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Only Buy if You REALLY Want a WWF Game for the XBox. I'm really glad I rented this game first. Graphically, it's stunning, starting with the perfectly recreated Raw open at the beginning. But graphics can only take you so far. There also are a ton of available wrestlers in this game, but most of them fall into the "he's still around?" category.
The problems start right at the main menu. There are only the most basic matches, like one on one, tag team, triple threat, and a six-man tag match. You can make the matches hardcore, but that's about the extent of what you can do in this game. No ladder matches, no steel cage or hell in a cell matches, no options. You can't even fight into the backstage area or crowd in a hardcore match. There is also no career mode, meaning no alliances built and no real direction for you to go. Instead, the game allows you to go after the individual belts, which require you to beat a certain number of superstars. After you win the belt, that's it. And you can't save your progress either, so be prepared to spend a solid hour and a half at least going for a belt.
I also have issues with the gameplay. It's a simple enough system and pretty easy to use, but there are a few quirks. The stamina meter is a great idea that's been very poorly done. Four punches and you're out of breath, opening you up to all sorts of attacks. I thought these were WWF superstars, not Homer Simpson. The computer also gives wrestlers like X-Pac the ability to reverse everything, including punches and kicks, and never let you get anything going. That can be a good or a bad thing, depending on how much of a challenge you want. But the most annoying thing has to be the crowd meter, which allows you to do your finishing move when it starts flashing. In order to get this, you have to vary your moves, which I don't have a problem with. What I do have a problem with is that the crowd turns on you bigtime if you use the same moves repeatedly. For example, you can inadvertently let your opponent do their special move if you throw one too many punches.
The Create-A-Wrestler system is good, but I've seen better. The developers also see some reason to only allow you to create 16 wrestlers. Also, if you expect to create a true superstar, that won't happen. You can't build your stats up enough.
Overall, this is an ok game that could have been much better if more time was spent on it and the developer didn't rush it out. It's worth a rent, but just barely. | video-games_xbox |
Great game, but could have been a masterpiece. The overall game had great potential in all aspects, but it lacked in many ways. The story has no depth, its short and straightforward, if you have little knowledge of history, you can guess the turns of events from miles away, there is no surprise or wonder. But even if you know what will happen, the dialogues make it worthwhile and memorable. The characters are interesting, the art is amazing and the setting is awesome. Its really refreshing to see that your actions have consequences, and you are made aware of the repercussions they have right away, making you to rethink if you want to continue on your killing spree or opt to a more merciful approach. The options that you make have consequences but not that much in the main plot, the end result doesnt vary much from one option to another. They are more reflected in how your next mission will be staged than in the plot.
Its a 10 to 14 hours gameplay. But its highly replayable. You can try different ways of how to dispose of your enemies as well as how to approach them, as they offer multiple ways to reach your destination. And there are many events that happens when exploring the place, triggering sidequest along the way, it enriches the world and helps with replayability, like saving a woman from corrupt guards, freeing prisoners and so on. Though there are plot holes by the end of the game making the game feel incomplete.
About the gameplay, your field of view is really narrow for a first person game, which makes the combat really hard, since you have no peripheral vision. (It seems that the PC version the field of view can be adjusted though) This makes it easy for the enemies to get out of your sight by a slight dodge to the side. I completed the game through stealth, I have yet to play the game by using the direct approach, so I don't really know if its better to go ahead and attack directly. To me it seemed easier to go stealth, especially on your main targets. But the game provides enough options to develop your own style. I recommend saving the game frequently as anything bad can happen really fast.
They give you a lot of options for combat, but only two are nonlethal attacks, which are the sleeping darts and a stealth attack that knocks them out. When knocking out enemies, there are times that your character will raise his knife in attempt to block an attack alerting the enemy instead of executing the knock out. This gets annoying when you have a timed opportunity before some other guard sees you forcing you to reload to a previous save state, which is why I recommend saving often.
The game has some issues regarding glitches and bugs, but they didn't make it unplayable. Like NPC getting stuck in the air, dead bodies getting stuck in the wall or floor, or getting stuck in some corners, but you can blink away if you are stuck so its not a big issue.
In a nutshell. The game is linear, but it offers multiple ways to accomplish your goals and with all the set of skills, weapons and powers given it makes the game more dynamic and fluid and of course, replayable; giving the player a sense of freedom like no other of its genre has. It has amazing art, interesting characters and an awesome setting, which makes Dishonored a memorable game.
Its a great game overall but it could have been a masterpiece with a little more work. | video-games_xbox |
Hey... I like them. I am not a hard core gamer. I'm just your average one who upgraded from the Turtle Beach x3's from many years ago. I expected these headphones to be better than the older ones from many models ago. I must say that overall I'm pleased. In most categories they are better than the old x3's. Although, you would expect them to be.
Better because:
*They look cooler.
*Dual Band WiFi. There was no interference with my router,
*There was no buzzing, or humming, or noise of any kind. They are very quiet!
*Microphone is removable!
*Range works well for me. I can hear throughout most of my (small) house. Almost got the 30ft they claim.
*The wire to hook up to my controller for chat now will work with my "Chatpad."
*They do a much better job at letting me hear where the noises are coming from.
*Sound quality is good enough to allow you to hear the subtle things you want to hear.
*No more infrared blackout areas if I bend down, or leave the room.
*Uses optical audio cable to deliver 5.1 Surround Sound
*No more faulty/crackling/noisy microphone to controller connecter that plagued the x3's.
No different because:
*Sound quality is no better than the old x3'a. I thought it would be much better. But it is hard to tell any difference.
*They feel about the same quality. Not too bad, but certainly a lot of plastic. Not a major problem though. They don't feel flimsy or feel like they'll break.
Worse because:
*The bass on these is for sure worse than my old x3's. The bass on those was actually impressive. These headphones do a very poor job of giving you any punch. After playing more games, I'll update.
*The bass boost or treble boost give only a very subtle change.
*The instructions are STILL wrong on how to pair them. But a simple youtube video later, you're golden.
Overall, I really like them. And when I picked them up at $120... they weren't so bad of a deal. Whenever I am in an online battle, I never really like the bass up too much, so I can hear the more important sounds. I would recommend them for sure for anyone who is looking for a good inexpensive gaming headset.
UPDATE(11/28/2015): Just wanted to add, that these are compatable with Xbox One. With the original Xbox One controller, you need an adapter, but with the new one, you don't. I've had these headphones now for about 2 years. I still like them! Battery life is really good. They sound nice and are still surviving life with two children. The foam over the microphone is on there tight and is still there. The foam on my old x3's fell of quickly. Great for gaming, great for music. Really nice headphones, and for $99, that's not bad. They can be a bit finicky though. They don't seem to like weak rechargeable batteries. When they start to beep to let me know the batteries are low, sometimes they will start to squeal at me. It's really the worst sound in the world, I can't even begin to describe it. They stop responding and the squeal won't stop until I pull out the batteries. This is a behavior that Turtle Beach knows of, and they do blame the batteries. Just an inconvenience. Also, when they are connected, they are great, but sometimes the transmitter receives some stray signal when it is off from some other source and it turns on randomly. After a few times of this they must be losing their pairing and the headphones won't turn on the transmitter. Usually just means I have to pair them again. Just an inconvenience. So for the price the inconveniences are minor and are usually pretty rare. Still a great set of headphones, just wish they wouldn't scream that awful sound at me. I lose sleep over it. | video-games_xbox |
After Playing I'm thinking of joining the United States Marines. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Is by far one of the best games I have every played for the Xbox 360. I didn't think it would live up to hype so I rented it first. Kept it two weeks over due then went to Gamestop and bought it. I have gotten my $60.00 worth .The graphics are excellent and the controls are tight. The story is good for a war shooter game. I am so glad Infinity Ward made a modern warfare game, instead on another WWII game. I have nothing against them, but I was a big Medal of Honor player when it was on the PS1, so I am kind of getting tired of this concept, and the crappy guns. In Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare it brings in a believe story which is interesting the campaign is good and challenging especially the last final mission (High Mile Club good luck beating it on Veteran)
This is also one of the most completive multiplayer game I have every played. Multiplayer is where the game really shines as there is a lot of modes to play in. My personal favorite is Domination (it's a great mode to perfecta your aiming skills.) But there are other modes such as one on one, team death match, and etc. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a perfect FPS for the Xbox 360, and for someone that has both consoles (PS3 and XBOX 360). If you are deciding which system to get it for, I would suggest getting it for the Xbox 360. I have play the PS3 version, the graphics are the same and the sound is the same, but to me it felt better on the Xbox 360 as FPS shooters typically control better for the 360. Ergo Halo, Halo 2 and Halo 3. But it still a great game for the PS3 just takes a while to handle. Also if you're an achievement hound then the Xbox 360 is the way to go anyway. This is the first time I played a Call of Duty game so I hope the rest are just as good.
So to sum this up, just buy this game you won't be mad and the replay value is very high, I bought it last November and I'm still playing it. Now please excuse me I have someone sending me an invite to play COD4. | video-games_xbox |
Good game to rent but not to buy at full price. What would you get if God of War and Zelda decided to have a baby? It would be Darksiders. This game is an Action RPG in which you control one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse named War. You're goal is to seek vengeance and clear your name. You have been framed for starting the Apocalypse and you must rectify the situation or face the Charred Council's wrath. The story is subpar, somewhat generic, however, the concept of playing a legendary horseman in an Apocalyptic setting is new. The story get slow around the middle of the game but it becomes very good around the end. The final cut scene is perhaps the best of the whole game.
The controls are easy to use and to learn. You do not need to perform super button combos and its easy to pick up. The graphics are beautiful. The open world and variety of landscapes in the game make it fun and interesting. There are also a variety of weapons and gadgets that you can obtain in the game which adds more variety and fun. The bosses are original in design and they are also quite challenging. Another plus, Mark Hamil (voice of the Joker for the Batman DC Universe)lends his voice as the Watcher. The little sadistic sprite that helps you throughout your travels. The voice acting (excluding Mark ) could use a little work. War sounded too monotone and The Charred Council sounds ridiculously bad like someone trying really hard to be Dr. Claw from Inspector Gadget. However, the voice acting for a certain male angel (not Abaddon) was also very good. Also, the best part...you get a firey horse! he is also to fun to ride in the game.
The cons of the game is as follows. I found myself frustrated with some puzzles. They are sometimes not very clear in what you have to do. Many times, you have to figure out for yourself what the goal is before you can even solve it. I also have a bone to pick with certain rip offs from other videogame franchises that are in the game. There is paying homage and then there is blatantly ripping off. It becomes increasingly clear as you progress through the game that they ran out of ideas and just took ideas from other videogames shamelessly. I also have had problems with unresponsive jumping controls at times. This becomes especially annoying when you are trying to jump off a ledge to another only to find that the game didn't respond to your jump command and you run off to your death instead. One last thing, the tutorials are sometimes not helpful. They will not tell you other special things about a weapon. I remember I was stuck on one area because I didn't know that I could charge up a certain item I had to progress. The tutorial never mentioned that this certain item could be charged up.
Finally, the game has little replay value save achievements and a harder difficulty. There is no multiplayer and there are no notable sidequests or alternate endings. I got this game for [...] bucks. I think it was worth the price. I do not believe it is worth full price though. You are paying a lot for little content. If anything, rent it or buy it at a low price.
I recommend this game to people who like game such as God of War, Zelda or Devil May Cry. People who like RPGS and hack +slash genres may want to give this game a shot. If you are looking for a long game with a good story this may not be for you. If you are also looking for a game with Japanese RPG elements, this game is definitely not for you. | video-games_xbox |
I have loved Halo since Halo CE came out. I have loved Halo since Halo CE came out. This is a review from a long time customer. This game is a perfect example of what a rushed game comes out as when a long time customer like myself is taken advantage of. However, I will give this game a fair review as it stands today.
Did this game have serious problems for four or five months? Hell yes. Should Microsoft compensate us with something more than a free month of live and the Halo ODST campaign? Definitely. However, reviewing this product as it is now, I give it three stars. The experience has nearly been ruined for many who had to put up with broken matchmaking for so long, and as a result, the population of the people playing is low. Why is this a problem? This could mean fewer playlists available than there are now in the future and less new playlists added. Some notable playlists lacking now are team objective, and action sack. Will we ever get these? Probably not if the population is low and spread out through all of the other playlists, so you'll be stuck when most people, most of the time, voting on a slayer match when all you want is one freaking objective match. Speaking of voting, the voting system should be how it was in Halo 3, you vote to either play or veto a single match, and if it is vetoed, you get a random map and match that you have to play. Also, big team battle playlists still limit the teams to seven instead of eight.
What is there to like about the Master Chief Collection? You can still have plenty of fun with the campaigns and matchmaking. 343 has fixed most of the major hindering problems such as waiting 10-15 minutes for a match, uneven teams (actually that happens still but not frequently), and your party being dismantled after every match. Hopefully we can continue to get all the fixes so that this game can be what everyone expected and hopefully Microsoft giving this away with every new xbox can increase the population of players. As this game stands today... 3 stars. | video-games_xbox |
Didn't Quite Meet My Expectations. Although I don't have much of a collection of Razer products, I've heard high enough remarks, and had such a great experience using them, that I had really high expectations for the Onza, and in particular, the tournament edition.
Immediately after removing the Razer Onza Tournament edition from the box, I noticed a rattle coming from inside the controller. I decided to explore the sound myself, finding it surprisingly easy to open the controller without any special drivers. Removing a small plastic piece that seemed to not belong in there in the first place, the controller seemed to react normally before I plugged it in.
Pros
The controller has a different form factor, making it a bit more comfortable for me to hold in my hands. They even plugged the holes for the screws with rubber pieces making a nice, flush, surface.
The rubberized surface doesn't feel bad at all, and it helps you get a firm grip on the controller.
The D-pad is indeed precise. Gone are the days I struggle to navigate through a menu using the D-pad!
Hyper response buttons are great for those with a light touch! I sometimes don't even realize I only pressed a button out of a light twitch response which really helps me in some situations.
Back lit buttons are great for finding the controller super fast, and finding the right button if you play in the dark and don't know the button layout.
The multi-function buttons can be quite useful and are super easy to re-map without even taking your eyes from the action on the screen.
Cons.
The angle of the triggers aren't very comfortable.
The adjustable analog sticks are a great innovation, the whole reason I bought it in fact, but isn't up to Razer standards. It actually prevents the full range of motion for the stick sometimes.
The D-pad buttons are pretty firm and have quite a bit of throw before you register a button press. Possibly even longer than the A, B, X, Y button cluster on a Microsoft controller.
Start and Back buttons are placed a bit too far away from the normal position for muscle memory users. I find pressing the controller 3 times before I realize the start button is toward the bottom.
It's a great innovation from Razer, but you can certainly tell console peripherals are not their specialty... Yet. | video-games_xbox |
Amazing & Addictive. I am not an RPG guy.
But this game has something about it that has me hooked, telling myself 'just explore one more area before I go to bed'; At work, I'm still thinking about where I left off and where I want to go next.
Maybe it's partly because this game reminds me of many of my favorite games: Bioshock, BLACK, Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War, Manhunt, Condemned, Silent Hill, and even Call of Duty 4...
The leveling up is fun, with lots of cool and morbid perks, from making your enemies explode when you shoot them to cannibalism when you need health; The freedom of choice is what makes this game so much fun...you build your character as you want, and make the game whatever you want it to be at any given moment; You can just explore for hours and actually enjoy it.
The action is pretty brutal at times, pretty tough even in normal mode; the targeting system is very unique to me and works great, esp the cut scenes that show what the damage is; the pip boy is a great way to navigate the menus and works fluidly once you get used to it. Controls like a dream in first person, 3rd not so much; I use the 3rd person to get a bigger picture of wherever I am, but that's about it.
On the down side, the gray textures can become overwhelming; some might prefer something more colorful. There are some small glitches here and there--like my gun wouldn't stop firing one time even though I wasn't pulling the trigger, and it used up all my ammo; A few freeze ups and some frame skips too, but nothing on a constant basis. Just save often. And the game starts slow....may turn some people off as you have to spend the first hour or so creating a character and talking to everybody.
But once outside, the world is yours to do what you want. I can't really think of a single thing they got wrong here with the exception of maybe working in a wider variety of creatures and enemies. And co-op would have been cool. But still, this is a must play in my opinion.
This was written after 41 hours of play. | video-games_xbox |
Good fun, but poor drum peripherals. The best part of this game is the addition of the drum set. Most of the drum parts are really fun to play, and on the harder difficulties you're basically playing a real drum set part on a real electronic drum set. Unfortunately, the drum set that comes with the game has poor spacing between the drums, making it impossible to play some sections of music which require crossover stickings. Many of the songs require a double bass pedal when playing on Expert difficulty, but the drum set only comes with one pedal. The drum pads themselves have sensitivity problems, and sometimes will simply not register that you've played a note. There are mentions on various website that there is a software program to fix this, but this program is no longer available from the Activision website.
The songs themselves are hit or miss, which is a good thing - it makes sure that there are songs for different tastes.
The guitar and bass parts are good. The guitar peripheral's upper fret board slider bar is stupid - the spacing is wider than the buttons at the lower frets, which is backwards from an actual string instrument. It's also a smooth surface, so you can't tell if you're fingers will be playing the right notes or not unless you stare down at it during the passage, and who'd be willing to memorize a passage so they can do that? Fortunately, you can play these sections on the normal buttons.
I don't like the singing parts, myself. I am a baritone-bass, but all of the songs seem to be either for tenor or soprano. Singing in falsetto gets old quickly. I can sing them down an octave in my normal range, but the game's recognition of intonation is iffy down there. The notation for the singing parts is terrible, and makes it impossible to tell what pitch you're supposed to sing unless you're already familiar with the song. You're supposed to smack the end of the mic to activate Star Power as a vocalist, but it's so insensitive that you have to hit it REALLY hard, and repeatedly. Not only does this interfere with your singing, but it left bruises on my hand the first song I tried this on. I recommend that if you want to try the vocal parts, you first look up and print out the lyrics (preferably with actual music notation as well) from online, and then bring a hard block of wood to smack the mic on for star power.
Despite all of the flaws with the peripherals, the game really is fun. The drum set part especially is great, since it's just like playing the real thing - play on Expert for an hour, and you'll notice the room temperature has risen 10 degrees from the workout. | video-games_xbox |
Not Worth Upgrading Your Xbox 360 (Yet): Buggy, Not Many Games Yet, Virtually No Kinect/Family Games. We pre-ordered the Day One Xbox One from Microsoft. I'm glad to say that we have not experienced the disk loading/playing issues that so many others are reporting. As a frame of reference: I'm a regular user of Microsoft devices (Windows Phone, Surface tablet, Xbox 360 and now Xbox One) - so in general I like what Microsoft has to offer. I'm also a reasonably technical guy and don't generally have much problem figuring out technology.
With all of that said, I can only recommend the Xbox One for a small group of individuals at this time.
One other item to note: This is not intended to compare the Xbox One to the PS4. My guess is that the Xbox One would have roughly the same pros/cons as the PS4. This is mostly written for those who already have a game console (particularly an Xbox 360 - but really any other console that they're happy with) and are wondering if the time is right to purchase an Xbox One.
BOTTOM LINE:
* If you are an avid gamer, and one or more of the very small collection of games available on the Xbox One today is something that you enjoy - then I'd recommend going ahead and purchasing this. My understanding is that this may be particularly true for individuals who enjoy online multiplayer games.
* For anyone else, you'll probably be happier sticking with your existing game console for another 6-12 months before making the leap.
* If you're not a gamer, and you already have Apple products (PC, iPhone, iPad) then I think you would be far happier with an AppleTV than an Xbox One at this time.
WHY DO I SAY THAT? Glad you asked...
GAMES IN GENERAL: For me, the console is still mostly about the games. And the Xbox One has very few of them available. Your old Xbox 360 games won't upgrade (I'm not complaining that the old games won't upgrade, and understand why) and with only 6-12 games of any quality out there for Xbox One, the selection is frustratingly limited right now. In my opinion there are about a half-dozen really good games that take advantage of what the Xbox One offers. But these only cover a few very specific categories. If you're not into shooters, race car or sports games, or if you want more than 1 or 2 options in each of these categories - then you're going to be frustrated.
FAMILY/KINECT GAMES: Me? I like strategic games (i.e. Civilization), open world games (i.e. Skyrim), block games (i.e. Minecraft), platformers (i.e. Crash Bandicoot was one that I'd liked) and, yes, the occasional shooter (i.e. Call of Duty, Halo). As a family, we really like some of the family-oriented Kinect games (i.e. the Kinect-based sports titles). Of all of the aforementioned categories, there is really only one game (in my opinion) of any quality on the Xbox One that fits one of those descriptions (Call of Duty: Ghosts). And there is not a single Kinect game available yet that approaches the quality of the Kinect games available for the Xbox 360.
OTHER APPS: Aside from the games, the Xbox One does offer some other compelling features - one of which is the ability to add apps to it (much as you can to a phone, iPad or Windows 8 PC).
* We've actually found the Skype app to be a really nice app to have on our Xbox. On Christmas day, we all sat in front of the TV and Skyped the rest of our family in India, California, DC and Tulsa. If you Skype a lot and you'd like to do it with a large group sitting in front of your TV, then you may find this a compelling reason to buy.
* There are a variety of other video playing apps for the device. As an Amazon Prime member, I really like the fact that I can get to my Amazon Prime videos (no more hooking my Kindle up to my TV to watch these shows). We're also Netflix members and can get to the Netflix videos as well. Microsoft has their own video store that has a pretty good selection too. We're not members of others, but there are options for Hulu, Verizon Fios and maybe some other video apps.
* Snapping the NFL app up next to a football game was cool for about 15 minutes. But it doesn't really provide any good info and was too complex for anyone in the family except for me.
* None of these other apps, however, would be reason enough for me to recommend an Xbox One (assuming you have another device that already gives you access to these items - as we do). It's convenient to have them all in one place, but not a compelling enough reason to buy this unit yet.
BUGS / PERFOMANCE: There are still a lot of things about my Xbox that don't seem quite ready for prime time...
* Other than games, one of the main reasons I was excited to get our Xbox One was the promise of all of our Microsoft devices working together to easily share music, video and photos. While there has been an improvement, it is still not nearly where our AppleTV was about 5 years ago. You can't (from what I can tell), select music, pictures or videos on your other device and "send them" to the Xbox One.
* Sharing your collection across devices is possible, but it is "hobbled". For example, I have an Xbox music account. When I'm logged into the Xbox using my Microsoft account, I can select all of the music that I want. It's very nice because I can even hand-pick music that I want to play from Microsoft's library - and I don't have to pay for it (other than the monthly fee for my Xbox Music account). However, if anyone else in my family is logged into the Xbox One as themselves, they don't have access to my music library. They can manually login as me - but then, if I'm listening to my music on another device, it will only allow it to stream to one of the two devices at a time. Because we could all easily just stream music, pics and video straight from our other Apple devices to our AppleTV (without having to go through a sync process and/or have a paid monthly account), we never experienced this problem with the AppleTV.
- Existing music playlists don't sync quickly across devices as one would expect. When I first create a playlist, it seems to propagate across all my devices fairly quickly. But when I make a change to a list on one device (i.e. my Surface tablet), I waited days for it to show up on my Xbox One before finally giving up and just creating a new playlist that then synced right away. I didn't see options for manually telling the Xbox One to sync an existing playlist.
- Voice recognition leaves a LOT to be desired. Maybe that's because I need to give it more time to "train" to recognize my voice. Or maybe it requires our house to be quiet (our house is rarely quiet, with dishwashers, washing/drying machines and plenty of conversation all within earshot of the Xbox). Many times I have to repeat the same command 2 or 3 times. I've pretty much given up on bothering to use the voice recognition.
- The same seems to largely be the same for hand gestures. This is improved over the Xbox 360 but, in most cases, I find it easier to just use the control.
- The TV app promises to eliminate the need for other remote controls. You can plug your TV receiver (i.e. Cable TV, Satellite, etc) directly into the Xbox and train it to know what is plugged in. There is a very cool "One Guide" that shows you available programming and let's you find what you want to watch - and it remembers favorites for you. On the other hand, the OneGuide doesn't seems any easier to navigate than our regular SatTV guide, and you cannot yet give it voice commands like "Show Me What Football Games are Playing" or "Watch Carolina Panthers" - instead, it has to be something specific like "Watch ESPN 2" (so I am stuck navigating through all the channels to find the programming I want still). The biggest problem, however, is that the TV app is buggy. More than once I've tried to start it, and it has failed. Since our SatTV is now routed through our Xbox, we can't watch TV at all in these situations! I've finally thrown up my hands and disconnected the SatTV from the Xbox and plugged it directly into our TV. So the TV app is now useless.
- The Xbox allows you to program it to power on/off all your related devices when the Xbox. I did this when I first set it up. It worked fairly well, but sometimes it would not work with one or more of the devices (a relatively small annoyance). I moved the Kinect to the top of the TV and now it doesn't work on any of the other devices at all. The best I can tell, it issues remote control orders from the Kinect and, with that device now on top of the TV, it may not have line of sight ability to access those other devices. When we initially relocated the Kinect, we went to the Xbox settings menu and re-synced the Kinect to the room - but that had no impact on the remote controls. So we're back to using all of our remote controls as we normally did.
- Other apps seem to occasionally time out. For example, I was in the Xbox Store app and tried to open one of the games to see the description, and it locked up - I tried again and it did the same thing (but when attempting to open other game descriptions it worked fine). As another example, I played a DVD one night; the next night we powered the Xbox on, took the first DVD out and inserted another - and it continued showing us a still shot of the first DVD until we completely powered down and restarted the device.
- Microsoft has an app called Xbox One Smart Glass that enriches the Xbox experience on your Windows 8 PC/tablet or on your Windows Phone. This sometimes works, but I've experienced a number of "can't access our Xbox right now" messages on it.
SUMMING IT ALL UP:
The Xbox One is much too buggy (and/or difficult to use) right now to make some of the exciting new features worthwhile, and the lack of games also makes it a less compelling option as an entertainment device. The good news is that Microsoft will (hopefully) send out software patches that address most of the worst bugs and new games will be released. Based on the game release schedule, it looks to me like it will be at least 6 months - and perhaps 12 months - before there is a diverse range of quality games available for this device. If Microsoft chooses to "port" about 12 of the better Xbox 360 games over quickly, then it would make this device much more compelling sooner.
I'll plan to update this review and my rating in the coming months. Feel free to leave a comment here if you're thinking of purchasing and want an updated perspective from me. | video-games_xbox |
Wish Majesco hury up and make a sequal. This game is even better then the last one. The acrobatics of Blood Ryane is outstanding. Mortal Kombat, eat your hart out. Hell that would be a cool fatality for her to do on someone. Majestic has a perfect chance to make a sequel for this, hell they have to, they can't just leave it open-ended like this. A great chance to broaden her acrobatic skills even further would be, if she could, (in the midst of a far jump from a pole to swing from), by using her harpoon to grapple it, like they did in Prince of Persha: The two thrones. A good story would be, to start off, if two thieves stole her blades and sold them to the Black market and her goal is to get them back. So she has to improvise by using what is around her, like using a car meter by braking it off and using to beat a guy with it, stuff like that. But anyway, about this game, it's sure is nice to play it. Here it is 2012 and I still find myself playing this game. The graphics of this game are pretty damn good, it's right up there with Halo 2. I was a little disappointed that they didn't explain why Ryane no longer has Blyar's eye, but she still has those sarcastic one-liners that we all love. lol That mouth of hers just gets more and more filthier. Speaking of that, sometimes you can overhear gossip between thugs in the next room, it plays no role in the game, but I think it's small stuff like that, is what truly make a great game. Some it's just chit-chat, others they actually plot about what they are going to do next. You can tell they actually put allot of detail into the story of this game, and that's what I love about it. Her partner is Ryane's intel, the guy is a coward when it comes to fighting, sense he's part vamp himself. He has some sort of dating history with her half sister that remained unclear. Kinda F*&^$# up relationship if you're helping a woman that is trying to kill her half sister, who also happens to be your ex. (SPOILER ALERT) The ending was not as climatic as you'd think. The last boss just was not that hard to beat. Anyway I rate this game overall 4 stars, I'd give them 4 and a half if I could. I sure do hope Majestic completes the trilogy here, they have a good think goin', and I'd love to see them finish it.
Review Updated: 03-24-2014
I also like to reiterate that once you've beaten this game and unlock all the moves, the game doesn't show much reply value, unless if you want to delete all of your progress in this game once finished. But who the hell is sane enough to do that? Even if it was your first time playing this game, throughout it, it's a complete hand-holder. Ryane's partner in their adventures together, all he does is talks you through these little puzzles that a four-year-old could understand, or how to kill bosses during the fight. As if to say, that you the player, just can not grasp these complex challenges to enjoy it. That partner of her's is completely useless. Another thing is, there are way to many blood pits that Ryane can escape to by using her aura sense and be fully healed and recharged. Now don't get me wrong, the game is great, but they've should made it into a sand-box platform then anything else. | video-games_xbox |
Is the Elite really all that elite. I purchased an original Xbox 360 Premium in mid-2006. It was a great console, I used it for 16 months. Although it was part of the original batch (late 2005) that were most prone to failures, I never experienced a red ring of death. This being said, that doesn't mean that the drive didn't fail, and playing through the Orange Box was like experiencing an acid-trip (graphics card issue). Microsoft said they'd fix it for 100+ dollars. I figured I'd buy an Elite instead. (D'oh!)
All that I've been doing since I got it two days ago was comparing it to the Premium.
Do I think it's ACTUALLY worth 450 dollars? No. Not by a longshot. I've been doing nothing but downloading videos on my new spacious 120GB hard drive, only to realize that there really isn't anything that you can download off of the Marketplace that you can't download for free off the internet. As for movie "rentals" you're probably better off going to blockbuster. I will say this though, I have a very fast connection (living on campus), and I can attest to the fact that "instant gratification" for new movies IS sometimes tempting. But I never ran out of space on my 20 GB HDD.
Now here's my main issue with the harddrive. Although 120GB is very nice to have on a console, gig for dollar it's not worth it by a longshot. Is Micro$oft crazy? That's the only difference right now (aside from the slick black color). So if you do some math, you're paying 100 dollars extra for 100 GBs of extra space, that you'll probably never use. And be aware that ALL of the new 360's come HDMI capable, so weigh your decision to purchase one of these carefully.
So this is a review on the 360 Elite. I'm comparing it with the Premium.
But I will say that the 360 in general is a wonderful machine (when it doesn't fail). It's FAR superior to the ps3 in terms of amount and quality of games (just research some of the issues happening with the ps3 version of Orange Box). I would go as far as to say that 2007 was the year of the 360. Sure, Wii sold like hotcakes, but where are the games?
Bioshock, Orange Box, Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, Assassins Creed, Mass Effect, Ghost Recon AW2 and Rainbow Six Vegas are just some of the reasons why if you don't have a 360 that you need to get one right now.
As for what they could do better:
Built in wireless? C'mon Microsoft! Wii, ps3, and even their respective handhelds have wireless. And you want us to fork over ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS for that add on? You're crazy.
Next gen format: If you ask me, Microsoft could have guranteed HD-DVD's victory by incuding one with the 360. That's exactly why Sony is winning with the Blu-ray. For every ps3 they put into your livingrooms, they force you to want to buy blu-ray movies. It's a smart move, and I would have loved to have an HD DVD player in a non-add on form. But it suppose it does make the console cheaper.
I love the black though. SURE, white is the new black. But this new black finish demands attention. I like it better than white. Or maybe I was just tired of seeing it and was ready for something new.
Is the 360 Elite really that "elite?" Not really. But it's still a superbe piece of hardware, and if you have the extra cash to throw around, and the desire to download an endless amount of data from Xbox live, then I would say go buy it right now. But if you're just into the games, the Premium console will suit you just fine. | video-games_xbox |
Review of Xbox Live features of this game. First, the gameplay in Xbox live is excellent. No major glitches and shots are realistic based on the weapon you choose. You can literally pick any gun and get good with it on any level.
