 2,000 units mark. Neglecting all the things this game had going against it in the first place I must also add that the game just simply isn't any fun to play. We've seen better kart games before, the graphics have been better, they've played better, and this game can be beaten in an hour.
So I guess you can predict that I'm not recomending this title right? Well that's the thing I'm actually going to let this game off on the hook and recomend this title to a certain extent anyway. It's one of the only games on XBox your kids under 5 will be able to play, it's not a very expensive way to keep your kids occupied, and it's a much better kid game then "Shrek." I'm not sure what was going on in the developer's head when they made this, but the end product just screams un-profitable! But like I said it will entertain 5 year olds for a few hours so the choice to buy or not is up to you. But if you're an adult then you might want to pass this one up. | video-games_xbox |
Kinectless review of the Xbox One. This review is not for everyone, this is a review for how usable the console is without one of its key features, the Kinect.
The Xbox one utilizes the Kinect for gestures and voice, My room is about the size of a closet, and I personally hate voice and motion controls because they would literally cause me injury where this console will be used, and because I can input commands faster with my fingers than with my voice.
That said this review is for how well I feel the overall performance of the console is handled, but without the use of Kinect, which as I've stated, I cannot effectively test, nor do I want to, and to be honest for games I play I'd rarely use the device anyway.
The console is bundled with a headset, the power cords, a hefty HDMI, the Kinect, a controller, and documentation, I'll review each as I come to it.
The headset has a flash of green but really the quality is no better than the old 360 headset, it's still wired, and it's still cheap, but it does work, and provides a good alternative to the Kinect Microphone if you don't have it connected.
The power cord is pretty much word for word the 360's, it's an in line, external power supply, and given the console is ENORMOUS I really cannot figure out why they had to have the power supply outside of the console, the one is over an inch wider than the ORIGINAL XBOX, and that thing was huge. So no bonus points there for convenience unless the power supply toasts itself.
This is the first console I've purchased with HDMI bundled in the box, and it works as expected.
The Kinect is larger than the 360 version, and as I've said, I didn't want to install it so I am reviewing the console sans Kinect.
The controller I really like, That's a really good thing since that's my main interface with the screen, the D-Pad is massively improved over the xbox 360 counterpart in my opinion on both a concept and execution level.
The controller is smaller by a little bit than the 360 controller, reaching size to about the S controller of the original Xbox. In fact it really feels a lot like if the Xbox and Xbox 360 controllers were melded together almost to create this, and those two being amongst my favorites, that's an excellent thing. The plastic isn't hard and smooth, much like the 360 controller giving it a soft feel, while providing grip. The sticks themselves are supple rubber that's ridged around the edges to prevent sweaty fingers from slipping, and the buttons are all within easy reach for your fingers or thumbs. All buttons depress easily and are quick to depress and rise giving good response and the triggers have been revamped to include their own set of vibration motors to provide feedback directly to the finger providing action.
An example is that in Forza 5 you can feel wheelspin caused by acceleration through the right trigger, giving you an idea of how much push you're giving in a corner, while you can feel ABS and brake lock up through the left trigger. This changes how quickly you can understand and gauge throttle or braking in the game, giving you feedback faster and more efficiently.
This is coupled with body of the controller vibration which provides the feedback you already received last generation, and it does help the experience of games that utilize it,
The controller unfortunately still takes batteries, this is 2013 microsoft, come on include, a NiMh or a NiCd battery pack. I have to admit the location and profile is improved with the battery situation, but launching with these battery powered controllers and saying "Hey you can buy our play and charge" for 30 bucks is ridiculous. I don't love Sony, but the PS3 controller is much more convenient for users. Gamers like me don't have 8,000,000 batteries in their rooms anymore, because almost all devices include a rechargeable battery. It really does seem MS knows this which makes the money grub for a little, insignificant rechargeable battery for an exorbitant $30 all the more transparent because no one wants to pack rat a dozen batteries. The controllers don't even have a dongle to be used tethered to the console for use if your batteries die mid game, you either have spares, and you're ok, or you don't and your game ends. That's not a fun, fair, or intelligent way to force someone to stop playing.
That being said they do include a couple of copper tops for you to use and the controller seems to get very good life out of them, so battery life is good at least.
Finally to the main event The console:
The Console itself:
Besides looking like a Betamax from the early 80's, there is nothing nostalgic, sleek, impressive, or beautiful about the design. The console is essentially a big block with a disc drive in the front of it, aligned to the left and a bunch of slots in the roof to prevent it going nuclear. It does have a glowing Xbox logo you can poke on the right side of the console to turn it on or off, as well as a pokey bit next to the BD drive to make it ingest or regurgitate a Disc with either a movie or a game on it, possibly music if you're one of those people who still listens to CD's. The console is pure functionality, no heart, no soul, just Bauhaus design with a bit of chrome. Its quite ugly and I'm a bit sad I have to put it next to an Xbox 360 Slim, which is absolutely gorgeous.
The U.I.:
Unfortunately things don't get a lot better once you're staring at the screen instead of the console, the Xbox needs to update out of the box or it won't work properly, (this was communicated by MS thanks to all the crazy revisions to the Terms of Service and OS changes) But once that's done its a straightforward setup to create or use an Xbox Live account and then choose your color for the user interface, which is very Windows 8. If you've never used W8, think lots of tiles, each representing a clickable and interactive option in the unit.
There are 3 screens, using the controller, you can navigate these screens but using the bumpers (for you PS2,3 people that's R1/L1) The left most screen contains apps such as Skype, IE, and Netflix. The center screen is the business end containing your profile info, the app you're using, the snap feature, the guts of the OS (options and accounts on the console) and the last 5 things you did. in a renewing ticker tape that updates as you use apps or games. The Right screen is the shop essentially containing the live store movies, music, and other items related to entertainment that allow you to purchase or rent multimedia for listening or viewing pleasure.
The center screen is far more trouble than its worth in my opinion, while the center title defaults to games or whatever you were last doing and is very easy to use and interact with, the tile next to it containing your account information is largely wasted. It tells you who you are, your gamer score and how many friends are on. But you have to click it to see WHO is on. and there is more than enough room to display a few friends in that tile, it's a big tile and it's not used to a good effect in my opinion. The app though contains a lot of info about what your friends are doing, when they logged on, and who's on right now, but it's hard to get an idea straight from the menu like it was on 360 on boot. The 360 had an entire page dedicated to your friends, which showed them snoring offline or a speech bubble showing what they were doing if they weren't offline as well as their avatar and achievements. At a GLANCE. This is an excellent show of more is more, the condensed menu has an air of rushed and incomplete about it.
The right side includes locations like your account, avatars and account management, this is the place to go find your Wi-Fi settings, if you're not anal about bandwidth like me and aren't concerned about the minor drop in performance from a wireless vs. wired connection. This is also the place to go looking for the way to activate your online codes from games such as your car pass from Forza. (Took me a long while to find this little gem)
Snap in is a hugely touted feature, and on a controller, what may be a good app to use with voice is turned into complete crap. On the controller, you can hit the guide from in game, choose snap, select a dockable program, interact with it, and then hit the guide button, reselect your game, and finally choose to play that again. It may be good for video, but for anything else, its cumbersome, intrusive, and there is no way to adjust the snap in ratio so everything is either docked and small, or not docked at all, and I prefer the second one.
All in all this menu is usable, but it feels rushed, incomplete, and clunky on a controller, and I know its supposed to be used with Kinect, but I don't think that's an excuse to make the controller so sluggish through the menus. But there is I'm afraid even more wrong with it. Playing a game and returning to the menu via the guide button results in a serious drop of frame rate in the menu and its very obvious. It doesn't ruin anything, it just looks unattractive.
Applications still sit behind a membership fee I'm also disappointed to admit, applications like Hulu Plus, Netflix, and Amazon Movies still require an Xbox live gold membership which is normal price, $60. In addition to the fees you're racking up on those website's billing structure, MS wants their own cut to even access them, and they really should be free to use as they are free to use on the net, windows 8, android, Wii, PS3, Apple anything, and all kinds of internet ready devices and TV's. Again this is 2013, this app lockdown stuff isn't something buyers should have to circumvent to access their content they're already paying for, they're used to being able to access their content from anywhere and a device that's designed to lock them out unless they pay is not seen as a gateway, its seen as a hindrance, and it is.
Cable route through works and is usable as long as you have the supplies to connect it, but again, see above, there may be a device that you already own, that might manage all of this stuff better.
So the final rating sits at very very average. The console has a lot of potential, but the launch leaves a lot to be desired, Microsoft, if its to gain any ground needs to realize their system can't be a full entertainment center with all the lockdowns and focus on making the UI more usable to people without Kinect if they do not want to use it, as well as improving social plug ins and social gaming input. Xbox live can't stay at the forefront of gaming as a large charge for service without some serious injection of new stuff, and right now, the social features, and social interaction options are not in place, or accessible enough for a gaming machine of 2013/2014. The console may improve, but for 500 dollars, I have to say the old "wait and see" might be the very best stand you can take. | video-games_xbox |
Insanely fun but not without some flaws. Bought for full price, zero regrets. For fun i would give this game a 5/5. Most fun action game I have ever played with excellent and deceptively deep combat plus on upper difficulties it's one of if not the hardest games i've played in the last 2 generations. Graphics are artistically excellent in most areas and technically range from amazing to merely pretty good. Some muddy textures here and there but this is the best depiction of hell iv'e ever seen in a visual format, the game overall is deliciously twisted and definitely pushes a couple envelopes as far as content. Sound and music are top notch as is of course the overall atmosphere. Theres zero load times once the game is going which is always nice, checkpoints and save spots simply couldn't have been placed any better. While the game is tough as nails on hellish and infernal difficulty (but always felt fair.) it will never piss you off with poorly placed checkpoints or needlessly making you replay areas because you died. The game also runs at a perfectly locked 60 fps which is always nice in a game like this. It also does THE most incredible thing with physics during the final battle XD
My cons are it could use a bit more polish in some areas. The last 2 circles visually look a little bland compared to the rest of the game. One of the more interesting circles, gluttony is way too short. Noticed a few really terrible animations on inconsequential characters in a couple areas and the "puzzles" are generally uninspired to the point they might as well have left most of them out. I don't want to stop the action in an action game for hours because of a brain scratching puzzle but box/lever puzzles are extremely old hat. The difficulty was a bit disjointed. Classic and Zealot, the "easy" and "normal" difficulties are more like "Stupidly easy" and "Pretty damn easy". Then it jumps to Hellish which is basically "You'll die a hundred times or more" if you go for a first playthrough on it, it's seriously the hardest thing i've done in a game in years. Also the game could use some antialiasing.
So yeah, 5/5 for fun for me. 4/5 overall for a few niggling complaints. Not perfect but definitely worth any action game fans time.
Not for the faint of heart, contains extreme violence, nudity (female and *ahem* otherwise.), and generally grotesque and disturbing imagery. Sounds like hell to me! | video-games_xbox |
Most generous amount of good swag ever. Even if the orange box merely consisted of Half life 2 and its' other two episodes it "still" would have been a steal for the price. However on top of that gamers also get Portal and Team Fortress 2.
For those unfamiliar with Portal it uses the same engine as half life and pits your mind against a diabolical computer which uses everything from deadly traps to psychological war-fare to slow your progress. Your only gadget is a gun that can make portals through solid walls and your sole goal is to get out of a giant experimental maze alive. While the environments are a bit bland in portal the "puzzle aspect" is fun and addictive even for people who would not normally enjoy puzzle games.
Team Fortress 2 is a slapstick humorous co-op online fps which seems to burrow a lot of cheese from old spy espionage movies and action flicks. Every character has side splitting outrageous quirks as well as their own unique weapons and skills.
Besides for Bio shock and Jedi academy I've never been in love with the fps genre. However valve presents each of their concepts with such flare and originality even jaded critics would be hard pressed not to like at least "something" the orange box offers up.
Obviously my favorite game is Half Life 2. The only glaring faults with the game are that the controls are not quite so easy to learn as Bio shock's and that if you have not played the first Half Life the story has many plot holes which remain unexplained.
Once you get into driving a swamp boat with a mounted gun turret around in a series of canals while blasting away at corrupt law enforcers and military helicopters or find yourself crawling around in tunnels filled with organic alien traps that want to slurp you up with their hanging tongues to devour you it is easy to appreciate the vast realistic yet nightmarish environments Half Life 2 offers up to the player.
The story though obscure is also quite good. Apparently as Gordan Friedman you helped develop dimensional travel technology in a place called black mesa. Unfortunately the open doorways you and your cohorts created allowed hostile aliens to spill through. Before you knew it humanity got conquered by a hostile group of crazy tyrannical creeps from a close by neighboring reality. The human resistance which did not succumb to the demands of the enemy despot regime formed lucrative alliances with other aliens who were being enslaved by the same oppressive fraction. They all see you as a type of "messiah" who can bring down "The Man".
The only thing I do not understand is since you are partly responsible for the invasion why does no one see you in a negative light? For a guy that set back human civilization you sure do get a lot of rear-kissing compliments! Besides for that oddity there is also the haughty feeling you get from Friedman. A lot of people talk to him yet Gordon never says anything in turn. You get the subtle feeling he is either mute or a bit conceited. A guy that is supposed to be a sophisticated scientist should have "something" to say to someone. The beautiful,brave, and capable Alyx is always at Friedman's side yet I have not seen him flirt with her yet.
Now that ranting wiener fest is over there were things I enjoyed immensely about the cast in half life 2. The cast you interact with are believable, flawed, and endearing. They are akin to what your neighbors and friends would be like if they were suddenly faced with losing their families, friends, and basic human rights. The men are rightfully rugged and while the females are cute they are not that plastic unrealistic false perfection you find in games such as Soul Calibur 4 or Sexy beach. There are no scantily clad big busted model types running around it slinky red dresses or in super short skirts and halter tops. Half life 2 proves you can make women characters "pretty" yet still respect them as people at the same time.
Honestly I think the gravity gun is one of the best ideas ever but beyond it and your environmental adaptation suit I found the weapons to be lack luster. We've seen the incarnation of the crow bar many times as well as machine guns, assault rifles, pistols, and grenades. While Half life 2 does have a decent Selection Bio Shock had "plasmids" which literally gave you cool powers. But yet if you flip over the same argument Half Life 2's environments are much bigger, there are at least 2 fun scenarios where you get to pilot vehicles, and the game is much longer. My final analysis found me loving both games equally for different reasons. However as far as re-playability is concerned even Half Life 2 by itself trumps Bio shock significantly.
Because of Half Life 2 and every other game within the orange box I cannot offer much of an objection. It is akin to a genie offering you grand wishes for a nickel apiece. Can any gamer honestly argue with a bargain of that magnitude?
Pros
+ All the games are high quality.
+ Besides for Bio Shock Half Life 2 is arguably the best first person shooter out there.
+ Fans of brain teasers will adore portal for its biting humor, wit, charm, and challenge.
+ Team Fortress 2 was a nice addition for co-op play over X Box live. Personally it is not for me but for those that prefer co-op and socializing it is a real gem!
+ A steal for the price!
Cons
- All the games still use a basic fps format so the variety is still limited in some aspects.
- Unless you have played Half Life 1 Half Life 2 will have you scratching your head on more than one occasion.
- Half Life 2's controls are a bit unique from other shooters so mild frustration may occur until you get the hang of things. | video-games_xbox |
A Shining Star for a Great New Console. I am not in any way an experienced RPG player but I think I will be exploring that world much more seriously since I purchased this game for the XBOX 360. The game is incredibly impressive and immersive, and I have not been this much in love with a video game since The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998. I have played Oblivion for about ten hours so far and feel that I have only begun to scratch the surface of its expansive world.
Buying an XBOX 360 is not a financial decision that should be taken lightly: my purchase of a Premium Console plus an extra wireless controller and the game came to approximately $550; this was at my local GameStop. After pulling out several mortgages on my house and hitting the street corners of New York city as a man-whore, I was able to pull it off without any further economic pressure. Nevertheless, buying the system for that price was entirely worth just to be able to play Oblivion. It is a gorgeous game, but more importantly, it is an intelligent and adventurous one that provides intellectual as well as visual stimulation.
There is a main quest you can follow, which involves closing shut various gates of hell that have opened throughout the land, but you can just easily ignore that stuff, go off and join guilds, ransack caves and forts for treasures, and enjoy the countless mini-games that the world offers. This game, I must stress, is really an unprecedented achievement in interactive entertainment in general, and I cannot wait to see what other developers will do as they take notes from Bethesda and 2K Games and build the success they have had here.
I grew up in the heyday of Super Mario Brothers; it boggles my mind to see something as great as Oblivion on my home TV screen. I never thought I'd experienced this in my lifetime, let alone ten or fifteen years after the big boom of Nintendo. | video-games_xbox |
Many, many issues, but overall a decent experience online. Let me start by saying I enjoy the game. I really do. But that's as someone who enjoys the mindless fun of killing people on smaller-than-appropriate maps and everything else that comes along with a Call of Duty experience.
But this game definitely has problems. The extended development cycle has clearly done no benefits to the series, as would be expected.
Let's start with the good:
1. It's Call of Duty. It's mindless. You run around and kill people. OK. So if that is "good" for you, you'll probably enjoy the game.
2. The maps are not horrible. Wow, that doesn't sound like a benefit, does it? But after AW and Ghosts, they're a huge step up, and enjoyable to say the least.
3. Unlockables are good again. Gold, diamond, and every camo in between is worth pushing for. It's worth using guns for these camos, just like Black Ops and Black Ops 1. Happy the different challenges are back, and this is something the Black Ops title has always excelled at.
4. Replayability. It's Call of Duty. You can keep playing it for a while. I have 24 hours in multiplayer and beaten the single player campaign. I'm not bored yet, and prestiging, unlocking things, and everything else is worthwhile.
5. Customization. Gun camos, paint jobs, attachments, create-a-class are all great in this game. Treyarch always does the best job with this, and thankfully they've done it well again.
Now, the bad:
1. Free for all, as a game mode, is my go-to, and like every iteration before it, it suffers. People spawn in front and behind you constantly. You need to spin around constantly just to survive more than 12 seconds, and then there are times when you can run around the map, find no one, and then be ambushed by about 4 players at the same time. I blame this on number 2:
2. The maps. I said they're OK, but still, they're too small. They're not designed for every game mode, and spawns consistently suffer because of it. The days of large maps such as in Modern Warfare 2 are over, and people want small. That is bad. You can't call in care packages, take a breather, or chill out for a second. You're in a small, arena-like map no matter what, and there is no variety. Sniping suffers because of it, and sniping is as much a close-quarters technique as any other weapon in the game. And there really don't seem to be many maps, making people's preferences of Combine and maybe two other maps very irritating.
3. It suffers from the same thing Gears of War did in 2006. Again, 2006. Yes, 2006. Specifically, I talk about the Battery class, which is a rocket launching "noob-tube." If you die, but get the shot off in time, you hear the sound and everything, but the projectile is never fired. What? Why not? Which brings me to another point:
4. Hit detection is off. Call of Duty has never had a problem like this before, and it's always been very good at who you hit and who you do not. But there are many, many times when I open fire on someone and they simply do not die after enough bullets, which brings me to another point:
5. People take too long to kill....sometimes. It's inconsistent. Some people take about 2 shots (and I don't mean when they're already hurt) and others just absorb bullets for seemingly no reason.
6. The jumping thing is stupid. The campaign never utilized it. Some people online simply hop, hop, and hop around like bunnies and land on top of you, behind you, around you, and it's stupid. Wall-running is a very nice addition, and we could've done without the thrusters, though in this game's defense Advanced Warfare's system was infinitely worse.
7. THE CAMPAIGN. God, what a joke. Black Ops 1 and 2 are benchmarks for video game, first-person shooter storytelling. Where did that go? This story could have been the Advanced Warfare story and no one would have noticed. The characters are boring, it tries to mess with your head (spoiler: it fails), and the levels are generic, uninspired, and there are no fun moments like I've had in the other stories. Waste of time. Was really looking forward to the campaign, and it's an utter disappointment.
But overall, it's worthwhile if you can get past these issues. I have, and though it angers me at times, I find enough enjoyment to justify the $60 purchase, but again, I've been playing Call of Duty for about a decade now. | video-games_xbox |
Nowhere nearly as bad as people are making out. Well I can't give it 7 out of 10 which should be the default review score so 4 stars it will have to be.
First things first. Video game journalism has pretty much taken this title and turned it into a farce. We have some reviewers giving it a ridiculously high score and others who clearly were not in on the finished title giving it what could only be described as a whiny kid review. Don't blame Gearbox because you were expecting an extension of the 1986 classic movie Aliens. If that was your expectation then you're always going to be disappointed. If you're visiting the Alien canon for the first time...well this game is not going to be for you.
So why do we lose 3 points? Texture is the biggest flaw in this game. A close up on any item and you'll be waiting for the game to refresh and show all that customary detail befitting a 2013 xbox 360 title. Problem is it doesn't so you find yourself looking around at some very smooth objects that point to a lack of polish from the engine. So we strike off 1 point. Another is lost from the character design. Most of the game is spent walking around the familiar locales with 'The Undertaker' of wrestling fame. O' Neil is his in game name but I was expecting him to tombstone an alien at some point. His maybe girlfriend Bella is your classic Vazquez minority grunt with such a stereotyped personality and vocabulary that I blush when she says anything. As for your character, Corporal Christopher Winter; he has no place being a lead role. Devoid of any development, generic marine thinker and clearly along for the ride. So that's 2 points lost. Final point lost is the script. The voice talent is competent without being outstanding and there are some occasional moments in the dialogue that could be considered inspired writing. However when you're dropping in lines like "Any thought on the exploding chest issue?" and a dozen references of "We don't leave marines behind" and you quicly realize that Hollywood script writers have their positions because they are the best at it. Whoever penned the script for this game is clearly still an early stage of his or her career. So that's 3 points lost.
What's good? If you don't get too close then A:CM looks great. Lots of fan service can be found in the environments and there are plenty of details from ambient lighting to atmospheric steam, alien goo, rain effects and such like. Just needed some polish to make it a 2013 title. I'd say this would win a graphical award at the 2002 Game awards but enough of that.
The aliens themselves move like they did in the 1986 film. Originally I was thrown off by their walking slowly toward me but then I increased the difficulty and all of a sudden I was in the movie and barely had time to breathe. Obviously the general game reviewers get a little scared by the thought of playing a game on anything but easy. If you want easy then you're going to get a shooting gallery. Play it on difficult and you're going to get the aliens experience.
The sound....oh my god the sound is some of the finest I've ever heard in a video game. Every weapon effect is lifted straight from the movie as well as all the grinding hydraulics from the loader. Motion tracker thumps perfectly while searching and movement pings a dagger into your senses and has you looking into those barely lit corners for a xeno. The occasional hiss as you walk though corridors and ducts let you know that you are not alone. Dead Space this is not but that isn't the point. We're in the Aliens canon here and it would be unfair to expect Gearbox to create a horror survival feel when the film itself was really just an action adventure pulse rifle shooting splat fest.
To sum up: Aliens fans will either love it or hate it. They'll love it if they realize that this game was meant to remind them of the films they love rather than be one and they'll hate it if they expected anything to come close to that movie gem. Fans of the shooting genre will find a fully functional shooter with a great online multiplayer system that should but will make no serious in roads into the COD monopoly. If you can get past some occasionally hideous textures and some laughable dialogue then you'll enjoy the 6 hour campaign and recoup your money from the many hours spent co-oping or prowling the multiplayer.
I really like this game despite its flaws and do not consider my $60 to be a waste. So keep an open mind and give it a try. I really am embarrassed that the hate has spread throughout the COD larvae that seem to represent the gaming community. Bunch of whiny kids and social inadequate geeks that really think this game was made for them and them only. Focus on the bad and that is all you will see. A good gamer or reviewer will focus on what's good first and leave the junk for the end. Something of which I have not yet perfected but will ultimately employ when deciding on a score for a game that was crafted with love, talent and faithfulness to the canon. No-one will ever thank Gearbox and the other developers for their efforts but I applaud them for doing something that entertained me for hours and will do so for many more. | video-games_xbox |
Expected a quick game. I preordered this game from my local game stop about 2 months ago. Saw a write up in Game insider sometime late last year. Looked ok as I like puzzles. Then I got this months game insider and the game got a 6.25. Ahh man that stinks but I'll give the benifit of the doubt.
WOW! I'm used to liner games with puzzles but this one adds a level with multiple options to get to the same point. Spent 2.5 hours playing and only 5% of the way through the game. I tend to explore a level to death and find all the hidden nooks. I'm sure I'll replay levels as sometimes I missed a spot as the level closed behind me and I missed a door.
Whom ever reviewed the game in Insider mag I think they were trying to compare the game to something else. You can't compre this to any Rockstar game(open format terrain), FPSs or other puzzle games. This is a single player, linier heroine(minor leveling of weapons), find items, puzzle game with combat. And I bet he never got to Alice going into hysteria mode. Bit of the ultra violence. ;) Compare to WET, Bayonetta or other similar games and you won't be disappointed.
Also, not sure if all copies come with or if it's cause I preordered but I got the original Alice game for the xbox DLC for free. Still thinking of getting the dress and weapon pack but not 100% sure.
I'll also be fair. Some of the camara angles stink with terrain getting in the but can be accomidated for changing to first person from thrid person. Combat lock tends to go to the biggest thing. Is that bad? Meh, sometimes I like to take out the minions before the boss. That little damage adds up. Should have got an 8.5 out of 10 over all.
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Edit 7-12
Deeper into the rabbit hole. :) Had some more time into the game(about 9-10 hours. Keep in mind; I don't play with my son up, explore a lot and playing through on hard so I get stuck sometimes trying to kill stuff); only into Chapter 3 and still happy with the game and with the rating I gave. This game is not as linier as most. I tend to find nooks to explore and am awarded with a nice surprise. I've got a 43% rating of completion and I missed spots in the frist two chapters according to the drawer of items collected. Overall this is a game for someone who likes to play a game for the game/story. A friend pointed out, there is a lack of boss fights and I agree. There are some but most levels just add more baddies instead of adding a one big baddie. That's ok as I've also learned to change targets during battles.
And I suggest learning the rabbit bomb decoy trick when introduced. Allows you to tie up some baddies while you go around and pick off some others to weaken their numbers.
I also don't get why people don't like the addition of a side scroller mini games added. The ship one is fun and the one where you enter a picture plays a lot like Limbo. Limbo is an XBox live title which is DLC only.
Oh, and one big plus for this game: User manual is in the game. Yes, most games you can go into settings and see controler set up but ALL the controls and user info is in the game. Pet-peve of mine is getting a used game with no user manual. Usually all the good tricks are in the book.
Will talk about a glitch during the Drowned Sailor story line. Think it was the last sailor, I set the rabbit on the floor switch and a shrink sense platform should be avaliable. Well if you don't stay with the light you start to lose life for what ever reason. I got stuck cause the platform wouldn't rise up everytime. I'd get half way and I'd die. Try again and platform wouldn't rise up. I'd die then it would. shrug. Frustrating, yes but you'll get through it.
Also saw someone complain about no shadow for Alice. After I read I looked for and some boards in level 2 she is missing her shadow. Level 3 she has a shadow. Much needed for some of the jumps. Meh, a few minor things. I can overlook as I enjoy so much more. | video-games_xbox |
Brilliant Car-Battling Action. I'm about 30 hours in, and so far Mad Max is still keeping me entertained. I've been a big fan of the Mad Max world since I saw the original film in '79 in the theater. My favorite parts of the film were of course the vehicle battles, and that's where this game shines.
It's fun unlocking new armor and weapons for my car and trying them out in battle. The harpoon is a great weapon, if a little overpowered. It also sometimes won't target properly during car battles. It's become less of an issue for me now that I have the "Thunderpoon," and a good sized ammo cache for it. But still, I hope it's fixed soon, as I love pulling off tires.
Melee isn't nearly as fun as car battles, though I do think people complain a bit too much over it. It's not terrible -- it's just that it doesn't compare well to the brilliant car battles, and it sometimes feel out of place.
Graphics are beautiful, though the scenery is of course very stark. Dust storms are amazingly terrifying and immersive. Fire and explosive effects are very nice. Day/Night cycle adds greatly to the immersion. I would have liked to have a few more paint and decal options for the car early on, but I suppose desert scavengers can't be too picky.
The story is passable, but should not be considered the focal point of the game. It's not completely lacking, but if you're looking for something where you can lose yourself in a deep narrative and come away identifying with the main character, this game may not be for you. On the other hand, if you like a well-paced action title with good progression and just a bit of wild unpredictability, you will probably find yourself sinking into this for hours at a time.
PROS:
Beautiful graphics -- frame-rate issues almost nonexistent;
Car battles are fun and unpredictable;
Well-paced advancement;
Lots to do;
Still managing to occasionally surprise me.
CONS:
A little glitchy here and there;
Melee battles are too frequent and repetitious (though not as bad as some claim);
A few questionable button-mappings;
Some interactions are hard to initiate, requiring you to stand in a precise location;
Limited interface customization on Xbox (no stick sensitivity, graphics, controller config.);
Some things are hard to find in the menus; | video-games_xbox |
The weakest link - not very compelling. ACIII is easily the weakest offering so far from Ubisoft in the AC franchise - and it stands out as such.
I have been a fan of the franchise since it started and have pretty much enjoyed all of the games so far, with Brotherhood and Revelations sort of getting a little bit weaker on the spectrum of enjoyment, but still thoroughly playable and enjoyable. Unfortunately, I found ACIII to be far less enjoyable to play than any of the other games - and this disappointed me because I always thought that Ubisoft adhered to a good template with each of the other games.
**SPOILER ALERT**
It really seems that there was something missing in this game. For starters, the way it begins (and, really, through about Sequence 4 or 5) is VERY rocky. They really risked alienating a LOT of their fans and players by having the player start out as a Templar, and sort of "punking" us by showing us that who we were playing as - dum dum DUM! - a baddie! Muahahahahaaaaa!!
Yeah. This almost made me throw up. I wouldn't suggest throwing this sort of curve-ball out to your fans again, Ubisoft.
And - if that weren't bad enough - when you eventually DO get to play as Connor (the protagonist) you start out as a child. So you are forced by the game maker to undertake several missions/sequences as child-Connor and adolescent-Connor before even getting to embark on your assassin training/becoming an assassin.
This fact REALLY spoiled the game for me. It went from punking me to being VERY slow to get going.....
Controlling assassin-Connor also made for a very disheartening experience. He was unwieldy, clumsy, and rarely did he feel like he was interested in sneaking about or doing anything clever. Very few missions actually required assassinating people - most of them just involved either shooting a pistol at the Main Baddie, or hiding in piles of hay or grass and avoiding guards while you get to where you can "touch the thing".
Story and character-wise, ACIII falls very short, too, unfortunately. After training to become an Assassin in a very improbable way (which basically means bullying an old black man to let you live in his house and show you what's what), Connor grows up to be a very unlikable person in my opinion. And let me just say - I GET that he is Native American and has been cast as angsty and angry at the white men taking over his village. I get that. But that DOESN'T mean that it translates well into the playable-character/protagonist of a game like ACIII.
Connor basically gets through the game pouting, sulking, being rude to people and going against the wishes of folks who are trying to help him. He is very simple minded and yet very complex, and has some of the weirdest and most sour one-liners I have ever heard in a game. The storyline also doesn't help - as it basically seemed to me a random bunch of "let's make them do this next!" missions that were *barely* connected to each other, which led you to simply just go through the motions until you finally got to the end.
The ending mission where you chase Charles Lee and kill him (well, after burning, falling, getting impaled, shooting him, waking up, limping for a few miles, following him to a bar, sit with him and drink wordlessly, and then STAB the living daylights out of him) was SO improbable and random that it felt like a five-year-old had devised it. It was like watching a French farce.
The end of the ending with real-world Minerva and Juno arguing about which solution Connor was to take was very anti-climactic, because I THOUGHT I was going to be actually OFFERED a choice at the end (ala-Mass Effect-style), but in the end Desmond just makes his decision and "touches the thing", and then the game is over.
There is a little thing that happens at the end where you get thrown back into Boston in the animus, and Desmond's voice tell you to triangulate stuff to pick up weird things.....no idea what that's all about. I googled it and apparently it's just for game hacks like "crazy weather" and "thunder-when-you-kill-people", so I was like -_- , eject game.
So, yeah. Not the best in the ACIII franchise, unfortunately. Here's hoping that next-gen Black Flag makes up for it!
EDIT-----boy......just been thinking some more. I REALLY hated Connor. What a shame. :-( So I have downgraded from 3* to 2*. Sorry, Ubisoft.
EDIT#2-----wow. Yeah. I just went on to play Tomb Raider after this game. In view of how excellent it was, it made me reflect on just how much I actually really did LOATHE playing this game. From start to finish - I played it with the painted-on smile of a lifelong AC fan - but I was living in denial. It's awful. Glitchy, the graphics are crap, the voice acting is poor, the characters make you want to shoot poisoned darts into the glassy-eyes. Sorry, Ubisoft - but I'm downgrading AGAIN - this time to 1*. Terrible game.
VakarianGirl | video-games_xbox |
Drenched in style and saturated with speed, this is a Metal Gear like none other. Being a long time MGS fan, my hopes were not particularly high with this game. The absurd title, the ludicrous box art (which looks like something from the 90s), the temporary cancellation of the project, and the departure from the MGS tradition, all led me to believe that this was a disaster in the making (despite Platinum's fine track record). Fortunately, I've been pleasantly surprised by the quality of this game... "Rising" is a blast to play for anybody who enjoys action games (whether you're an MGS fan or not).
Foremost, the game does manage to retain the feeling that it's actually occurring inside the MGS universe, despite its over-the-top nature (and in terms of physics, anything our protagonist does in "Rising" is not far from what Vamp achieved in MGS2 and 4). Longtime fans will be pleased by the inclusion of familiar sights, sounds, and themes, even if the gameplay is radically different. Raiden, of course, returns, and his inclusion as the protagonist is bound to please any MGS fan who has wanted to step into the shoes of a ninja on the level of the legendary Gray Fox.
The heart of this game, like any action title, is its combat mechanics, and here "Rising" shines. Raiden moves with an effortless grace, and when he strikes, it carries a convincing "weight" that exceeds even the likes of "God of War" and "Bayonetta". His "ninja run" while goofy in name, is a blast to execute, as are his assortment of magnificent combos.
When it comes to Japanese wackiness, I've pretty much seen it all at this point in my life. Giant robots, ninjas, and cyborgs generally come off as tired and cliched to me, but somehow, "Rising" makes these concepts seem fresh and EXCITING. What's the secret? The game uses a beautiful style of presentation that is incredibly slick, resulting in an artistic, vibrant mode of visual storytelling that is a pleasure to behold. Despite the ludicrous dialogue, mediocre voice acting, and marginal plot, the game's visual flair picks up the slack, and makes this somewhat-cheesy story work. It takes cyborg-ninjas (the "Winds of Destruction" are on par with finest of MGS bosses), and makes them viable, turning them into showmen that are simply a blast to watch and engage with. The gameplay is nicely balanced with expertly rendered cut scenes that always impress, and are kept to lengths that are actually appropriate (another breaking from MGS tradition). This game is so visually impressive, it actually made me want a bigger TV, to better digest the spectacle!
