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NON-HDTV Owners Need Not Apply. First, I'm not a fanboy of any system and I'm not anti-microsoft. I've been gaming for the better part of 25 years, all I want is quality entertainment from whomever can produce it.
I have all the current systems and I have an HDTV, so obviously I'm getting the most out of my games. What the 360 lacks is stellar titles exclusive to the system. Sure Perfect Dark is a stand-out, but no rock solid RPG, no must-have fighters, etc. etc. At this point, it's almost as if it's an EA Sports game system, and all of those games are getting marginal reviews at best because EA didn't have the time to add all the features that the original XBOX, PS2 and even GameCube versions already have.
Will the system be a serious contender in 6 months? Absolutely! Will it rule the online world? Without a doubt! Is it worth the online auction prices right now? NO WAY!
The online portion of this system is by far it's strongest selling point. To be honest, they could've easily added all of these features to the current XBOX, but they added them to this one instead, shame shame, but I understand why.... so they could sell more 360s. They were losing the current console war by a margin of 4-1, so they decided to start a new console war earlier than neccessary as the current life span of this generaton hasn't reached full potential, but that's another discussion...........
Bottom line, if you are playing on a 19" TV that is not high-def and you are not hooked up for the internet high-speed, then you are wasting your money. If you have children under 12, the system isn't for them either....
Upgrade your TV, your internet connection and then wait 6 months to a year for some really good games like Halo 3, etc.... But by that time, you way want to invest in the Sony PS3.... considering that Sony has sold over 200 Million consoles with the PS1 and the PS2 (not a typo---200,000,000) and Microsoft has only sold 25,000,000 XBOXs, you can bet Sony will bring the artillery with all guns blazing!!!!!!
I hope this helps you in your decision making.... considering this thing is sold out anyway, lol.... | video-games_xbox |
First-rate action game. The second Lord of the Rings game, "The Two Towers," belonged to that rare group of worthy film-based games. How many movie tie-in games have been less-than-stellar garbage capitalizing on a film's popularity? With "The Return of the King," EA follows up their excellent effort on "Towers" with one of the best games of the year. A warning to those who have not read the books and do not know how the trilogy ends: As expected, the game contains many spoilers.
The biggest difference between ROTK and its predecessors may be the amount of action: Fellowship was mostly plot-oriented, and Two Towers featured many small battles and one great action piece--Helm's Deep. ROTK, however, thrives on action. From start to finish, this game is non-stop action and adventure: gargantuan Siege Towers, monstrous trolls, bloodthirsty Uruk-Hai--this game gives you all you can handle, and then some. You'll be thankful for the occasional pauses to rest your thumbs--before the next attack begins. The game features voice-work from the film's actors and some of the most amazing backgrounds and environments I've ever seen in a video game, with perfect contrast between light and dark elements. Like the films, there's meticulous attention to detail. Character design and appearance is first-rate, and character animation (thanks to motion-capture technology) is smooth and even. In addition, the sound quality (THX, no less) is outstanding--every roar, every clash of steel resounds through your speakers.
ROTK features three distinct playable storylines: The Path of the King, The Path of the Hobbits, and The Path of the Wizard. One can play as Aragorn, Legolas, Gandalf, Gimli, Frodo, or Sam, and beating the game unlocks three new characters. Follow Aragorn on the Paths of the Dead and recruit the undead to fight alongside you, from Minas Tirith to the Black Gate. Follow Frodo and Sam from Osgiliath to Shelob's Lair to Mount Doom. Take the wizard's path, and have Gandalf fight from Orthanc to Minas Tirith. There are thirteen levels, and the three storylines converge in a final level only accessible when all thirteen are finished. Some levels are relatively easy (Shelob's Lair wasn't too tough) and some are barbaric in their difficulty (Paths of the Dead took me six tries before I beat it). Each character has their own unique style and weapons, with plenty of enemies to battle: Shelob, Orcs, Mumakils (Oliphaunts), Uruk-Hai, The King of the Dead, and more. Attacks are pretty straightforward: Quick attack, Fierce attack, parry, or fire (arrows and the like). As you gain experience points from defeating enemies, you can acquire better weapons and skills (such as invisibility and the truly awesome Balrog's Revenge) to combat the increasingly difficult foes one faces as the game progresses. And, one can choose to retain those points for oneself, or share them with other characters.
The game has three difficulty settings: Easy, normal, and hard. Easy is just that: easy. Normal is moderately challenging, but beatable for most average gamers. Select hard, and you're asking for it. The enemies seem to never end, and even the lowliest orcs take incredible amounts of punishment before falling. Hard difficulty may be best tackled with the game's Co-Op mode, which allows a friend to participate. A major problem with the game, however, is that you can't replay a level until you've beaten it. But once you complete it, every level opens up and can be played by any character--which gives the game better long-term replayability than most movie titles (and many non-movie ones, as well). One thing I didn't like was the occasional difficulty caused by the game's third-person perspective. Like most TP games, certain positions or angles create blind spots. In close combat, this can prove to be a major aggravation. But those are relatively minor things that detract little from the overall quality of this game. For anyone looking for an excellent action/adventure game, this can't be beat. Highly recommended.
I hope this review was helpful
--Christian Wheeler, gamer and games retailer | video-games_xbox |
Great game but an AWFUL accessory. My wife and I ordered the Amazon EXCLUSIVE (haha!) Gears of War 2 Lancer Bundle with the hopes of not only enjoying the game but also getting a weapons-grade plastic Lancer replica.
What we received was an incredibly overpriced piece of junk and a stellar video game.
On Friday the 7th we received both the game and the Lancer. Opened the Lancer and found that there were no batteries included (as is marked on the packaging). Also, discovered that many of the moving parts were already very loose and there was a worrisome "rattle" in the Lancer, as if some internal screw or a piece of the cheap Fisher Price-grade plastic had already broken loose. Went out and bought the required C-cell batteries and found out the Lancer didn't even work.
On Monday the wife called Amazon and said the gun was broken, they gave us a shipping label and said they'd send out a new gun.
On Tuesday the 11th we received the new Lancer. Opened the package (again, NO batteries), put in the batteries and discovered this one also did not work. Again, we also had that same worrisome little rattle in the gun. At least the moving parts this time were not as loose.
I came to Amazon.com and started reading the reviews and discovered the near 100% failure rate on the gun to actually work as advertised without having to insert a penny, dime, paper clip, piece of aluminum foil, etc. We tried a penny and it worked.
The sound was lame. The rattle even more so. We promptly called Amazon and asked for a refund.
AMAZON IS GIVING US A $99.00 REFUND AND WE ARE SENDING BACK BOTH FAULTY LANCERS.
I advise everyone who is dissatisfied with the gun to send it back to Amazon. This is not worth the $99.00 it cost (when bundled with the game) or even more if you were "lucky" enough to be able to purchase it on its own. Part of me was annoyed that Amazon would have just continued sending out faulty gun after faulty gun if I kept calling to report a problem without acknowledging the issue with the manufacturer.
The only good news is that as a result of the return, we ended up getting the special edition version of GOW2 for only $50.00 with no shipping costs. Again, I recommend anyone who bought the bundle and who is unhappy with the severe lack of quality in the Lancer to demand a full refund of the $99.00 price of the Lancer and send it back to them. This should be everyone's reward for having to deal with such poor workmanship and unfulfilled promises from the manufacturer. | video-games_xbox |
The Best Racer on the Old Xbox. Most games within the racing genre are generally very easy to divide into sub-genres; there's the straight simulation, the action-leaning cartoon / kart racer, and the arcade racer, which lands somewhere in between. Project Gotham Racing 2 is the textbook definition of an arcade racer. It's stuffed full of the physics, modeling, real world location selection and intense competition you'd expect to find in a simulation racer, which results in something of a sim-flavored credibility, but streamlines most of the meticulous, detail-oriented specifics that usually turn off casual gamers and anyone, really, without permanent oil stains on their fingers or a rice burner in the garage. This is a game that excels at delivering the sensation that you're really behind the wheel, with the force of several hundred horses behind your right foot, but also at keeping away from the monotony and mindless repetition that's usually associated with a race of more than one or two laps.
Separating it from straight sims, such as Sony's Gran Turismo titles, is PGR's heavy focus on the acquisition of "Kudo Points." The driving force behind each of the two previous chapters in the Project Gotham / Metropolis series, Kudos are gathered through a variety of methods, some common and everyday, others more difficult and unpredictable, and always center on the theme of "driving stylishly." In short, you're expected to drive an exciting race every single time you hit the track. While almost every other racer in the history of the industry concentrates exclusively on the clock and the ongoing pursuit of faster laps and more efficient driving, Gotham 2 places a much higher emphasis on showmanship and flashy tricks. You'll gain a flat sum of Kudos for passing an opponent's car or taking a turn properly, but more elaborate maneuvers, such as drifting wildly around a curve or catching some air, reward with higher sums depending on the duration of the trick and your willingness to go on longer and longer stretches without complete control of your vehicle. If you aren't leaving behind a patch of burnt rubber and a cloud of foul-smelling smoke, PGR wants you to think you've done something wrong.
The idea is to shake up the usual formula of "drive three identical laps and don't let anybody pass you," and on the large, it works. Instead of enjoying a track the first few times you drive it, then giving in to brainless replication, you'll find yourself constantly challenged and interested in a course. Actually racing is a lot more fun when you can make the most of your big lead by firing off a few donuts at the finish line or allowing the back end of your car to slide well beyond the point of good reason while taking an easy turn. The key is finding a good middle ground between a dull, straightforward race and an excessively daring, mistake-filled hunt for bigger and better tricks, since most of your opponents' cars are merely looking to win the race and couldn't care less about looking good in doing so.
Actually racing in Gotham is largely very enjoyable, despite a few snags, and though it can make you almost blindingly filled with rage, there's just a certain something that keeps you coming back for more, looking to improve and show the game who's boss in the end. There's a vibe you'll get from controlling one of these cars that's difficult to put into words, something that's perhaps not immediately obvious when it's there but absolutely glaring when it's missing. It's something of a sense of reality, that feeling that you're actually moving as fast as the speedometer says you are, that your car really is as powerful as it claims. It's... well, it's really cool, for lack of a better phrase. When you accelerate in one of Gotham's more thrust-heavy high end machines, you'll feel something pressing down right in the center of your chest... that, and just a tiny bit of adrenaline.
As I hinted, however, the gameplay isn't always wine and roses. There are a few aspects that leave me scratching my head, for instance the decision for the player-controlled car to always, ALWAYS begin the race in last place, without any sort of a qualifying lap or anything. You're always fighting an uphill battle, as you must work your way around the painfully slow cars that start just in front of your position while the speedy pole-sitter gets a chance to create as much distance between himself and your car as possible.
One area in which Gotham 2 really makes its case as a front-running title is the amazing variety of its maps and race tracks. You'll find yourself globe trotting from Moscow to Barcelona to Sydney and back, driving on tracks that vary in length from excessively minute to inexplicably long. Seriously, one course allows the driver to finish four laps in under three minutes, while another demands fifteen minutes of dedication per lap! The environments are incredibly lush and detail heavy, and each course is allowed several different racing layouts, providing endless hours of replay value on courses that look similar at a glance, but are laid out completely differently.
In "Kudos World Series" mode, rather than giving players a course, a rundown of opposing cars and a quick "good luck," Gotham shakes up the status quo by not only introducing a few new (and almost universally successful) game types, but by making them an integral part of the single player experience, to boot. As you'll progress through "World Series" mode, you'll work your way through a healthy mix of seven different spins on the traditional gameplay model. Each variation seems to emphasize one aspect of becoming a successful driver in the straightforward street races, which remain the bread and butter of individual play, and surprisingly enough, none come across as forced, unnecessary or aggravating.
The multiplayer aspect of the game is a nice addition, if occasionally underdeveloped, but should never be mistaken for the star of the show. The online multiplayer does allow for more than straightforward head-to-head matches, but could have done with a little more thought when all is said and done. The actual system of joining a race online is a tedious, boring affair. You'll find a room with slots available for more racers, find that a race is more than likely already in progress, and then find yourself relegated to observing the remainder of the race from a stale, overhead map with tiny colored squares to indicate the location of each car. There's no fly-by observation mode, or really any kind of visual flair in the slightest. If you have the misfortune of attempting to join an excessively lengthy race just after it's started, your options are either to stare vacantly at the screen for upwards of ten minutes or drop out of the room and look for another race. In short, the multiplayer mode is quite weak and borderline unfinished, which stands in sharp contrast to the polished, beautiful nature of the single player game it accompanies. Very disappointing, and something that brought my opinion of the game down a notch or two.
The amount of work that went into every visual aspect of this game is obvious from the very first moment you boot up. Everything from the menus to the surroundings to, obviously, the vehicles themselves is unspeakably gorgeous. It's a shame the HD output is limited to 480p, because I can't even imagine the kind of impact this would've had at 720p or 1080i. The little touches are what grabbed me the most: they didn't have to include that flock of birds, flying ignorantly over the roads, or that enormous, spindly ferris wheel off in the distance, but they did, and they take unprecedented steps toward furthering the illusion that you're actually there, in person, participating in these races. Nothing about this game's visuals seem forced, even areas that have provided nightmares in other games. The glares and reflections off your car's exterior, which could've very easily been tacky and overdone, seem just right. My sole complaint is that the dynamic lighting is sometimes too realistic, as it occasionally becomes difficult to see where you're going when racing among the long, dark shadows of a dusk-time race. PGR2 is just a gorgeous bit of digitized visual realization, something that set the bar way too high for any competition to even hope to match.
In summary... well, I'll say this in no uncertain terms; this game is a hell of a lot of fun. The controls are simple, easy to comprehend and staggeringly easy to pick up on. The courses, set in landmark cities throughout North America, Europe and Asia, are challenging and varied without completely throwing the player for a loop every time they load a new track. The incline of opposition is steep, progressing upwards from relatively simple-minded Sunday drivers to blood-hungry maniacs who know exactly what they want and precisely how to get it. Even the gameplay, which is largely relegated to simple "race against the computer or race against your friends" in other titles, gets a breath of life here, in the form of half a dozen different modes of play. It lacks the fine, fine details of tuning a racing auto to perfection, but seeing as how I'm not all that intrigued by that aspect of the business as it is, I didn't miss those options one bit. If the multiplayer mode had been just a little more well-developed, I'd be giving this one a nearly perfect rating, but as it is right now it's still far above average. This one is definitely worth adding to your collection if you have even the slightest interest in driving a car around a track at insane speeds, and remains one of the most visually stimulating experiences I've enjoyed in gaming. | video-games_xbox |
Not worth [money. This review is of the PC Gold edition on a 1GHz computer running Windows 2000 with a Mad Dog GeForce4 video card and 256M RAM.
The game runs well on this rig and only had a few minor issues. No hangs or crashes, no noticable video or audio problems.
There are several design issues that spoil an otherwise decent game. The most annoying is that you only get five chances to save the game in any segment. In some of the extremely difficult segments, this was not enough. I've not seen a game that limited the number of saves since the earliest years of PC gaming and I can't see why Activision would chose to do this.
Another annoying feature was the incredibly inaccurate weapons. When you're looking round a corner and your sights are clearly on the bad guy, you should hit the bad guy when you pull the trigger, not the corner. What made this even more annoying is that the baddies seem to have ESP. They seem to see you through smoke and boxes making some sections very frustrating.
The gameplay is uneven with certain sections, such as the Swiss airport, being extremely difficult and noticably lacking in health packs. I played this on difficulty level 2 out of 5 and had to use GOD mode several times near the end. Now that I've finished it, I think it'll be a long time before I bother playing it again.
Also, I could never figure out why I couldn't pick up certain weapons like the sniper rifle unless I dropped another weapon, but at other times, I could carry both weapons together. If there was any logic to it, I couldn't find it.
OK, enough whining, let's get to the good stuff.
The graphics are excellent and the enemy IQ is above average. When you shoot heads blow up, arms and legs fly off, and bodies collapse very convincingly. The sound effects are good too, and the voice actors did a wonderful job. However, if you spot the enemy from far enough away, you can snipe them and their buddies will act as if nothing happened.
The story is well constructed, with you playing the part of a mercenary out to save the world and earn money at the same time. The bad guys and good guys actually have personalities that make me think the script was written by a professional. The scenarios are unusual and immersive with the graphics created good ambience. I enjoyed Kamchatka particularly.