Now, for the bad. This game needs an Xbox Live patch BAD!!
Apparently Activision wasn't aware that Xbox live exists until a couple weeks before they released this game :)
If you are interested in playing mainly the online version of this game I would recommend holding off until/if they upgrade the live gameplay for the following reasons:
1. The host is apparently chosen by random so most games lag really bad.
2. When you are with a good host, you can only play in the one round and then the game shuts down and you have to go find another host. There is no option for a host to set up a room and continually host games. After each game, the room closes down and must be re-setup. I have a business internet connection and can host maximum number of players without lag but there is no option for me to establish myself as host. I may randomly get selected only if there is not another room already set up to join.
3. There is really no point of a friends list in this game. I enjoy playing with friends. However, since every room is shut down at the end of a round, it's pretty much impossible to play with the same group of people for more than one round at a time. After the round you are stuck trying to find another game with no lag (about 1 in 3 have no lag) then invite your friends in (if there is room) only to have the room close down again after the round. Then try to keep your sanity and repeat the steps above. Seriously, I only get about 10 good minutes of game play for every 30 minutes I spend trying to find a room
4. There is a VERY ANNOYING issue with trying to reconnect to a new game if you leave a game in progress. I routinely get a "Cannot Connect" error for about 5 minutes after leaving a game. I don't want to leave games but have to due to heavy lag. Very frustrating.
5. About 1 game in 10 I get connected to the WRONG GAME FORMAT. I'll choose to play a Team Deathmatch and get connected to a Capture the Flag game.
Finally - if you are not interested in Xbox Live, this is an AWESOME game. However, if you are, it appears Activision did not do their homework prior to releasing this game to determine the standard features that gamers like when playing live. | video-games_xbox |
There's a reason the UFC logo isn't anywhere on this steaming pile. I own both UFC games for 360, but I heard that EA's attempt was in fact better, in that it was "easier" because you didn't have to remember as many moves. They took this concept much too far.
In UFC, if an opponent is blocking head shots, then you can easily switch it up to body shots. EA has ONE block button, no high/low, and based on animations you can't even tell if it was blocked or not, as half the time they still recoil from the blow and their hands come apart from the impact. So, you figure to defeat this "one button defense", you go into a clinch. Bad move. In UFC, there's different controls to go into either major or minor advances. Again, in EA, there's ONE BUTTON. See a trend? There's also one button to clinch, or one button to do a takedown, etc.
And man, does this game play slo-o-o-ow! My character that I created earned a spinning back kick...more like a lazy kick. The spin is so slow, I think Stevie Wonder would see it coming. If a human opponent can't block it in time, they need to stop playing any fighting game. Pretty much all moves are slow. The superman punch is so slow, you pretty much go "hey, I'm gonna punch you, here it comes!"
I don't know why others like the commentary. I find it equally lackluster and uninspired. "He has him in the Thai clinch, here comes a flurry of knees"...uh sorry guy, by the time you got the word "Thai" out, we had already separated. Sigh. No humor either, ever. It's a straight play by play...pretty much "Hey, this is KMMA, all MMA radio", bringing you a play by play. Baseball announcers are more energetic on my XM radio.
SO MANY LOADING SCREENS! Seriously, there's alot of loading going on here.
Oh, and character creation is way below the par set by UFC. If you have an Xbox cam, however, you can implant your face! That's the only good thing. In UFC you can scroll by COMPANY for clothes. In EA, it's just one long list where you have to tediously go through it all in case you're looking for a specfic brand. Speaking of brands, in UFC, you wear brands to unlock new clothes and logos. In EA, it looks like you get everything in the beginning, so, no real incentives to wear anything. And logos? In UFC you place sponsor logos anywhere u want, and can alter the size. In EA it's terrible, like the "Fight Chix" logo is one size, one location, period. Plus, you get one tattoo per area. In real life I have SEVERAL on each arm. In UFC, you can put them anywhere. In EA, you get one on the upper arm, one on the lower arm, etc. Also, in EA the fact that over half of the nicknames and ink are taken from UFC fighters (Brock Lesner's dagger tatt, or the nickname "The Irish Hand Grenade" or "Rush") just demonstrates who they're trying to be like, but fall short.
OVERALL, if you're still reading, just avoid this game. Yes, UFC is "complicated", but for good reason. This is MIXED Martial Arts, it's complex, it's tough. It SHOULDN'T be easy, otherwise it would be boxing (where EA excels, go figure). So I'm back to UFC, and I'm way more appreciative of the complexity, the better graphics, better announcers, and actual feeling of accomplishment in story mode! | video-games_xbox |
Guitar stopped working after a half hour. Faulty Guitar:
I played for a grand total of about 40 minutes, when the guitar stopped strumming in one direction. I thought that maybe the wireless connection was iffy, due to the new dongle usb port, but the up strum worked just fine. It's funny because my guitar hero 3 guitar had the same issue, but that was after playing it religiously for 2 years.
The guitar itself is a pretty big adjustment from the previous 5-color layout. Really tricky with only two colors and forces you to really focus on the layout. I've played every guitar hero on an expert level, and I couldn't get used to the new layout after 40 minutes.
Music:
Like previous GH installments, you are forced to play the majority of the songs before you can unlock them in quick play. An annoying feature, but it does force you to progress through more difficult songs. This could be important since, as I mentioned, the learning curve for the new layout is longer.
The songs themselves are underwhelming. They start you off with a couple well-known rock-anthems, then it's a random mix of pop-songs from multiple genres. Someone on another board put it perfectly, saying that songs like Skrillex's bangarang and Eminem should be left to DJ Hero. Odd that they would be featured on a guitar game.
Live vs. TV:
Live is kinda cool. Being in front of a live audience is a really unique, new, and exciting feature. The live band element I can really see getting stale fast. Cheesy mannerisms by your bandmates already started to repeat in my short game play.
Overall:
I didn't get far enough into the gameplay to give a full review, which probably tells you that this project and the manufacturing was rushed. I'm an old school GH player who would've preferred them to stick to their roots and what works best (and it would've been nice to have a guitar that didn't malfunction after a half hour of playing).
Head-to-Head (none)
I still miss the GH3 online head to head game mode which I played for dozens of hours. It's one thing to try and get on a scoring leaderboard, but another to be live playing with another person. They really need to bring that back. Not really relevant to this review, but wanted to add that in. | video-games_xbox |
I can't believe this is the only NFL title we get. For context, I am a huge sport videogame fan and an even bigger NFL fan. In my opinion, NFL 2K6 was the best football game ever made, but I admit to being a little nostalgic for early 80s Mattel Football handheld.
To sum up my thoughts, this game is disappointing. On the positive side, the graphics on the XBox 360 are nice, the music is great, and it's football. On the negative side, I have a horribly long list. But the three major criticisms I have are:
(1) The game crashes ALL OF THE TIME. Nearly every game has horrible slowdowns, and I've had the "dirty disk" message, where the XBOX360 locks up, 10-15 times out of a total of roughly 100 games played. And the longer the game is that I play (meaning anything roughly 7 minute/quarters and over), the more likely the game is to crash. This is with a brand new disk, straight out of the box, and a 360 that I take excellent care of (only 3 months old and never used with a rental game or movie). I can't begin to describe how frutrating this is, especially since it has crashed in the last 2 minutes of a game over five times. For a stat junkie like me, who is playing an entire season, investing 1.5 hours in a game to have it crash is maddening (pun intended).
(2) There are no in game saves. I rarely get more than an hour to play at a time (since I play during my infant son's naps), and an hour is often not enough to finish a complete game. Thus, in season mode, I am stuck playing the same game over and over again from the beginning, sometimes 3-4 times, until I actually get a chance to finish a game in the time that I have.
(3) The defense, especially tackling controlled by the player, is inexplicably bad. I can't begin to tell you how many times I have made a perfect hit on an opposing teams running back, only to bounce off. It's 60%+ percent of the time and, after over a 100 games played, I can't figure out how to make tackling work. I've also experienced the "ghost" effect that others have mentioned: at least 5 times a game, my running back runs THROUGH an imposing teams players. What I mean is, if you look at a replay, his body actually passes through multiple opposing players, leading to enormous runs. I routinely break long touchdown runs going right up the middle because of this glitch.
Overall, the game is just a mess and I can't recommend it to anyone. It was a waste of $60 for me and I wouldn't even recommend buying it next summer when they typically drop it to $20 before the '08 release. Since its the only football game around, I still play the game. But it's sometimes torture, making me want to throw my controller out the window. EA should be ashamed of this product. | video-games_xbox |
Game is great for very patient people. The game is great for people who like this type of RPG, which is very complex. You need to have about 3-4 hours a day just to sit down and play this.
There are people who don't want goals given in a game, and people who do. I thought I didn't want any goals in games, because it was so appealing to just do whatever you want. But, I just can't seem to really feel like traveling for no reason... However, in my opinion it got boring quickly.
Cons:
1) Not wanting to be someone who got out of prison.
2) Hard to hit something in battle
3) Not sure what to do in the beginning (where I should go)
4) Characters are unattractive, and move strangely.
5) The Wood Elves look like aliens
6) Loading time in some areas
7) The amount of time needed to play the game
Pros:
1) The water is great looking, as well as the rest of the graphics.
2) There are millions and millions of items.
3) The controls are fairly easy to learn (Very similar to Halo's)
4)Interesting storyline.
5) Character development
6) The Class System
Many people should read more about this game before they get it, this isn't like a Final Fantasy RPG, this is a very sophisticated and in-depth RPG. In my opinion, many people can simply get used to playing RPGs such as these, however it will burn up a large amount of time. Since all of the NPCs (non player characters) have a lot to say, it could take nearly an hour to talk to everyone around town, although in my case I didn't bother talking to most of the people. Traveling town-to-town only takes about 5-10 min. if you don't run into complications, which is a great improvement in comparison to some other RPGs, in which it may take an hour to travel somewhere.
There is also an excellent class system, where you can make your own class. This is one of the best features I encountered. The races, however, I didn't like, especially the females of the race. Basically, none of the faces nor hair appealed to me.
Many will find this game hard to understand at first, especially those who have never played a RPG like this before. I spent a year and a half playing everquest, when it eventually took over my life and I went cold turkey. Even though Everquest doesn't have a story, it is very similar, and I like the character graphics a lot better. (Clothes, Faces, Hair, etc.). However, I do not recommend Everquest in any way.
Basically, what it all comes down to is being a patient person willing to spend a large amount of time playing. Also, one who knows what they want to do in the game, and has an idea of something to do. | video-games_xbox |
ME3 Review. Gameplay: 3/5- The proliferate use of the A button for cover related and sprinting tasks was not well thought out and I found myself in several situations dead because of the shoddy mechanic. It is also easy to get stuck in a rut using the same power combos; however, this might be my fault. I also wish for some more stealthy options. Overall, the battles had a pretty decent flow and challenge to them. The lack of exploration left me wanting more areas to look around in, that is places to explore that did not require a gun.
Graphics: 4/5- There are better looking titles out there, especially modded PC games, but the visuals do not disappoint.
Story: 5/5- The ending was very bitter sweet, but not as horrible as "fans" are touting it. I will admit that it does become a bit convoluted at the end, but it takes some reasoning and critical thinking to get what Bioware was trying to say. It is a fine line to touch people's ideologies and the game offers a very existentialist point of view at the end. Everything you did in the games is meaningless but not pointless, much like real life. When you die, will it matter what you have done in your life? Depending on your beliefs, possibly. But there is a point to everything you do in life, from your perspective, and it is the same in Shepard's case. Think of Albert Camus' novel The Stranger, and you can see the parallels. That being said, the events leading up to the end were very quickly paced and left out some of the lighter moments present in the series. Of course it makes total sense when you think about the circumstances. I think it is truly amazing that a form of media is able to get players so attached to it to the point of outrage at the ending, and that it is able to put out abstract philosophical ideas that hardly see the light of day in today's culture. Unfortunately, our society has been degraded, and anything with such controversy is hated and denounced, rather than debated.
Overall: 4/5- As a whole, it earns an average of the three categories. The gameplay may bog down the story for some, and vice versa, but in my opinion, the story does help make up for the not-so-phenominal gameplay. On glitches: I only experienced one glitch that did not impede my progress much; I fell off the platforms on a mission, but the constant autosaving was helpful. | video-games_xbox |
200 will get you the daddy of MadCatz sticks. At the time of me writing this review, I've had this stick for a full month. Now I already had a SF4 Round 2 TE, so I've been able to make an active comparison of the 2. Hopefully I can help those who've been on the fence about getting a classic TE, Hori of similar quality, or taking the plunge and getting the Street Fighter X Tekken Fightstick V.S.
Size
The stick is a bit larger than the classic TE. This only really matters when connecting 2 of them together. Doing so will emulate the exact size and spacing of a 2 player panel. The size of it may take getting used if you generally lap play.
Weight
The stick is a little heavier than the classic TE, but this doesn't make much difference for lap play since the classic TE doesn't really move around anyway.
Parts
The Street Fighter X Tekken Fightstick V.S. uses high quality components. The joystick and buttons are made by Sanwa Denshi. However, the classic TE also uses these same parts.
Cord
Like the classic TE, the SFXT V.S. has a 13 foot cord. But It also has a slightly larger storage compartment for it. You always feel like you're cramming all of the cord into the classic TE's storage, but with this one you feel like there's plenty of room.
Chassis
This is a great looking stick. And it's built like a tank. Despite being bulkier than the classic TE, it has a very sleek look about it. Coupled with very nice art on the top.
Unique feature
The V.S. is the only stick on the market(for now anyway) that you can connect 2 together to emulate an arcade panel. In my opinion, that's really why you're paying $50 more for this than you would a classic TE. But taking advantage of this feature can be very pricey. 2 sticks at $200 each and then a $20 connector kit. You do the math.
Overall
I absolutely love this stick and can easily recommend it. But it's not for everyone. The price alone will deter a lot of people. They may not want to come out of the extra cash for a stick that has a feature they'll never take advantage of or just don't care about. I can promise you that the majority of the people who've already bough this are people like me who already had a stick(s) and wanted to add another one to their collection. If you've got a little extra change, go for it. If money is an issue, there are plenty of cheaper alternatives of equal quality. | video-games_xbox |
Think there is something wrong. Having previously owned the X12's, I decided my next pair would be wireless. I could make the X12's work on the Xbox One, but I hate being connected to the console.
I read the reviews and weighed my options between the 420 and the 500. Ultimately it came down to price and headphone shape. I wear glasses and the X12's would push up against the arms of my glasses and cause discomfort during those long gaming sessions. The 420's were on sale for $129 and the 500's were still at $200.
They arrived today, and like the directions said, I charged it first before hooking up to the console. Well the directions state the light on the earphones will change to solid green once the headset is fully charged, after about an hour I look at the headset and the light is still red, no more than 30 seconds later the lights turn off, and I think I have the same problem others have had and the headphones won't charge. Now I'm mad. I unplug the charge cable, plug it back in, light goes red, 10 seconds later the light shuts off. At this point I say, ok, let's connect it to the XBONE and see what happens. Plug in the receiver, touch the press the palm tree on the right ear, XBONE throws up the "Assigned to profile", hear the voice on the headphones say it's on, then NOTHING!!!
Pretty sure at this point I got a broken headset. I turn the headset off, then back on again, few seconds later I can hear sound coming through the headset. WOOHOO!!!! It works!!!! At this point I plug in the mic. NOTHING! Can't hear myself over the headset and my buddy can't hear me. I take the headset off, unplug the mic, plug it back in, now I can hear myself and so can my friend.
Needless to say, I'm not too happy, for a $150 headset, I expect it to work flawlessly. My $60 X12's are amazing. Have had them a for 2 years and never had a problem. I will be contacting Amazon tomorrow and will probably upgrade to the 500's or maybe even the 800's but $300 for a headset is pretty hard to swollow. | video-games_xbox |
Flashing Forward. For the most part I have really been enjoying Black Ops II, but it should be said that I'm not currently doing the Multiplayer portion, and if you're someone who's buying this game solely for that you should probably read the many Multiplayer-centric reviews here because there have been some serious issues with the game. For me I'm enjoying the Single Player Campaign and looking forward to seeing how far I can climb in the now-ubiquitous Zombies portion. I've played every game in the Call of Duty series and with luck will continue to enjoy them.
The original Call of Duty: Black Ops took place during the Vietnam War. Black Ops II takes the story from the original Black Ops and carries it forward in more ways than one: the story is told through flashbacks that carry you through missions at the tail end of the Vietnam War, then into the late '80s as the Cold War started to end, and also in our near future, a 2025 that is very real and believable because technology we have or are about to have is integrated into the gameplay. While you don't have to know much about the events of the first game to understand the story, it does help to do so and I enjoy the way they take the storyline forward.
Graphically, Black Ops II is only a bit cleaner than Black Ops, but that's not much of a criticism given that the first Black Ops game looks really good on the XBox 360. There is a smoothness to the play that seems to make it easier to move through, though at times the way the camera takes over to create a more 'cinematic' moment can be off-putting--such as when you tumble down a hillside or get caught by surprise to forward the storyline. Fewer of these moments actually require you to do anything, so they're more spectacle than they are quicktime event.
Gameplay of Black Ops II is fun and intricate because of some additions. You can customize the loadout you take into a level. There are 'Strike Force' missions that put you in more of a tactical position: you play the objective flipping between a map-level view where you give orders to your allies, and diving directly into a soldier or device. The interesting part is that Strike Force missions give you a certain number of 'teams' to try the mission and your success or failure drives the Single-Player Campaign. This means that you story can go different ways with different playthroughs.
Unfortunately, there are some problems that leave me feeling the same way I did in World at War, when I seemed to perpetually die pointlessly at random choke-points and have to do something stupid to get out of it. Some of the markers you need to go past to progress the mission actually require you to physically tag them for no reason. I had a level where I was doing a great job helping my team advance by flanking up one side and going around, but the hotspot was in the dead center of a clearing covered in enemy crossfire. There was no reason for me to go there, such as an object to pick up or a switch to flip, etc.; but until I ran out in that clearing and tagged that dot, we couldn't go forward and enemies just kept spawning. There is a mission where I'm supposed to avoid a drone and nothing I did seemed to work until I ignored my squad leader's orders, hid in a corner, and waited for him to get to the checkpoint before me. I'm smart enough to move quietly and hide in shadows by now--this was one of those moments when I wondered how they could possibly have playtested that piece. Shortly after that, I'm instructed to go prone...and the 'go prone' button simplly doesn't work...unless I stand in a specific spot. Despite there being no obstacles or 'can't go prone here' warning, it doesn't fit the perfect happy path of the designers.
These combined with some AI stupidity in the Strike Force missions are the drawbacks to the game. Since I've seen that other players do well with Strike Force, the issue may just be that practice makes perfect. In the meantime I plan on enjoying Black Ops II again and again: the fact that it flashes forward through time makes it a lot more fun. | video-games_xbox |
Broken, Boring, & Unoriginal. This is one of the worst purchases I've made ever for a game. SP is so short I beat it in under 4 hours. The later chapters feature major slowdown which is horrible especially for a game that looks like it could of been released in 2005. The only fun part of the single player campaign is the goliath. Other than that it's as generic as you can get. It's more generic than Medal of Honor (2010) release. I wonder how much they payed the writer because if I was THQ I would ask for my money back. I mainly bought the game for multiplayer and that's been a HUGE disappointment. Servers were not working at all. When I finally got to play a few rounds that matches last less than 5 minutes for Ground Control. Death Match is filled with snipers who can kill with one shot across the map. The game also suffers from major lag. This is the first game I've played on dedicated servers and it runs worse than Black Ops which is peer 2 peer. I can't believe this game was released for 60 dollars and like a lot of people here I ended up buying it the release date and got shafted by the price drop. I will never buy another game from KAOS studios.
UPDATE - I have been reading reports that a lot of people are experiencing a major bug that will freeze your game at the splash screen due to the Battlecode they inputed. This renders your 50 dollar plus purchase useless and they still haven't put out a patch for this. Way to go THQ. Not only have you not fixed your server issues (half of the time it logs me out in the middle of a match and won't let me log back in), you have created a bug that renders the game unplayable to the purchaser. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise so they won't have to experience this horrible game. My advice to anyone looking to pick this up don't. Rent it if you must, but don't reward these fools with your money. Beta testing THQ. It could of gone a long way to making this a better product. | video-games_xbox |
Form over function. It looks cool, and while I originally wanted the white digital, the black is pretty sharp, and contrasts well with the green LEDs inside the analog sticks. The buttons are pure eye candy, clear outside with a textured colored inside. The dead zones on the analogs are nice and tight but not so much so that you find yourself walking without intending to, and as much as I'd like to poke fun at the almost superfluous nature of the directional pad, it's got this squish to it that makes it easy to use and feels good enough that I might actually enjoy playing a game that used it for more than ancillary purposes. The rubber grips on the sides seem to be a fair enough compromise for its flatter design making it slightly harder to keep in your palm than a regular controller (I have rather large hands and long fingers, ymmv). As far as the top of the controller goes, my only beef is that they stuck with the OEM XBOX 360 style with the analogs offset rather than the more comfortable 'analogs center' scheme used on the original XBOX (and ps2/3).
Unfortunately, that's where the fun ends. The 2 'programmable' combat buttons are nothing more than a pair of pencil eraser diameter nubs located on the underside of the controller, programmed with a 3-way selector switch that makes them mimic the action of another button already on the controller, allowing you to use your left middle finger to press LStick, A, or B, and your right for RStick, X, or Y, provided that you've either already set them or flip the controller over to gently slide the finicky switches into place. Even sadder is the fact that unless you've got some type of disease that turns your digits into gelatin, trying to pull either of the new 'more trigger-like triggers' whilst attempting to simultaneously press one of these buttons will cause the extra plastic on the trigger to hang up on the back of your middle finger, effectively making the only plausible use of this extra function (ducking down while zooming in on the scope without taking your right thumb off the targeting stick) almost impossible to perform. As mentioned by other posters, the distance between trigger and bumper is slightly larger, and the bumpers are flattened. They (like the rest of the ABXY combo) have a very short stroke with a quick return (as do the triggers, whose springs have a slightly tougher 'pull' than a regular controller), but also have a tendency to let frags and flashbangs go without warning, possibly followed by a second grenade or special immediately after.
For the price I think it should have the wireless option, not because I ever sit more than 10 feet away from the television while playing, but simply because the PS3 version does and I'm jealous. And cheap and greedy. And calling a three way selector switch 'programmable' seems like false advertising. I'm not exactly programming my car every time I switch from forward to reverse and back. I suppose the best way that I can describe this controller is that while I could probably find a way to return this and get store credit for it, its good features overcome enough of the bad that I find myself reluctant to do so, especially considering the trouble I went through just to find one now that everyone and their mother snapped them up for holiday gifts or for themselves. I guess that's as good a summation as any. | video-games_xbox |
HITMAN 2 is better. I loved Hitman 2 with the multiple routes on each level and you can go in guns blazing or use stealth. About 2 years later when Hitman 2 came out Freedom fighters came out(simular to Conflict Desert Storm). When playing the game there's not alot of originality. You can't control your team mates like in Conflict Desert Storm.
At the start of the game you are plumbing in New York and the Soviet Union come to take over New York. You armed with a Pistal run out of a building and shoot 3 Soviets when they get of a helecopter and thats been done before in a game. You then go running through the streets and there's a sense of great atmosphere with smoke and helicopters bombing the streets. You dash to a building to an injured soldier. This is new because when you sacrifice one of your medikits to a fellow citizen you get a thing called charizma.
Charizma is where you get respect and trust from soldiers on your side. The more Charizma points the more recruits you get on your side. When you get enough points to get one person helping you and you get one circle. When your hours through the game you'll eventually get 12 circles(12 recruits).
When you rescue your friend you'll go through a basic tortual. You get told how to jump, climb, go into first person view and shoot exsploding barells to catch onto enemies and to use medikits. Most of this has been done before but the game is great at its job.
When you select a fighter you can by accident pick someone with a pistal and not with a machinegun and the guy will then be useless. Another thing is that you by accident can use friendly fire against your recrutes. Couldn't both sides be a totally different colour so you don't get mixed up. A good thing is that enemy AI and your recruits are very intelligent. If you order your recruit to go charge at the enemy they will run to a great cover point and use it so they won't get shot(AI is better than Conflict Desert Storm)and they put their back against the wall Metal Gear Solid style and then shoot at the enemies.
A big problem is where you have 3 levels to choose from and one of the levals is important to go on first. On a firestation level there is a flying helicopter that guns you down and it's not a good idea to go on that level first. The game should of made it clear that you should go on an other level to find some C4 and plant it next to the parked helipad to blow it so it doesn't rip you to pieces on the Fire Station level. On your second go of the game you will obviously forgive the game.
There's nothing worse than you running with your group confidently with your team and then a Soviet using a gun turret puts your life away for good buy shooting you down. There could of at least be more save points plotted around the big maps because it's annoying to restart each level again . When your team mate gets badly injured it can be hard to find where he is so that you can heal him to work for you again. A useful thing is that when you push back it shows the map with red dots to show where your mate is who's been put out of action.
The game can be great fun at times because the controls are as simple as it can get. You push R Trigger to fire, Left Trigger to jump or climb, Black button to crouch(this can be frustrating because when your trying to stand up by pushing the button again you die because it takes you a while to reach for the button).
White Button Melee(use butt of riffle to kill enemy), (A) is to recruit soldier or yourself to interact, (B)tell recruits to guard area, (Y)to tell soldiers to attack enemies in front, (X)command soldiers to follow yourself, Left analogue stick to move your own character and you can also click in the right analogue stick to change weapons or medikits. You push back to get a map of the level showing you where the manholes are for the sewers and that's where you can save.
The game is fun with you ambushing a group of soviets with your helpers close behind. If you have 6 recruits you can order 1 recruit to use a gun turret and another to guard the guy, you can use 2 other men to charge at the Soviets and the remaining 2 guarding yourself and thats whats best about the game(team work).
This game is very Cinematic with better music than Medal of Honour Rising Sun. You can shoot cars that exsplode and then it kills enemys. You also have Frag Grenades and Molotovs at your desposol and the bad thing is it can be hard to kill your enemy with a frag grenade on your first go because they just get back up after flying across the room.
This game is great to buy for a teamed based shooter but my advice is to rent it to see if its annoying for you, but it's lacking in originality. Don't bother buying the 2 Conflict Desert Storms because there both too simular. When you buy one of the Conflict Desert Storm this is worthy to your collection. | video-games_xbox |
Expensive... But Its the Best Lego Game to Date. One of the biggest names in toys is now joining the Skylanders business model, but I don't think anyone will be upset. I know, the LEGO Dimensions game is rather expensive -- the Starter Pack is $100, compared to $65 for Disney Infinity 3.0 (that price may be different too). You can also buy additional Lego toy packs that will add content to the game, and come in three varieties -- Fun Packs at $15, Level Packs at $30, and Team Packs at $25 (prices may vary. The good news is that this is a great game, which has been getting very positive reviews so far (GameTrailers gave a 8.4 out of 10). The story is told in a similar manner as the "toys brought to life" aspect from the highly-regarded Lego: The Movie, so if you loved the style and humor from the movie this will feel like a faithful extension. Kids will easily love the characters and humor, and the game plays just like the other Lego games you loved -- occasional puzzles, some fighting, and characters respawn as soon as they loose a life. Its easy, youcan bring a lot of characters and vehicles with them into the play session (up to 7), you still have split-screen play for 2-players, and the story actually has some great moments in it to. Its fun to just see what world you'll jump into next. You can play through ALL the main story missions with the three characters you're given, lasting around 12-14 hours. Each hub world will give you more to do. Now the toys.
There are in total 14 Adventure Worlds (or separate franchises, like Ghostbusters and Back to the Future) that can be unlocked to add even more gameplay, and each world can be unlocked with any LEGO Dimensions minifigure belonging to that brand. All vehicles/gadgets can actually be built into three variations! Like the starting Batmobile will have two more versions later in the game (but no instructions in-box, the game will show you how to built it when the time comes). Build and then rebuild to power-up every vehicle and gadget, which will also have new in-game abilities. Rebuild the DeLorean Time Machine into an Electric Time Machine and Ultra Time Machine.
Starter Pack is $100. With the Starter Pack, players can instantly access 3 worlds -- DC Comics (with Batman), The Lord of the Rings (with Gandalf), and The LEGO Movie (with Wyldstyle). And just like the levels in the LEGO Dimensions Starter Pack, any character can use any vehicle or gadget in any Adventure World. This gives the player a lot of content to get through right from the start. About 12 hours to get through the story, and a good 5 hours in each hub world -- so a solid 30-40 hours considering you need to go back to levels to unlock more stuff. I'll update if it takes more, but this is a decent estimate for now.
Fun Packs at $15, has 1 character and 1 vehicle/gadget.
Team Packs at $25, has 2 characters and 2 vehicles or gadgets.
Level Packs at $30, has 1 character, 1 vehicle, 1 gadget, and unlocks a new hub world.
Added DLC is planed for the next several years, and there are already 14 different franchises that will be available near or at launch. Sure, stuff like Lego Ninjago or Lego Chima aren't well-known, but then the main characters don't know who they are either, and the game has fun with that aspect. You still see all the new franchises introduced in the main story missions, but buying toys gives players new hub worlds to visit and new characters to play as. Some other toys may seem unneeded, but the kid in me couldn't wait to buy Lego versions of the Ghostbusters or Back to The Future and put them into the game. I can have Scooby Doo drive the Batmobile? Yes, please. I do wish everything was at least $5 less, but then I feel the same way about Skylanders and Disney Infinity stuff as well. It seems that some side missions are locked away for certain Team Packs, so its a shame, but not a huge loss. But the average hardcore gamer will at least want 3 of these Level Packs along with the main game, so that's just over $200 with tax (unless you can catch a break and get free shipping). Is that worth 60 hours of gameplay in the world of LEGO? At least you get to keep the toys, right? Sure, its hard spending $100 on a game that requires $30 purchases to unlock additional 5 hours of play each, especially when you can buy other games that give you 60-80 hours worth of play right out of the box. But this is how Skylanders and Disney Infinity have worked for years, but here you get Lego versions of licensed franchises like Doctor Who and Back to The Future. Some may like these additional worlds enough that they want to visit them in Lego form. Decide if its worth the cost for yourself.
The toys have several waves planed, with 6 Level Packs that have been announced. we start with Back to the Future, The Simpsons and Portal 2 at launch. Dr. Who comes on November 3, Ghostbusters comes on January 16, and Midway Arcade on March 16, 2016. | video-games_xbox |
C Rate Horror Game. The game looks great visually on the xbox360 and has a good atmosphere for a horror game, however this is all I can say that is positive about the game. Now the bad as in most horror games ammo is scarce and it is in this game as well but the melee system is this game is a joke it consists of you hitting an enemy with the butt of your gun or sometimes you can find a axe which only lasts one kill, the axe will kill with one blow but breaks after that, hitting with the butt of your gun or hand does hardly any damage. Their are parts in the game were you are not suppose to kill an enemy only run from it, these parts can be frustrating because you waste ammo against an enemy that cant be killed. The game also jumps around a lot you will be walking down a hall only to be transported to another area through a cut scene, this is done many times and at least for me is annoying. There is an upgrade system which requires you to collect green goo that can be found in jars and some enemies also drop it, this system is ok you can make your weapons more powerful and increase health etc. I increased my melee damage to max and still found it to be ineffective. The game is played by chapters you go through and area the chapter ends you save and continue. The worst part of this game is the story. Without giving anything of importance away, you spend a majority of the game playing cat and mouse with Leslie, he runs away from you and you follow behind. You play as a detective and throughout the game you learn of the detectives life as a side story, I wish the game was based around that story it is far more interesting. I actually stopped playing after chapter 12 but did force myself to finish the game a few days later. Another thing that is annoying you cant shoot from cover or crouched, and this is a 3rd person game. In my opinion there are much better horror games out there an older one I enjoyed maybe you have not played is Condemned: Criminal Origins, if really want to play the game rent it before you buy it. | video-games_xbox |
I will say that the combat mode makes for some great hand-to-hand fighting that reminds me a good bit of . The only other Spider-man game I've had previous to this one is Web of Shadows (WoS) so I will compare and contrast it to it. First, I will say that the combat mode makes for some great hand-to-hand fighting that reminds me a good bit of Arkham combat with Batman. After a while of undisturbed combo hits during combat, you get the chance to enact a special which will finish off the victim in a variety of pretty sweet moves. Although his moves that you can upgrade are pretty useful, there's not much when it comes to variety in using them in combination with each other in contrast with WoS where tons of different combinations are possible.