The limitations of this game are as follows: The camera will fight against you a bit too often, particularly during blade mode, when it will inexplicably perform a 180 and send you facing the wrong way (while you're using your limited energy to pull off this special move). I hope this is corrected with a future patch. Another weak spot is that the mechanics, while largely intuitive, could have been explained much better during the game. I must have missed the part where they tell you how to parry (a skill you need in order to even get past the first boss, much less complete the game), and I actually had to go online to figure out how to do it. There is no explanation of parrying anywhere in the menus. Hint: Press "square" (X on the 360) and flick the analog stick at the incoming attack at just the right moment, in order to parry.
The greatest weakness, however, is an ill-fitting soundtrack that simply does not fit with the world of MGS. Fortunately, you can go into the options from the menu and turn the music level down, while leaving the sound effects at their normal level. The soundtrack was a point of contention where Platinum butted heads with Konami. I feel that Platinum should have yielded to the judgement of Kojima and Konami on this subject, and once more retained the superb services of composer Harry Gregson-Williams.
I rate "Rising" at 4, possibly 4.5 stars. Depending on the enjoyment that can be gleaned from additional play-throughs and the acquisition of unlockables, I may bump that rating up to 5 stars. This is by no means the best Metal Gear game, but it's a fantastic, thrilling ride by any measure. | video-games_xbox |
Don't be lured in by the graphics, this game is awful due to its "pay to play" mechanics. I bought this game for our new Xbox One. I bought it for my 6 year old son and I so that we could have a game where he and I could play besides our older preteen son trying to hog the Xbox One for his first person shooter games. I paid the full retail price. I didn't buy it from Amazon. I wished I did, I would have saved $10!
Let me give you my take on the game. Let's start with the main menu. I should really say let me start by saying what main menu? When you first play the game, you get to race one exotic car for one race and you then must pick from a small selection of sub-compact cars. Some of these cars are just horrible. Beware of what you pick here. You are stuck with it. Either the menu options on this game are so horrible that you can't figure out how to change your mind later or you simply can't change your mind later, even if you want to start over. I picked a Toyota. I can't remember if there were two. It seemed to have the best ratings, but I really wanted the BMW which is what I drive in the real world but the ratings on the simulated version of what small subcompact from BMW they were offering weren't that great. Unfortunately, I can't go back and pick the BMW without actually either spending real world additional money (tokens) or playing enough races in the game to be able to "buy" a small 1 series BMW. Yes, that's right. You will pay money for a race car game and it will then force you to drive a subcompact. Yes, you paid $65 ($54 at Amazon) for a game that has you driving a subcompact.
After you pick your car, you have to listen to that guy from Top Gear wax-on about each track that you are about to race. At first it's endearing, then it's annoying. A few hours later it's something far worse. I haven't figured out how to shut him up and save a few seconds of my life. I wish I could escape out of him talking by pressing B or something but that doesn't work, or I haven't figured that one out. Trust me, you'll have a hard time figuring that one out too, if it's even possible because the menu system is non-existent. You might eventually come to disdain the music. If you do get tired of listening to that boring elevator music playing in the background, too bad. Turn 10 wants to control that element of the game or maybe that's another 20 tokens to turn off?
After 10 minutes of finally getting here, you are racing. Finally, you are racing your....subcompact! You'll notice this thing about being Gold and getting "CR"edits. You'll think, "What's that about? I get Gold for 3rd place? I'm going to get 1st place!". As the counter ticks to 0, the graphics quickly remind you of why you bought this game in the first place. Yes the graphics are still just as spectacular as they were at Best Buy! You might notice that the crowds don't look too great (neither do the trees), but so what....have you seen rest of the scenery? Wow! It's amazing. After you race your subcompact, you'll get awarded some credits. The game will talk about some drivatar thing that you don't care about and it will tell you to continue. You think, "Great, now I get to race the Ferrari's." Nope.
You press continue. You have to race the same subcompact you raced before. You then have to wait again listening to that top gear guy talking ad nauseum about whatever he wants to talk about and you just want to shut him up, but you can't. I think that's another 10 tokens. After you listen to him, the race starts again. Complete this second race in the alps (or what is it the one in England?). Now you think...finally...I get to race a Ferrari!
Noooo! You have to listen to this annoying woman who you also can't shut up. Finally, after she gets done annoying the heck out of you and trying your patience, you make it to the continue screen where you must....race again??? Yes. You have to sit through that top gear guy again whom you now don't want to hear anymore talk to you about whatever he is talking about. "What did I ever see in watching that show?" you began to wonder to yourself. You finish the race now very frustrated that you still haven't raced your Ferrari. You think now, finally, this is it. You will race your Ferrari, right? No. You have to go complete the entire circuit. That means 3 more races of races you don't want to race in a car you never even liked on a track you don't care about. If you start over, you must.....start OVER..and go through the same sorry sub-compact thing all over again...by creating another Xbox profile. Warning: once you pick that first car, you're stuck with it.
Finally, once you make it past the first circuit, you get to a screen where you can choose a new circuit. Guess what. Those credits you've been earning? You have to use them to BUY whatever car you want to drive! And the prices...? Well the prices aren't too far off from what you'd pay in real life. I can tell you that a BMW M5 does go for about $98,000 which is right around the credit price in the game. As you review the cars available in the game, you'll find out that you have to buy them all using CRedits. You can go buy a USED BMW car for 30,000 credits. You can also go buy a Hyundai. Hyundai? Is Turn 10 going to sell me a KIA now? This is supposed to be a high end racing game?!?!?
The only way to get credits is to earn them through racing the sorry subcompact cars to work your way up through the compacts to the muscle cars to the sports cars to the high end stuff. In other words, you'll have to spend a ridiculous amount of your time playing through the different tracks and cars and listening to that woman you now want to strangle and the top gear guy that you now despise OOOOOORRRR you can spend your real hard earned money to buy "Tokens"! That's when it hits you. This is really a free to play game (freemium) disguised as a pay up front game. You can earn credits that allow you to get a better cars.. it will just take a crap load of your time to get there.....especially if you wanted to race them all......or...if you want to hit the escape button, it will cost you a lot more money than you actually paid when you bought the $65 game in the first place, especially if you want to drive those Ferraris, Porsches, and every other sports car you dreamed about. This is why I feel so cheated. You will too.
I wished I had read all of those reviews about this game. People have complained about this issue. I live and work in Seattle, not far from Redmond, WA. I want to meet the project manager and game mechanic designer for this game and give them both a hard slap in the face. They deserve it. They created a game with incredible graphics and from what I can tell pretty good game mechanics as far as drive-ability of the cars, but it fails miserably in the enjoyable department because you 1) feel so cheated by the fact that all those cars will actually cost you hundreds of dollars in additional money if you want to drive them because you must buy them with tokens using your real currency (or spend the rest of your life playing the same video game). Second, the menus and ability to control where you go in game is virtually none existent. In fairness, I think my pissed-off-ness of the menus is exponentially increased by the pay to play element of this game. I can't stand listening to the music or the woman's voice anymore. I don't want her to tell me how to read a message for the 15th time. I don't want her to remind me that Turn 10 just (as of today) gifted me a Hyundai. Oh, watch out! They are really letting the purse strings at Turn 10 go now by giving away a Hyundai. Even in Turn 10's generosity of giving me a free Hyundai, they show just how cheap they really are.
I'm guessing that the way this game was designed is a revenue winner for Turn 10 and Microsoft Studios. I just can't imagine that they would intentionally make a game that would piss you off so quickly and make you resent the hell out of them unless they determined that they earned more revenue from the game designed this way than they would have earned had they just charged $59.99 (err, $49.99 at Amazon now) up front for the game and that's it. Note to Turn 10: if you really want ongoing monthly revenue for a game that should be a one time purchase, how about a subscription based game? That way you can bleed people dry and they can know that up front when they actually buy the game and not find out after the fact.
As for you other consumers out there lured by the graphics, there is a reason it's got only 3 stars (as of this writing) on Amazon despite the amazing graphics and the reason is that you really don't get to race those exotic cars at all. You get stuck with crap cars you don't want to drive. And all of those other people, like me, who made that purchase and got the game get so frustrated that they go vent online at Amazon or anywhere else they can about how much this game utterly and totally sucks because of this pay to play design element in Forza 5.
The game is designed so poorly from this standpoint that I actually want to see it fail. Yes that's right, I admit it. I want to see the game fail. I never felt this way about a piece of software in my life and I was around for Microsoft Bob. Why? Because I feel soooo cheated. I feel like I've been lied too. I've been mislead. I was wooed by this pretty car and fancy graphics and thought I would get a racing game where I got to race really cool cars but instead I bought a total lemon. In Washington State, we have a lemon law. I wished it applied to software about cars too. Instead of a great game, I paid $65 for a game that requires that I spend another $65 to drive a simulated version of any car I really wanted to drive. Now as an aside, I can go drive the real thing in Las Vegas for $250-$1,000 for a one day rental. I'm just saying.
Had this game been a free to play game then my attitude would be completely different because then when Forza/Turn 10 asked for money to get the cars I really wanted to drive, I would' expect that. But it isn't a free to play game. It's a sell out $65 game to only find out that you've paid $65 for a freemium game. Yes, that's right. You paid $65 for the right to...pay a whole lot more money if you actually want to have any fun with the cars that you thought you were going to be able to play when you bought the game. You won't. It won't let you race any of those fun cars you thought you were going to be able to race. Instead, you have to race cars that you don't even want to be around. Instead of a Ferrari, you get stuck with a Toyota sub-compact or a Subaru. As I mentioned, just today, Turn 10 gifted me a "Hyundai". The company managed to lower my opinion of them by gifting me a Hyundai.
Are you kidding me? How about a Bentley, Turn 10?
To anyone seriously considering purchasing this game, you'd be better off taking your $65.45 and lighting a match to the money or throwing it over the bridge. I urge you, no I plead with you, to not buy this game. I know the graphics are amazing. Yes, I saw the game too being demo'd every time I salivated at the Xbox One. Yes, I know it is luring. But do yourself a favor and throw your money away on anything else rather than buying this horrible horrible game. You'd be better off giving money to a politician.
IMHO, Forza 5 will go down in history as a classic example of how a great looking (nah, fantastic looking) even fun to play game was turned into a horrible playing experience by the overall design, structure, and actual game play approach. I wonder if the guy who wanted to make Xbox One require a persistent internet connection is the same guy that designed this game. It has to be, right?
It's been a long time since I felt this way, but I actually would like a refund. It's that bad. I'll never get it of course. The sad reality is that if you want to drive a nice car, you'll have better luck with Alamo or Avis. Alamo Rent-a-car is much cheaper the simulated version from Turn 10. You can rent a subcompact for about $15 a day at Alamo and they will upgrade you to a full size for only $5 more, but I digress.
Do yourself a favor and stay away from this game. The graphics for need for speed may be inferior and so maybe the design elements, but this game just blows...and that's due to one thing: pay to play. It is that bad.
Other points --
1) Once you start racing, you'll soon learn that your car sucks. No, it's not the fastest. Other cars have upgrades. You can upgrade yours...for a price.
2) You can't shut the woman or the guy from Top Gear up. Ever. You have to listen to their entire speech. What ever they may be talking about regardless of whether or not you want to hear it, you have to wait and listen to it. Yes, this eats up your time, but Turn 10 doesn't respect your time, as you will soon learn, because you can't turn it off easily.
3) The menus (as I mentioned previous) are poorly designed and it is difficult to get around and change options. There is no main menu. | video-games_xbox |
provides more cushion comforting my hands & provides good grip. Check out my YouTube video at the . I ordered this product combo on Friday and received it on Sunday afternoon with the 2-day Shipping. gave the skin case a 4 stars because it has just 1 minor thing that it won't fit all around due to the Headset adapter for Xbox One controller being in the way. If you don't use Headset adapter, then it'll fit perfectly. The silicone skin case is actually a bit thicker than those made & sell by eForcity (that I got them before for my Xbox 360 controllers), hence, provides more cushion comforting my hands & provides good grip. Check out my YouTube video at the end of my comments to see how I trim the Skin case and then it fit nicely on the controller.
As for the stick cap, I gave them just 3 stars because they are not made with silicone and therefore, thery are hard surface, slick, & don't provide a good / comfortable grip. They're very easy to put on the Left / Right Stick of the controller, and stay well during gaming. I have a pair of Kontrol Freek FPS CQC stick caps for my Xbox 360 controller, but when I got my new Xbox One console & controller, Kontrol Freek FPS CQC stick caps wouldn't fit on the Left & Right Sticks on Xbox One controller because Microsoft made those sticks smaller than Xbox 360 controller. So I figure out to use those stick caps from this product combo, and then put those Kontrol Freek FPS CQC stick caps. Sure enough, those Kontrol Freek FPS CQC stick caps fit perfectly and stay tight during gaming, and provides me better comfort & grip than the cheap made stick caps from this product combo. This helps me save money from having to buy a brand new set of Kontrol Freek FPS CQC stick caps for Xbox One controller, so I'm happy with that. Please check out my YouTube video showing you how I trim the Skin case to fit well on Xbox One controller, and how I can fit Kontrol Freek stick caps on really well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O7BLXQh5lo | video-games_xbox |
Great history, dated gameplay. Chances are if you're thinking about picking up this low budget, little known title, it's because you are either into niche games or are interested in the Crusader era and the true Templar Order as I am. For those who want a decent game in this under utilized time period, The First Templar is a worthwhile expeirence if you're willing to overlook the many rough patches.
Upon first glance it is clear this is a low budget title which should come as no surprise considering it released at a discounted price and was marked down further shortly after release. Right from the start I noticed the awkward running animation of the protagonist as well as dodgy collision detection and unfinished battle animations in the very first fight. These visual glitches would be inexcusable in a full priced mainstream title, and they will turn off many gamers, but the gameplay itself works fine. Levels are full of invisible walls and various contrived barriers which keep you on a linear path for the most part. The NPCs you come across have an appropriate look for the time period but often look identical throughout the game with little distinguishable features; every monk in this game seems to be a clone of one another, the same with the merchants. Sound effects get the job done during combat and as background noise, but the spoken dialogue jumps in volume from audible to nearly inaudible as if it were slipping back and forth from stereo sound to mono. The voice acting actually isn't that bad for a budget title and though the voice actors are clearly reading from a script, at least they don't overact their parts. The narrator is pretty awesome, he's like a well spoken grandfather reading you a story. To put it simply, the game looks and sounds like the budget title it is, so if you can only enjoy a game with a heavy coat of polish and sheen in these departments despite the quality of gameplay then The First Templar is not the title for you.
Having pointed out the obvious shortcomings of the game's visuals and audio, I would like to make note that though the graphics certainly won't win any awards and could pass for an early Xbox 1 title, the artistic direction of the environments is actually quite pretty. You will find yourself adventuring in a large variety of locales from the European countryside, to Crusader cities such as the historical Acre, to the vast deserts of Otermer. You will explore ancient catacombs, wander the misty forest, run through a burning forest; avoid traps in secret temples, fight in the midst of siege warfare, and explore a large medieval castle. The variety offered is more than welcome and many of these areas genuinely look good with plenty of heart and soul put into their design and presentation. You can't scale walls, explore buildings, interact with the environment, or wander off the beaten path, but you do have plenty of optional bonus objectives to complete which add some sense of openness to each level. There were many moments while playing where I wondered how much a bigger budget would have helped the developers fully realize their vision since the ideas are definitely there for a great game. After a slow start I slowly but steadily became more wrapped up in the game, looking forward to where I would end up next, but it's not the type of game that stuck with me when I wasn't playing.
The music fits the time period and the various cultures you will run across, it is catchy too. Distinctly European and Middle Eastern tunes were a delight to my ears, further drawing me into the world, but each track runs on a loop that at times ends abruptly, pauses for about a minute of silence, and then restarts. This reminds me of an old jukebox switching records and serves as another reminder that this isn't the most polished game out there.
Actually playing the game is a mixed bag, but one I enjoyed for the most part. The First Templar is a hack and slash with light RPG style upgrades and linear level design consisting of a few branching paths to complete the bonus objectives mentioned earlier. Most of the game is spent moving your character and A.I./Coop partner (drop in coop is supported in both online and offline play, and you can switch between both playable characters in single player with the press of a button) from one battle to the next which means the combat mechanics are the meat of the game. The combat can be described as accessible but not overly simplistic; button mashing will get you nowhere as the game progresses. Both you, your partner, and your enemies have your own combos, defensive maneuvers, and special attacks that must be used appropriately in order to be victorious. Certain combos and special powers can be used to break an enemy's shield or knock him to the ground to leave him vulnerable for a one shot coup de grace. Other maneuvers are coop based, and defense involves the use of your shield, an evasive roll, and a counter attack; all of which must be timed properly for maximum effect. The special abilities use up zeal orbs which are essentially mana you can regenerate. Learning to manage the zeal properly by using the special abilities effectively added some depth to the combat which I found to be quite fun and rewarding once I got the hang of things. The combat has it's own feel to it, it's own identity, and I like the system they implemented. Charging into a group of enemies to knock them out of formation and cutting them down one by one with a sword combo, a shield bash, and a well placed kick is both fun to play and watch on screen. The feeling that I was in an actual sword fight is executed surprisingly well and as different enemy types are introduced I found myself planning my attacks accordingly: take out their shields first, then cut down the archers, then finish off who's left. The controls are highly responsive and intuitive when surrounded which is good because knocking back enemies to give yourself some space is integral to surviving each battle. Working up those hit chains and timing each strike just right to get a critical hit further adds to the experience. Keep in mind that the combat focuses on timing instead of providing you with a large arsenal of moves, so you will need to master the intricacies of the handful of combos and abilities you unlock over the course of the game.
Aside from head to head battles, stealth plays a rather significant role. The stealth is as basic as it gets where you sneak around by holding the left trigger and creep up behind an enemy to snap his neck for an instant kill. Sometimes there are pots nearby which can be thrown to distract enemies, giving you a choice of slipping by unnoticed or going in for the kill. As basic and pedestrian as the stealth gameplay can be, these moments did help mix things up in the gameplay department, but more kill animations would have been appreciated other than the generic neck snap. A more elaborate sneak option would have been ideal as well, but this is yet another area where the limited budget most likely comes into play.
In addition to mixing up the gameplay by incorporating stealth, there are also levels where the focus is to avoid booby traps and solve puzzles. It is in these levels where the clumsy collision detection moves beyond a visual nuisance and adversely effects gameplay, but it's nothing game breaking. There were a few instances where I could have sworn I avoided a spike jutting up from the floor or a flame igniting from the wall only to find myself taking damage. Again, it was nothing game breaking, but it's something to watch out for. The puzzles require cooperation to complete, but most of them require different levers to be pulled. The developers did a good job in trying to vary the experience even if a number of the levels are hit or miss in terms of fun factor. The variety certainly helps the pacing of the game where just when I found myself tiring of the combat in came a slower paced stealth or puzzle level. Towards the end the levels combine combat, stealth, traps, and puzzles at different intervals so pay attention to the tricks this game throws at you during the earlier and middle levels, because it all comes into play in the later levels.
The narrative of the game is an epic but cliche tale about a quest for the Holy Grail involving various competing factions with plenty of twists that you may or may not find interesting. It's not a bad story and I liked the characters; some of the banter between the two main characters of the game, Celian and Marie, is genuinely funny and thoughtful which added color to their individual personalities and relationship to one another. They are far more charming than the male, female duo in Ubi Soft's 2008 Prince of Persia game...at least I thought so.
There is drop in and drop out coop for both online and offline play, but most of my time was spent in single player. I did play a couple levels with an online partner, and it seemed that playing with another person would enhance the overall experience, but I can't comment any further since I didn't put much time into it. As you can imagine, there aren't very many people playing this online, but there usually seems to be at least one person playing whenever I did a search for an online game. If there is one thing that kills coop games like this in single player, it's the A.I., but The First Templar does a surprisingly good job here! In combat the A.I. held their own and saved my butt a number of times, in the trap and stealth levels the A.I. stayed close and proved to have excellent pathfinding. Whatever graphical glitches went unchecked in testing, the A.I. is borderline flawless.
What really drew me to this game was the Crusade era and the Templar Order, there just aren't enough games which focus on this time period outside of the RTS genre and I personally can't stomach the conspiracy theory revisionism put forth in Assassins Creed. I don't mind if a game takes liberties with the history to tell a fictional story, I love historical fiction like Ivanhoe, but Assassin Creed just pissed all over the history of the Templars. The Templars were founded as guardians who protected the roads leading to the Holy Land so merchants and Christian pilgrims could travel safely without being attacked by slavers, bandits, and Saracens. The Templars created an ingenious banking system travelers could make use of and they were also a multicultural order who allowed various races, ethnicities, and even religions into their ranks. They are a complicated, invaluable, and controversial part of western history whom I wish both movies and games would do a more accurate job portraying. The First Templar involves plenty of conspiracy and fiction to tell its own story, but one of the truly fascinating aspects of this game are the hidden Templar chronicles that can be found in each level which provide for a short narrated anecdote about the Templar Order's origins, its customs and rules; its membership and various ranks; its rise and fall; its accomplishments and mistakes, and actual third party accounts from historical record from those who interacted with the Order. The Templars are treated these days as some kind of mystery even though who and what they were is well documented history, and The First Templar does a good job in lifting the veil of mystery should you choose to find and read these chronicles (there is an achievement for finding all 50 or so of them). Maybe the game will encourage some to read more about this time period, but I'm betting those who pick this up are already history buffs to begin with.
In closing, the Templar is a budget title which I found to be rather entertaining, but there are plenty of tedious and derivative moments throughout. It's choppy animations and graphical shortcomings are clearly evident, but many of the environments are genuinely nice to look at thanks to the artistic direction. It's a pretty long game which took me around 20 hours to beat it on hard, and the levels mix up the gameplay here and there. Overall it is a well done budget game, the Bulgarian studio who worked on it clearly has talent, but it feels like something I would have played (and enjoyed) 10 years ago. It's not cheap, it's not lazy, it's not broken, but it can be described as dated. If you can handle dated visuals and play mechanics with an accessible, simple, but fun combat system in an underused time period for games then by all means pick this up. It's really a 2.5 star game, but I rounded up. | video-games_xbox |
Hack 'n Slash your nights away. Ok so I am not going to try to write some big fancy review here, and I normally don't write reviews, but this game has gotten such mixed reviews that I wanted to put in my 2 cents on it.
Let me start off by saying that I was really on the fence with this game, I had seen a couple trailers and read enough about it to peak my interest but I was mostly just going to wait on the reviews before I made up my mind. Lo and behold the reviews were inconclusive. So I didn't go into this with any "high expectations". Here are my thoughts so far (I'm into Act II at this point):
Is the game fun? What is more important than that? The answer is yes, it is fun. Why? I like leveling up, I like hunting for loot, I like some inventory management, I like killing zombies, and I like big, open environments where I am free to explore. I also like co-op, however, I have been playing solo only so far, so this is purely a single player experience perspective. It has kept me interested, and I can blow through hours of game play effortlessly. This is a good sign, when a game can suck me in, it has value.
There are many similarities in this game to some other often mentioned big titles, but it is also completely unique. Some of the special infected mirror some I've seen in Left 4 Dead, namely the boomer and the charger, but the Dead Island iterations are also VERY different. Dead Island shares some similarity to Borderlands in the loot system, with boxes and areas respawning loot when you leave and return to an area, but like the special infected example, it also feels very different than Borderlands looting. If you've played Left for Dead 1 and 2, and Borderlands, like I have, I don't think that you need to be concerned about feeling like it's just the same ole thing with a fresh coat of paint. It is not. And for those mentioning Fallout...it really doesn't have anything in common with Fallout.
So enough of that, moving on. How does the game play/feel? Well, the answer is, it feels pretty good! Perfect? No. But I will save my criticisms until the end. This game really focuses on Melee combat, I never fired a gun until Act II, it simply wasn't practical. So far, I've only used guns on other humans (bandits), because they were shooting at me and headshots are really useful...the undead just don't take as much damage from the pistol I was using. Now I do have a shotgun but I haven't used it yet...no ammo. But the melee weapons are so much more interesting than guns anyway! Electric charged machete? Flaming baseball bat? Coat Hanger!? Slicing limbs and heads off of zombies? Yes please! (If you cut off both arms they will still bite!) I digress, so, in Left 4 Dead it was all about surviving the next horde. Not so in Dead Island, the number of enemies is nowhere near as concentrated, but all the more deadly. In Act I not much will kill you, but when you get to Act II, stuff gets a whole lot more deadly (and numerous). If you get overwhelmed by zombies, you are going to get really hurt, if not killed. It can get pretty frantic at times. Man, I want to go play now.
Real quick on the quests, there's plenty of them, but not too much, just right I'd say. Although some of the "continuous" quests are nothing special, bring this NPC water or food for example, they are not meant to be. That's just free xp and money if you get the stuff while you're out doing other things. Most of the side quests are varied and at least force you to explore different areas of the map. I have no complaints about the quests.
Alright, I think we've established that it's fun. I'm going to try to address some complaints and problem areas now. Note, I did rate this 4 stars all around, I will try to explain why. First off, some have complained about the controls/button mapping. I personally have no issues with either. When I first loaded in the game, it seemed a bit too fast on the handling. A quick stop in options to turn down sensitivity a touch and I was good to go. So controls really aren't an issue. Now for some of the finer points, inventory/menus could use improvement. I just wish I had a button to go straight to my full inventory menu (there is a map and skills button, but only a quick inventory button), a minor complaint. Inventory item stacking isn't perfect, I think another reviewer mentioned this, say you have 11 bottles of alcohol (10 per stack), you give an NPC 5 bottles for a quest, the one bottle by itself is still taking up a spot (doesn't auto sort back into the bigger stack). Have to drop it, and pick it back up. Not a big deal really, but should be fixed.
Voiceovers...ehhh, some are pretty good, some are pretty bad, it's a mixed bag. There are some issues with script being generic, such as NPCs referring to me as part of a group (as if I was playing with the other characters) or sometimes being gender specific (he, guy, etc.) while playing a female character. And I find the character comments while occasionally looting containers to be annoying sometimes, "what's in here?", "guess it doesn't hurt to look", etc. Again, a minor complaint.
I felt that some of the game "functions" were not explained that well in the earlier stages of the game, there was a lack of much tutorial I guess, it kind of just throws you in head first. I spent the first 30 minutes or so feeling a bit lost, but I picked up on everything I needed to know pretty quickly. Note: there is no save option, just auto checkpoints, if you quit out in the middle of a quest, the quest will reset. The checkpoints only save your inventory and such mid-swing. Unless you just started gaming yesterday, these issues shouldn't be a deterrent.
I'm really trying hard to think of any other issues or complaints I would have for the game so far...there was one occasion where I apparently rescued a NPC trapped by zombies, and I heard him talk to me, but never saw him. There was a trophy icon on the map like I should get a reward from him but no NPC to be found. I later saw him again in ACT II, where he told me thanks for saving him. This really wasn't a big deal. I had one issue with a weapon disappearing, I threw a weapon at an exploding special infected, and the body flew away to never-never land, leaving no trace of a corpse to loot or the weapon I had throw at it. As this was my best weapon, I quickly turned off my xbox and reloaded. I didn't lose much progress; it was worth it to save my weapon. That has only happened once out of the many of those that I have killed by the same method. So again, I would rate that as a minor bug.
Some people complained about respawning zombies making it hard to move around. This is only partially true. Some areas do not respawn. And most of the time you can just blow past the respawned zombies unless you want to fight them. You can drive around most places in a truck, or just straight up sprint past everything, not to mention fast travel stations to key points to make it easier to get around. This is a non-issue in my book.
That's it, I've tried to think of everything wrong with the game that I can. Each issue I've pointed out it mostly minor, but simply due to number of minor issues I have, I can't honestly give the game 5 stars. But this is a solid 4 star game in my opinion.
As far as the story goes, eh, who cares? People are trying to survive, duh? There's more story than Left 4 Dead had to offer by a long shot.
Ending case - was this game worth $60? Ehh, I would have had buyer's remorse if I had paid full price. Is the game worth $40? I would say yes, it is, I would have felt like I got my money's worth. I got the game for $20 (yay for pre-order game credits), so I definitely feel like I got a bargain.
Thanks for reading and I hope you find this review helpful in making the decision. Happy Hunting! | video-games_xbox |
Boring, but playable...barely. This game is boring. I am a fan of the original game and the radical changes to the game play, combat system, and personalities are awful.
The entire game is nothing more than a series of hallways filled every few steps with chest high walls and cover based shooting. There's no variation or free roaming that the original had. There's a few hard to find (unless you look them up online) side missions that you must do if you want enough money to buy all the upgrades. The main missions are predictable and boring. Except for the New Horizons mission and the final mission, you spend the entire game collecting new shipmates and doing their loyalty missions.
The team mates and their missions are lackluster at best and downright awful at worst. Never mind most of your team mates are useless in combat even when micromanaging them using manual power controls and giving them cover / firing orders. See, the new system gives them few abilities and most of them are situational. Since at higher difficulty levels every enemy has armour, shields, and/or barriers, if you don't have the correct counter ability to strip them, your team mates need them. That means, Samara, Mordin, Thane, or Miranda. Unless you are doing a loyalty mission, you will play with one of those four. You NEED them, unlike say Tali who doesn't even have Overload to take out shields.
Then there's resource gathering. Its terrible. You don't have to scan every planet, but you should find a guide like Mass Effect wiki to find out what planets have ezero or high concentrations of what you need to upgrade instead of randomly searching every system.
The story is bland, there were times I wondered why I was doing anything at a location at all. Go here, the game forces you. Get this person, recruit them. Now go x person's loyalty mission. Do this four times, get a story mission, get the next four people, then do another loyalty mission set, do final mission, END.
The cover based shooting system is terrible. Your guns do little to no damage until you've stripped the shields/armour/barriers off and everyone has at least one and many have two or more. You need team mates that have counter abilities like warp for barriers, overload for shields, and incinerate for armour. In addition you should get the ammo power for yourself that fits this as well. Incinerate ammo, warp ammo, disrupter ammo. However, this is a small help and you really need team mates in your party with the primary three abilities. This is key because you have limited ammo and some levels are scarce with ammo drops (like when everyone is on ledges and you can't get to their ammo drop). To avoid running out of ammo in your guns, you use the three powers to take out enemy protections allowing your guns to kill them. So if your team mate doesn't have one of these three abilities, they just sit around waiting for you to strip the protections off as their guns impotently struggle to damage foes.
Frankly, the desire to clone Army of Two or Gears of War leaves me cold. The simplistic combat system of hiding behind walls every single second is stale and done better in other games. The story is boring, the lack of exploration is sad, and the combat system forces you to use the same characters over and over regardless of what you want to play. | video-games_xbox |
Unique Gameplay and Superb Graphics. I like this game because it is has a different slant from most other games out there. It's clear that Team Bondi and Rockstar really tried to do something different. That is risky and they should be commended for the games unique qualities.
It's enjoyable trying to solve the cases. I'll admit that it can be a little slow moving at times and the cases can seem a little repetitive. Few of them are straightforward though and you really do have to rely on your intuition. It should be noted that this game probably has very little replay value. Once you run through the cases, I'm not sure you'd want to play a second time.
This is definitely not a game you want to have younger kids watch you play. There are lots of nude, graphically brutalized corpses and frequent use of language that some may not want their kids to hear.
Likes: Outside of the unique game play which has been described in depth in the game description, the reproduction of a faux 1940s LA is incredible. Lots of detail. There are mile and miles of streets you can explore. Detail reproductions of buildings, landmarks, and vehicles. The way the vehicles navigate the streets, make turns, obey traffic signals, etc, is pretty amazing. A lot of work went into developing the city and its populace. As everyone has pointed out, facial expressions are first rate.
Dislikes: Seems a little buggy at times. For example when I went to leave a crime scene the vehicle I came in had vanished. I decided to take a patrol car instead but my partner refused to get it. I drove to the next location leaving him behind and clearly was the only one in the car, when I got to the location; my partner suddenly appears and steps out of the vehicle. I've seen pedestrians moving backward while walking forward (ie. Doing a Michael Jackson "moonwalk"). At a crime scene my partner was standing in midair once, about 3 feet off the ground. I can give similar examples. I have not encountered anything that prevented game play, its doesn't freeze up or anything...just occasional weird annoying things. In my opinion this game should undergone more testing prior to release. Another complaint is the driving. Maybe it's me, but driving the vehicle is a little touchy and they don't repond well to controls. I've knocked over my share of streetlamps and sideswiped a few vehicles. It also seems that you hit a long red light at almost every intersection and can spend a very long time getting to locations. The only practical solution is to let your partner drive, which is less fun, or use your siren all the time and blow threw most intersections. Related to driving, the little navigation map is almost worthless until you get very close to your destination. It's almost impossible to tell what streets you should be taking, or how close you are,until you get within a block or two. I wish it would plot a route, similar to Red Dead Redemption. The other thing I find a little annoying is the "clue" finding procedure. You basically walk around the perimeter of rooms, areas, or large objects, waiting for the controller to vibrate. This signals that you are standing near to a clue. If you are close enough, when you press "A" you see what it is. Walk too fast and you have to backtrack and walk in small circles until you get another buzz. It is very time consuming and does not add anything to gameplay or even make it more challenging. I'd prefer that things you can manipulate had visual clues, such as in Mass Effect. This would not make the game any less challenging and would eliminate the amount of time you spend just walking.
The ending caught me by surprise, but was a little anti-climatic.
Despite some of my gripes, I can recommend this game highly. I had initially given it 4 stars because of the technical flaws (bugs) and some other annoyances. However, I decided to up it to 5. This may not be my favorite game, but it's in the top 10, maybe the top 5. | video-games_xbox |
A very satisfying gaming experience. I went into this game hoping for something fun and nice to watch as I played. I mean I've played through most of the other installments in the Halo franchise and felt, what more needed to be said? I figured it would be the same thing here. More running and gunning, more ridiculously over the top explosions and more brutal kills. Of course, at its core, no FPS really gets way from those things. However Reach really did deliver some new elements into the Halo universe. First of all, it is pretty. The animation and character models are very nice. Remembering the primitiveness of Halo and Halo 2, and even comparing to Halo 3 and ODST, you've got a really nice looking game.
The changes in gameplay are pretty standard, new button layouts, changes to existing weapons and additional weapons, as well as smarter, tougher AI enemies. The difference in toughness of the enemies is immediately apparent if you play one of the other games in the series right before or after this one. The hunters are a nightmare, in the best possible sense, a hulking, shambling engine of destruction that you can't just kill with one shot from a pistol, or a couple bursts from an SMG. The leader elites are strong and smart. Every once in a while you do find hiccups in the AI like an enemy trying to walk through things, or grenade sticking another enemy, but for the most part they are much smarter, and don't have the annoying human voices.