Overall though, the restricted saves and other annoying features bring this game down from a 4 to a 3 star rating. | video-games_xbox |
Play it again Sam - Splinter Cell how it should have been. Lets face it the first Splinter cell was a third person romp that proved to be the best stealth game in its genre. When i got the first game i played it non stop and before long it was over. For some reason i've never went back to it. It hasn't drawn me in again like it did the first time. When i heard about SC:PT i had mixed views - expecting without doubt a MGS type sequel, (very dissapointing in other words), although the more i found out about it the more i was impressed. Firstly theres the new abilities such as moving side to side while doing the splits - and jumping(higher) from the splits position. This was one of the coolest things about the first game but didn't really have very much potential as the levels were not constructed with this in mind. However in PT the levels are a lot more diverse, meaning you may be able to use this to get to a higher vantage point over the enemy such as a ledge (about two stories high), giving you a more non-linear path. Another cool move is hanging from pipes. You can do this in the original splinter cell. But now you can let go with your hands and be hanging upside down meaning you can target enemies better. The new weapons include booby traps such as trip wires which you can employ to lose that annoying guard! Theres also motion sensors and a few new grenades. While the singleplayer will be great, there will also be multiplayer which will be an extra appeal for anyone not wanting to spend their hard earned cash. In MP you can control either the spies or the guards, there are three types of game mode - For the spies it usually involves retrieving or destroying certain objects and obviously the guards job is to stop them. Basically the spies are the same Sam Fisher you play in the game, whereas the guards are all-new playable characters (in MP only)in the game and use a first person view. Spies can have (like Sam) night and thermal vision - whereas the guards have electronic tracking vision (meaning they can track electronic devices - used by spies) and motion tracking vision - meaning they can track any movement in air turbulence - you have to see it to believe it, The Movement tracking vision uses a red screen - similar to the (bad) Thermal vision in MGS. Suddenly a small square can be seen on the screen focusing onto an object (ala Terminator). Inside the square theres the normal colour. The squares getting bigger and bigger and then the figure takes shape and you realise its a spy darting towards you at speed of light. Its all so smooth and extremly satisfying to watch. The Multiplayer aspect should be enough to keep Live players up until the early hours and warrant buying the Xbox version as the Ps2 version isn't due to July and will look like a Nes compared to the Xbox lighting and effects - as well as draw distance - anyhow, if you like the first game and crave somemore, or are looking for a stealth/action game - keep your eyes peeled for this. This is the definitive stealth game for any system and no xbox owner can go without it. | video-games_xbox |
I should have seen the signs. Earlier this year, amid some personal turmoil, I decided that I would use some of my tax return to invest in a next-generation gaming system. In deciding to go with an Xbox, I had read about several exclusive games that got me really excited about the the system. This game was one of them. It promised a free roaming environment, open-ended gameplay, and the title "best superhero game ever". In the months prior to its release, it got a cover story in the Official Xbox Magazine and quite a bit of press. As it got closer and closer to release date, I heard less and less about it. Its release was unheralded, and at the time of this writing, Amazon does not even have a box graphic. These are signs of unfulfilled promises, folks.....
Man of Steel, as far as I have played it, anyhow, is in no way free-roaming or open-ended in its game play. I think I had more freedom in the 2600 game. All the missions I have played so far have been very time-based and any exploration of the environment whatsoever will pretty much get shut down when your mission fails.
Even without these promised aspects of gameplay, Superman: Man of Steel would be a tolerable action/adventure title if it was not plagued by a poorly designed controller layout. One would think that an important aspect of reproducing Superman's movements would potentially be super-manuverability, but Man of Steel does not capture this at all.
There are three distinct controller modes - hover, fly, and combat. The controls are different in each one. For maximum effect, they all have to be used in conjunction and each one has shortcomings that must be surmounted. The flying mode will not let you turn sharply enough, turn loop-to loop, or fly straight down. The combat mode relies on a "lock-on" system that is unnatural and unreliable. The hover mode is just plain confusing and far too slow for combat situations. While you are trying to juggle these three modes to get the maximum amount of manuverability, you watch your time slip away as you bump helplessly into the sides of buildings trying to figure out the quickest way to fly in a circle while you get beat down from behind by the countless hordes of Brainiac 13 robots........all with no training mode or viable controller options!
I will say that the game LOOKS amazing. Even though his movements are clumsy, Superman is very well-rendered during gameplay (although not so much so during the cut-scenes). His cape and the flight effects are show-stoppers. The real star of the game is the (noticably barren) city of Metropolis. What little exploration I have been able to do gives me the impression that it has a very well-defined and consistent map, but I have not had a chance to explore it as much as it seems like it deserves. The super-linear nature of gameplay keeps Superman always rushing to stop the next catastrophe before time runs out.
The lowdown: I envisioned being able to fly about Metropolis (open-ended GTA-style, of course) listening for cries of help that lead to a trail of crimes. The trail would eventually lead to some sort of Luthor-devised plot that would be in keeping with the Superman mythos. Maybe I would get all the clues, maybe not, but I would like to put on the shoes of the hero and watch what I would do if I were him. THAT could potentially be the "best superhero game ever". Instead I'm hovering around desperately searching for a tentative lock on a robot while trying to simply turn around before my time runs out. I don't think Supes has to worry about that too much. | video-games_xbox |
Awesome game. Great game, been playing the story since I got it. Half-way through. Some observations:
- Great sound, really moody, adds to the atmosphere, reacts to being detected, good for a cue. Great sound acting.
- Story is well written, engaging, Sam Fisher is the supreme badass.
- Very good graphics, despite the aging and ubiquitous Unreal engine. Very good level design. Lots of places to flank, cover, hide, and come up from behind.
- Lots of screen tearing, not too bothersome. Noticeable, though.
- Control system is awesome, you can pretty much take cover anywhere, even when not up against anything. Moving from cover spot to cover spot is slick, with arrows that point in the direction you're pointing and slick animations when you move. Controls rival/exceed my personal favorite, the Rainbow Six Vegas series.
- Shooting is crisp. Headshots kill, enemies sometimes require multiple shots in vitals (neck, torso) to die.
- Grenades and toys are fun and have good placement when thrown. Good explosions and sonic reverberation, especially with 5.1 surround.
- Good platforming. Sam moves smoothly, not like an idiot.
The new game mechanics are sweet and I'm hoping to see them in future games. I think they're all good. That would include:
- the projection of current goals (with cool lighting/shadow effects)
- the projection of backstory effects during cut-scenes (which are not really so cut, they flow with the gameplay well)
- last known position (i think i've seen this in a couple games, not sure) great for creating a diversion, then flanking.
- tag and kill executions. There is a strange bug where if a guy is tagged, he can be shot, even through solid objects.
Overall, the game is really fun and a step forward in the right direction. The flexibility of choosing your path to kill made me want to replay a couple levels multiple times to see how cleanly I could clear each room. It's possible to run and gun, but there's a good sense of satisfaction to a well-executed kill. Playing on normal mode right now and looking forward to playing on realistic mode. Guessing the story mode is somewhere between 5-7 hours. Supposedly the infiltration and deniable ops mode add quite a bit of gameplay to the package. | video-games_xbox |
Thought They Couldn't Get You in Daylight. Being a fan of the Resident Evil series, a four year wait for the newest installment really dried my patience out. Understandably costive time and care went into the process to include Resident Evil in the run of next generation games for xbox 360, and ps3. With that said, Resident Evil is a survival-horror game that features a completely cooperative campaign mode, and a secondary arcade mode `mercenaries'. Available, for a fee to download on whichever platform you wish to pick this game up on , is a versus multiplayer mode.
Resident Evil 5 follows closely to the overhauled gameplay the fourth game brought. The overhaul to many was a make or break deal, though many critics (including myself) have felt this to renew the series, and bring it into a different light. The change has a lot to do with movement, featuring a third person over the shoulder view. Alongside of that is the emphasis on collecting guns and upgrading them, no longer is it a struggle to maintain ammunition in case of a close encounter. This alone departs the game further from its supposed `survival horror' genre, nearing it to the action shooters like 2008's Army of Two.
The game takes place in Africa, where you'll be taking on the role of Chris Redfield (one of the main characters from the original title) who is now a member of an agency known as the BSAA. Well I should say initially you'll be taking on the role of Chris, as a new character to the series Sheva Alomar (another BSAA operative) is also available for both single player and co-op. Though the game has been out since last spring, I'm opting not to spoil any of the story, I will say a few characters from the original trilogy reprise there roles (whether it be through cinemas, or flashbacks there are indeed a few).
Graphically the game is up to par with many next gen titles, colors bloom and pop. For some odd reason a greenish hue hazes many of the darker colors in the game. The constant daylight doesn't add to the fear so much as the atmosphere. The locations are pretty interesting, mines, shanty towns, safari terrain etc. To be honest, I didn't really find any spot noteworthy in the game for horror. Sound wise effects are pretty standard, some gun shots will echo, explosions make use of a good subwoofer etc. Hearing the enemy before seeing them is always helpful, but a musical cue should be able to alert one of imposing doom. Voice acting is classic Resident Evil dialogue, pretentious and often times comical. I will say this one still has an in-depth plot, I will continue to say it's not a very good one though.
An armory of weapons are at your disposal; pistols, sub machine guns, sniper rifles, assault rifles, various grenades and of course a combat knife. Your inventory on the other hand has been scaled down, to emphasize cooperation with a partner they kept the game going in real time, so no more using the inventory screen as a secondary pause. To gain such riches one will have to keep an eye out for treasures they will glisten and are much easier to locate this time around. Each treasure is worth a different amount, and cannot be combined to create a more stunning unique item like in the previous game. Treasures can be a gemstone or objects similar to what you'd find at an archeological site.
Enemies will often use whatever may lay around depending on the location this could go from a intimidating pitchfork to a terrifying stick of dynamite. The enemy AI (artificial intelligence) isn't the greatest, but they know how to pose a threat. They will duck, climb, alert others of intrusion, anything to make your stay in there territory a nightmare. How you react and how to disperse ammo is up to you, a few different buildings to enter, and alternative routes add to replay value.
Ultimately the first run through on this game is the most memorable, your weaponry acquired through out the game is forwarded to your next run through, making things a bit easier (a harder `professional ` mode will also be available to bump your game up). This game makes for a great buy if your a completionist, the weapons all have stats capable of increasing, and a museum like bonus adds bonus unlockable figurines to view. The game makes use of chapters, so if you'd like to repeat a certain segment check the available chapters you have unlocked and have fun. Any cinema that has been viewed within campaign can now be viewed in the menus. Loading screens usually have blots of information of the Resident Evil timeline. The 'bosses' faced in the game are kind of a let down though a few are entertaining. Don't expect the boss battle variety of previous games, as a majority of them in this title all have something in common.
Horror is almost non existent, campaign has been greatly shortened from Resident Evil 4's mammoth duration. In terms of Resident Evil the game has taken a leap of faith in technological advancements, but unsatisfying fell short of expectations with nearly everything feeling more dulled down. So on it's own the game is (to me) a 4 out of 5, and is an obvious recommendation. On behalf of the other Resident Evil titles and how well it stacked against them though, I'd have to give 3 out of 5. If I could make a quick recommendation here, it would be to simply rent this game and play through it with a friend. If you enjoy it and/but want more horror try out Dead Space another good rental. | video-games_xbox |
Furries with swords. Dust: An Elysian Tail is both a combination of and a direct inspiration from any great platformer or hack and slasher you have ever played. For starters, this game is designed to be played on harder difficulty settings, if that gives you any idea of its appeal. This brings on more focus to light RPG elements, being equipment management and attribute advancement, while the rest relying solely on your skill. Combined with some platformy metroidvania exploration, sidequests, puzzles and learnable techniques, it incorporates more depth to the experience than the simple act of jumping and slaughtering enemies.
The combat itself is approachable, but grows complex as you play further. You have one weapon and in reality you only use a few buttons, but every move can be varied and followed up by something else that has purpose in some way or another in battle. The balance in game is well tuned to fight simple button mashing for high combos, implementing character fatigue for powerful move and magic usage, while changing the enemy types to encourage different approaches to combat. The difference here is that enemies do high amounts of damage on harder difficulty levels which really brings out the best in this game and forces you to fight logically, yet with style.
For magic usage, Dust has his companion Fidget who can cast certain projectile spells that you combine with your attacks, allowing you to deal ridiculous combos and juggle your opponents high off the ground. Dust's abilities are plentiful, allowing him to dodge, grapple, throw, parry, do a crazy mcflirpy mctwist sword spin, and later on double jumping and sliding, all of which, thanks to the tight controls, could be combined for any combo you please. While it is only one moveset with an added variable here and there, it would only be a detriment if the main combat weren't so fluent and didn't work as well as it does.
The main truth though is that MOST of your time will be spent fighting and platforming, and you do pull off a lot of it. If you aren't running around then you are in cutscene. Depending on how much you like this game, this can either get incredibly repetitious or extremely laborious when the save points and stores are sometimes spread just too far apart. This also comes back to revisiting areas or wanting to leave one - you can use save spots to leave, but you are limited to "Teleport stones." When you want to return, you can only access the beginning or ending of the map and will have to fight your way all the way back to where you can now access or need to continue.
There are also some other technical errors and inconsistencies with the game design. Some moments you can choose what to say or do related to the plot, many other times you can not. Some side quests reward no experience on completion. The Skill Distribution system caps how far you can level certain skills based how caught up the other ones are. There is a reason other RPG games do not do this, and can be severely limiting on how you want to manage your character. This may prove as a spoiler, but only near the end are there great animated cutscenes. I can understand that the development schedule and budget of the maker could of course not allow him to make more, especially during his crunch time (He had three months or so to speed up progress to meet launch date), but as a finished title they seem incongruent with the rest of the game. They're totally awesome, don't get me wrong, but I bet for a lot of people the game could use more of these to hold interest.
The story, voice acting and presentation seem innocent and simplistic enough at first, but only as a prerequisite of pacing. Being a fantasy game, Dust doesn't rely on drugs, blood and guns to tell a mature, dark story that you can get emotionally invested into, but keeps the situations realistic based on the circumstances. War seems pretty clich these days in video games, but Dust treats it as a serious issue, showing the terrible widespread effects on people who aren't even involved. As things get worse for the main heroes, the voice acting gets to shine, showing real concern, anger, sadness and so on appropriate to the situation, and the writing really reflects this, especially for the character Fidget. When a character dies, you can feel the impact. Much could be said the same about the soundtrack as well, composed by VGM veteran Alexander Brandon and a new group named "HyperDuck soundworks." The music has a tint of Disney mixed with heroic themes that fit the combat and art style well, and it often feels powerful.
If all of this sounds too damn serious to you, then don't fret. Dust is as much of a game about humor as it is story, tossing in tons of references to other games and fourth wall breaking jokes that are quite clever and well placed, but not oversaturated. Character interaction between Dust and Fidget work better than it should for other games of this nature, one particular scene highlighting this during a sequence where you have to make a doll lookalike of Fidget. This is personality that games just don't have anymore, and for it to even work given the character's depth and likable assets is a testament that outreaches its quality as a game product.
At the end of the day though, everything about Dust An Elysian Tail must be held at face value. It is a rare work of expression in a creatively wrinkled industry, produced through hundreds of man hours and dollars out of a single individual's pocket, with absolutely no percentage taken into account for its success. For a game that outshines a majority of most triple A titles today that require hundreds of people to put together, I would consider it a massive achievement. | video-games_xbox |
Great controlller, with minor flaws. I am very picky with controllers, so half of the stuff I talk about here is completely subjective.
First of all, I was expecting something WAY worse then this. Judging by other peoples experience I expected it to be DOA. This was not the case. After putting the stickers on my face, I plugged in the controller and was greeted by a very vibrant backlighting job on the ABXY buttons. I wish they would have illuminated the Dpad (which by the way is awesome, it's like the PS3's dpad), but it's not really a huge deal.
I was immediately interested in the feel of the buttons. ABXY feel like I'm clicking a mouse button or something. The buttons are incredibly precise, however I wish I had more feedback that I was actually pressing the button, as they don't push down a whole lot. That's not to say they're bad, just different, it will take time to adjust.
The extra buttons on the front, and the rockers on the back came in handy, I bound "jump" in skyrim, which is usually "Y" to one of the rockers, I also did this with sprint and shout. Overall having the freedom to do that is amazing on its own. To add to the amazing button-binding, there is an OLED screen that shows you what you are doing. The only problem with any of this that I've had so far is that I forget to turn off "program" mode and end up mashing "A" in confusion, again, this will improve the more I adjust to the controller.
I did not experience any major technical flaws/defects or anything in my 4 or so hour session so far. I think that the vibration motor is a little loud when the controller rumbles, I am hoping this resolves itself after some time. I found the analog sticks to perform oddly in the 2 games I ordered with this pad (Vegas 2 and Skyrim), however when messing around with the in-game sensitivity (not the onboard controller programming) I came very close to having it perfect.
I think I just need to spend some time with the controller and get used to it/config it enough to fit how my fingers move, which brings me to the point that I'd like to make:
This controller is the most customizable piece of console hardware I've ever owned!