Second, the web swinging is probably the best feature of this game. It's very versatile and realistic when it comes to swinging around NY since you can't web swing if there's nothing to web swing from. Your later upgrades will make this a lot more fun as well.
Third, the battles that show up on the map throughout the game can often get very repetitive. After an hour into the game, you basically cycle through the ones you've already encountered throughout the rest of your gameplay. I could also do without the cut scene for each fight. In WoS, you can come and go into the fights that show up on the map without cut scenes which is super nice.
Fourth, the story mode doesn't follow the movie it's based upon, but it's a nice consistent one that you'll enjoy going throughout the game. The mini-bosses make for some great fights which incorporate the upgrades as you go through. The final boss fight is pretty good but it seemed pretty confined to one area. I would have liked to use all of my upgrades having them necessarily used in the final fight, or at least been able to do so.
Fifth, I love that there are so many suits that you can unlock and upgrade as you go through the game. It gives you something else to do and you can use them in conjunction with your different fights since one suit may fair better than another in different circumstances.
Overall, I've already played through it twice and it's a good solid spider-man, classic web swinging game that you'll enjoy playing and won't regret. | video-games_xbox |
Worst of the Series. I waited months for this game, and it was time wasted.
Nowhere does this game compare to PGR2 or PGR3.
PGR2 was groundbreaking and was quite the competion when Gran Turismo was at the top of the charts. PGR3 looked great and had all the fancy cars, but it lacked the attention to detail that the previous game had. This was probably due to the fact that Microsoft was pushing to get the game released simulataneously with the Xbox 360 launch. The game suffered because of it. Nonetheless, it was a much better game than this one.
Many of the gaming world was hoping that PGR4 would be the next-gen level of racing.
There are too many things to cover for this short review, but I will mention a few that really made it a downer for me.
First of all, the biggest problem of the game is that they have completely destroyed "Career Mode". It plays more like an arcade racer, and you don't have any opportunities to retry tracks that you have not done well on. If you got 4th place...well "sorry" next event. It loses the excitement about the game and you wind up playing Arcade mode instead.
Another problem with the game is the way they have packaged the car buying process. Instead of going to the dealers, looking at cars, driving them, etc. You buy what I like to think of as "Hot Wheels" car packs where you dump all your Kudos into a bunch of cars that you may not really want.
Also, the addition of motorcycles really doesn't do anything for the game. It adds a useless gimmick that doesn't really improve the gameplay. It kind of feels like an after thought that ultimately makes the rest of the game suffer as well.
The design of the game is "ok". Definitely not the best I've seen. The cars don't look as good as "Forza Motorsport 2". Forza looks and handles great, but it lacks the "fun" that Gotham once had. The only thing that does look very nice is the city renderings. They do have a very photo realistic feel to them.
So, unless you want to drive slowly in Tokyo to look at the neon signs. I would stay away from this racer. | video-games_xbox |
Should have been included in the Retail Game. I give this three stars, because it does what it sets out to do... gives you more content to extend possible enjoyment of WWE2k14 on the Xbox 360 (an already excellent wrestling game on its own).
However, I am annoyed with the modern phenomena of "DLC" on gaming consoles. It feels like such a scam. Essentially you pay full price (at least when the game comes out) for a title, but some of the content on the disc is "locked" (that's right, the files are right there on the disc you bought already) but by getting online and paying more money (sometimes up to a third of the original asking price of the game) you can "unlock" this data and use it. Usually they make it pretty easy to access this material if you brought your game to another console or deleted it by accident, but still. If the content is "downloadable" it should really be something entirely new that wasn't available when the game came out, not just a key to decrypt the material that was already included with the game. Even an old game that has gone down in price will usually have full price DLC (meaning it might cost more than the "full game"!). To get around this some game companies (not the makers of WWE games, sadly) will release some kind of "gold" or "deluxe" version that includes all the DLC already available on-disc at a bargain price.
Then again, this is just the modern mutation of the old "shareware" system. The difference was that back then you could play the "demo" of a game for free (typically the final two thirds of single player, or the multiplayer portion remaining locked), and it only cost full price to "register" it and it wasn't called "downloadable" since you were just unlocking what was already on the discs (in theory). XBLA does offer such titles (many of which are incredibly short) but anyway, back to the review.
Worse still is the sneaking suspicion (if 2K games follows with the WWE game tradition) that the DLC will now longer be available if you happen to get the game 2 years after its release date, when "all online support" is officially terminated (and unlike PC games, you can't just host your own private servers after that point).
The WWE 2K Season Pass gives you ALMOST everything that was created for the game over the 1+ year it's been out from the original company.
You get a bunch of alternate attires (with younger looking faces and the hairstyles they had back then) of stars like Kevin Nash, Curt "Mr. Perfect" Hennig and Scott Hall. Mostly it's alternate attires for wrestlers that were already available from the get go (or rather, would be unlocked in the normal course of single player).
That's another thing, a significant amount of material in the game (belts, wrestlers, managers, arenas) is "locked" at the start, and to "unlock" it (thankfully for free this time) you have to play through the single player campaign "30 years of Wrestlemania."
For those who are lazy, or just don't have the hours to devote offline to unlock all this (to use ONLINE where the real action is, at least until October 2015 which is the latest they've promised to keep the online play), the Season pass includes the "Accelerator" which basically unlocks it all for you. Now you could have done this for free by accessing a friend's save file, but still.
Then there are a bunch of wrestlers that were not part of the original lineup, like Big E Langston and Jake "the Snake" Roberts. Some of the wrestlers are free but most of them are "paid DLC." So this unlocks them for you, but you still need to go online (in-game) and download them to your hard drive to use them). Of course you can play against people who use these characters with no problem even if you haven't.
Another nice feature is the creations pack. Originally I thought you could use any body parts or features from any "star" in the Create-A-Wrestler, but it turns out all that you really get is that you have a bunch of new templates to build your characters from. So instead of just generic male and female bodies as templates, you get several "stars" like the Undertaker, Daniel Brian, Triple H, etc. This is a round-about way that you can make your own version of the WWE roster, because the "superstar threads" feature only lets you take a pre-set character and change the colors of parts of his outfit (to create up to three "alternate attires"). So while before you could only change Undertaker's outfit to green, say, now you can dress his body up in whatever you want from the clothing library in the game. Unfortunately you can't change anything on these superstar template's heads. So no giving Randy Orton face paint or anything.
The "online pass" is not included. This was a code that was on the last page of the game's manual (notice that the real manual is an online pdf file that's almost 60 pages long... compared to the tiny abbreviated one on paper included in the retail case). You enter this code that gives you access to the Community Creations (which gives you 100 times the content of this Season Pass and really is wonderful, the highlight of the game for me) and Online multiplayer (ranked matches or player match which lets you do just about everything you could offline except for the Royal Rumble or Title Matches, and yes you can play with computer-controlled "bots" to supplement the human player slots that aren't filled, so long as you have at least one human opponent). If the code that was on the manual was used once already (as in the case of any used or rental game) then you need to buy a new code, which again is NOT included in this Season Pass.
What's missing? Besides the "Online Pass" there are also the two "bonus" characters that were originally pre-order exclusives. The "American Badass" Undertaker (he rides to the ring on a motorcycle with a bandana and glasses but in-ring he's just wearing jeans and loose fitting shirt with long red hair), and the Ultimate Warrior (in his orange attire... though the entire model looks ripped straight from an earlier WWE game. Normally you can only play as this character in the "30 Years of Wrestlemania" match against Hulk Hogan). These two characters are very cheap to download separately though, so don't worry about it.
Those who paid full price for WWE2k14 may feel a bit cheated by having to get this to have the full enjoyment of the game, but you could do without it if you aren't a big fan of the wrestlers included (the Community Creations will give you way more than you could ever ask for, since this game offers up to 100 CAW slots instead of the paltry 25 of WWE2k15 which is worse than games of the past, as Smackdown Vs Raw 2006 had 30 slots for created characters).
In all this is nice, but it really should have been included with the game, even as a "bonus disc" on a "Platinum Hits" edition or something, especially when online support for this title ends in a year or so (why not just let people host their own free servers, is that so hard?). | video-games_xbox |
EDIT. EDIT: Since the last patch Gears2 is perfect. They have improved the whole multiplayer experience and i cannot put it down. I LOVE THIS GAME (now). Thanks Epic!
I would like to start off by saying Gears of War is by far one of my favorite multiplayer games of all time. That being said it has always been plagued by unforgivable bugs that cause me great pain when i think of all the fun that could have been had with this game.
Multiplayer...
Number ONE:
Matchmaking issues that should have been fixed were exacerbated by the inclusion of teams of 5 players and a ranking system. This game by far has one of the worst matchmaking systems i have ever used. Why should you have to wait for 5 minutes while a full game is created? Well because for some odd reason you are unable to join a match in progress. If they would have just copied the normal matchmaking style where you continuously fight with the same people until they get tired of it or you get tired of it, and rounds just keep rotating through, the jump in jump out model of matchmaking would have worked perfectly. Really all the problems that plague matchmaking in Gears has to do with the fact that you can't jump into a match that is already in progress: unfair teams (3 v 5), long waits to play, having to wait after every match, etc.
Number TWO:
Superweapons (boomshot, torque, hammer, and mortar) cause matches to be repetitive and one-sided. I understand that this will always happen in all mutliplayer games with pickups. The battles tend to focus on the uberweapons and then when one group gets the weapon the match is pretty much over unless the other team has some great players. For maps with a boomshot it is always the same thing over and over again, go for the boomshot and win the match. The other weapons don't affect the tide of battle as much but still cause the battle to center around them which gets very repetitive.
Number THREE:
The problems with the chainsaw are not new but some things were fixed while new problems arose. The biggest issue which really... really needs to be fixed is that there is no timer on revving your chainsaw after you get hit. You can just run through a shotgun blast and then latch on to your target with the chainsaw. It doesn't even stagger them to get hit with a bullet, so if you have any other gun out but the lancer your screwed... seeing as how it is the only automatic weapon.
...fix these three issues and I will be happy. Number 2 would require the addition of a new game mode or a choice for players before the match starts for no special pickups, just ammo.
Singleplayer...
Number ONE:
I have gotten stuck 3 times already: once in multiplayer and twice in singleplayer. It only bothered me in singleplayer because I was of the way through a boss battle when it happened the second time and had to start all over. And what puzzled me about where I got stuck was that it was on flat ground.
Number TWO:
Tank and rail portions of the game. It is great that they want to break up the monotony of the game by adding a tank level and a few rail shooting parts but come on. The tank level was the hardest part of the game... and not hard in a "My strategy needs a little fine tuning hard"... it was hard in the way where you throw your controller and turn off the game. This is due to bad design. It is never ok to cause the player to go up against something that is a one shot kill and can't be predicted. This gets even worse because if you make one mistake you die and have to start back further than where you died (ICE anyone?). Something like the tank and rail portions of the game should only serve as light interludes to the normal Gears gameplay not nuisances that remove the fun and replace it with frustration.
Note:
Most of these negatives are inexcusable because this is a sequel that uses the exact same engine. They added a few features; but other than that it is the same game. It is hard to believe that any good designer could have labeled these flaws as acceptable or that any tester worth his weight would let them go unnoticed. It is equally as hard to believe that it took 2 years to make this game with the pittance of new features and the minuscule length of the story.
Positives...
Great story.
Great gameplay.
Solid multiplayer (once you get passed the gatekeeper). | video-games_xbox |
It's really a paid beta. Brink is a fun team based combat that was clearly released six months to a year early. There's been a lot of thought put into the mechanics which can make for a decent experience - or in a rare case, an excellent white knuckled one - but the game more less gets in its own way. Here's my thoughts in no certain order:
Showstopping Lag
In very few cases, the game has been smooth but in most cases, it flips between rubber banding to full out slideshows. It's maddening. One moment you'll be charging an objective and after a lag wave, you'll find yourself dead on the ground. Splash Damage issued a patch to fix this problem but it continues to persist amongst me and my friends and from what I read, the community at large.
Terrible AI
Much has been said about the AI and it's all true. It's beyond terrible. One moment, bots will be crack shots and the next moment, they'll be pants on head retarted. The turret AI is the same way. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. I watched an enemy soldier walk up to my turret and destroy it without my turret firing a single shot
Bizzare UI
Splash Damage made a lot of out-of-the-box UI choices and I applaud them for trying something different but they don't educate their users on how to use their UI. There are no lobbies so trying to get a party into a game is very unintuitive and when we do join a game, the party is often times split between the opposing forces. The game merges single player with multiplayer but doesn't teach users the nuances of the system. When creating a match, I don't feel in control and that's not a good thing.
Pointless Customization
I'm not a big customization guy so it's not really a biggie for me, but you can really dig deep into shaping the way your model looks. This seems pointless because on the battlefield, you really can't distinguish the customizations. The opposing team acquires a red glow around them so from a distance, the enemy soldiers look like enemy robots. This is frustrating since you can't determine the classes of the enemy, you can't prioritize your targets.
Movement
The SMART system is really well done. It really feels fluid.
Story
Quite abysmal. I'm constantly confused about the plot. I'm told that I'm fighting on the ark, but in certain cutscenes, characters point to the ark in the distance. There's a lot of talk of revolution or cracking down but none of it makes sense.
Leveling
You level fast in this game since everything you do acquires experience points. I've been playing this game on and off since it was released (two days ago) and I'm halfway maxed out my guy. It's pretty ridiculous. The leveling and ranking system seems kind on obtuse. Levels unlock clothes whereas challenges unlock weapons and attachments. I would have been happier if they doubled the cap (from twenty to forty) and based unlocks entirely on xp.
I would hold off on picking this up until they fix the bugs. It could have been a really great game had it been polished but right now, it's more of a paid beta. I hope Splash Damage sticks with this game and continues to refine it because it really could be a fun romp. Right now, it's just too frustrating and not worth the sixty dollar admission price. | video-games_xbox |
Suprisingly Poor All Things Considered. Considering the Bioware pedigree I found this title to be rather lacking. At times it felt like Mass Effect had simply been reskinned --- but, even more alarming, quite often I wished that this was the case.
One of the more notable problems in the game are plot twists that can make you lose key characters that you have invested precious time, care, and gold into developing and equipping. Sometimes with no acceptable recourse --- so no, a well placed save will not really help since none of your choices are very appealing. In my case, I lost my favorite ally and by far my most expensive character right as the game was at its climax. Naturally this is completely disappointing and made the game far less enjoyable. This could be avoided I guess, if you decide to change your main character's basic personality at the last minute. The loss of this character was even more disappointing since money and decent equipment is relatively hard to come by in this game. Believe it or not, losing this character was better than the alternative. Considering what I know of the game, the same or similar decisions are embedded into the main story line and are unavoidable no matter what class one decides to play. This greatly reduces the way one can play the game and what NPC's have any value at all ultimately. My best advice is to not play favorites at all and develop/equip all of your NPC's as completely as possible --- and for gosh-sakes don't grow to like these characters or anything like that.
Also the inability to do the side quests at anytime is pretty much unacceptable. If you should venture a bit too far into the main story line some side quests will be closed to you. I recommend that one does all side quests immediately and don't accidently do a story quest too soon. One can even bypass a certain caged ally character if one is not careful, although this is not what I am referring to.
The biggest problem with the game is it's poor quest locating system. By today's standards it is an insult and practically useless. One may select a quest and supposedly make it an active quest but it really makes no difference since the pointer will simply point to whatever key character or key feature is the closest. I found this to be simply unbelievable in this day and age.
The game is also a bit buggy as well. But this can be overlooked considering the ambition and work it takes to make any decent RPG. And don't get me wrong, it is a decent game. In fact, some of the story line can be quite engaging --- sometimes.
And lastly, I don't find this to be a particularly epic game by RPG standards --- I found it to be fairly short --- while noting in fairness that there is added origin content for each of the classes offered. These origins all lead to roughly the same main story content.
My advice is to play it --- next year --- when it's cheaper --- but be aware that the A team at Bioware was probably working on Mass Effect 2 and not this one ---ur --- hopefully. | video-games_xbox |
Great Story, Great Controls, Beautiful Graphics. This is an example why Stephen King needs to jump into developing stories for horror based games. This is a close representation of what could come from the mind of Stephen King. It nails the mysterious atmosphere, with strange characters, and an unknown force that is against you. Alan Wake is a great character and someone different to play as. He is someone that writes novels and his wife wants him to write another while they are on vacation. Alan completely disagrees with this and then events unfold from there.
Now the force that took your wife is the darkness and your trying to save her from it. The darkness is a evil force that can only be defeated by shining light on it to make it vunerable. Its amazing how they utilized it from the vehicles that you use, to spotlights, and even driving segiments. The darkness can consume anything so you have to be on your toes. I didn't consider it that scary but I was surprised a few times. They way you avoid the enemies is pretty amazing by the use of the dodge to avoid enemy attacks. Its done very fluidly which shines how well the controls are for the game. Aiming at enemies has never been a problem and even when your run out of bullets for a gun, it will switch to your other gun. If you don't have a gun then just run into the light. The game has a check point system that is always around each corner. You will make steady progress through this game.
Now a special thing about this game is how its presented like a tv show. They are each done in a episode and each episode is really lengthy. After you beat a episode it will end and recap pass episode events before you start your next episode. It could have been pushed with credits after each episode to make it seem more authentic but its nice otherwise.
The last few things I will mention is the graphics, the length, and replay value. The game is extremely beautiful. Its one of the best 360 games I have seen and the use of lighting is better than any game I have ever played. If there was a category for it for video game awards, this game would win it. Its amazing how realistic the lighting looks how it is displayed. The length I have to say is very short. You can beat it in about 12 hours. There is free content that comes with the game that is downloaded on a later date. One thing that could make you go back through it is getting everything such as coffee mugs, watch all tv channels, pick up all memos, and such. There is a lot of collecting and a lot of them tie into achievements.
I recommend this game for its great story, interesting character (voice work is top notch), and how great it looks. The gameplay is the most important and its a blast to play. It is a mystery in the world you are and it really evolves and becomes more interesting as you progress through the game. | video-games_xbox |
Takes some getting used to. First thing you should know - Whether you buy games in the marketplace or on a hard-copy disc, you still download the game to your console. When you insert the disc you still have to wait to download the game. Luckily we found this out the easy way and have stuck to buying online games and using Gamefly. I kind of feel like having to download hard copy games is a rip-off. But anyway, moving on.
Since this is the Titanfall bundle, I'll be reviewing Titanfall as well as the XBO. I have to admit, Titanfall is a visually stunning game that can really get your heart racing. The environments are incredibly, incredibly detailed. However, I would be MAD if I paid $60 for a game like this. The entire game is essentially a short mission of only a few minutes, X vs Y. After the battle you get experience and the chance to upgrade your setup before going to your next repetitive battle. You get thrown in with random people of other levels and setups. But you never move on, you never get to do anything else. If you need something that lets you come home from work and shoot some stuff to blow off steam, this is good. But that's all.
I was reluctant to like this system, but it's become a staple in our home. It's so nice to be able to control the console and some games with voice commands (and I do, 85% of the time) to avoid having to fumble with remotes and mess with the controller. We weren't able to use the Satellite link-through due to reasons that were not XBO's fault. I only have to grab a remote when it's time to switch between XBO and Satellite, or when I need to navigate a DVD menu.
The motion gestures definitely leave something to be desired. When attempting to engage (raising a hand) it can fly around the screen wildly and be very hard to control. I spend like 5 minutes trying to grab items, but don't have too much of a problem pushing on them if I can get the darn hand to stay in one place. Also, if my kids are in the room without shirts on, XBO recognizes their naked backs as hands and randomly takes in haphazard commands, leading to buttons getting clicked on every few seconds. If I'm not gaming and just watching Netflix or Twitch I keep the privacy cover (not included) on the camera.
XBO wants you to have a large living room. Our TV is mounted to the left of our sitting area, sitting catercorner on the wall facing the couch at a diagonal angle. There is about 10 feet between the Kinect and the couch, and when Kinect attempts to produce a 3D map of the living room floor it has a hard time understanding where the floor is. If I have a blanket on the couch or something it tries to include that as a part of the floor and it really confuses it. Luckily I don't plan on playing anything super Kinecty so it's not THAT big a deal, but when I'm trying to, say, record a motion capture in Project Spark, the floor position confusion causes my character to sit down because it thinks I must be 3 feet tall :P Yes, I lower the 3D mapping projection of the floor and it still thinks I'm really darn short.
The controller is wonderful. We still use regular batteries and they last about 2 weeks before they need changing.
Of course, the games are great. So far we've played Titanfall, Dead Rising 3, Project Spark, Metal Gear Solid V and Thief. My only complaint about the console itself I suppose, is that I wish DVD menus were voice friendly, but I totally understand why they're not. | video-games_xbox |
Awesome! This is how Sega Rally should have been. I bought this game and I can't stop playing it. Sega Rally was one of my favorite games on the Sega Saturn (Sega Rally 2 for DC was horrible...the control was so broken!). NEVER has a video game for any console or PC conveyed a sense of environment as well as Rallisport Challenge does. The graphics are PHENOMENAL...everything from the clean, jaggy-free car models, grass, rocks and roads...it all looks so lifelike and solid! And the lighting...when the track indicates "early morning", "Rainy afternoon", or "evening" as it's conditions, believe me, the tracks and the way they are lit are completely convincing. You'll drive through some of these tracks (the most impressive are by far the Mediterranean, icy racing and hill climbing tracks) and you'll swear that you've actually driven through locales like this at some point in your life! And yes, on the hill climbing sections you CAN tumble off the side of the mountain which to my knowledge has never been done in a rally racing console game! Another bonus, check out the cool reflective mapping on the cars!
How's the gameplay? In one word: PERFECT! The game is challenging, but never to the point of controller-throwing frustration. You'll find that part of the game's appeal is to find out exactly which car is suitable for the circuit you are going to attempt. Here's a bonus tip....if you want to relive the glory days of Sega Rally 1 on your Sega Saturn, the Nissan Skyline and Lancia Delta control almost exactly like the default Lancia and Celica in SR1! You'll find yourself practicing to get the art of powersliding down...it's not easy and the trick eventually comes down to using the handbrake in tandem with the normal brakes on the sharpest curves. Believe me, once you finally have it down, being able to powerslide through the sharp turns in succession is one of the most skillfully satisfying abilities you can have as a gamer!
The career mode is where you'll find yourself the most. This consists of racing a small circuit of races--normally about 3 - 10. The object is to come in first in the points total so that you can amass the most points in the career totals to unlock new courses and cars. Great fun and you'll find yourself replaying many of the circuits with the new cars you unlocked to see how much better you can do! There's plenty to do and see and the races actually require some skill unlike the plethora of NASCAR games on the market.
The only downside is the soundtrack...just some generic techno that doesn't really do anything for me.
Is Rallisport Challenge the best racing game on the XBOX? I think so... | video-games_xbox |
It's Just OK on 360, NOT Great. --------------
***UPDATE***
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After ignoring my 360 and just focusing on the XBOX One, I will admit I was wrong. The game on XB1 is far better, in many, many ways. Graphics are definitely superior but not up to par to some other XB1 games. The game play is more fluid due to the better engine. As a huge fan of Madden and the NFL, I still am sourly disapointed in the Madden series but Madden 15 is definitely the best Madden to date if its played on the PS4 or XB1.
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ORIGINAL REVIEW
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I have this game on the 360 and the Xbox One. Its definitely much better on the 1 than the 360 but its still Madden and it sourly disappoints regardless.
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On The 360
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I actually think it graphically looks worse than Madden 25 on the 360, which is odd. I just spent $60 on a roster update and what appears to me, worse graphics than the previous Madden 25 on the 360 lol. All the new marketed features, such as "A New Point of View" are ONLY on the One or PS4, not PS3 or the 360 lol. Talk about a sham and rip-off.
It's OK at best on the 360. I'm more upset it looks (to me) worse than the previous Madden (Madden 25). Seems odd. All in all, you're just paying $60 for a roster update.
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On The Xbox One
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Prior to buying it for the 360, I thought the graphics for Madden 15 on the Xbox One weren't that great and marginally better than Madden 25 on the 360. After trying it on both the Xbox one and 360, its definitely superior graphically and functionally on the Xbox One. All the new features they market for Madden 15 (such as "A New Point of View") are ONLY on the One or PS4, not PS3 or the 360 lol. Talk about a sham and rip-off.
It's good on the One, NOT great.
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In The End
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If you want to enjoy all of the new features of this game and get remotely decent graphics (for Madden 15) you will have to buy a next-gen console (Xbox One or PS4). Its just THAT bad on the 360. #FAIL! | video-games_xbox |
one of the best this year. Assassins creed deffinitely lives up to the hype. a great story (technically two), great voice acting, great gameplay and completely amazing environments come together to make one of the best achievements in videogames yet.
the person you actually play as is a descendent of Altair's some time in the distant future. your being held prisoner and forced to undergo a matrix like experiment to try and uncover information concerning your anscestor. the main gameplay takes place in Altair's world of course.
you play as a head assassin struck down from your position because of a certain mistake. now you've got to work your way back up through the ranks and earn back your reputation. theres a lot of political/religious tie-ins. obviously, that was tyhe cause of nearly all the violence in those (and these) times. the christians, muslims, and jews all having little squabbles throughout the land.
the platforming aspect of the gameplay couldn't have been handled better. you'll be fluintly dodging and leaping from rooftop to rooftop. the climbing is perfect. any little ledge or crack can be grabbed and used to your advantage in the ascent.
combat plays out in the same puppet like fashion all the other controls do one face button to control his head, two control his arms and the botton one controls leg actions, you can switch between different weapons stances and unarmed from the directional buttons. the right face button controls armed hand attacks and the left cant be used to grab and throw enemies (great on rooftops).
the crowd AI/interaction isn't bad, but a little questionable at times. your current persona and all your actions affect the state of your surroundings. stand on a roof in clear view and people are bound to stop and look. randomly throw someone into a wall, the people close by are probably gonna run away. if you pull out your sword and randomly start killing your bound to have what looks like a small riot on your hands. although ive found you can casually walk up to people and kill them with your hidden blade without notice if your slick about it.
the graphics are completely insane. to achieve this level of detail on a world so huge and teaming with life creates something that you have to see to believe. it would take hours upon hours to completely search this world and find all there is to find. this game could easily consume as much time as any good RPG. with so many games comming out that i can run through in a day, this is a major breath of fresh air. realistic recreations of anchient cities like Jerusalem and Damascus are your typical place of business. you can also explore the fields and deserts between the cities in this breathtaking world.
great gameplay with a great story and an amazing gameworld come together in a gem that shouldnt be overlooked by anyone with any interest in video games. 10/10 | video-games_xbox |
Takes me back. I'll admit straight off that I'm a bit biased toward this kind of game. I've always loved on-rails shooters. I remember as a kid going to the arcade and playing House of Dead or Time Crisis or other similar rail shooters and having a blast.
That said, the game has pretty good graphics. This isn't going to measure up to Halo or Battlefield by any means, but they are more than acceptable for a $20.00 game.
Most of the sounds are acceptable, but some of the guns sound kind of lame and the voice acting is TERRIBLE. While I love me some B-movie style voice acting (which is to say, laughably bad voice acting), this was so bad that I cringed at times.
The plot is pretty standard. You're a soldier trying to stop Iran from launching a nuke and along the way you get to blow a lot of stuff up. Not really any awards for story here, but you need some reason to shoot at things I suppose.
The controls were weird, but I got used to them. For some reason, the developers thought it would be a good idea to make the left stick the aiming control instead of the right, which is traditional. To add to the awkwardness, I normally aim (with the right stick) in a y-axis-inverted fashion. I learned from this game that I aim with the left stick without the axis inversion. Who would've thought. Once you get used to it, the game is a lot easier. Since you aren't aiming with a gun object like in those old arcades, you have to drag the reticle around the screen which can cause brief periods of frustration at certain points.
There are 12 missions and two different difficulties. You get to travel by foot, stealth aircraft, helicopter and tank. There are item and health upgrades you can earn based off a point system. As an added bonus, the achievements are very easy if you're into that.
For $20.00, you can look passed a lot of the game's flaws. If this were $60... not so much. However, I applaud Teyon (developers) and Mastiff (publishers) for putting together a solid budget title that has lots of nostalgic appeal. | video-games_xbox |
A Great Game With a Many Glitches. The newest installment in the Tomb Raider franchise was one of the most fun games that I've played in a long time. I only didn't give it all five stars, because it was very glitchy throughout the entire game.
Gameplay:
The actual gameplay was awesome when I didn't run into any glitches. Lara has the ability to climb rocks with her ax, slide down zip lines, and climb buildings. Lara's movements are pretty close to Assassin's Creed, but with slightly less freedom in what you can climb.
When it comes down to combat you have the choice to be stealthy or go in guns blazing. Weapon selection was pretty limited, but that's okay in a game like this. You have the choice to use a bow, shotgun, piston, or a riffle. I ended up using the bow the most, because it was quiet. You can also upgrade your weapons along with your skills when you find a comb site.
Story: This Tomb Raider has the best story, plot and characters that the franchise has ever seen. The story is so good that you can easily loose track of time.
Graphics:
I definitely could tell the difference in graphics from the 360 to Xbox One version. Things like the blood and dirt on Lara's face really stuck out on the Xbox One compared to the 360 edition. I also noticed that the weather and landscapes looked very real, which made this game into an experience rather than just another game.
Packaging: This review is for the Definitive Art Book Edition, which comes in a special art book case rather than generic Xbox case. The art book has a little over 10 front and back pages of full color concept art that makes this edition that much more special for the same price. It's not a good idea to pay extra for this edition since you can still find this edition in stores.
Glitches:
Even though I loved this game I was very frustrated at times with the many glitches. In fact, several times I needed to restart checkpoints, but most of the time that didn't work, so I needed to go one step further and completely restart my Xbox. If it wasn't for the glitches I would had given this game five stars, but luckily the glitches weren't bad enough from preventing me from completing the game.
Bottom line:
You might get lucky and get through the game with little or no glitches, but be warned that you probably will run into some, but when it comes to the story of the game you can't get much better than what they delivered. If you didn't play the 360 edition or never finished it, then I recommend trying the Xbox One edition. | video-games_xbox |
Just Read The Review. IT IS HERE!! I couldn't tell you how excited I was to get a hold of this game, coming from a Halo veteran of 2001, and deep fiction junky. I knew 343 Industries was an adequate developer considering the studio was built for Halo (with Bungie ex's) so I wasn't pessimistic of the game at all. And now that I've completed the campaign, first episode of Spartan Ops (solo Legendary FTW), and War Games multiplayer, I've noticed some great advancements yet a few fallacies as well. Please note that as a shooter, the game is fantastic, but as a Halo, perhaps just good. I'll explain.
+The game is beautifully sharp and very dark throughout, especially campaign, the cutscenes are lifelike and gameplay hardly different. I only ran across a few dull textures while I was trying to reach high places in the campaign. It is not as 'cartoony' as past titles, which I liked, but not against the upgrade. If only it were a little brighter. Spartan Ops is fun, though I hate to see Firefight go, and Forge is better than ever. Most of the maps are fantastic as well. The multiplayer is fun, but as a long time Halo fan, I do have a few downers about it.