The multiplayer is several notches above the previous installments. Firefight is the best addition to online multiplayer for this game. The standard online multiplayer is pretty much the same as before, a few different play modes, but nothing really too new. If you liked it before, you'll like it still. But firefight fleshed out and expanded the ODST version. You can get into this with your friends or with strangers online. You have 4 different options for the firefight battles and with the increasing difficulty of this game mode it really doesn't get old.
The music is still good as was the rest of the series.
The story was done well, it had good moments and bad, but then again it was a video game story.
The main game didn't feel very long, but I'd be more than willing to go back and play again. | video-games_xbox |
Excelsior. In the same vein as the other entries in the Lego series, "Lego Marvel Super Heroes" is an enjoyable romp through the pages of the Marvel Universe.
The interim mission level this time around is the S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier over Manhattan enabling you to go and explore the somewhat sprawling city below when you want to take a break from the storyline. (This is similar to the University level in Lego Indiana Jones)
Making a return to the franchise after Lego Lord of the Rings is the ability to directly purchase characters you unlock as opposed to having to go to specific locations and find them there, though a few of the post storyline characters MUST be unlocked in special mini levels, but these levels are few and far between. My only complaint about this though is you are effectively forced to go back through and get a 100% on EVERY mission and complete EVERY side quest available in order to obtain the gold bricks necessary to unlock these bonus levels. (And with some of the higher level ones requiring 200+ gold bricks you will find yourself doing repetitive tasks quite a lot if you want every one of the over 100 playable characters.)
As far as the character selection/variety goes, you run the gamut from the Avengers to The Fantastic Four, to the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy, to the obscure ones such as Captain Britain, Taskmaster etc. While there will certainly be characters you want more than others it does become a bit of a task to find them all. Also this time around there are vehicle unlocks spread throughout the city such as the Green Goblin's Pumpkin Copter, The Fantasticar, The Stark Jet etc which also serve to give you yet another series of things to find and unlock to move forward.
My only real complaint would be this, the game at times is a bit antagonistic. Granted, I understand that this is a game targeted at E (for Everyone) but that doesn't mean that when I played previous installments I found myself incapable of remembering I needed a certain character to access a certain point in a level. This time around the game takes it upon itself to tell you "Hey....you might have something that can fit there!" If you have Captain America and his shield in your party or to remind you the next time you play through that you'll need him. While I understand that this is a helpful thing for the exceptionally young gamer I think that most people will find it annoying after awhile as I know I certainly did.
Otherwise this is a nice change of pace in the Lego franchise and was nice to see a game with a wide depth of characters and variety of locales to explore. It was nice to see their take on the humor of the previous games with legendary comic book characters.
I highly recommend this game to anyone with young kids esp ones who like to get collectibles etc. It took me a little over a week to a week and a half to run through the campaign and several side missions. This was of course while taking breaks in Manhattan and collecting Gold bricks and Characters so in that regard your mileage may vary depending on how rigorously you just want to get through the campaign and to the end of the game.
The variety of characters is top notch, the levels are varied, the sound design is good, the story is the same Marvel plot line we all know and love from the comic books with a wide range of villains to do battle with. For young kids who love the Lego games this is a must add addition to your collection esp if they have loved the other installments into the series. It is also entertaining enough for older gamers if they're fans of comic books and the Marvel Universe. | video-games_xbox |
awsome game would recomend to anyone. Back in the fall of 2001, I didn't want to play the XBox. I thought that Bill Gates was trying to monopolize my beloved pastime, the holy hobby of video games. So I didn't play it, that is, until my friend made me play Halo in the Spring of 2002.
My mind was instantly changed.
Halo is not just another video game, it's more of an experience that on higher difficulty levels, you don't just play, you survive. The story is well-planned and well-paced, the weapons are oh-so-cool, the digital surround sound helps to hear behind you (online challengers don't stand a chance), the music is stirring and epic, and the graphics are simply jaw-dropping. Nothing I've played in the past year has put these essential components together quite like Bungie Studios has with Halo. Single player missions are a blast, and you actually feel like you are a super-soldier fighting an alien menace on a strange artificial ring-world in the middle of who-knows-where. But playing by yourself misses the thrill of this game completely.
Anyone with broadband access can use GameSpy Arcade, download the necessary components, cheaply purchase extra equipment, and go online to show the world what you are made of. Multiplayer separates the kids from the adults more than any other console game I have EVER played. To survive, you must be strategic, yet ruthless. You must know the levels, know how to hide, know how to shoot accurately, and know how to move effectively. Once you take some time to master these skills, you feel like you've accomplished something great...
Oh, and if you have friends with copies of Halo, use the biggest room you have to link up 4 XBoxes for 16-player deathmatches (the one catch, every 'Box has to have its own TV). Trust me, nothing brings friends together like 8-on-8 Team Combat. You run to the shotgun room to take care of the weapons cache, Friend #1 runs to the Rocket Launcher for heavy artillery, Friend #2 takes up a sniper position with Active Camouflage (think Predator), Friend #3 waits at the end of the bridge with Fragmentation Grenades, Friend #4 packs a Plasma Rifle to slow down enemies and destroy their shields, Friends #5 and #6 secure medical packs for the squad, while #7 and #8 go freelance and be bait/avengers. And that's just an example of the Slayer mode, where the most kills wins. You've got King of the Hill modes, Capture the Flag, Oddball (he/team that holds the ball for the longest amount of time wins), Races and more. And it's not just mindless killing, all these modes require team strategy and underatanding of the playing field terrain. The more you know about where you are, the better off you'll be when the scores are final. | video-games_xbox |
The RomeZone Review.."Don't wake me...... I'm dreaming. I PICKED UP THIS GEM HERE ON AMAZON FOR UNDER TWENTY BUCKS AND I MUST SAY I GOT MORE BANG THAN I INTENDED TO.
I MUST ADMIT THAT THIS GENRE ISN'T MY CUP OF TEA. I OFTEN STEER AWAY FROM THIS KIND OF GAME ALTOGETHER. BUT ONCE I POPPED THIS GAME IN I WAS HOOKED. THE FIRST LEVEL WILL TELL YOU WHAT KIND OF GAME YOU ARE ABOUT TO PLAY. I KNEW FROM THE FIRST FEW MINUTES THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A THRILLER. I ENJOYED THIS GAME ON SO MANY LEVELS. THE SOUND EFFECTS AND PRESENTATION IS SICK. THE CHARACTERS ARE BELIEVABLE. THE WAY THIS GAME USES FOG , WIND , AND DARKNESS WHILE IN THE GAME WILL MESS WITH YOUR MIND. I MUST HAVE SAID "AH HELL" 20 TIMES BECAUSE I KNEW SOMETHING WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.
THE STORY IS VERY GOOD AND IS AMPLIFIED BY THE COOLEST EPISODIC ENDINGS I HAVE EVER SEEN IN A GAME. I CAN'T PRAISE THAT PART ENOUGH. IT MANAGES TO SERVE YOU UP GAME GOODNESS IN PORTIONS THAT MAKE THE GAME EASIER TO JUMP IN AND OUT OF. MORE GAMES SHOULD TRY THIS.
THE ENVIRONMENTS LOOK GREAT. ALAN CONTROLS RESPONSIVELY AND THE SHOOTING IS VERY TIGHT. THE ENEMIES CAN SOMETIMES OVERWHELM YOU BY USING SHEER NUMBERS, CONFINED AREAS, AND FLANKING TACTICS. THE TRICK IS TO KNOW WHEN TO FIGHT AND WHEN TO FLEE. IT CAN BE TOUGH BUT ANY GAMER SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE FINAL CREDITS. THE GAME HAS FLAWS. BUT NOTHING MAJOR. MY ONLY TRUE GRIPE ABOUT THE GAME HAS TO DO WITH WHEN ALAN ENCOUNTERS "POSSESSED" OBJECTS AND VEHICLES. THEY CAN HAVE UNCANNY ACCURACY WHEN TRACKING YOU DOWN. NOT TO MENTION WHEN THE ENEMY THROWS WEAPONS AT YOU.
I WON'T GO INTO THE STORY BECUSE I HONESTLY DON'T WANT TO RUIN IT FOR YOU. I WILL JUST SAY THAT FOR 20 BUCKS THIS IS A STEAL. DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS GAME. IF YOU EVER HAD AN URGE TO PICK ALAN WAKE UP, DO IT. DO!
SOMETIMES IT'S NOT WHAT YOU SAY, BUT HOW YOU SAY IT. ALAN WAKE IS A GAME THAT UNDERSTANDS THIS.
GRAPHICS-4
SOUND-4.5
CONTROLS-4.5
FUN-5 | video-games_xbox |
Yeah I agree... getting boring. Why does Square keep doing this? If anything, the last good Final Fantasy was the tenth one. Of course, the best one was 7 without a doubt. The rest that came were good but not as good (except for 9, which had good graphics but horrible gameplay IMO). Then with X2, XI, and XII, they started to go downhill. Then the FF7 spinoffs came. I enjoyed Advent Children even though the plot was a bit fanfic-ish, but hated Dirge and thought they blew it big time with Crisis Core. That said, I still had hope for thirteen.
I am but 7 hours in and so far this is undoubtedly better than Crisis Core, and I'll admit that. But that said, it's still style over content, like the past three games.
PROS:
-The graphics are good
-Good music from Uematsu as usual
-The cutscenes don't go on for too long
-The character development is more apparent.
CONS:
-The plot is REALLY rushed, really unoriginal and if anything, a bit too linear. It's like the writers thought that they could just write a Twilight fanfic for a thirteenth entry and it would still be FF. This plot would have been good for a Halo game, not for a Final Fantasy.
-The battle system is unfortunately in Crisis Core mode again. It's all a bit too automated; you just smash the A button several times and it does all the work for you. Furthermore, what REALLY ticks me off is that you can't choose your party member's attacks like you could previously, so therefore if your character dies, well, he/she dies.
-The dialogue is REALLY awful!!! I know that video game dialogue is not the best but with how long it took for this, you'd think they'd write compelling dialog.
-This is no RPG game. The leveling up is gone, money is almost worthless and sometimes you have to make unfair decisions.
-Also, I really hate the protagonist Lightning so far. She is really annoying and whiny.
I haven't beaten it yet, in fact I am close to it, but so far, I'm starting to lose my faith in the FF series. If FFXIV is like this, then the series is pretty much done and over. This isn't a bad game, but beware. It's definitely no FF game. | video-games_xbox |
MADDEN IS GOING IN THE DIRT. NFL Fever 2002 combines fast and hard-hitting action with deep season and career modes. Designed exclusively for Xbox, NFL Fever 2002 features stadiums from all 31 NFL teams and enables gamers to participate in up to 25 seasons. Gamers can amass both individual and team trophies and build their own dynasties, season after season. The fast-playing NFL tempo lets gamers explode through the holes and break loose, just like real NFL players.
NFL Fever 2002 delivers all the hard-hitting action and in-your-face attitude of the NFL - right to the Xbox! Featuring players and stadiums from all 31 teams, NFL Fever 2002 lets you create your own NFL dynasty as you develop player's skills and abilities, draft, trade, and sign rookies and free agents, retire players and more while playing up to 25 continual seasons. Innovative camera angles keep you in the center of the action and the post-game highlight reel lets you relive those monster hits and big plays over and over again. With cutting edge graphics built from the ground just for the Xbox, you'll feel every bone jarring tackle, and see all the nitty-gritty details - including the facial animations of the players! True, smash-mouth NFL action at its finest - NFL Fever 2002!
Great Graphics:
* Lighting. Highlighting and shadows move across players' bodies and uniforms. Helmets include reflection of stadium lights and architecture, while dramatic day and night skies and shadows are visible.
* Models. Highly detailed player models reflect the size, shape and attitude of real NFL players, including variable accessories such as gloves, wristbands, face masks, taped fingers, QB play sheets, shoes, spats and pads. Players' faces animate and lip-sync for incredibly realistic taunts, celebrations, brutal hits and fatigue.
* Movement. Momentum-based motions in the game are captured at game speed with a highly detailed skeleton to provide some of the most bone-crunchingly realistic animation of any electronic football game to date.
Great Gameplay:
* Pace. Maximize the players' time on the field scoring points and delivering crushing blows.
* Player interaction. NFL Fever 2002 delivers some of the most intuitive and responsive game controls available in sports games.
Challenging Depth:
* Dynasty mode. Gamers can play multiple seasons and unlock Super Bowl championship teams that will become on-field opponents as part of the game players' future schedules.
* All-time challenge mode. Players can challenge the greatest Super Bowl teams of all time.
* Trophy case. Players can work their way into the Hall of Fame and collect virtual trophies for season and career accomplishments.
* Dynamic Player Performance Model (DPPM). Ratings improve as players improve their game characters' skills. | video-games_xbox |
From someone who owned but rarely touched Forza 3. Excellent vehicle detail, loud engines, and pleasureful music. These describe Forza Motorsports 4 in Spades.
Please note, the Limited Edition listed here comes with the following additional content from the base retail package.
-Steelbook DVD Case
-96 page colored booklet (fits within the case)
-VIP in the Auction House (places your cars higher on the list)
-2012 BMW M5
-The VIP Car Pack:
2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
2011 Ferrari 458 Challenge
2011 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera
2010 Noble M600
2011 RUF Rt 12 R
-The limited quantity "Ship Bonus":
1965 Ford Mustang GT Coupe
2011 Koenigsegg Agera
1997 Lexus SC300
2011 RUF RGT-8
2011 Tesla Roadster Sport
-The American Muscle Car Pack:
1965 Pontiac GTO
1968 Pontiac Firebird
1970 Buick GSX
1970 Dodge Cornet Super Bee
1966 Chevrolet Nova SS
1969 Shelby GT500 428CJ
1971 Plymouth GTX 426 Hemi
1967 Dodge Cornet W023
1968 Dodge Dart HEMI Super Stock
1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt
That about wraps it up.
Personally I'm enjoying the game, and I feel like all its good qualities have been hit over and over again with the nearby 5 star reviews. The physics, vehicle detail, sounds, replays, and options available (down to even multi screen usage [on a 360 title! Nice!]) in this game make it worth the price of purchase alone.
With that said, since the highs would seem rather obvious on this point, I do have some minor issues.
- Weather effects: The lighting effects in this game are a step above Forza 3 from the small bit I've played (of Forza 3). Consequently that creates a more immersive atmosphere by taking one step closer to photo realism in vehicle visuals. I applaud them for this, but simultaneously I would have really appreciated a step larger.
By that, I wish they could incorporate a a server based weather system. Where time continually changes, with weather effects. I'd like to be racing a long endurance race that starts at 11AM, starting with partly cloudy skies just above but a storm nearby coming in from the east. By the time I ran my 50th lap, maybe I see some lightning, maybe it's a light rain changing my racing strategy, maybe it's more. Unfortunately you won't experience this, the planet doesn't turn, so the sun doesn't shift regardless of how long your race takes. In the end it makes the beautiful lighting I spoke about before feel static, not dynamic. I'm glad they improved the visuals of the vehicles overall but a weather altering feature would have been phenominal.
Also note that you will not have any wet races or the option to choose it in free ride mode. From what I've seen so far the sun always shines.
- Interior view: I think the interior view actually works this game overall. Many games in the past I drove exclusively in the 3rd person perspective; there was always something wrong I couldn't put my finger on with other titles. Forza 4 got it right and I haven't driven in 3rd person perspective yet. My only issue is with the inability to customize this view in minor ways. Give me the option to adjust my mirrors in the very least and I have no issues. However, here you can't do so, and inevitably that means you'll often find that looking to the side mirror on the opposite end of your driving position, is pointless. I can't see out of it at all to any useable fashion. This is just a bit bothersome to me when someone is to my opposite side, but behind me enough so that I can't see them from looking directly out the window, but can't see them from my rear view mirror position either.
- A.I.: This is my largest complaint with the product (and it isn't a huge negative overall), not because I'm not any good as I've won all of my races so far. Here's the deal, overall it's great when you're mid pack on a track and it's hard to get around your opponents. That's how I feel it should be, as in real life I don't believe it's a cake walk to pass your enemies. But, there is a problem with civilian drivers during some "events". The A.I seems to follow a brake line completely for the most part, ALL the artificial intelligence. For example, you will have rival races where you have to beat them to the finish point and traffic is enabled. The travelers however don't drive like normal people just commuting along a street. They take corners like they're competing for the best times (while driving at a slow speed), and on straights they don't tend to drive straight. The result is little A.I. civilians who appear to be driving against you and it makes these races tedious, I don't like having to scratch my car because [1]I can't honk a horn to let them know I'm coming, [2]they don't use blinkers, [3]they just change lanes randomly for absolutely no reason, and [4]they aren't aware of anything. You will literally have your rival fly by a car on it's right side, and you'll take the same route less than a second behind just to have the car change lanes out of nowhere, and if you squeeze by on it's side with a strong drift, the car doesn't take notice and swirve back, they just keep on going, running into you if slow down too much. It's like they're a train on train tracks refusing to stop, all set on a warped set path and deviating for nothing less than a heavy slam from your car into their rear end. The problem lies on straights and turns, they are worse than actual racers, and the fact that they drive so slow but turn like with a racing line makes them no more than unrealistic nuances stuck in the middle of a superb game. The easiest way to win these modes without hitting anyone on the first try? Turn your break lines on, and when you drive, never follow the line if a car is around, because it'll take the exact same line you're "hinted" to, which will result in a car accident 50% of the time. This is one area where Test Drive outclassed Forza in realism, and that's in it's civilian A.I. drivers.
As for the RACERS, I think overall the developers did fantastic. However, I have factually experienced a rubberbanding effect which I call "Mario Kartism". Where if you're in the lead, the game does what it can to handicap the others UP to bring you DOWN in the placing (and thus it's usually the best strategy in Mario Kart games to remain in close second until you're nearing the end).
Here one example I experienced:
A class race in my Bently. First place for most of the race with not a lot of problems, except one. There is a Ferrari who's close on my tail from the start, everyone else is a fair distance behind. Last lap and I'm growing a tad tired of the Ferrari, I make one 2-bar turn and it gets a jump on me. In my frustration (and I rarely do this) I pit the Ferrari, and it ends up backwards and off the track. I'm moving along just fine but now out of nowhere there is a single yellow Corvette behind me, in the same position as the Ferrari. Maybe it was having an EXTREMELY good lap, I don't know, so even though he was pretty darn far behind and I was having a surpurb final lap before and after pitting that Ferrari (minus the one less than optimal turn that caused the Ferrari to almost squeeze past) I accepted it fine and moved on. But wouldn't you know, before the lap was even finished the Ferrari was back. How on Earth did that car all of a sudden recover from that and regain all that ground ahead of everyone else to finish in close 3rd? All of a sudden his breaks become unbelievable and his acceleration more exceptional than it was to begin with? My Bently was tuned and modified by me and before this I was running the A.I. like Lance Armstrong. It absolutely made no sense, the computer was keeping up with me that race for the sake of being able to. Races like this are extremely rare, and I love close races, BUT not when it's close because the game alters its scripts to make it close (like Madden's 3rd quarter comeback alterations back in Madden 01-02)
-Minor: Some wheels can fit on cars they wouldn't ever fit on, for instance, 6 lug cars running 5 lug wheels. Anti-Aliasing doesn't seem to exist in races (I think it's set to 2X however 4X is an optimal goal to remove "jaggies" at 720P in my opinion), however that is more to blame on the console's aging hardware. No ability that I've seen to import music so that I can have both the music in game (that I like) and other songs that I have in mp3 format, the abilty to change your "station" by clicking down a thumb stick or something in endurance races would have been a nice feature to me.
Other than that the game is phenominal and well worth the money I spent. It is however unfortunate that I cannot be like my fellow mates here by giving this a full 5/5 stars, which is as close to perfection as it gets. If you're on the fence about this game, try the demo because it's currently free on the Marketplace. I'm sure you will enjoy it. Feel free to express any thoughts by leaving a comment, liking, or disliking this review.
Cheers, and good racing.
PS - I haven't dove strongly into online races yet, but I am apart of a club and have been to the auction house. So far it's looking great, but I won't be able to further dive into it until a later date (responsibilities restrict play time). Lastly, if you owned Forza 3 you will proportionally receive credits and cars depending on your level in that game which is pretty neat. | video-games_xbox |
Great Audio. I was in the market for a "wireless" headset around $100 that was compatible with both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One and had great sound (I have a rather expensive surround sound system and didn't want the headset to under-perform when compared to my system). After about a month of doing research on all the different companies and their headsets, I decided to purchase Turtle Beach's X42. This is the first headset I have ever purchased/used that wasn't already included with the consoles so I cannot compare it to others...
Pros:
- Dolby Digital certified so the sound is true and crisp (I can hear people trying to sneak up on me and figure out what direction their coming from)
- Virtual surround sound sounds a lot better through the headset than a system because noise won't get drowned out by other sounds
- Surround sound has adjustable angles
- Nice, deep bass... but not overpowering
- Sensitive mic (another big reason I went away from the headsets included with the consoles, as I talk softly when my family is asleep)
- 4 pre-programmed equalizer presets
- Very light for their size
- Able to control game audio and chat audio separately
- Receiver is small and easy to conceal
- No interference
- Good range
Cons:
- The chat volume control dial can be sensitive at time
- The headset can get uncomfortable after a couple hours of use; however, this could be because I am not use to wearing them
- Although it says "wireless", it still has a wire running to the controller (doesn't really bother me since that's how all the standard Xbox headsets are
I didn't take off any stars because the X42 preforms amazing and those are just very small things I noticed. I read one review that said, "you haven't truly heard until you have used a pair of these" and I couldn't agree more. I am hearing sounds in the games I never knew existed before and I can now effectively communicate with my party members. If you are looking for the same headset with a bit more comfort (over ear as oppose to on ear) and more control over equalizer programmability, I would recommend taking a look at the 400 series. Overall, I am very satisfied with the X42's and would recommend them to anyone looking for a great headset that won't blow the bank. | video-games_xbox |
Alpha Protocol - An RPG Masterpiece w/ Issues. Alpha Protocol is the first original IP from veteran game developer Obsidian Entertainment. Formed by a bunch of ex-Black Isle developers, Obsidian Entertainment set out to make great role-playing games that pushed narrative in gaming. Alpha Protocol isn't just another shooter, as its RPG elements are fundamental to the game design, which makes Alpha Protocol a love or hate affair in the gameplay department. However, beyond the gameplay, you'll find a very deep and rewarding experience with Alpha Protocol.
Positives:
- Choice & Consequence - You shape the narrative in Alpha Protocol. The dialogue tree is timed, which causes everything to flow naturally instead of two idle character models in one still animation for too long at any given point. You choose to side with or cross individuals, to let them live or die, to sleep with them, etc. You dictate the outcome of any given discussion and situation through the well-done dialog system.
- RPG Gameplay That Rewards - Here's where many will disagree, though I welcome the debate. Alpha Protocol isn't just a third-person shooter, it's also an RPG at its heart, which means the reticle and shooting mechanics have a very "risk vs. reward" feel. When you start out, your aim is rather poor, you don't have all of the best upgrades, etc. Some said this all came down to poorly conceived gameplay, but I must disagree with such a notion. As a fan of RPG titles, it's fairly common that you pretty much stink in the beginning of any RPG, then you gradually become better through experience, leveling up, new weapons, weapon upgrades/mods, etc. This is the very heart of an RPG, but it seems like many people wanted Alpha Protocol to have shooting mechanics similar to a Gears of War or Uncharted, but it was never supposed to be like that. Upgrading your character through meaningful ways is crucial to any good RPG.
- Voice Acting & Characters - This is Alpha Protocol's greatest asset, no doubt about it. Each character offers their own personality, and all of the acting seems spot on. This isn't a hyper serious game all of the time. Your main character, Michael Thorton, is often a very sarcastic jerk. I find him to be a very entertaining character. And many other characters can be funny and over-the-top, too, which is what makes Alpha Protocol such an enjoyable ride from beginning to end. If it were super serious, not sporting any of the sarcastic and enjoyable dialogue, then it'd be a rather disappointing journey, as the gaming industry is full of grim storytelling these days.
Negatives:
- Technical Issues Galore - Texture pop-in is commonplace in Alpha Protocol. Similar to earlier Unreal Engine 3 games like Mass Effect, it takes a while for textures to fully pop into place. Framerate hiccups can sometimes muck up the action. Taking cover can sometimes be glitchy. The depth of field and motion blur effects are very poorly implemented.
Sure, I guess I could've docked 1 star for the technical issues, as they are in the many, but I feel that despite those issues, they didn't take anything away from the game. I still played the game through multiple times without any severe issues that ruined my enjoyment. In many ways, Alpha Protocol is an experience that offers something truly great to a specific type of person. This game is by no means perfect, so I hope you don't get that impression from my 5 star review; however, even in the face of Alpha Protocol's imperfections, this is a game I'll never forget, as it brought me one of the most memorable experiences that I've ever had. | video-games_xbox |
The Takedown. Buckle your seatbelts... and prepare to die! While the first Burnout game had you dodging traffic through crowded streets like the best scenes out of your favorite chase movies, and Burnout 2 had you purposefully crashing into intersections for maximmum damage points (like some kind of crazy car crash physics puzzle game), the Burnout series yet AGAIN moves into an entirely different direction with the third installment: Takedown!
Yes indeed, all the wishes of the people who played the first two games have been granted. Before, I had found myself wishing that the computer players would fight back more (instead of just trying to outrun me), the gas tankers would explode when you hit them (they do!!!!! In a flash of white and a fireball!), and that you could make the computer players crash in a way other than crashing right in front of them (now you can run them off the road, into walls, and manuever your crashing car right in front of them!). But ultimately this game is much more than just a remix, it's a revolution.
The graphics have been cranked up a notch yet again, with sparks, flames, glass shatters, crumpling metal, flying tires, big rigs losing their cargo, and cars doing the most amazing acrobatics you have ever seen. All this at incredible speed (looks like about 300 miles per hour to me!), silky-smooth framerate, and with perfect control. More than that, you the new Aftertouch effect allows you to put the car into bullet-time as soon as you crash (to make your car do wicked stunts, or hit other cars), as well as letting you precisely aim yourself in crash mode after hitting a ramp so that you hit right where you want to. And speaking of crash...
You didn't think they would just leave the crash mode alone, did you? Now there are crash icons you need to collect (or avoid) which can half your score, double it, quadrouple it, give you bonus cash, increase your speed, or make you explode instantly. And since when you rack up a certain amount of cars crashing you can make your car explode with the push of a button, and gas tankers explode on high-speed contact... it is indeed possible to make your car explode three times in a single crash!
I remember back when Need for Speed:Hot Pursuit 2 came out and everyone thought it was so great. It seems like garbage now compared to this game. That game had annoying bullet-time (too long, too often, poorly executed, and just plain irritating), this game has sweet bullet-time (unobtrusive, not too long, auto-steering when it happens, perfectly executed, and just plain cool). And while that game may have been fast and furious, this game is just...umm.... faster and furiouser.
With all the multi-player modes and single-player modes and unlockables and world tour ect., you'd think this was the perfect racing game. Sadly though, this is not the case.
The music soundtrack is quite frankly absolutely terrible. Ditto for the annoying annoucer. Thankfully, both can be turned off (and you can listen to whatever music you like). The interface for selecting music, however, is not as good as the previous Burnout. Also, the excellent cops and robbers aspect from Burnout 2 is gone as well. Just another reason to own all three Burnouts I'd say.
If you love racing games, and especially if you liked the previous Burnouts, this one is a definite purchase. | video-games_xbox |
Everyday it rains. I've consistently brought Madden games since it's the only licensed football game and I have to play it during the NFL season. Since there are so many other reviews touching on different aspects of the game ranging from the commentary being completely wrong to gameplay issues, I can sum up my frustration with this year's madden and the letdown it has been by asking why does it rain every single game in franchise mode and why has it still not been fixed since the release in August? I mainly get Madden for the franchise mode so any "improvements" to the gameplay are impossible to notice and judge accordingly if every game is in the pouring rain and watching wide open receivers slip on every other play is the norm for the passing game. There are some nice additions to the franchise mode before and after season but they should have already been in the game because it's supposed to be an NFL game with NFL rules, etc.
And that's why my overall frustration with Madden has increased this year. Instead of building on and improving additions such as the Extra Point it's scraped completely and there's nothing that gives the feeling that a season is going on. There's no way to get a scouting report against the next opponent or prepare for a specific opponent when preparation is huge in the NFL week in and out because that was scraped years ago. A company like EA Sports has the resources to improve its product instead of leaving customers with the feeling that whatever is put out there that's it and no desire to make anything better as long as there's no game crippling bug. It feels like a half done product unlike some of the high quality sports games out now that have achieved an overall gaming experience from the presentation before, during and after the game to the actual gameplay itself and it's immersive, addictive and satisfying and exudes the love of the game the developers, etc have for the game and they respect the fans of the game. And the new release even surpasses the prior release.
Instead of working to make a better game for long time fans of the Madden series this truly feels like EA was just making a cash grab because there are currently no other alternatives for NFL fans and that's disappointing. How much time, effort, etc would it have taken to create a patch that stops it from raining EVERY SINGLE GAME in franchise mode or better yet fix it ahead of time? Now apply that same sentiment to many other aspects of the game. One shouldn't have to pick a different team in franchise mode just because of a simple bug and shouldn't have to buy a brand new madden game next year just to not be frustrated by simple bugs because it's advertised as one of the "improvements." | video-games_xbox |
Works Exactly As Claimed. <div id="video-block-R3HQMWSQEIZM3T" class="a-section a-spacing-small a-spacing-top-mini video-block"></div><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/B123f1dz-SS.mp4" class="video-url"><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A1Cwn0%2Bo3SS.png" class="video-slate-img-url"> This fan is a great replacement for my old OEM Xbox fan (probably about 10 years old at the time of the replacement). Although it's possible that this difference may be in part due to the age and condition of my old fan, the Talismoon fan is noticeably quieter and more efficient, just as it claims to be. Don't try to convince yourself that this fan is silent or near silent - it isn't. However, if you have an old monster like I did, there's a good chance that this one will make a big improvement, and what noise the Talismoon fan does make is much smoother and subdued.
On several occasions my Xbox would also shut down due to overheating, which I imagine was at least in part due to the struggling OEM fan. While I can't yet speak for exactly how reliable this Talismoon fan is at cooling the unit, it does move significantly more air, so I'm expecting better performance as well.
Make sure to familiarize yourself with the Xbox disassembly process before you get started (you can find plenty of comprehensive guides with a simple Google search), so you don't run into any unexpected obstacles along the way. After getting into the metal case, I found it helpful to disconnect the cables from the optical drive and get it out of the way entirely, then carefully disconnect the old fan's cables before removing it from the housing.
The blue LEDs in the fan are quite pleasant. I really didn't want obnoxiously bright lights, but these are subtle enough to be a neat aesthetic feature, but still bright enough to be noticed.
The attached video is of my Xbox running Modern Warfare 2 splitscreen, both before and after replacement of the fan. The primary difference is between the sound in front of the TV. The back view picked up a lot of the sound from the pushed air physically hitting the microphone, which makes the sound of the Talismoon fan appear to be louder, even though it's merely due to the increased airflow, and is actually quieter and not as harsh. | video-games_xbox |
Excellent, Sturdy, No Hassle Controller. Worth The Money, Don't Let The Size Full You, This Is A Great Controller. I chose this controller over the Afterglow controllers, as I was looking for a wireless controller. I like wireless because there is ZERO delay from when you hit the button, to the on screen response, even in multiplayer games. I had owned 2 Afterglows in the last year. Both, within 6 months, had the left stick just crumble into pieces. When it happened to the first one, I thought, okay, defect, so I took a chance on another and it did the same thing in about the same time limit. I had used a Mini Pro EX before and found it to be well made, sturdy, and the sticks are similar to a new PS3 controller. I am in my 40's and have been gaming for 27 years, I have used consoles, PC's, and laptops to game on. I play First Person Shooters (FPS) Role Playing Games (RPG's) Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) action, and fighter games. I consider this controller, besides the default wireless, or wired controller that comes with your Xbox 360 when you purchase it, to be one of the best I have used.
This controller also has the capability to go from the 360 console, to your laptop or PC and be used as a mouse, and or a controller if you game on those as well. So the compatibility is a nice added feature. I also have large hands, and find I have NO problem using this controller. It features a neat light up function. Although, I think this is only handy if you are playing in the dark and need to see your watch, or just a neat effect for kids or younger adults. Other than the aesthetics, it adds nothing to the functionality of the controller.
The only downfall I can see to this controller is the placement of the lights on/off button. It is dead center in the back of the controller so it is easy to accidentally turn the lights on and off during fast paced game-play. However, it is a minor irritant and I would imagine, it depends on hand size and how you hold it, to cause this occurrence.
Overall, I find NO reason not to by this controller. It is excellent as a main controller, or as a backup secondary one. Also, if you are going wireless, this is spot on. With the 10ft cord, I never find an uncomfortable place in my living room that the core can't reach, or my bedroom for that matter, also the 0.5 to 1.0 full second of lag that occurs using a wireless controller is gone by the fact this is wired. (I suppose this may not matter to most, but when you play to compete, and win, it does.)
By with confidence and enjoy! | video-games_xbox |
MASSIVE SANITY HIT. Based on author H.P. Lovecrafts many works involving the town of Innsmouth and the sea god Dagon, Bethesda struck right on target with Dark Corners of the Earth.
The game contains many different gameplay elements, manifest through different parts of the game. from stealth to investigation to shooter to an indescribable scramble for safety, this game delivers fright and fun.
My favourite aspect of the game was its "extreme first person" in other words, you NEVER leave the first person perspective, there are NO indicators or even a heads up display (no aiming reticle, health bar, sanity metre, ammo indicator, etc.) this viewpoint offers an initial challenge when it comes to aiming, but with practice it is easy to overcome.
The game is highlighted with mind-wracking puzzles, intense action sequences, a wonderful storyline, and (of course) plenty of horrifying themes and imagery. Outrunning the innsmouth townfolk was one of my favourite gaming moments.
This game also uses a feature Eternal Darkness fanss will be familiar with- dynamic sanity affects. As you progress, you're player will be exposed to horrible images and situations that will test his (and your) sanity. As you lose sanity your vision will blur, weapons will misfire, you'll hear voices, etc. Eventually you will commit suicide. (that scared the hell out of me the first time it happened!)
The health system is hard to master, but you'll get the hang of it eventually. you're player is displayed with any injuries h has sustained, and you much choose which to heal, and which to leave open. different types of damage make this fairly strategic. minor bleeding will slow you down, enough major bleeding will kill you, broken bones create bad mobility, etc.
The games plot is extremely good, and the cinematics are executed very well, again never leaving first person
IMPORTANT: another review claims that you cannot skip cinematics, apparently this person hit every button exept BACK, it will skip cinimatics.
The shooter element isn't very dominant (i was at 43% completion before i even obtained a gun) but that helps add to the horror element, and should not be viewed as a fault. the only fault i can think of is difficulty. every situation has a very logical method to complete the task (except for the final battle) but sometimes the method is a little hard to notice, or easy to overlook. just keep looking, youll figure it out eventually.