Seriously, most of the flaws I've found with it I suspect are due to me not personalizing it enough. I will come back and edit this review if any huge issues come up, or if I notice anything odd, but I think this may be my go-to controller for both 360 and PC platforms for the next few years! | video-games_xbox |
An Absolute Blast. I had ordered this game after the TRU Price Snafu for $29.99 and was concerned with some of the reviews after it was released....well rest assured the game is an absolute blast with no significant issues anywhere. I will get the only issues out front first, I have noticed ONLY TWICE in the exact same area a map glitch that lets you walk under some stones that are piled up in front of one of the golems which needs to be lit by a blue flame, this didn't take away from the game at all nor did it allow you to proceed more than just a few feet into the glitch, now with that being said, the rest of the game is amazing (did I say that already??).
Graphics 4/5: Yea, they could be a little bit better but the fluid game play makes up for everything, and some of the enemies look spectacular!!
Game Play 5/5: If you are an Army of Two player (either version) you don't even need to look at the button mapping, it is exactly the same to include the way you go into cover (a little Gears of War'ish). The weapons are neatly assigned to only 3 buttons and their special effects are triggered the same, you can assign the special abilities of your weapons to the D-pad (explosive arrows, body slams etc. for ease of executing them)
Sound 4/5: The only thing I don't like is the grunt the female makes when she runs, the snide remarks between each of the characters is very clever and also resembles AO2. Other than that, the special effects sounds are very well done.
Other 5/5: The dev's did an outstanding job using gamestyles of other great games like GOW and AO2 exceptionally well, I was looking forward to Dungeon Siege III but will hold off until it drops in price so I can play this one. I played the DS III demo on both the console and computer and it is good but this game is just alot more fun. Weapon pick ups require not "equipping" just swapping with what you have which keeps the pace of the game going (nicely done). The characters are larger than DS III which makes the control and cameral angles much easier to get use to and allows you to see the enemies and the battles you will have with them much better.
Overall Score IMHO: 5/5, it may not be for everyone, but if you like a GOW/AO2 style game with bows and swords, you will love it!! | video-games_xbox |
Beware the bug. I have enjoyed this game and have played it a number of times, but there is a serious bug in it that will corrupt your saved files. If you purchase the Stone Prisoner option and replace Lloyd with Bella as the head of the Redcliff Tavern the bug will start and eventually corrupt your files. This is will happen if you remove the Shale Stones from her chest and sell them for your precious gold. This bug has apparently been fixed on the computer version from what I have read but it remains on the XBox versions. The graphics for the game should have been much better and EA could be accused of false advertising since this game is not even remotely similar to the promotional videos for it. I was very disappointed by that. I also am not happy that the merchants charge about 5 times more than the sell back for items making you reluctant to purchase much of the neat armors and swords and such. Unlike games like Oblivion all the merchants seem to buy back things at the same prices and so when you buy that 27 gold priced sword you will only get maybe 5 gold back for it. For me this is a real draw back in the game and is just stupid on the part of the developers. There is enough things about this game that make it interesting if you like this kind of game. I have played it over and over and enjoyed many things about it and continually discover new things in it but it is far from perfect and when you put so much time in a game and discover you have a serious bug that could prevent you from playing to the end, well that is a real disappointment. I had this problem too with Oblivion when I apparently went to a certain ruin too soon. Never did finish that one.
Here are some more annoying bugs I have found in this game. You can only create a limited number of characters, once the limit is reached you have to delete every saved file for one of the other characters before being allowed to continue which means if you want to do say the city elf story you have to get rid of your completed mage or noble, and that means you can't use them in the add-on Awakening which is also buggy as all get out, too short, not as interesting as Origins. Oh and by the time you get really good at killing darkspawn and such, the game is over. Speaking of Awakening, when I imported my city elf rouge to the game instead of the tattoo she had a stamp on her head saying DO NOT USE. Good Grief can't they fix this crap. The more I play the game the less I have liked it. | video-games_xbox |
Tedious Game !! Really bad . Agree with the reviewer. Bought this game at a discount. Played for a few hours in the bunker. Didnt get out ! Tedious. Ok in twenty plus years of playing video games I have NEVER not been able to enter a game. So I guess its NOT me but rather this pathetic game This is what happens here you have to punch guys which are poorly animated and they clobber you with clubs all the while you search for exits all of which are locked mainly. Exciting! WHAT A TRAINWRECK OF A GAME !!!! Only reason I continued was to get out and see world. But I heard that's just more of a tedious chore so why bother. If the developers of this game think this is even remotely fun than they simply are that out of touch with the gaming masses and not just video game lunatics with no life who can spend weeks playing this TEDIOUS GAME !
What kind of a sicko makes a game like this ?? And worse yet how can people even praise this game !! Also the game I HEARD crashes constantly !! Avoid at all costs .A colossal waste of time just to figure out the designers of this twisted logic into thining that gamers would enjoy in any way whatsoever a sickening quest to find maddening secret ways to fight off roaches and horridly animated almost pixated looking stick soldiers. All in a blurry opening bunker that takes perhaps hours to get out of.
I threw this in thrash ,didn't even bother returning. Put in borderlands 2, than played some resistance 3 mutiplay and some unchartered 3. Now those games are actually a blast and fun!! Not this horror !!!
UPDATE: Broke out of bunker ( took out of trash for one last go around) Broke out of Bunker , real exiting ( NOT) was still a mess getting out and having 1990,s video games type conversations with everyone. How is that fun ?? Also stopping at every last locker and place to get items??? Again how is that fun?? Pathetic game ,, avoid and get something fun instead and not a chore to play as this game is! | video-games_xbox |
This is a Great Adapter - But its no Fairy Tale result either. This device is pricey for an adapter. The price of the XCM XFPS Sniper is just plain LUDICROUS!!!
The expense goes further with the requirement of a WIRED Controller. Make sure its an Official Microsoft Wired Controller too. Third party Ones may not be reliable.
*****BTW... A Wireless Controller hooked up with a USB Charge & Play Kit WILL NOT WORK (I Tried IT). The adapter needs to be digitally signed through a USB connection. The Wireless Controller will only draw power from the USB C&P Kit but will still connect wirelessly.*****
After you have gotten your max Shooter and your wired controller you are ready. the instructions are really simple and you can have a config on your keyboard how you like it in minutes. The PS2 controller connection works beautifully. The keyboard works flawlessly whether USB or PS/2 connected.
The mouse is the issue. There is no automatic magical conversion.
Getting your mouse to work requires striking a balance between the type of first person shooter you are playing, the axis sensitivities within the game and the sensitivities in the adapter itself. Your Best Bet may be too place the sensitivities in the game you are playing to as much as possible for both the X&Y axis and then fiddle with the max shooter wheels for the best arrangement. This trial and error procedure must be done for every game you play. What works great and feels PC-like for F.E.A.R. 2 will be a complete disaster when u play Halo 3. Even worse if you still play the Orange Box as I do.
Over the shoulder games like Grand theft Auto 4 or Resident Evil 5 are too problematic sometimes in my experience. If the run command is on the keyboard. Running and turning cant be done because the input simplynever registers, its either one or the other.
I have noticed it in RE5 mostly.
The good thing is, if you have the controller still plugged in you can always pick it up and play some portions with the controller and get back to the mouse and keyboard for the shooting parts like in GTA4.
***** The Max Shooter supports all connections simultaneously. So a keyboard and mouse and a Playstation 2 Controller and a Joystick can all be connected at once and all can be used to provide input. The max Shooter can only support one player at a time. It CANNOT function like a MultiTap. So if you want to be playing 2 player fighting games with 2 PS2 controllers you will Need TWO MAX SHOOTER ADAPTERS. also known as money.*****
At the end of it all, getting the mouse to work really well is tricky at first but very doable.
I haven't tested steering wheels for racing or joysticks for ace combat and such but when I do those reviews will come.
There is no headset support on the adapter so you will have to keep the wired controller in the Max Shooter to have that feature when you are fragging online with your keyboard and mouse.
The Max Shooter saves your button layouts so you can turn off or unplug it without having to reconfigure each time. Only the mouse settings MAY need changing when u play a different game.
All in all its a great adapter. Allows PC gamers on a budget to still play high def shooters without shelling out tons on PC hardware. The need for a wired controller may seem like a lot but you won't have to worry about battery life and its a more comfortable controller by lacking the battery pack bulge in the back.
SO THE MAX SHOOTER for XBOX 360 IS DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED... even thought its black when all else is white (except Elites of course) and costs a fair amount of money. | video-games_xbox |
Yikes. This is the buggiest Xbox One release I've played thusfar. You'd think they'd wanna get their flagship product working right.
PROS:
- Halo 2 Anniversary. Yay! It's awesome. The switching back and forth between new/old graphics is awesome
- awesome number of mulitplayer maps (but see CONS below)
- the sheer volume of content makes this an awesome value akin to Valve's Orangebox release years ago
- awesome story-playlists to play through across campaigns
- achievements and career stats that track across all campaigns (but see CONS below)
CONS
- there are possibly too many bugs to mention
- bug fixes are breaking other things
- matchmaking is broken
- some achievements don't unlock, some unlock without you doing anything
- Halo2 progress didn't save for me while playing on legendary which is rage inducing
- the TV miniseries thing is deplorably bad. you will not care about any of these characters. it's not about Master Chief, so why even list it on the "Master Chief Collection"
- career stats listed in your game, online at xboxlive and on halo waypoint aren't consistent. it'll say you've done something in one place and in another place it'll say you haven't done it. broken.
- the terminal / halo channel on xbox one is completely broken. sometimes you'll go to a terminal and it'll access the channel and play something. sometimes (about half the time or more for me) it'll just go black and play nothing
- sometimes save/quit gets you a game freeze and sometimes it'll appear to work but won't save anything (YOU SHOULD MAKE SURE YOU COMPLETE A LEVEL TO ENSURE YOU DON'T LOSE PROGRESS!)
- "untracked build won't upload" error. This is the weirdest glitch I've seen all year. It just randomly appeared while going through Halo 4.
- due to all these (and other) glitches above, I've had to both soft and hard reset the game and console multiple times. is that good for the console?
- there are other general glitches you see like you see in other games (like clipping issues).
- other things I've forgotten (seriously, there are so many)
I can't believe there are people attempting LASO (Legendary All Skulls On), getting through it, and not being rewarded for it because of bugs. That is mega-lame.
It is really sad because if these bugs didn't exist, this would be a 5/5 for a lot of us... | video-games_xbox |
well-done RPG. A Bioware production through and through, Dragon Age conjures nostalgic memories of Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights. It also shares some similarities with Lord of the Rings, a somwhat derivative fantastical plot about a dark evil threatening the land. But we fantasy lovers do not mind playing the same story over and over again, nor do we mind always choosing between Dwarf and Elf, Rogue and Warrior. These themes are the bread and butter of roleplaying games, video or otherwise. I will state that I am a huge fan of CRPGS and have played most of the major rpgs on the Xbox 360 and on other platforms. I prefer western rpgs over japanese rpgs. So, for me, Dragon Age was a long anticipated game and I'm really enjoying it so far!
The game allows the player to customize their character, choosing from three races and three classes. Each combination has a limited choice of backgrounds, the first chapter of your story (taking about 2 hours to play through) - that changes the rest of the game. This introduction also changes how you interact with others throughout the game. So far I have seen the intro for female human warrior as a noble, and for elf mage - and they were very different, without giving anything away. As the human warrior, I have gotten further into the main game and the fact that I am female has come up numerous times. Although the game claims that men and women are pretty much equal, it does not go unnoticed that I'm a woman warrior, not resigning myself to embroidery. It isn't such a big deal to be female for the Elf Mage so far.
The interface is fairly complex, more typical of a PC game. I prefer the simplicity of <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Jade-Empire/dp/B0006ZJPSC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Jade Empire</a>. Perhaps this is why some reviewers have said that the game is better for PC. It is still enjoyable on XBOX, but has a learning curve. <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Mass-Effect/dp/B000OLXX86/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Mass Effect</a> and <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Fallout-3/dp/B000UU7VUC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Fallout 3</a>both had a more "fun" combat interface.
Combat is not difficult, on the Normal setting. So far I have been playing mainly in real time, not really using strategy or tactics yet. I would have to spend some time reading the manual to further understand tactics, but the difficulty is not such that it has been required as yet.
The world is complex. Magic must be contained and is controlled by a religious authority, the Chantry. One king rules over a freedom-loving and sometimes fractious nobles and landowners, and the society reminds me much of medieval Iceland. In the south, wild, untamed lands contain barbarians - and the dark horde of the Blight, which now threatens to invade the civilized lands to the north. The dialogue, as in all Bioware games, is excellent, with a sense of humor. The conversation is clever, and contains adult themes (not to say it's inappropriate for children).
The graphics are pretty good. They are somewhat better than <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Elder-Scrolls-IV-Oblivion-Game-of-the-Year-Edition/dp/B000TVT7U4/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Game of the Year Edition</a>, but have a similar "feel". The font choices, the layout of the detail screens, are all very similar to Oblivion. It doesn't come close to the beauty of award-winning <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Assassin-s-Creed/dp/B000P46NMK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Assassin's Creed</a>. One of my friends who has poor eyesight complained that the fonts were too small to read, and on some screens, like Options - they are extremely small. However, ALL of the dialogue is voiced, so that helps. The graphics are the only reason I didn't give this the full five stars. | video-games_xbox |
Great Gaming System. I'll be honest with you all. When "the console war" started and my friends began choosing sides I went with the PS3 first. Why? Well, I wanted a quality gaming system and also wanted a bluray player that can be upgraded when the new bluray updates became available. I am extremely happy with my PS3 and have never had any problems with it what so ever (I've had it since the 80 gig version came out). Yeah sure I had to put up with my friends saying that I chose the wrong system only to have them come back to me months later talking about how their XBOX caught the RROD and failed (I have a couple of friends that went through about 4 Xbox's each). Needless to say I was a bit apprehensive about getting the 360 but make no mistake about it I loved my regular Xbox and had a bunch of games for it.
Now along comes the newer version of the XBox360. When I heard the news that a newly designed 360 was coming out I figured maybe now is the time, plus I wanted to continue where I left off with Halo and was also interested in a lot of the other exclusive games. I finally took the plunge and got the new 250 gig Xbox360. I couldn't be more satisfied. Wireless set up was easy as pie and Netflix and other net based stuff run great, I always have a full signal(my wireless router is of the newer airport extreme veriety). I also love all the options I have for games. System is quiet too. The only time I hear it running is when the disk spins up but that's mostly because the system is sitting on a wooden entertainment center. I'm sure that can be fixed easily with some of my leftover studio foam or some more aurelex foam. I have to admit PS3 hit a bit of a lul with there current games lined up which is fine with me because now all those great exclusive Xbox360 titles that I missed out on (and heard quite a bit about from friends) are dirt cheap at places like Amazon and Game Stop. So it's a win win situation. Yeah sure you might catch a joke or two for being late to the Gears of War party but my response to that is "I got parts 1 and 2 for less than half of what you paid for part one when it came out brand new."
I know there's a lot of fan boy-ism going on and whatnot. I usually don't pay any attention to stuff like that. I'm not a PS3'er or Xbox'er I'm both (both systems have their own strengths and weaknesses). Both systems have a lot to offer and are a lot of fun to play. This is coming from someone who has had or played darn near every modern system to date (atari 2600, NES, Genesis, Turbo Grafix 16, SNES, Neo Geo, Sega Master System, I can go on and on).
Bottom line is while I still enjoy playing my PS3 I also love my new Xbox. It's a great system and I'm looking forward to buying some more of those exclusive titles for the low low. : ) PEACE!! | video-games_xbox |
If you enjoyed the original MVC3, you'll like this version even more. New players: be warned. If you are a veteran from the original Marvel vs Capcom 3, I think you'll find this version better in every way. A dozen new, strong, and fun-to-play characters join the battle (Vergil and Ghost Rider are my favorites), and the existing cast has been tweaked to bring the strongest characters down to earth (Wolverine, Magneto, Phoenix) while buffing other characters to make them more viable (Captain America, Chris Redfield).
The game also boosts additional functionality with new game modes. You can now host a 1v1 player match, enabling you to quick rematch your friends without going back to a lobby screen. Multiplayer lobbies are more bearable with the addition of SPECTATOR MODE, which lets you watch your friends fight while you wait for your turn to play. These are two features that were sorely missed in the original and it's great to have them finally.
For those interested in game mechanics, X-Factor has changed in a few important ways. First, it can now be activated in the air, opening up new combo opportunities and more defensive options (you can no longer be chipped to death before landing on the ground, for example) and really helping out characters who have airborne hyper combos. Second, X-Factor has been toned down overall, so it takes more work to kill characters even if you X-Factor during the combo. Turning a random hit into a full character kill with X-Factor happens less frequently than in the original game. Last, the duration of X-Factor and the damage and speed bonuses have been adjusted for all the characters. For example, Amaterasu now has a speed boost in X-Factor that she didn't have previously. Also, the infamous DHC GLITCH is gone, which is a good thing by most accounts.