-I hate to complain but there were aspects I was dissappointed by. First, the ending was as farfetched as ever and ended kind of dissappointingly in my opinion - still good, maybe not Halo good, but that's just me. The campaign is also very short, like Medal of Honor short. I could have beat it in one sitting. There are a few glitches with achievement and award unlocks and accessing Halo Waypoint, but that can be patched. I found the story a little contradictory to Greg Bear's part of the novel series when it comes to the antagonist, who is actually a pretty good guy made evil in the game. They never explained the change in armor, either. The multiplayer is now closer resembles a Call of Duty / Battlefield title than past Halos when it comes to gameplay, in an attempt to make the game easier to play and more "fair" between new and experienced players. Custom loadouts. In-game joining. Killstreak ordinance. Call of Duty? No, Halo. As a long time Halo fan, it is fun but does not play like a classic Halo, which is what I hoped for the most.
Again, as a game, it is absolutely awesome, the Limited Edition comes with a sweet white tin game case (like Halo 2's) and tons of DLC, and is definately worth buying, Halo fan or not. It is one of my favorites, but my go-to Halo will still be Halo 3. Nevertheless, good work 343i. | video-games_xbox |
While I think this is a great game I don't really consider it a great mass . While I think this is a great game I don't really consider it a great mass effect game. I think the game would've been better had they cleaned it up a bit and showed more focus. The combat is completely changed from the first one. It's more action oriented which I don't really have a problem with but it's basically a cover shooter. Everywhere you go there's plenty of cover and it over does it with the corridors. Basically you have sections cut up on the hub worlds. A section to walk around in and talk and do missions. And a section just for combat. I don't like this as it feels like you're restricted and it feels cheap. I much prefer the wide open areas of the first game. Which brings me to another issue is certain places in the game just aren't as good as the first. Remember the citadel from the first game? That's one of the best and most interesting locations for any game ever. But the citadel here is nowhere near as good. The locations are cramped and less inspired it seems than in the first.
Next I have to mention the complete and utter waste of hacking and scanning. These are gameplay elements that could've went to something else. Instead we are constantly hacking and the hacking is pointless because it's impossible to fail and it never evolves. The scanning is equally bad as it just screams a bad and wasted gameplay element. It's essentially a missed opportunity to include something more interesting and worthwhile. There's too much of it and they didn't need to do that. When you have a problem with the Mako from ME1 you shouldn't cut it out for something worse, it should be improved or changed into something better.
Next, the story. The story was executed well enough for what they had but it's very choppy and unfocused. It focuses much more on the characters, who are awesome, but it takes the focus away from the reapers. We get more of a side story that focuses on different things you probably didn't expect it to. It's not terrible, just probably not what you planned on doing in a ME game.
The games strengths are it's characters, it's music, it's side quests, and it's production values. The game takes a noticeably darker approach in nearly every way and that's something that many people will love. My main problem is that it takes a completely different direction from the first. It's much more Hollywood and less of the interesting and awe-inspiring Sci-Fi world that the first game was going for. It's still an excellent game despite all it's problems. | video-games_xbox |
Not perfect. I am the kind of fan that buys this game every year no matter how different it is from the previous year. But what drew me to this year's game the most was its tribute to the famous attitude era that played a huge part in the industry from 96-01 (from Austin winning the 96 KOTR to the demise of WCW). In it we get dozens of wrestlers from the attitute era (from The Rock and Stone to Billy Gunn). We event get a mod,e that replaces Road To Wrestlemania mode/storymode, that lets us reinanct the great matches from that era. Of course we still get most of the current roster. Although despite the game's large roster (over 100) we get duplicates. Meaning certain wrestlers take up multiple spots (three HHHs, three Foleys, 2 Cenas, 2 rocks, etc) so some wrestlers missed the cut especially popular guys like Tyson Kidd and William Regal. However a good ammount of guys excluded are included in DLC and for once all of the dlc wrestlers are ones fans were hoping were going to be in.
One of the big issues last year was online. Most of the time, players cried in anger as they weren't able to download created content or even play online. Fans were hoping this year would be different. For the most part it is. We can easily download created content with no problem. But online plays has a tendency to freeze or just no work. Sometimes you will win a grueling match and despite it being a rated match you won't get the win. Now these issues don't happen all the time so it shouldnt take too much fun out of it.
Universe 3.0 is vastly better then past years. In the mode that allows you to create your own wwe world, this year the included the ability to make more shows on any day of the week (mon-sat) and even delete/edit current shows to your pleasing which is something fans have been wanting for a while. Now Universe mode still has its problems but its still a fun expereince. One big feature have been begging to return is create a belt which allowed players to create their own championship. The good news is it returns however ownly as edit a belt. Meaning we can edit an existing championship belt by changing its color, name and call name. Its still cool as we can assign it as a belt for your original show. Now what is always expected in any game, there are bugs and glitches. Stuff that even defies the laws of physics. I won't get into details but if you played past games, its the same.
Overall this is a great game. Its far from perfect but being able to make dream matches featuring stars from today and the attitude era makes this the perfect game for current and old school wrestling fans
Pros:
-Attitude era mode and wrestlers
-Huge improvement to create an arena
-DLC we actually want
-Being able to make a third brand in Universe
-Ability to make dream matches
-Create a belt is back....sort of
Cons:
-Online is still annoying at times
-Duplicate wrestlers
-Exclussion of popular wrestlers (Regal, Kidd, etc)
-Bugs
-Create a belt isn't what we expected | video-games_xbox |
a Dream crushed port. [...] Lately I've been complaining about pressure sensitive buttons, and their lack of responsiveness. This game is a prime example of that, as there have been many times when I am inputting the classic moves that I know by heart and nothing happens, or I'm pounding away at the controller and nothing happens. Its not that my controller is broken, is that a game meant for digital buttons should either be tweaked to handle analogue buttons, or not put on a system with a controller that has them. The biggest response problem is in the hyper combos, which require you to pull the left and right trigger together. On the DC I could pull the triggers once and pull it off, on the Xbox I have to pull the triggers repeatedly, and getting my butt kicked as a result. I was able to breeze through even the toughest battles on the DC, but the response was much much better for that system.
Don't get me wrong the game is still a blast, and definitely a worthy purchase if you don't already have the DC, or PS2 versions. This game is one of my all time favorite fighter games, and I still love it despite the response problems this game has with the standard Xbox controller. Although I have played with an S-Type controller I have yet to buy one, but I think I may finally do so in hopes that the controller will help be play this game better on the Xbox.
The sound is quite a bit better than the DC version; I can actually hear the taunts and "Ha-do-kens" without having additional volume like I had to have for the DC version of the game. Graphically, however, the game disappoints. Its sad to think that in two years the 3D polygon world has advanced so much that we have amazing pieces of work like Ninja Gained on Xbox, or the Resident Evils on GameCube, but when it comes to 2D sprites things still have jagged edges, and still animate stiffly, even if they are moving quickly. I'd think that Capcom could have easily tweaked the game graphically to enhance the experience, but they didn't. This game looks just like the DC version. I had high hopes for this port, but with no online play, and with no enhancements to the game over all I feel very strongly that getting rid of the DC version in anticipation for this version was a mistake. Definitely pick this up if you don't have the DC or PS2 version of the game though. It's still one of the most fun fighter games of all time, even if the standard Xbox controller isn't the most responsive. | video-games_xbox |
I like it. I haven't played the sims in years... So when I saw this I was pretty excited but I haven't bought it, I know th console versions always differ from pc... I don't have a pc that will run the sims and I really been just wanting to play, so I decided to just buy this game and get over night shipping, so it should be here tomorrow so I can get my sim fix lol... I have read reviews and i understand a game is a game and there will be problems.. I mean I had problems when I played the pc version.. I just hope it worth the money and I don't want to feel like I been had.. 50 bucks is alot of money..
I know there were versions but I wanted the pets version because I love pets.. I honestly can't see myself griping because i always loved the sims and it sure will give me something to do!
I appreciate everyones reviews and really took them into consideration. Thank you.
Does anyone know a money cheat??
*~*UPDATE*~* 12/7/11
I got the game yesterday and only spent maybe 4 hours max on it... it's kind of different from the pc version, a lot of buttons on the controller that I need to get used too.. I find it a bit harder actually.. But from what I played so far, I do enjoy the game, although I am still getting used to controls and where stuff is at the moment. The graphics are nice and the sims are neat looking. the pets are adorable and I love that feature.. I haven't tried building anything yet or remodeling as it took me nearly 2 hours of trying to find out where the buy/build mode was because on the lesson screen for the area it said to press X and when I did it was taken me elsewhere, so I had to get online and find out how to do it. But once I did I put some blinds and curtains up..
I like that we can visit the town and go different places.. Thats pretty cool..
I found a money cheat online and I tried doing it and I guess I may doing something wrong because it's not giving me unlimited money, and that's one of the aspects of how I like to play my game... I LOVE to have money so all my sim people live luxourous lives, I love to remodel and build huge mansions.. I made a "Test" family to get used to the game and controls and I am kind of fond of the lady and she's pregnant and i have hardly any money lol so I really need to figure out how this money cheat works... I know it works because people have said it does, I just can't figure it out..
If anyone is interested in the cheat you get unlimited money/karma powers etc..
-During gameplay press START to bring up the pause menu
-Press LT, LB, RT, RB simultaneously to enable
(12-9-11) I got the cheat to work so yay! Although I dislike the fire limit, that kinda aggrivates me a bit..
If anyone can get it to work let me know please.. I know some people don't like to cheat but I do lol...
I also made a little kitten and took the little kitten down to the Town Hall and I made the kitten pee everywhere lol that was a lot of fun!! LOL!!!
Again, I was hesitant to buy this game but I am glad that I did because I do think it's worth the money, I have read the cons of the game and honestly they don't even bother me, I actually think glitches are funny and I just giggle when it happens.. It is a game, it is a sims game, all sims games have glitches. I had a lady driving a car and when I went outside she was sitting in the car but the car wasn't there and I just laughed. It just doesn't bother me.
(12-9-11)I was wondering if you could pass generations down like you could with the sims 2...It seems kind of difficult due to the fact that there isn't many npc's in the town and that Jo Kingsley is REAL PITA and hard to flirt with lol..Some of the sims I met are in Highschool which I guess you can't age at all, so what is the poijt in trying to persue a relationship with them. Oh well, I am just gonna mess around with the game and see what I can do and just have fun with it. I am alittle dissappointed in the fact that you can't move a few people from the house an re-move them into a diff house, once you move them out they are deleted from the game.. I guess I can see why people really like the pc version, I am a little bummed I can't get that expeirence. I really love that you can radomize the sims name, thank god for that because I always struggled trying to come up with a name for my sims... I like that you can have a few people living in the house and they all can have different last names.. I am loving that a lot. I made a "Moss" family and they consist of brothers and sisters and I have fun with them and I take em out on the town together all the time and they have such a great time.. I really love that family a lot..Oh well, I do enjoy the game much though and I always look forward to gettting my kiddies to bed so I can play it lol.. | video-games_xbox |
The tried and true formula is honestly getting stale. ***Disclaimer***-This review is my opinion only, uninfluenced by outside sources.
I'll admit, I used to be addicted to the Call of Duty franchise, and my real starting point was the original Modern Warfare back in 2007 (although I really loved Call of Duty 2's outing). This addiction really peaked with the last Modern Warfare game where in a years time I logged over a full MONTH of online game time. I had gotten to something around the 7th prestige, and then it hit me: wait, I'm not having fun, this is just mindless grinding. I had to put up with whining 12 year-olds all the time, cheap tactics from modders or cheaters, and a general sense of no online community where the only time I would communicate with other players was if they were friends. It got to the point that the only time I had fun anymore was in a few custom games and friend-filled lobbies, which were unfortunately few and far in between.
Even still, I could not stop playing. I had to keep scratching this itch, this almost palpable need to advance "just one more level", to get that one attachment, weapon, or perk that *this time* would REALLY change the game. It never did. I go up a level, I get bored with the things it unlocks, so I keep grinding and grinding with the false hope that the next level will be better.
Like I said, this continued for a month of game time, almost as much time as I have put into Halo 3 in 4 YEARS time. I finally hit a breaking point somewhere last year and just stopped. I don't know how it happened, but I just couldn't bring myself to play it for long intervals of time, if not even a little. Sure, when some friends came over we popped it in for an hour or so, but even still we all got tired of it in no time. I felt like I finally kicked the habit, and it felt great.
Well not soon after all the news, trailers, and general hype about MW3, my interest was piqued, I decided to do a little experiment. Just to see if this game had any significant differences from the last, I went ahead and pre-ordered it. Picked it up last night and gave it a go.
Just for comparisons sake, I went ahead and played through the campaign first thing on easy, to get a feel for the action and to sum up the story from the previous two Modern Warfare games. To put it simply, it's just like the last two, but with more explosions and even dumber AI. I'm not exaggerating. I found multiple times enemies running PAST allied fire just to run up close to my position to shoot at me. For its own merit, you can derive some "fun" from the campaign, but honestly, it's a short 3 hour romp on easy. I assume on something like Veteran you can expect at least double that, but but even that's pushing it. For campaign and spec-ops (which only feel like more of the same from MW2), the game gets a star.
The real story is with the multiplayer. I went in expecting it to be similar to the other outings, and wow, they might as well have called this Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer 2.0, where the unbalanced killstreaks have been taken out (which, frankly, is a good thing). It has the same guns, sans a few and plus a few, the same fast paced action, the same 12-year old and younger kids, and the same lack of an online community. I played to level 15 and just quit, as the horrible feeling of deja vu was setting in, with the same leveling system in place just like the last games. I really didn't want to get sucked in again, so I immediately put the game back in its box. It's going back to the store tomorrow. For these flaws, the multiplayer only gets a star as well.
I will warn you, if you are looking for a casual time-wasting online experience with a balanced online community this game is not for you, unless you happen to have 10 or more actual online friends to play this with at all times. If what you are looking for is an addictive, mindless, and uninspired shooter to hold you over until Treyarch's outing next year...oh wait, you probably already have it. Nevermind. | video-games_xbox |
A great game without the Fun franchise and Fantasy Drafts. I'm sure you have read all the other reviews, so I will keep mine short and sweet to let other people and EA Sports know how disappointed I am with the missing modes (see below). Overall, the game is actually really good. I have owned every Madden since '96 and this had some of the best improvements to the game-play and presentation I have seen in a long time. Playing the actual game is a lot of fun and I am glad that they put in the new Physics Engine. HOWEVER, the thing I do the most in Madden games along with probably everyone else is play Franchise Mode or do a Fantasy draft/Franchise with my friends offline. THESE MODES ARE GONE. EA took them out and replaced them with this "connected careers mode" Although it is a good idea and actually kind of fun to play, there is no reason they couldn't have kept the original Franchise Mode in tact or at the very least gave us the option to do a Connected career mode with a Fantasy Team option.
Long story short: Great game to actually play. But the most played mode and most fun mode in the game is gone and for me that means this will be the last madden I purchase until they fix that. I am assuming with all the complaints, that will be Madden '14 but it is a shame I spent this money on a game I will barley play this year. WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR and make sure to let EA know how stupid this decision was on their part.
Update: Here is an official Statement from Ea Sports Dan Bekins directly from the Ea Sports Madden Forum: ([...])
As far as I know the career roster update should match what the league looked like at the beginning of the preseason. If you give a few examples of the differences, I can check it out quickly.
The notable features that are different between Connected Careers and Franchise Mode are the following:
- NCAA draft class import. This year we have custom draft classes with branching storylines and audio commentary. You won't be able to import from NCAA.
- Fantasy draft is not in the mode this year.
- Edit roster/players is not available in CCM (but is still available for Play Now).
Based on community feedback these features are definitely on the top of our list going forward. Hopefully on average the new features and depth will balance these out to be net positive. | video-games_xbox |
Zombies. To paraphrase a Marine Corps saying: "Killing zombies is easy and fun". At least, it is when you're playing "Dead Rising", the latest zombie title from Capcom.
But let me clarify the above point a bit. When I say "easy", I'm talking about dealing with individual zombies or small groups of them. As one character tells you in the beginning, "The good news is, zombies are slow and stupid!" The bad news is that what the shuffling undead lack in speed and smarts, they make up for in sheer numbers. Dealing with one zombie is easy, dealing with 20 is a whole other matter.
"Dead Rising" puts you in the shoes of Frank West, a freelance photographer who gets wind of something going down in the secluded Colorado town of Willamette. After bypassing military roadblocks by hiring a helicopter to ferry you in, you touch down at the local mall to investigate.
The early stage of the game is peppered with quite a few cutscenes, but they are surprisingly engaging and set up an intriguing storyline. The character models are alarmingly realistic, right down to those wispy hairs women have on their cheeks, but there are quite a few uncanny valley moments.
As Frank explores the mall, you will discover vast array of zombie-killing implements, each with their own unique effects. In just an hour or so of play last night, I used a lead pipe, a 2x4, a baseball bat, a golf club, a cleaver, a sickle, and a pistol. The sickle was particularly satisfying. After Frank buries it in a zombie's neck, he dislodges it by bracing a foot against its chest and kicking it off, which has the effect of decapitating zombie in a gush of blood. I guess that why they say sickles really satisfy.
But even zombie-hacking would get old after a while, and so it's to Capcom's credit that they've designed a deeper and more engaging game. Frank's real objective is not to mow down endless numbers of zombies, but rather to uncover what the hell has gone so horribly wrong in Willamette. He does this by tracking down survivors and piecing together information from a couple of apparent government agents also trapped in the mall.
Frank also has to document what is happening by taking photos. The game walks you through a tutorial that instructs you on how to compose pictures with horrific, dramatic or erotic compositions. The more of those elements you can squeeze into a photo, the more "player points" you earn and the faster your skills improve.
There are also plenty of side missions, from checking out mysterious developments to rescuing other characters and leading them to safety.
I do, however, have two complaints. One is about the camera. Instead of staying right behind Frank all the time, he can rotate in your field of view so that what he's looking at isn't necessarily what you're looking. Sure, you can reorient the camera behind him with a click of the thumbstick, but it's still annoying, especialy when you're beset by a dozen zombies coming from all sides. It also makes it hard to use aimed weapons like the pistol.
The other complaint is about the save system. Basically, you have one save slot, and you can only save at your "home base" of the security room, or in the mall's bathrooms. Unfortunately, you can find yourself quite a ways away from those places while carrying out a mission, and if you die, you've just lost a good chunk of progress. Also, from some of the reviews, the single save slot can also be problematic because many of the missions are timed, and if you save at the wrong point, you may not have enough time to complete the mission, requiring a total restart.
Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to some good old-fashioned zombie bashing, with a bit o' "X-Files"-style conspiracy thrown in to boot. If you're antsy for some good 360 action during the summer lull, it'd be worth your time to check out "Dead Rising". | video-games_xbox |
The magic is gone -- literally. I hate panning this. I really do. I loved the first two entries in the series. But this one is the biggest disappointment Ive ever had in a game. Heres 7 reasons why:
1. MAGES DEPOWERED TO THE POINT OF INSIGNIFICANCE. It's now inconceivable that mages are the group that everyone most fears. Why, when few of their spells have any teeth, and most of their abilities non-offensive? Mage is always my preferred class in any rpg. There's nothing more fun than slinging around lightning bolts, or causing freeze damage (always loved Cone of Cold), or flaming meteors down on foes -- all of which I could do in DAO and DA2. Now the spell skill trees reek of impotence. I can put up barriers. I can "panic" people. I can "slide out of danger". Wheeee. While I'm doing those things, I'm usually running for my life, because I can take maybe three solid hits from a shade before I'm out, and with the absence of healing magic and an inexplicable potions cap, I've no way to revive. There are just a small handful of offensive spells I can go to, but their damage has been whittled. 120% of my weapon? Great. That means two hits from my staff would do more damage than my spell. Mages have been rendered all but unplayable.
2. LACK OF ABILITY TO HEAL. I'm fighting through a cave. We fight through the first tunnel clearing, but we all take significant damage because I'm a mage and my spells suck, thus a simple forest bear is now the equivalent of a dragonling, even on Casual mode. But oh wait, my mage can't heal anymore, health doesn't replenish after fights, and my potions have been capped at 8. That's two apiece. That means, once we drink them, we must then (a) teleport back to camp, then (b) run all the way BACK to the spot we just left so we can continue. My, how immersive. (Who at Bioware thought this was a change we were clamoring for?) The cooldown on potions in DA2 was entirely adequate. This limitation has caused the game to descend into long periods of tedium for me. It's an OPEN WORLD ADVENTURE. It's supposed to ENCOURAGE exploration, not punish you for it.
3. RESPAWNING ENEMIES IN SAME LOCATIONS. In a game like Skyrim, even in the above scenario, I could cope because once I've cleared an area in a cave or dungeon, it stays cleared. But in the DAI version of the scenario, once I run back to camp to heal, then run back to the cave, all the enemies have respawned in the exact same locations, so I'm back to square one. Get ready to chug those 2 potions apiece again! And my mage is still a powerless wuss.
4. ROMANCEABLE OPTIONS UNDERWHELMING. If you're a heterosexual male, you'd do better at an Amish mixer. (Its okay, I can say that because theyll clearly never read this.) Remember DAO with the squabbles between Morrigan and Leliana? Fun. Merril and Isabella in DA2 weren't quite as appealing, but still required intriguing decisions and opened up hilarious in-game party dialogue. Now what have you given me? Cassandra? No thanks. The other one... I can't even remember her name. All I recall is that her hair appears drenched in grease and she looks like she'd be more at home in "The Witcher" series. Frankly, most of these characters do, and it's not at all appealing. The only attractive female romancing option is Sera, but wait, shes not into guys. Why has Bioware marginalized the heterosexual dude?
5. UNENGAGING CHARACTERS. In DAO and DA2, I felt personally invested in the lives of the characters and in their relationships. I cared whether Aveline got together with Donnic. I wanted Morrigan and Dog to get along. I wanted Wynne's approval when "courting" Leliana (whose innocence and compassion were refreshing in that game's climate). But 15 hours into DAI, the characters are about as interesting as a glass of milk. Blackwall? Meh. Cassandra? Grating. Varric and Sera are the only interesting party members, and occassionally they'll quip, but not often. In DA2 my followers were chatting all the time, and it was FUN. Now they're mostly silent observers. Or maybe it just seems like that because I'm spending so much time doing tedious things like running back and forth to heal and gathering crafting materials. And Leliana has become a scowling, embittered curmudgeon. Serves her right for leaving my Hero of Ferelden I guess.
6. CRAFTING = MORE TEDIUM. I don't mind a crafting system in games. There was blacksmithing in Skyrim, but I didn't have to use it. I chose not to because my idea of immersive escapism isn't running around fetching things and then making things that the game should provide -- like weapons and clothing. But Skyrim didn't punish me for that; there was still an incredible amount of unique loot to be found throughout the world. In DAI, 15 hours in, I have not found this to be the case. Yes, it's early, but 15 hours is 15 hours. There's no bigger buzzkill than when you defeat a room full of enemies on your third try (and it's taken a couple of hours because of the back-and-forth healing at camps and retracing your steps), and you finally get to open that treasure chest, and it contains.... some cotton. Wheeee. Oh, but wait -- it's "fine" cotton. My bad. So if I want to my effort in finding it to pay off, I've got to become a seamstress and run around finding more materials, so hopefully later I can make something out of it (assuming I ever find the "schematic" for it).
7. NO ATTRIBUTE POINTS TO SPEND. Now, if I want to increase my spell strength (and I'd better, because my spells suck), I've got to "unlock" attribute points, by purchasing abilities which are useless to me -- sometimes multiple abilities, so that I can worm my way down the skill tree to get to the one I need. Example: If I want another 3 points to magic, I have to unlock a passive ability which causes a random bolt of lightning to strike during fights. Sounds cool, except it only happens every 20 seconds (can my wimpy mage survive that long?), and its only as powerful as about three of my basic staff bolts. Yippee. But at least Ill get the +3 magic, so my other equally lame spells will be slightly more powerful.
Bioware could improve my experience DRASTICALLY by (a) providing a patch to eliminate the ridiculous potions cap, and (b) creating some DLC, which I would gladly purchase, to provide a classic spell tree, bringing back faves like Tempest and Cone of Cold/Lightning/Fire and Glyph of Repulsion. Until such time as they do, this game is at the top of my list of all-time disappointments. | video-games_xbox |
A Glorified Shooting Gallery - But Still Awesome. I've been eagerly looking forward to the new installment of Max Payne for quite awhile. I even went to PAX East this year to try it out in person. I'll pair the good against the bad and you guys can decide for yourself from there.
THE GOOD:
The Story: Max Payne's saga is a sad one as you well know if you had played the previous two installments. In this entry, Max has his rock bottom and he's a pill popping alcoholic. Rockstar knows how to craft a tight story and show some serious depth to characters. Max is no exception and his bleak story draws you in from beginning to end. His one liners and quips are also fantastic. He's a noir character through and through.
Graphics: The environments, character models and areas look amazing. All of them are highly detailed, always fresh, and a lot of fun to blow guys away in. The slums of Sao Paolo look particularly amazing. It's a really amazing set piece and Rockstar has delivered a beautiful games in spades.
Sound: The acting in the game is top notch, the characters all sound great, the action is intense, the music is cool and overall it's a strong showing.
Multiplayer: The multiplayer is fast, intense and really cool. The various loadouts you get to use really make for a variety of ways to play. The updated Rockstar Social Club is great for setting up your crew and checking out your stats. The multiplayer modes vary a bit as well, making for some different, fun experiences. This will likely be where the majority of people spend their time.
THE MIDDLE:
Bullet Time: It's back and it's still as cool as you remember. For awhile. Once the nostalgia and novelty factor wear off you'll find that it's sometimes easier to do things in real time rather than diving all over the place. I don't know if it was just me but the enemies in this have some seriously pinpoint accuracy and if you dive out, you either hit everyone and kill them of you're screwed.
Checkpoints: I found myself replaying a lot of areas after a stupid death because the checkpoints don't come as often as I'd like. I'm sure I'll get BETTER in time, but, it was still pretty annoying to do the same "super cool jump through the window into the kitchen" move three times.
THE BAD:
Repetitive: The game is a linear shooting gallery through various locations. If the story/graphics didn't fall under "good" this would be a major blow to the game. There isn't a ton of variety, but, the strength of the story, acting, sound and graphics carry it though.
No Grenades: The bad guys get grenades. I want grenades. | video-games_xbox |
A Game Player/Buyer's Practical Review. I've reviewed a few X-Box games here, so before I continue, I ask that after reading this review, please vote as to whether or not it was helpful so I know how/if I'm helping for your game purchases. Thanks! I'm changing my reviews to give purchase/rent/buy recommendations, as well as the 5-star system.
"The Thing" is one of the more surprisingly enjoyable games I've purchased recently. For those on the fence, on my new rating system I would give this a "good buy". To give you a better understanding of this rating, I would give "Halo" a "definitely buy" rating, "GunMetal" would get a "rent only", and "Smashing Drive" would receive an "avoid" rating. With that said, let's get down to details:
Graphics: Graphics are well-done and rated about a 3.5 to 4 out of 5. The colors are well-integrated, snow/fog perception is visually well done. Texture mapping onto various "thing" creatures can be a bit redundant, but doesn't detract from game play. Conceptually, the graphics are similar to Halo. The mapping of character voices to mouth movements is a bit puppet-like, but it's understood that do so would require a much more programming effort, and again, doesn't detract from the story. There is some granularity on certain images, but the content is large, so some work is spared. Again, the graphics are fine, and do not detract from playability of this game at all. You may need to tweak your TV's video settings if you're used to watching DVD movies often because there are many dark scenes that may require a darkened room to play, or adjusted contrast/brightness (increased Gamma). Occasionally, when your character is too close to battle, the view switches from an "behind the back" third person, to a first-person. Sometimes this can be a bit jerky, or can be accompanied by video clipping (i.e., where parts of the characters seem to be "cut off" or disappear through walls), causing disorientation for the player, but again, doesn't happen enough to be a serious problem.
Sound/music: Sounds are rated 3.5 to 4 also. The sounds for certain weapons as the shotgun are superb with nice subtle additions, such as the clink of shells falling on hard floors, recocking of the gun, and the "schluck, schluk" of reloading more shells. The sounds of "things" dying is can be repetitive, and it would have been nicer to have a few more variations on this. The sound of the wind howling during outdoor missions never becomes overstated, and the repeating track works well. The background mood music is very well done. The tense sounds or sudden pizzicato play very well into the story. When I first started playing this game at night with all the lights out, the mood music started to give me the same fearful anticipation that watching a good horror movie will do. Sounds of doors shutting, computers working, electrical boxes being repaired, and circuit breakers being thrown are realistic.
Game play/controls: This category rates a solid 4. An interesting quirk of this game occurs during loading of missions, which in no way affects game play. During loading from the DVD-ROM a "loading progress" indicator graphic of a single alien cell morphing into a human cell moves with a very jerky motion from left to right, followed by the words "Assimilation Complete" typed out. This doesn't affect game play at all, but more care should have been taken to not detract from the mood between missions. Another slightly annoying thing is the fact that there is no directly accessible save function (from the start button menu). You have to find "data recorders" throughout each mission at various steps along the way to save your progress. Usually these are located in places just prior to some perilous action, however, sometimes they're placed near the end of a mission, and possibly nowhere near the initial action of a following mission. If your character is killed in a new mission, you can simply restart the mission as many times as you need, but if you exit the game, or have to shut down your X-Box, you may have to replay a bit more than you'd like of an earlier mission (from where you had saved at a data recorder location) up to where you'd actually left off in a following mission. The flow of story and action is smooth, and the addition of movie-like scenes between action is very cool, though sometimes at the end of a scene you may be placed right in the middle of critical action without enough time to assimilate your situation, and the next thing you know, you're toast. The controls are standard, however, the left thumbstick controls ALL of your movement, and the right thumbstick is only for "panning" left or right, or to lean outward left or right. This is different from Halo which uses the left thumbstick to move, and the right one to "turn your head" to view separately from movement. If you've played Halo often, it takes a little getting used to, but you'll adapt quickly. The other controls are very simple to use, and there are only a few functions so as to avoid complication. As I said above, playing this game at night with all the lights off can be creepy at first, so the anxious tension comes across very well. The game is rated "M" for Mature, mostly for occasional obscenities/language, and violence. I'm glad Black Ice (the creators) didn't hold back with language; it's probably about a "PG-13" rating, maybe pushing "R", but to have toned it down would have made the game into a parody of what it is now. The game features a great combination of problem solving with action-less action than Halo, but makes up for it with the heightened tension conveyed in playing out a Sci-Fi horror movie game.
I had no idea of what to expect when I had purchased this game, not having read any other reviews (which I usually do beforehand), but I was not let down, and I'd recommend it for purchase. | video-games_xbox |
Best game in the FF series for everything not related to the main story. Among the worst when it comes to the main story. So, I "finished" the game today. Clocked 54 hours. Level 69. Hunter rank of 5. Presumably still lots of post-game content/hunts left to do, but with the story finished, I thought this would be a good spot to take a breath and pen some thoughts. Played on an Xbox One.
First off, to put things into perspective, the only JRPGs I've enjoyed recently are the two Xenoblade Chronicles games. I found FF XIII and its sequel terrible, and Lightning Returns passable from a gameplay perspective. I hated X as well for the exact same reasons I hated XIII, loved XII-if I ignore Vaan-and thought VIII was the best game in the series. IV was my first FF, and it and VI hold a special place in my heart. VII was the FF that came with me purchasing my own console as an adult, so it holds that nostalgic place as well.
So, overall, I enjoyed XV. But, I do so while willfully ignoring that the game had a 10 year development cycle, because if I dwell on the length of time in development, the game would seem like a massive failure.
Some thoughts:
1) The load times are insanely long on my Xbox. If I fast travel from one end of the map to the other, it sometimes takes over 2 minutes to load. Once I upgraded the Regalia's engines to a point where it was quite fast, it was almost better to just auto drive most times than deal with the loading screen (technically take more time, still, but you can gain AP, get minor conversation-based side quests, use the bathroom, etc).