The game is well detailed and well designed and remember***
PAY ATTENTION TO EVERYTHING even trivial dialogue can serve a purpose! the game DOES NOT carry you through the puzzles, just keep your eyes and ears open and you should be ok (and the loading screen hints are VERY useful)
Overall this game is VERY good. and is a must have for any horror or cthulhu fan. i hope you find this useful | video-games_xbox |
As a console gamer I can see what all the Pc gamers have been praising all these years. First off I rated this game a 5 stars because this game sucked me into the story since the very start. I'm talking about half life two, the story is kind of confusing at first since I never played the first Half life. All I did was go on youtube to look up the first games lore and I have to say the universe of Gordan Freeman is very intriguing to say the least. The game really pulled me in that much more since I knew what was going on. The shooting mechanics feel solid and responsive. The feeling of killing an alien and or a Combine solder feel really good as well. It was hard to put the controller down to be frank....The weapon slots are easy to access whenever you want to switch a gun on the fly. Yes this game has weapon slots no carrying just two weapons like modern games. This has a very old school fps feel. The game essentially feels like you are on an adventure and the reason I keep bringing up the word feel is this game has a unique style of fps gameplay that you just don't see anymore in modern fps.
The art style for a decade old game is very impressive as well. You see how the world is on the brink of total devastation that brings you to a total investment of the game. It has great facial animation for the characters you see down the line. Very L.A Noire if you ask me with the facial animations. This game has aged very well since its first release back in 2004. It can go toe to toe with even some of the more recent video games being released. I just have to give credit where credit is do. Valve did an awesome job with the source engine.
I have to mention the sound Half life 2 has because this is one of the most important parts in a game that separates an okay game with something that will totally hook you in from the start. The enemys have a very creepy noise to them and if you know what a zombie headcrab is then you know what I mean by just a creepy sounding enemy. The combine solders wear this type of gas mask and sounds just like Bane from the batman movie when they talk. They also have walkie talkys that sounds just like a real walkie talkie. When you kill them you can even hear the Combines HQ trying to get a hold of them. Sounds very realistic in my opinion. The soundtrack is also one of my favorite video game soundtracks I have ever heard. The music as a very well made and just invests you even more into the game. Believe you me you will just stop and listen just to take it all in.
I know It sounds like I'm praising it but there are some flaws, very minor but I feel I have to mention them. If you plan on purchasing this game for the consoles be aware of load times. A friend of mine plays the ps3 version and told me they are extremely long and kind of takes him out of the experience a bit. The 360 version has load times that are a bit slow but they rarely ever took me out of the atmosphere this game provides. There is a bit of frame-rate drops here and there on the 360 but not as much as the ps3.
Now I'm going to talk a little bit about Portal and Team Fortress 2. Portal is a well made puzzle action game that kind of took me by surprise. I'm not that big into puzzle games myself but Portal gave me this Euphoria rush every time I completed a puzzle. At first they are easy enough but when you progress through the story they get trickier and trickier. Well paced I might add It's not like it was completely easy then all of a sudden the difficulty ramps up and you either have to look up how to complete a puzzle or you just stop playing. Nothing like that, it is well paced. The computer A.I named Glados is a big part of the story. She at first seems as if she is trying to help you but more further in the story you can tell she is trying to kill you. Her dialogue knocks it out of the park for me and had me chuckling every opportunity I heard her voice. Glados has that very animatronic voice that sounded like she was calm when in reality she was trash talking the whole time.
Team Fortress 2 was the least played game out of the bundle.... Well just because at the time I really was not into the whole team based shooter genre. I'm proud to admit I was a dummy for not giving this game a chance. At first it is a bit tricky because it's quite difficult to kill people if you don't play the role you choose. For example there are 10 classes you can choose. Very addictive multiplayer. I have only put an hour or two in so I'm not gonna tell you stuff I don't know. If you read my review this long I thank you for taking the time to read my review of atleast most of the orange box. Hope I helped you understand a little bit more about this package. I really do think you should pick this game up what are you waiting for? | video-games_xbox |
Awesome game, but loses a little in translation. Half-Life 2 was one of the greatest PC games ever to be released. It was one of the many reasons why I wanted to have a lot of money to shell out onto an awesome gaming computer. But then Valve announced it would be released on the Xbox, so I waited a little longer. Was it worth the wait? Well, I like the fact that I can now play it, but man, I think maybe I should get a better computer to play the PC version.
Half-Life is a game that really doesn't sit down and tell you a story, most of it you have to find for yourself. Example, when the first game came out, you basically had no idea what was really going on other than the fact that an expiriment went bad and now creatures from Xen are traveling to Earth. To better learn the story, you had to find clues that were, for the most part, hidden from the game. No cutscenes are given to you because you're in control for most of the game.
Anyway, you start off where Gordon Freeman (no not the actor Morgan Freeman) was sent into a portal and told to wait. Well apparently you've been sleeping for some time now and when you awaken, you enter City 17 where humanity is run by the Combine. You meet up with people from the first game then it kicks into high gear.
Gameplay is some of the best I've ever seen. When shooting gets old, they add some new twist, giving you a boat to drive or a car. The other neat feature is the Havok engine, which uses the force of gravity. You'd be amazed at how much you can manipulate your environment, in fact a lot of puzzles require you to do so. You even get a gravity beam to use on other objects. I really love this concept. The other thing is that you have team mates that really think for themselves. Which also brings me to the enemies, they are much smarter and will group up if they can't bring you down alone.
So where does the Xbox version fall, if I like it so much? Well, if you look closely at the character models in this version compared to the PC, you'll see a bigger difference, they're not as blocky. Also the loading times are a pain, I understand that this is a big game, but I really hate how it constantly has to stop and load. Pick this up if you need a great shooter and don't have a quality gaming computer | video-games_xbox |
You say goodbye. I say Halo... 3. Wow. Is this the most hyped game ever, or what? The tv commercials featuring live actors, and a VERY detailed model were exceptionally well done. The Halo Mountain Dew was interesting to say the least, and the Legendary Edition was pretty cool in its own right. However, I am not sure that the game lived up to the promise of the hype. WARNING: There may be spoilers below, so consider yourself warned...
Story:
Nothing new here. While the Halo franchise has a great premise, it has always been somewhat lacking in how it tells the story. The premise draws heavily from many other sci-fi classics (Aliens, Enemy Mine, etc.), but it somehow manages to make it feel somewhat unique in how these elements are combined. At its core this is a story about an advanced group of alien races that have combined to form The Covenant. The Covenant is led by prophets that have declared humanity offensive to their god's and order them to be wiped out. The basis of the first two games was to protect humanity, but it was all important to insure that The Covenant never found the coordinates of Earth, humanity's last stronghold. This is all told during in-game cutscenes that take place between you (Master Chief) being dropped in to fight the Covenant forces.
If this is all the story included it would be decent, but clichd and forgettable. However, Bungie is smarter than that. They threw in a wild card element known as The Flood. The Flood is another parasitic alien race that acts with a hive-like mentality, attacking characters of both the humans and the Covenant and transforming them into Flood creatures as well. These creatures are controlled by a central intelligence known as the Gravemind. The Flood adds another dynamic to the game, but I will get into that below in gameplay...
The basis of Halo 3 is "Finish the fight." Master Chief teams up with the rogue Covenant Elites to take down the Prophet of Truth, rescure Cortana from the clutches of the Gravemind, and to save the universe in general.
Graphics:
The graphics in the game are definitely better than Halo 2, and most other games out there. There has been much ado from the gaming community about whether or not the graphics in Halo 3 are good or not. They are good. I would even go so far as to say they are very good. They are not the best on the system. That honor would go to Call Of Duty 4 or Bioshock. However, they are very good. They are especially brilliant in the area of lighting and textures. It is amazing to see how well rendered the lighting effects are, all the way down to little light sources on the Spartan (i.e. Master Chief) armor that may go unnoticed by many. The textures are extremely detailed and hold up under the tightest of closeups. In some ways this is unfortunate as the details are easily overlooked, since many of them are small and/or subtle.
The character models in H3 are relatively detailed and animated well. However, the environments leave something to be desired. They feel very generic and bland for the most part. The outdoors areas tend to be very wide open without a lot detail. I suspect this is due to the game including so many vehicles, as it allows for easier navigation of the many modes of transport that can be used.
Sound:
Halo 3 shines in its sound design. From the music that cues at just the right moment to the individual clink of shell casing hitting the ground, every sound is dead on. The directional sound is amazing if you are using a surround sound system. You can truly tell where your enemies are firing from based on the sound separation on a 5.1 or higher system. The amazing sound design is easily seen when evaluating gameplay using the Theater (detailed below).
Gameplay:
Solid is the best way to describe the gameplay in Halo 3. The controls are tight and configurable. Bungie took the weaknesses of Halo 2 and fixed them. The in-game missions are fun, and the maps are fun to play. The multiplayer experience is signature Halo. If you liked Halo 2's multiplayer you will like this. If you didn't, then don't expect to be converted.
As with most fps's the story and missions are very linear. Halo 3 does not allow for much straying from the defined path. However, the multitude of vehicles and weapons at your disposal make up for this. Everything controls incredibly well.
The AI in Halo 3 is impressive... if you play it at the right level. If you play on the normal or easy difficulties you may notice that the enemies are bumbling idiots. However, if you play at the upper levels it won't take long to see that the enemies are using flanking maneuvers, climbing rocks/crates to get a higher vantage point to shoot from, barking orders to one another, accurately tossing grenades, etc. The AI of the humans and your Elite counterpart are not quite so impressive, though.
H3 allows for up to four players to play together cooperatively within the single player campaign. While doing so you can activate the "metagame" in which the computer will keep score for each individual allowing for the cooperative experience to be competitive as well.
The multiplayer is fairly tight as well. There are a multitude of gametypes, and many, many options for you to use to customize multiplayer games with your friends. The multiplayer maps are mostly well designed, but, much like the campaign, some areas come across as generic and uninspired.
The biggest "innovation" in the gameplay is the addition of "equipment." This comes in the form of a Bubble Shield (a circular force field that protects from all projectile weapons), Radar Jammer (creates multiple false hits on the radar), Flare (blinds all within proximity), Energy Generator (refills shields within proximity), Energy Drain (drains shields within proximity), and the Grav Lift (basically a portable jump pad). Other than this the multiplayer game plays almost exactly like the other Halo games.
To me the most disappointing about this game is the failure to meet the promise of the single player campaign. In the months leading up to the games release Bungie released a series of commercials and webisodes that mention a great battle in which Master Chief defeats the Covenant and save mankind. It is very unfortunate that in the game this battle never takes place. In many of the pre-release weekly updates on Bungie's site there are mentions of great battles with dozens of enemies on screen at once, etc. Again, this never happened. To me there was never a true "battlefield" experience (to see an example of what I mean by "battlefield" experience play through Call of Duty 4). In the end you don't even battle Gravemind (the character that is ultimately the most reviled and made into the biggest "Bad Guy.") This combined with other story elements that are left dangling leave the victory at the end of the game feeling a bit hollow. Considering this is supposed to be the end of the series (or at least this trilogy/storyline) there are a lot of plot points left unresolved and dangling. These story shortcomings are unfortunate given that there is such a rich world and backstory involved. The first Halo novel is fantastic. It is a shame this game could not live up to that.
Innovations:
Unfortunately there is not much innovation in the gameplay of Halo itself. However, there is much to be desired outside of this. The biggest gameplay innovation has been the reassigning of some of the buttons on the controllers. The biggest change has been to the "X" button. Bungie made a huge deal about how awesome the X button was to be in Halo 3, but in the end all it does is deploy "Equipment" (see Gameplay).
The biggest innovations in this package are:
1. Theater: The theater is a feature of the game that saves the game code from recently played games. This allows the player to go back and rewatch their most recent games... from any angle, any players point of view (in co-op or multiplayer). You can detach the camera and zoom around the map while the game plays below, or in multiplayer matches you can attach the camera to that guy that kept sniping you to see where he was hiding. You can also pause and zoom around a firefight matrix-style, or create movie clips of in-game action. You can then upload those movies and screenshots to your Bungie.net account (free) and share them with the world. This is where you can stop to truly appreciate the hi-res textures and lighting effects. Your friends can then access these files and download them to their Xbox. You can also send these files to anyone as video smack talk, if you are so inclined. The best thing about this is that the files are made up of game code, so they take up little disk space, since they are not rendered movies.
2. Forge: Honestly I have not played with this feature very much, but I do find it intriguing. It has been coined as a map editor, and I guess that is what it is... loosely. It is not a map editor in the traditional sense that you can edit the terrain, textures, etc. of a map. However, you can take a pre-built map and add attributes that are not defaults. You can place spawn points, weapons, vehicles, crates, explosive barrels, and even a giant soccer ball in a map. This allows for user created variations on maps, and even user created gametypes. These maps can then be uploaded to your Bungie.net account for others to download.
3. The a-hole button: This is one of the most simple, yet most appreciated innovations to me. While Halo is fun, and multiplayer can be great, it is often marred by the multitude of foul-mouthed, immature, reveling in their anonymity, punks. Surprisingly Bungie recognized that much of their player base fell into this category, and made it incredibly simple to mute these people. In game all you need to do is hit the "back" button to bring up the player list, highlight the offending player, and hit the "X" button. From that time on that person is muted (to you) until you unmute them. Note to parents: If your kids play Halo, I encourage you to listen in on their games from the next room, etc. to see if their behavior acceptable to you.
Final Thoughts:
Overall this is a very enjoyable game for both the single and multiplayer experiences. For both of these there is not much new other than the enhanced graphics and lighting. However, the Theater is one of the coolest game features in recent memory, and can result in many lost hours as you look for the perfect screenshot or game clip. While the single player campaign is marred by questionable story elements, and falling short of its potential, it is still enjoyable and better than a majority of fps's on the market. The multiplayer is lots of fun, but it is marred by the lack of maturity of a high percentage of its playerbase. It is a shame that Call of Duty 4 came out so close to Halo 3, as it quickly stole some of Halo's thunder. My opinion is that the multiplayer and single player experience of CoD4 is superior to that of Halo 3, but H3 does not deserve to be ignored or overlooked, as it is a very strong game in its own right. Also, Halo 3 is the only game where you can have an experience like what you have with the Theater. I sometimes spend more time in there than I do in the game itself... | video-games_xbox |
Overly Simplistic, but kind of fun once you get over that. Alright, first off I have to admit that I played "Seven Sorrows" before I played this game. I went to go and review "Seven Sorrows" and saw tons of reviews recommending this one, so I figured I'd better try it out first. I am really glad I did. My first impression while playing through this game was that I really wouldn't like it. From a developmental perspective this game is rather clunky, but I must admit that I eventually got kind of used to this, however the clunky play assures it will not receive five stars.
Basically the game design is ultra basic; I think they were trying to capture the old arcade nostalgia when creating this game, which if you like that stuff you'll love this game. Anyone remember Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game? Yeah it's sort of like that on some levels. Like other role playing games it has that rather standard overhead view, not a complaint because I prefer that. However the camera cannot be turned! This is singly one of the worst features of the game. If my friends and I could turn the camera on some level like you can in Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance this game probably would've been ten times better! I think this is the single largest mistake they made during this games development, regardless of everything else that happens in this screen; that one feature really adds a lot!
Like I said before this game is pretty basic and at times clunky, this is made pretty clear that when you're walking next to your friends' characters they trip over each other and walk slower. Yes, I realize that that's probably kind of a realistic concept, but if you're going to go to that length give me a rotating camera! It's a very bizarre thing to include in the game, in my opinion, but it acts a bit more as a hindrance and it loses a major seamless quality on some levels. The extremely basic nature of the game comes in with the mode of fighting hordes of monsters. Every character has long range attack with infinite "ammo", even your melee characters. They can all sit back and fire away at enemies from a distance making it so you don't really have to get hit. This is really just silly, but when you're playing this game you're not exactly supposed to take it seriously, so it really makes sense, this isn't exactly Diablo or anything here. The things the characters say in the game when certain things happen are quite funny and amusing as well, making me think the target demographic is a little younger. This would also explain the extreme simplicity in the game design... and the whole having your melee characters have long ranged attacks.
I'm not even going to pretend like this story line is original, it's not. This really is geared towards multiplayer, but your friends and you have to save the realms from a great evil that is plaguing the lands. I said it wasn't original. So you go into all these different realms and fight hordes of monsters and in order to progress to the next realm you need to collect special crystals, items, and rune stones. The rune stones are needed to get to the final sequence, so I thought that was actually pretty fun. Though hunting down the rune stones gets a little tedious because they're not always easy to find. Either way I thought that was a pretty inventive idea, rather than just finding a single key in a level, you need to collect a bunch of crystals, some of which number two hundred. Like all role playing games Gauntlet allows you to level up your character by getting experience points. Here's one area that was smart, despite the fact you have long range attacks if you actually hit the creatures at close range using regular melee you get more experience. Also experience isn't based solely on kills, it's based on hits. So when you're fighting the boss battle at the end of the levels the person with the most hits often times gains more experience than the one who actually kills the boss. I thought this was pretty inventive and a very good idea! With the money you get you can buy all sorts of interesting items and you can even buy 10 point things that add to your strength, magic, speed, or toughness. So you can make your characters a lot stronger faster, though you'll max out at 999, and for leveling up you'll max at 99.
Basically once you get over the incredibly basic nature of the game and get over the frustration of it not working like other games, the game does get to be rather decent. There are a ton of levels to go through and all the levels have this interesting maze like quality so you have to figure out where to go to get to the end, but it's not too hard and for the most part it's pretty straightforward. I liked this aspect, but that's the general point of me enjoying a bit of a dungeon crawl, which just about all the levels fall into that category. The graphics are nothing to get excited about, because it's pretty obvious the Xbox can handle a lot better, but they weren't so bad that it was unplayable. Overall towards the end I had fun playing this and I felt like I got my moneys worth thanks to the sheer length of the game. However, I can definitely see how some players will quickly get bored with this title. It is very uniform and just about all levels have the same exact goal. Again, I'm pretty sure this isn't marketed towards adults, so once you get into that mindset it's not that bad of a game. I wouldn't say this is the best game ever by any means, but it's pretty good basic fun, just remember this isn't a Forgotten Realms title, so don't expect that kind of in depth quality. | video-games_xbox |
must be some idiots at polk. received a unit that was non functional. questionable quality control. that price for a pair of cans that aren't even tested by the manufacturer is absurd.
edit exchanged with amazon for another polk 4shot because i wanted it, i just wanted it to work. So far its a good quality product for the $60 sale price i paid, and i can not compare it to any other brand of moderately priced consumer headsets. For the $60 i paid i do believe this was the best choice. If i was going to spend more and/or expected it to work well with PC or use the headphones for mobile music listening I would steer clear of these. Sennheiser makes incredible gaming headsets that are of the highest quality, and I have heard incredibly positive things about the "HyperX Cloud" Headset by Kingston, but have not tried it so i can not fully recommend it. I am not affiliated with Sennheiser whatsoever, but from using their products on my PCs almost exclusively for the last 10+ years (pc151, pc161, pc360, pc350se, *G4me Zero currently*) I came to expect a certain level of quality when i purchase headphones or headsets, and this polk product is below sennheiser's base quality standards.
I own and/or have access to several pair of vintage polk speakers also, as well as KEF reference two's, B&W 801's, and B&W 640's and I believe Polk had a much higher standard of excellence before they sold out to the Best Buy's of the world. Other manufacturers such as Shure, Klipsch, B&W, and Sennheiser (along with a handful of other major players in the 'audiophile' game for quite a substantial amount of time) still make high quality products. Other newer manufacturers have stepped up and surpassed polk as any kind of respectable brand in terms of audio equipment.
If you buy a polk product these days all you're really saying is, yeah i remember you from 20 years ago and please just take my money.
TLDR: These headphones wouldn't be worth the $60 sale price i paid for them if they didn't come with the "Xbox Stereo Headset Adapter." | video-games_xbox |
A quality title that exceeds more than it disappoints. Army of Two is a co-op focused 3rd person shooter from EA's Montreal studios; a relatively recent studio formed in 2003 by EA largely comprised of former studio acquisitions made by EA over the years. Being the studio's first effort, Army of Two delivers as a respectable entry into the 3rd person genre that largely satisfies more than it disappoints.
The game's focus is on private military missions in which you take control of one of two for-hire mercenaries - Elliot Salmen and Tyson Rios. As soon as the characters are introduced, you immediately become aware of how stereotypically American these brother's in arms are. They use "dude" constantly to refer to one another and often fist pound to congratulate one another on a job well done. While this certainly doesn't detract from gameplay, it presents a sense of disdain for the two as they both seem to embody the very sense of wrong attitude often accompanied with war by American youth. Perhaps it was intentional by the Canadian based studio to present an exaggerated perspective so it would resonate with players how we, as Americans, sometimes see war as a game to win more than a tragedy to avoid. However, it's more likely the 'heroes' of this title were a product of EA's American marketing division rather than a pseudo-intellectual cultural critique.
The controls of the game will be immediately familiar to Gear's of War players as the cover mechanic is largely the same. It mostly works to great effect, save for situations where tiny nuances (like being able to quickly switch from cover to cover) are non-existent. That said, aiming is accurate and the controls felt responsive for the most part. One of the 'innovations' the game touts in gameplay is the Aggro system - a system lifted from MMORPGs which allows a player to hold enemy attention by one player being more aggressive than the other. This creates situations where one player can hold enemy focus while another moves further position to flank, but this requires players to constantly work together to take down each set of enemies. After the 20th set of enemies, chances are, players will probably devolve into normal play-style of shoot everything that moves, nullifying the system. The only time when this system is truly enforced is when invulnerable enemy turrets appear, in which one player must distract the turret user while the other takes them out from an exposed angle.
Being that the game is co-op focused, single-player feels more like a side-show than the main attraction. While you can play this by yourself, the fun factor drops substantially as your computer AI counterpart continually runs into enemy fire like a moth to flame. The computer controlled player is functional enough to be a stand-in but acts more like a inadequate mobile turret than a strategic, war-honed killing mercenary. Like in Gears, you have some basic commands you can issue to your side-kick but these are largely worthless as the AI seems to have a mind of its own in most situations.
Co-op, however, is where the game's main design truly struts its stuff. Playing with two players is a blast, forcing players to work together to take down enemies. When one player is downed, the other must revive him before he bleeds out. Unlike Gears, however, the downed player is able to still shoot to help make the area safer for the player tasked with rescuing to gain access to. The attending player is also able to drag the wounded to safety to perform a quick 5 second maneuver for revival.
The enemy AI is challenging but largely this is due to their overwhelming numbers more than clever tactics. While the AI will occasionally rush for flanking positions they are more likely to retreat to further away cover causing artificially lengthy fire-fights. A sound effect let's you know when you've cleared the area, but often times it plays when enemies are still about, leading to untimely and undeserved deaths. This notification really should have been caught in QA before the game was released as it's rather pivotal to fluid gameplay.
Throughout the missions you travel to different parts of the world. Aircraft carriers, remote jungle villages, and office buildings are all par for the course. The environments feature some destructible objects (windows, largely) but mostly feel static. Level design is also incredibly linear, with very few places to explore outside of the main runway which you're expect to traverse.
One of the more interesting aspects of the game is the weapons dealers which can be accessed at certain points during missions. You can choose from a variety of them, each dealing in a specialized area of customization for your character. One sells mask designs (which seems like a rather dismal career in the black arms market), another special weapons such as sniper rifles and rocket launchers and others in more traditional gear. Weapons can be customized with increased magazine capacity, barrel length and better scopes. Laughably, each weapon also has a 'pimp' option to bling out the firearm, which adds extra aggro - presumably because enemies find it humiliating to be bullet ridden by a gold encrusted MP5. In any other game the pimp option would have been out of place, but strangely, in Army of Two, it's right at home.
Graphically the game looks stellar, with the main characters models stealing the show. The environment and enemies look great too, from the heavily armored foes right down to the politically incorrect middle-eastern suicide bombers. The frame-rate is rock solid for the most part and the game is a solid testament to how far next generation console gaming has come. Sounds are crisp, clean and generally lend themselves to whatever is occurring on-screen. The voice acting is a little over the top, from both the main characters and supporting cast, but this is a result of the ham-handed script the actors were given.
The story in Army of Two is serviceable but forgettable as well. The foreshadowing is as thick as it gets, with the secret protagonist being as subtle as a loud fart in an empty hallway. They should really employ Army of Two's plot prediction as an IQ test for being qualified as a sentient being, because if you can't predict this game's inevitable end within 5 minutes of it's opening story you're either a vegetable or mineral.
Overall, Army of Two is a mixed bag. It has great graphics, fun co-op gameplay and character customization which really adds value to the entire package. Detracting from the experience is it's clichd, hokey story and extreme attitude, which seem almost offensive in a game revolving around for-hire killers. | video-games_xbox |
A very good tennis game, but could have been better. First off, there's not much that I can say that hasn't already been covered by the other reviewers. This is a very good tennis game, but certainly not without it's flaws.
First, the pros. The graphics are amazing and very life-like. I loved the player animations, and the real-life men in the game look uncannily similar to the players they represent. Unfortunately, the women aren't quite as well done. The various courts and stadiums are well-rendered and beautiful. Also excellent is the sound, as all the effects are excellent and sound just the way they should. The career mode is a lot of fun, but entirely too short and easy. I'll cover that in my cons. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the gameplay, because overall it rivals Virtua Tennis as being one of the best out there.
And now, for the cons. As mentioned numerous times before, the inability to save your game while in the midst of playing a tournament is beyond frustrating. Most people don't have the time to sit and play the game for an hour or more, but if you start a tournament that's exactly what you'll have to do. The game makers attempt to remedy this by making the sets only 3 games long, but this only serves to weaken the credibility of the game. An easy way to fix this would have been to allow for the saving of tournaments in between matches, as well as including an option of 3 or 6-game sets. That way those who have the time and prefer the realism of 6 games aren't disappointed. Seems simple enough to me, why didn't MS think of this? Also, the career mode is very short and entirely too easy to achieve the coveted number one ranking. I'm no video game master by any means, but by the second day of playing I had achieved the number one ranking and "Legend" status. Piece of cake, and once finished there really is no reason to go back and keep playing. One last gripe is the numerous cut-scenes during matches. For starters, there should have been an option to turn these off entirely. After seeing the same thing countless times, it gets frustrating to have to push a button two or three times just to get to the next point. The novelty of the excitement/frustration buttons wears off after the first match, and adds virtually nothing to the game.
With all this being said, the game is not bad. Even with all the cons I listed, it's a very enjoyable experience. Definitely the best tennis the Xbox has to offer. And with the price having now dropped quite a bit, it's certainly worthy of a purchase. | video-games_xbox |
Good Fun & Entertainment from an Old Friend. Good Fun & Entertainment from an Old Friend!
I remember Spyro from the late 90's when he made his debut on the PS1. Here we are ten years later and he is still going strong. Yes, the last few Spyro titles have been a disappointment, but for some reason Activision did it right and churned out a great game. I have to admit that since Spyro landed on the PS2 and the Gamecube including the Wii that the games have been a bit of a let down. The games were still playable, but missing that certain something quality that made the original first three games so much fun. The magic from the original creators had faded away.
Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon is probably one of the most beautiful Spyro games to date. It's simply gorgeous. This is also the first time that Spyro can fly in a game. I think the Spyro the character has really matured a bit and there is a certain grown up element to this game.
I wouldn't call it a boss battle, but one of the big monsters in the first level is a bit on the scary side and the way the game plays reminded me a little of God of War. I would say this game isn't complete 3D like Mario. Spyro is restricted to what is visible on screen and the 2nd analog stick doesn't function the way I would like it to. The second analog stick has always been used to rotate the camera angle around the screen 360 degrees, but because of the fact you are restricted to semi 2D/3D layout that one can only move the camera to what the game lets the player see, so its pretty much a 180 degree turn. I didn't find this to be a BIG problem, but it was a bit annoying at times.
Other then that small annoyance i actually found the game to be quite entertaining. It brings back some of the magic from the original Spyro games that were lacking on his PS2 days. This is definitely a title you want to add to your library and its hours of fun with a familiar face. | video-games_xbox |
Rallisport Challenge is the finest racing game at any price. No really. Nothing at the arcade, and nothing on any other console even comes close.
If you even vaguely like racing, get this game.
I am very short on time, and don't often write reviews for things, but I just had to speak out about the quality and beauty of this game.
The graphics are amazing, I mean, AMAZING! You can say what you like about it being "all about the game" but driving sims are partly dependant on a sense of virtual tourism, and in this respect Rallisport Challenge truly delivers. Super high polygon counts, fields of 3D flowers, truly volumetric trees (not just cheap flat boards) and really nice soft shading combine to delight the eye. Four years ago, Rallisport challenge would have been impressive as a pre-render, let alone a real-time virtual world.
Despite what some have said, there is actually quite a wide variety of environments on offer, much more than four (you have to play longer to see them), and there are 40 courses in all. Aside for the ice racing courses, many of which look quite similar to each other, each course looks very different. Each environment type also offers it's own challenge, and requires it's own driving style, which makes Rallisport Challenge anything but repetitive.
The game is HARD, but it's not a cheap kind of hard - you always know why you are losing or winning, and it is always your fault in a way you can easily understand.
The thing is, you can't just go around with your foot to the floor all the time like in many other games, you really have to learn how to use the analog gas to your advantage, and how to use the handbrake. Once you do master these skills, the difficulty becomes quite reasonable, and a bit of practice and thoughtful strategy is all that's required to win any event. Yes, I did say strategy. You will have to do some thinking and plan your lines well to win here. No, there's no annoying nerdy car tweaking (just a few simple parameters) but figuring how to win some of the events is almost like a racing physics puzzle.
In case I haven't gushed enough yet, this game makes the most cool use of the controller's vibration feedback I have even experienced. You can actually feel the texture of the road, grass, etc. in your hands!
All in all, even if you are tepid about racing games, you will not regret a purchase of Rallisport Challenge. | video-games_xbox |
An entertaning game to a well forgotten comic hero. The Good: Nice graphics, fun combat, tons of blood and guts, nude women, varying environments
The Bad: No counter attack button?, plastic graphics, uninspired story, God of War rip off?, no hidden sex mini-game, long load times
If no one knows much about Conan there are a few things you should know. He is NOT a comic super hero (he does have comics, but that's not his origin) and second Arnold Schwarzenegger is plays the best Conan ever. The story is not exactly great, but it evolves around the Conan mythology where he seeks the four pieces of armor to defeat Graven who has put the Black Death upon the world. The game's story is nothing special or interesting, and the only thing that keeps you hooked is acquiring new abilities, and seeing the cool levels.
The main focus of the game is the combat which is pretty satisfying and fun. You have heavy and light attacks, a grab, you can throw weapons, and use magic. You have different fighting styles by picking up different weapons such as double handed weapons, dual wield, sword and shield, or single sword. Each of these has it's own set of attacks you can acquire by upgrading. There are tons of attacks and you may not even acquire all of them by the end of the game. The combat, ironically, is also the most flawed part of the game because there is no counter attack button, enemies will wail on you and kill you without have some sort of shock wave type attack to knock them away, plus the heavy enemies can be really cheap. You try to attack them and they'll block but there is no block breaker attacks that are effective. You can grab small enemies and do as you wish with them such as take their weapon and slice them in half, take their shield etc.
The magic system is only used when you're in dire need of help. You have four attacks over the course of the game yet they seem to use too much energy so you're left dry after a few attacks. You can increase your health and magic by finding three circles on the ground and stabbing them. These can sometimes be hard to find so hopefully you have enough health to survive through the course of the game. While the combat is fun it still has it's frustrations like I pointed out, but it's nothing you can't handle.
Now that we have the core of the game put aside let's talk about visuals. The game has great graphics yet they look like plastic. The characters have low-res textures and everything just looks like it's made of plastic. The game has pre-set camera angles like in God of War so you don't have to worry about fighting the camera. The game has lots and lots of buckets of blood and guts and lots of...mammaries. Yes there are nude women in the game and these come in the form of helpless maidens. Conan must find them chained up in places and free them. They yell things like "Crush me with your love!", and "I didn't my savior would be so...strong.", and "My clothes! Where are my clothes?". While this may be corny it's still hot and you gotta love it.
Speaking of God of War the game has a lot of similarities to that game such as a giant dragon fight inside a building (think of the first boss fight in Chains of Olympus (PSP), a giant squid on a boat (think of the Hydra in God of War (PS2), the fixed sweeping camera angles, lots of blood and guts, nude women, a buff overaggressive hero, a sexy heroine he has to save, wow the list just goes on and on. I think a certain developer tried making a God of War clone and it's written all over Conan's Neanderthalian face!
No matter though the game is pretty fun and you'll appreciate these similarities. The achievements are easy to unlock and there is incentive to play through again thanks to those, but the game is extremely short with a playtime of 6-8 hours depending on how slow or fast you are. I highly recommend Conan if you can look past the many bugs (collision detection issues, invisible walls), combat flaws (no counter attack, wailing enemies), and nude women (well...I'm sure you can handle that :-) . Plus did I mention the long load times...every time you die!!! | video-games_xbox |
If you don't get this, you might as well not play anything in the series. Absolutely amazing game. Though the story of Origins is just north of generic, the gameplay is ridiculously fun. If you've played any Bioware game, you know how much of a connection you'll form with the characters, including your own customizable one.
If you don't buy the Ultimate Edition, you might as well not even play the game. Or 2 or Inquisition, for that matter. Though Origins is rather generic, where Awakening and Witch Hunt take it is rather pleasing.
-Leliana's Song is best played after Lothering (Go to "New Game" and scroll through the DLC packs until you see it). Unlocks exclusive equipment in all Origins and Awakening saves.
-Return to Ostagar, The Stone Prisoner, and Warden's Keep must be played during Origins.
-The Darkspawn Chronicles is an alternate ending best played after you finish Origins. Unlocks exclusive equipment in all Origins and Awakening saves.
-Awakening takes place a few months after Origins. If your character survived, you can import him/her. This expansion is basically an entire new game in and of itself and can be bought separately on disc. If you ask me, it should have been "Dragon Age 2," though I like the real DA2 myself. It should've been Dragon Age 3, though.
-Golems of Amgarrak can be glossed over by story-driven fans, but offers a challenge to gameplay addicts. It also adds a bit of insight to Dragon Age 2's ending, but is in no way crucial. You can import a Warden from Origins or Awakening.
-Witch Hunt is an epilogue that hints at events in Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition. It doesn't feature a single new environment, but it's fun and worth playing nonetheless. You can import a Warden from Origins, Awakening, or Amgarrak.
-Feastday gifts will raise your companions' approval in Origins and Awakening if given to them.
-Feastday pranks, however, lower them. Just in case you really want to kill one of them. You jerk.