On the other hand, if you are a NEW PLAYER, you may or may not enjoy the game. If you're one of those people who just wants to fight people with your favorite X-Men, you'll enjoy playing around. The UMVC3 team did an amazing job in bringing characters into the game, and many characters have unique abilities and mechanics (Phoenix Wright has to collect evidence mid-fight, for example) brought over from their original games and series. You get the impression the team really went all-out in implementing the characters into a fighting game. But be warned that the single-player modes are pretty barebones, with just arcade mode, training mode, and combo trials, so I wouldn't recommend it unless you planned to play with others.
However, if you are new to fighting games, you will be destroyed by anyone who knows how to play. The good news is the game has a relatively low execution barrier, so you can quickly learn basic combos and have a fighting chance against other players. You can also avoid ranked matches and just play in unranked lobbies, and you can label lobbies as "beginners" so you should be able to find people of your own skill level. Even once you're better at the game, MVC3 can be frustrating to play, because even one mistake can really be painful. If you call your assist at a bad time, your opponent might kill your assist and your on-point character in the same combo. X-Factor is insane and enables all kinds of one-character-comebacks and fast kills. If that sounds fun instead of frustrating, this will be a game you enjoy.
If you loved MVC3 and can accept the game as is, I'd definitely recommend picking this game up. Fun new characters, rebalanced old characters, new team strategies, airborne and toned down X-Factor, no DHC glitch, spectator mode, and quick player matches all come together to make this a much better package than the original. | video-games_xbox |
Lack of pricing transparency hurts excellent game. Update 12/27:
My opinion remains that this is a 3-star game after spending quite a bit more time with it and even after receiving two more gifted cars from Turn 10 / Forza. I'm even more convinced of my earlier conclusion -- the only reason to play this game right now is because you bought a new Xbox and want to show off the graphics. Friends love to see it and play it, but the love wears off very quickly.
In 3-4 months when Halo and Titanfall and others are available, the game will be shelved and forgotten. Hopefully we'll also have another realistic driving sim. Not $80 (game + VIP) worth of enjoyment by any measure.
***
This is up from 2 stars which is what my review was prior to some changes being made by Forza.
The positives:
- Racing mechanics are great. I enjoy a realistic racing sim and have played countless ones over the years. (Anyone else remember Night Driver on Atari?)
- Visuals are always great, occasionally stunning.
- Love the commentary and voiceovers.
+ They are reacting quickly to the negative reaction from players. Navigating to the forza website while logged into my xbox live account resulted in a 3 million credit "Gift". I appreciate the credits as I can now afford to actually enjoy one or two of the pricey cars, but I don't understand why it requires such a multi-step process. Why isn't their reward system built into the game itself?
Neutral:
I would love to see a bit more interactivity with the environment. Barriers can't be scraped or dented, the crowd does not respond to a wreck feet away... etc. I know it's a racing game, but other genres are moving toward a more all encompassing realism that would be an added bonus here. It should never distract or take away from the racing, but just add to the overall feel. Would be in keeping with the added realism video-wise.
The low number of tracks and cars will be rectified over time. Many reviewers have focused on this point, but it's probably only relevant for super hardcore gamers. I play the game a few hours a week at most and don't really get tired as quickly. Even the current number of cars in game I'll never begin to play with half of them.
Negative:
--- Hidden added cost. This is my third or fourth Forza game and I've never felt compelled to buy DLC. I actually spent $20 on the VIP package for this, even though I hated rewarding Forza and Microsoft for shady dealings. I paid $60 for the game and then was assaulted with repeated asks for more $$. Why would they want to make this feel like a cheap iPhone Candy Crush?
The only reason I paid additional money was to be able to drive a Formula 1 type car. If I had a library of games on the system, I would have just moved on to another game.
Verdict:
It's a great driving sim. The best I've ever played. I have bitterness that they weren't upfront on the true cost of the full experience and really don't understand how they didn't see this coming.
Nevertheless, it is an enjoyable game and well worth the $80 I've spent thus far. That answer will not be true in 6 months when there are a lot more games fighting for attention. | video-games_xbox |
Pretty entertaining. I didn't know what to expect from WET, and when I started playing through the first level, I was not very happy. However, once I got the idea of how the combat system worked, it was (no pun intended) a blast.
I found myself enjoying this game despite minor flaws in it. Yes, the story line is slightly weak, but honestly, the gameplay is so fluid and action-packed that you don't really focus on that. Believe me, I love a good story line, so a game lacking that better be strong everywhere else for me to enjoy it.
There are multiple types of levels to go through, along with a sort of "just for funsies" string of levels at the junkyard, where Rubi Malone hangs her hat. It's more of a tutorial/challenge area, and it is pretty difficult and sometimes frustrating, but not overly so.
At first I thought the often-used slow-down mode of shooting/fighting would get old, but it takes more skill than you would think. If you've played any of the Max Payne games, it's a lot like "bullet-time", except with much more eye candy. You are doing wall runs, slides, spinning off of poles and down ladders, among many other things. All this while taking out as many unfortunate enemies as you can. There's a multiplier for getting consecutive quick kills, and bonuses for creative or skillful kills such as head shots or combo moves, like going from a dive right into a slide while killing. It's pretty damn fun, in my opinion.
Throughout the game, you get new weapons, moves, and upgrades, which keeps the gameplay fresh and invigorating. Being rated at the end of the levels gives you motivation to use creativity and speed to take everyone down within a reasonable amount of time.
All that being said, it is definitely not for young people, to watch or play. The language is just about as strong as I have ever come across in a game (Rubi loves dropping the f-bomb), and the gore and violence are extreme. I loved both of these features, but just beware that this is not appropriate for kids. The "Mature" rating is not an exaggeration.
One note, and just as a random thought, really: Once you finish the game in the hardest mode (and it's not impossible, as some games make it), you are able to play through the game in what's called "Golden Bullets" mode. I actually found this mode to be easier than the previously hardest mode. And one last note: Eliza Dushku's voice acting is phenomenal, and gave Rubi Malone substance. | video-games_xbox |
Highs and lows. I wanted to try to offer a more critical review than the either glowing 5-stars or completely ignorant 1-stars. I will preface this by saying I got this game for a little less than half price from a friend, the day after release. I will get to the reasoning for that shortly. Game is WELL worth the price I paid, however if I had paid full price...I'm not sure I would feel the same. The lack of matchmaking in Co-Op, and some poor multiplayer choices are what prevents this game from being so much more.
I have not gotten very far into the single player, so I cannot comment too much on it. As others have said the story will definitely not blow you away, but I feel the gameplay is enough to make up for this. The tactical/stealth ability is enjoyable to play, but you can also use a run and gun style of gameplay if that is what you prefer.
Guerrilla mode is an awesome addition. I can't help but love any type of "horde" game mode (zombies/survival/you name it). However, as others have mentioned, the lack of matchmaking for the Co-Op game modes is a HORRENDOUS oversight. There is no justifiable reason to make the Co-Op modes strictly invite only, and is easily deserving of a one star reduction.
Now to the multiplayer. Overall thoroughly addictive and enjoyable gameplay. GR veterans will find that although it is definitely a departure from the series, there are little details that will bring back fond memories. The graphics may be viewed as slightly under par with other recent releases, but the game looks amazing on my screen, and the realism of character movement is impressive. I will say that it is NOT an easy game to play, and those who can't pick up on the style will be smacked around mercilessly. I count this as a pro and a con. I personally love the extensive use of cover style of play, however that is the style you MUST play in. Any thought of not adapting to this style will result in a completely unenjoyable game experience. For those who dig it, you can become a veritable killing machine once you pick it up. Unfortunately, you will find that this style can (sometimes) result in a total deluge of campers, who would rather sit behind a concrete barrier and wait for passersby than to actually get up and go after the objective.
The multiplayer cons are what bring the game down most for me, and also the reason that I was able to get the game so cheaply. In the GRAW games the host was able to choose the map, time limit, and weapon kit. This is gone. I'm sure private games still allow map and time selection, but the kit option is gone entirely. What you get is a choice to vote for one of two maps. Way to dumb it down Ubi. For those who are new to the GR series this may not mean much, but to the veterans, especially from GRAW I and II, this is everything. If you played GRAW II recently you would be lucky to find a sharpshooter (team deathmatch) player game running, but you could ALWAYS find a Pistols Only Blind Siege ranked game. These were/are the hardcore players who still played the game years after release. Kit selection is gone, blind siege is gone, sharpshooter is gone. Some have said that team deathmatch would be added, but why would it not be included in the game upon release? It makes no sense, and leads to one star reviews with people whining about "no team deathmatch?". Some will mock those who say that, but the fact remains that team deathmatch is the industry standard. To leave it out, or to intend for it to be in the game but not upon release, just makes no sense. The load times can also be extremely long at times, and I have had issues with losing connection to the server before loading the lobby and after entering the game.
I will be getting more into the singleplayer and Co-Op modes, and will edit/update this review as necessary. I was really hoping for this game to be a home run, but it is more like a double. Worth checking out, but I would rent or try to check out the gameplay first, so you know what you are buying.
* Update 6/01/2012 *
Single player is a little too linear as compared to previous GR games, but I enjoy it. The rendering of human faces in cut-scenes is really, really poor, as mentioned by others. Like they spent so much time making characters with masks look bad*** that they completely forgot about those not wearing masks or helmets.
I love the multiplayer experience in this game, however, major server issues are dragging it down. Almost constant issues with losing connection to servers, host migrations, lobbies that won't start, and lag that is absolutely ridiculous. I've shot a guy with two full clips who didn't even seem to notice my presence, and then he dies ten seconds later. No exaggeration. Hopefully they will get these issues ironed out in the coming weeks. It should also be pointed out that the info on Amazon states 16 player multiplayer or 8v8, when this is not the case; the multiplayer is 12 maximum. | video-games_xbox |
I decided (against my better judgement) to take a chance on this game. Having played the other Forza games, I decided (against my better judgement) to take a chance on this game. Previously I stayed away from the Horizon part of the Forza franchise, enjoying the circuit racing on the normal Forza franchise instead of the "open world/drifting" style of Horizon. So I surprised myself with the notion that this game (and the other Horizon games) couldn't be all that bad, and it some ways it's not, but in a lot of ways it is one of the worst racing games I've ever played.
Let's talk about what is good. The graphics are incredible. On that alone the game would get 5 stars from me. The whole place looks incredible, and I like the "beauty" spots you find in the game (and there is some commentary that is included with these spots, so you know what the place means to the folks in Australia). The cars look great (as if you'd expect anything less from a current generation racing game), but the sounds of the cars are a bit lacking (as in you'd expect some cars to have a deeper rumble to them, but they don't). Overall, the game developers got it pretty right.
Now lets talk about where the game really falls short. The drivatars. Early on in the Forza franchise, you'd be matched up against driver AI's that were nothing more than programmed drivers. So, they came up with this brilliant idea to have you race against your friends (and in this version, you race against friends who don't even play the game, and somehow they are better drivers than you). Part of leveling up in Horizon 3 requires you to hire 4 other drivers into your lineup. The better they are, the more fans they bring into your fold, which helps you get more fans for your festival areas (the goal being leveling up each of the 5 festival areas to the max level of 5). You'll get notified when you have a driver that you have to beat so that you can hire them into your driver lineup (if you so decide). This will continue, even after you've maxed leveled your festival areas. Again, not very many of your XBOX Live friends may play Horizon, but you'll be encouraged to hire (or fire) them as you see fit. The biggest problem I have with the drivatars is that you have four of your so called friends working for you, but their drivatars will run you off the road and generally will screw you over, sometimes costing you a win. In Forza 6 there was a known issue with the drivatars, and a visit to the Forza Motorsports forums will confirm that many players are at wits end with the current drivatars in Horizon 3. There hasn't been an announced plan to deal with the problem via game patch, so there's no telling how long the problem will continue to exist.
Bucket list challenges. Oh how these seem simple enough, but they will have you rage quitting in no time (trust me, I've done so twice within the last few weeks, the most recent being today). The challenges fall into two major categories: Point to point races and skill point races. In the point to point, you will be put into a car and told you have x amount of time to drive to the destination. At first you'll find the easy versions of these races to be, well, easy. But try the hard challenges, and you'll be calling the developers every foul name in the book (and you might be inclined to make up some new ones as the height of your frustration will reach levels that you hadn't thought of before). You'll try every trick you can think of to complete the challenge, often coming up short as time runs out, screaming as you are "this close" to the finish line that the developers have once again cheated you of your hard earned victory. The drift/skill point challenges are no better. You'll be required to drive to the "drift zone", for instance, then you have to beat the score that's been set for you by some genius, and again you'll be "that close" to beating the score, only for the car to stop behaving, costing you all the drift points you've built up. Now imagine trying to do this while other cars are on the road at the same time, you'll see why this game can get frustrating beyond belief.
Skill chains. As you race, be it on the mini circuits, a point to point, or just driving around, you'll build skill scores. Get your score chained together long enough, and you'll get skill points. In the massive Goliath lap around the game area (I like to think of it as you are driving around the perimeter of the game area), it's easy to build up a massive skill score, but one mistake will see all that hard work disappear. And for those who aren't aware, the Goliath lap (or laps, one of my online friends created a 6 lap race for Goliath) is the number 1 grind in the game as it's the fastest way to get credits and level up (and those credits seem to be hard to come by, as you look at your credits and dream of buying one of the 10 million credit cars, so the grind is real).
I love this game sometimes. As in sometimes I'd get a cool car from the wheel spin (like a slot machine, and you're paying with the time you've spent playing the game and leveling up), and sometimes I'd get the max amount of 200,000 credits (that's only a max of 100,000 credits for non-vip players) and other times I'd get 4000 credits (talk about a kick in the gut, after spending an hour or two playing, the best the game can give you on a wheel spin is 4000 credits, and then you start to miss the million credit chance in Forza 6). Sometimes the game is fun, but more often than not it is frustratingly, ridiculously, stupid. One moment you are blasting through the brush of the outback, destroying stuff and building up that skill score, then suddenly it's gone because you bumped into something (and trust me, you'll be just as puzzled as I've been) or you'll be hit by one of the other drivers (and even more so, it'll be one of your friends you've hired to drive in your lineup, and you'll be calling them every foul name in the book too even though at that moment they aren't the ones driving the car) and your skill score will vanish into digital Australian air.
For the record, I've been playing this game since launch, and I keep giving it a chance, when I really out to delete it off my XBOX and never play it again. But perhaps if enough people point out the ridiculous flaws of the game, the developers will do something about it (not that they have to, mind you, but if they don't then eventually the game will tank, just saying). Let's see what happens. | video-games_xbox |
This Is Why I Play Fighting Games. Before I start this review I just wanted to address the whole "this should be DLC" argument. Now I'm fully aware that the original MvC3 came out back in February and that it had two DLC characters, Jill and Shuma-Gortah. It's this very argument that most people use to criticize Capcom's decision for re-releasing MvC3 so early. What most people don't realize is that if Capcom were to release all this new content as DLC it would have costed more, not only that but it would have been impossible. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has 12 additional characters. 8 new stages, 3 new game modes, a new net code for better online play, and a much more diverse fighting system (but I'll get into that later). Now keep in that the DLC memory limit for Xbox 360 games is 2 Gigabits and that DLC memory takes much more than a core game. I bring this up mainly because back in June Capcom released the final installment of the "Street Fighter 4" series as DLC. The DLC pack contained 4 new characters and more additions to the games replay feature. This DLC bundle was 650 Megabits and it doesn't have nearly half the content Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 does. If Capcom were to have chosen to release UMvC3 as a DLC pack we wouldn't have half the content we're getting in the retail release.
Alright, time for the actual review.
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a truly fantastic fighting game and offers so many unique team parings that it can keep players coming back for years to come. As I mentioned before the game has 12 additional characters from the previous version. The characters for the Marvel side are Ghost Rider (Ghost Rider series), Hawkeye (The Avengers), Dr. Strange (Dr. Strange comics), Iron Fist (Iron Fist series), Rocket Raccoon (Guardians of the Galaxy series), and Nova (Nova Corps). As for the Capcom side the new additions are Strider (Strider series and long time "versus" character), Firebrand (Demons Crest and Ghost n' Goblins), Nemesis (Resident Evil 3), Vergil (Devil May Cry 3), Frank West (Dead Rising franchise), and Phoenix Wright (Ace Attorney franchise). It may have been said already by others, but this lineup of new characters brings so much more to the table than the old roaster did. Almost all the characters change how the game is played (especially Phoenix Wright and Frank West).