2) Combat, once I got used to it, was very fluid. NOTHING at all like the terrible, terrible, terrible Platinum demo.
3) The open world portions were majestic. Now, if they ever made a fully open world FF game...oh my.
4) Because, only part of the game is open world. It's hard to peg exactly when it stops being open world, because you technically have the ability to keep doing side quests in the open world portion of the game, but by Chapter 8/9, the game has set its main story events into parts of the game that aren't open world.
5) The main story is super, super, super short. Possibly the shortest of any FF game ever (excluding the first two-three games in the series). There's 15 chapters, and some chapters were literally 1 minute long. That's not a typo. Obviously, others are longer, but I can't stress how little actual main story there is. It's very short.
6) The reason I finished at 54 hours was because of the ton of sidequests/hunts. If you don't enjoy doing sidequests/hunts, this game is going to be a massive, massive, massive disappointment.
7) The main story is...let's go with disjointed. It's odd to see such a barebones story, with such huge jumps and holes, considering they had ten years...but, there it is. Again, how much you enjoy this game is going to come down to how much you enjoy exploring the open world portions and doing sidequests/hunts.
8) The boyband bromance roadtrip angle....I ended up actually liking. I remember cringing when first hearing about the characters and premise, but it was endearingly cheesy, rather than cringe-worthy cheesy. That said, this is going to be very, very subjective, I'm sure.
9) The random photos one of your group members takes was a clever touch. I'd love to see something similar be done more often in other games. Of course, if Square Enix had had the time on their hands (harhar), they'd have integrated the sharing on the Xbox version to be shareable to your activity feed/messages/etc, rather than just Facebook/Twitter, but I suppose we should be happy we even got an Xbox port at all. You can still share by bringing up the photo then using the Xbox dvr to take a screenshot of the photo.
Edit: 9b) Do save as many photos as you can. There's a mechanic at the end of the game that ties back into your saved photos, and you may regret not saving any or just a very few.
10) Some of the dungeons and hunts were fantastic. Easily the best dungeons the series has ever offered. Right now, all I can think of is how much more I want on that front.
11) No idea why they highlighted changing clothing in the previews/trailers. That aspect is pretty much completely absent from the game.
12) Gear upgrades were a bit sparse. At one point, I was using the same weapons for 30+ levels.
13) The camping system was a nice idea, but too easily gamed, though at possible cost. On the surface, it's supposed to be a choice of camping and getting Ignis to cook for you to boost your stats, or paying to sleep at an inn/motel/hotel and getting an exp modifier. In practice, you should always sleep with the xp modifier, then camp for the food buff.
14) The possible cost I alluded to was that-and I've no direct evidence of this, this is just a hunch-because I pooled xp a lot to use a 2x and later a 3x xp modifier with, I didn't do much sleeping. I suspect the time passing aspect for quest purposes, etc, are tied into the days that pass sleeping, because I had some quests that required time to pass....take like the entire game to trigger. lol.
Edit: Oh, after experimenting in the post game, I was definitely right that if you're gaming the system or never camping and just using inns, you will definitely "screw up" some time triggered quests. So, if you are using inns mostly, go camp also, in order for the quests that are triggered by time passing to actually get triggered.
Edit: I wanted to briefly touch on Chapter 13, which is apparently becoming a hot button topic. I had no real issue with Chapter 13-and was so overleveled anyway that I largely ignored the style of gameplay they obviously were pushing you to do and just brute forced my way through, so that may color my perception of the chapter. In terms of length, it's probably almost 50% of the main story (I did say the main story elements are very short). Now, people are yelling about many things about Chapter 13, but I'm going to go ahead and just say that I think most of it is deflection, and that a number of people are really just not happy with the ambience/style of gameplay in it. Without spoiling anything, it's definitely...NOT chicken soup for the soul type of a Final Fantasy experience. I can definitely understand why that might rub some the wrong way, but I certainly wouldn't let that stop me from buying and playing the game if you are at all interested in Final Fantasy 15.
Anyways, I could go on and on. In summary, this is easily the shortest story in the FF franchise, but the open world gameplay is good enough to compensate. Though, if I think about what you get in this game, for a ten year development cycle, and then look at something like the Witcher 3....well, as I said before, I just don't think about how long the game was in development.
This is easily the best FF game when looking at things outside the main story. Best combat. Best dungeons. etc. So much of my nostalgia with the FF series is being enthralled-at the time-with those stories being told in IV, VI, etc, so the barebones effort on that front seems a bit strange for a series that's usually been the poster-child of story-driven, but I really can't stress how much fun I had doing everything else.
I wet myself sometimes thinking about the open world portions, and how much I'd love to see MMO-style updates to add more quests/dungeons/etc to it (which we probably won't get; their DLC plans don't appear to be skewing in that direction). It was fabulous, and here's hoping there's still things to discover in the post game. :)
Also, someone really needs to do a lets play or something where they avoid fast travel, chocobos, or the Regalia, and just hoof it on foot everywhere. lol. That'd be epic.
Edit: Oh, one last thing. Over the course of those 54 hours, I crashed 7 times back to the Xbox dashboard. They appear to be memory related, and all occurred after long stretches of game. All were prefaced by the game slowing way down, and getting laggy/choppy/stuttery, and by the time I had my 7th crash, I started to save and exit and then restart the game whenever the game started getting choppy again. Didn't deal with a crash after that.
Edit: I should mention that the Xbox DVR functionality is forced off during the end sequence of the game. This was a super lame decision on Square Enix's part, imo. So, there's no way to capture epic screenshots or gifs, etc, during the end part of the game. I honestly hadn't even realized games could disable the Xbox DVR functionality at all, so at first I thought my Xbox was breaking, lol. Anyway, SE does re-enable the functionality for one moment at the very end, as it was clear that that particular moment was one they absolutely did want you to be able to share, but I'm increasingly salty over their disabling for the rest of the ending sequence. Enough that I've re-adjusted my stars down from 4 to 3, because this type of behavior shouldn't even be allowed, let alone put up with. /sigh | video-games_xbox |
The Next Great Western Epic. I must admit that I didn't think very much of this idea, on paper, when I first heard about it.
When I actually got to play the game, though, I was truly blown away. The cinematography is outstanding, cut-scenes are done perfectly with incredible voice acting. Combine that with a classical interpretation of the old west in a beautifully rendered environment that begs to be explored. As I wandered around between missions and tasks to do- I found myself just sitting on my horse, staring out at the world, panning the camera to frame a perfect sunset, followed by making camp and returning into town. (I also discovered that if the controller is left alone for roughly a full minute- the game switches to a first-person panorama shot, that will go on, in real time until you resume playing).
What really stole the show, for me, however, is the story in this game. I've always enjoyed the stories in Rockstar's games, but I have never really been invested in their stories before. So-called 'story missions' are usually things to get out of the way to progress and bring new tools and new environments- a few of them standing out in memory by game's end. The stories are what, I believe, make Rockstar's games truly Mature games, intended for adults- because adults are the only ones expected to understand and comprehend the emotions, complexities and themes.
In Red Dead Redemption, you play as John Marston; a man with a past. Ordinarily, this is nothing novel when it comes to video game stories. Here, though, there is no back story to read or one, long piece of back-story that gets everything out of the way. Instead, the entire history and character of John Marston is something that the player learns and understands through playing the entire game, itself. A very common story mechanic for Rockstar when it comes to their stories- here it's done perfectly. Everything you learn about his past, his old life running with a gang of bandits, down to his family and other missing pieces is told through well-written, believable dialog delivered by some amazing voice actors. The basic story structure when the game begins, is quite simple. John Marston was a criminal- an outlaw; he used to be part of a gang of bandits, though federal agents have taken his family and given him a mission to complete before he can see his family again. The mission is simple, hunt down his former brothers-in-arms, particularly a man named Bill Williamson and his family goes free.
To accomplish this seemingly simple task, John will word with and meet a colorful cast of truly interesting characters- work with lawmen, help a snake oil charlatan, help a ranch in trouble and even lead him to Mexico to take part in a revolution. More than this, I dare not say about the story. Play the game for yourself, you will not be disappointed.
Gameplay at first might seem a little clunky and taking some used to. For instance, moving the left control stick moves the player, as expected, though at a slow walking pace. To run faster, the player must hold down the A/X button (x360/ps3 respectively) and rapidly tap it to sprint. At first it can seem cumbersome, but adaption is fairly quick. This same issue can be said for riding horses.
I grew up watching westerns, both new and classic. Though I can honestly recommend this to anyone who likes great stories, brilliant characters and intuitive gameplay. Red Dead Redemption is a one of those rare games that really exemplifies how the gaming medium can deliver an experience unlike any other form of entertainment. A game to play and really cherish. | video-games_xbox |
Why you should not use this if someone gives it to you. Just FYI, this tablet is currently being sold at Best Buy for 6 dollars. You might ask, "Why? Why would someone sell such a tablet for a mere 6 dollars?" I asked the same thing when it was only 8 dollars quite recently.
I will tell you why.
The tablet starts with familiar controller buttons. There's nothing odd there. It surprisingly doesn't fell all that cheap. There is a corded pen, which isn't all surprising given the price. Look, it's not wacom. I think we all get that. It's on an gaming system. But I figured, "Hey, my nephew might like drawing on the big screen when the relatives visit. I'll support some fun art for 8 bucks. Why not?"
I finally got a chance to try the thing out and Immediately was compelled to write a review.
If you have a child that has absolutely no artistic ability at all, but enjoys seeing scribbles on a screen? This product Might be for you. If you have the mental capacity of a bird, and enjoy seeing worm like figures magically appear on your television (I'm impressed you're reading this), this product Might be for you. If you like to waste small amounts of money for no reason other than to mess with people, this product might be for you. If you are interested in researching product being released with either no testing done, or Completely ignoring all user research, This product Might be for you.
This is truly a terrible product. If you want to get a child into art, you will have a Much better time sharpening a pencil and giving the kid a few scraps of paper. You can probably come by all the necessary equipment with the change you can pick up in nearly any grocery store parking lot. You could probably just Ask people for the materials, and they wouldn't even assume you are begging. But by all means, Avoid this product.
Why?
#1 lag. you draw, and approximatley .3-.7 seconds later, a line appears on screen fairly close to where you have drawn.
#2 "hovering the pen" Should produce a cursor. This is usually done within a half inch of the tablet, but in this case, it only shows up within 1/16 or so of the tablet. See #3
#3 there is little to no palm recognition, so touching the surface with any part of your hand causes interference with the pen. Good luck hovering the pen without some sort of support to know how far you are from the tablet surface. Mwahahahaha (that's an evil laugh, most likely from the designers of this tablet)
#4 I can't believe you are still reading! Ok, there is no touch sensitivity. If not, then why not just use a non-corded device......like your FINGER!
Yeah, I think that's enough of this. If you read this, still buy it, and expect Anything other than a pen and the drawing skills of an etchasketch, then I apologize. I don't think I could have been any more clear on telling you Not to purchase this. it has the dexterity of drawing with an elephant's trunk. It's really cool they can draw with their trunk, but it looks like poop. (also some artwork has been Done with elephant poop. Seriously, look it up. It's famous. I'm surprised you haven't heard of it. Really! Look it up.)
Pros:
You can paint on your screen with the dexterity similar to holding a pen with a 5 foot flexible hose.
Colors
Squiggles
Cons:
If you can draw a stick figure with 2 arms, 2 legs, and maybe dot some eyes and swoop a mouth, you'll be a better artist than anyone who can draw with this thing.
In all seriousness, someone Could paint a picture with this thing. Of course, people can create art pixel by pixel in microsoft paint as well. Is it a waste of time? YUP!!!!! | video-games_xbox |
Oblivion = Addiction. Get this, but only if you've got the willpower to resist it. I'd give this game more stars if I could. I rented this one to see what all the hype is about, and actually *had* to return it so I could start sleeping again. Its that immersive. The environment is HUGE. There are literally thousands of places to visit and things to do. If you wanted to just wander around picking flowers and hunting sunsets, you could actually do exactly that. Weather changes, the sun rises and sets, people carry out lives... you get the real sense that there's a world moving around you while you go about the business of killing bad guys, learning to pick locks, and finding newer and better treasures and weapons. Quests are useful and well-managed within the interface. NPC all live their own lives - in one case I tried robbing a store... the next day I actually overheard a conversation between two NPC talking about how the store was robbed!!! Seriously!
* Bethesda pulled an excellent trick with this game - if you'd like, you can just play and the game learns and adapts to you. (Original character specialty is tailored to the way *you* play the tutorial. Levels happen in the background, and based on how you play. Etc.) If you want to get into the mechanics of leveling up, skills development, etc you certainly can, and its *extremely* deep and well thought-out.
* Technically, as someone who's never played this type of game before I found that everything was easy to understand. That's saying something.
* Easy interface, well-laid out and accessible.
* Character creation and development system is rediculously deep while still being intuitive.
* Immersive, living enviroment - weather, 24 hour days, NPCs with actual lives, habits, and personalities
* Graphics are crisp and clean
* Lots to do - you'll never be bored by this game. You can fast-travel across the map in the time of a loading screen, or you can walk/ride from point A to point B and see everything in between. (And there's a lot to see.)
Very well done. Get this game, but only if you have the willpower to resist it. Otherwise, kiss your life goodbye for a while... | video-games_xbox |
This game is ridiculous. First things first... if you don't own this game already, go and by it right now. No joke. If by just saying that straight out I can't convince you to buy this game, than keep reading. If you've read other reviews, you'll notice that almost everyone comments on the graphics. The graphics are ridiculous. Gameplay is unbelievebly realistic and cut scenes make you feel like you are watching a movie. And i'm saying this owning a normal 20 inch tv. no hdtv for me. The best feature in this game, in my opinion, is the co-op campaign. I've played many of the co-op games out there, including Halo 2, and this is the best one by far. The game is so realistic you find yourself yelling at your team mate to cover you, flank an enemy position, or just do SOMETHING so that you both don't die. A great feature in this game is how it forces you to choose a path in the middle of missions, which sometimes makes you and your team mate split up and go in different directions making it pretty intense. I was reading a review below and someone mentioned that this game is so intense and realistic it makes him jump out of his seat and he's right. I have friends that just watch this game and get so into they jump out of their seats right along with the guys that are playing.
I love the importance the game developers placed on cover. If you are one of those gamers who likes to run in and blow everything up, be prepared to change your ways. Oh there is plenty of action, so much in fact that if you don't find cover almost immidiately you'll be dead before you realized where guys were shooting you from. The game developers made it extremely easy for the player to cover which is nice because it is such a vital part of the game. Just press A almost anywhere and you'll either dodge in a direction or slam up against a barrier. Read the description provided above for more details on using cover.
I dont' want to make this too long so I'll wrap it up. Game play is sweet, graphics are incredible and there is definite replay value. There is a clear difference between the different difficulty levels, one of which you have to unlock. Lastly, straight out, this is one of the best games i have ever played in its genre. Big props to the developers. | video-games_xbox |
Hanging with the Chief = Pure Awesomeness . When i first heard about about The Master Chief Collection..i was floored....this truly made my Christmas morning...
you get a lot in the TMCC... so ill break it down ....
Not only do you get ALL4 halo games remasted in HD...they are all unlocked..which means you can Jump to any level you like...say you want to see the cinematic on halo 4 when Cortana and the Chief have "their moment" after the final battle you can...say you wanna jump to the middle of halo 2.. well guess what? you can... this is just so awesome for people who have played thru all the games already but want to jump to their favorite level.. thumbs up on this...
the remastering on all the halo games are truly stunning...the scenery is jaw dropping..the chief looks amazing... the music is top notch...this is the halo experience that your looking for... Halo CE looks amazing...it was cleaned up and does not dissapoint.. same halo 3-4 (which were already top notch already but now look Incredible)
the jewel in this collection has to be Halo 2: Anniversary..this is where it gets even better...total remaster...new cinematics...the gameplay seems to be even more fluid..you can tell this was a labor of love.. well done! this is what the Xbox one needs..the return of master Chief...in a big way.. well, until halo 5 that is ( cant wait for that one)
the access to the halo Channel is top notch you say need your daily dose of Halo? its all there ...the live action series Halo: Nightfall is well done..a self contained story..great acting , special effects...lets hope a second storyline is produced..
the interface is smooth and easy to navigate ive heard people gripe about this also...my question is WTH ? its perfect..
Ok, now i have to talk about the main gripe that people seem to have with this one.. is the Multiplayer...or lack of in some cases... honestly, i don't know why people are hating...when you get the game...you are prompted to download patches and updates..that FIX the problems...ive had this game since Christmas..and i haven't had any problems what so ever...matchmaking is fast sure, you might have to wait a few.. but it all works out...and its AWESOME..the online battles are all there in all their HD glory.. for all those haters out there just STOP already Microsoft is working on it..
the Halo 5 Beta, is outstanding...i was impressed on how fast and frantic the gameplay is...all i say is Bring on Halo 5..
Halo: the Master Chief Collection is for the true fans of the series..and it shows.. this is what your Xbox One is craving :) don't listen to the naysayers out there its a great deal...and well worth picking up.. | video-games_xbox |
Fun Game with Stability Problems. The Saboteur (SAB) is set in World War II France. You are a former race car driver turned vigilante / resistance fighter fighting against the Germans. The plot is ok and sometimes entertaining. The game play is fun. It reminds me a lot of <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Assassin-s-Creed-Director-s-Cut-Edition/dp/B0010EK3SE/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Assassin's Creed: Director's Cut Edition</a> (AC). However, SAB has a more sandbox feel than AC. The free play targets are also not as repetitive and there are side missions that are a lot of fun. I enjoyed the graphics, but there are games with better graphics out there. The music and sound are well done and add to the atmosphere.
In SAB, you can drive an assortment of different vehicles including tanks. It makes the getaways more exciting, but it isn't the strongest part of the game. Many people say it is like Grand Theft Auto (GTA) where you jack cars and create mayhem. I think the stealth aspect is the best part. Sneak around, take out Germans, and blow things up. Realism is not the main goal of the game. You can get shot up pretty good and be fine in less than a minute after hiding behind something. It definitely has an arcade feel to it. But it is entertaining.
A lot of people talk about the crashing problems. I had the same problems when I first tried the game. I have a quad core with Nvidia GT120 graphics card. After installing the patch and following the directions for changing core affinity the game worked. I did run into parts of the game where it would crash inexplicably, but I was able to play through it and it would stop crashing for a while. I still find it annoying to adjust the setting before playing and have had an occasional crash especially when opening messages. Opening them in a car sometimes helps. This is definitely the most unstable game I have played. The save options will not let you save during a mission and keep the current mission progress so I would find myself playing the mission over and over trying to finish it before it crashed. In the end, I gave up before I completed the game because I was fed up with the crashing.
UPDATE July 2012: After having crashing problems on other applications, I confirmed the issue was computer overheating. A little air duster and moving the computer to allow more air flow solved my problem. I went back and finished the game. SAB does seem to cause an exorbitant amount heat and I did still experience a crash after playing for several hours, but it is far more stable than before. I have changed my overall rating to five stars from three. | video-games_xbox |
The first real Guitar Hero for the next-gen platform. I was among those who purchase Guitar Hero II a few months back, and was instantly hooked to this genre of gaming. At the time though, it was obvious we were given little more than a straight port from the Playstation 2, albeit with downloadable content and a few extra songs. XBox Live functionality was virtually unused, the graphics looked dated, and the game just didn't feel like it belonged yet - though I did play it consistently so it was a good game despite the flaws.
Guitar Hero III is what we should have gotten with Guitar Hero II on the 360. The 3D character models, animations, etc. are much more lively and entertaining. The between concert cartoons are funny and timely considering what one pictures of a band. Finally we have co-op over X-Box Live, as well as new game modes. The game feels familiar, yet this is mostly everything done right that was wrong with Guitar Hero II on the 360.
Topping off the improvements is an excellent song list, and like before I find myself looking into bands that I had heard about but never experienced. Some of the old songs are fun to go back and watch videos and how awful the band looks from today's timeframe, yet the songs are classic and worth playing over and over again.
The new "boss fights" are an interesting twist, but on Medium difficulty at least pose not much of a threat to your being able to beat them after a couple of tries learning the game mode.
The wireless guitar is a welcome addition to the 360 as well... more than once last night I kept adjusting my legs not to get wrapped up in the cord, before realizing that there was no cord. Then I gave the devil salute and began to rock harder.
Excellent game, especially for parties with more than one controller. Worth the purchase as an entry level bundle if you don't have Guitar Hero II, or if you have the money to burn. Otherwise you should be able to get it by itself and use your old guitar. | video-games_xbox |
Sunset Overdrive Day One Edition is shinning now. Sunset Overdrive is a creatively, expansive open world game! It has a different feel from other games coming out. Yet it seems to have a feel like a few older games, rolled into one.....But with a new spin of it's own too! What games you ask? Well, in my opinion, it has elements of a few games style and/or gameplay. Those games are: Jet Grind Radio,Tony Hawk,Saints Row The Third, and a bit of Dead Rising even. But it has a identity of it's own despite some similarities of those games mentioned. The create a character is awesome and has more to offer as you progress you can do more in the create a character than some may think. The abilities and weaponry is upgradable. The weapons and missions are creative and different. The vice actors are great, and very animated! The music is rocking too! The sound effects are as the voice work and music, awesome as well! The gameplay is as you'd expect.....Over the top, fast paced, and explosive!!!! You start off with a few quick tutorials....but it isn't dragging on for long. Then, you start doing missions to help the remaining people you team up with. And you begin to acquire a currency,ect..to build your character and their skills and weapons up. The visuals are crazy! And the game moves and flows so amazingly!! Does not seem to lag at all. And doesn't seem to need any load/buffering to enter another area,ect..in the vast world of Sunset Overdrive. You can play the campaign,multiplayer, and yes, a option I fear gaming is quickly missing......OFFLINE GAMING TOO!!! I love online gaming like the next gamer. But if you collect games and systems like me. You'll wanna break out many games for these current systems. And when they are old and not really relevant in the market anymore. They won't have servers for playing these new online only games. So you wouldn't be able to enjoy these games that will become classics. Not cool...But enough about that, lol. I really, really recommend this game to any gamer! Maybe Redbox,Gamefly it first just to see. But I think many will love this game as I do!! | video-games_xbox |
impressive...most impressive...i actually liked this game its MUCH better than the first one . okay, i wrote a review for the first battlefront a while back and it was a negative one, but... on november 1st when i got the revenge of the sith dvd i tried out the 2 demo levels of battlefront 2 and i have to say i was hooked ! the gameplay was richer and the controls were so smooth..it looks like they learned their lesson from the first one about the control issues.. i went out and bought a copy and i liked what ive been seeing..the graphics are improved the locations are updated you can fight on mustafar, utapah, the rebel blockade runner (tantive IV) and various star wars locations..and i especially liked fighting on dagobah, and then theres my favorite taking on the coridors of the death star !! lots of fun...
the space combat is a great addition to the gameplay the dogfights are detailed and fast..the way they should be.. and playing as a jedi is well as vader would say.."most impressive"
and the ability to jump into any vehicle is always fun ..
to sum it up.. although i was not a fan of the first battlefront i like the second one..it looks like they actually took their time with one...the single player mode(where you play a trooper in Darth vader's elite 501st unit) is challenging and worth it..if your not into online gameing like myself..
you know..the new x box 360 system gets released in a few weeks, and this game would have been a great launch title for that system it could have been the first next gen star wars game! but if you get the 360, and u don't like any of the games that are on the release day pick up a copy of battlefront 2 its compatible with the 360 since it plays regular x box games as well...
my only gripe is that they still have the clunky camera angles in some areas but it can be overlooked perhaps it will be fixed on battlefront 3 but overall, this is a fun game and if you are a star wars fan you owe it to yourself to pick this up... | video-games_xbox |
Amazing controller when everything works. Received the controller. I love it. Seriously it is awesome and the rapid fire works as advertised.
Problems:
The product description and the instructions both state there is auto sprint on the controller. Yet under the instructions to, "auto-aim, Quick Scope, Auto-Run, etc.." There are no directions on how to activate auto run. I tried to push all the combinations I could and no auto run. False advertising and they need a Quality Assurance rep or proof reader to fix their instruction sheet. I emailed them directly as their instructions say the are, "serious about customer service." They repeat this, bold it, underline it and even type in 20 point font, bold, underlined how they are hear to help. I sent them an email and they have not responded in a week.
The RB and LB buttons are very loose, clack and do not activate properly. I compared it with an old xbox one controller that I have over 1,500 hours of play with and that controller still had tight and accurate response to the RB and LB buttons. This brand new out of the box BlackZone controller, RB and LB buttons don't work properly. Have to press multiple times to get to work and they feel like they are cheap and going to fall off.
The headphone jack doesn't work properly. I have to twist it just a certain way to get it to work and it has static. Once again I compared the blackzone controller, brand new with three old xbox controllers I have and they all worked perfectly with the headphone jack. The brand new black zone controller mic or headphone jack does not work properly.
The mod for jump shot just comes on randomly for no reason. I had the controller laying on the counter and the left LED just blinked by itself. When I went to play auto jump was on (i did not activate it). It happens randomly in the game and I never use the preset function to turn it on or off.
So with all these problems why still 3 stars? Because when it works properly it is wicked awesome! So... I suppose my next purchase will be Evil controllers as I have heard their quality and customer services is much better. | video-games_xbox |
Seems too simple for an older kid and too much for a younger one. I originally saw this game at E3 and was eager to check it out... I never got a chance to though because by the time I got to the Disney booth that day E3 was closing up shop. From what I saw the game looked amazing and a lot of fun... so when I saw it on sale on Amazon I took advantage of the deal quick.
I just received the game today and I decided to give it a whirl tonight. My daughter is out of town for the next few weeks so I figured I'd try out the game since this is a bit of a secret present for her (the Kinect itself was her actual Xmas present and I saw the buy 2 get 1 free deal on Amazon and took advantage of it with Disnyland, Dance Central 2 and Kinect Sports 2 all for 2 pennies under $50!). Anyway my first thoughts is that the chores they have you do in the first 10 min are a bit tedious, knowing my step daughter, I really feel that she would not have the patience for the game so far. I hope I am wrong, but even I barely had the patience to deal with some of the crap the game was pestering me with.
Mind you I only put in about 30 minutes into the game but in that time it didn't seem to pull me in as much as I thought it should have. The controls themselves are great (though I could see it being very unintuitive for a child) but overall the game so far is a bit lackluster and slightly boring. My character seemingly just runs around the park running into people and once in a while saying "Hi" to a Disney character. The only "ride" I went on was Pirates of the Caribbean which was not at all what I expected... it was an overly long boat rowing exercise... though not bad it didn't catch my interest and I found the level frustrating and tedious (though not as tedious as running the fireworks show, but I missed the instructions for that mini game so I was probably doing it wrong).
I'm really hoping that it's just because I'm old and the game just isn't for me... but I can already imagine the frustration my step daughter will have with this game. Maybe it gets better as it goes on... but for the first 30 minutes I'm only mildly amused and trying really hard not to regret purchasing this for her.
Keeping my fingers crossed that I am wrong and it gets better later. | video-games_xbox |
An Excellent Expansion Now That It's Cheap. I bought this game in the past couple months because I picked up Origins to play it through once more before I moved on to Dragon Age II. At the time of purchasing, it was a mere ~$15, and for the 15-20hrs of game time available, it is an excellent purchase and should be part of the collection of every Origins fan's library.
Without spoiling anything, I will say that there is a main character in Awakening that is also a companion in Dragon Age II, and the interactions with him in Awakening flesh out his background and make his state in Dragon Age II much more personal and interesting.
As had been said in a number of reviews, the characters in Awakening are not as interesting as Origins' characters. This is for two main reasons: (1) shorter game = less time to spend with them, and (2) much fewer conversation options. Most of the dialog is repeated single lines, even at the base where everyone gathers and serves as the camp from Origins. You just don't get to talk to the characters much. There IS a lot of amusing banter though between characters in your party.
As for gameplay, it is the same as in Origins, but there are a number of new skills and talents. The skills are (1) bonus to health, (2) bonus to mana/stamina, and (3) runecrafting. The talents are different for the warrior, mage, and rogue. I played as an mage specializing in arcane warrior, and there were a few new sustainable talents that changed me from Unkillable to Unkillable-And-Kill-All-Enemies-In-Elemental-Wrath. Runecrafting allows you to make many runes and combine lesser runes into better runes, all the way up to paragon runes. The Dragon Age wiki has good guides for runecrafting. With the weapon runes, armor runes, new crafting materials for special armor/weapons, and new skills and talents, you get very, very overpowered by the end of the game, even on hard and nightmare.
As for story, it is not as epic as Origins. It doesn't have the time to build up. It is basically about darkspawn mop-up with some twists thrown in and a lot of side-quests. If you are looking for a great stand-alone story, then you will probably be disappointed. This meat of this story relies on your knowledge of the codex entries, which will be transferred into Awakening if you import an Origins character. So read up, release your expectations, and try to enjoy an interesting, but not mind blowing, game. | video-games_xbox |
Fun multiplayer, ok campaign. Works on 360. I bought this game because I heard great things about the original mechassault. i didn't buy the original because it doesnt work on the xbox 360. i have played the first before and i think that the first is way better than the second. In the first game, you could choose your mech before the mission. in the second you either start in a mech that you didn't choose, in some new battle armor that is almost useless against other mechs (besides a new hijacking feature that i'll get to later), or as a human. The part were you get to walk around as a human might sound coll but you are VERY weak and you walk around in a lot of missions. it get very annoying and kind of ruins some of the gameplay. you can also drive tanks but they cant do much against other mechs, only other tanks and helicopters. the battle armor is also annoying, it is also pretty weak and the only real thing you can do is hijack(they call it neurohack in the game) what you do is latch on to a mech and a little icon pops up telling you to press certain buttons. if can press all the buttons i tells you the mech falls over and you can get into it. IF you don't die before geting to the mech and it doesnt turn on sheilds. the multiplayer is really fun. i haven't played on xbox live but on a local console. if you play team destruction(two teams fight against each other to get points) or any other team game you can get in VTOLS. if you don't know what VTOL stands for its like a hover craft ship thing. at each base there is a landing pad. there you can choose upgrades to drop off to your friends, upgrades for your VTOL and bombs. bombs are devastating against other mechs they can really help out your friends. over all it is a pretty good game. i gave it 4 stars because the campaign is fun but not great. if your buying it for xbox live i want you to know nobody plays it anymore. i know the other reviews say it is really fun on xbox live but you won't be able to play in with other people online. so don't buy it for the online multiplayer | video-games_xbox |
A Very Good Installment To The Assassin's Creed Series With A New Perspective. I had a blast playing Assassin's Creed Rogue. Although the campaign was a little short with only seven main memory sequences, it was still a very enjoyable game. When it comes down to plot, this game was a little better than Unity. The main differences I noticed were that the controls were very different, and instead of using medicine to heal, your health just recharges.
Rogue also was very much like Black Flag in quite a lot of ways. The first main similarity was that you travel a lot by sea, and of course you battle with other ships when you travel. Second similarity was fort battles. With these battles you must breakdown the fort's defenses before moving in and killing its captain. If you've played Black Flag then you know that you done this in Black Flag too. Remember to collect supplies at sea as well, so you can upgrade your ship. Over all rogue feels like Black Flag 2, but of course on the side of the Templars.
Graphics: The graphics were very good for being on the 360, and not Next Gen. On top of the graphics being good, there were no glitches that interfered with them, and everything ran very smoothly. I'm actually very impressed with what Ubisoft has done with the 360 version.
Story: I know my favorite part of the Assassin's Creed franchise is learning more about the Precursers, and Rogue doesn't disappoint in giving the player more background about them. Although the plot was very good, I did feel that the chacacter development was a little bit better in Unity, but don't get me wrong Rogue's characters aren't bad by any means.
Bottom Line: if you've played other Assassin's Creed games, then you will not be disappointed with this installment, and there's actually a lot to do after you completed the main story, so just give it a try.