-Blood Dragon armor is pretty awesome-looking, but only slightly above average. | video-games_xbox |
Review for LIMBO. LIMBO is one of the coolest games I have ever played. I played it on the XBox One and everything about it impressed me. The first thing that strikes a first time player are the overall aesthetics. The game is in black and white and it is very dark, and violent, but also very beautiful. In places it reminded me of a much darker and more beautiful version of the Atari game Pitfall which I played a lot when I was very young. The gameplay is very simple: it is just running, jumping, and occasionally interacting with objects in the environment by dragging them or pushing them or pressing buttons. The game focuses mostly on solving the puzzles as opposed to execution though there are a number of puzzles that do require precise execution to get past. I thought the puzzles were at exactly the right level of difficulty. Most of them required some thought but I rarely got stuck. There were only two or three puzzles in the game where I got stuck. I was never forced to look up any solutions online and even the hardest puzzles never took me much longer than half an hour to solve. The hardest puzzle for me was one that involved two magnets and two giant boxes. The solutions to the puzzles always require you to think outside the box, so finding the solution is extremely satisfying and exercises your brain, and the puzzles are also based on physics by which I mean: things operate in the game like they would in the real world and you need to take advantage of that. At first, I thought the replay value of this game would be quite low. Since this is a puzzle game the primary challenge is figuring out the puzzles so something is definitely lost when you replay the game since you already know the solutions to the puzzles. However, I am actually looking forward to going through the game again. I think the game is beautiful and fun enough to go through multiple times and I am going to try to get through the whole game without dying. I have been away from video games for a number of years and I do not remember puzzle platformers being a big thing back when I was playing video games. I am sure they existed but I doubt there were any as cool as this. This game introduced me to a whole new genre of video game and I am now obsessed with finding other games like this one. I highly recommend it. | video-games_xbox |
Finally the excellence that graces the PC hits consoles. Last year's Call of Duty Finest Hour was a totally new game, using a similar engine to Medal of Honor on the consoles. It didn't feel like the PC game in any respects really. People who complained then, will now be totally happy. Big Red One not only looks fantastic (near PC graphics), it feels and plays just as great as it's PC brothers. I feel a hint of Medal of Honor European Assault every once and awhile but this game is far more polished and thought out. The storyline is a major draw in, offering some great character moments. I read some of the guys that starred in the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers do some voice work in the game, however I haven't picked up on it quite yet, although I've got some ideas. On thing is for certain...Mark Hammil (star of Big Red One movie from 1981) narrates this epic game and does a very nice job. I recently bought Brothers in Arms Earned in Blood for xbox aswell and if your asking me to make a buying decision for you I'd say...
1. Big Red One is more run and gun, Earned in Blood is tactical.
2. This game is far more family friendly, Earned in Blood ISN'T.
3. Both games offer unique gameplay and are both worth 50 bucks.
If your looking for a rich new experience that has the polish of a great PC game, please do yourself a favor and buy this game. There are at least 5 WWII themed games coming out for the Holidays this year and Big Red One is diffenetly a winner. The A.I. is revolutionary for a console game offering such epic action scenes. The weapons are standard fare in a WWII game, but are more enjoyable than ever, seeming more powerful. Levels are diverse and I was thouroly impressed with each one, the D-Day beach landing is a very special thing for me in this game as it was the recreation of this scene in Medal of Honor Frontline that sucked me into the WWII franchise. Activision and Tyrench's take on the greatest invasion of all time is incredibley intense. And yes I have managed to cruise through the game very fast. The Battle of the Bulge, as well as the early Africa levels are great, as are the Normandy levels (its just Normandy has been used so many times in videogames) The ending levels in Germany are very fun and you feel such a great sense of accomplishment after beating the game, which should take 12 to 14 hours. 10 out of 10. Thanks for reading. | video-games_xbox |
XBOX 360 ELITE VS PS3 60GB. I'm a new XBOX 360 user, I bought my ELITE on the day it released from gamestop. The reason I bought it because I was actually lining up for the Wii for my cousin, and finally after 1 hour of standing and chatting I decided to get the xbox 360 elite too because there were 2 consoles left out of 6 and Mass Effect is my console buyer.
I own all three systems, and I can tell you that currently, my most favorite system is XBOX 360 with Rainbow 6 Vegas, Crackdown, Gears of War, Condemned, Dead Rising, and Splinter Cell Double Agent. All the games are much more interesting than PS3 games and Wii games. The reason is because of XBOX LIVE Online games! Wii does not have online game, while PS3 has to force developers to have their own server, in case if the video game developer decide to shut it down, gamers will never able to play online, while Live is always Online. Difference between FREE and $5/month. Moreover, PS3's online feature is still not developed well yet, I guess we have to wait till HOME rolls out to re-judge PS3.
Price of hardware Elite vs PS3:
XBOX 360 ELITE has the following hardware and accessories:
xbox360 black console
wired headset
HDMI cable
Component + Composite Cable
120GB HDD
Black Wireless Controller with Rumble Feature
total $479.99
PS3 Specs:
60GB HDD
Blu-RAY ROM
Multi-Memory Card Reader
WIFI
Wireless Li-ION battery inside the 6 Axis Controller with no Rumble Feature
Composite Cable
HDMI OUT no HDMI cable nor Component Cable.
Total $599.99
Lets add a $10 not even HDMI 1.3 version cable for $9.99
Official Component Cable for $29.99
Upgrade the HDD with a 120GB for $99.99
PS3 Total Price: $739.96
* HDMI v1.3 cost $59.99 by SONY or $100 by Monster Cable
* PS3 user can use any kind of SATA notebook hardware on PS3, so upgrade your own when you see a deal
Let's Customize the XBOX 360 to PS3 specs to direct compete with each other OFFICIALLY excluding any ebay or bargain deals on hardware/accessories:
XBOX 360 ELITE PACKAGE: $479.99
xbox 360 WIFI adaptor: $99.99
HD-DVD: $199.99
Rechargeble Battery Pack + USB charger: $19.99
Total: $799.96
So XBOX 360 with 120GB HDD is $799.96 VS PS3 $739.96 also customized with a 120GB.
However, to conventional gamers, they only care about games, the HD-DVD ROM becomes an optional accessories; moreover, a lot of people decide to use the Ethernet cable instead. Moreover, since M$ really want to promote VoIP, so each Premium or ELITE system has a wired headset for you to communicate; therefore, the xbox 360 final price becomes:
$499.98 And that's the BASIC setup for ONLINE GAMEING.
M$ should elimate the Core system to prevent customers confusion and being ripped off. A core system for $299.99 is basically a ripped off because user can't just use the core system to play online games or access/download any free online contents. It's lacking component cables for $29.99, Headset for $19.99, a Wireless Controller $10 more than wired one for 4 players games, and most importantly, the HARDDRIVE for game data storage.
Those core system users however, have the option to choose between two categories of memory: Proprietory Memory Unit, and Proprietory HDD
a 512MB Memory Unit cost $49.99 with a free live acarde game included. Again is a total ripped off.
a 20GB Harddrive which is 40x larger than the 512MB cost $99.99 officially.
If they are knowledgeable and really need to play games that uses a lot of saves and go XBOX LIVE, they would definitely choose 20GB or 120GB HDD.
Honestly, 20GB is basically not enough, because you only get around 10 or 7 GB actual free space after setting it up, but you can free up some space from the default contents. A demo game or expansion pack usually is 600MB to 1.2GB. Plus if you plan on renting HD movies via XBOX LIVE, all the moviesd are at least 3-4GB.
M$ is actually smart that let you DOWNLOAD HD-MOVIES instead of forcing customers to pay for HD-DVD ROMS. DOWNLOAD movies is the future, not distributing optical media.
In conclusion:
XBOX 360 is actually more expensive than PS3. However, due to M$ "smart" optional system. Those who don't want the extra features can decide not to pay for it. XBOX360 ELITE is actually a good option for those new comers like me. It has the most important Accessories for gamers: 120GB Harddisk, more than enough for current games + expansion packs. But don't forget M$ and SONY are directly competing to each other. It's not hard to imagine once SONY PS3's HOME rolls out to the market, M$ will definitely response to that. Also games are starting to get larger and larger. Games like Resistance Fall of Man from PS3 is already 17GB using blu-ray disc, XBOX 360 game Blue Dragon has used up 3 DVDs. Grand Theft Auto IV due to massive amount of data streaming, a Harddisk is needed for efficiency. XBOX 360 Core that's lacking a Harddisk is actually a challenge to developers.
My Opinion is XBOX 360 still don't need to have HD-DVD ROM, instead, they should ELIMINATE THE CORE SYSTEM so EVERYBODY GETS EQUAL CHANCE TO RENT HD-DVD MOVIES and download them to their HARDDISK!!!!!!!! | video-games_xbox |
Excellent sound bar for the price, works on more than just Xbox One. This sound bar is marketing as having been designed for the Xbox One, but don't let that fool you. This device is not only compatible with other systems (Satellite, PS3/4, DVD/Blu-ray), but it sounds pretty good too!
I decided to pick this up for a second room where I was considering moving my video game set up (ps3/ps4). The TV speakers I had on my 42" just weren't cutting it. I picked this bar up on a whim, as it was designed for the X-Box one. Set up was easy - it plugs in via a power supply that goes straight to the outlet (read: no giant power brick to connect) and it also comes with a fiber optic cable - which isn't always the case with this kind of stuff. There's also a remote which can 'programmed,' but I haven't tested out that functionality.
The sound is really, really good! I was pretty surprised as I had listened to a number of sound bars when trying to simplify my main setting before being gifted a new 7.1 receiver. They always lacked overall compared to what I was used to. This sound bar won't blow you out of the water, but the audio is rich and clear, there's a decent amount of bass. It's a lot better than comparatively priced units I've listened to.
Gaming specific features - there's a few preset modes, including modes that are designed for tv and movies. It basically makes adjustments to the audio to give you the 'best' experience. This includes gaming modes for FPS and racing games. I didn't find them to be anything special, so I decided to leave it on the dvd/tv setting.
Another big plus is that there are a number of inputs, so it works for more than just your video game console. (fiber optic, coax, mini, and a subwoofer (sadly not included)). You can stream wirelessly from bluetooth which I tried out only briefly. It worked pretty well, and the audio sounded good when I did.
Build Quality - I find it's really hit or miss with electronics these days. This particular Polk Audio bar seemed pretty nice though. It has a solid feel without being unduly heavy. It seems like it will last, especially since the tactile buttons will rarely be pushed. All in all, it has a handsome look that I find much more attractive than Sony's hexagon boxes. As I've mentioned before, the unit itself was designed to be used with the X-Box, but oddly enough it actually looks more like it would match an PS2. The tactile buttons are pretty low profile, and give it a slightly old-school Bang and Olufsen vibe. Bottom line, it looks good in your entertainment set up.
OVERALL - It's a great unit, especially for the price. It looks good, and can be used with multiple devices. The sound - which is the most important part - is excellent, and it feels like it's really well built.
The only negatives is that it seems to take a little time to get going, and I find that the special video game features don't do much - but that's not to take away from what this unit provides.
If you have the money and you're looking for a great sounding, good looking sound bar, then this is the unit for you - even if you don't own an XBox One. | video-games_xbox |
Multiplayer so good, make you wanna slap your Titan. TitanFall has come under a lot of fire, the developer Respawn saw it coming for sure, and knew it was in for a world of hurt unless they came out with multiplayer gameplay that could overshadow all the shortcomings of TitanFall... and it has.
Upfront, there is no single player, there is no campaign, no plot or story line to really even look at. What you get is multiplayer, a damn good multiplayer experience at that. I purchased this game at the staggeringly low price of $25, a steal for a game packed with this much fun. And since I came into the game so late, there have been a ton of updates on both game types and map packs that all go together to produce an incredible deal on a great Xbox One release title.
Gameplay
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By now you realize this is a FPS with a mech, called a Titan, thrown in the mix. What you don't realize is how much diversity in play style that means for you. As a soldier you have a jet pack with Jackie Chan like climbing abilities; able to scale any building and run across walls, or hang from them perched above an enemy.
Inside of the Titan you are a monster, blasting away grunts and pilots alike, while duking it out with other Titans. You are not wholly indestructible or invulnerable, which adds a deep layer of tactics. While pilots might be easy for a Titan to shoot out, a pilot can pelt the goliath just as David did, eventually able to bring down even the largest and most protected of Titans.
The balance of the gameplay is what is so beautifully done, there is no single weapon that dominates, no one perk that overshadows the rest, no Titan chasis better than most, the balance makes anything you pick up, even from level 1 feel just as good, just as powerful as anyone else playing. I love games that offer that balance so that players get to focus on their own skill instead of getting that one gun that will open up the whole game for them.
As a result of the balance, customization is not too important, thankfully so because it is not very deep. You get the very generic set of weapons you'd expect. Everything from assault rifle, to shotgun, to sniper rifle, and a few more... and THAT'S IT! No variations or different models, just one gun for each category and you're all set. That theme follows for almost every facet of character customization. The Titans have 3 different models, that's it, you can't customize the look of your character or the Titan, you only get a select few perks, all of which can be unlocked by level 50, which is a total of around 20 hours of gameplay, if that. So replayability drops off very quickly for most gamers, and hardcore gamers like myself barely see it for a month. If Respawn wanted to attract a larger and longer lasting gamer base, they should have made the customization matter, should have made it much more in-depth and added a deeper layer of tactics to the perks. Which they did attempt to add with the addition of Burn Cards, one-time use perks. But once you hit level 50, you're simply playing for the hell of it and you like the gameplay, nothing more.
Maps and Match Modes:
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The maps are small, they are designed for the 6v6 lobby. But packed tightly into these small maps is a ton of detail, lots of areas designed specifically for each facet of the game. The Titans do battle in one area, while Pilots generally migrate to another to shoot it out. No better example of this concept is explained than in Hard Point, TitanFall's Domination game mode equivalent, where the objective is to take and hold 3 different points. 2 points are always only accessible by Pilots, while 1 point is open to a Titan to capture. You're often caught inside of a Titan at one of the points you can't capture while inside of it, and it's your choice whether to leave your Titan and attempt to capture the point on foot, or defend it until others come to capture it. These choices are happening at break-neck speeds, because the fury of gameplay is so intense you're often left with mere seconds to choose before an enemy is coming to confront you.
The match modes are varied, but typical for the most part. You have the usual team deathmatch, "Attrition", 3 point domination, "Hard Point", "CTF", head hunter, "Marked Pilot", but the most interesting has to be the Co-Op. 4 players are charged to defend a large tower known as a Harvester from invading groups of enemies. Grunts during any other game mode are nothing more than bullet catchers, all of a sudden in this game mode they become an army of killers. It's a great way to get a few friends together for an intense Co-Op experience.
Campaign:
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As I explained eariler, there is none. You can't play this game by yourself, which is in one sense disappointing because I would have definitely been interested in seeing some of the lore and backstory of the game developed to a point that is at least understandable. All I know is that there are two forces fighting each other for no reason other than they are super angry with each other. And in another point I don't care much if there is no single player, or even a Co-Op campaign at the price point of $25. Sure at $60 I would be livid, but hey, that's one of the perks of getting into a game late!
This is the section I take off 1 star for, without a story line I feel like I'm aimlessly fighting. If they simply filled out the story with more purpose and back story, while allowing the multiplayer aspect come into it, I don't think anyone would have been upset.
Graphics, Sound Effects, Music:
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For Xbox One, the graphics of this game are above average. Nothing to write home about, but definitely noticeably above any 360 game. The most impressive graphical aspect of this game is the framerate, which is outstanding. There is no clipping, no glitching, no real lag, the game is just smooth. That's impressive especially when you have 12 players all shooting with dozens of bots running around the map. In today's gaming world, it's sad that I'm impressed that a game runs the way it's supposed to.
The sound effects are OUTSTANDING, probably the highest point of the entire experience. Shooting enemies across the map creates an audible and satisfying noise that is hard to describe. And the sounds of the weapons and jet pack and movements all feel very good.
The music is also on par, and while it does get repetitive, it always feels at place within the game's world.
Bottom Line:
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Buy this steal of a game! Forget the fact there is no single player or a campaign to speak of, the multiplayer is so good you won't even miss it. | video-games_xbox |
Fantastic drums for a fantastic game. The Ion Drum Kit for the Rock Band series of games is simply amazing. We have played with all previous kits - and professional kits - and the Ion drum kits really stands up to the challenge.
First, to give some background. We've played with the straight-in-a-line, very flat headed drum kit that came with the original Rock Band. This was groundbreaking at the time because it even let you PLAY drums, but it was like playing on bricks. We even tried getting the "pad baffles" for the kit to help it out.
Then we bought the "improved" drum kit that came out with Rock Band 2 / Guitar Hero 3 which had the drums a bit better laid out plus cymbals. That was better - but still not great.
In the meantime, we had a Roland TD-9SX drum set with mesh heads in the house, which was fantastic for playing on and creating a wide variety of sounds. We wanted something at reasonably good for our Rock Band training and playing. Especially since we'd imported all our Rock Band 1 songs and had quite a library to play with.
So we decided to bring in the Ion drum kit. It seemed like a solid quality drum kit for the XBox / PS3 / Wii setup, to let us enjoy our various music games that involve drumming.
First, the shipment. They pack this VERY well, with multiple boxes providing a structured framework. We order a ton of things online and this definitely ranks highly in the packing department. Setup was also a breeze. We used some of our own velcro tie wraps instead of their enclosed plastic tie-wraps, but other than that our kit was up and running in probably less than 15 minutes.
It is a very sturdy setup. The metal frame and connectors, if you screw things in properly (staggered, not one screw at a time) creates a great base. Get a good drum throne to go with it, and good sticks too.
On to gameplay! We've been playing these games since they first game out, so we dove right in. The kit felt WONDERFUL to play. The pads are very responsive, the cymbals are far better than the partial-cymbals of the other sets. With the padding and screws you can adjust them to exactly amount of the feel you enjoy, depending if you hit hard or soft.
Rock Band 2 has a dual calibration built in where you can calibrate to sound and video, so you can tweak your setup to be exactly perfect based on your TV setup. We really didn't have to do that, though.
Some people have complained about the kick pedal. Again maybe it's because we're musicians, but we found it amazingly responsive, no issues at all. There are several techniques for using a kick pedal well, and a quick Google search can help you with that.
We are extremely pleased with the Ion kit and use it very regularly. It is fantastic because "playing a game" really helps you become a better drummer, and it lets you have fun with friends and family at the same time.
Highly recommended! Feel free to contact us if you have any questions at all about the gameplay with the Ion or how it compares with the Roland.
UPDATE: We've been playing this hard for over six months now and haven't had any long term issues. We did have one of the cymbals have internal problems, which we troubleshot and fixed with Ion's help. They were very responsive. | video-games_xbox |
The game itself seems pretty great but Mad Catz did a terrible job . The game itself seems pretty great but Mad Catz did a terrible job and has terrible customer service. The guitar just cuts out and locks up constantly. I submitted a ticket and got NO response. Others I've heard got told it was there fault. Until they fix this guitar I cannot recommend this, which is unfortunate because I really like Harmonix and the actual game part is pretty sweet (from the drums and mic I used) but with this experience I certainly wouldn't want to buy anything again made by Mad Catz.
Update (10/17/2015): I've heard back from Mad Catz 1 time in the 11 days since I submitted the ticket. They said they had new firmware and to basically just resync the guitar to the Xbox. (There is no posted firmware update for the guitar still so I don't know how a resync would update it since you need to go through a procedure to do it.) The instructions provided did nothing to solve the problem and heard no response again after that. Heck, I turned off and unplugged anything in the home that could have been causing interference just to be certain and standing 5 completely unobstructed feet from the Xbox and it still isn't functional. While I still like to believe this will eventually be fixed no one should buy this till these issues get fixed. Maybe Christmas?
Update: (11/04/2015): I really wanted to love this game but Mad Catz support has been terrible. Nothing in a MONTH aside from a "resync it and try again" e-mail. Harmonix contacted me multiple times to try and help but they don't make the instruments so there was nothing they could do, though I appreciate they at least responded to their tickets and tried. I returned it today as my Amazon return period was about to expire and I am not going to trust Mad Catz to fix it when they cannot even be bothered to respond to tickets. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT | video-games_xbox |
Review from an Avid Solo Player. Preface: This review contains spoilers and relates to the current state of the game.
The Basics: The Division is a 3rd person shooter with the character builds of an RPG. The game centers around the player finding items to increase their in-game skills based on statistics from the items they pick up. There are two different types of activities to achieve this, PvE (Player versus Environment) and PvP (Player versus Player). In other words, it's a game that requires grinding (repetition of the same tasks for the aim of finding better items, similar to Destiny and Borderlands in that aspect). The story is a typical apocalypse setting where a virus is transmitted through the touch of money on Black Friday and now a skilled set of agents called "The Division" are tasked to put things back together.
My Thoughts: After putting in a few days worth of play time, I personally feel bored with the game. Let me try to explain what I mean,
1st Goal - Max out your character rank which is 30 ranks. This will probably take an average casual player a day's worth of playtime or so to achieve. The 30 ranks is strictly PvE activities only and will be depicted as an orange bar at the top right hand side of your screen.
Side Goal - As you rank up in PvE, you can eventually access the PvP mode which is labeled "Dark Zone" on the map. Consider this area a lawless area where you can engage in any type of combat. If you choose to shoot other players, you will be considered "Rogue" and all other players in your lobby will be gunning for you. There are also environmental enemies that are not real people shooting at you as well. You will receive a rank in the Dark Zone as well which can go much higher than 30 and this will be depicted by a purple bar that will show up under the orange bar when you are inside the Dark Zone. The best way to approach this area is to head in as soon as you can as you will be pitted against other real players of similar PvE ranks (orange bar ranks). The way the lobbies are set is based on both your PvE rank and your DZ (Dark Zone) rank. So if you decide to head into the DZ at rank 30, you will be pitted against other rank 30 players making you more vulnerable to stronger players. Once you reach rank 30 in the DZ, you will have access to better items from loot-able chests and special vendors. It's worthwhile to mention that every time you die in the DZ, you will lose rank progression, so be careful and make wise decisions!
2nd Goal - Once your character hits 30, the game will introduce you to what is called "end-game" activities. This means you can replay missions for better rewards and special in-game credits that will allow you to purchase better items from in-game vendors. The problem here is there is a substantial exploit that can be used to make the process to quicker and if you don't exploit it, it will take you 12x longer to achieve (not joking). I'll explain. There is a mode called "Challenging" that takes about 2 hours (if not more) to finish for the average player. 4-man team, replaying a mission on a very difficult setting (it's no joke). Then, there's the exploit: loading the server with more than 4 players of which yielded me with a 16-man team and my team and I were able to finish the mission in 10 minutes or less. So it's either a grueling hours long task for very little or a monotonous repetition of the same task for easy end-game credits (Phoenix Credits) and more items than you can hold after 5 or so runs.
This game has a road map of additional content on the way so repeating the 2nd Goal is a priority to prepare your character for the challenging activities ahead, but the main problem is an unbalance of the activities at hand for the average-skilled solo player. Playing through the main story and ranking to 30 was very enjoyable to me due to the casualness of the activities, but the end-game activities are either boring (if you exploit) or take up too much time (finding a random group and hoping you'll finish the activity in a timely manner). As for the Dark Zone, it's an activity that is heavily in favor of well established groups. There are those brave souls who go in solo and can handle themselves, but I'm convinced that very few are able to do it. Not an enjoyable experience if you don't group up with other players that you work well with.
Conclusion: The game play is great, the RPG aspect is great, and graphics are great, but the grind is boring, takes up a lot of time, and hard to find a group that works well. Unless you have a set group of friends to play with or you're a boss at solo-ing, you're not missing out on too much. | video-games_xbox |
Sonic Unleashed, A Step in the Right Direction. Alright, let's get this out of the way right off the bat- the most recent batch of Sonic games have not been very good... and that's being generous. So I approached Sonic Unleashed with cautious optimism and low expectations. Lower then that... we are talking about being marginally impressed that the disk didn't catch fire in my disk drive. So, that was the frame of mind I was in when I started the game for the first time. I have to say, (with that in mind) that I was rather impressed.
The bad first: this is not the return to the kings of gamming status that the blue blur previously enjoyed, it's more of a baby step in the right direction. This makes Unleashed, by the standards of the rest of market, an average game- but by the standards of recent history it is a good Sonic game. Also on the bad side is the bane of almost all 3D platformers- the camera is not your friend and doesn't always agree with you as to what you should be looking. And this may just be me, (and it probably is) but Sonic's controls are somewhat loose and this can lead to missing some tricky jumps.
On to the good news. The story kicks off with an epic throwdown between Sonic and Dr. Robotnik (look kids, I'm old and I refuse to call him "Eggman" it sounds like a bad breakfast sandwich), but when Sonic uses the Chaos Emeralds to transform in to Super Sonic, Robotnik reveals that the whole thing is a trap and uses the power of the Emeralds to split the world and releases some dark beast trapped inside. As a side effect, Sonic is transformed in to a werehog, a powerful brawler compared to his usual speedster form. Sonic then falls back to earth and lands on a small flying creature that loses its memory. Calling his new friend "Chip", Sonic sets off to try and recover Chip's memory and set things right. But the werehog form stays with him- during they day Sonic his himself, and at night he turns into the werehog. Daytime Sonic has finally regained the sense of speed that has been lacking in the latest entries- even flashing into old school 2D sections. Sonic can even (finally) live up to his name and gain Mach speed, creating a shockwave in front of him- allowing him to defeat enemies without breaking his rhythm to attack. Add to the package quick side-steps and the ability to drift around corners make this probably the best Sonic experience in recent memory. Nighttime brings out the werehog, who's stages play out like a traditional 3D platformer ah-la Prince of Persia or God of War. Ledge climbing, pole swinging, box pushing, and lever pulling are all accounted for. Combo based combat and quick-time event kills round out the package- nothing terribly original, but all of it fairly well executed.
So how does Sonic Unleashed stack up? If you're just an occasional platformer player, or a casual fan of Sonic- this is an average game. While everything is done fairly well, there's nothing too terribly exciting to be found here. But for long time Sonic fans, or for hardcore platformer fans- Unleashed is definitely worth a look. It may be average, but it's much better then Sonic has been lately. | video-games_xbox |
Disappointing. For anyone who has played Bioware's, "Knights of the Old Republic", "Mass Effect" will be somewhat disappointing. Though there are some positive attributes in the game, the many unpolished components really take away from the whole experience. I believe that another 6 months of refinement would have resulted in significant improvement. Also, the decision to design this game as a combination of "Gears of War" with some elements of KOTOR failed. I was also disappointed in the length of the game; finishing it in 30 hours, and that included completing all of the boring side missions. This is certainly not the immersive RPG that was advertised and even reviewed by some game review sites. It do not believe it even has 20% of Oblivion's content and complexity.
Graphics - Mixed bag. The dialog scenes have unprecedented amount of detail in the face models as well as impressive English language lip-synching. However, the in-game details are just decent and quite repetitive. The frame rates come to an almost stand still when there were more than a few non-player characters on the screen during skirmishes. That had a significant negative impact on game-play.
Sound - The best attribute of the game. Great voice-acting, ambient and weapons sounds, and musical score.
Game-play - This aspect basically destroyed the game for me. While trying to be an action game, Mass Effect failed miserably. Horrible frame-rate drops, uninspiring magic (biotic) powers & weapons, and hokey "Halo" vehicle ruined the action elements (Halo's jeep vehicle is hokey even in Halo. I don't know why anyone would want to copy it!) Inability to directly control your partner characters and clunky menu system used to assign weapons & upgrades limited the RPG elements. KOTOR's RPG battle system had a significantly positive impact on other games like Final Fantasy XII (Square Enix basically stole the system and improved it. I am not sure why Bioware would actually destroy their own milestone setting RPG battle system.
Story - Mixed bag here as well. The main story was good, but nothing we haven't heard already. KOTOR's story was superior. The side missions were exceedingly repetitive and boring. The amount of written material was impressive, yet, it doesn't compare to a less detailed, but amazing creative story of the original God of War on the PS2.
Clearly, Bioware was pressured to hand this game into production for the holiday season and it shows. I actually chuckled watching the closing credits on the screen and seeing over a dozen names in the QA department. I believe they could have learned from Rock Star's wisdom (since they delayed GTA IV for next year), and took more time to refine this title. I am wondering if any NPV analyses would have forecasted higher revenues for a first quarter 2008 release being that there would be less competition? I read somewhere that that was Rock Star's strategy for GTA IV. | video-games_xbox |
The Nakedness of Women is the Work of God" - Maybe Catherine is too. As I am writing this review I am at about 5-6 hours of gameplay and past the 3rd stage. So almost halfway through, this review is to give those considering buying this game a sense of what it is like.
There are 3 difficulty modes: Easy, Normal, and Hard. I am playing through on Normal because the puzzles can be frustrating at times and I have died on Normal many times already.
The puzzle gameplay is the main focus of game when you are in the Nightmare stages which you have to push and pull blocks arranging them in a way so you can climb higher and get through to progress the love triangle between Vincent the main character we are in control of, Katherine his longtime girlfriend, and Catherine the mysterious blonde who works her way into Vincent's life. Each puzzle has a time limit which is imposed by either the lowest line of blocks falling off one after the other or a Boss that chases the player as they climb higher, although a Boss is only on the final level of each Stage.
After each Nightmare stage is completed you wake up to progress the story in the real world through text messages, conversations with your friends, and spending your nights drinking in the bar called Stray Sheep.
So far each Nightmare stage has two levels and a final level, each stage and level has had varying obstacles and traps to stop you from progressing and frustrate you as you try to solve each puzzle. But along with this frustration I always feel great satisfaction when I find the correct route and narrowly escape death. After beating a level you end up on in an area with other "sheep" who also have to climb to survive like Vincent, here they will give you tips on climbing and you can purchase different items to help you in the puzzles although you can only carry you item and picking a new item up replaces your current item.
In Stray Sheep there is a mini-puzzle game called Rapunzel which mirrors the game of Catherine except the character in that game is saving Rapunzel by climbing blocks to reach her long hair. In this mini game though you have a limited number of moves you can make, but you don't have blocks falling from under you and you don't have a time limit either.
Overall this game is for those seeking an actual challenge from a game and don't want to just be along for the ride while the game basically plays itself. I have played Portal and ilomilo, both of which are great puzzle games, but this game might be above those in terms of great story telling combined with great animation and incredible and difficult gameplay.
On a side note the alternate artwork looks great and I liked it more than the normal artwork cover shown online, my pre-order came with a bonus sound disc with songs from the game and a 20-page artbook which both are great, the music in the game is perfect for the nightmare tone using orchestral music like Chopin and Beethoven. | video-games_xbox |
The culmination of years of iteration. Best in the series. They've finally done it. This is THE best game in any of the Warriors series to date. I've played these games since the release of dynasty warriors 3 on the ps2 and man, Koei has learned so much since then. The game has a million characters, but don't feel like you have to train up every single one, just focus on the ones you find fun to play with. There's a style for everybody.
The main formula for this, and most other warriors games is to pick 3 characters to take into battle. You can switch between them at any time in battle by pressing a button. This is simply revolutionary for how these games work because now you can train up weaker officers easier by pairing them with some of your stronger characters. The battles themselves are all variations of "move around the map, kill everyone" which sound repetitive and it is. But for people like myself and other fans, this is repetition done right and is extremely satisfying to progress through the game making characters stronger.
The weapons and growth point system are simply ingenious additions to the game as well. Weapons can be upgraded by fusing attributes from other weapons you acquire, which gives you the chance to build your perfect weapon for each character and tie it to their strengths. For finishing a battle, you are awarded "growth points" which can be applied to any character to increase their level. This is invaluable to training up officers starting at level 1.
The amount of content is ridiculous. I've socked away 50+ hours into this game and feel like I've only scratched the surface. Koei knows what their fans want, and deliver a quality product every time. I can see myself going back to this game constantly until orochi 4 comes out!
I honestly don't know why some people hate on this series. But it has a very polarizing effect on gamers, so these games aren't for everyone. If you didn't like the others this game won't change your mind. But for anyone on the fence, I urge you to try it out because this has become my most played game this generation so far and is well worth the price of admission.
TL;DR don't miss this excellent game! | video-games_xbox |
IN THE BEGINNING . . . So here it is! The first game (chronologically) in the Gears of War trilogy! This is how it all began. But how does it stack up against its sequel?
GAMEPLAY: 4/5
Thankfully, the basic gameplay is intact. The developers adhered closely to the "If it ain't broke don't fix it" philosophy. Sure, there are a few new things, like more emphasis on vehicles and battles that take place on scripted tracks, but for the most part this is the same Gears of War you were playing for umpteen hours.
WEAPONS: 4/5
There are some new (mostly enemy) weapons (and one shield). Honestly though, I found the trusty combination of Sniper Rifle/Lancer/Big Pistol/Grenades to do the trick, just like in the last installment. While I didn't find all the weapons very practical, there is a good enough variety to get the job done.
ENEMIES: 4/5
On the one hand, I was glad to see Brumaks, Reavers and other insanely huge (and nasty) monsters to kill, but on the other hand I found that some of them were pretty easy to kill (especially with the ridiculously powerful but short-ranged Mortar). In particular, I remember how hard it was to kill a Reaver on the ground, but later in the game (at the Queen's palace) I killed flying Reavers with only a few shots.
The enemies are just as aggressive as last time, but their AI doesn't let them do more than simple flanking maneuvers.
STORY: 3/5
If you played the original Gears of War, you know that you start the game with our main character, Fenix, in prison. I was really hoping GoW2 would explain WHY or HOW Fenix got into prison in the first place. Unfortunately it doesn't.
This game also tries to pull off a sad moment that didn't really work due to a lack of character development. I consider a particular scene in LOST ODYSSEY to be the standard for emotional moments in a video game.
In general, this game is very light on plot or story. If you're looking for a game that is like an interactive SF novel (like MASS EFFECT), this is not it.
SOUND: 5/5
From the sound of your rusting and bloody chainsaw to the sound of bullets ripping through flesh, this game has great sound effects. The voice acting is consistent, using the same voices as last time. I'm especially glad to hear the voice of "Terry Tate Office Linebacker" as Cole Train. He really acts that part well.
GRAPHICS: 5/5
The least important to me, but more than once I found myself rotating the camera around just to marvel at the spectacular environments around me. Most impressive was the ending level of Jacinto. Quite a skyline!
OVERALL: 4.25 / 5
If you want the same basic gameplay but played against different backgrounds and occasionally have to use a vehicle or scripted track to fight your battles, this game should do the trick. This game is definitely addictive (I beat it in three days in 3-hour blocks) and then there is Horde mode and multiplayer (neither of which I really bothered with, but they're there). A good game if you're looking to blow stuff up! | video-games_xbox |
The apocalypse couldn't be any better. Picture this -- post-apocalyptic America. Wastelands extending for miles on end, water tainted with radiation, humans mutated into feral, zombie-like creatures and animals changed into horrible, freakish beings. What few survive live in Vaults, locked away from the tainted world that threatens to kill you just by breathing its air.
Welcome to Fallout 3.