I also said that there are new stages and it's kinda true. Instead of giving us entirely new stages we are left with new visions of present stages. For example, the Resident Evil test lab is now on fire with various creatures running about when in the original game it was just a basic lab (keep in mind you have access to both versions of each stage in this game). In all honesty though, I myself don't care about the stages to much because I'm always caught up in the fighting when it comes to these types of games, but it's still nice to have verity, which is what this game has. The game's net code (AKA the games online) is great this time around, there's little to no lag. You have the options to play ranked matches, quick matches, player matches, or lobbies with friends. Lobbies were a much needed addition and I'm overjoyed they finally included one in this game. When you're in spectator mode the fight runs smoothly and you can cheer your friends on as they fight until it's your turn. It's a real fun experience and truly makes the game more fun and longer lasting.
The game also has online modes (obviously) such as arcade mode, mission mode (teaches you how to play each character), versus (play against friends locally), and training mode (which is very useful in this game). You also have the option to play at the final boss "Galactus" in arcade mode, who was never playable in the original MvC3. Also, Capcom has said to have a new mode coming out as post launch free DLC, this mode is called "Heroes and Heralds". This mode gives the player access to other characters from both the Marvel and Capcom universe as cards that give special abilities to the characters you're playing as. Some of the abilities are invisibility, power boost, air dashes, and projectile invincibility. This mode should be out soon or even at the moment you're reading this review (I'm writing this in November of 2011).
In closing I'd just like to say I gave the original Marvel vs. Capcom 3 a 3 out of 5 stars for lack of content. I consider this game that much of an improvement over it's previous version. There is a huge verity of characters and play styles, the online is smooth running and lobbies are extremely fun with friends, mission mode is extremely useful for people just learning the game, and the "Heroes and Heralds" mode looks to inflate the games staying power. The fighting genre is coming back and it's games like this that made it one of the best to begin with. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a game anyone can pick up and play, as well as master. It has enough depth to be taken seriously and casual enough to play with family or friends whenever they are over. With such a low price and for as much content this game is offering it's a steal. | video-games_xbox |
Not worth purchasing, just rent it. Let's get straight to the point: the game lacks depth in the story and takes about 8 hours to complete. It has no value in a second play through. So with that said it isn't worth purchasing for $50-$60.
Story: You're a member of the Wenja tribe. The Udam tribe was once Wenja but became cannibalistic and split off to form the Udam. And a third tribe is the Izila. You're at war with the other two tribes and must kill their leaders and grow the numbers of your tribe. But you're not a normal member, you're the beast master, aka you're the dragon born from Skyrim but you tame bears and jungle cats instead of dragons.
That's literally the entire story summed up.
There's 8 main people to recruit for your village, each having roughly 3 quests a piece to do, but as you do quests and random side missions your overall population does increase to a maximum of 300. Then each rival tribe has the same amount to do before overtaking them.
IF you ONLY did the main and secondary quests I wouldn't be surprised if you finished the game in 6 hours. Now, if you're like me and went for the 1000 gamer score (which glitches and prevents you from gaining skill points at a certain level) then this game will last about 20-25 hours of game time. So ask yourself is that worth $50-$60?
Non story related missions are all titled Help Wenja... Then branch off into defend, clash, escort, and hunting missions. These are all very tedious and repetitive.
Crafting:
Weapons: a 1 handed and/ or a 2 handed club, bow and arrow, long bow, double bow, sling (throw a rock with it, various bombs, bee nests, spear, shards (essentially throwing knives), and traps.
Potions: various healing potions, anti poison potion, better hunting potion etc.
Animals you can tame:
An owl, leopards, dholes, wolves, bears, saber tooth tigers, honey badger, cave lions and 3 legendary animals. The legendary animals are a saber tooth tiger, a wolf and a bear. There may be a few other animals to tame but I'm writing all of this off memory. You can also ride mammoths a few times during quests.
TLDR version: the game lacks in story very heavily. Don't get me wrong Far Cry Primal is fun to a certain extent. The graphics and sounds are great but lack of depth in story overshadows that for me. I wouldn't recommend buying this game but it's worth a quick rent to send back within a few days. I'd say a 2-3 star rating is solid for this. | video-games_xbox |
Xbox 360 was a waste of my money on so many different levels. I've never owned a game system before and decided to purchase the Xbox 360 (with hard drive) as my first and ONLY gaming system. I purchased the console in December 2006 as a Christmas gift to myself and within six (6) months (by May 2007) my console started giving me trouble. These red lights started flashing - in three of the four quadrants, and after consultation with customer support and following the steps outlined by them, I was told I had to return the system to them for repair. Luckily for me it was still under warranty.
It is all fine and dandy that the product was under warranty and I did not have to pay to repair it, but I'm from the Caribbean, Barbados to be exact, and shipping from Barbados to the US to have my console fixed was US$60. In the end they could not repair the console and sent me a replacement unit - "free" of cost.
I received the replacement unit in July of 2007, had to pay US$100 to have the item shipped back to Barbados. The unit worked well for another few months and I was very contented with my gaming experience. NFL Madden '07 and Top Spin2 are favorites of mine.
In February of 2008 I experienced a different problem - the screen started to freeze. I e-mailed customer support and they sent me a string of e-mails as to how to maintain the harddrive, deleting user profiles and creating new ones and then an all too familiar problem arose - this replacement unit showed me three red lights! And like before I was told I would have to send my system to them for repair.
"Luckily for me", as I received the replacement unit in July, the warranty for the console is July 2008 and as such I won't have to pay for the unit to be repaired, but I will again have to pay shipping to have my item sent to the States and pay again to have it returned to me.
When I contacted customer support and expressed the expense relating to me having to have my unit repaired (not due to any fault of mine) it was brushed aside and communicated to me that if the prescribed steps to fix my console did not work I would have to send it for them to repair.
To me this is totally unacceptable! I purchased a game console in good faith and after colletively spending thousands of dollars in both gaming system and games (which can only be played on the Xbox 360)I feel as if I have been cheated and robbed. What would the point be in having the unit sent for repair for them to send me a replacement unit or if possible, fix and return the currently destroyed unit. It would make more sense to cut my losses now and never purchase a Microsoft gaming product EVER again! If I continue at this rate there will come a time the product is no longer under warranty and I'll have to pay for repairs to the system.
I'm an extremely disappointed customer. Money does not grow on trees and I work hard for my money. If Microsoft is unable to produce an experience for customers to enjoy without hassle of repairs and maintenance, which is due to no fault of mine, they should pull out of the market. I will now detail the moneys I have LOST, as a result of Microsoft and their Xbox 360 (prices quoted in US$)
Xbox 360 Console $600.00
One (1) wireless control 37.99
NFL Madden '07 game 48.99
Top Spin 2 33.88
2006 FIFA World Cup 23.04
Splinter Cell 59.99
Ghost Recon - Advanced Warrior 59.99
Smackdown vs Raw 2007 59.99
Shipping to send unit to States for repair 120.11
Shipping to have unit returned 211.00
Local shipping, handling, duties on games & wireless
control purchased 57.00
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Total monies spent relating to Xbox 360 US$ 1,311.98
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Now you can see why the Xbox 360 has been a waste of my money. Based on the experiences stated above I am unable to give this product more that one (1) star out of five (5).
Dissapointed, frustrated customer who can't believe he was duped into investing over US$1,300 in a gaming system which doesn't work!
R. Sparrock
Bridgetown, Barbados
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Xbox-360-Console-Includes-20GB-Hard-Drive-with-HDMI/dp/B000UQAUWW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Xbox 360 Console Includes 20GB Hard Drive (with HDMI)</a> | video-games_xbox |
Fun, but not very challenging. To say something about myself... I'm a Spider-man fan. I play Spider-man games, watch the movies quite often, enjoy art of Spider-man. If it has "Spider-man" labeled on the package, I'll probably like it a lot.
I just got the game today. I must say that if I could do it over, I might have waited to play it until after seeing the movie. I'm only a couple levels into it, which took a couple of hours, and I now know some major plot points to the movie. If you want the movie to be more exciting, hold off on this until you see it. There are many spoilers. So, besides that, here are my main points about the game.
First, the pros:
1. I feel like Spider-man. I've played Spider-man 1, 2, 3, Ultimate Spider-man, and Spider-man: Web of Shadows. So far, The Amazing Spider-man captures the feeling that you really are Spider-man. You can move around the city with amazing speed. The animations of Spidey swinging around are great. The new Web-Rush feature is really cool too. You even go to Peter's apartment where you select portions of the room for level selection, story updates, and costumes (yes, you can eventually get the Sam Raimi Spider-man costume).
2. The controls are easy. Even though the combat gets somewhat challenging, the controls overall are really easy to remember. The controls are not a distracting factor.
3. The game is very story-driven. The game has a fairly interesting story so far, which I thought seemed to be lacking in other games. The voices are okay: they're not done by the movie's cast, but it's still good.
4. Swinging is fun. The animations of Spider-man jumping, diving, swinging, and wall-running are very well done. I can feel the sense of speed and energy when moving through the city.
5. The look: Everything looks very realistic. When swinging low to the cars on the streets below, I can see a bit of motion blur on the cars, which adds a sense of motion. The costume looks great.
6. Camera: You can now take pictures and save them for later! This is probably the best addition I've seen in a Spider-man game so far. Like in Spider-man 3, you can pull out the camera and zoom in, snap a shot of anything you want, and decide whether to save or discard it. You can even pull the camera out when standing on top of lampposts.
Now for the cons:
1. Swinging: Most, if not all of the time, Spidey's webs never attach to buildings when swinging. The animations of him doing twists and turns are great, but he never really strikes a building side to swing from it. This takes away from a core element of past Spider-man/free-roaming games out there - the need to look before you leap. There's no need to be afraid of diving off a skyscraper towards the ground, because even if you were to fall straight down, Spider-man will save himself. No more splattering against walls anymore (which was sometimes fun to do in other games). On the other side, Spidey almost takes over the swinging completely. You don't really need to do much more than run forward and hold the web-swing button. He automatically lets go of the web at the top of his swing, which means there's no more doing loops in a circle over and over.
2. Web Rush: Even the web rush doesn't attach to objects all the time. While standing on the ground, you can look straight up and launch yourself into the air. But the web just attaches to invisible anchor-points. It's still quite fun, but it takes away from the overall challenging aspect that it could have.
3. Combat: The game feels like a button-masher. The combat is similar to Batman: Arkham City/Arkham Asylum, but it's not exactly the same. I think the Batman games are much more fluid. Spider-man tends to do the same moves repeatedly over and over again, which looks kind of annoying to me. Some variety would be nice, but I guess I can't complain since that's been pretty much the same for almost every other Spider-man game out there. It's a different combat system from other games I've seen, and it still looks good, but it doesn't feel like you're in complete control. Spidey will sometimes web up enemies without your pushing the web button. The combat is pretty challenging though once you get into the game a bit. The counter-attack is a good addition to the combat system too, but it does eventually start to feel frustrating when pushing so many buttons all the time and not knowing exactly what you're making Spidey accomplish.
4. Repetitive animations: While swinging, Spider-man's poses become quite repetitive. They are much more fluid than any other game, but unlike Spider-man 3 or Web of Shadows, there is no difference when first swinging left or right. This is because the web is always shot straight up above and out front. It still looks great, but something starts to feel a bit artificial after awhile.
This is all I have to say about the game so far. Even though it can get a little frustrating, I'm excited to see what happens next. The look of the game overall drew me in, and now the story is keeping me there. It's fun to play, but if you want a challenging experience, go get a used copy of Spider-man 2 if you don't already have it. I would recommend The Amazing Spider-man game to really anyone who is a Spider-man fan. You'll enjoy it very much. But if you consider yourself a gamer first, and Spidey fan second, then maybe this game isn't really for you. It's a hard choice. Maybe just waiting for the price to drop from $59.99 would be the better choice. This is my first Spider-man experience from Beenox, and I must say I have enjoyed the new flavor they present. It feels different from other Spidey games out there, but I hope they make the swinging more challenging in the future. If there's a sequel to the movie, hopefully they will make a second game too. In the words of Stan Lee... Excelsior! | video-games_xbox |
absorbing narrative journey. this is the single most absorbing and sophisticated videogame i have played since i jumped into the genre six months ago. the game combines aspects of sandbox play, world simulation, first person shooter, role play and cinematic narrative in a single seamless experience. "enormous fun" does not quite capture the emotional involvement created by this game.
the key innovation? -- "hero" cannot die. once health is exhausted in combat, hero (he or she) can only be knocked out, then "comes to" with full health restored. there are no awkward story devices (such as bioshock's regeneration chambers) to restore hero. most important, there is no need to save progress, or repeat scenes over and over to master a boss battle and progress to the next level.
this establishes the essential element of narrative flow: the game fuses with the many narrative cut scenes as a single cinematic experience. to reinforce this marvelous effect, combat controls are very simple, weapons aiming is tactically automatic, there are no tricky physical or acrobatic stunts to perform, and no complex or (a few exceptions aside) time dependent puzzles to solve. your path forward is always indicated by a scintillating cord of light, which can be muted or turned off in the options. all these elements mean there is no need for save slots: the game automatically manages file saves and game continuity: there are no segmented episodes or scenes the player can repeat.
clearing away all the procedural clutter and narrative fragmentation of a typical first person shooter or role playing game, player becomes fully absorbed into the story. and it is a story told on every level with extraordinary art and craft. the visual design uses the dark, saturated colors and architectural caricatures reminiscent of children's book illustrations by n.c. wyeth. the environments are delightfully encompassing, from the crushing darkness of the spire or troll caves to the brilliant colors of spring or fall in the forest. day follows night, sun follows rain, and town blends with country in a lyrical evocation of the cycles of life.
the animated characters fill out a dickensian variety of wealthy gentry, housewives, househusbands, children, truants, vendors, gypsies, shopkeepers, old maids, slatterns, prostitutes, drunks, bandits, thieves, brigands and slavers; priests, kings and titled nobility are conspicuously absent. monsters range from the comedic or whimsical (midget hobbes, demon doors and enormous trolls) to the really creepy (banshees and balverines).
special praise has to go to the character of hero's unnamed dog, companion on all adventures and assist in finding treasure or warning of dangers ahead. just the motion capture work necessary to animate this character must have been a project in itself, as the dog runs, jumps, begs, gambols, fetches balls, eats, chases its tail, cowers, growls, capers, urinates, limps in pain and rests, all with remarkable realism. in fact, its movements seemed to me more varied and more lifelike than the human characters outside of the cut scenes. just having this affectionate, eager and trusting fellow spirit accompany the quests created for me a unique and unexpected emotional involvement with the game.
play within this rich and complex universe combines elements of sandbox and episodes or "quests", which range from battling monsters to shattering obnoxious stone gargoyles. these, spewing insulting patter in an old scottish brogue, are only one of many humorous, whimsical, ironic or sardonic details of this game. nothing is ever taken completely seriously, but the levity never distracts from the involvement in play. there is a rich palette of expressions hero can use to instill fear, trust, anger or love in other characters, who can be manipulated for gifts, discounts, or favors. the management of these expressions -- and the accumulating quests, maps, transports, items, weapons, attributes, gifts, and so on -- is handled through a simple and partly automatic system of control inventories. there is none of the picky clutter of points, menus, choices, spells, lore and other trivia, or the creepy puppetry of face to face conversations and endlessly branching script choices, that makes games such as "oblivion" or "fallout" so tedious and insufferable.
finally, all this provides support for moral themes, which fuse with several world simulation techniques. hero is first of all either male or female, to suit the player's sexual orientation. then hero can earn money forging weapons, pouring drinks, assassinating targets or freeing slaves; wealth accumulates with treasure and can spent on weapons, food, gifts and clothing. or hero can buy and sell property and furniture, invest in business ventures and collect rents; hero can marry and have children, set up a household and furnish it with luxury; he or she can vandalize, thieve and murder, or whore with raunchy housewives, househusbands and prostitutes. all these actions combine with the physical changes of aging to produce a character appearance that is either virtuous or dissolute. the final task of the narrative is a moral choice between sacrifice, love and wealth, and once made, the player is returned to the fantasy world to finish smashing gargoyles or take up remaining quests.
special mention has to be made of the music, which is masterfully crafted -- tuneful and pleasantly orchestrated, it doesn't stale with repetition. the aural design matches the different environments or task moods perfectly. and finally the voice acting, from the sorceress theresa (zoe wanamaker) and the heros hammer and reaver to the many citizens and yes, that barking dog, are perfectly realized.
i had no problem with major bugs, such as the game crashing or refusing to save progress as described in the negative reviews posted here. however i played on an xbox 360 purchased six months ago: possibly the game does not play well on older consoles. i did encounter some minor a.i./scene mapping bugs (people walking through furniture, failing to yield gifts, etc.), and the game can be fussy about the spatial orientation of hero necessary to produce object options (open treasure, leap from a ledge, address a citizen, etc.). but for a game this long, rich and complex, the technical integrity is really remarkable. | video-games_xbox |
Good, but could be great. So I'm now a few weeks into playing with my Xbox one so thought I'd provide my Pros and Cons. Overall, I'm on middle ground right now, but strongly believe Microsoft will make this a great product.