Update: I recommend playing both games for the main story, because they both are connected to one another. | video-games_xbox |
Not as bad as they say. OK, this is one of those "love it or hate it' products.
I did a lot of research before buying the XFPS 360 PRO. I read lot's of forums and feedbacks so I would know what I was getting into.
Now that I got one my overall impression has been positive. I experience very little lag. As far as the 'dead spot' I'm able to get very close to my target then use the STRAFE keys to line up the shot. It's true you can't do micro movement targeting, but for me it's worth the trade off compared to targeting with a controller.
I imagine a lot of complaints stem from using mouse and/or keyboards that aren't entirely compatible. I've found using a high-accurate optical mouse works good. I personally use the Logitech LX3. I also use a standard PS/2 keyboard. (from an old dell computer)
When using the XFPS 360 PRO I'll turn the sensitivity dials all the way up then use the games' sensitivity levels to find my ideal settings. For me this got rid of a lot of the lag. It's worth mentioning that I've found the lag will change with different games.
I think most people are forgetting that this thing is for emulating thumbstick movement and that the games were not designed for use with a mouse. I was impressed that it sensed both fast and semi-slow movements. You can see the XFPS PRO in action on youTube by searching for 'XFPS'.
My biggest complaint is the overall price. By the time you're done setting this up your going to spend close to $200. You will need a 'wired' 360 controller (a wireless one will not work), an optical mouse, keyboard, and the XFPS 360 PRO. Add and extra $50-$60 for a wireless headset if you want to talk on XBOX LIVE.
I justified the price by comparing it to having to buy a new video card for my computer. I would have to spend $400-$500 on a decent card that's only going to last 12-14 months. Consoles have a shelf life of around 5 years.
My second biggest complaint is the lack of service from the manufacturer. They don't have a decent list of compatible products and the instructions for setting it up are a bit shady. If I hadn't read posts and seen videos about it I might have been lost.
I showed the setup to a hardcore PC gamer friend of mine and he liked it. So much he questioned dropping $600 on an Nvidia 8800GTX he bought recently.
Bottom line I'm giving this product 4 out 5 stars. While it's got quirks it has improved my gameplay of FPS on a console by leaps and bounds. It's too bad it costs so much! | video-games_xbox |
A fun super hero brawler with a few issues. The story in this game apparently takes place after an event in the comic books called the secret war and during the civil war which is set off when a terrible accident (among other things) kills several hundred people and prompts the government to call for a super hero registration act to hold all hero's accountable for their actions. This of course creates two groups: one for and one against. Without giving two much away if you don't know anything about the story the groups boil down to those that were "ordinary" people given extraordinary powers and want to protect their privacy and the privacy of their families and well the bad guys . The other group is composed of mostly the super genius people (and those who have already revealed who they are, so they don't have much to lose) who have done some number crunching and don't like way things are going to turn out if some control is not imposed on the super hero community. The time for talking is over and a side must be chosen. The only problem is that both sides have good intentions and that can only lead down one road.....
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I liked this game. The story is actually somewhat interesting, not the heaviest thing in the world but if you do actually feel like paying attention to it, it does bring up some interesting ideas/points. If you don't on the other hand you can (mostly) skip it and go back to hitting things. Some of the other improvements:
The revival terminals are gone. Teammates can be hot swapped at will most of the time and health refills are provided by defeating enemies and breaking scenery. Fallen teammates can be brought back with heal tokens which are earned by performing fusions.
The graphics are definitely better. There is some slowdown when a lot is going on though.
No more orphan characters. You more or less level up the slot. If a character is lvl. 25 and you stick another character in its place that character is now lvl. 25. The only thing I noticed with this is that the game seems determined that you are gong to use auto level whether you want to or not. If you want to assign points yourself you usually have to beat it over the head a few times before that function stays off. The only way I found around it was to turn it off twice and then save. Not a big deal unless you have certain characters you want to control how they grow when you swap them around.
The fusions are pretty and they can pretty well clear a room. Which leaves you to go find more rooms to smash through and use fusions on the poor helpl... I mean evil thugs trying to ruin your day.
Now onto the things I didn't like.
No more item collecting. In place of equipment you get "medals" which give your whole team some kind of boost (ex: +1 strike, +15% exp, etc), these are either awarded after a event or can be found. These are useful but it does take some fun out of beating up the enemies and smashing all the barrels and boxes to see what you can find.
Like the leveling up your character is more or less a place holder in conversations. With certain combinations you'll get different initial dialogue but that's it. The rest of the conversations are the same even if the wording shows a accent or has bub at the end of every line. Some characters I couldn't see saying what they said.
Last but not least, the fusions. They are as follows: Clearing, Guiding, and Targeted. The animation as far as I could tell was the same for each one no matter what characters where being used. So don't expect any team combo fusions, you got your three duo choices. The place holder syndrome strikes again. They can also be used to blast through the levels. I only had to really think about major battles toward the end when some enemies became immune.
I did not play the online campaign or co-op campaign so I cannot comment other than to say the game is built around that which proably accounts for a lot of the place holder stuff.
Altogether this is a fun game that warrants at least a play through or two to see what happens on both sides. There are plenty of things to find and plenty of characters to experiment with. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a hack and bash with a interesting story and plenty of action to keep you playing. m.a.c | video-games_xbox |
A Real Noire Experience. This game is a departure from virtually any other "triple-A" title out there, and that may come as a surprise to gamers looking to jump on the bandwagon. It should be said from the start what this game is not so as to dispel some expectations and preconceptions. This is not a "sandbox" game, it's not an action game, it's not the kind of game you can play through and appreciate by skipping cut-scenes or only half paying attention. LA Noire demands that your use your noodle in a way that's rare for modern games and may catch people off guard. It may be likened most to a beautiful, cinematic, 3D, point-and-click adventure game and shares much in terms of gameplay (though little in terms of tone) with the Phoenix Wright series.
If you're prepared to sit down, pay attention, and maybe even take notes, and you're comfortable with the idea that driving and shooting sequences are in no way the focus of the game, you are in for a real treat. No game since the original Mafia has pushed the bar so far ahead in the realism of its characters, and so (justifiably) confident is Team Bondi in their characters' ability to accurately portray emotion and nuance that the real core of your gameplay experience is rooting out truth from falsehood during interviews and interrogations.
One of my only complaints about the game is that a run of bad luck in an interview can cause important details and clues to be missed entirely, and these missing puzzle pieces can make the subsequent scenes tremendously difficult to follow; almost all cases have identical endings whether your detective skills more mirror Hercule Poirot or Inspector Gadget, so some frustrating plot holes can develop if you've bungled every inquiry and still manage to catch the bad guy.
That said, even if you're the type who sits down to play LA Noire with a laptop open to GameFAQs, there's plenty to love. The cases you work will start to form a complex and intricately interwoven noire plot that is explored with all the patience and subtlety of the cinema classics it emulates. And few experiences in gaming are as rewarding as cracking individual cases while starting to puzzle out how the events therein affect and are affected by the greater narrative thrust.
There's no doubt this is a thinking-person's game, but those with the patience for it are greatly rewarded. | video-games_xbox |
Actually a LOT better than the first, and I enjoyed the first. This game is great! I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed playing the first. Aside from the fact that the first got a little repetitive at times it was still fun. Well the second is even more fun and it felt a lot less repetitive, especially towards the end. Naturally we'll expect to see some similarities to the first installment, but I think they've made some quality improvements this time around. The most noticeable is probably in the graphics department. Rayne is looking hotter than ever! The in game cinematic sequences are also extremely strong in this regard; I'd rather watch a movie of those than the crap Uwe Boll puts out.
If you thought Rayne was up against some precarious forces with Jurgen Wulf... well she's up against even more dangerous enemies this time around! This game is a large scale production by comparison. There's something very bad going on in the world and a lot of powerful vampire's are uniting. They're going to try and remake the world in their image and it's up to Rayne to stop them! She's lost contact with the Brimstone society and just has Severin to help guide her through all the dangers of this adventure. I don't want to reveal anymore of the story, because it's very well written. Don't expect to see that Nazi element appearing from the first again, that's not in here at all. I actually like this story a lot more over all. It's much more cinematic and has some really good twists and turns.
One thing they changed that I didn't like very much was her weapon system. No, not the blades, her guns. Don't get me wrong... the Dragons are awesome weapon concepts and I love how you upgrade them overtime as you get more experience. However, one thing that was cool in the first game was that you could pick up new weapons and you could search the environment for more ammunition. The environment in this installment is even more interactive, but I feel like they've removed the element that makes me want to explore. There are no items for Rayne to pick up, so why should I explore every inch of the environment? Sure it's really cool to break stuff, but after a few hours that gets a bit boring and you just feel like moving on because you're not getting anything out of it. That's really the only one small fault I have with the game.
As I mentioned before the graphic quality of the game is far superior to the original. I think they've even changed Rayne's costume slightly because she looks a lot more alluring in this edition. Not to mention the enemies she's fighting are a lot more varied. Sure in certain sequences you get similarly rendered enemies, but they change as you go through the levels. That didn't happen as much with the first game. The overall script is a lot stronger as well. It felt like they took the time to sit down and write a more well thought out concept. Even the small quips Rayne says when she's fighting people are a lot cooler and varied. Rayne also has a LOT more combos! This is by far the greatest added feature ever. It's so much more than just hit "X" a bunch of times like in the first game. This one relies on special combinations which result in her executing a cool impressive maneuver! I loved this feature. Another fun aspect is that a lot of the puzzles are solved by throwing enemies into electrical units, woodchippers, etc. in order to solve a puzzle to go onto the next section. This was absolutely hilarious. Remember... the harpoon is usually what you have to use to throw an enemy into a whirling fan blade most efficiently. You'd think this would get redundant after the fifth puzzle... but for some reason it actually doesn't. Throwing enemy bodies into fans in different ways is actually kind of fun to figure out. Though, I must admit that I had to put on God Mode from time to time while I sat around and figured out how to solve some of these puzzles. Such as when fighting final level bosses, there's usually something special you have to do to beat them... you can't just hack them to death like most other enemies.
If you enjoyed playing the first game then you'll surely find this one even more fun. If you got tired of the assassination mission to just kill the same Nazi over and over, then you'll be pleased to hear this game doesn't have that same failing. I actually highly recommend this game; it's a lot of fun. Some of the acrobatic scenarios are incredibly frustrating, but you feel like an idiot after you figure them out most of the time! You can expect to see the same amount of extreme violence purveyed throughout this game as in the first. This one is probably a lot more intense on that level, so if that's your interest in playing this, you will not be disappointed. Whatever your reason for delving into the world of Bloodrayne, it's a lot of fun once you're there! | video-games_xbox |
One of the best Star Wars games....ever. Finally, a Star Wars game that doesn't involve force-powers and lightsabers. Although these are all well and good, they do get a little old. Thankfully, this game has only a hint of a Jedi presence.
I don't know how to review this, so I'll just list the things I liked, and then the stuff that i didn't like.
Gameplay: the gameplay is incredible! Though not quite as good as the Halo series, the novelty of playing as Clone Troopers more than makes up for it.
The one-touch squad commands are surprisingly easy, and your comrades AI is quite good. They rarely did anything stupid. The only problem was that they couldn't indentify the greatest threat in a battle, and that if you tell them to do something, they will do it, whether they die trying or not.
The weapons are good, and the variety is nice. The only complaint I have about those is that your main weapon, the DC-17 is surprisingly weak. It can pump shots faster than a Podracer flies, but you can fire and fire and fire and fire and a Super Battle Droid will just keep coming.
I also liked the variety of grenade types. Flashbang, EMP, Sonic, and Thermal Detonators.
The only other complaint I have is that some enemies are super hard to beat.
While Trandoshan slavers, battle droids and Geonosians are easy;
Super Battle Droids, Elite Geonosians, and Spider Droids take forever to kill. It is possible, but it takes awhile.
and General Grievous's guards...oh, my, gosh!!!
While I did find myself retrying several levels, the medium-dificulty level wasn't that hard. I beat it in about 6 or 7 hours.
I did wish it were longer.
Your teammates are smart, witty, and tough as nails. I found myself becoming attached to them and I sincerly missed them whenever I did a solo mission. You get used to having three other elite men backing you up, and I got a little scared by myself.
Backing you up, you have:
Scorch: demolitions expert with a wry sense of humor.
Fixer: kind of a nerd, talks too much. supposedly a computer expert. but any of my guys could slice a computer.
Sev: this dude is a badass! He is psycho. He is like the ultimate hunter! He kicks droids butts up and down the street!
The ending was...sad.
SPOILER ALERT!!!
(skip ahead if you don't want to find out key plot details)
I was genuinely sad when Sev died. I wasn't expecting it, and found myself wishing that I could have disobeyed orders and gone back for him. He was my favorite. : (
END SPOILERS.
The musical score is excellent too. Combining elements of the music from the Phantom, Clones, and Revenge of the Sith.
CONCLUSION:
I give this game 4 1/2 stars. It is very good, but it does have several flaws.
If you are looking for a game to occupy you for a weekend, I would definetly reccomend renting Star Wars: Republic Commando. | video-games_xbox |
Old look, tired game play. I LOVE 1st person shooters. Can't say I have played them all, but I have played quite a few. When confronted with the choice of Far Cry 2, Dead Space, and Fallout 3, I chose to follow the path of an *old* (ok not SO old) favorite, Far Cry. I chose poorly. Far Cry 2 is a relatively weak attempt to clone games like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (which I really enjoyed). Deeper than a standard run and gun, open gameplay (not a storyline on rails), Far Cry fails in several key areas. AI is weak. I'm about 1/2 way thorugh the game at this point. In what I consider a good game, I at some point find myself outflanked, caught by surprise, etc when I start to get complacent. Half Life was the first game that did this to me. While the AI in Far Cry 2 doesn't strand attackers in corners, behind boxes, or otherwise clueless, it does not in any way challenge me. The storyline is also less than compelling. It seems someone saw 'Blood Diamond' and thought 'Hey, we could make a movie based on the strife in Africa'. Characters are weak and uncompelling. Same with the storyline. As far as weapons, your default pistol seems to be more powerful than most assault rifles, as 3 shots puts just about anyone down where you can put half a clip into someone with a rifle before they collapse. Following Bioshock (last first person I had time to play thorugh, and which I really enjoyed), this is a very weak offering, and well worth skipping for better developed titles.
Further commentary:
I forgot to add in my original review that this game s make the CARDINAL mistake of all first person shooters: ENDLESS RESPAWN. Here you go through the map, killing bad guys, clearing out camps and outposts. Then you get an assignment to go do such-and-such. So you trek Back through a camp you already cleared. And lo and behold it has magically re-populated! This is what a game company does when it wants to skimp on map creation. It makes you endlessly trek across terrain you have already cleared, and fight the SAME enemies again and again and again and... Well, you get the point. The more I play this game, the more pissed off I am that I blew $50 on it. Simply put, this is the worst game/gameplay (on a decent engine) I have played in YEARS. | video-games_xbox |
A workout you will stick to. Since there are already lengthy reviews detailing what this program does, I won't repeat those. So here's the bottom line:
Greatest thing about this product: if you have trouble (as I do) sticking to a workout routine for more than two weeks, the variety in Yourself! Fitness may fix that. I have been working out with Maya for eight months now and I am not bored! My interest began to flag a little a couple of months ago, so I purchased a step bench, which Maya added in to the workout, giving me twice as much variety as before.
Other things I like:
- ability to increase the difficulty over time. Unlike a workout video, once the workout is no longer challenging you can tell Maya to make it a little harder.
- ability to track my progress and improvement within the software. I couldn't do 10 pushups when I started and now I can do 50!
- 8 months of this has made me look and feel stronger. I have much more energy at the end of the day. I stand up straighter. I even have the beginnings of a six-pack.
- To my surprise, I like the ability to change the workout environment that Maya stands in.
Needs improvement:
- I don't like the way that yoga is included in this software. I don't think the positions are very well explained, so it's not suitable for people who have never done yoga before, and the positions are often put in a strange order, where standing positions alternate with supine positions (gives you a terrible head rush). Several of the positions are also just not suitable for people who aren't very flexible -- a yoga instructor in a class would recommend alternative positions, but Maya just stands there with her hands flat on the floor and her leg straight in the air and expects you to duplicate it. Maya ordinarily recommends workouts in a rotation of 1 day each of arms, core, legs, flexibility (yoga); I have taken to replacing the yoga with another "core" day, and feel like I get better results from that.
- the music is pretty repetitive, but you can't turn it off or use your own because Maya uses it to set the rhythm of your exercises. | video-games_xbox |
The Latest & Greatest Frogger. Frogger Beyond is the next in the line of "new" Frogger games made by Konami. Konami and Hasbro have been battling it out for the contracts to create these games, Konami got the contract but this go-around, they took some careful notes from Hasbro.
First and foremost, if you like Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge, you'll love this game, period. I loved Swampy's Revenge and was apprehensive about this game because I played Frogger: The Great Quest for Playstation 2. That was by far one of the worst console games I've ever played. It was full of problems and seemed completely under-developed. The Frogger character had poor control and in a couple parts he even got stuck to the point I had to reboot my PS2 to continue. You will see nothing of the sort in this sequel.
This game has clean and crisp graphics. The cell shading technique is done so well that you'll rarely see any jagged edges except for in a few of the FMVs (full motion videos). If you've played any of the other Frogger games, this aspect is one of the first things you'll notice. Most people do not buy this genre of game for the graphics themselves, but they really do look nice (this is in reference to the XBOX version). Some of the top-down levels are a little disorienting and difficult to get used to, but this does not take longer than loosing a few lives. I think younger kids will get past this without difficulty.
I read a complaint about the sound being poor but I have to disagree. This game features full Dolby 5.1 surround and it sounds great on my Dolby system. My only complaint about the sound, is the music done for the menus is out of place and annoying. It's sort of rap music that just gets on your nerves. It's best to type fast, pick your level and start playing!
I'm a 24 year old guy and this game has a lot of replay value and challenge. My wife and I both enjoy this game even at different gaming levels. I would recommend this for any child age 7 and up. There are several wonderful features that were added to this new version of Frogger in addition to the stuff mentioned above. You now only have to push one button to perform a double-jump. In Swampy's Revenge you had to hit the button twice to do a double jump and the timing was sometimes difficult. You also have a super jump that allows you to jump straight up in the air much higher than normal to get coins. You can also buy power-ups with you coins. In Swampy's Revenge when you got 100 coins you got a free life. In Frogger Beyond you now have a shop you can visit in-between levels to purchase power-ups which can be used during game play.
Here's the bottom line, this game is worth picking up. Konami did a great job and I truly appreciate the affordable price tag for a brand new game. If you have a gamer in the house that enjoys a great adventure game, this will be a great game for people of all ages. | video-games_xbox |
Good enough. Blue Dragon is a very standard and relatively enjoyable RPG. While there are some interesting and unique elements, it will seem like a cookie-cutter RPG to those with a lot of playing experience.
The story of Blue Dragon is very simple, which is unfortunate. The main focus is four young adventurers avenging the destruction of their hometown. Along the way they encounter a large variety of other characters, but none are incredibly memorable. There is an underlying theme that has to do with human nature and the nature of robotic beings. Though there were a number of different directions that could have been taken by the game creators, the story comes up a little short in the end. Fortunately, the main characters are very likeable and their strong relationship is a good motivation for players to finish the story.
I had huge expectations for the soundtrack, given that it was scored by Nobuo Uematsu. Unfortunately, I had difficulty finding any tracks that I liked or found memorable. The scenery of the game is very colorful, but also very conventional. There are some interesting locations, though, like the "Laser Field" and "Ancient Hospital."
Gameplay is just like a lot of other RPGs, but in a good way. It is just a standard turn-based battle system, but some actions require "charging," which requires some strategic timing and button pressing. Each character can equip four accessories and equip unique abilities. There are a number of job classes to choose from, but I thought the default jobs were good enough. The difficulty level is also fairly low. You may find yourself challenged during a few boss battles, but there are convenient "checkpoints" before each of them so you won't lose your progress if you get knocked out.
The main storyline takes up less than thirty hours, and there are a number of side quests. You could also spend the time to have each of your characters master several job classes if you wished. However, by the time I reached the final hours of the game, I was ready for it to be over. While it is certainly an enjoyable game, there was no remarkable or outstanding aspect that made me want to keep playing and playing. If you are looking for a game just to pass the time or are a game that doesn't require a big time committment, I recommend Blue Dragon. | video-games_xbox |
Surprisingly Good. Saints Row Four honestly didn't capture my attention at E3. I didn't really have any interest to read up on it or pre-order it. I saw that the map was the same, that all they really added was aliens instead of gangs. The missions would be linear. However, I was pleasantly surprised once I got past the first hour of the game. Let's be honest, this wasn't a terrible intro. For Saints Row fans, this was actually quite enjoyable, with the jokes and gameplay being very funny and exciting. A lot of references are made, and there is a great deal of action. While it does feel a bit rushed, the game doesn't leave fans asking for more. (For those of you who AREN'T really fans, just wait.)
So then you get to the core of the game, the simulator. Yes, this is basically Steelport with alien towers, no Saints stuff, and a huge ship on top. Feels like DLC. However, the story and mechanics are completely different. The story is quite interesting, almost heartbreaking at certain points, and keeps you wanting to continue. I also liked how the made the minigames into subsections of the new "side mission" category," so they feel less repetitive and more important to the story.
Yes, the game is fun with superpowers too. Some people complain it's too easy. PLAY ON HARDCORE. SERIOUSLY. If you play on NORMAL, then yes, it is not going to be a challenge. You can just sprint up to enemies and punch them or use a blast on them. Easy, right? But if you play on hardcore, this simply does not work. The aliens are very aggressive and accurate. Meaning running and punching isn't a good strategy. Even with superpowers, you will have a bit of a challenge on hardcore, at least in the first half of the game or so.
The characters in the game are pretty awesome, though I do not like how they just threw a bunch of new ones in. That was kind of annoying, but I kinda got over it once they began to grow on me. The antagonist is particularly noted, as he is both clever and pure evil. His phrases and actions remind me of Handsome Jack from BL2. He is cocky, but also pushes your character to desperation many times in the game.
It is clear that Saints Row Four is the big ending to the series (at least for THIS crew), but it does lack in a FEW areas. The intro is a little rushed, superpowers are overpowered on any difficulty besides hardcore, and cars are for the most part useless. However, the game is FUN. Saints Row Four reminded me what Fallout 3 taught me. Graphics don't matter, and small problems don't matter; if the game makes you lose track of the time, then it is worth playing. Saints Row Four definitely deserves a 9 out of 10. It's great, and though there are a few problems, you can't let what a few kids say about it when they haven't even beat it yet determine whether or not YOU try it for yourself. | video-games_xbox |
Great GAME comic books RULE. I'm writing this review because like everyone else...I love the comic book universe. I'm also writing this so that it helps people make up there minds on whether to purchase this game or not. Because I'd like to assist in boasting sales for this game so that a sequel can be made. The last Fantastic Four game was made back in the Playstation 1 era nearly 8 years ago. There is no reason why nearly a decade has to pass by before a new FF video game was made. Just to give you a brief summary Marvel Enterprises was in bankruptcy hell back in the late 90's cause it seems like no one buys comic books anymore & that industry seemed to be dying very slowly. Comic book stores are like Kentucky Fried Chicken. You love it but there's not too many around. Its Marvels fault anyways because all the good artist went to Image comics & they got nothing but LOSERS to draw their iconic titles such as (X-Men, Fantastic Four, Spiderman, etc). So Marvel was brought out & now it was more accessible for their characters to hit the big screen as oppose to the mid 90's where it was just so difficult for movie comic book projects to get off the ground. The loss for Marvel is that they only get 5% out of all movie earnings. So if Spiderman 2 raked in 280 million in US movie ticket sales Marvel would only receive 5%. Anyways let me get to the game. It's a GREAT GAME. Since the end of the 2-D era it's just been so rare to find a good or decent Action Adventure side scrolling beat em up game. The days of great action/ beat em up games like Streets of Rage 2 & Gunstar Heroes were gone. Almost every comic book tuned video game ends up being a TRAGEDY (BATMAN, SUPERMAN). I have no idea why. This is a great game & very fun in 2 player mode. Even when you're playing alone its still great cause you get to change between all 4 characters to solve a mission or stage. So during a mission you get all 4 characters on screen fighting even though you're only controlling one heroes the computer controls the other ones. The game design is great but I feel it could have been better & prettier considering how far we have come in the video game industry. Games like Zelda look beautiful & sometimes I wish more detail & artistry would have been brought into the manufacturing process of this release. The game seems to follow the movie story line but adds in multiple enemies from the comics to not ruin the game. Because it would be boring if it was only Dr. Doom you were fighting against. You get a numerous amount of villains from the comics making an appearance in the game to bring down the Fantastic Four. You also get all the actors from the movie voicing their video game counterparts. Each character has special abilities & talents which you need to complete certain stages. For example Mr. Fantastic AKA Rich Reed is a computer wiz & can unlock certain doors. Sue Storm AKA Invisible Woman gets to use her invisibility & force field wielding powers to complete her objects & it goes on. You get to choose between the 4 characters in certain stages you can switch between them anytime or have your friend join in. Johnny Storm AKA Human Torch never stays on the ground. He hovers & flies & attacks from above without his feet ever touching the ground. What is great is that they didn't make the THING move slow. If you look at past games like the HULK on XBOX or the HULK in Capcom fighting games they made him move really slow. With huge characters from comics it always like that including the Juggernaut. So the THING moves really fast & has great strength to his advantage. Along the way in completing your fight stages you get to unlock new moves. Just a great game overall & what's great is their POWERS. You get to utilize them so well & it's not like some other games when it's so hard to execute the hero's special moves. You also get to run around famous Manhattan locales beating up everything including totally destructible environments. You can tear up trash cans, mailbox's, pick up cars & Etc. It was great to fight Mole Man in Grand Central Station because I have to pass that terminal everyday to get to work. AMAZING!!!!! Out of 5 stars I give it a 4.5. Very minor flaws & there's always room for improvement in the sequel. I prey there's a sequel to the game & movie. | video-games_xbox |
Proof you can make a game worse threw patches. I bought this on sale new and though it would be a sweet deal. Little did I know it would be almost unplayable. To start let's take a look at the biggest minus: online
The online play is still laggy, something still carried over from the previous year's game. The community creations is non functional as well. At time of this writing a new patch was released that crippled the servers. Early on the servers had difficulty and work about 50-60% depending on the server. Now it times out, hangs or just won't load. THQ customer service has been of no help except to cut your call off or berate you. Some of the worst customer service I have ever been on the reviving end of.
The AI balancing issues are far worse than they ever were in previous incarnations. The simplified controls don't respond well with the new reversal system. Anything over easy will counter everything you do. Legend mode for most will be unplayable. Most of the match is reversal after reversal and not much else. You'll be doing alot of teeth mashing with this one.
The CAW feature this year is very glitchy. Various modes in the game will crash with a CAW entering game play. One annoying example is when you send one of creations out to interfere in the match the game often crashes. There are alot of things that set this game off crashing or freezing. Another annoying one is the loading screen freeze.
The controls this year as mentioned are completely overhauled to be more like all stars. This is not a good thing. This year more so than other years is all about button mashing. This becomes especially true in the breaking point system. To make a person tap you mash buttons. Reversal, in theory mash button. In reality, mash teeth and the reversal button rarely works.
So much was promised with this game and with each online update, it seems the player is getting less and less. THQ never paid attention to the old saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it." Instead this year we get a crash course on how to wreck a franchise. THQ obviously didn't learn from the mistakes of Midway or Aklaim.
*Update -02/23/2012
---------------------------------
The servers are still not working as of this update. This has been making online interaction virtually impossible. Again one of the most hyped features of the game is still broken.
*Update -03/26/2012
---------------------------------
Online is still working. A patch is supposed to be out this week. In all reality I don't think they will get it working. I really wish amazon would allow for a 0 star rating. This game has only gotten worse with time. | video-games_xbox |
Calling all masochists- Your game has arrived. I must be losing my touch; This is the second game in a just a few weeks that I'm accusing of being "too hard" on normal difficulty. To be fair, most of the game is good. It might seem like a first person shooter at first, but it's really more of an action/adventure game. It has far more exploration and environment interaction than most FPSs. Also, combat system emphasizes hand to hand combat more than shooting.
While the first person immersion is one of the highlights of this game, sometimes it's taken too far, to the point where it inhibits the fun. Simply interacting with an object involves up to THREE separate commands: 1) Extend your arm 2) Pick up object 3) Examine/keep/discard object. That becomes tedious very early on. Furthermore, during combat you're often knocked down. While they did a good job of simulating the first person view of someone being punched hard enough to be sent reeling to the ground (believe me, I know what that's like,) the process of falling down and then getting back up takes far too long. Realism at the expense of fun. Adrenaline rush subsides into aggravation.
Some of the problem solving in this game is completely counter-intuitive. There are occasions when there are simply -no- hints or clues as to what you must do in order to progress and you're left to twist in the wind until you somehow figure it out on your own. Example: You're being chased through a maze by an unstoppable foe who will kill you outright if he catches you. Your only hope is to escape the maze before he catches up to you and snuffs you out. When you finally reach the end of the maze, the exit door won't open. Why? Figure it out, stupid. Want a clue? Too bad. Just figure it out somehow. Eventually I got fed up and had to check a FAQ. Once I knew the solution, my one thought was "Now just how in the hell did they expect me to figure that out?" Maybe I've been spoiled by games like Metal Gear Solid that hold your hand through every obstacle in the game, but I think there should have been at least some little hint to point me in the right direction so I could have figured out how to get the door open. Aside from this sort of situation, there are some occasions toward the end of the game where you're expected to fight groups of enemies that just beat the living tar out of you time and time again until you get lucky. I spent over three hours trying to fight my way through the last few sections before I finally succeeded. I had stopped having fun long before I finished the game. To add insult to injury, towards the end of the game there is something you can interact with that will dispense arguably the most important plot information and exposition of the entire affair. This is something I would think most people playing the game will miss. I myself would have missed out on it, if not for a friend telling me to look for it. This is not good game design, Namco.
Frustrations aside, I have to admit that a lot of Breakdown was fun and I don't necessarily regret playing it. As someone mentioned in an earlier review, it's obvious that the creators of this game were influenced by Half-Life and The Matrix. And perhaps 12 Monkeys. | video-games_xbox |
Game was not what we expected or enjoyed. This is a perfect example of expectations not aligning with reality. Our family purchased an Xbox 360 (our first console) a couple years ago for our sons (now ages 10 and 8). We have the Kinect but we've never played a game that required its own controller, much less one shaped like a hunting rifle.
My expectation: I was hoping for a hunting simulation that I could use to gauge my sons' interest in deer hunting and, more importantly, enrollment in a hunter's safety course. I thought the game would teach the importance of patience (don't take the shot until you're ready) and the value of stealth (be quiet, you'll scare them away).
The reality: Packs/herds/groups of animals relentlessly charged at the screen with claws and fangs bared. Our mission was to slaughter as many animals as quickly as possible, so quickly in fact that we the gameplay never stopped to see whether any single hit was a kill shot.
The only key difference we could tell between <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Cabela-s-Dangerous-Hunts-2013/dp/B008HHTEXW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013</a> and shooting games like <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Halo-4/dp/B0050SYX8W/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Halo 4</a>, and <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Call-of-Duty-Black-Ops-II/dp/B007XVTR3K/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Call of Duty: Black Ops II</a> and <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Resident-Evil-6/dp/B0050SY4DG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Resident Evil 6</a> is that the mercenaries, soldiers, aliens and zombies are replaced by animals, albeit animals that aren't carrying automatic weapons, missile launchers or hand grenades.
The technical points:
* The all-new Top Shot Fearmaster tracks your heart rate, adjusting the game conditions and environment accordingly.
* The Top Shot Fearmaster intermittently loses its sync and either lags or misses the shot.
* The decorative sight serves only as a reminder of how a real rifle should be used and treated with respect.