Beginning in the beginning, as is usual for all life, your character is born into one of the Vaults, a safe haven where the human survivors have locked themselves away from the outside world. Here, you create your future character with a simple yet expansive creation system, manipulating your facial structure, your hair style, and even your skin tone with a futuristic machine that allows parents to see what their children will look like as adults.
But with every beginning comes an end. Sadly, this end is the death of your mother.
As the years go on, and as you learn to walk, you find a book near a toy chest after cleverly escaping your playpen. Here, you pick your stats, manipulating them with a child's storybook about life and what it means to be human. On your tenth birthday, you learn to shoot your first gun; on your sixteenth, you take a test that governs who you will be for the rest of your life; and on your eighteenth, all hell breaks loose. Your father has fled to the wastelands, and the man who governs Vault 13 has killed your father's best friend, a man you've known since you were born.
With little choice, you make the biggest decision of your life--you run past the guards attempting to stop you, or you kill them in cold blood.
Welcome to the rest of your life.
What awaits you?
Here lies the world of Fallout 3 at your wake. After leaving the vault, you are forced to travel to the closest town possible--Megaton. What appears to be a huge, circular hunk of scrap metal is actually a city. Inside, you begin your journey. While you look for your father, asking civilians and higher authorities if they've seen him pass through, you slowly begin to realize that there is more than just one choice to make in this game. You think someone has something you need to know? Trick or threaten them into saying it. Someone pulls a gun out and kills someone for no reason, you kill them back, even if they mean nothing to you. And if a somewhat-humanized ghoul is minding his own business, shoot him, or leave him be. Morality is a plus in this game, and herein lies one of the greatest beauties of Fallout 3. The ability to be whoever you want is the greatest freedom you can have in this game.
What makes Fallout so amazing, other than the clever AI and the amazingly-detailed world, is the fact that there's so much to do. Because of the fact that the world is so expansive, there's literally hundreds upon thousands of places to visit. With towns harboring survivors, bandits, and creatures, and with locations created by nature and destroyed by the affects of war, you could literally spend hours just searching the world. And, really, why not do that? The world is beautiful enough to do it. But what the environment hides behind its terrible beauty is what pulls the story along, and what makes it a beautiful thing to realize.
PROS:
-- The game is open-ended. You can play as a good guy, a bad good, a savior, a rebel, or play in between and stay factionless. Regardless, every individual action shapes the people around you, and makes you known for your triumphs or your exploits.
-- The graphics. Post-apocalyptic America could never be so beautiful, yet so terrifying. Textures abound in this game. The rocks don't just loop over and over, the corpses of the dead often stay in place for a long while, and the water seems to move in its own natural direction.
-- The AI. Enemies are extremely intelligent. They'll run, pick up weapons, resort to tactics, and trick other wayward creatures into attacking you. While you're trying to kill a group of Mirelurks that have come out of the water, that raider is retreating to higher ground to pick you off with that rifle you dropped. You think it's broken? That raider fixed it, and he has you in his sights.
-- The people, creatures and things. Without looking at anything, I can literally think of over two-dozen enemies off the top of my head. Mutated rats, flying beetles, Mirelurks, raiders, ghouls--both feral, humanized and radiated--super mutants. There is no shortage of enemies you can face, and no shortage of people you can't meet.
-- The combat. Switching from over-the-shoulder third-person and first-person has an amazing advantage. You need to look through something through the eyes of you beholder, then do it. Want to keep track of enemies all around you? Switch to third person. The only complaint I have is that there is no instant-weapon switch.
-- Weapons. There are hundreds of weapons to use. From pool sticks, to baseball bats, to shotguns and rocket launchers, you can use almost anything the environment has to offer you.
Sadly, though the pros outweigh the cons, there are a few things that bothered me.
-- Character customization. It is extremely difficult to create a good-looking character. Even the presets look bad. I could say that's an understatement, but there's just no easy way to make a good-looking character on the 360. I can't say the same for the PC version, but don't expect your character to look like the dane or dame of the wasteland. I will, however, say the different options in terms of beards and hair is nice, although they're nothing like what they could be.
-- The lack of alternative storylines. Basically, the whole story is trying to find your dad. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it makes you step back and wonder just exactly what kind of character you are trying to create if you're still trying to find your dad. Why would someone who cares about nothing but himself care about his father, who ran away without telling him where he went? Herein lies a small, if someone annoying, fault. There is only one set story, and because of that, you are always reaching for the same objective, no matter what kind of character you play as.
-- Glitches. There are a few minor, if annoying, glitches. Sometimes, when you stash your items in a chest, they'll randomly disappear the next time you open it. This is extremely frustrating, especially when you've stacked all your spare items you want to sell inside.
-- Difficulty. Even on the lower ends of the difficulty, there are times when you are forced to absolutely run for your life in order to get out of a tough situation. I remember coming out of an area with a large group of super mutants and literally having to spend a half-hour getting out of the area because I was too low on health to fight back. Sometimes, you can't even get out of these situations--you simply have to start over from your last savepoint.
-- The ending. Without spoiling the ending, I'll simply say that you spend all this time working up the crescendo to the final part of the story, then are left feeling empty after it's all over. There's only two set ways to end the story, despite the morality choices you made earlier in the game, and what's worse is that there are no cutscenes. There IS something there, yes, but it only changes depending on your morality. Despite the fact that there were beautifully-rendered cutscenes throughout the game, there were none in the ending. I felt cheated because I'd just gone through a whole story, only to be left with a slideshow-styled ending. What's worse is that even if you choose a more open ending, you cannot keep exploring post-apocalyptic America.
All in all, Fallout 3 is an amazing game, both as an RPG and as an action game itself. Sure, I don't recommend it to people who like action-packed shooters, but it's a story that even a non-RPG fan can get into if only they allow themselves a little time. And despite its nuances, it's one of the best games I've played in a long time. | video-games_xbox |
Solid wireless gaming headphone. I'm pleasantly surprised by the presentation of the retail packaging of the Turtle Beach Phantom headphone. The headphone and the transmitter are secured in a molded tray inside a flip-open, keepsake quality box. Under the tray is a box full of cables and an adapter, and a pack of reference literature.
The headphone is solidly constructed with good padding on the headband and the earcups. Various buttons are located on the exterior of both earcups, and a removable goose neck type mic boom. Although the key buttons are fairly big, I don't find it particularly easy to fumble for the buttons while wearing the headphone.
The Phantom headphone is actually compatible with PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and some mobile devices, despite of what the amazon product says. Out of the box, it is compatible with all the above mentioned consoles and devices except PS4, which requires a firmware update to enable a new 'PS4 mode'. The Turtle Beach website has the instruction and download to do so, but it requires a Windows based PC. For Mac only users, it says you can request a chat cable. I believe TB is going to release an adapter soon in order to make it work with Xbox One.
The included reference and guide is pretty useless. I recommend to download the complete user guide (PDF) from TB website. It contains setup instructions and diagrams for the original Xbox 360, Xbox 360 S and Xbox 360 E variants, as well as PS3 and Bluetooth pairing with your mobile devices. It also explains the presets, modes and surround sound settings.
Please be warned that while the headphone includes the cables for different console setup, you will still need an additional accessory (purchased separately) for the original Xbox 360 or the E model. The original model requires a Xbox 360 Audio Adapter and the E model requires the Ear Force HD Audio converter ($40 from TB website).
I hooked up the headphone/transmitter to my Xbox 360 using an audio adapter that I got from Monoprice. It's straight forward with the user guide that I downloaded from the TB website. For online chatting, I plugged the included Xbox Bluetooth Adapter into my Xbox controller. Totally wireless. The adapter has a multi-function button for power on/off, mute and BT pairing.
The RF transmitter is USB powered using the included power cable which will take up one of your available USB ports on your console, or you can use a regular USB wall adapter/charger (not included). Sound quality is great. I haven't experienced any dropout in the wireless connection so far. There are different modes for movies, games and music, but I primarily use it for gaming. In game mode, there are like 8 different presets that enhance different areas in the sound. For example, I use Superhuman Hearing preset in COD to boost low volume sounds such as footsteps so that I know enemy is approaching nearby.
The headphone lasts nearly a week for me (~2 hours a day) on one single charge. I like that it's rechargeable so I don't have to deal with batteries. It has voice prompts to the indicate the status such as 'Power On', 'Pairing Headset', 'Pairing Bluetooth', etc. I think you can download more voice prompts and presents from TB too.
The Phantom headphone is pretty expensive but you do get a lot of features and high quality sound from it. As far as wireless gaming headset goes, this one is a solid choice to consider. | video-games_xbox |
A Good Example of What A Sequel Should Do. There's an unfortunate trend in action games nowadays: dividing content in a game so that it favors either fans of single-player gaming or multiplayer gaming (more so towards the latter in many high-profile franchises), but rarely letting fans of both feel like they're getting the most out of the whole experience. Often, the multiplayer experience is useless to those who are offline, or is just not that enjoyable for those who don't have the time or lack of interruptions to go through a series of matches without being seen as a quitter or bad team-mate. The good news is that Gears of War 2 is not one of those games; in fact, each of the 3 core experiences (Campaign, Multiplayer, and Horde Mode) can be enjoyed to some extent either alone or with other players. Sure, a botmatch will never really have the same level of excitement as an online match against real people, but it still beats not being able to get any enjoyment out of the multiplayer part of the game.
For those who aren't familiar with the Gears of War franchise, the first Gears of War was a different take on the kind of testosterone-laced, big-budget action gaming genre dominated by the likes of Halo, Call of Duty, and other such shooters. Coming out in 2006, it was in effect the big unveiling of Epic Games' Unreal 3 engine. As opposed to most other shooters, Gears of War eliminated the ability to jump, and instead placed an emphasis on taking cover and third-person gunplay. You followed a group of ridiculously steroid-enhanced, armor-clad soldiers on a planet where humanity is beseiged by a mutated army (the Locust) rising up from the underground as they try to locate a high-tech bomb over the course of a couple of days, and deploy it against the Locust forces. While Gears of War wasn't the first game to use the cover and shoot mechanic (see Killswitch or 007: Everything or Nothing), it did popularize it greatly, and attached glossy production values to the gameplay. The problem was that the game felt more like a tech demo at times, and didn't have the scope of say, the original Halo: Combat Evolved. The game felt somewhat abbreviated, and attempts to provide variety, such as a lone nighttime vehicular section, or avoiding darkened areas where light-sensitive flying swarms attack, felt somewhat undercooked.
Gears of War 2's campaign, on the other hand, feels like a game first, and tech showcase second. Taking a page from the Call of Duty franchise, GOW 2 moves the player through what seems to be a constantly changing series of events, while still keeping the core gameplay concepts intact. To this player, the shifts away from the 3rd person, cover-based firefights are much more smoothly integrated into the game, whether they involve riding shotgun on a huge, mobile drill as it advances through mountainous terrain, driving a tank across an ice-covered lake, or flying a monstrous creature in a surprisingly entertaining rail-shooter segment. Whether fighting it out through delapidated city streets, exploring a snow-covered village, advancing through enormous underground citadels, or attempting to make it out of a creepy, weed-overgrown, Resident Evil-inspired abandoned facility in the middle of a metallic hailstorm, the situations you're placed seem to neither last too short a time, nor overstay their welcome. In fact, only the very ending battle is a letdown, in that it is too easily won. While the somewhat clunky speed you move at takes some getting used to, the game is otherwise smoothly executed, with one notable improvement being the ability to grab still-living enemies and use them as shields. As before, the campaign can be played co-operatively, although this time co-op is more smoothly executed. While the game is as linear as it gets, there's nothing wrong with that here. It's an over-the-top, ridiculous thrill ride, that's not meant to wax poetic on the nature of humanity (although there's one surprisingly effective scene that I won't spoil which stands out from the rest of the overly macho gruntfest that characterizes the story).
A new addition to the franchise is Horde mode, which lets either a lone player (in Training Ground mode) or a team of players try to survive as long as possible against an onslaught of enemies, while racking up points. In many ways, this is like a modern, 3D take on Smash TV, but with more organic settings. The mode was influential enough for Bungie to take notice, and add a similar "Firefight" mode to Halo Reach and Halo 3: ODST. The multiplayer modes, which can be played offline with bots by a single player within the Training Grounds menu, are team-oriented, and include modes such as King of the Hill and Submission (aka "Meatflag").
If there's a negative about the game, it's that it popularized the use of "Day 1" downloadable content; in other words, content that was taken out of the game (in this case, 5 multiplayer/horde maps), and has to be downloaded using a 1-time use code linked to your gamertag. Ostensibly, this is to create an incentive to buy the game new, which is understandable. However, as we've seen, this idea has snowballed out of control once other developers started abusing it. (This overreliance on digital distribution also afflicted the Game of the Year edition, which, unlike the Fallout 3 GOTY edition, doesn't contain the additional content on a disc, but rather requires downloading the new content (around 19 extra maps, also available as the downloadable All Fronts package) using a code.)
That being said, Gears of War 2 epitomizes what a linear game sequel should strive for: provide a fuller, longer campaign, add new gameplay mechanics, refine what works, add new modes, and make all aspects of the game worthwhile and playable for both solo and multiplayer oriented gamers. Sure, it might be laughably gory, and far too "manly" for its own good, but it's a damn good time, and you'll get your money's worth. | video-games_xbox |
Psycho-Awesome. First of all, this is not a third person shooter. I have no idea what the reviewer that Amazon has listed played, but a third person shooter, this is not. Sure, it has some shooter elements, but no. This is a platforming game, in the stlye of Mario, Crash Bandicoot, the first Jak & Daxter, and others.
Since this game was created by Tim Schaffer, it obviously has an interesting storyline. It's about a boy who steals into a summer camp/training ground for psychics. He eventually uncovers a plot that involves the stolen brains of his fellow psychonauts and tanks, and what ensues is a rather hillarious quest to save your friends and, as a result, the world. The ingeniousness of it all is that the levels that you must run and jump through are all inside of the minds of people you meet, and thus are a reflection of them. You go through the battlefields of Coach Oleander's mind, the extremely ordered mind of Agent Nein, and the disco party of Agent Bodello's, and much more. Each represents the character perfectly.
Typical to most platformers, you'll be collecting things. Not arbitrary coins or precursor orbs or wumpa fruit or something else seemingly useless. You collect Figments of Imagination, Emotional Baggage, and Mental Cobwebs, all of which help to advance you in rank, which, in turn, nets you new psychic powers. You also collect Psi-Markers and Psi-cards which, again, help you gain rank and powers. Ultimately, everything that you collect has a purpose and helps you get stronger or last longer or jump farther, and I never felt that I was collecting just to collect.
Voice acting in the game is great, dialogue is often hillarious, so there's never a problem with terrible voices or stupid lines to pull you out of the mystique of the game. No "master of unlocking" moments here.
My only issue is with jumping, and it's slight. This is a problem when it comes to platformers, as jumping is rather integral to the gameplay. To me, there seems to be a slight delay, but nothing that's gamebreaking. I found that, by the end of the first level, I had quickly adjusted.
In the end, the game is great. The plot is imaginative and the characters are funny, one of the best platformers I have ever played. I just wish that they'd come out with a sequel, already! | video-games_xbox |
A definite for any Matrix fan, but it lacks something. The Enter the Matrix video game, although under some categories does not compare to its other bullet-time predecessors (bullet-time is the act of slowing the speed of the gameplay to allow for a true Matrix-esque experience) but is still a fine addition to any gamer's collection. If you are a strong, true fan of the Matrix trilogy that would understand the relevence of this game to the series, then it is without question a must-buy. First off, this game has easily the best bullet-time (or "Focus") of any video game on the market to date. The player can at any time slow the speed of the gameplay, allowing for special moves to be performed such as the act of running along the walls, dodging bullets, performing barrel-rolls, etc. The player can pretty much act out any fancy move that they saw performed in one of the movies, from punches and kicks to shooting-dives and midair kicks. Still, with all of these abilities fulfilled, the game lacks a certain flare to it to give it that true Matrix feel.
To let out a few of the bad points, the interiors of the game are a bit too simplistic for my tastes; everything you could see on the screen is very square and unimaginitive besides the characters, and although there is an extent of interactivity with the environments, it could have been pushed to a much better level. It has sparkling marble lobbies and office complexes, but what it needs to give it that big city, gritty feel are some torn up environments in desperate need of repair, like those seen in Max Payne. The buildings are solid and well designed; but the question is, does that truly add on to what the Matrix is? Though I do talk down the indoor environments, I was one to find the outdoor on-foot areas quite appealing; (in one level, you are running away from an endless swarm of Smiths in Tokyo; it is very well rendered with stylish fog and a lovely eye for detail) other than that, there is nothing to be impressed by as far as the interiors go.
A very, very disappointing part of the game is all of the driving levels. Though they give you plenty of freedom to roam as you please, would you really want to drive around in a city with Midnight Club 1 - quality rendering, absurd physics, ridiculous A.I. and a pathetic draw distance? It's these levels that cause me to shake my head at the developers. The camera is completely locked on to the vehicle (assuming you play as Niobe; if you play as Ghost, you're in the gunner's seat with an annoyingly random aimer that makes things extremely difficult to shoot) making it feel so very thrown together and adding no life to the cityscape, there are NO civilians, other cars won't even so as stop for you and the police can be dealed with effortlessly, even on the hardest difficulty. The developers most definately could have pushed themselves further as far as the driving levels go.
The music, although stylish and suiting for the atmosphere, could have been selected much better, and gets extremely loopy at times. They should have just stuck with techno tracks for this one, and not enough of the classic Matrix orchestra is used (it's pretty much the same track clipped apart to sound a little different.)
I know what one would think after reading this review; "Why would I want the game?!" Simple; the bullet-time is absolutely incredible and the overall fighting physics are some of the best I have ever seen. The story is well written (which is what one would expect from the Wachowski brothers) and ties along with Final Flight of the Osiris and Matrix Reloaded perfectly, and I guarantee you will have a blast with this one. | video-games_xbox |
I love the TR Mixamp. I love the TR Mixamp, and thats why this gets 3 stars. The TR mixamp is the crown jewel of this package, as it is so versatile allowing you to hook up to PC for streaming as well as get sound from XBOX.
The Headset however, is a massive disappointment. I have to admit I was suckered into it from major streamers. I am a huge Halo fan, and I bought these because it was repped by a popular streamer. It worked well for about 5-6 months.. As i'm writing this...they are ONLY 7 months old. The sound is decent and pretty good. I started to notice the mic started getting "loose" and dropping a little bit every now and then. After 6 months it was so bad that I had to constantly flip it up and hold it to say anything.... as soon as I let the mic go it would fall down below my chin / neck.
I contacted customer support and they sent me a rubber gasket to help with the mic problem. Well it helped for maybe a week. I thought it might be the stock mic that caused the issue, so I bought the Halo TR mod kit. The Halo TR mod kit mic is longer and heavier than the stock mic, and it was so loose as well. I contacted support again and they had me send in my headset with the TR mod kit mic. I got it back a week later...and sure enough, the mic now holds its place.... BARELY. If I make a sudden movement with my head it drops in an INSTANT. I am now contacting support AGAIN to help me... and they are sending me ANOTHER gasket to help. I have talked to several gaming friends who have gotten this particular product and they also have the same issues....some now have to use tape to hold it in place.. Others just glued it in place. WOW
After this experience for the amount of money this headset costs, I will never buy another ASTRO headset again. I warn all of those that are debating on getting one that the mic will eventually get loose on you, and you will be frustrated. I would just get the Mixamp Pro TR and get a separate headset to compliment it, as the astro headset itself is pretty poor quality in my opinion. Just trying to share my honest opinion.
I really wanted to LOVE this headset .... but now its just frustrating.
TLDR: BEWARE -- The sound quality may be pretty good....but the mic will eventually get loose on you and won't hold its place to the point of MASSIVE frustration.
. | video-games_xbox |
A truly fantastic game. Halo is still, in my opinion, the best game for the x-box in the last three years. Nothing else has come even close. The only thing that I see will be even better is Halo 2. But that is not till november so anyways........
The game has every little detail it needs to make this a never ending roller coaster, filled with danger, action, and even comedy [I'll get to that later] The story line itself is even intriguing. The year is 2525, at least that is what I think, and the human race has populated several star systems around the galaxy. However the peacefullness of the planets are in jeapordy as several alien races, calling themselves the Covenant, have launched a holy war, seems ironic with the events nowadays, against the human population. The humans only weapon is a secret government operation known only as SPARTAN.
Now to make a long story short, too late some of you are probably thinking, one spartan and a single human ship with a few hundred marines have landed on a ring shaped planet they call halo. On there they fight the Covenant in a desperate search for survival. That is where the game takes place, and believe me, each level is fantastic.
You are the Master Chief, a guy who can really kick some a** if you piss him off. He can only have two weapons at a time, unlike some of the really bad james bond games, and goes around following the storyline and kicking some alien butt.
The aliens are great, they laugh and taunt you if you retreat, or run away themselves if you kill all their friends. Try and throw an alien grenade on one of the grunts and he will actually run to his friends to try to get them to help get it off. The result is what you would expect.
The elites are the truly nasty ones, even though the hunters are big, I would rather fight four hunters than four gold plated elites, yikes! The jackals are just annoying, especially if they charge their guns up and take out ALL of your shields in one lucky shot.
The settings for each level are HUGE, not just big, but HUGE! You can drive a warthog [Jeep] or a ghost or a banshee [alien ships] or even a big human tank, my personal favorite. But watch out you don't kill more than two of your fellow marines by accident while you drive or they will turn on you. And launch some pretty nasty human grenades as well. And if you get the sniper pissed off, two words, DEAD MEAT.
One level that can be a pain is the library, where it is really dark and filled with the Flood (another alien species you will enevitably meet later on in the game) so grit your teeth and try to get it over with in the first three trys. It took me two times.
The levels vary from a island to a snowy valley. And the underground structures are awesome. Lots of hiding places for the bad guys so watch your step. But if things get hairy, there is always a weapons cache with ammunition and health so don't worry, if you can find it that is.
In conclusion, finally!, this is a truly breathtaking game and if you have an X-Box or a computer and don't have it, I will forgive you, but only once! So buy it now, I hear Best Buy has it for thirty bucks or something.......... | video-games_xbox |
An unbelievable scam. EA Sports has pulled some bad stuff in the last while, but this one takes the cake. This is borderline false advertising.
I bought this game after reading about the new features, i.e. the new advanced stickhandling, creating your own plays, and stellar graphics that appear on the TV advertisements. EA's "NHL" franchise has been pretty bad for releasing products that are essentially the same thing only with updated rosters. Unfortunately, this has happened again despite the company's claim to new features. I skipped NHLs 06 and 07 respectively because of this. I can say that short of a few small differences, the PC version of NHL 2008 is almost IDENTICAL to the PC version of NHL 2005, the last one I owned.
First of all, the new stickhandling feature does not exist for the PC, it appears that you have to purchase a PS2/XBox 360 "Hybrid" controller in order for this to happen. The "create your own strategy" is also nowhere to be found. Finally, the game's graphics are literally the exact same as NHL 2005. Beware: you will not see the sleek images you see in the adverts. This is preposterous considering the capabilities of the PC, which can easily compete with PS3 and 360 respectively. The graphics look dated and mushy, and the animation is choppy, nonsensical, and does not flow together. Even after 3 years, you can still see odd distortions on the backs of players jerseys due to the poor graphics engine. Some players are modelled fairly well (i.e. Ray Emery) but others simply look alien or disfigured (i.e. Mats Sundin).
The gameplay is still odd, very often you still get huge clumps of 4 or 5 players between the hashmarks, pushing and shoving each other and generally not doing anything.
Also, for some reason your players have ATROCIOUS aim. I went to the options and put the "Shot Accuracy" option to full, and my players were still missing the net by a great deal from less than 6 or 7 feet away from the net. I know this sounds like an odd complaint, but this happens A LOT, i.e. more than 60% of the time. Considering that on higher difficulties, getting this close to the net is rare. Therefore, the shot accuracy problem makes for a VERY frustrating gaming experience.
Players still skate and behave oddly. For instance, even with my offensive strategy set to "crash the net", my players would head to the net and then instead of stopping would continue skating onwards by themselves, thereby negating the whole strategy.
Even the new AI feature that I had such high hopes for failed. It is a great idea to make your opponent's defense change to accommodate a player's attack, but I could still get around them the same way every time. A good idea, but it needs tweaking.
This is truly sad. It is hard to believe that the PC version has essentially been slapped together while the production teams at EA Sports have very obviously concentrated on the PS3/XBox 360 releases. If you have NHL 2005, 2006, or 2007 for the PC, just simply update your rosters. This game is not worth it. It is absolutely absurd that 2 versions of a game (i.e. Xbox 360 vs. PC) could be so drastically different.
Shame on EA Sports for doing this. I have been buying their "NHL" games since 1995 (back in the days of 2D my friends), and I refuse to ever trust this franchise again.
If you truly wish to find out for yourself, find a friend who has the PC version, or find a way to obtain this product for free. EA Sports does not deserve your money for this excuse of a video game. I sincerely hope that a major overhaul will occur at EA Sports for next year, and hopefully the individuals responsible for this will never work on another. Here's hoping the changes made to the console versions are decent enough... | video-games_xbox |
So Different. This is a review after renting & playing it about 15-20 hours the past few days.
The art/graphics for the time period are great. This game is so different and entertaining, I could get lost in it.
This will be a long game if you do more than the main missions and has alot of replay value since you can play it 2 ways with different results and make different choices during missions/side missions.
They paid so much attn. to details - even to allowing you to 'read' books & notes along your way for background info. I assume that because it's alot more than just action, that it could receive drastically different review opinions. I like mystery, stealth, options, RPG, strategy, etc. so this was perfect for me.
I loved that I could manually save the game - I hate just autosave.
My only real technical criticism is that the audio was messed up. The voices had a heavy echo to them - muddled & hard to hear even when I had the music & other sounds turned down. (Keep subtitles on if necessary).
& the AI is a little 'blind' at times.
The only reason I'm unfortunately declining to buy it is its heavy occult theme. I stay away from all games where I'm collecting occult items and using occultism but I'll admit, even that's well thought out and well done in how they integrated it.
I hope this continues as a series and if they can somehow change this theme to something else that's just as intriguing and mysterious, I'm buying it!
Another element I loved in gameplay is that I felt like a detective /slash assassin. I loved the story, ... uncovering plots & secrets.... there was alot of mystery & suspense going on... challenging (those weepers are kool as they throw up on you), lots of side missions I enjoyed... lots of things to scavenge for... assassins that appear out of nowhere to kill you... lots of choices for you to make.... up to where I played to, it's just brilliantly done from concept to execution.
There's alot more to this game than slash & shoot and I enjoyed every second I played. I may end up renting it again to see if I can play further without using any of the occult skills or charms? :)
Great game with great variety but as I always say, if you don't know if you should buy something, rent it first & try it out. | video-games_xbox |
The Meta-game. When I first played this game I could not believe my eyes.
I have been somewhat of a casual (during my tean years avid) videogame enthusiast since my parents bought a nintendo back in 86'. I have one piece of advice that is more important than all other facets of this review:
***If you have an addictive personality, love videogames, and have excellent hand/eye coordination, you are going to need to clear a month for this game, because if you don't it will trump and destory everything else you have planned in your life until you beat it.
I speak not only from personal experience, but also with the testimony of a dozen of my college friends whose grades were decimated in systematic fashion after owning this game. Let me tell you why.
* This game has the most incredible 4 dimensional platform I have ever seen on any game for any machine. I use the phrase four dimensional becasue not only with length, width, and height do the programmers excel, but more importantly, with time, as in the rate of movement of vehicles and people (as well as bullets).
**The behavior generator for random events and response time of your surrounding world is phenomenal. Cars honk and swerve in reaction to reckless driving. Lights change and pedestrians and cars around you react in according fashion. Criminals, gangsters, cops, construction workers all behave differently and randomly.
***Every shape, every shadow is perfect, not perfect as in realism perfect, but for the generated map that is used through-out the game . . . holy crap. . . . it is incomprehensible.
****As I continue to list I think of too many things that seperate it from any other game, so here is a final schbang:
*******The game has maybe 15 other games inside of it, atleast. I am not talking about incorporated games within the game, because there are hundreds of those (from radio controlled mayhem to moto cross) but full on, there is a destruction derby game in the arena, there is a taxi segment that makes crazy taxi look lame, there are helicopters, (one that has a chain gun and missles) crotch rockets, choppers, and more than 30 different weapons.
Physics wise, graphics wise, any-wise, this game is freaking insane.
Become the mob's front runner, buy an uzi, steal a bike and cruise the city, its yours for the taking. | video-games_xbox |
Touching, exciting, and adorable, albeit a bit long. The story is the first thing to capture your attention. By the end of the game it becomes fighteningly strange. There are two halves to this story. First, there is a generic JRPG story - kill the bad guy, save the world. Second, there is a philosophical analysis and statement on the main character's situation (he is stuck in his own dream). Dealing with controversial topics like reality, war, politics, evil, activism/motivation, and suicide, I loved the story in this game. It was touching, and exciting.
Additionally, there are history lessons about Chopin's (famous pianist, who plays the main character in this game) life thrown into it, which always relate to the story.
The characters behave fairly realistically, which improved the story.
The graphics are pleasant, smooth, and just adorable. This is by far one of the cutest JRPGs I've played. The style of the world is consistent and has a very anime feel.
The game's action all occurs in static battlefields, initiated by encountering enemies that roam the areas freely. The battle system was really exciting, and well balanced. Regular enemies weren't too easy, and bosses were challenging. For a predetermined amount of time your characters are able to attack, and use skills and items in real time. Each character takes a turn based on their speed. Half the fun of battles was trying new skills and strategies. Players can do some really fascinating combos and skills if they wish to, which is great!
The gameplay consists of towns, dungeons, and of course battles. Towns have decent exploration. Dungeons are linear enough to explore all of it, but nonlinear enough to cause you some backtracking (if you choose). My only complaint here is that some dungeons are too long, causing a some boredom.
My only other complaint is that sometimes objectives aren't well explained. Often I found myself clueless where to go, although it's not too hard to figure it out yourself.
It's a strong game, though a bit long and tedious. I really enjoyed it. There is extra content, but I don't think I'd replay it. | video-games_xbox |
8 reasons Thief is the worst game I've played so far of this new generation. 8 reasons Thief is the worst game I've played so far of this new generation:
1 - VISIBILITY
the game is so dark i can barely see anything half the time. there is no in-game brightness slider - the game tells you to use YOUR OWN display to adjust brightness. what? just for this one stupid game? then adjust it back for everything else I use it for? and back-n-forth and back-n-forth constantly over-and-over again? that's incredibly inconvenient and flat out stupid. it didn't matter, the game was impossible for me to get through so I had to do it just to be able to see where I was. after adjusting the brightness and contrast, I still struggle to see anything properly and whatever beauty I'm supposed to be witnessing is now completely washed out. this game may end up being the one that has actually physically harmed me (my eyes) the most...Note: I use a projector but there is NO issue with my display as ALL other games function as they should (BEING ABLE TO SEE THEM!) We joked as I went through, "wow, progressive values have really taken hold. I never thought I'd be able to play a game developed BY BLIND PEOPLE!!!!" Others in the room joked, "they should have called THIS game 'The Darkness'"
2 - CINEMATICS
at the end of the first level the game completely froze during what was obviously (based on the latter dialog of other characters) a VERY IMPORTANT cut scene. i completely missed what happened in the story as a result. Something happened to the main female character. alive? dead? missing? were there bad guys there? did they kill, abduct her? me? something happened to me...I have no idea what the hell happened - that scene is gone...stupid. at the end of the game, you beat a boss (the battle itself is a bit stupid). You go from beating the boss in the middle of a ship, to a confounding cinematic in which the boss is somehow dramatically hanging on a ledge of the ship (like at the end of Die Hard) nowhere near where they once were (did they teleport?)...as the 7-year-old in the room remarked "why does that even matter, there's water below"). The boss acted as if they would fall to their death. Why? The fall looked like 20 feet at the most and into gentle water. Can they not swim?
3 - TONE
the main character seems to have 2 tones, sarcastic and sarcastic a-hole. actually that describes everyone's character. what motivation is supposed to propel the gamer through toward the end? why steal everything? for what? to live in the worst, most miserable city ever? It's like a medieval Detroit. The Theives Guild series of quests in Skyrim, which were somewhat generic, at least made some kind of sense...you'll stole a bunch of stuff to restore the guild to it's former glory and rose in it's ranks...but why are we here in Thief? we appear to be stealing everything not nailed down, even from poor harmless victims...for what? so now the city will even be worse? not much back story to explain the main character's motivations. I liked or sympathized with 0 characters in this game. if you nuked it from orbit, I wouldn't care, nor would you...probably nor would they....
4 - NAVIGATION
the map is utterly useless, even counter-intuitive. if you can't remember how to get back to such-n-such place (which will happen regularly as quests are assigned) and consult the map, the map may lead you into a solid wall, a complete closed off area, etc... you also continuously LOSE the smaller corner map every time you save, transition, etc. Annoying. Also annoying are the multiple button presses that it takes to get to the big map. as the map isn't very pretty or inspiring, at least they should have made it useful. the map coupled with struggling to be able to see things properly made getting from point A-to-B maddening. Navigation and mobility, which you'd think you'd want to be functioning well as you're a thief, are the biggest (unintentional) challenges in the game.
5 - DIALOG
dialog is idiotic and repetitive. all the characters bitch that they wish they had some coffee. is this world barren of coffee? robotic character animations are repetitive. if you have subtitles turned on, you'll see inaudible dialog repeated over and over and over. i turned it off. the audio is weird in many places. you'll overhear characters that are supposed to be inside (giving you clues as to where treasures are), as clear as day...
6 - RESPAWN
enemies annoyingly constantly re-spawn (similar to Farcry2). no way to get rid of them permanently. once you feel like you've stealthfully gotten past them once or twice in the proper ghostly way, you'll get bored of that...I ended up just running past most of them for the rest of the game...combat isn't particularly interesting. you can fire an arrow or 2 or hit someone with a sap. and that's it.
7 - STEALING
the game's called Thief, so hows the stealing part? pretty mundane. it's not particularly broken. but it isn't unique or interesting relative to other games. sneak past dude. crawl. sneak past some other dude. steal thing. unlock thing. steal other thing...sneak and escape. unlocking stuff is a simple affair. rotate thumb stick...based on some of the other fundamental things being completely broken (being able to see, navigation), I'm actually glad they didn't decide to do some extravagant unique auteur idea here...it probably would have completely misfired...
8 - COMPETITION
the game's natural competitors are Assassin's Creed, Dishonored, Hitman, and other similar stealth-based titles like the original Splinter Cell...Thief has NOTHING over any of these games. Not even 1 unique bullet point or thing-that-works-better or aesthetic or anything at all...Go play those games instead. I can't compare it to other games in the Thief franchise. I haven't played them. This entry does not make me want to...
COMPLETE UTTER FAILURE | video-games_xbox |
Unplayable on the Xbox 360. I waited a year before buying this game after hearing all the rumors about bugs. They were not fixed and the game is still unplayable, and all of the people who posted 3-star or higher reviews either did not play the game on an Xbox 360 for more than 10 minutes or they didn't even run it, and just like the artwork on the box, or the youtube videos. Whatever the reason, they could not have played this huge disaster of a game.