Let's get the Cons out of the way first:
- The FIRST day of use and the Kinnect died on me. Worked great at first (including voice commands), then just stopped. Doing some research, does not seem to be an uncommon problem. The positive (and where MS shines) is the customer service. Took a quick phone call and I had my new Kinnect within days, as well as a pre-paid label to send the defective one back.
- I've been having TV pass-through issues. When it works, its very cool and the cable picture has no issues. Its great being able to switch quickly between the XB dashboard and games right to TV. Setting it up to turn on and off the xbox, TV and cable box with a single voice command is way cool as well. However, often after going to sleep, when I wake the system up I get either no TV picture or it starts freezing. While a reboot of the XB solved at first, no I cant get a TV picture at all. Not sure the cause of the issue but hoping MS can provide updates to fix what appears to also be a common problem.
- The dashboard. Now this is personal preference of course, but I hate the Windows 8 OS that this is based on. I find it uninitutive, hard to find things and overall confusing. IMO, I would have loved if XB One kept the dashboard from the 360. Easy to find things, areas were clearly defined, etc. Now I have one sections for Apps AND games, takes time to find things the more I add to the system and is overall a pain. Also, not being able to customize themes and backgrounds kinda sucks.
- Download times (if purchasing a full game) can be LONG. It took 12 hours to download Ryse. Repeat. 12 hours!. You also have to wait and have games install even if on disk, though this doesnt take too much time. If they want me to purchase more online, they need to fix this (or hope I just had 1 bad experience).
The Pros:
- The games. And isn't this the REAL reason were buying a new console?? I have Ryse, Assasins Creed 4, Need for Speed and Battlefield 4. All are great games and for the first crop of next gen games, show a lot of promise for whats to come (simply compare some of the first 360 games with those that are recent). The only negative here, and I cant blame MS, is that Battlefield 4 multiplayer simply doesnt work. Ive played online 1 times since revving up my XB due to the fact that you cant get on servers, etc. But thats a review better left for BF4. The single player campaign is awesome though and shows off the power of XB1.
- Integrated Skype love it.
- Kinnect Once I had my new Kinnect we tried out the demo for the sports game (wave runners) and found it to be much better than the preview pictures. The water effects are great and, more importantly, the Kinnect sensor worked beautifully. Its much more sensitive than the original Kinnect and had no issues with recognition of two players. The simple fact that it can read me closing my hand to accelerate the wave runner is very impressive.
- The future so many cool games coming along, including Halo, Destiny, etc. Also, based on my experience with the 360, I know MS will continue to improve the XB1 (but please redesign the dashboard!) | video-games_xbox |
Unplayable Multiplay game. The old adage comes to mind if it isn't broke do not fix it. Well instead of epic just fine tuning the multiplay from GOW1 they instead took the whole lobby system,shotgun system and play mechanics and trashed it. Also their are serious Lag issues here that in itself make the game a joke/unplayable again and again.
First off they had a great lobby system in GOW1 why did they alter it into this abomination. Your now waiting around for sometimes 10 minutes(yes ten minutes) and on a board where your guessing which game your in and who your playing. Its a crapshoot ! If you want to play ranked warzone well your out of luck here. Epic really dropped the ball here. Plus you can no longer just drop in unranked matches. The game from this perspective just go and play has been ruined I must say. The lag has you glitching all over the board and you just want to drop out but even this you cant do ,you must shut down your xbox. Than go wait ten minuites to get into a game you have no idea what type or area it will be in.
GOW1 was great ,Epic could have just revamped and upgraded the maps ( as they did and they look really great I have to say) fine tuned the players(as they did again) added some great weapons( as they did to some extent,the balance here is a bot off) and the game would have been awesome. The shotgun makes an odd pop noise here ,unlike gears 1 where it was authentic. Plus you cant shoot and run ,very little shotgun battles now. Some like that but really if you take out all the parts that made GO1 great than you are changing a great game not making it better.
The chainsaw duels if the other failings of this game weren't so great too would in itself almost ruin game. Gone are Gears 1 sneak ups with the shotgun and now its a free for all of shotgun attacks .Very lame and boring and takes the skill factor to about "0". And the duel chainsaw attacks pressing b like crazy is a joke too. Like playing ateroids from the 80,s. Just smash the buttons. No skill no fun just crazy.
All in all the game has taken all that was good about gears 1 out of the game,made it absolutely stunning to look at, added lag that is so frequent you drop out of games on rountine just due to that,has a horrible menu that you cant just jump in any more and play and you have no clue what you will be playing. Taking the shotgun and chainsaw elements out of the gears type gameplay is a real shame too as now its like your not even playing gears of war but a whole new game. If they wanted to make a whole new game than they should have by why did they ruin this one? The horde mode is fun but again severe lag,horrible menu and lobby system too.
If Epic doesnt at least fix the lag and flickering issues this game will never be played like the last one. I guess people will get used to the altered weapons but the lobby system I doubt it thats a disaster. Just go play and you here ten people complaining about framerate,lag,weapons and the horrible lobby system. Their were never complaints about this while playing Gears 1, but now their is1 Says alot when you get ten people in room all complaing ,dropping out due to lag too
I give the game a "C" in its persent form ,if lag is fixed and lobby system where you can pick a game and get in it relatively quick like gears 1 than I would upgrade to a "B".The other issues are just too much to overcome to give it a better score. | video-games_xbox |
Lots and lots of fluff, maybe a little too much fluff. All I wanted was a good steak. I'm not going to sugar-coat this. I spent practically the first 3-4 hours of Witcher 3 listening to story, which is ok at first, because the story is in fact exceptionally good and the characters have a lot of personality, but when you sit in a chair that long, doing pretty much nothing, and then get thrown into a situation that requires a huge amount of micromanagement, it feels kind of awkward. I'm obviously referring to the fight with the griffin. I think what got me more frustrated though was the fact that Geralt's character felt extremely janky. Passive actions such as dodging and jumping are pretty unresponsive, and died numerous times due to those alone. Then, using offensive actions like the crossbow and performing signs (spells), all felt extremely rugged as well and made me feel like I was trying to compensate for something; not to mention Geralt looked like human robot while doing them.
Lastly, and this is the part that turns me off of games like this, the mission structure is bloated, and I mean... BLOATED!
* Geralt goes looking for Yennefer
* Geralt stumbles upon a man that thinks Yennefer might be at an inn
* Geralt goes to the inn, and talks to everybody
* A guy at the inn tells Geralt that he might know the whereabouts of Yennefer
* Geralt goes to a settlement that the guy suggested
* Geralt talks to the settlement's head honcho
* Head Honcho wants Geralt to kill a griffin before he spills beans about Yennefer
* Geralt goes to a small-time hunter to get help killing the griffin
* Hunter needs a little help killing some wolves
* Geralt and Hunter investigate the griffin's nest
* Hunter eventually gives Geralt the bait for the griffin
* Geralt goes back to the inn to get his BFF
* Geralt and friend set up camp, waiting for griffin to take bait
* Griffin comes, shoddy gameplay starts
Get the drift?
I realize that a lot of this sounds like petty crap, and I have admit, I'm not a huge fan of gamey RPGs anyway, but the experience overall was unrewarding to me. I suppose I was hoping to get a game like Skyrim, a game of glorious proportions that had solid gameplay; simple enough for anyone to catch on, but had layers of depth for those who want to sink their teeth in. Skyrim also had greatly told stories hidden throughout the world, in each dungeon, and in each side quest, that somehow felt like real people have those experiences. Most importantly, the game didn't force you to spend 4 hours listening to bull crap before you get to the meat of the experience. If I wanted to watch a movie, I'd watch the The Witcher: Wild Hunt (The Movie), and it'd probably be pretty good. After all, I would like to see how it ends. I did the right thing though, returned the game to Gamestop, pre-ordered Arkham Knight and haven't regretted it since then. I know I'm probably one of very few people that didn't enjoy the game, and although I've bashed it quite a bit by now, I have to give a little respect to CD Project Red on how they treated their product. The fact that I got a rather endearing thank-you letter tucked into the box, along with an incredible soundtrack CD, says a lot for its developer. They're obviously nice people and they know how to put together a good story. Maybe Cyberpunk will pull me back in. ;) | video-games_xbox |
Solid Mixed Bag. Yes, commercials and "sneak peaks" are supposed to hype a game up to the point where we all turn into zombies and line up for hours in mindless anticipation for hours upon hours of entertainment.
Unfortunately, the buildup to this game, well, seemed to have left some details out.
The Good:
Nice control scheme and sandbox style play. It didn't take too much time to realize exactly what your character is capable of and start truly utilizing the environment to your advantage. As the beginning tutorial starts to play out, I started to wonder if I would be able to retain all of the controls they were throwing at me, but the controls are actually quite intuitive.
You can't button mash your way to victory, even if you blaze head-on into a fight. This forces you to stay on your toes, instead of just hitting 'X' and hoping for the best.
The main character is the only one sporting an American accent. Knowing there is some sort of explanation (see below,) makes it alright. The voice acting is good by video game standards. The camera is controlled with the right stick, but the more methodical gameplay makes it much more bearable than in, say, 'Stranglehold.'
The Bad:
I don't think this is a spoiler, since it's the first thing that happens in the game (if anything, it really should have been talked about more by the developers.) Anyway, the developers decided to use make the Crusades part of the game some sort of "genetic memory" thing that is being extracted by scientists in the modern day. This feels 100% forced and completely unneeded. The only explanation I can think of, is that one team had created this awesome digital effect for locking on, while another dev team had created this great story about assassins during The Crusades. The producer came along and said "great! Now make up some reason to get that effect into that game."
While the controls are extremely intuitive, there are still times where they do something which makes no sense. It's extremely frustrating to almost be free of pursuing soldiers just to have your character do a wall jump instead of climbing onto a ledge like you had planned. Also, armor clad soldiers with drawn swords outrunning a highly trained assassin? I don't think so.
All in all, I'm not upset I bought this game. I don't consider it a huge disappointment, but at the same time the problems the game has are large and glaring. | video-games_xbox |
Good personalized workout once you get past the hard to use settings interface. I almost gave up on trying to get this game to work. I'm glad I figured it out though and got to the workout portion.
A few things that were problematic:
The very first thing I tried to do was set up my avatar. The controls for this are AWEFUL! There are icons but no words telling you what you are selecting until you move your hand over it and then it selects it faster than you can move your hand away. Then when you select something to change--take hair color for example--there are no words or even icons telling you what you are selecting. The hair color is changed by sliding a slider along a little line inside an oval. You have to slide it the length of the oval in order to see what color the hair turns to. There is only one option for each main color--one blonde, one black, one brown, one red and one grey. I could handle the limited options if they would at least spell out the options so I don't have to waste my time moving the slider to every position to find the ones I want. Other features are changed by moving a ball inside a square or a triangle. The options for where certain features are inside the square seem completely arbitrary and you have to play with it in order to figure out how to get the look you want. Worst part about all of this is that you must do this with your hands and the Kinect sensor. There is no option to use the x-box controller for set-up. This whole process would have been a lot faster/easier with the x-box controller. I spent 20-30 minutes setting up my perfect avatar only to then go back to the main avatar menu and accidently select the "randomdize" button while trying to figure out which was the "save and exit" button. I was so tired of standing there and didn't have any more time to waste so I just turned it off at that point.
My second day using the program I could not get it to read my hand signals at all. It would not let me wave to get into the game. I recalibrated the kinect tuner, and it still didn't read my motions. I adjusted the lighting in the room and even had my much taller husband try. I tried other games and they worked fine. Fortunately I had just ordered a stand so I could mount the kinect tuner on top of my tv and it came the next day. On day three I got the kinect tuner set up on top of my tv and still had the problem of the game not reading my hands. Finally I realised that the game needed to see my feet in order to read my hands. I don't know why but other games worked fine with the tuner only seeing my legs from the ankles up. In the kinect tuner menu I adjusted tuner until my feet were completetly in the box. Then the game saw me wave and let me back in to adjust things.
At this point I spent another 20-30 minutes re-doing my avatar. If you get this game and plan to do a personalized fitness plan, SKIP DOING YOUR AVATAR FIRST! This was a complete waste of time. If you set up a personalized fitness plan on the first day (during evaluation) the avatars shown in the background appear to be random regardless of whether you have taken the time to set it up. At the end of my first workout it gave me daily tasks to complete--one of those tasks being--the setting up of my avatar!!! This was SOOOOOO Frustrating but yes I did set up my avatar for a THIRD and hopefully final time.
Now to the GOOD points about this program:
Once you actually get to the workout portion, it personalizes your workouts much better than the other workout games I have tried (Fitness evolved, sports, etc). This is not really a "game" so much as it is a personalized trainer for people that are out of shape. I fit that category of being overweight and out of shape and that's why I got this game. If you already use a workout program or attend fitness classes you might not find this "game" challenging enough.
One thing I like is that so long as you are doing the motions correctly you can go at your own pace. In the Your Fitness Evolved game you must follow the rhythm and pace of the trainer exactly (during workout classes) step-for-step or you lose points and are told to do the exercise again to get it perfect. In the Biggest Loser game if you get tired or need a break you can stop and the program notices you stopped and will ask if you need a break. It also asks you questions during the workout that you can answer verbally with one of three options given on the screen. Your response will determine whether it keeps going or changes to another exercise. For example if you say "This is too hard for me." it will go on to something else. If you say "Is that all you've got" it will increase the intesity of the workout.
I like that it gives realistic goals based on your level of activity. Other reviewers mentioned that they adjusted their goals and the goal became almost impossible to accomplish in 12 weeks--the longest time available. Since I was aware that 12 weeks was the longest time I left my goal at the default/reccomended goal for my weight and workout level. I was a little disappointed to see that it said my 12 week goal is only to lose about 15 pounds--I need to lose a lot more than that. BUT I have tried other plans in the past setting my goals too high and was disappointed in myself for not reaching them. 15 pounds in 12 weeks is attainable for me at my low level of fitness. I know from other diet programs I've been a part of that 2 pounds per week is healthy and easier to maintain. Ideally I would like to lose closer to 25 pounds in the 12 weeks. But I'm going to go with this program and see how it works out. My ultimate goal is to be healthy not just to lose weight. Even if it does take me 24 weeks to lose 25 pounds using this "game" will still be a good investment of my time toward that goal.
Who knows I may find this program boring and repetitive after a while but the important thing to me is that it got me working out and is personalized to where I am right now. Bottom line is if you consider yourself to be in good shape get one of the other workout "games" that requires exact following of rythem and motions. If you are out of shape and looking to drop a few pounds this seems like it would do the trick (once you get through the sloppy set-up controls that is). | video-games_xbox |
What shooters could be. Ok, I am a pretty big gamer; I play everything from Battlefield to Skyrim, and have been playing avidly since I was 6 (23 now) for an average of 15-30 hours a week before and during college. Now an average of 15-20 now that I'm employed and married. That's just to establish some form of credibility.
Farcry 3 is a game that goes against what shooters of this generation of consoles has established. Shooters in this day and age have established the mindset that multiplayer comes first and single player is simply a 5-8 hour long afterthought. This is primarily because of the call of duty franchise, not bashing it (in fact I played MW2 and Black ops 1 for an insane amount of time) but there's no denying that the COD franchise has influenced shooters in a very real way these past few years. While some of this is positive (the multiplayer aspect) it also has a negative side (shooters are many times copycats and don't put much effort into single player).
I played Farcry 2 (and enjoyed the majority of it) and I believe that Farcry 3 corrects what was wrong with number 2 in several areas.
1. it's in the jungle instead of desert. This is a more personal thing but is still a positive in my book.
2. The ability to use wild animals to your advantage this time. Not only in battle, but in crafting as well. Instead of them just being scenery.
3. When you drive down the road, there is now only a 20% chance random people will shoot at you, instead of 400% from farcry 2
4. There's a way to be stealthy in everything, I know that 2 gave you the option but farcry 3 really fleshes it out, there's every perks you can level up to be even sneakier.
5. Bow. Seriously. This thing is the Swiss army knife of weapons. Quiet, 1 shot kills; you can pick up your arrows after kills, and the ability to add things like fire and explosives to it.
6. Music, I'm not a fan of dubstep, but it strangely fits in with this game. Also the cars have radio now. So driving is no longer an awkward silent drive.
7. The guns no longer feel like cheap toys that jam up every 30 seconds. They pack a punch, and do so without making you fear that it could spontaneously explode in your hand. I can't tell you how many times in farcry 2 that I lined up a perfect sniper shot, and right as I pulled the trigger; the gun would jam.