* The two-player mode (all-new split screen Maneater mode) wasn't nearly as much fun as other two-player games with a split screen (both Halo 4 and <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Minecraft/dp/B00BU3ZLJQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Minecraft</a> come to mind.)
In summary, it was not love at first sight. While the two-brothers storyline sounded appealing on the back of the game box, the gameplay itself was not what we expected or enjoyed.
Rating: One star.
DISCLOSURE: This review is courtesy of the Amazon Vine program, which provides products at no cost in exchange for my independent and unbiased feedback. My objective is to test and review products fairly, providing you with helpful information that improves your shopping experience. This product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. | video-games_xbox |
An old school concept with a twist. I rented this game,because I've always loved old school detective games on the PC and Consoles and this being based on CSI didn't hurt either. When I started playing I noticed they took inspiration form Detective games from the past. You have a cursor to either point out evidence and move. It breaks down like this-Crime scene,collect evidence,analyze evidence and interview suspects. No grabbing a gattling gun and killing hordes of alien invaders by the hundres. Basic,barebones interactivity as far as the envirements. Except for collecting evidence that is. The backgrounds are very nicely rendered. They do however repeat in further cases giving a cheap half hearted aproach. You absolutely have to be thorough when you search for it. And you have to remember what evidence you need to process and talk to your suspects after uncovering a piece of the case.
You get to work with all the main character from the show. They do full voiceovers,though I suspect (no pun intended) that not everyone did as great of voiceover than Grissom. Cathrine for exsample talks like she's susdaded. The rest besides Grissom do an average job. But the game is really enertaining. They have cutscenes from the show and they're pretty neat. The down side to the game,however is the length. The game only has five cases (though for Achievement Junkies they'll get a cool 1000 Achievements for all of them).I think only two more would have been enough to give the game some density. I suspect they either ran out of money for more voiceovers or they simply ran out of characters that were interesting enough to use in the cases.
In the end if you love the show or just want to play a rare yet fun detective game then this is for you. If you are a hardcore high thrills gamer i would look elsewhere. This takes patience,logistical concentration and reading the evidence to with a fine tooth comb to add to the case. This game really makes you think differently about video games and the way they're made. So,by all means grab it,play it and have alot of fun. | video-games_xbox |
A Sandbox Action Shooter that's Long on Promise and Potential, but Can't Quite Crack the Code of Success. "Watch Dogs" arrived on the scene with a lot of hype and expectations, some trepidation (fueled by a lengthy deferrment of its release date), and one glaring question: what would distinguish this gritty, urban sandbox from any of the others from this past decade? The purported answer was that the timeliness of the story setting focused on issues of privacy and security in an era of big data and omnipresent surveillance coupled with the hacking capabilities would make the gamefeel fresh and unique. However, many of the things that should have made it stand out instead are the areas where it stumbles the most, leaving "Watch Dogs" as a uneven experience that too often gives a frustrating glimpse into what it could, and should, have been.
Gameplay definitely follows a familiar path for anyone who's played any of the Grand Theft Auto series. However, as I played on, I felt more similarities with the Assassin's Creed games, which makes sense as they're both Ubisoft properties. For example, the fully-feature map becomes revealed to you bit by by as you climb radio towers to hack into their control boxes - very similar to the climb-a-watchtower-and-dive-off meme in the AC games. However, that similarity is severely disrupted by the fact that Aiden cannot jump, which feels very odd. He can vault over objects, but not jump up to climb or parkour off of walls. Details like this disrupt the exploration that's so central to gameplay - you want to jump frequently and may even hit the button that you think would make you jump, but then you remember that this feature doesn't exist and it brings you out of the experience.
And Aiden fares even worse in cars. Vehicle chases are often difficult to the point of frustrating, both because of the poor physics for handling and also your inability to fire a weapon (at all) while driving. This latter oddity might be a purposeful feature aimed at forcing you to utilize hacking techniques to disable pursuers, e.g. switching traffic lights to create pileups, raising bridges, etc. It should be fun, but the timing requirements are so precise that I often found myself running into my own traps and barricades, essentially handing myself over into custody.
The story itself is good - a mixture of a personal revenge story and societal commentary. However, Aiden is tough to root for, both because of his monotone voice acting and his ambiguous morality. There isn't much obvious consequence to making criminal choices throughout - you may have your notoriety level elevated for a brief time, but then the authorities quickly (sometimes literally mid-chase when right on your tail) lose interest. So if it's easier for you to evade pursuit by driving through a crowded mall, there's not much incentive to avoid that option. There are a few wildly unbelieveable plotting moments make you realize that the story is more "24" and less Oscar-winning drama. For example, when Aiden needs to infiltrate a high-security prison to interrogate one of the inmates, he literally just walks in the front door and brandishes a gun in order to get apprehended. Then they just immediately give him an orange jumpsuit and put him in a cell. Take that, due process!
Graphically, it doesn't jump off the screen and say "next-gen," although in all fairness, I'm yet to see more than one or two games that do so on either the Xbox One or the PS4 as of this date. Part of this is owed to the game's commitment to a realistic near-future Chicago and its resulting bleak color palette of grey, black, and more grey. While this does a good job of providing some immersion into the lead character's psyche, it also prevents the game from providing much eye candy (one exception is the "digital drug" side missions where you hallucinate wild overlays skinning your surroundings).
It's important to note that "Watch Dogs" is very dark and adult in its tone and its content. Much of the surveillance that you find on others reveals (or maybe even revels in) the rampant depravity and sadness of the masses' lives. Some of this is pretty graphically-depicted. Language is in the very hard-R territory and constant - even NPCs you pass on the street and routinely vulgar. This actually surprised me (and I'm no shrinking violet about language) given that it didn't seem necessary and doesn't add much to the characters themselves. There is plenty of mayhem, peril and violence throughout. The game is rated "M" for "Mature" and definitely justifiably so, but I'd hope that no parent out there gets fooled into picking this up for their kids since it's not GTA V. I actually found the GTA content less shocking because it seems almost vaudevillian compared to "Watch Dogs" undertones of real modern urban life.
All this said, "Watch Dogs" does a lot right. Its aiming/shooting mechanics are very good, which makes combat a lot of fun. The hacking features make the entire city a big puzzle, which is engaging when you have to find the right combination of surveillance methods and other traps to utilize in order to outwit a superior force. It mixes online multiplayer real-time with the campaign in the form of bounties that other real players attempt to claim on you and other interactions with real players - this definitely ups the excitement due to the unpredictability and the high skill level of most other players. I also liked the RPG-style progression system which rewards you for completing missions with additional capabilities for purchase. Once these capabilities start rolling in, the tedium of the initial hours of gameplay starts to get some much-needed relief.
So while I generally enjoyed playing "Watch Dogs" and found it to be an interesting premise, too often I found myself wishing that it did more of this or less of that, or that some feature or another was more well-designed. It's long on potential - I hope that Ubisoft works out the shortcomings of this first installment and gets it right for the sequel. | video-games_xbox |
Mixed Feelings. I am a Souls Die Hard. I have Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. Demon's Souls is my favorite game of all time with Dark Souls close behind. However, i am somewhat baffled with DK2.
First of all, character movement is erractic at best. My character level is 65. I have not died at he hands of any enemy YET. All my deaths are contributed to the erractic movements of my character. its baffling, im not saying the controls are poor but they are very sensitive. Case in point, in Demon souls and in Dark Souls 1, when standing still if you tap the STICK up/down/left/right, your character respond accordingly, body turn right, body turn left, back to camera face to camera. But in DK2, standing still if you tap the STICK in those directions your character will turn so FAST as if they are doing 360 degree turns. These fast movements will cause you to die on any cliff sides, ledges or even jumping from ledge to ledge. I adjusted the camera sensitivity but that did not adjust my character movements.
Now another factor thats completely opposite of this fast movement is how SLOW it is to switch say from a STAFF to a SHIELD. I am a lefty when using magic. I keep all my staffs and shields in my left hand. When in combat i notice a slower response on the D-pad. Switching from staff to shield and vice-versa the animation takes longer. In Dark Souls you can toggle very fast on the D-pad which can save you from getting stun-locked and killed. DK2 you can get stun-locked so easy it absurd. I think they tweaked the wrong aspects of the game. Overall, DK2 is still playable and i like it, im just not as FASCINATED as i was with Demon's Souls and Dark Souls.
Its still a good game to play and very challenging. Hopefully, they will patch these animations.
Addition:
I hope they also patch the lack of Human Effigy found or available. I think Human Effigy should be given after the defeat of each Boss. They definitely should change getting invaded while hollow. I been invaded more times as a hollow than in human form, go figure. I do have the Binding Ring but you still lose HP after each death with the BR on.
Edited 3/20.
I am level 120 now and ventured 75% of the game. The game is broken. Let me explain.
Iron Keep: I have defeated Smelter and the main boss, yet, i still have summoning signs in Iron Keep. I touch the sign, the phantom is summoned and guess what else, the bosses FOG GATE is back. So i go thru the Fog Gate and no boss because i have already beat him. I go to another world where i have defeated all the bosses and again i have summoning signs around. ABSURD.
On top of that i have been invaded in these worlds by other players, wait, i beat the boss can u still invade me? To add insult to injury im a hollow with no boss in the world. The Pursuer invade me constantly in Iron Keep which i have yet to figure out why. We fight then he will disappear before i can kill him, smh.
Using a Bow is a joke. I have 25str 30dex and 105 agility, more than enough to use a Long Bow. After shooting 2 arrows my green bar is depleted. The core mechanics of the game is gone. Leveling, repairing at your bonfire was SWEET. The feel of being in control of your fate is gone. In DK-1 the feeling of the world is on your shoulders was ever present, not so in DK-2.
The worlds feel generic at best eg, The gutter and black gulch i guess supposed to be like Blight Town in DK-1 and the other poison swamp in demons souls. well it fails. When you entered Blight Town in DK-1 and the Swamp in demons souls, you had the feeling of OMG what is this!!! When i go to the gutter and the Gulch something is missing. All the worlds so far feel tacked on, unfinished.
Why did they put swarms of enemies everywhere? DK-1 had swarms but they were well placed. DK-2 swarms is just thrown at you in a cheap way everywhere. Going to Londo in DK-1, the knights on that ledge with the great bows, lol, that was cheap and fun, but it was the only cheap aspect in the game IMO. if we are faced with swarms of enemies they should make Human Effigy more available.
Why we cant get Effigy after killing a Boss? Why we can't turn back to human if we are hollow after killing a Boss? These 2 issues are game breakers for me.
There are other issues but at this point it don't matter. I will finish my play thru and most likely will not go for NG+. I just don't have that feeling like i had with demons souls and dark souls-1.
Edit 3/24
I am Level 140 now. I may not finish my first play thru. LET ME EXPLAIN:
I played Demons Souls and DK-1 over 1000 hours with 8 characters combined. I have NEVER had a weapon BREAK in any of the previous souls like in DK-2 with the exception of Katana's.
Every weapon i have used between level 120 - 140 and i have well over 30, has BROKEN before i reach the BOSS. This is ABSURD. Even after using Repair Dust if i go thru a swarm of enemies by the time im done fighting them my weapon durability has dwindled to 50% or less, any weapon, smh. I do not know if its because im fighting so many enemies or what but this is crazy. Every area i go thru its costing me about 3000 or more souls just to repair my equipment. Maybe they lowered the weapon durability to compensate for carrying 3 weapons in each hand. if that is the case, its another CHEAP TACTIC that FS has implemented. There are too many CHEAP TACTICS in this game. The biggest cheapo is getting invaded as a hollow, even if the BOSS has been defeated and you have 25% to 50% less HP than the invader. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.
From Software, PLEASE change these game breaking CHEAP TACTICS.
This game need a lot of fixing. I started playing DK-1 again. I am done with DK-2 until they fix all the issues.
EDIT..7/3/14
Ok, after all the patches some of my complaints have been addressed. However, the targeting/lock-on is a JOKE. Example...when locking on a target and you are using, say an ultra GS, your swings are completely off target. I tried this using the Pursuers, Zweihander and other comparable swords. I noticed when i lock on a target with these swords, my attack will somehow swing either to the left or the right. REALLY!!!!! You may get one hit and then for some CRAZY reason the second and third swing is completely off.
Another example of the broken lock-on are the giant knights in the Ancient Dragon area. These Knights will lock onto you as if they know your exact next move. Example...the knight body movement is looking to the left, meaning he is moving to the left and you are on his right, for some STRANGE reason he will hit back to the right, even though his body/head is facing the left. He will hit you not even looking at you. But the BIGGEST cheap tactic these knights have is their UNLIMITED STAMINA. OMG, these knights will throw multiple combos at you say 5 or 6 in a ROW with hammers. This was the breaking point for me. I have my character at SL 400 NG++. I will not go any further all i do now is co-op helping other players. PATIENTLY waiting for Dark Souls 3.
Dark Souls 2 gets a ONE(1) star vote. | video-games_xbox |
Perfect Crime Game. Rockstar Studios is known for their controversial Grand Theft Auto series. Last year they released the critically acclaimed Red Dead Redemption. This year Rockstar released LA Noire a game set in the 1947 Los Angeles. The studio meticulously recreated eight square miles of downtown Los Angeles along with enhanced motion capture for facial recognition. The investment paid off.
The player begins the game as a beat cop, Marine WWII veteran Cole Phelps, who solves a series of crimes that promotes him to a detective. From there the player takes on a series of more crimes across four different desks: traffic, homicide, vice, and arson. Throughout the game Phelps must collect evidence at the various scenes, interrogate witnesses, and catch the criminals.
The interrogations are where the motion capture really pays off. When questioning a witness the player can see the facial expressions and eye movements which can then lead the player to belief, doubt, or accuse that witness of lying, an act that requires evidence. While the nuances of the actors are difficult at first, the player picks them up quickly.
After a while the player will have picked up the game's overall pattern which is where the game may take its biggest hit. While it does take half of the game's 21 cases to arrive at monotony it hits hard when it does. Luckily the developer spices up the latter half of the game with different tasks that stretch the breadth of Los Angeles to catch the city's worst criminals.
The action sequences (shooting, hand-to-hand, or running) are well done and easy for even a novice player to navigate. For the most part the game is linear which lends to fewer incursions that previous Rockstar titles. The driving sequences only got old halfway through the game as all of the cars handle exceptionally well. The car chases became slightly annoying when the AI drivers make turns that the player couldn't make on their best day.
Los Angeles is a beautifully recreated city. All of the landmarks such as Grauman's Chinese Theatre and the Brown Derby are especially worth seeking out in the licensed automobiles of the period. When one is not investigating a case the player can seek out the 95 different cars or help the brethren LAPD in the 40 street crimes.
As a piece of noir it is constantly pleasing at it draws from the various pieces of noir past. Overall the game falls just short of a true masterpiece. There are a few plot points which won't be spoiled that prevent it from attaining a perfect score. But that doesn't mean it is not a great game that is surely a game of the year contender and one of the best games of this generation. It is well worth the investment and it will be 20 unforgettable hours. | video-games_xbox |
An amazing story couple with unique gun play. The Good: Looks and sounds amazing, very engrossing story, clever gun play, always changing
The Bad: Story can be a tad overwhelming, the game could have used a few more ideas, it ends
A lot of games have tried the whole light and dark thing and failed pretty bad (Alone in the Dark was such a game), but Alan Wake succeeds greatly. You play as a writer, Alan Wake, who takes a peaceful vacation to a small hick town called Bright Falls. He's spending the night at a cabin on Cauldron Lake with his wife when suddenly the lights go out. His wife winds up in the lake, he jumps in to save her, then he suddenly wakes up from a car crash. You play thought Bright Falls trying to figure out why you're in your own story and trying to write things back the way they were.
The story is great and feels like a top-notch horror/mystery story that you're actually playing. It's a bit overwhelming in spots, but it eventually comes together in the end with great twists. One of the best parts about the story is how it's written out in the game. Alan will narrate as you're playing in a first person perspective and these are also in the form of hints. You can pick up manuscript pages to find out what's going to happen next, but this is more a clue than a spoiler. The characters are well written into the story with amazing voice acting and superb dialog. While the story is the meat of the story the action is the best part.
The game isn't just an adventure, but a third person shooter as well. The shooting mechanics are very clever, and not just your typical "shoot every guy you see" type of game play. You have a flashlight and when you hold LT to boost the flashlights light so it can tear apart the darkness on enemies. The way you can tell is very clever. The halo on the enemy will shrink the longer you have the light on them. Once it's gone you can blast away with one of your guns. The developers made the action pretty cinematic due to the slow motion cut aways the game does when an enemy is coming. Yes, the enemies are human somewhat, but you also have to be scared of your environment. The Darkness can possess anything from crates to barrels to trucks and even tractor trailers. When the Taken are gone you still have to watch out for possessed objects even the floor can be possessed and make you fall from deadly heights.
You can get bigger flashlights that have more juice, and your weapons can also be passive. Use a flare to keep the Taken away from you to get some breathing room. Use flashbangs to take a group out, you can also use a flare (the most powerful gun in the game surprisingly) which has a cool bullet chase camera. The normal guns are just a revolver, shotgun (auto and pump), and a hunting rifle. Sure it's not a lot, but you don't need rocket launchers and machine guns in this game. It's that clever.
Of course navigating the game is also really fun thanks to the simple puzzles and driving sections (which you boost your headlights to take out Taken). The game is almost perfect and everything is perfectly balanced. Even places where you have to use floodlights to take out dozens of Taken or even when you don't have flashlight and just have to run it's never the same thing twice. The game is fairly long with about 6 chapters, and you'll want more when it ends. The game is broken up into chapters and is played like a TV series with a "Previously on Alan Wake" at the beginning of each chapter which is a small recap. There's just so much detail in this game with the radio shows, TV shows, and all the little tid bits that get left out of most games are in here, and it makes you want to savor the game.
The game is also gorgeous. This is one of the best looking games available, and it's really something to behold. All the lighting is wonderful, physics are excellent, and the game is technically sound. Was this game worth the 5 year wait? By boogity it was. | video-games_xbox |
Very addicting game! 2009 Review. If you were to look over my past reviews, you will see I have never rated a game higher than 4 stars, but I feel obliged to make Chaos Theory my first! it's strange that the only game I have ever rated with 5 stars, just so happens to be an original xbox game... Does that go to show they don't make video games like they use to?
About a month ago I beat Splinter Cell Double Agent on the xbox 360 for a second time to experience the branching storylines, and though I enjoyed the entire game, I couldn't help but notice it felt like the weakest in the series. I was excited in completed it in excitment for the release of Conviction in the fall. Unfortunately that title was once again pushed back until March of 2010, and left me lingering with the urge to play another stealth game.
I recall seeing Choas theory available for download through Xbox live, but I was reluctant to purchase it because I am very keen in owning the original artwork and casing of a video game. I was lucky enough to grab a copy of this game at a local store "second spin", that buys, sells, and trades used: Cd's, dvd's and video games. Only costing me $7.99, I was very happy to go home and play through this game, since it's been 4-5 years since i last played it when I owned the original Xbox.
When I finally got into the game, I was amazed how good the graphics looked, being it's not a next-gen video game. To my amazement, Chaos Theory rates higher than Double Agent, which was release for the next-gen console. I can't believe how much fun this game is, there is seriously not one pet-peeve I have with this game, there isn't any con's that I can think of, besides the fact that I maybe have played it for too many hours in a row! Needless to say, but I definitely found my stealth game to keep me busy until Convictions release. For the past couple days I haven't even cared to play any other games in my libriay, I'm simply addicted to Chaos Theory, and I think it's safe to say that up-to-date, this title is the best in the series!
If you are looking to play one of the best stealth out in the market, don't hesitate to grab Chaos theory, not to mention it gives you the option of being stealth or going through the levels full assualt! You can even do a little of both if you'd like... You can sneek around the guards with no alerts, maybe knock out a few on the way to your objective, or you can equip your assualt rifle and make a mess along the way. There are just so many cool gadgets, and ways to approach an situation that the replay value of this game is unheard of with other creators. You can hang upside down and snap an enemy neck as they walk by, you can do the splits in the middle of a hallway and drop down on an enemy as they walk by, you can short out the lights and creep behind them as they investigate, you can pick up their unconcious bodies and hide them in a shadowed area, so you are not made. I can go on and on, but it's better if you just go pick up this classic title and enjoy hours of pure entertaiment.
Chaos Theory was one of those rare games that was years ahead of it's time. | video-games_xbox |
A Great Game At The Beginning. Indigo Prophecy starts in a bathroom at a sleazy diner in NYC. A man named Lucas Kane murders another man for no apparent reason. Fortunately he is innocent, he was somehow temporally possessed and had no control of his body. Unfortunately only Lucas and the player know this. To prove his innocence Lucas will have to go to great lengths and ultimately end up saving the world.
Indigo Prophecy is told through the eyes of 3 main characters, Lucas Kane and 2 detectives Carla Valenti and Tyler Miles. Tyler and Carla cover the investigation parts,while Lucas get the interactive scenes/evasive scenes. The story of IP is well told in the first 3/4's,but after that it seems to feel rushed and you never really find much out about the Indigo child,you only know marginally more about her at the end then you did at the start. I do feel that the ending was done good,just that the last quarter of the game leading up to the ending could have been done better.
The voices of IP are well done,possibly some of the best of the Xbox era,everything in the game is voiced over,not one lick of text to read. The music is good and features 4 songs from Theory of a Dead Man as well as a few classic tunes as well as some love making music :D. This game mimics almost every aspect of every day life, including bathroom breaks! The graphics in IP are of typical 2005 Xbox/PS2 quality,the slight edge might go to the Xbox as it was made for PC/Xbox first then ported over to PS2. Anyway bottom line is its really just average looking Xbox graphics.
One complaint I do have is that IP is short,I beat it in 5hr 5min and some odd seconds. To its benefit it does have a second replay in it,you can choose different answers and end up with a slightly different ending,depending on what answers you know to choose. I personally didn't play it a second time as I didn't feel it warranted one, I was happy with the ending I got. At the end of the game you are given some bonus points to purchase songs,scenes,images,and behind the scenes content,it's a nice touch but nothing special. Overall if you see it cheap somewhere ($10-$15) I'd give it a try, don't pay too much for it as it might be a rather short experience for some people.... | video-games_xbox |
Data eater. This machine out of the box is not even playable on top of that it consume so much data in DLC patches that it is enough to drive you up the walls. You would be much better off buying something that actually allows you to play your video games without the need to connect to the internet even if you have a stable internet connection having to wait before you play your games every single time there is an update for that game or system if you dare want to use any of your DLC features or buy new DLC it's just ridiculous. This machine is not worth the money and you will regret it especially when you see that PlayStation 4 is not only better at playing games out of the box as far as how fast it can download to the hard drive but also the kind of game experience that you can have I have both consoles so I can speak freely about this subject as I'm not a complete and total idiot like most of the people who are going to buy this console and neglected ps4, with that said you really should reconsider even looking at an Xbox because I have had mine since launch and I promise you it isn't broken once it's not the build quality that will pissed you off it's the fact that you have to wait before you play every single title it gets very old very fast and I hate this machine more and more as the time I have it goes on I wish I never bought it never got it and just stuck with something different. I honestly believe the Wii U isn't better investment at least they play games out of the box at least and they don't require a system update every single time you turn the dang thing on. This console isn't worth any form of payment no matter how they dress it up they are selling you a lemon that can't even play games and you are agreeing to pay for a product that can not I repeat cannot play games out of the box which is the sole purpose of a video gaming console if you are too uneducated or to be responsible take care you will end up exactly like me with an Xbox one and a crap ton of regret fortunately I wasn't that big of an idiot as I bought ps4 first having an idea that the Xbox one was going to suck exclusives drew me in and I broke down because of a couple titles but I tell you what I hate this machine and no amount of fun I have had on this machine can balnce out how ridiculously angry it makes me. | video-games_xbox |
Exceptional Fun. Being able to play as a giant transforming robot, whether good or evil, is one of the many childhood fantasies many kids, and nerds, have had. Now you can play as the Autobots and Decepticons in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." The game is loosely based off of the movie but it takes you through a number of missions that aren't in the movie itself. Whether you're an Autobot or a Decepticon, you end up fighting some familiar Transformers on the other team. Some of the missions include: destroying the other team's army and protecting and/or leading the way for allies. It's straightforward, but it's so much fun if you're into Transformers or playing as over-sized characters.
The replay value in this game is a bit better than the first Transformers game. Sure you can still play as both Autobots and Decepticons, but the plethora of missions, unlockables, and achievements make this game one that you can keep coming back to. Not to mention there's a really fun online mode that was absent in the first game.
The controls are redone this time around and are better to handle. There is a slight learning curve if you were used to the controls on the first Transformers game, but it won't take you long; even if you're a novice to these games.
"Revenge of the Fallen" is probably the most fun I've had with a movie tie-in video game. Most video games, based directly off the films, are pretty bare bones and have little, to no, replay value. Not to mention some of them just aren't fun and the controls can be pretty shoddy (Jaws Unleashed anyone?). There are a lot of neat unlockables to be had here, including some G1 episodes. The collection of Autobot and Decepticon icons in each playable area can help you unlock gobs of achievements if you're into increasing your gamerscore.
In conclusion, it's a really fun game that will give you hours of game time. If you're into Transformers, or any sort of giant playable characters roaming around a cityscape, this game is for you. I recommend checking it out. | video-games_xbox |
From the Average Gamer...This is Pretty Good. I'm just an average gamer that has a passion for gaming. I like reviewing games because I'm not a fan boy and don't get paid to favor one thing over another. I did not follow Watch Dogs over the years as it was being developed. I actually did not really look into the game until about 2 months ago. I kept hearing about the game but had no idea what it was about. Since I wasn't really playing other console games the past couple of months I decided to pre-order the game since it was an Ubisoft title and always loved Ubisoft games. So I will go over the pros and cons of the game.
Cons:
- Same feeling as other open world games. This could be good for other people but after playing the GTA games and Assasin's Creed games, you don't get that full excitement of open world like you did with GTA 3 and AC1 and 2.
- Repetition. I ended up playing the game most of the night but it's pretty repetitive when you are doing side missions. You hack someone, track them down, then knock them out or kill them.
- You can only have one save. So far Ubisoft only allows you to have one save and its tied into your Xbox live account. If you want to start a new game you have to use a different account. I haven't looked at all the achievements but this does not give you a chance to play a good guy and then a bad guy or vice versa.
- Online play. They say its optional and it is...but if you want to turn it off you lose all your notoriety (points that rank you against other players).
Pros:
- Unique story line. People are comparing this game too much to GTA 5. Well you shouldn't because the story line holds up on it's own. Some people say it started off slow but I feel the main story line started off with a bang.
-Detail. I'm not talking about the graphics here. I was shocked to see that every single person you run into the street has a story. Basically when you are in scanning mode, every person has their age, profession, income and a sentence explaining what stands out about them. EX. I was running around just wanting to destroy stuff. Just ran into the middle of the street and a car came close to hitting me. I pulled out my gun and aimed it at the driver. I actually felt sorry for him and I couldn't kill him. He was a custodian, didn't make much money, and his brother was murdered. I couldn't bring myself to bring him to his end but I love a game that can make you feel connected to the game like that.
-Talents. Like most RPGs this has a point system to upgrade you abilities. For Hacking, Combat, Driving and Crafting. You do have to follow upgrade trees because some of the better abilities don't unlock until later in the game. I find the trees simple and easy to understand. Also adds that extra excitement because the next thing is something that can always help you out.
-Chicago. Even though this has the same feeling as other open world games...it's always nice being able to run around a town you never been in before. I already read from people that actually live in Chicago, that a lot of the places are inaccurate besides the landmarks that are really there. But to me, it's different.
-Content. There is a lot do and a lot to learn. When something new comes up you get a tutorial window popping up for it. At the same time you have to find your side missions by hacking other people, or sometimes a side quest will pop up and you can accept it. When I first started I felt overwhelmed just because I just wanted to scan people around me to read their profile, lol.
-Play the way you want. When doing missions you can approach them guns blazing or using stealth. Either way can be successful and at the same time, it adds enough change to want to try it both guns blazing and using stealth.
Final thoughts:
You will not be complaining about lack of content since there is so much to do.
Too many people seemed to be turned off by Ubisoft for delaying the game and all of a sudden..they have nothing good to say about it. I guess you are entitled to be upset...but the game is out...just enjoy it for what it's worth.
(This part was written from playing on the Xbox One)
The graphics are good, but at the same time, not a huge upgrade from what you will see on PS3 or 360. To me the graphics were good. Could they be better? Yes they could but that didn't upset me. People don't seem to understand that if you release a title for current and previous gen consoles, you are not going to have a major graphics improvements. That is why I won't judge a game by its graphics until the end of 2014 and 2015 comes around. By that time, there will be titles that have been developed only for the new generation.
The game definitely has its ups and downs. There is still a lot to do but at same time you can get bored. After taking a 20 minute break... you are itching to play again. I was doing that all afternoon and all night last night. I think that this will be a good grab for anyone. I found myself not playing many console games recently since nothing good was out that caught my interest. This will keep you busy until the next big thing comes out.
Sorry for the Watch Dogs fans that have been following this game and were upset about the the delays, but I really think you should try the game. I was immediately immersed into this game and world. I am not giving this 5 stars because in the end I feel things were copied from GTA and Saints Row. That's not a bad thing because it makes a fun game, but Ubisoft added their own aspect of hacking and I think that hacking makes it great. I was pretty upset about having only one save so I hope to see a change or update for that.
Thanks for reading and I will add updates as I finish the game and try more of the online play.
***UPDATE 5/29/14***
I tried out more of the online functions and it's actually very fun. The online servers are not that stable at this time because I have been disconnected to another player a couple of times. There is only one mode I have tried and it's basically, track down another player...you need to hack them, then install a back door.
Installing the back door is when it gets very stressful/exciting because that player knows he is getting hacked and has to reach you before the back door reaches 100%. Every 25% the search area narrows down for the player being hacked. It's more of annoyance getting hacked but when you are hacking, you get a major adrenaline rush seeing the other player running around with a weapon, intending on killing you.
***UPDATE 6/12/14***
I'm still going through the story because I keep getting distracted by other online players hacking me and getting caught up in the side missions. The more I play it, the more fun I find in the game. Escaping the cops in GTA is one thing, but escaping the cops in Watch Dogs is a lot more fun for me. As you drive around you can hack lights and road blocks as you go. My favorite is raising a bridge over the river and ramp off of them. I find myself screaming and laughing out loud throughout the escape scenes because it's a blast.
One thing that I don't like as I play more is, how easy it is to get the cops called on you. If someone witnesses you do anything bad like shooting a weapon or stealing a car they will call the cops on you. You could neutralize the caller but of course that would lower your reputation points and start turning you into a bad guy. That's fine if you are playing a bad guy, but I am playing as good right now.
Even playing as a good guy, you get those sudden urges of wanting to go on a killing spree or rob a store. Obviously it's more realistic if someone is calling the cops on you when you do something like that but it doesn't allow you to go on a rampage very long before the cops are on you. | video-games_xbox |
Thank You for Coming Back. Dead Rising 4 is a welcomed back game for me because of the outrageous gameplay and surprising story. Coming in, I didn't think I would get as hooked to the story as I did but it was what kept me turning the game back on day in and day out.
First off, after a couple hours in, the game really opens up and you start to see the amount of vehicles that you can use and create. Weapon customization is available from the beginning in a Last of Us style right from your weapon menu. Frank West's humor is spot on and the Christmas feel is priceless. You can literally spend hours just watching your "zombies killed" counter go higher and higher. Especially with a great list of achievements, Dead Rising 4 is a great game to keep coming back to over time.
The same drawback is the issue with repetition. At the end of the day, you're killing zombies until the end of time. It can become monotonous over time which is why I'm happy with a little better writing in the story.