It hard locked my Xbox twice within two hours. Had to unplug the power cord to reset the Xbox. That's a big no-no. You don't wreck the core system like that with a crash, people. If the game had been even REMOTELY tested by QA people, this would have been a known issue.
Secondly, the character keeps getting stuck in the environment, like in a wall, or in the level-up ring in the Hero's Guild. There, after leveling up my abilities, my character stood frozen, unable to rotate or move. So, naturally, I loaded a recent save just outside the Guild. My character was naked and the game was seriously glitched at like 1 FPS, totally unplayable. I killed the game, re-ran it, and decided to give it one more try. I got as far as fighting the Hobbes on that farm. When I didn't beat the girl's score, the game wanted me to reload an old save to try again. Except, it hadn't bothered to DO a save before that began, so I was back to about 20 minutes in the past, running through the forest again to get to the farm.
Searched for workarounds. Cleared the HD cache on my 360. Let it sit on the title screen for a while as suggested. And you know what? After that, after the hard crashes and getting stuck in the game level, I'd had enough. Deleted off my HD.
So anyone who gave this 5 stars simply did not play the game. That's just the bottom line. The review system here failed. I bought this game, despite the bugs, because of the many high praise reviews (RECENTLY as this month). I believed the game's bugs had been largely fixed. They were not. | video-games_xbox |
An interesting mash-up, but that Teen rating. The Good: Fighting back to it's roots, DC characters are great to play as, looks awesome, new elements are nice
The Bad: Toss away story mode, no gore, fatalities are kind of lame, not much content
I'm not going to lie when I say Mortal Kombat is my favorite game franchise of all time mainly because it was the first game I ever played when I was 2 years old. I love the gore, the characters, the story, the secrets, and inside stuff that true MK fans know about, but adding DC characters was a bit dicey, but surprisingly works. The game's story is pretty straight forward with both universes colliding and each sides' main villians are turning into one and controlling everyone else through a type of berserk mind control. You can play as various characters in separate story modes, but it's nothing special.
The Arcade mode is where it's at with all you favorite MK characters and DC characters such as Batman, Superman, Catwoman, and even Captian Marvel. Each character on the DC side has their signature powers and they are awesome to play as. The game's combat system is more like it's roots stripping away combat styles, weapons, and complicated combos with just fast paced fun. The animations are smoother, controls respond better, and the game really packs a punch.
Of course it's hard to please both sides of the fence, but the MK side takes a hit with no gore. I guess Midway couldn't get the DC guys to allow Sub-Zero to rip Superman's head off so the Fatalities are pretty lame. They feature no gore, but just really brutal deaths, and the DC guys never kill so they are Heroic Brutalities...yeah what BS. This really screws the MK fans, but the DC guys are very tight arsed about everything, and that's why I still think this should have been Marvel instead (the last Wolverine game was gory as sin). Some DC HB's are OK at best. Joker's one of my favorites with him shooting a fake gun and dancing around in his silly fashion, but most are pretty lame like Green Lantern just running around a character a lot until they die...yeah really exciting. The MK characters are a little more retro with Scorpion turning characters into char so this is OK. I just wish the game would have been gory, but what's here is good enough.
The MK guys really captured the characters of the DC personalities like Catwoman's slinky sexy movements, Joker's maniacal pranks, Batman's precision martial arts, and Superman's brute force. It makes MK fans really want to try DC characters without sticking to their favorites. Or course the roster could have been a lot bigger, but thanks to Midway tanking extra downloadable characters will never happen like planned.
There are some nice new features to the game such as a test-your-might type mini-game during Free Fall Kombat and Klose Kombat which allows you to grab your opponent but the camera zooms in and you press buttons to trick them until get every hit in for 30% damage. Free fall is the same except you have to hit RB before you hit the ground to unleash an attack on them. This changes up the fighting and adds a nice tough, but could have been a bit more. The new Rage mode allows you to take advantage of this berserk mind control and makes you nearly invincible for a certain amount of time. Along with this combo breakers return, but that's about it.
The game looks really good and is the first MK game on a next-gen console. Characters are rendered in sharp detail and have more detail than ever before. Each DC character has their signature costume and looks amazing, but the music is very lacking. The levels are great and wonderfully designed, and the multi player is what will make you keep coming back. While the game lacks the MK gore the fact that two highly unlikely worlds collide makes it great enough to play.
Note: Kollector's Edition: If you want to shell out the extra $20 you can get a nice new cover drawn by Alex Ross, making-of DVD, and a 16 page comic book penned by series creator John Tobias. While it doesn't seem to enticing it's great for MK fans or fans of comics. | video-games_xbox |
Technically, it's an amazing game. This is one of those games that really furthers the medium of video gaming with its amazing visuals and emphasis on story and characters. That said, I couldn't help feeling, as I got further into the game, that it was not really breaking boundaries from a gameplay perspective. The one thing that really makes the game unique, trying to read people's faces to tell whether they're being straight with you, could have been done just as well on the Sega CD. The only difference would be that you would have been watching actual film of actors instead of (sometimes realistic, sometimes creepy) head scans of actors. It's amazing tech, it truly is, but it's unnecessary, as is the action of putting any effort into playing the game correctly.
Going in, I was expecting an adventure game with a light sprinkling of GTA elements, which is more or less what I got. What really sets the game apart from other adventure games (or action games, for that matter) is the fact that you can literally fail at everything and still finish the game. Rather than causing the player to repeat an interview if he messes it up, the game simply provides an alternate way to continue, usually tailing a car, that will allow the story to move forward. And if you continually fail at something like tailing a car or some other action scene enough times, the game will allow you to simply skip the scene. So, when it comes down to it, the game provides no challenge, at least not in the traditional sense. The motivation to do well in interviews is there, because failing those will actually change elements of that particular story chapter, but there is no reason to succeed at the action sequences.
Aside from the action scenes and the interviews, there are times when you'll need to walk around a crime scene or a suspect's house and collect evidence, but this boils down to simply walking around and picking up stuff until a musical cue tells you you've found everything. Yes, it's part of the detective experience, but it's not particularly engaging.
So, the main reason to buy the game comes down to the interviews. That's the big selling point. And I personally thought they were a bit messy. You're supposed to use your gut to tell if people are lying or not. Some people I know say that it's ridiculously easy to tell when people are lying, but I never felt like I knew what I was doing. I messed up many interviews and probably ended up not getting the best story in most of the chapters. I thought about trying to play through the game again to get the better endings, but I didn't feel that the game was enough fun to warrant another playthrough.
If you want my personal opinion, I'd say that this would have made a better movie than a game, but then again, if it were a movie, there are better movies out there in the same genre, so just go watch one of those.
I hope developers don't give up on the detective genre in games. It has the potential to be very engaging. It's just not quite there yet. | video-games_xbox |
Turtle Beach's Rebranded Z22 Delivers Great Audio and Chat. I have a long history using Turtle Beach audio products dating back to my PS3 and still use my PX-22 with that system along with the older PX-21's; I also and regularly use the Z22 headset with my gaming PC. Both in features and build-characteristics the Ear Force Disney Infinity headset resembles the Z22's very closely.
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DESCRIPTION:
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I tested this headset with my 10 year old nephew who is admittedly a huge Marvel fan and had recently watched Guardians of the Galaxy. He was ecstatic at trying the headset out on his Xbox 360 that he received over the summer for a birthday present. His only other experience with a gaming headset was with the chat-only headset that came with this Xbox.
Assuming that anyone browsing this product is considering it for a child (or just a huge Disney/Marvel fan which is okay too!) I'll orient my review off of what my nephew thought along with my own thoughts.
Appearance wise he really loved the headset. It's built well for an intermediate-level headset - and yes trust me this is an intermediate headset - and thought that the look of the blue on black was very cool looking. One minor disappointment for both of us is that the character decals that go over the ear-cups are stickers. We both assumed incorrectly that the ear-cups were removable plastic components. My nephew ultimately decided to keep the decals and use them elsewhere in his room. We didn't try applying the decals (obviously) to the headset but as someone versed in applying stickers to children's toys this looked a daunting job; so parental supervision and assistance is greatly recommended!
Included in this package are hopefully all the cables you'll need to get the headset working. I say hopefully because with certain Xbox models another component is required. My nephew's Xbox was the newer model and thankfully didn't require a Xbox 360 Audio Adapter cable (search Amazon for it if you need one).
This headset does require a lot of cabling so if you're hoping for a simple, clean looking headset this isn't it. At a minimum you'll need to connect the headset's cable (mini-jack) to the inline amplifier which has three cables coming off the other end - USB, audio jack (green) and microphone jack (pink). Then depending on your specific setup you may have to use a RCA splitter cable (included) to get the audio output working correctly. Thankfully Turtle Beach included very well laid out instructions with diagrams in the package. If you're not tech-savvy as far as cabling goes just ask your kids, they can probably figure it out.
Note that once cabling is completed you'll still need to go into the Xbox's menu > Settings > Preferences > Voice and setup the sound and chat to go through the headset.
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USE:
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Audio quality is really very good. Again this headset is essentially a repourposed Z22 and the audio of that headset is more than adequate. The inline amplifier does a great job here and is a bit smaller than on the Z22 (this is a good thing) and stays out of the way more. The inline controller can adjust everything from chat and game volume, adjust the bass level, and mute the microphone. The Z22 featured a treble adjustment on the inline controls that this headset lacks. I'm not sure why that's the case but it is missed. Someone (notably kids) without experience will likely not notice.
In no time I had my nephew up and running and he had Call of Duty on and was texting his friends to get online so he could use the headset with them. He was pumped!
My sister-in-law immediately loved and disliked the headset for the following reasons:
(+) She didn't have to ask my nephew to turn the volume down and his gaming didn't bother anyone else in the house, most notably my young niece.
(-) It's harder to monitor what my nephew is doing online since everything gets pumped to the headset (the chat between him and his online friends). Also, getting his attention requires walking up to his room and removing the headset.
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THE GOOD:
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(+) Quality. This is by no means an audiophile headset and isn't meant to be but Turtle Beach does deliver good quality sound and chat with this headset.
(+) Devices. My nephew can use this with both his Xbox and his WiiU and his phone and maybe mom's iPad. So it's great for long road trips and supports multiple devices and uses.
(+) Environment. My SIL immediately loved that she didn't have to hear the constant rumble of explosions and machine-gun fire in her house when my nephew is using this headset.
(+) Comfort. I've used my Z22's for many, many a consecutive hour in bouts of Diablo 3 with no earaches and the Disney Infinity is essentially exactly the same.
(+) Adults. The headset may scale down for kids use but can fit an adults head too! My large noggin had no problem fitting and using this headset!
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WHAT COULD BE BETTER:
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(-) Supervision. This isn't really the products fault but I'm going to list this anyway - please, please get involved in what your children are doing online when using a product like this. There are a lot of weirdo's out there. Also frankly, your little angel may be a loud-mouthed trash talker online; supervise your kids and get to know how they use the things you give them.
(-) Cables. Depending on the device you may need to purchase separate cables.
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CLOSING:
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I have no hesitation recommending this headset to the young gamer in your home! Turtle Beach delivers what is in essence a proven product (Z22) with a few child-friendly modifications. Expect many years of use in your home! | video-games_xbox |
Despite what some have said, Evolve is a very good & very difficult tactical game. **UPDATE 4/15/15: Turtle Rock has released 2 new maps for free alongside a slew of balances and patches for some minor game issues. Turtle Rock has also hosted some community events and have been giving away prizes and skins for anyone who participates. As well, most version of Evolve are on sale, and now that the new Hunters and Monster have released its a great time to jump in and get your butt handed to you. Still highly recommend this game for hardcore team players or anyone who loves a solo challenge.**
Hate to be the unpopular voice, but this game is damn good fun with a massively ridiculous learning curve, but the challenge is quite awesome. This isn't a game for everyone, but truth be told I feel this is a wonderfully unique and inventive game. I know this review will get down-voted to oblivion but that's ok with me, my honest opinion of this game is that it's great (not quite perfect).
Evolve focuses on game-play above all else (Dont expect a deeply written story or very good tutorials), everything works as intended and the HUNT Mode is some of the best game-play with friends I've had since games like Team Fortress or BF: Bad Company 1-2. Yes the DLC model sucks but it's also not new to gaming either. I paid $60 for the digital version and I got exactly what was promised, 12 hunter and 3 monsters. I've put about 60+ hours into the game so far and have only scratched the surface of some of the characters and monsters. I've mostly been playing the Medic and Trapper classes (see: Lazarus & Griffin), and occasionally Support Class (Hank) and just recently finished Mastery on those 3 characters. Ive really starting to get a hold of the different characters and abilities; it feels like Ive just scratched the surface on the other characters though.
Evolve looks beautiful and has some really fantastic lighting effects, there are rare graphical bugs but nothing that will ruin the experience. Evolve has nearly no lag and plays smooth about 99% of the time; there is an occasional bug where the game crashes back to the menu, but it happens very infrequently. Turtle Rock has continued game balancing from the Alpha to the full release and has already implemented a few patches and have announced the next round of fixes, buffs, and nerfs. Turtle Rock has also implemented a system where they can tweak the game in real time (but not change coding) to give players immediate updates without needing a patch! This was a great idea and something a game like this needed asap.
To address the DLC, I'm neither happy nor upset; businesses charge for content and they have said since day one what they were planning (if anything they have been TOO honest). I'll wait and see if the new content is better or worse and only purchase something if I just have to have it, but based on the balancing thus far I don't see why you'd need more characters just yet unless they offer something fresh. The core set of characters are very good and offer enough differences to keep things interesting for many hours. *Update* I have purchased the new characters as they did in fact all bring new abilities to the table. They aren't straight up better than the old hunters, but they do mix things up and offer some new ways to play.
DO NOT buy this game if you plan on playing the hunters alone, while the monster is great fun by yourself, you will NEED a team of people communicating to win with the hunters. The game is also extremely difficult and caters to hardcore crowd. The tutorials are weak, and you will need to practice with different classes till you figure out which ones work with your play-style. Monster is much easier to play as you don't need to rely on anyone but yourself and your instincts. SKIP Evolve if you do not like multiplayer, teamwork, or difficult games.
You can play offline with bots, and there are custom game settings that allow you to tweak private matches just the way you like them (you still earn EXP). I usually play custom games with my buddies Evacuation Mode gives you the most EXP and helps you level up fast. Turtle Rock has also announced (from the beginning) that all future maps and game-modes will be FREE, only new characters and skins will cost you. They are determined not to split up the community.
All said and done, when this game works just right it is incredibly fun and rewarding. | video-games_xbox |
Fancy while it still works. I was enjoying this controller on my PC for a long while after looking for an upgrade to my Xbox 360 controllers, which were finally starting to fall apart under the wear and tear of several years. This controller feels extremely comfortable, looks great (especially at parties and convention game rooms, where it stands out nicely and it's hard to miss), and is very easy to set up and adjust. I wasn't sure if it'd work solely as a PC controller, but for the most part, had absolutely no problem running just about anything any other Xinput controller could do (besides a few oddly specific instances like Tony Hawk's Underground 2).
Or so was the case for several months. It constantly, randomly disconnected itself, but as my battered controllers were having similar issues, I figured it was just the port. However, there was no explanation in the manual for the bright blue light that would occasionally shine from the middle of the controller, glaring directly into my eyes like a flashlight until I unplugged it and found some way to set it up that it apparently liked. Finally, yesterday, it went into full-on Exorcist territory; every single light on the controller lit up either bright red or bright white (and white isn't even listed as a possible color choice in the usual wheel). The rumble motors fired off at horrendous speed, creating a sound almost as though the controller was screaming through the casing (though it'd be more apt to say it was a sudden, extremely loud buzzing). I unplugged it, gave it a while to cool down, and when I attempted to re-use it, the left bumper was completely useless and the sensitivity of the sticks was down to a barely usable level.
This controller served me well, if irritatingly, for a long time, so I don't want to give it one-star, but the manual is not very descriptive for actual issues the controller tends to have, I couldn't find any online FAQ, and it basically imploded in my hands. At least it looked great glowing in hot pink for a while, and watching the rumble motors rotate while lockpicking was a nice novelty. | video-games_xbox |
Halo 2 is no Killzone. Without this game there would be no more X-Box. Microsofts superior game machine would have gone the way of Dreamcast and that would have been to bad. But all I have to ask is WHY? I think this is one of the most over rated, under whelming, over hyped games ever. period.
The Level design is awful...There is a radar but no map, I spent half my time back tracking and trying to decide what identical hallway to walk down only to realise I'd been there before. The mission objectives are vague and unintersting.
The character design and mythology of Halo is at best the sort of thing a 13 year old high school art student would doodle on the back of his note books in Algebra. I mean gorillas with ARMOR?!! Everything is so colorful, it feels like I should be hopping on Yoshi's back and shooting koopas and shy guys. And the story line reminds me of some throw away Sci Fi channel series starring a washed up 80 TV icon. All the dialog is this awful self referential "humor", if you didn't LOVE halo 1 then you either won't get or won't care about all the constant idiotic banter. I assume it's supposed to make you feel like a bad ass for getting all the inside jokiness, but it just felt like an excuse for bob odenkirk and dave cross to get a chance to play an early build of halo. And the ending, jesus. It is such a marketing ploy. there is no game here...it's like the matrix...they are laughing at us...they know they could put anything in this game and fan boys would love it. but it doesn't go anywhere it just ends. it says we know you will buy halo 3 suckers...and we will put as much half assed effort into that game.
The only redeeming factor is the multiplayer, which is GREAT. totally fun. mindless fun. But that doesn't make up for paying 50 bucks...they should have just re released halo 1 with X-Box live support becasue that's really all this game is. and online expansion pack.
Half Life 2 is an amazing life chaning FPS. Consoles still suck wind when it comes to FPS gaming. halo 2 is fast and smooth but it only shine in multiplayer...and even then its just more of the same. In a time when Half Life 2 is leading the way with outstanding interaction and gripping story telling, Halo 2's weak sauce story and lame, lame, lame gorrilas with helmets just don't cut it.
If you want to have a frag fest with your drinking buddies halo 2 is a good game. but I just don't see what all the fuss is about. Halo 2 is a dime a dozen sci fi yawn-a-thon. | video-games_xbox |
An excellent concept but somewhat lacking in execution. This is the second one I bought for my son after the first one broke after 6 months. First, the pros:
1) great concept. All your game gear in a box with the LCD panel and HDMI input. Even headphone jacks.
2) Solid feel. Great looks. Carrying handle great for transporting.
3) It's cheaper even if you buy all the material and build one yourself.
4) Includes the small HDMI cable that is difficult to get outside but is perfect for this.
Cons:
1) Even though it's designed for XBOX 360, the interior has very little room for the XBOX 360 components, especilly the power supply brick. The brick takes over one side completely, leaving the other side for controller, its own power supply and others -- too small.
2) It has a DC power suppy that must be stored somewhere. I suggest putting the power supply inside the case itself with a power cosr that can be extended. Put a 110V outlet on the case as well, for the Xbox.
3) My biggest complain is about the practicality of the setup. The screen is completely exposed to the contents of the case without any protection. That's why my first one broke. My son put the headphone in the slide space; but it must have moved inside the case. It cracked the LCD screen. The screen is fragile; just have a hard plastic screen in front of it to protect it.
4) The locks are flimsy. they came off several times. I put a carabiner to prevent it from disengaging; but it's looks shoddy.
Overall, it's a great concept and a good product. A few more touches and it will be perfect:
1) Make the case rectangular. It will leave enough space for those big XBox 360 power supply bricks.
2) Put a hard platic case in front of the LCD screen to protect it from items loose in the case, e.g. controllers and headphones.
3) Instead of bags in the side to hold accessories, put velcro straps to hold them down.
4) build the power supply into the case. Put a small enclosure for the power cord in the nook (upper right or left corner). Put a 110V outlet into the case where one can put the Xbox supply cord.
5) Make the locks sliding type, to make them more secure and less prone to coming off accidentally.
6) It's 12V; so why not let a 12V car supply as well? | video-games_xbox |
Can be fun yet. Oi, this game isn't so bad for a rip off of an old 16 bit era game i'm sure you're aware of....... But, here's the problem with this game. When you finally get to the first point to drive a car it's messed up on controls on what you think it should do..... No biggie after some frustrations one picks up on it even though it's akward to move...... Point two like another review i saw somewhere when the game forces you into non unreal tournament views the game instantly goes down hill and any remote controll of your character is messed up. Case and point when you get to the final part of the mall it goes into a bad version of old ps 1 overhead views that were commen for games like loaded but, it's even worse than those games were for control on what your character does..... Multiplayer mode even local co-op has bad camera angles. You can have one friend stand on an upper part of a stage yet when you move the camera forces bad angles or in some stages will even move the character to a bad spot even though they didn't move!!!!!!! This game at times is really fun but, unforunatly has some really bad glitches and controls to often that just make this game a frustrating piece of you know what. Which is too bad cause theres been few games that kinda of capture the ol 16 bit era stongly like this title but, in certain parts of the game they tried too hard to differate from that era or just got lazy on programming and didn't go through.......On a first inspection one would think of buying this......I recommend renting first to see how it plays before you plop 60 bucks on this....... Games shouldn't be easy yet sloppy control is a lame reason to make a game hard when it's supposed to be funny and just be a cheap thrill for multiplayer........ Oh and even though this game is fairly new multiplayer where a third of your points come from is non existant and when you do get some people to play is just plain flat boring hence why for a new game no online matches are available..... | video-games_xbox |
Don't waste your money. As I have gotten older, I have become a more savvy online shopper, especially with video games. I read most reviews before I pull the trigger on purchasing a game. That is why I am writing a brief review about CC:RA3.
I couldn't wait for CC:RA3 to be released. I preordered it about 6 months in advance. But I was sorely disappointed when I popped it in my Xbox 360.
First of all, the controls are really difficult and unusual. I thought that I would get used to them after a while, but they didn't get any better. The graphics are ok, but I would expect better graphics with the current technologies and game engines out there. There are also very intricate special settings for each individual unit. They must be set one by one or group by group. In my opinion, this is extremely tedious and a big turn off. The aircraft options are unrealistic and hard to control and have another set of tedious options. The navy idea is pretty cool, but I completely disagree with the fact that every single skirmish map forces you to use naval tactics. The navy units aren't even that impressive and come with an even larger set of tedious control options. Managing all of these options was the last straw for me. How can you have fun and use good strategies when you can't even manage your army? Which brings me to my last complaint. The computer difficulty settings. On easy, the computer will just send one soldier at a time until you obliterate it. On medium, it will send one vehicle at a time or two soldiers at a time until you destroy it. On hard, it attacks you with impossible precision that you could only dream of using. It shows you how you could potentially fight, given that you can control your units in that way.
I stayed away from a couple of the other CC titles because I was waiting for a most realistic array of units and actions, like the old school original CC for Playstation or CC Generals. This game has an entire faction of rediculous units, the Empire of the Rising Sun, which are so far fetched that not even my younger kids thought they were cool. Again, a large set of tedious options prevented me from having any fun with this.
I haven't even attempted the online side of it, but I would guess that there are 10 year olds out there that do nothing but play this game and will be so good that it won't even be fun for the average gamer.
The best part of the game are the movie clips. Jenny McCarthy is amazing, and some of the other girls are as well. They did bring back some old school favorites, like the tesla towers, but overall. I would recommend waiting until the game goes to $19.99 before pulling the trigger. Another option would be to just rent it. There are plenty of better options out there, like EndWar, to pay anything more than $20 for this game. | video-games_xbox |
Good *wireless* gaming headset for the price. This Is my Third Gaming Headset, My first Headset was a Plantronics GameCom 780, My Second was a Turtle Beach Ear Force X12.
So in this Review I'll Compare the pros and cons of both headset.
First the Plantronics GameCom 780:
Pros
+extremely Comfortable (nice Foam Ear Cups, I've Played 8+ hr with these on...)
+Great Sound (7.1 Surround sound Works well)
+USB Powered
+Durable (I'v owned this Pair The longest, Still going strong!)
+Excellent value (i payed about $50 for mine, its under $70 now well worth the money)
Cons
-Short Cord (about 3 Feet)
-Software (is simple, but i had to download it from there site. and run in comparability mode on win 8)
-Microphone (Sounds Clear, But the volume is ab bit low)
Second the Ear Force X12
Pros
+LONG CORD (I believe its about 15 feet)
+works With some game consoles (Im Mostly a pc gamer, Haven't used this much)
+USB Powered
+Microphone (sound is Clear and Fairly Loud)
+Price (you can get these for Under $50)
Cons
-Comfortable for a few hours (I wouldn't play 5+ hr with this..)
-Sound (is good, But not Amazing.)
-Long Cord (Sometimes it gets in the way)
Third, the Skullcandy PLYR2:(note I'v had these for under a week, But i like them)
Pros
+Wireless (Range is Is good, i can go a few rooms over and still be connected)
+sound (is better than the x12, but the gamcom 780 is better than these)
+MicroPhone (is On par with the X12)
+Price (For the money this is a good wireless headset)
+Foam ear cups (My Fav)
Cons
-Sound could be better
-Comfort (My head is Extremely large, the ear cups are a bit small)
over all I like the Skullcandy PLYR2 I was using the X12 to Skype but these have replaced them.
on Solo games it is good! but i'll still be using the Gamecom 780 for extended Play 3+ hr Gaming.
Don't get me wrong Sound is sitll Good, but i'v used high end headphones before so id Rate these as a 6/10 for sound.
I'll be using these as my main headset and for the price i think there a good buy. 7/10 | video-games_xbox |
Very under-appreciated game. Of course, often a game that may speak to one player, might not speak to another player. I believe that this game gets so many bad reviews because people expect it to be amazing from the start while it takes a little while to understand the game and see it's beauty. Many people are spoiled by the Oblivion, where you are told step by step where to go and what to do, whereas in this game, you have to use your head once in a while.
GAMEPLAY
For me, the game had a lot of fun (I never re-play game more than once but with the Two Worlds I replayed it twice). Unlike Oblivion, where missions seemed monotone, in Two Worlds missions seemed diverse and engaging. Sure, if you follow only the main quests, the game might feel a bit blunt. However, the game has a lot of side missions - all you have to do is to find a person with a purple diamond shape in front of him and talk to him for him or her to ask you to do something for them. Then you either bring something for them, kill the foes that disrupt their lives, or help them negotiate the way out of the problems. You can also join different factions and get the missions from them. Even though you are not guided through each quest step-by-step, with the use of the map, they are easy to follow and complete.
ENVIRONMENT
Speaking of the map - it is darkened and, if you go anywhere, your path is being lightened, which makes it very easy to see if you've been to the area already or how to get out of where you just came from. Unlike Oblivion, the world is twice as vast and, trust me, you will need a horse (they are free and everywhere). If you like to explore and discover things, this game is for you. If you wander around enough, you might find the most magnificent locations and caves to explore. Unlike Oblivion, the environments in Two Worlds seem very realistic. Not just the graphics but the feel of nature makes you feel that you are in the real world.
THINGS TO DO
Game gives you a lot to do. You get paid in both money and experience, so you can build your character and your stash. I had a lot of fun selling my loot to the vendors and then looking for the right items to buy to make my weapon and weapons merge-upgrades possible. Unlike Oblivion, you can stash your stuff in any container you want and everything would stay there forever. You can have a lot of fun with alchemy - unlike Oblivion, you may create potions that are useful and permanent (ingredients can be purchased or collected - like certain grasses, for example). You can buy or earn magic spells and use them as well (my favorite one is re-animation spell, which allows you to bring dead or killed characters back to life - helps with you conscience, you know).
COMBAT
The combat system is simplistic but fun; and learning the "jump back" technique early on helps you fight even the most horrible giants like trolls and dragons without them hurting you. The game does not accommodate your level - you have to choose which enemy you fight when you are level 1 and which enemy to leave for later until you are level 10 and have a better weapon.
WEAPONS
Both weapons and armor are very diverse and you can make yourself look like whatever you want. Certain enemies are better to fight with particular weapons - experimentation makes it fun choosing whether to use a club, a sword, the double swords, or a spear and which magic to embellish it with. More of all, many weapons and pieces of armor have extra abilities that can improve your strength, combat, or protection.
AFTERTHOUGHT
Give the game a chance. I'll admit, in the beginning I accidentally wandered into a wrong dangerous area, got frustrated, and wanted to quit playing the game. But, later, I could not stop playing it and, I am sure, you won't be able as well. Plus, with a price it is today, how can you go wrong?
Enjoy | video-games_xbox |
Finally a console I can play. My husband had the PlayStation 3 for several years. He really wanted to get the Ps4. There are several reasons why I didn't want to upgrade to the Ps4. The PlayStation is good if you are a "serious" gamer and care about graphics. However, in my opinion it isn't a good entertainment console. Yes, it has blue ray, but anytime I wanted to watch a movie I had to figure out how to use the Ps3 remote. The buttons on the remote are confusing for a non-gamer...Square, circle, etc.. then the icons on the operating system screen just didn't seem clear. We ended up getting the XBox One and let me say I love it! One, the remote is user friendly. "B" for back just makes sense. Two, the games are ones that we can play together. My husband still has the shooter games he likes from the PlayStation, like Battlefield, but I also get to play my games like Just Dance 4. It's a win-win for both of us. My husband even likes that his Battlefield game has voice commands. He can "call" for a medic with his voice. He says the graphics are great as well. I like that the operating system is clearly labeled. I can go to "games" to find games. And "movies" to watch my movies. In my opinion, the operating system of the PlayStation lacks this nice organization. The XBox fitness game is free with Xbox gold membership. I love it. It's like watching a workout video, but it tells you if you are doing it correctly, tells you how much time is left for the set, and on the corner of the screen you can see your self and what you look like doing it! One thing, I don't like about the system is the voice commands. They work for my husband in his game, but doesn't work for me when I say "Xbox home" it seems easier to just manually turn it on/off, even though it is less convenient to keep turning on the remote. Overall, this is a great console if you want an entertainment system to watch movies (the console doubles as a Blue-ray player), play games, and get in shape! | video-games_xbox |
Great Game but Breaks no Bars. Great Game but Breaks no Bars is the title cause really come on lets all see the truth that this game is awesome.
The Graphics is amazing and to this date as I am writing this review it is amazing.
But before I go on with this review if you already have a X-Box and you do not got Halo2 you are A.) Broke as hell and can't buy it B.) Too young to buy this game. C.) Or just a big loser to not know this game is a must buy for any X-Box owner.
Well now with the review I must say that they did a great job on making a sequel cause I myself were not a big fan of Halo and thought it was a good game but nothing to get excited about.
But I must say Halo 2 is a great game cause I have played the game for 3 times already and see myself playing the single player mode again which I am playing it on my fourth time.
For the audio I think everyone knows about the music which I love and the sounds are really well made. The voiceovers were great cause the look of all the people were fitting in with the voices.
So as you see the game is great oh I forgot to talk about the multiplayer and I think it is the same but just like the first version it is only fun for me for a couple of hours then I am bored but it if fun while I play so no complains about it.
Now with the other part of the title "but Breaks no Bars"
We all saw some evolution in FPS after Halo came out and even though I think Halo 2 is better than Halo I must say that Halo did more to FPS than Halo 2 did cause Halo 2 didn't do anything new if you really see.
Here is what I mean:
1.)For those that have played the multiplayer know about stealing vehicles while the other is on it. - Copied from GTA
2.)Don't know what those are called but those that you fly with now you can do some tricks with them - Copied from Crimson Skies
3.)A sword on FPS - Copied from Doom
4.)Dual Weapon - Copied from Counter Strike "All they did was some little thinking and used other weapons than pistols"
You guys get the point all they did was add these features to Halo 2 and I wouldn't call these things original so that it is why this game doesn't revolutionize <--(don't know if that is how you spell it) anything with games meaning it doesn't break no bars
Verdict: 5.0 out of 5.0 (I usually give more than 5 when they surpass my expectations and really change something just look at my other reviews to see what I mean)
P.S. Just cause I played single player so many times doesn't mean it is flawless cause there are levels in the game that just plain suck. | video-games_xbox |
It does and it doesn't work. I, like many other people here, had big problems with the Nyko Zoom. I want to make a review detailing my experience. I started with it not being able to pick up anything and not being able to even navigate menus. After letting it sit for a few days I decided to give it a go again. I made sure the Kinect was off and that the Zoom was off, then I calibrated it (even though it doesn't work in this tiny room). I turned the sensor bar off and then turned the 360 off. I put the Zoom back on, then fired everything back up and tuned the sensor bar again. It found my hands face and did the cool little grid of, "Hey I found your face and hands!" Then I attempted to play some games...
I put in Kinect Adventures and my 360 wanted me to update the game. I couldn't even navigate the menu for that. It has a grey background with two big options at the bottom, I tried everything. You can't even use the controller to select an option. I picked up the controller, hit B and it cancelled the update and let me into the game. It surprising worked after that. I was able to navigate the menus and play the games no problem. When the kinect took the stupid pictures of me they looked normal. I then put in Dance Central and was able to get through the tutorial and regular play of Poker Face with only one hiccup that was my fault (I stepped too far back). I would have played more but its 3:30 in the morning and I live on the third floor. Those are the only two games I own for the Kinect, I have Rise of Nightmares coming from Gamefly sooner or later and I may update.
The bad part, which I already alluded to, is that menus don't work well at all. Trying to navigate the Kinect portions of the dashboard was almost impossible and I had to stand almost directly in front of my TV. I can't sit on my couch (about 8 feet away from the kinect) and use it at all, it will not see me at all. I couldn't update either of my Kinect games and the calibration is a work-around at best. The facial recognition is non-existent.
I'll note that my kinect is about 3 feet off the ground in front of my TV, I moved it from being about 6 1/2 feet off the ground on the wall behind the TV (which is where I couldn't get it to work at all). So my advice is, if you absolutely need this, its worth a try because it kinda works. If you can move furniture, just do that. | video-games_xbox |
I'm Batman. At least it certainly feels like it. I'm late to the party, but it didn't take me long to get as buzzed as everyone else for this dark horse of a Dark Knight game. Having just completed story mode and all it has to offer and now working on the 12 different challenge maps, I can say with confidence this is the best Batman game ever made. The reviews do not lie and are not exaggerating.
Prior to this game, the best Batman outings I can recall were the original Batman game based off the first Tim Burton movie on the NES, the awesome Beat 'em Up "Batman Returns" based off the second Tim Burton movie on the SNES and both the Genesis and SNES versions of Batman: The Animated Series. It has been a long time since we saw even a decent Batman game, most have reeked of mediocrity. Even the good games I mentioned failed to capture what it truly meant to be Batman by either focusing on platform or combative elements. Other games have attempted to showcase his Detective and stealth abilities but fell short. Arkham Asylum changes all of this.