8. Enemies are no longer bullet sponges who eat bullets for breakfast.
9. The save and checkpoint system has improved.
Farcry 3 makes a point of putting the single player experience first and foremost, while placing multiplayer on the back burner. Multiplayer isn't bad mind you; it's just that everything that it has done has been done before; and better; by other franchises. The single player story and characters are the real stars of the show here, I won't spoil anything; but let me say that Vaas is a villain that you both hate, but at the same time enjoy watching for his insane and humorous rants. He honestly made my top 10 video game villains of all time. Gameplay wise, it controls better than farcry 2, everything feels tighter and shooting guns (especially if you have surround sound) have a real punch to them. When you buy weapons you now have the ability to add attachments to most of them (even paint jobs! The story takes about 25-30 hours if you do some side quests, if you are a completionist like yours truly; than about 35-40.
The only reason that I give the game 4 stars is because of the multiplayer, it feels tacked on and simply brings nothing new to the genre like the single player does. It's not as bad as the unnecessary multiplayer in Spec ops, but it does bring down the experience. Farcry 3 creates a world that is full of pirates and insanity and then hands the player a skeleton key to a chests full of weapons. It tells the tale of how far a man will go to save his friends, even if it means going to the brink of insanity himself. It's a game that begs to be played and it once again proves that shooters don't have to be about multiplayer, K/D ratios and killstreaks. I welcome any comments, questions, and even some criticism for those that do not agree with me. Let's just keep it mature. Society already sees us gamers as immature, foul-mouthed, sexist/homophobic people. Let's not prove them right. | video-games_xbox |
The next big thing. Before I go into the review I thought it might help for some potential buyers to get to know a little bit about me, some of my own personal insight on video gaming at large, why this product is great and why it definitely has the potential to be the next big thing. I'll have to ask in advance that you forgive my novella.
I am an avid techie in my mid 20's and I make a living supporting Windows based computers, servers and infrastructure for a very large corporation. While some of you might find this surprising, even though I love what I do, I have little to no desire to even look at a computer when I get home. I used to be in to computer gaming but given its astronomical price point, frequent changes in hardware and software, and the cost involved in maintaining an `edge' I've always preferred console gaming. Plus, nobody on Xbox live asks me to fix their computer, cell phone, printer etc etc... ;)
Having said that, the one downside to console gaming is that it has never been overly mobile outside of offerings from Sony and Nintendo and while those have taken some considerable strides in the last few years they're still not quite what I'd prefer. Also, I've never been a fan of the newly emerging markets for mobile and tablet gaming either as I find them to be too limiting or they often require me to provide information I am reluctant to provide in order to use them.
I travel quite frequently for business; in 2011 I spent 36 weeks on the road. My Xbox 360 has gone a lot of places and there were times that I couldn't use it. For example, if the hotels didn't have some kind of restrictions on their TV where you couldn't change the settings for more than 10 minutes before the display and channel settings flipped back to `default' Other times, to stop you from using your own streaming or gaming devices, some of them block access to the back of the TV. There were plenty of places I went where my Xbox sat locked in my travel bags collecting dust.
If it became widely known that this type of device was out here I have every reason to believe that it could cross over from meeting the needs of a select niche of the gaming community and become a more mainstreamed product. It could do for the varying entertainment industries (gaming, streaming etc etc) what the Nintendo Wii did for the gaming industry. I don't own a Wii, and likely never would, but there is a large portion of the population to which the high powered entertainment offerings on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 don't necessarily appeal. Consider the following, in 2011 the number one selling Video Game worldwide was Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, the number two selling Video Game? Just Dance 3.
Now, on to the actual review....
I first got wind of the Vanguard while I was buying a copy of Halo 4 off of Amazon for my brother. I ordered one immediately on November 7th despite all of the postings that were being put up sighting shipping problems etc etc. This product does EVERYTHING necessary to game away from home anywhere on the go. I visited my family this past week at thanksgiving and I was able to bring my console, controllers, and everything else I needed to slam through several iterations of Spartan Ops with my Dad and my brothers all on their own consoles without having to disconnect, reconnect or move anything. At the risk of sounding slightly chauvinistic this was a huge plus for Mom ;) I didn't have to effectively take over their guest room to play with the family, I could just do it wherever was convenient and when I was done I packed everything up and put it away for the day.
The quality of the product as far as the display, the sound, and everything else about the device is EXCEPTIONAL. You wouldn't know it was mobile. One might expect, much the same way that a laptop doesn't have the same horsepower as a desktop that it would be a little lacking when compared to a traditional home entertainment setup but I did not find that this was the case. I will never be at a point where I won't be able to use my console for entertainment purposes when and where I want to and with its extreme portability it couldn't be any easier!
As for GAEMS itself, between this product and the exceptional human element I've seen in the forums and discussions on Amazon I can only hope that GAEMS continues to strive to become bigger and better while maintaining their commitment to their customers and a personal touch that has been lost in this age of retail bombardment. It is rare to see a company that strives to connect with their customers the way they do and as a new rabid fan I wish them all the best in their future endeavors. While it certainly can't be official, I'll pitch their product anytime, anywhere to anyone. | video-games_xbox |
More enjoyable with a strategy guide or some pro tips. I'm coming with the bad first. The game itself could've shined a bit more if they had visual tips or a more clearly way of explaining how to defeat the bosses in the game. Maybe some highlites or some sort of indicator giving you a clue in the heat of battle would've made it less frustating. Ok the main part that had me clueless was in the graveyard when you have to light that hard to spot torch to get off the board. I ran around that graveyard so frustrated knowing it was something simple but overlooked. Which is usually the case in this game. Now that was my only beef with Dark Sector. Now with the good. Some complained about not being able to crouch and I admit it could've been useful but once I realized that your man will crouch down low once he's near a low box or crate for cover, it was all good. Buttons (A & Y) are your primary use for defense with the use of the left analog to roll side to side while tapping the (A) button. Use the(A) button to get your back to the wall or crouch low when near a small crate. (Y) after you get the upgrade to create a temporarily sheild and further into the game if you're using an element you can cause a mild element explosion by clicking in on the right analog stick. If all else fails then RUN, it saved me plenty of times.
I think the gameplay and control are done well. And if you don't want to look down in battle to open up a crate then use your Glaive from a distance to do it. Not only that, you can steal the enemies weapon while they're reloading or after you kill them and your Glaive will retrieve the weapon or any ammo, documents & etc for you. Lovely graphics with nice music. Love the finishing moves also. Quick tip on fighting the walking mech tank the second time around. ( You can't kill him you have to get behind him and jack the driver out of the seat and take control. Otherwise you'll be fighting him untill you're dead. ) To really enjoy Dark Sector I suggest buying the strategy guide or find someone you know who's beaten the game already for pointers and you will enjoy this game far more than some of the reviewers articles I've read on other sites and magazines. | video-games_xbox |
Fell short on overall expectations. Let me preface this review - Money is hard to come by, I am always looking for the top quality for my dollar and this review reflects why I do not believe I personally got my moneys worth. I believe this item to be worth a little over half of what its price is currently. I am a 29 year old guy, 6'1 height, and 255lbs - not a little guy here. I am critical on reviews because I believe an item should always match its price in quality and performance.
Packaging - 6/10
Packaging of the item was okay, I checked the item over after removing all the wrap which only protected the paint and was an extreme pain to remove. Also on my package, the packing tape got ahold of the bag with all the nuts, bolts, washers inside of it and tore it open which sucked a tad too. Directions were stored in the pedal wrapping which I thought was nice.
Instructions - 5/10
The directions/instructions were printed out and were black and white with heavy smears across the paper. Other products I've dealt with in the past that required assembly at least had 1/4 size pictures of the process. I did see the instructions said to view videos on Youtube but what if you are having issues with youtube? Again, it is a simply item to put together BUT it is not cheap and I think better instructions need to be included.
Parts - 2/10
On the wheel bracket I instantly noticed CHINA printed on the metal. This may be a put off for some of you guys, I myself figured this was somebody actually making these in the USA. My experience has been that metal objects from China are often weak and thin - this item was no different.
I had to modify the bracket the wheel bolted too since the 4 holes did not line up just to get it to bolt to the frame. The pedal plate was thin and the welds were so so - paint had also already cracked on it. Bottom of the plate had sharp edges as well - is great for hardwood floors. The adjustable legs on the top part - SHORT, they might go completely into the top-half 2/3 of the way. I view this as penny pinching, for the price I think this item should have adjustable legs that use up the full length of its holding tube. Rubber feet on the bottom of the stand were smooth which is not allowing for much grip when you are in the midst of racing and go to hit the brake only to have the stand move away from you. This is just a heads up to hardwood floor owners - stand slides at times.
Also, and I know I am just nagging up a storm about the price, why are there no zip ties to make it look good? Not visually pleasing to have cables everywhere or tape all over your new stand.
Quality and performance - 3/10
Once put together - I question how much use I am actually going to get out of the stand. It is a stand, it holds a wheel, shifter, and pedals - so what am I going on about?
- does not work well with chairs with arms (as advised in description, wide chair so I figured I would be okay but shifter snags)
- does not work well with hardwood floors. ie - slides since rubber end pieces as smooth with bad grip.
- also due to rubber end caps being smooth, if you jerk your wheel - the entire stand will move too.
- pedal plate already has a bow, cracked paint as well.
- adjustable legs located below wheel mount are short which causes the top bar to rest on top of my thighs. Not comfortable and if I want to move my legs a little it lifts the top bar. While driving this can be an issue.
- the legs on the top are slanted so if you wanted to sit on a futon or anything with a slant of its own - you will have no room to put your legs through.
- cable management zip ties not included (most computer parts include them to help with cable management so the owner can have a nice visual and feel great about it - imagine having black tape everywhere instead, just isn't the same)
- no rubber on the bottom of the pedal plate to cover rough edges and protect hardwood flooring.
This stand leaves a lot to be desired and if it wasn't for the price - I would of been a lot more forgiving. What this item needs to justify its price -
- Better pedal plate, needs to be thicker and have better welds. Also some rubber padding on the bottom of it to take care of sharp edges.
- Better instructions, needs larger pictures of assembly and needs some color!
- Include zip ties, seriously, small things matter at lot when looking at the end product.
- Better rubber ends, needs grip. This is a wheel stand that will be pressed on with feet and have a wheel jerked at times - it HAS to be stable and secure.
- change the angle of the legs coming off the top bar, this would provide more room and comfort for end users.
- longer adjustable legs, same with the option above - comfort is important.
Final thoughts on this product
I gave this product two weeks of use and the above is what was found so far. Stand slides around, pedal plate bows, and tight in some areas. In my opinion, I feel like this stand was nickel and dimed too hard ie: shortened parts, thin metal, unclear written instructions, and cheap rubber. I would not recommend this product at the current price as I cannot justify it. | video-games_xbox |
A good game, but. Let me get this out of the way first:
This game is an arcade racer, not a simulation. As such the controls are based on the well-known "power slide" theme that is relatively common. For more realistic control and customization, look elsewhere (like Gran Turismo 3 or Tokyo Xtreme Zero for PS2).
Here is what you want to know:
Graphics: Excellent. At least comparable to Gran Turismo 3. Weather effects are beautiful and lighting is often amazing. Cars look beautiful and reflections are really well done. Some turns are hard to see at night, but then again what did you expect...
Sounds and Music: Many of the game's songs are actually pretty cool, but nothing compares to the ability of ripping your own CDs and listening to them while you play (which you can do here). No MP3 downloads though. Engine sounds are good too.
Control: Mixed bag. Personally, I like it. But if you ONLY like simulation-style control, don't even look this way. Cars will slide like crazy and if another car even touches you while you're "sliding" forget it, you're gonna spin. The difference between AWD, RWD, FWD and 4WD is hardly noticeable (IMO).
My biggest gripe here is the actual XBox controller which is as heavy as a small melon. It is the most uncomfortable controller I've ever held in my hands. You'll see what I mean when after an hour you're switching fingers for the trigger (accelerator).
Gameplay: This is where the game loses the most points with me... Cars must be unlocked, which is fine by me, but what you must do to unlock them is my problem. I mean, the game is already getting hard and I'm only up to 50,000 Kudos and they expect me to get 200,000 Kudos to get the F50!?!? Forget it.
Why do game designers keep making games in which you only get the best cars after you don't need them?
Plus, although I have no problem beating the actual races (Quick Race Mode), some of the cars are only earned by beating some points challenges that I simply don't get (Arcade Race Mode), I mean the concept is simple, but just you try to get gold in them.
One thing I really like is the fact that now Kudos (points) are never taken away (unlike the predecessor Metropolis Street Racing); if you hit a wall or another car, you simply don't get any extra points, but points earned are points kept. Another thing I liked is the fact that this game allows you to progress little by little (unlike GT3 and its 2-hour races) which is nice.
Replay Value: Pretty good until you get stuck. This game gets ridiculously difficult as you progress and chances are most people will not finish it.
Although I love racing games, this one is about more than that... And for you that may or may not be a good thing.
Bottom Line:
At least rent it. If you have it and don't finish it, don't feel bad as I can tell you for sure that most people won't.
Freebie Tips:
- Since your competition is always adjusted to match the car you're driving, most of the pure races can be beat with the first car (the Mini).
- Try this as your user name: nosliW (caps matter). It will activate all the cars and races. | video-games_xbox |
Smooth Gameplay Mechanics. I purchased this game and received the competing game Rugby Challenge 2011 (RC 2011) for my birthday on the same day, so I am able to have a go at comparing Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011 - the game being reviewed here) to the said RC 2011.
RC 2011 (the other game), has more polished graphics, heaps of competition, club teams and customisation options. However, I believe that this game (RWC 2011) has smoother open play, better flow in the passing mechanism, better defending and more natural use of attacks or breaks over the advantage line. The line outs, rucks and scrums have more options in the other game. I have yet to see a driving maul in this game (I'd played both games for quite a few hours each, at the time of writing this review). RWC 2011 is limited to the 20 teams that qualified for the 2011 tournament.
Unfortunately, the licensing for player and team likenesses do not extend to the New Zealand or Australian teams, as these were snapped up by RC 2011). However, most of the other teams teams have all the authentic player names and you can edit any of the player names and statistics to your hearts content, but not their physical appearance.
This game doesn't have the same depth as RC 2011, but it does capture the Rugby World Cup atmosphere quite well (offical logo, crowd noises etc). You can either select the official draw for the World Cup, or randomly generate a new draw for more variation and replay value. You can also play one-off test matches and even go on northern or southern hemisphere tours.
The World Cup stadiums are presented in good style here, but are named by location, rather than actual stadium names
(offical names were snapped up by RC 2011). The game's graphics show a bit more polish than Rugby 08 which was released a few years ago. If you played Rugby 05, 06 or 08, then you'll find that the gameplay and control system are not too dissimilar to those games.
This review is based on my single player experience on the XBOX 360 (I haven't checked out multiplayer options at the time of writing this review).
UPDATE: There is the occasional driving maul in this game. | video-games_xbox |
A must have football game. I'm 36 years old and I have played many football video games on many different consoles over the years and I must say that this game stands out above all of the rest!
There are a "zillion" college teams to choose from! The stadiums are beautifully detailed! The players, coaches, and referee models, and their animations, are superb! When playing in a stadium with a natural grass surface your players get grass and mud stains on their uniforms! A friend of mine at my workplace that has had this game longer than I have says that occasionally a player's helmet will fly off after a big hit! I have yet to see it happen but I'm looking forward to it! The crowds look and sound truly alive! The fans celebrate and hold up signs! The cheerleaders and even the teams' mascot look fantastically detailed and their celebrations are exciting!
The ESPN College Gameday crew, Brad Nessler, Lee Corso, and Kirk Herbstreit provide interesting and funny in game commentary with some but not much repetitiveness! It's pretty cool when Corso makes his winning pick in the Gameday booth before the game he will be wearing either his picks' mascot head or the teams football helmet as he's speaking!
Overall the gameplay is great and the learning curve is fairly easy especially if you're familiar with the Madden series! On NCAA 2006 you can adjust your game settings, etc. any way you like and reset them to the default with the touch of a button!
I'm not much into all of the different options that many sports games have such as creating teams, players, playbooks, making coaching decisions and such (although you can do all of that on this game); I play solely for the visual and atmospheric stimulation which this game in particular provides! In my opinion NCAA Football 2006 blows other football titles out of the water as it is the TOTAL PACKAGE!
Football fans, GET THIS GAME!!! You will feel like you are involved in an actual college football game complete with all of the emotion and pageantry! You will become addicted to it and you will want to play it over and over again! | video-games_xbox |
Worthy of being the true sequel. In running for my Game of the Year. BACKGROUND
Assassins Creed III is the latest game in the "Assassins Creed" series of games by UBI Soft. It may be a bit confusing but Assassins Creed III is the fifth installment on the larger living room consoles. There were several other games within the series that were released for portable devices such as the Nintendo DS and the Playstation PSP.