***I try to recommend a game in my reviews but Dead Rising is a pretty unique game. I would encourage you to step out and try some other hack n slash games with story like <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/DMC-Devil-May-Cry-Definitive-Edition-Xbox-One/dp/B00R9NWX74/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">DMC Devil May Cry: Definitive Edition - Xbox One</a> or see if you can really get scared and play the new <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Resident-Evil-7-Biohazard-Xbox-One/dp/B01GW8XLCM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Resident Evil 7 Biohazard - Xbox One</a>. Both speak to the gameplay and on the other hand borrow, respectively.
Dead Rising 4 is great but before you buy, make sure you can kill zombies for a long time. There is a lot to interact with but it can become routine.
I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think below! | video-games_xbox |
Disappointing, repetitive, a one trick pony. Normally I like to see games through until the end, even if they are mediocre. I just ended up putting this one down out of boredom. Army of Two has all the elements to make a good game, but they are all arranged and executed poorly.
AoT has a few "key features" and the game basically beats you in the head with them, repeatedly. In fact, if you don't play the game precisely how the developers intended you won't do very well. It's really very constricting. The aggro system doesn't really translate into fun, it translates into a monotonous repetitive sequence that you will be required to perform. A prime example of this: the ridiculously useless except for specific parts "Co-op sniping mode". Traversing the game really is a matter of executing the exact same formula. All the main bosses require you basically flank them and then shoot them because they are invincible from the front.
Aiming your weapon doesn't seem to make it all that much more accurate, and it usually takes an impressive number of shots to drop the average enemy. Regularly I had to put two high caliber rounds into the average enemy grunt's face, even at very close range.
The voice acting and dialog are utter garbage and are physically irritating to have to suffer through. It isn't the foul language, because I'm like a sailor with my colorful words, but it's just the idiotic content of their conversations. Over and over again, the basically same idiocy.
AoT does have an interesting variation on the cover systems we've seen in these types of game -- implied cover. Anytime you are near cover and you try to shoot at something where the cover is in the way your character will move his gun around to clear the cover. It's kind of fluid, but there can be perspective issues. The environment, therefore, takes on that "Gears of War" syndrome -- where everything is pretty much full height, crouching cover height, or too round to utilize.
Overall, I would say it probably wouldn't be a bad rent, but buying it is something I'd only consider if you really enjoyed renting it. Or found it very for cheap and didn't have any other game on your plate. One last note: to be fair, I never bothered to play it co-op. I literally couldn't find anyone else interested, for one, and I don't really feel the addition of a human player would change how you played the game at all. The only benefit to a human player would be the social aspect. | video-games_xbox |
Great tool, but there are some kinks. If you want to feel like a rockstar (now) play Rockband, if you want to (eventually) be a rockstar play Rocksmith.
This game has a very specific target audience that must have patience and dedication. It won't make you Dave Navarro, Stevie Ray Vaughan, or Jimmy Page over night but it will certainly get you pointed in the right direction. There is a lot of commitment involved with this game because you are actually learning a real instrument, which is never easy.
I'm a self taught bass player with a handful of 6 strings that I've fiddled with on and off for the past several years. The fact that I can plug my PRS, which I don't deserve at all, into my Xbox and start playing songs is an amazing thing all by itself. I really enjoy this game and think it has tremendous potential as a teaching tool, but there are some kinks that need to be worked out. I would still recommend it to anyone seriously interested in learning guitar.
One of the trickiest parts about learning to play songs on your own is getting the effects right, which can be tough even if you own the same equipment that the song was recorded with. Rocksmith takes care of that for you and if you do well enough on a song you unlock that setting in "Amp" mode. In amp mode you get to play around with your sound and add different effects or play through different amps/guitars with no song requirements just like you would in your basement. I haven't played with it much yet but it seems to be a really cool tool if you have the patience and like to tinker with effects.
As everyone has stated, you start each song at the very root level until you've hit a required percentage of notes to move that section up in difficulty. While this is great for begginners it's frustrating for those of us with some experience. I would like the option to start at higher difficulties and adjust down if need be. Occasionally you will complete the appropriate percentage and get bumped up just to get kicked back down while trying to figure out the additions in the rift, which can again be frustrating.
While I'm talking about frustrating I have to mention the "Riff Repeater" mode which is where you can practice sections of the song. This is absolutely infuriating and a terrible way to be forced to practice specific sections. There are three modes you can choose from, one designed to progress you through the levels until you are playing the song note for note and the other two are just to practice the section. For all of them you are given five chances to play perfectly, or at least a requisite percentage correctly, and then it kicks you at just to start over if you don't perform to standard. The two modes that are not designed to level you up stop each time you miss a note, which is frustrating because it messes up your timing and doesn't give you a very clear picture of which note you missed. I will be doing my best to stay away from these two all together and probably use the leveling mode rarely due to the aggravation and headaches they cause.
On top of the difficulty of learning to play an instrument, there's a bit of a learning curve with the symbols for techniques and sometimes being able to tell which fret you're supposed to be on. If you're familiar with tablature notation you shouldn't have much problem figuring what technique it wants you to use after a couple trys. If you're not familiar with tablature I would recomend checking if there are any technique tutorials before beginning a song. The tutorials are helpful, for example I learned how to palm mute better, and you can skip straight to the exercise if you already know how to execute the particular technique.
In order to play a gig you have to qualify on each song in the set list. It recomends songs for each gig and has a minimum score that you must meet in "Rehearsal," which is not the same as "Riff Repeater." You can add or remove songs from your set list as long as you don't go above/below the min/max number of songs. Unfortunately you have to qualify for every song your going to play for every gig even if you've played it at a gig before. The number of points required to qualify on a song already played at a gig seems to be exponentially greater than the initial time.
The last complaint that I have about the actual gameplay is that it doesn't always register up strokes in some faster sections. For example, "Go with the Flow" by Queens of the Stone Age is full of fast notes that are much less tiring to play if you alternate up and down strokes, but when I do that the game tells me I've missed a large portion of the notes. When I only use downstrokes I hit 100% of the notes... I tried turning my tuning knobs a hair tighter and it helped a little but it's still an issue.
The game, on an ascetic level, is extremely dull and boring. The venues are bland, the crowd is the same three or four people cloned over and over, the intro video puts me to sleep and the menus are dark and simple. The load times are a good bit longer than I would like, but at least you get to play guitar during them.
What I would like to see in the future:
A lot of DLC
Practice mode with adjustable timing and no lives
Bass guitar support
Notes, especially start/stop points of slides, that are more easily identifiable
This game is a great learning tool and intro to guitar. It's always fun to play your favorite songs and maybe add some new favorites to your library. It's a good way to practice and much easier than trying to teach yourself songs with shaky tabs pulled off the internet. Be warned that this product teaches ZERO music theory, so aspiring musicians will be left in the dark when trying to play with other musicians, but that's easily rectified by supplementing this tool with boring, but necessary, books.
All in all I'm very happy with the $80 I spent on this game and am looking forward to playing more when I get home. I will continue to support this product and hopefully some good DLC will come out soon and Rocksmith 2 will have the kinks worked out and be even more enjoyable, and therefore sucessful, game that will introduce many many more aspiring musicians to the joy, and woes, of playing music. | video-games_xbox |
A refreshing shooter (honest review. Quick note--Please look at all the collective 1-2 star reviews and you will easily see some very sad individuals that are awaiting PSN maintenance trash this game without playing one minute of it.
I will be honest in this review for those considering Titanfall.
Good
Controls are easy and fluid - You think a game that features jet packs, wall running and hanging would entail complex controls. Quite the opposite. Very easy controls that give you the fluidity of movement without the constraints of button mashing.
Balance -This game is the best example of balance in any shooter for quite some time. As soon as a novice FPS player learns the controls, they bring a competitive edge to their match right out of the gate. 6 vs 6 strikes the right cord with plenty of bots scattered around for easy pickings. You can easily kill the grunts (AI) and get a sense of worth, even if the pilots are the main target. This game is so well balanced that a pilot can just as much be a threat to a titan than a titan to a pilot. This game is a must for a novice / sucky FPS gamer. The gameplay experience is so intense, that even if you don't feel like you did much, you still enjoy the match.
Outstanding Map Design - 15 maps out the box is a plus. 15 very good to great maps..better. Great layout with space for the Titans to battle and great areas for the pilots to run around. The night map is my favorite.
Servers - Contrary to many of the clueless critics, Titanfall relies on the heavily reliable Azure servers from Microsoft, not EA. This allows for seamless gameplay with very little to no lag. This game does not use EA servers, which have provided such disasters as Battlefield 4 and Medal of Honor. Azure is the way to go (with the exception of Australia and South Africa)
THE GAME IS FUN!
Ok so there are some misses on my book.
Story - Yes, this game was announced as a multiplayer only game, so disregard comments from people claiming they didn't know it was a MP only. There is a MP campaign element to it, and honestly it's disappointing. This has the makings of a great story set in a awesome universe, but with all the action going on, you really don't get much of a feel of the characters and quite frankly the story as a whole. I am not expecting Bioshock quality storytelling, but a little more depth would have been nice. This doesn't damage the game, just somewhat limits greater potential.
Lack of modes - Once again, not the biggest concern for me, since the gameplay is so well done, you can stay on a certain mode for hours. I know more modes are on their way.
Lack of private matches (for now) - This for me is Titanfalls biggest flaw. Private matches are a must for all shooters, and Titanfall releasing without them is unacceptable IMO. Yes, I know that Private matches will be arriving shortly via a patch, but no private matches on release is quite weird.
I took one star off because of the inexcusable lack of private party (coming soon), but rest assured this game lives up to the hype. A must own for Xbox One / PC owners.
Standby.....for Titanfall | video-games_xbox |
Forget the hype - Dragon's Lair for the 21st Century. I don't know what it is, maybe I'm getting older or people just have short memories, but this game is nothing more than a rehash of Dragon's Lair - albeit with a bit of extra sparkle.
For those of who don't know what I'm on about, Dragon's Lair was a laser disc arcade game from the early 80s that looked great - it had graphics by Don Blueth the animator behind Disney stuff and other cartoons - but which had one dimensional gameplay so thin you could cut yourself on it. In Dragon's Lair, the player enetered one room and couldn't move forward wihtout passing through. There was only one way through the game, and only one way to solve the puzzles a room contained. "Gameplay" invovled continually getting your character killed until you figured out the one way to move through a room. Which led you into another room where you started from scratch.
At first everyone was overwhelmed by its prettiness and cinematic feel. Now, it's revilled as being a non-game piece of nonsense.
Splinter Cell is just the same. Sure it looks great. Yes the toys your character can play with - the sticky cams, the night vision, the thermal vision, lockpicks - all look cool. But they are all useless. There is no game here, just a sequence of nice looking animation with a few (repetitive and dull) puzzles that you must solve in order to progress to the next (repetitive and dull) puzzle.
The game is more linear than a freeway. You cannot deviate from the preset path set by the game, and you cannot solve puzzles in any way other than the way designed by the programmers. You cannot explore; the only doors that open are the ones you are to go through.
You simply get yourself killed working out how the game wants you to progress from one room. Your reward is another room where you do the same thing. So maybe it's an oil rig, or a government office, the gameplay is the same
Maybe I'm an X-Box heathen, but I played about 50% of the way through this undeniably pretty title before giving up.
Dragon's Lair is a visually stunning piece but only quasi-interactive computer programme. 20 years later, Splinter Cell is the same thing. Splinter Cell makes full use of the X-Box graphics and sound capabilities. It looks stunning. I fear, though, that everyone is just looking at the pretty pictures without thinking about the game.
There is almost NO GAME here. The media just says there is, the same way everyone thought the emperor had clothes on. Rent a DVD if you want good looking pictures on your screen. If you want some a game, save your pennies for almost any other XBox title. Sure, it might not look as good - but there should be more fun and games in it. | video-games_xbox |
Good Quality Band Kit. While most people argue about which game is better, Guitar Hero World Tour or Rock Band 2, the fact is that if you like this genre of gaming you're likely going to end up owning and thoroughly enjoying both games. So the real decision to be made is which band kit to buy.
After having played with both band kits I ended up going with Guitar Hero. The microphones aren't worth comparing since they're pretty much the same, in my opinion, but the drums and guitar make all the difference. After playing with both guitars I found the Guitar Hero version to be better constructed. I've been pounding on this thing for a few hours a day for the last two weeks and haven't had it miss a step. It's a solid product. The Rock Band 2 version feels pretty flimsy and I don't think it could handle the same punishment. The drums have also taken quite a beating (my buddy gets a little too into the songs) and are still just as responsive as they were the first day we used them. I've read some reviews saying that there are issues with the responsiveness of the drums, but I've had no problems. The drums are also more attractive than the Rock Band 2 version; looking more like a real drum set with symbols and everything.
Now, even though I think this is a good kit it isn't without it's shortcomings. First off, the drums sit on a stand that is held up by pressure-lock clips. These clips are pretty weak and as you pound away at the drums the stand will gradually lower itself to the floor. Every couple of songs you'll have to undo the clips and readjust the height of the stand. That gets pretty annoying. Ultimately I fixed the problem by putting several layers of black electrical tape around the thinner part of the legs so that the tape would work as a stopper when it tried to slide down. It works perfectly and doesn't draw attention since the tape is black, just like the stand. As for the guitar, my only real complaint is that the stickers are garbage. You spend time tricking out your guitar only to have the stickers start peeling off within a few days.
If you want an opinion on the games themselves, Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band 2, both games are basically the same. The only real differences are the interfaces and the song lists. For me, Rock Band 2 has a pretty drab and boring appearance while Guitar Hero has a much livlier and animated look and feel, which makes the game a little more enjoyable for me. But, when it comes to songs, I must admit that Rock Band 2 wins. The initial song list in RB2 is better (that could be argued based on personal preference), but then throw in the fact that you can import songs from RB1 and that there's also a huge list of downloadable songs currently available for RB2 and you really can't deny who's king of the hill in regard to content. One thing I have noticed, however, is that the songs that both games have in common (for example, "Today" by Smashing Pumpkins) seem to sound a little better on Guitar Hero even though both games claim to use master recordings. Even so, that won't stop you from enjoying the Rock Band 2 version. The career mode in Rock Band 2 is also a little better thought out and executed, so you'll likely get a more satisfying game experience playing through the Rock Band 2 career. But, in the end, you'll end up buying both games since they're both great fun. I'd just recommend buying the Guitar Hero band kit for the better instruments and then the Rock Band 2 game for a better gaming experience. | video-games_xbox |
One step in the wrong direction. Mx vs ATV Alive was about as much of a disappointment as any game I have ever played. The game had a thing or two I would consider an improvment but everything else was aweful.
Pros:
-more of a rider selection even though they picked boring riders. (ex. Broc Tickle) No Chad Reed or Justin Barcia.
-no more buggies/utvs/monter trucks
-addition of seat bounce is a minor plus
Cons:
-terrible controls. They should have stuck with the Mx vs ATV Reflex controls and just added new tracks.
-NO SUPERCROSS?????? Seriously?
-boring tracks
-online is worse than before, still is difficult to join games at times.
-graphics are pretty bad and they try to hide it by blurring the screen when you're racing.
-very long level up process. they did this to get you to pay microsoft points to unlock the tracks instead of earning them.
-scrubbing and whipping are useless and ugly. the gameplay just looks awkward.
-physics just do not add up, it shows time and time again.
-two brands of dirt bikes available.. takasaki and blaze...???? 10 years ago we had real motorcycle brands in video games, where did they go?
-the more experienced player will lack the ability to set up his/her bike. that was a huge deal in Reflex.
-if you didn't preorder at gamestop, you will have to buy the stewart compound for $10.
-James Stewart's cutscenes he has throughout the game are terrible and annoying.
-the rider sometimes turns around to point behind him... whether you are in a corner or in the air, it looks terrible. the only thing that makes this work is the horrible voice acting that comes from it.
-all attention to detail was overlooked. the numbers on the bikes don't look right, the throttle hand no longer moves with the throttle (rt) being pushed, the riders themselves seem very disfigured...
Conclusion:
I cannot believe they released this game after doing a pretty good job with Reflex. All's this game needed was Reflex controls with more supercross and motocross tracks. Realistic tracks would be nice... I'm tired of half the tracks having major snow and ice fall and the other half going through the swamps. A child under the age of 8 may get some enjoyment out of the game but other than that this was a HUGE failure. Even at $39.99 it isn't worth it. Even if it was free it would not be worth anyone's time to play it. | video-games_xbox |
NBA 2K6 delivers a swish. Visual Concepts has provided an annual basketball game since the Dreamcast in 1999, and since then, they haven't missed a beat. With this long string of success, it's no wonder that they wanted to work hard to optimize their basketball experience on Microsoft's new Xbox 360, and they've done a fantastic job. NBA 2K6 for the Xbox 360 isn't completely new or different from its Xbox and Playstation 2 counterparts, but it's an enhanced version with features that you've got to see on the new console.
The developers spent a large amount of time making the visuals and using them to bring forth the most authentic, realistic NBA experience ever. They hit the nail on the head, and the first time that I saw my starters for the Indiana Pacers run out onto the court, my jaw just dropped. There's Jermaine O'Neal, and you wouldn't mistake him for the next 6"10 hulk. I couldn't miss Ron Artest, and alongside every other player on the team, there's just no mistaking him. It is absolutely unreal what Visual Concepts has done to the NBA 2K6 graphics engine, and the player models are just the first step. The courts are detailed with lights, cheerleaders, mascots, and cheering fans. I've never felt a basketball atmosphere in a video game like this before. I wouldn't be surprised if someone observing a game in NBA 2K6 had it mistaken for a real-life game, especially if they catch a glimpse at the in-game replays.
Of course, graphics are the last thing that make a basketball game worth playing. Visual Concepts ported every last feature from the current-generation version of the game to the Xbox 360 version. The streetball-influenced 24/7 Mode, a mode through which you create a baller and make him into a better player, is back. The Association returns as well, and is your basic Franchise mode. Xbox Live-related features include the new Achievements, Leaderboards, and online mulitplayer. Out of all of these modes, I've enjoyed Association the most, but they're all done well and give you a few different options for how you want to play the game.
The NBA 2K series has always felt a little slower and tight, and NBA 2K6 on the Xbox 360 is no different. There are a few new shooting mechanics that migth have inexperienced basketball gamers scratching their heads. The new Shooting Stick control style is mapped to the right analog stick, and with it, players can take all sorts of different shots to try and get around defenders. Offensively, this Shooting Stick really mixes things up but I found it easier to drive to the basket than anything else. Three-pointers were definitely not my strong point. On defense, the right thumbstick controls blocks and steals. I felt that playing defensively was very exciting, and going for rebounds or loose balls was a rush that felt even more realistic when the graphics were factored in. One thing I did feel that was too common are fouls, both offensively and defensively. The foul shots are handled much differently as well. On the charity stripe, players hold down the thumbstick and release it as the shooter is about to release the ball. This system feels extremely smooth and works well. I hope to see Visual Concepts incorporate this in future editions of the game. This easy system makes free throws a lot more interesting and fun than the timing-based mechanics of the past. Unfortunately, these new control styles aren't very familiar at first and took a bit of time to learn, but once I had them down, I had a great time shooting around opponents and showing them up on the court.
I must applaud Visual Concepts for a job well done on their Xbox 360 basketball debut. NBA 2K6 does have a few flaws, and it's not as easy to pick up as some other basketball games, but once I learned how to play and play well, I couldn't put the game down. Whether you're playing the 24/7 Mode and trying to develop a rising star or you're managing a team in The Association, you should have a great time with this game. Of course, if you've picked it up for other consoles already, you might want to skip on buying the 360 version--but don't skip on trying it or renting it, because you'd really be missing out.
(NOTE: I also have this review posted on GameFreaks365.com, where I write reviews on a regular basis.) | video-games_xbox |
Good, but far from great. After having spent considerable time with this game on the PC during its beta, I had high hopes for
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege when it finally released. Tense, tactical and in many ways unique, this title quickly became a case of like at first sight. Why not love? Too may small flaws take the luster off of what is otherwise a fun game.
The recipe is simple enough. One team defense while the other attacks. Instead of wandering around maps hoping to find someone or something to shoot at like most titles in the genre. Here the objectives are more focused, with a team setting up their defense while the attackers are trying to get the lay of the land. This takes place in a pre-game period where the offensive units control small radio cars that can glide easily into vents, under low doors and around corners to try and find your objective. The defending team can shoot these controlled cars upon seeing them, doing their best to maintain a sense of secrecy over their location and fortifications.
Fortifications? Yup, while the attackers are getting the lay of the land, the defenders are doing their best to change and strengthen said fortresses. Walls can be reinforced with steel supports, barbed wire can be put down at access points and more. All of this plays into the game's strongest suit, which is the destructible environments all around.
Unlike a Call of Duty game where your arena is solid and does not deteriorate no matter how many rockets and bullets go flying everywhere, here in Rainbow Six Siege, many of the floors and walls can be shot through or blown up. Windows can be boarded up or broken down. It helps to create artificial choke points, or to obscure what one side is doing from the other. In a typical shooter, this would be a recipe for chaos. How many times have you played a shooter, mindlessly barging into a room trying to get the drop on your opponents only to get blasted away? No big deal though, because you usually respawn within seconds.
This is another area where Rainbow Six Siege starts to differentiate itself from shooter brethren. Characters are incredibly squishy. If you are trying to crawl around the corner of a room while keeping your head low, but you accidentally stroll into some razor wire and do not stop and pull back immediately? Odds are, you're going to die right there. Shots to the head because you popped up like a whack-a-mole at the wrong time, traps that take you out and more remind you very quickly that your characters can and will die if you get sloppy. And then you wait - because there is no respawn until the round ends.
All of this lends itself to a slower paced, more tactical shooter because you are forced to consider your options more carefully. You might now put a couple of bullets through a boarded up window before slashing through it, for fear of the person who might be right on the other side of it waiting. Not sure what's around that corner? Take an remote controlled car with a camera for a spin and try to see before rushing in. Because the objectives have fairly tight timers, and in truth most of the maps are somewhat narrower in scope (generally taking you through series of hallways and rooms in a building of differing layouts), the action is tense because you only have so long to complete your objective.
The good news is, the way the environments can unfold, the different objectives and where things become located each time creates a good deal of variety for gamers. The bad side is, while the game itself offers pretty solid variety, the number of modes and maps is pretty underwhelming. Add to that a handful of interesting bugs that creep up now and again, and Rainbow Six Siege is fun, but also flawed. It is also worth noting that this game simply played better with a mouse and a keyboard. I know Nick will almost always argue on behalf of a controller over a mouse and keyboard interface, but this game is a prime example of why that thinking is wrong. Without a doubt the aiming and gameplay mechanics worked better on my PC during the beta, than on the Xbox One.
Without a doubt, this title is at its best when you find yourself wondering who or what is right around the corner. Did you out-think the other team by rappelling down from the roof to reach that obscure window you are about to break through? Or is there going to be someone waiting right there with a gun pointed at your face? When you are defending a point, do you worry about the gunfire down the hall around the corner, or the explosion overhead that just removed some of the roof above? These moments are Rainbow Six Siege at its best.
Beyond that, Rainbow Six Siege plays well. It is really meant to be an online multiplayer experience, and in truth it works far better when you are playing with friends than random groups of people you get hooked up with. Generally the community is fine, but I encountered my share of tools who either shot down their own teammates for no apparent reason to those who were more interested in rushing into a room to get a kill or two than the objective. Now that said, if the team is communicating well, this is a viable tactic if someone is willing to 'take one for the team' - but that is dependent on actual communication. There are some offline modes that serve as glorified tutorials, and by and large they work well, teaching the basics, though in truth they are not very entertaining. Before long, I was diving back into the online multiplayer.
The visuals, music and sound all are best described as good, but not great. Generally speaking the visuals were smooth and there were some good effects with line-of-sight being hugely important, but Rainbow Six Siege never really impresses a great deal either. I suppose it does not have to, as the game primarily takes place indoors with relatively static environments compared to a game where you might be outdoors, with a long draw range and a beautiful horizon with lots of moving water or some swaying trees and long grass.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is a refreshing change of pace for a genre that has a lot of also-ran titles getting introduced. The way it handles environments while infusing the game with a tactical mindset is appealing on multiple levels. What works less well are the limited modes and levels, and the rough edges that show up in the presentation or the occasional rogue teammate. Also, play it with a mouse and a keyboard - trust me on this. | video-games_xbox |
Rockstar is getting so close to the perfect game. If you have never played a Grand Theft Auto title before than you ,my friend, are in for a treat. This is by far the best single player game in the last 2 years. I originaly played this game for the PS2. I played it for weeks. Then I got wind of a XBOX release and stopped playing that day. The XBOX versions of GTA games are always better. This title is no exception. The graphic problems of the PS2 are still there, but are greatly reduced. San Andreas opens up a new character development feature that while it's not quite an RPG system it's real close. You play a character by the name of Carl Johnson or CJ. CJ has come back to Los Santos (or Los Angeles) to attend the funeral of his mother. Mrs. Johnson was killed by a drve-by shooting involving a Green Sabre (one of the many types of cars). CJ and his brother had a falling out over the death of CJ's other brother. However now that CJ's back he's ready to get rolling in the family business, which is a street gang known as the Grove Street Gang. The story takes off from there with tons and tons of side-missions to keep you robbing, killing, and car-jacking for weeks! After you complete a certain number of story-line missions you will "unlock" a new city known as San Fierro (San Francisco) with tons and tons more missions in that city as well. Following suit you complete X amount of missions in San Fierro and you unlock Las Venturas (can you guess?? Las Vegas!). Every unlocked city gets more and more intense and crazy. With everything from learning to fly a plane to breaking into an area 51 rip off and stealing a prototype from the military, to the simple things such as sitting in a casino and playing a few hands of black jack or maybe slots are your thing. All in all this is an open ended open world game with literaly weeks and weeks (at about 40-80 hours a week) of fantastic gameplay! My main gripe with GTA as a whole is no multyplayer. The PSP GTA title Liberty City Stories has ad-hock multiplayer, and it's great! If GTA's next installment has Online capable multiplayer then ,ladies and gentlemen, we'll have gaming perfection. Untill then GTA SA is near perfect. The casual conversations people have on the street are really. Some people even speak to you, but beyond answering positively or negatively there no real comunication. A major part of most "side-missions" are real funny also. Certain characters will have you laughing at there stupidity and "gangster" slang. One person in particular that had me rolling on the floor was Jeffery aka Loc (pronounced loke like joke). Loc gets out of jail and you end up helping him get his Rap career of the ground. Well first you help him kill a guy who was "dissing" him in jail. Dissing must be another word for....well, you know what people say guys do to other guys in jail. Anyway the comedic content in this game is some of the best and funniest stuff I've heard in a long time. This game gets high marks for that alone.
Difrences between PS2 and XBOX; mainly the graphics aren't as choppy or short sighted. There are a few places where you can get way up high in the air, especially when flying, and take a look around. On the PS2 you would almost always end up staring at a blank single color skyline. On the XBOX you get what the programmers intended you to see. A beautifull skyline complete with sunset colors and even a cloud here and there. Most importantly the sound is the exact same as PS2, but as with other GTA XBOX versions you can play your own music via the user track player. I highly recomend checking out the standard radio stations before jumping in and blasting your own stuff. There are a lot of classic (now classics anyway) Rap, R&B, country, even some super rock songs! The talk radio stuff isn't as funny as other entries in this series, but the stuff with Andy Dick is hilarious! I have a unique sense of humor, so you may enjoy the other stuff more than I did.
At the end of the day this is the clear winner of the two console entries. And in my opinion the best GTA title to date. The real issue I have with this series has already been fixed. No more waiting for PS2 to sell out their stock before XBOX can release their version. Because at the 2006 E3 game convention it was anounced that GTA 4 (the title might change) will be released on XBOX and PS3 on the same day. Wooohooo! | video-games_xbox |
Dance like you got Ants in your Pants. Just Dance 3 is a nice iteration on a successful franchise, now thankfully brought to the Kinect. No more dancing with a stick in your hand, your whole body is up for the grading.
What it is: A dance game, made extra-zippy with multiplayer options that include duets and quartets. Dances (mostly set to popular, contemporary tunes with a few dark horses -- like a Danny Elfman Halloween song, a rendition of Hungarian Rhapsody no. 5, and others) are rated on a scale of one to three for how technical they are and how sweaty they'll make you. You pick the song you want to dance to, hit your marks (which have flash cards tip you off at the bottom of the screen), do some "shout outs" of lyrics at particular moments and hit "yeah" moves (untelegraphed dance moves) for extra points. You are scored on a scale of one to five stars, and you may hit "mood" marks like "creative," "rhythmic," "energetic" or even "lazy." Your individual dance moves are rated from X to Okay to Good to Perfect. You earn 1-5 stars each time you perform a song, and that number goes into your "mojo," which unlocks mini-games, songs and "mashups" to perform. These "specials" don't appear under your basic song playlist, though, so the UI/menu is a little jumbled.
Strengths: 1)This is great for multi-player fun times. You and your three best buds can either dance the same routine together, or you can do a more elaborate choreography.
2) This is great for a workout, because you can boot up a playlist (R&B, Fancy Dress Ball, Extreme) and get down to business without it giving you much negative feedback while you're doing your thing (think how Dance Central's music and lights go all fuzzy after you fail a few moves in a row).
3) The graphics are zippy, fun and family friendly (not too much overt sexualization, lots of fun scenarios and costumes, including everything from robots to pumpkin-headed men to colorful dancers in Rerun pants and beret).
4) Moves are repetitive enough to make it perfect for fitness.
5) There are Easy and Normal settings -- easy tracks your arms and chest and forgives you the spins and turns, Normal checks your legs and spins. Easy seems like a good mode if you have disabilities -- it would open that possibility so if you've been playing from a wheelchair or walker with a Wiimote, you have an option in Kinect.
6) There is a create mode, where you can create dances. I wouldn't mind downloading the dances created by real dancers and working to them, but I can see a lot of the equivalent of shovel-ware coming out of this.
Weaknesses: 1) You probably won't learn a whole lot of dance moves or routines, what with the repetition of moves.
2) The difficulty levels change the way you're graded, the dances only have one choreography.
3) I had an issue with some DLC -- not only did I spend MS points to download 100MB (four times as much memory as a Dance Central game, with only one choreography, as backgrounds and characters are not interchangeable, I'm sure), it never popped up. I'm feeling a little bit ripped off and bereft as there is little in the way of customer support channels. I figure if I gripe on the internet enough maybe the issue will be addressed?
4) The tracking seems to be very forgiving in some circumstances (I've gotten "perfects" when I was lifting the wrong leg/arm, but I've gotten "X"s when I've been doing more complex moves correctly). There are two exclusive editions of this game with two different exclusive download songs, none of which are from Amazon.
5) The Sweat mode accumulates points instead of tallying calories. Not sure what the points are good for, but you probably have to register yourself on some website somewhere. It's nice to have an idea how hard you're working each time you go in to dance, but even arbitrarily assigned calories are a little easier to contemplate than figuring out how many points to go for.
Points of interest: While the graphics are zippy and fun, they aren't mega hi-def full-tilt amazing. This does not bother me in the least, but some people seem to think if it's not driving your processor to the max it's not worth it.
The abstract graphics and lack of vocalization of the dancers means you will probably not have a "fan favorite" situation like Dance Central does, and there will probably be less of a connection with the game itself than the times you can spend with your friends playing the thing.
Very family-friendly choreography and songs. Not only are they clean, they are simple -- grandma and grandson can play together.
No "break it down" modes -- the choreography is very jump-in and do it, and the steps are generally simple enough that you don't need a lot of tutorializing anyway.
In all: This is a fun game, a worthy game, and probably better for your fitness needs than any other dance game on the Kinect market (and for sure some, and maybe most, of the fitness titles, too!). JD3 is a great companion game to DC, the two of them rising above the rest of the (hideous, terrible, awful-music-having, poorly-thouhgt-out, poorly-coded) DDR-wannabe crowd of Kinect dance shovelware games. You will like this game if you like to dance, especially with other people, or need a game to fill out your days when you can't make it to the Y. | video-games_xbox |
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