In Batman: AA you get to experience, through an interactive format, all that makes Batman such a compelling Superhero. The game captured the brutality of his combat in a most satisfying fashion, gives you plenty of opportunity and even a requirement to stick to the shadows and take down your enemies silently with stealth, stalk your enemies like the nocturnal predator Batman is, make use of cool bat gadgets from the batarang to the batclaw and even behave like a true Detective. All of the Batman's talents and tricks are on full display here in a beautiful gothic setting which rivals the best Batman graphic novels.
When I first heard of this game and read up on it, I figured it would turn out average or worse, like most recent Batman games. I assumed it would focus on sloppy combat mechanics with the occasional gadget thrown in for superficial use. I could not have been more wrong. The combat is fluid, intuitive and immensely satisfying. The moves are quick and brutal, particularly the unblockable takedowns done in slow motion where bones can be heard crackling. The combo system is relatively simplistic, relying mostly on a couple buttons and the directional stick for basic moves, but seeing as how this is far from being primarily a beat 'em up, the simplicity in no way holds the experience back. In fact, the combat feels more rewarding than most games which provide heavier doses of it and has an old school feel where you need to rely on timing, positioning and keeping track of what types of enemies are around you. Beside the basic armed and unarmed minions, you have some tougher guys mixed in who can really mess up your rhythm if you're not careful. The gadgets add to the depth of combat where you can throw 3 batarangs, drag up to 3 enemies towards you with the ultra batclaw and more. Things can get pretty crazy but you feel the power of Batman the whole time, without it all being too easy. There is nothing more satisfying than swooping in on 10 thugs and taking them out with the grace and finesse of a Russian figure skater.
Aside from the combat, there is the flipside which is Predator mode. This is where you flip on your "detective vision" which is essentialy X-ray vision so you can see your enemies through walls and plan out your attack. This vision also highlights ideal spots to hide to help you with taking our your enemies like the Stealth Ninja Batman is. This usually consists of grappling up to Gargoyles near the ceiling, crawling through vents, scurrying under the floor or blowing up breakable walls as enemies walk by. The gadgets allow you to take out enemies from afar, distract them, lure them, stun them, confuse them and just completely terrify them as you take them out one by one. Uusually while you surgicaly remove each threat from a room, the Joker, voiced by the immortal Mark Hamil, can be heard yelling at his thugs for being so incompetent through the Asylum P.A. system; this can be quite entertaining.
All of the voice acting in this game is exceptional, even when it comes to cameos and small bit characters. Along with the terrific art, graphics, sound and music, the voice actors bring this game to life and suck you right in. Many of the voices are from the animated series from the 90s, a wise choice if you ask me. Batman, Joker, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, Bane, Riddler, Harley Quinn - they all sound spot on and convincing. If you take the time to explore and look around (which you will), you can find "interview tapes" scattered about where you can listen to these guys speak during their psychological evaluations. Listening to these tapes adds much to the characters with lesser roles and there are all sorts of bios and backstories for a massive number of characters not even seen in the game.
The developers have a clear love and devotion to the source material. Everything in this game was meticulously crafted and then polished with such care. You have atmosphere, great voice acting, great music, great art, fun combat, stealth, gadgets, detective work, puzzle solving, platform elements and exploration elements. You have a good story with good storytelling as well and there even some horror elements for good measure. The only real gripes I have are that the pacing of the game slows down to a crawl for about an hour or two in the beginning of the game after a jaw dropping opening sequence (things pick up very quickly though and don't let up until it's all over) and there isn't quite as much combat as I would have liked. Those who need their combat fix, as well as more stralth takedowns, can play the separate challenge modes which are quite addictive. I just would have liked to have seen more of these incorporated into the game's main story. The boss fights are fantastic, but I would have liked to have seen at least one more featured in the game. Speaking of boss fights, the mind numbing run ins you have with Scarecrow are unlike anything you'll play in console games these days.
The hype is real, this game rocks and is one of the best games this generation. If I wasn't such an RPG junkie who loves Dragon Age, I would name Batman: Arkham Asylum as the best game of 2009. Easily an 'A' on the letter grade scale. | video-games_xbox |
Awesome but annoyances. I love this system. The main reason is the online setup with xbox live to play games with others it's market place, personal custimization and ease to do all this.
POSITIVES:
1. Ability to play with others online and the displays and ability to to it very easy.
2. Ability to speak to other gamers with microphones and send voice messages, even pictures if you have camera.
3. While playstation 2 had numerous games xbox seemed have not as large a selection. Same with 360 but they are there. Doesn't seem a lot of RPG games but they are there and fun. Of the games present excellent graphics. I've seen PS3 and Xbox 360 graphics. They look the same to me.
Favorite games:
a. Fusion Frenzy 2 (however 1 is better but this version you can play online with other players PERFECT since this game is setup of multitude of mini silly games between 4 players such as a conveyer belt with boxes holding several hamers that you have to catch and hit other players. one gives most damage wins)
b. Kameo (fantasy RPG), so yea you are a girl elf but still fun brilliant color game. You also switch different warriors during the game and pick for each areas which warrior is best. Ex if you are underwater you need a underwater warrior.
c. Oblivion RPG (Lengthy though)humungous world
d. Viva Pinata (silly and easy like a Sims setups but pretty HDTV colors and fun, you grow your own living pinatas and some are not so happy things)
e. Lost Planet (shooter but lots of big bug monster bosses with great graphics nice colors.
f. any of the need for speed games, just fun racing and cool looking cars not to mention ability to race online with others is just great. The police theme that can lead to police chases is neat too.
***To boot with all these games you can buy extras for nice aditions on the market place. So far and it better stay that way nice ADDITIONS not necesary to complete games. Just something to make more variety. Ex I bought an outfit collection for Kameo (yea I'm a girl), also in oblivion I bought a wizard house to store all my stuff. Also for Oblivion you can add several more auditions to play the game more such as a dungeon thing.
***CANNOT WAIT TILL DANCE DANCE REVOLUTIONS COMES OUT FOR 360!!!
4. Xbox Live Arcade is AWESOME!!!!!!!! It is so much fun selecting numerous fun new and old games such as pac man, paper boy 2 but also new ones like Feeding Frenzy which is easy but a silly game where you progress from a little fish to bigger fish eating other fish or being eatin. Downside is yes usually about $10 bucks a game but you get to keep it. But they are silly aimless fun games. I have a bunch. In fact I find I play these more than the main $60 games!
5. Ability play dvds in progressive scan to new hdtvs (uses signal to make it look best it can on an HDTV without it being true HD disc)
6. Market place: AWESOME because they periodically have several movie trailers for free to download and other games videos for free download. I personally love trailers and have allways saved them on my computer. Same with free game demos to download. You can buy numerous South Park episodes and other funny shows such as Dave Chappelle show for $2. Just watch out. Pick best ones or you will spend more on a bunch of shows that you can just buy the seasons on DVD. So good for top picks. They have periodically promotions for new movies to get free downloads such as movie clips, skins, pictures. Very fun.
7. Rent movies right over the system.
8. Customize your systme. Various face plates to change. Also when turned on can add you own pic slide shows, own pic bacgrounds, download free or buy more skin backgrounds via market place, still lots of promotional stuff so can get movie skin themes such as the new Blades of Glory movie comming out.
9. Connect it to computer to play files on the system. This inculdes some video you have if compatable and played through windows media player.
10. Play your own music in your games or just through the tv. I connect my mp3 player with the usb cable and can play right from it.
11. Achievments. Ok. Seems rather silly but honestly I love this feature. All games have goals and you get gamer points and acheivment titles for accomplashings certain things. It is not needed but motivates me to continue a game or look for more stuff to obtain this. You data is on display if you choose to other gamers so you are all competing to get good scores. It is really lots of fun. Many games even during them such as Amped 3 all the different game plays in it you were ranked to other live players and your name is on the score board. It gives you a video gamer identy making it very fun.
NEGATIVES:
1. #ONE ANNOYANCE EVER: MICROSOFT ADVERTISES 360'S MULTIMEDIA FEATURE BUT YET ONLY A 20GB HARDRIVE!!!!!!!!! It's perfect for game saves. No memory card needed. But if you are downloading movies, trailers, shows, games, themes YOU NEED WAY MORE SPACE!!!!! Now I could have sworn my xbox came with a 10gb hardrive. Maybe it was 20 but for me... with all the multimedia it's not enough. Not to mention the hardrive has stuff on it to make the games playable so that took about 3gb off of what I had. I thought I had 10gb then only availble left was 7gb of usable space. Now, some HD rentable movies are 7gb. How am I suppose to save my content and play that????? Stupid stupid stupid. Now you can delete your content and redownload it later. BUT some stuff after a while is removed. Plus if I buy an episode of south park. I'm keeping it. Not to mention $10 games. Also there are lots of HDTV downloadable content which takes 3-5x more space then standard defination. I bought a flash drive to save data to it through the usb port and connect it to my computer to transfer files but some have stated you are unable to do this need some type of hub for $100 allows you too. I have a 64mb memory unit that was the highest I could find but on amazon found there is a 500 something mb one. Now they are ridiculously priced for little memory. The 64mb is about $30. Now the unit is great for game saves and to transport your xbox live profile only 2mb to other xboxes. I use this to go to my brothers. NOw I SWEAR I found a pelican type product that connected your hardrive right to the computer so you can use yor pc space for storage and use it via the 360 however I cannot find it ANYWHERE any more so maybe it was removed.
2. SECOND most annoyance: WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY too noisy. It is a computer so you hear the fan and it is loud. So load I don't allways play my dvds because if it is soft speaking it is hard to hear over the fan.
3. Ease to over heat. I think the major reason why many of the xbox 360s freeze or breakdown is poor ventalation. It produces lots of heat so it needs to be in an open area. See you can't even place it somewhere to muffle it's noise because you need it ventalated or you risk it overheating! Not to mention if warranty runs out and it breaks down Microst charges approx $80 or more JUST to receive it and SEE if it can be fixed. I bought a fan ventilator thing for my 360. Attatchs to back and a little cooling fan. I keep it on the ground next to the tv totally open not in any enclosed area. Down side I really can hear the fan. You can allways put the volume up but still a pain.
4. Abundance of shooter games. Needs yet still more variety of games. Halo is very fun but then came call of duty, dark zero, fear, all shooter games and it's too much. Well it's fine but more RPGs. I love Final Fantasy games I wish more were there for 360. There is one comming out called Dark Kindom maybe that will be ok. I got Enchanted Arms. I'm hoping it is good. The graphics and fight scenes look great BUT the chracters look really really silly and voice overs are suppose to be terrible in english.
5. Cannot play downloaded items offline. So if you bring your system to grandmas with no internet you can't play your downloaded arcade games. If your hardrive has not been removed you supposedly can. There was an update that made it so if the hardrive was removed only the profile that purchased content can use that data. So if your entire family is on this system if your brother bought a live game the sister could not play in her name if she had a seperate purchased account. All this to stop piracy which I understand but just a major pain in the but. Pain for me when my brother bought the Wizard house in Oblivion him, me and his girlfriend shared it. OUr philosopy, the content is on one xbox bought so ANY proflile ON that system should have access. So with this update next thing I know my house with all my stuff is gone. Well, my stuff was floating in a black space and me stuck in an area the house used to be in. There is a way to play live games on different profiles. The one who purchased the content signs in and starts the game, then another player taps in signs in and chooses to start the game then you can play and get acheivments.
6. Still needs more market place stuff. Can allways add more shows, and way way way more music videos.
7. Maybe it's just my mp3 player but with the 360 takes FOREVER to bring up my music and select peices.
So overall I really enjoy this system but it can get very annoying. It's potentail is so great but not all put together. I like lots of silly games so right now the Nintendo Wii is actually becoming more and more appealing to me. I find I play many old time games or silly newer xbox live games that seem very similar to Wii. | video-games_xbox |
Disappointed. This was one of the best third-party controllers I had ever used up until recently. The feel of it was excellent, the look was great, and it was superb for playing games on my PC. That was until later. I really wanted to love this controller, I really did. It just wouldn't be justified for me to review it positively though. After about a month of use on my Xbox, it would start going wonky and require the person using it to go up and unplug it to reset it. While it was a minor annoyance, it was something I could live with. Considering I have two other MS controllers, I rarely used it anyways so that wasn't a problem.
The main reason I purchased it was for gaming on my PC. I prefer the feel of the Xbox controller to any I've ever used in the past. I got it on sale in a store for about $20 and thought that it was a great price, especially when compared to an OEM wired controller. The afterglow was a nice addition, but price was my primary reason for buying it. Often times my controller would just stop working during a game and it would require me to exit the game and start it back up again. That was a major headache, but again, it was something that I could live with. Just today, about six months after buying it, my controller has just totally went out. It takes six or seven tries to get it working, and when it does, it only works for about 5-10 minutes. The lights will start flashing for no reason, the vibration goes static (keeps spinning over and over again despite not even playing the game) and Windows reports no driver failures (indicating that it is hardware based).
All in all, I had fun with the controller when it worked. It was especially sturdy (considering how much it failed on an interior level), it was responsive, and the lights did look cool. That said, I can't recommend this to anyone. The controller just gave me too many problems, and reading other reviews around Amazon make it appear to be a controller-wide occurrence and not just mine. | video-games_xbox |
Great Multiplayer Online Fighting Game. Iron Phoenix is a really interesting combination of two gaming genres. You get the multi-combos of a fun fighting game with the online fun of team combat!
The plot and background is pretty fluffy. A meteorite fell to earth, and special weapons were created with its ore. Now different heroes have grabbed the weapons and are vying for control of the region. In reality, when you enter into combat, you can choose any character you want, choose any weapon you want, and have fun.
The game is set in a Chinese themed world so you get a nice selection of male and female Chinese-style characters. While I really appreciate having females represented, how come they always choose to fight in incredibly skimpy bikinis? The guys are wearing full clothing and armor, whiel the girls wear bras and mini-skirts. Hmmmmmmmmmm.
The graphics are reasonably impressive for a multi-person fighting game. Each character is clearly recognized, fighting in a world full of rippling water, waving trees, glowing balls and flickering light. It's not as pretty as say Halo 2 - the textures are a bit more rough and repetitive. Still, the reflections and lighting are reasonably good.
There isn't much to say about the sound. You can stick with the default soundtrack or play any other music you've loaded onto your XBox, which is a cool treat. There are the typical grunts and clanks as you fight, but that's about it.
Gameplay itself is reasonably varied. Each character has his or her own special talents and strengths. Each weapon has a different range, speed and style. You can really mix and match to find a style that really works well with your gameplay techniques. There are different game modes to give a try to. There are the traditional deathmatch and team deathmatch games. There's a VIP mode where a random team member is the Leader, and if he dies, the other team wins. There's a Giant Kill which is a really interesting idea. One team has just a few players, but they are giants. The other team has a ton of normal players. Finally the Challenge Ring requires a lot of patience, and is sort of a gladiator match. You sit around watching individuals square it off one-on-one.
The maps are nicely varied, from watery to temples to natural and so on. There are lattice-work metal screens, reflective pools of ater, flickering flames in multi-level temples.
It really is a great amount of fun to be in a fighting game involving a lot of teammates, and to be in a fully realized 3-D world. However, we were really surprised not to find any sort of campaign or story mode. Sure, it's fun to go into random combat mode and slash away at enemies. But we really enjoy having objectives to reach and challenges to win.
So I'll give this a 4/5 as a great online fighting game that, if you have friends who also play online, could easily provide months and months of great fun. But if they do a sequel, I *really* hope that they put work into a story mode, so that you can work through each character's storyline.
Rating: 4/5 | video-games_xbox |
The best game on any next gen console right now. Ive had the game since before it came out officially(If you pre ordered it you got it on Nov. 7th instead of Nov. 12th). I must say that I have had a hard time putting this one down. Everything about it is amazing. This game has the best graphics ever so far. Unreal Engine 3 is truly a sight to behold, but this game isn't good JUST because of graphics. The gameplay is very fun and addicting. I have beaten the game on all three difficulties(casual, hardcore and insane) and I still play it in co-op and multiplayer on xbox live.
I don't know why some people said it had no story because I understood the story very well and thought it was pretty good. Its a cinematic experience and is quite engrossing. The one liners through out the game are really quite funny and really make you enjoy the characters. Agustus Cole AKA The Cole Train I found to be particularly cool with his spunky attitude and clever one liners.
For those that didn't quite get the story here is some background. *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*:
Marcus Fenix was thrown in jail to serve a 40 year sentence for deriliction of duty because during the initial war with the locusts he defied orders to go save his dad. His dad ended up dying anyway and he got thrown in jail after being placed on trial and found guilty. 14 years after the locust first attack(where the game begins) Marcus' best friend, Dominic "Dom" Santiago, comes to bust Marcus out of jail because the city, along with the prison, has been completely over run by locust.
After Marcus is broken out of jail and joins up with delta squad this is pretty much where the game begins and you go off as Marcus Fenix to put the hurt on the Locust. I won't say anymore beyond this point as you will just have to play the game to find out what happens.
As people have already said this game is very violent and has alot of blood and gore. Plus, there is alot of profanity to boot so I don't recommend this game for kids. Otherwise, this game is outstanding and is a fresh approach to third person action. The fact that you have to use cover and strategically flank your opponents to get the better of them really does an excellent job of simulating what a real life firefight would be like.
If you have an xbox 360 you should own this game. If you don't have an xbox 360 you need to go buy one so you can own this game. Its that good. Enjoy all and I hope you found this helpful. See you online. | video-games_xbox |
Familiar, but that's not always a bad thing. To start, this is a natural fit into the Batman: Arkham series. If you liked the others, look no further, you will like this. Overall, I don't believe it is as good as the first two, but it's a very solid action game. Quick rundown:
Pros:
-Assortment of side missions to keep you busy and entertained while you work slowly through the main missions to explore and demolish the bad guys.
-Graphics are awesome and Gotham has never looked better. Weather effects, atmosphere, colors/lights are all great. They really did a nice job polishing this game.
-Some stories are a lot of fun. This includes moments of actual suspense and cheap scare tactics in areas. As a result, the subject matter may be a little too advanced for little children who love Batman. Not so much in the scary moments, but the sexual content and violence are in there like the others.
-Fight system is familiar and relatively simplistic. It's better than straight button mashing, but it's not far off at times. The combat system rewards you for NOT button mashing, though you have the choice to stick with the same moves over and over again for those who lack the coordination of combos but want to play the game.
Cons:
-Heavy reliance on Batmobile gimmick. I like having the Batmobile, but it does get a little annoying and clunky at times. Narrow and cluttered streets and alleys can make it difficult to use it during chase missions. I am a huge fan of driving games, so it's relatively familiar (minus the battle/drive mode always messing me up when I hit L-trigger by accident for braking!), but for those who hate driving games, you may find these parts tiresome and annoying.
-I actually do not like the health/armor HUD. The way it's set up, I have a hard time when I'm in the middle of a big battle to know how close I actually am to death. Small detail, but it's led to some frustrating moments.
-Fight system, while also a pro for it's ease and accommodation to different styles, also has issues of not always recognizing the buttons you are pressing. I find this happens most often when I counter or move the direction towards the opponent I actually want to fight and skip over them completely and launch across the screen to fight someone else.
Overall, Batman: Arkham Knight is a natural addition to the series. The game plays well and is as solid as any other action game, or better. I have a hard time recommending anyone to buy it at full price as historically, if you CAN wait, they come out with an edition that includes all DLC and that version soon hits the $20-30 range. I would recommend buying it at that point if you can wait. If you can't wait, I would probably still wait until $40 for this game. You won't be disappointed at $60. | video-games_xbox |
Truly A Masterpiece. Having just beaten this game and getting the gist of what the heck just happened(after many minutes of pondering) I have to say that this is not only one of the best gaming experiences I have had this year, but of my lifetime. I assure you that this is not coming from just another fanboy. In fact, after playing the first game and loving it, I played the second one and was a little jaded by the bioshock experience as I reached the end of the game. I still loved the second one but it wasn't as impactful as my experience with the first game.
I say this because when I heard a third one was being made I was skeptical since I didn't know how they could make the bioshock experience feel fresh. I thought the experience would just grow stale this time around. So, going into this game with that attitude I wasn't really planning on having my mind blown.
Well, it wasn't just blown. My mind was strapped to a rocket, shot into the stratosphere and detonated. Everything about this game is just brilliant! This is an extremely well crafted game with only very minor flaws. Everything from the gameplay, music, voice acting, setting, visuals, etc. has been created with so much care and attention that it's staggering.
This is especially true for the story. This is one of the best stories I have experienced. Not only does the ending redefine the beginning moments of this game, but it also adds a new layer to the franchise as a whole. It's truly amazing and something you have to experience.
I get very frustrated when I read and hear that this isn't a true bioshock game. I don't understand that accusation one bit. This definitely felt like a bioshock game to me in the best ways possible. This is just a bioshock injected with fresh ideas. Ideas that created for me the same amount of awe and wonder the first bioshock did. Ideas that perfectly fit within the bioshock franchise. Explaining this would spoil the game. Experiencing how everything fits and the ending to this game are moments I won't forget. | video-games_xbox |
Forza Horizon. This was my first Forza game and boy do I love it.
The game is an open world game set in Colorado. You participate in a tournament called Horizon Festival and your goal is to win the tournament and beat the champion Darius Flynt. The game has a decent roster of cards but it is less than Forza 4. You start off with a old Volkswagen Corrado and work your way up to more exotic cars such as BMW's, Ferrari's, and Bugatti's. When you join the festival they give you a wristband. When you complete an event you get points. After earning a certain amount of points you get your next wristband allowing you to participate in more challenging events. Races can be easy or hard depending on how you set the difficulty. You can choose your opponent's level, manual or automatic, a driving line, ABS, and more. The more assists you turn off, the more money you get after completing an event but its also harder. There are also Showcase Events which require you to race something such as a bi-plane, a helicopter, or even hot air baloons. The game has a lot of replay-ability. There is a popularity chart which you climb higher on by performing skills such as drifting and drafting. I beat the Horizon Champion but I'm still not number one! There are also discount signs scattered all over Colorado for you to smash. Each one you smash gives you a discount of 1% on car parts. Some cars are expensive and require millions of in game credits. One Ferrari is 10,000,000 credits! If you want to collect all the cars then you are going to have to do a lot of events to afford some cars.
The game does however, charge you for some cars as DLC. You can not get the cars any other way. You can purchase a season pass to give you access to the cars but it is pricey. The game does give you some free downloads too such as the Honda pack.
The game is great and long. It took me over 8 hours to get to the final race and was well worth the money because I got it on sale on the marketplace. I really enjoyed playing the game and I still am playing to finish all the events. | video-games_xbox |
dont send a boy to do a mans job. I BEAT THE GAME.so this will be my final copy.
initialy,i didn't know what noire meant.someone described it to me as a old 30s and 40s detective movies where the lines between good and bad are hard to see.in gta 4,niko bellic could make moral decisions that affected the outcome of the story.that would have been cool in this game.that way you could be a good cop or bad cop.
there was very little of that cool talking associated with this type of story.stuff like.i was walking through the soul of this rancid city being crushed by morphine hells in the insanity vice oozing out of the mirrors of a junkies eyes....more of that would have been cool
ive been to a shoe store called nunbush.hehehe.
i was driving around and thought"wow! everyone here is driving such cool cars!".then i remembered this story takes place in the 40's.all those cars are classics now.maybe even antiques.
it was a while ago.here are some funny things ,chronologicaly speaking.a $30 suit,calling tiffanys jewelry junk,asking how anybody could make $20,000,A $200 coat,saving up a nest egg of $11,000,a $2000 car,a $20,000 house,a salary of $120 a month.there was also a social security sign up ad on the radio.another time there was a hotel where law breakers hide out.they game false names in the book like winston churchill and orsen welles.
there are some breasts in this one and the other feminine part.but don't get your hopes up.they're attatched to naked ,dead chicks.eeewwwwww! there is a nude master piece on the bad bosses wall.i think it may be a michelangelo.
i bought this game for 2 reasons.one was because it had the rockstar logo on it.that means quality game.however,the amount of content is not very rockstar at all.ive been playing for 6 days and now im already done.does rockstar still = quality or is it all team bondi's fault?i read that there were 186,000 pictures gone over to make this game look just like 1940's los angeles.where was this ambition during gameplay and story lines?
2-because i figured i could beat the crap out of bad guys in the interrogation room.but no! im in a ways and i haven't got to use the phone book on one low life yet.yet my partner gets to.and my guy always stops him.it must just be part of the story.in interrogations,there are 3 choices you have which are truth,doubt and lie.they should have included beat,intimidate and torture.now that would have been cool.you could leave him hungry or not let them pee or turn the tempurature way up and leave him there.however,much later there is a big escalation in violence.but its well into the game.the shootouts save 1 had a body count under 10.a newer guy is far more viscious than the first guy.now im getting to like this one better.the character keeps switching but they both are getting angrier.
ive only owned this game since it came out[may 17th 2011],but have played a lot.right now it is my 22nd game of all time.the best part about the game was the ww2 flashbacks the main character has.you want an idea for a good idea for a game?kick team bondi to the curb.then make a marines game based on ww2.just leave out all of the dead civilians.
people have been asking are sequels ruining the gaming industry?here are the games coming out this year im exited about child of eden,star wars kinects,fable 3,,assassins creed brotherhood,arkham city,dragon age 2,max payne 3,la noire,mass effect 3[which got moved to 2012 though],elder scrolls 5 and lego clone wars. 8 are sequels! sequels aren't ruining gaming,they are running it! la noire is no exeption.
i was sickened by the graphic depiction of burned up children at one of the arson cases.also,there is a clip of some soldiers executing burning ,hospitalized children and japanese civilians.the ww2 flashbacks WERE pretty cool until that.this is the entertainment industry and that is anything but entertaining.
some of the story is buggy.where like things happen that weren't shown that affect the main story.
the area where the final battle goes down is silly.
i have beaten the game now.there were 3 discs but it took only 6 days.there is a free roam side game where you can just drive around fighting crimes.they usualy end up in shoot outs.i like it better than the actual game.
i knew whodunnit was very early on.maybe it was written like that or maybe im just that good.
i say go ahead and buy it just don't expect rockstar quality stuff because they worked in conjunction with team bondi who let us all down. | video-games_xbox |
A bit letdown after the stellar deadspace 2. Let me first start off by saying that i was a HUGE fan of the 1st and 2nd deadspace, as far as to say they are some of my favorite games of all time. By the time i got done with three, i felt a lot of meh....and that really makes me sad. Deadspace could of ended at 2, but they decided to make another one, and it never quite feels justified.
I really tried to love this game but there was some design choices that just hold it back.
-co op takes away the feeling of isolation, also theres content that you cant see unless you play with someone else. Main kicker to that is you cant play local ala resident evil series, you have to play online. I understand for some of the content, since 2 different things are going on at once, but if you don't have anyone to play it with, theres some gaps in the story that feel off.
-Custimizable weapons were a good idea, but bad in execution. So now you can build your own guns, say a (in my case) high powered rifle with a shotgun on the bottom. The thing is, once you find that really awesome gun, you really have no need to use anything else. I made a flamethrower with a grenade launcher and a slow down effect while cool, the rifle shotgun outperformed that gun everytime. Also, all the weapons use the same type of ammo, so as compared to the other games where you got ammo for a lot a guns but not a lot of it, you just have a lot of ammo. I played the game on normal, and had almost 1500 shots with my rifle, and 500 with my shotgun. That REALLY destroyed the survival part of the game.
-Enviorments aren't that memorable. The 1st one was containted on the ishimura, but felt like you were actually walking around a real ship, with different sections of the ship appearing a lot different from the other. This one had the space wasteland, that was cool because you went to different time period ships, but once you land on the planet everything looks the same. All the buildings look like a engine room, but they all blend in together at a certain point. Nothing really stood out.
-Speaking of Memorable, there isn't very much in the game that is. 1 started off with a crazy bang and the first time a necro tried getting through a door i hadmy gun up and pointed at ever door that opened. In 2 issac just free diving through a building? The famouse needle scene towards the end? 3 doesnt have any of that, and its a real let down. If you asked me what happened in 3 i could kind of tell you, but not in detail (and who doesnt remember going into the daycare in 2? Scary business).
-I mentioned co op earlier, and one thing that irked me play by myself is there are times where enemies will come from 3 directions and you will be hit in the back, and it felt a little cheap. It seemed like a lot of those parts were designed with 2 people in mind, so keep in mind no matter how careful you are, you are going to be smacked from the back quite a bit.
The fundamentals are still there, issac controls well, the lighting is still well done, but the 1st one had all that. The best parts of the series were the atmosphere and the feeling of dread as you walk down a lonely corridor by yourself, and this one clearly lacks it. If you want to play deadspace, i would say play 1 and 2. | video-games_xbox |
Disapointed. My son and I watched an EA review for this game on hulu and we were both instantly excited. The game looked like great fun and we were eager to playing against one another in the game. We pre-ordered here on amazon and waited literally weeks for it to finally ship. When it arrived my son RIPPED the plastic off, dropped it into our xbox console and .... Well, here is where everything started to go down hill ...
First of all, the game requires an XBOX Live Gold account to even work (no mention of this was made in the hulu game review). I mean, absolutely nothing works in the game without that account. My son was devastated. I was livid, to say the least, but I got out my credit card and started to order an XBOX Live Gold membership so we could get some use out of this game. We tried to order the XBOX Gold membership on his XBOX login and it wouldn't allow us to continue since he is underage. Fine, I can understand that. I went to my XBOX login and it asked for my Microsoft Windows Live account ... Hmm .. I thought that was odd but I supplied it anyway. Then it asked for my phone number, to send me a code, to verify that I'm really me. I gritted my teeth, muttered something unprintable about Microsoft and entered my phone number. Microsoft sent me a code and I entere it. I was then asked for a *second* email address, different than the one I use for my Microsoft Live account, so that Microsoft Live could verify that the verification they just did on me was a verified verification (I hate Microsoft at this point). Thing is, I don't have another email address so I have to go create one. I do that, then Microsoft Live says that Ive attempted to reset my security info and they are going to freeze my account for 30 days, to make it harder for anyone to steal my account
I won't repeat what I was screaming at that point, but it certainly wasn't fit for mixed company
I finally managed, after much pulling of hair and gnashing of teeth, to finally, FINALLY get Microsoft Live to accept my money for the Gold membership that I didn't want to begin with and we were ready to play the game
My son tried for about 10 minutes to get the game to connect and it kept repeating that it was unable to connect to the EA servers. After what seemed like an eternity, one that had my son in tears and myself ready to go find the people who sold me this product and erm stuff carrots in their ears (ok, I cleaned it up for the review, you get the idea) we finally got connected to a server, started a match and lost our connection. The game stopped. So, we tried again to connect. We selected a match, started the game and lost our connection. This went on for awhile. I tried moving the XBOX around. I played with the wireless connection, I did everything but run a dedicated CAT5 connection into the XBOX machine, which was where I was going to draw the line.
I went to other parts of the XBOX system and downloaded various things, watched some video, verified that the connection was fine. Whatever EA is trying to push to their server must be big.
In any event, after waiting for weeks I managed to see the intro screen and a small part of one of the arena areas before I gave up and sent the product back for a refund. Now I just have to get a refund of the XBOX live account
Oh, and I was thinking about trying to buy the game for download but I just noticed that it only works for PC. My son has a Mac. Oh well EA, you really screwed the pooch on this one. My son is disappointed and Im less than pleased myself. It will be a long time before I bother with another EA game.
My advice? Save your money and wait until this game is released for Steam. Also, boycott any game that requires 24x7 Internet access to work.
My 2 cents. | video-games_xbox |
Hard to believe it is a game. There was nothing new much in the Half-Life game engine which was essentially just a modern hack of the Quake game engine, so how could a game that based itself on software that others developed succeed in becoming the biggest selling game of all time? When Half-Life first came out it did a couple of things right that most other first person shooters failed to do... (1)Story,(2)Story and (3)Story. Valve created Half-Life in a period of our lives when Area 51 was a hot topic among UFO buffs and the X-Files was to become mainstream family television viewing. Alien based entertainment media was a craze in the mid and late 1990's, unprecedented since the 1950s. Smack in the middle of what could be considered the most influential era for UFO enthusiasts came HALF-LIFE where YOU get to play as Gordon Freeman, a physics researcher who witnesses a freak accident in an Area 51 type facility. All hell breaks loose and YOU have to survive. No cut scenes. No initial story. No explanation. You where just there and you had to escape. Cue interactive characters that could follow you around and say a few things, maps rich in objects that you could break eventually leading up to rapid action shootouts with monsters and marines.
The GOOD NEWS is that Half-Life 2 is another world beyond HL1 and is like nothing you have ever played before! This IS the first person shooter 'Game of games', hands down, period. As a stand alone game, HL2 is 100% pure adrenaline, no holds barred, from start to finish. If you own an Xbox then own HL2 because your world will never be the same again. Half-Life 2 WILL destroy lives, educations and marriages and......IT IS NOT A GAME! ... or at least that is the net result. This thing is real. Forget "Doom 3", "FarCry" or any of the best pixel pushers out there - HL2 just mashes `em into the ground and then sets off an amazing fireworks display to welcome you back. How many games within the first two levels have you literally calling friends, family and neighbours to have a look at it? You must LIVE this game.
Nowhere else will you see anything as amazing as City 17. The game starts right where the previous one left off, as you are dumped into this futuristic eastern European city like something out of Orwell's 1984 following a brief meeting with the GMAN, learning that citizens are slowly going missing from City 17 you must meet up with old friends - scientists from the first game including security guard Barney. As soon as your teleporter goes wonky you are landed right in on the action with soldiers storming apartments looking for you. On the run you manage to land a hovercraft and go on to tear through flood channels ramping over obstacles while seeing full scale battlecrafts flying overhead... and when you hit them, bits break off and explode... slowly... so you give `em more heat... and more bits break off... and then they crash and burn with a roaaaaarrr! The gem of the game though is when you play with DOG and learn a neat trick with a new weapon called the Gravity gun. Not to spoil the fun but let a few disc saws whirl and watch what happens to the bad guys or even throw a petrol canister into a group of zombies and hear them scream. The animation is hyper-realistic and your fps will match your heartbeat. This is THE REAL DEAL.
The characters all have their own unique personality and walk, talk and act differently. The cut scenes all look great and are done in 1st person as you walk around the event. Like its predecessor, each level is designed with plenty of tasks to do, puzzles to solve and bad guys to mow down. There is also team play in this one like in HL1 but is more organized with much more firepower. Join the resistance in City 17 and win the war! If you have a thing for 1984, conspiracy theory or the New World Order, then HL2 has it all! HL2 also borrows HUGELY from other games and films you have seen, but that just makes it all the better because it seems somewhat familiar, yet ABSOLUTELY NEW.
The bottom line is that it is, hands down, the best 1st person shooter you can find.
Pros:
- It does not feel like a game. It feels real.
- Totally immersion in a film-like environment.
- Truly massive maps with PLENTY to do.
- Action, action, action, non-stop.
- Lots and lots of variation in the gameplay.
- GRAVITY GUN!
- A real interesting futuristic story
- The best 1st person shooter (maybe game) ever.
Cons:
- Single Player Only, No Multiplayer! | video-games_xbox |
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