Games for Consoles, in order:
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Assassin-s-Creed/dp/B000P46NMK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Assassin's Creed</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Assassin-s-Creed-II-Platinum-Hits-edition/dp/B00269DXCK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Assassin's Creed II - Platinum Hits edition</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Assassin-s-Creed-Brotherhood/dp/B003L8HQ7S/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Assassin-s-Creed-Revelations/dp/B004YVOCYG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Assassin's Creed: Revelations</a>
Assassins Creed III has been in development for over 3 years making it the longest of the Assassins Creed games.
STORY
With that many releases, it is difficult to keep up with the story line but, to summarize, you play as Desmond Miles who has the ability to play through the memories of his past ancestors in set periods of time.
In Assassins Creed III, you play through the protagonist Desmond Miles, once again, but control Ratonhnhake, also known as Connor, in Colonial America during with the backdrop of the events that led up to, as well as during, the American revolution as the game covers 30 years of Conners life starting in 1753 to 1783. During this time Connor will travel to important American cities such as Boston and New York as well as meet historical characters of significance such as Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington Himself.
The main focus is, of course, the Assassin-Templar War that is still raging but has reached the shores of America.
GAMEPLAY & COMBAT
The gameplay and controls have been improved upon. The free-running and combat systems have been honed to near perfection. It is enjoyable to run around the sandbox world scaling rock faces and jumping across the pine trees that dot the landscape.
The combat has changed somewhat. It is still relatively simplistic with the part-and-counter system but is exciting with new fight and gruesome kill animations.
There is the new addition of naval missions added to the game as well as a source of transportation.
GRAPHICS & PRESENTATION
The game has shipped for the consoles with numerous graphics glitches. You will see people, animals, and objects preforming actions such as disappearing in building or surrounding objects, floating mid-air, or preforming repetitious twitchy actions.
The graphics are an improvement over previous releases. It is amazing that the consoles are entering their sixth year of life and publishers are still being able to squeeze graphical improvements and learning new ways to push them to their limits.
The detail of the entire world is simply overwhelming and immersive. You will simply be lost in awe walking down the streets of the cities looking at the surrounding buildings witnessing a bustling city full of people and the noise of daily activity. This carries over into the outside world as you listen to the crunch sound of snow beneath your feet as you traverse the wilderness.
The crowd physics have been improved tremendously as crowds are an important aspect of the Assassins Creed world.
CHALLENGE
It is difficult for me to state a challenge here. I am a 32 year old who only plays games casually. I am unable to beat even the simplest of games such as Super Mario Brothers but play these games for the fun factor. I found the game to be very challenging but not to the point where I was ready to throw the controller at the wall in frustration due to an impenetrable roadblock in my progression.
MULTIPLAYER
Not utilized at this time
PROS:
++ Graphical Improvement over previous entries into series
++ Improved controls
++ Hours of gameplay
++ Huge world to freely roam in between key storyline missions
CONS:
++ Numerous bugs exist in the game ranging from graphical glitches to bugs that, sometimes, prevent mission objects from being completed.
++ First part of the game is very restrictive and slow paced. Numerous cutscenes
++ Hefty load times
CONCLUSION
This is a definite must buy for the 2012 holiday season and is in the running for my top 3 games of the year. It is a welcome addition to the Assassins Creed series and worthy of being called the true third sequel in the series. | video-games_xbox |
Great sound! Works with just about anything. I think the headset is great! It has great sound and works with everything i have. The USB transmitter is an awesome idea for making the headphones work wirelessly. You can get wireless sound off of anything that has a usb port and a headphone jack. Your not limited to only being able to use them on the console it was made for. Or you can use a wire and connect to other things as well. Cd player, ipod, handheld games, etc.
I love using it on my 3DS. Like if im on my 360 and its not late I would still rather have my stereo cranked up. But when I'm playing on my 3DS, sometimes its just not loud enough. It can be hard to get immersed in the sound of the game. But with the headphones playing games like resident evil: revelations. I notice alot more than I did before. Definitely adds to the game.
For other features. The sound settings are cool. It has 3 built in sound settings so you can tune the sound a little to your ears liking. The built in battery holds its charge for a long time. Maybe I don't use it as much as other people will but i've had the head set a few weeks and havn't had to charge it a second time yet. But don't worry its charging cable its like 8 feet long so you can just plug it in while you use it! lol
Only thing I can mention that some people may complain about is the distance you can get from the USB transmitter without lossing the signal. The box says that it can reach 100 feet. Yeah it probably can if there is nothing to obstruct the signal. But lets face it my living room isn't over 100 feet long! I can plug it into my computer in my room and not lose the signal till im outside. So for my place its perffect. But the more walls that get inbetween you and the trasnmitter, that will shorten the distance.
Overall for the production quality, sound quality, and connectivity of the headset. IMO I think it is well worth the price. I would probably say worth more. | video-games_xbox |
WARNING: SPOILERS. This game was atrocious. I had seen dozens of commercials and gameplay trailers for this game before it came out. It looked amazing. I got it and played it and I couldn't believe that I had spent 60 dollars on this awful creation. First let's talk about the hub world. I had heard news that you would be able to explore that Hall of Justice, the Hall of Doom, the Justice League Watchtower, and several different Green Lantern Worlds. That seemed like the best hub yet. However, after Lego Batman 2 had Gotham City as the hub world and Lego Marvel Superheroes having New York City as the hub world, the hub in Lego Batman 3 felt like there wasn't enough space. (ironic since half the time, you're in space) The only places that you could really feel enough space around you was on the moon and the Lantern Worlds. Although, while the Lantern Worlds have a pretty cool design, they look more like a level from Super Mario Galaxy. Oa especially disgusted me. There was so much imagination and thought that could have gone into this, yet it's nothing but a few roads and towers. And I can't figure out how to fly the vehicles. In Lego Marvel, while the flying could get glitchy at times, the controls were still simple. Double press X to fly, hold X to go higher and hold O to go lower. (I own a PS3) However, in this game, I can't make heads or tails of the flying. I can't figure out how to go higher or lower and trust me, I've pressed every button on the controller. The story mode isn't terrible, however. It's pretty fun to play if you have nothing better to do. However, it clearly rips off Lego Marvel (I know I'm mentioning that game a lot) Here's the plot: Brainiac has come to Earth, attracted by the Green Lantern beam from Lego Batman 2. He plans to shrink the Earth to put in his ship so he can gain enough knowledge about it. So, in order to stop him, the Legion of Doom and the Justice League have to team up and put their differences aside until the end of the game where they beat the crap out of each other. Now here's the plot to Lego Marvel: Loki is using the tesseract to lure Galactus to Earth. Galactus plans to eat the earth to quench his hunger. So, in order to stop him, the heroes and villains have to team up and put their differences aside until the end of the game where they beat the crap out of each other. Sound familiar?! It also rips off the part where the heroes in Lego Marvel travel to Asgard through a portal. The portal they use in Lego Batman 3 to travel to the Lantern Worlds and different environments looks exactly the same and controls the same, except it's purple this time. So, at the end of the story (SPOILERS!!!!!) Brainiac himself is shrunk and put in a glass jar. So, they hand him over to the government so they can guard him and make sure he never escapes. No, I'm just messing with you! Instead, they give Brainiac to Lex Luthor and the Joker. Yeah, becouse they can be trusted. Of course, like idiots, they break the glass jar and I guess that brings Brainiac to full size and the game ends on a cliffhanger. Well, that was a dumb idea. I guess you shouldn't have given the greatest enemy of Earth to a criminal mastermind and a psychotic genius. Whoops! Now, before I end this review I want to say the few good things that this game has to offer. 1. Again, the story mode is pretty decent. Not anything special, but it's enough. 2. There are plenty more characters from the DC Universe that you can unlock. One of them is Bat-Cow which I can't wait to unlock for some reason. 3. Another one of those characters is FRANKENSTEIN!! I don't know where he fits into the DC Universe, but I don't care. He is probably the best character in any Lego game. He looks awesome and his gameplay and combos are the best. So, that's just my personal opinion of the game. I know there are many people who really like the game. I can't see why but I can respect their opinions. If you still want to buy the game, then let this just be a warning. I personally hope that you enjoy the game as much as I couldn't. | video-games_xbox |
Underappreciated, brilliant, spellbinding. This is one of my favorite original Xbox games - the very first play through was among the most incredible video gaming experiences I ever had because it felt even more open than it was/although your options are more limited you don't see the way you are being directed or backed into a given direction which is exactly how a game should be. The Deus Ex series was in part famous for giving more open ended gameplay - similar to Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect where you could play good or evil, but Deus Ex took it even further - instead of a simplistic "good/evil" mechanic you actually have more like four warring factions (which was more like six earlier in the game if I remember right but by the end it's only four real opposing sides) of different ways to play through it, and each and every side makes an incredibly strong case why their way is the RIGHT one. I felt genuine moral quandaries listening to the appeals of each group explaining why they were right and being forced to choose. You can stick with one group all through the game, or betray and switch sides later in the game, or double cross and go back again if you haven't burned your bridges beyond repair. This game definately plays in the grey zone morally and as such remains a step above KOTOR or Mass Effect in that area.
The writing in this game is absolutely brilliant. This was one of the first games i've played where it genuinely felt like a "real world" with actual consequences - at one point I was giving offhand advice to a certain shop owner to go up against someone corrupt that I thought nothing of, when I later caught an in-game news flash about that person ending up dead in the river it shocked me because it was my advice that influenced them. The future it talked of was brilliantly researched and ahead of it's time - everything from transgenic organisms to nanotechnology to arcologies intelligently put into a credible sci fi future, with the same awareness of conspiracies and being lied to by those above you like in the original game. Some have said that this sequel is dumbed down compared to the original but I can't see how - the interface is less complex but all the plot twists are still there.
Open ended gameplay is it's strong point - you can deal with nearly any situation with violence, stealth, or some type of cleverness such as computer hacking. Again still one step beyond the "only violence or ONE way of stealth" type gameplay that modern stealth-em-ups offer, sometimes there seem to be six or more ways to solve a given problem or get through a different area.
This game was one of the first to have a robust physics engine - pick up in game crates or barrels and place them to make physical barricades, ragdoll physics on enemies so that depending how they are affected by bullets or explosions they go one way or another, again this was very ahead of it's time when it first came out. Graphics were also cutting edge for the time with lighting and shadowing systems, it was among the better looking original Xbox games that I remember ever seeing and from the very first intro movie your thrown right into the action and are forced to think on your feet immediately.
Considering how cheap the game is now on the used market now it would be a fine game for any collection. Unfortunately this game DOES NOT list as Xbox 360 compatible! You will need an original Xbox to play. It is possible that a RGH/JTAG modded Xbox 360 could play this game with unlocked emulator profiles - I do not have one so have no idea but for what i've heard there were modified emulator profiles which let the 360 play ALL older Xbox games with varying levels of success, with many 'unapproved' games still working just fine. There is a decent chance it would because Thief Deadly Shadows is listed as a supported game and that uses the exact same game engine that Deus Ex does so I don't understand why one would be listed and the other is not.
As it is it's a shame this game is not easily playable on modern consoles like the 360 because it was one of the finest the original console had to offer. I would even say it superior to the newer Human Revolution title in terms of actual open ended gameplay and depth, and quite possibly worth picking up an original Xbox just to be able to play since they go for as cheap as $20 used as of 2014. That or of course buying a PC version I guess as it's also available there/that's likely to be more useful to many people. | video-games_xbox |
Introduction to FFxiii2. I've officially warped back into the final fantasy dimension with Final Fantasy XIII-2. Yes, I've really come to miss this RPG franchise, and it seems like light years ago when I last found myself immersed in an FF game. In Square's quest to keep its flagship I.P fresh and afloat , we have seen a series of evolutionary paths taken by Japan's premiere rpg developer. In time, the company itself has shown progress in form of its merging with another legend in gaming- Enix (of DragonQuest fame!).
With forces joined, the now Square-Enix development team have created their midway point of the FFXIII trilogy with this installment, an adventure that skips back in forth through alternate universes, whose heroin is the little sister of the saga's main protagonist - Lightning. Serah, a petite ,pink haired, blue eyed chick with an apparent warrior spirit must find her sister, who had sacrificed her self for the world. It seems that alternate universes are converging, called paradoxes, and Serah has visions that offer insight into the mysterious happenings. Lightnings survival may be in her hands.
Without spoiling the story too much, I will say that the plot in Xiii-2 is fascinating due to the over lapping of various times ,universes and realities. Though it mainly is used as a story arc, you can bounce back in forth through time and space to do your questing and missions. Worlds tie into each other frequently to complete objectives, learn skills and find objects of interest or importance.
And I must say that so far, its made FFXIII-2 interesting. This multi verse, of sorts, is accessed through crystal gateways, activated with certain artifacts you find.
Concerning combat mechanics, gameplay that once overwhelmed me is becoming a bit more second nature. While not all together intuitive, xii-2's battle system requires an inquiring mind and the game provides us with lots of text to read with a deep menu filled with tutorials and primers, regarding tactics and systems one must learn to deploy in a fight. Systems like Paradigm Shifting. Though it sounds lofty, once you invest appropriate time in really understanding the battle system, it makes the game far more enjoyable.
When it comes to character building, we're given a skill tree, deep in its potential in leveling myriad skills and proficiencies. You can even catch lots of enemy creatures and summon them to your side in combat, with the ability to level up those creatures , of course. So that's a plus. A gameplay addition that always seems to add addictive quality to an RPG.
Did I mention that you can obtain clothing for your characters? Downloadable content is available, and to me, i love deep character customization, and FF doesn't give you much ways to edit characters usually, so this was cool. Though I would of loved a full character editor, I understand that Square-Enix want to protect character design integrity that serves the story and the personality of the writer's character. Story plays a huge role in FF games and is another plus for the franchise. Great story telling makes a game great.
Now I've yet to mention sound and presentation. The games audio sounds tight and high quality, with a musical score that's a mix of Japanese pop and orchestral compositions. Its a fusion of electronic and organic instrumentation, and seems to really know how to evoke a sense of adventure and love. Their seems to be a lot of heart in FF stories, its something quite characteristic of the Japanese. Always so in tune with sights and sounds of beauty. It seems to have a subtle spirituality about it. Graphics in this game are smooth, vivid and realistic. Worlds and various locals appear pretty sharp and detailed, allowing you to zoom into your character from all angels. Again, this game is very Japanese and sensual in art design. Serah looks quite impressive. Along with her partner in time, Noel, a dude that reminds me of Sora from Kingdom Hearts XD. Ya, that's right. I knew that Noel reminded me of something. But anyway, the visuals in xiii-2 are fresh and invite to explore them. I just wished they gave you an option of a larger on-screen map that had levels of transparency to toggle, Cuz the tiny circle of a map sucks when u have to pause and go into the big menu to find the map section. When navigating, I'd like the option to see the big map at the same time I'm moving in real time. That would be a welcome software patch devs could give us.
Though I'm only about 10% into the game (this game is pretty huge when you actually open your mind to all it has to offer) so far I am impressed and very excited about progressing and leveling up. The story is intriguing beyond one's interest in the main characters. The world and its inhabitants being ruled over by self proclaimed gods, involving war and other plot twists make for a smart plot. Hopefully as I experience more of the game, the story will get better, along with the gameplay.
I will update this review with more details into the music and art of the game and how well the battle mechanics have established themselves.
From this stand point, I would recommend this game to any lover of Japanese RPGs and final fantasy fan with an open mind, but above all, I'd invite the gaming community at large to play this because its a great step in the evolution of such a legendary franchise of gaming. Final Fantasy XIII-2 has revitalized series and I hope Square-Enix learn to evolve and innovate more with the Lightning saga.
Again, this is just a pre-review. Its not as in depth as it will be later, after I've played through 100% of the game! So stay tuned! | video-games_xbox |
Unfortunate Disappointment. No Spoiler Review
I will begin this review like so many before me by saying that I am a long time fan of Bioware products. I have simply loved every RPG they've made since the original Baldur's Gate. Even after the extraordinary let down of this expansion I still hold out that Bioware is one of the top tier game developers out there. Now, that said lets get to why this expansion isn't worth your time or money.
Character Development:
This has to be one of the most prevalent issues with this game. Dragon Age: Origins was rich with story and character background, not only yours, but that of your companions. It actually took time throughout your playthrough of the game to get to know your comrades in arms, and it was actually quite easy for me as the players to get so immersed that I found myself actively liking and disliking them. This however is not the case for Awakening.
A lot of people have commented on how lame the Orlesian Grey Warden is, due to his lack of "Origin". Well I will counter, not really different from your imported character. After recently finishing DA:O Awakening I feel I can say this with a fresh memory of what I've just experienced and honestly, nothing you do in DA:O transfers over to Awakening with the exception of who you put on the throne, and even that might be altered drastically depending on the romances you set up in DA:O. So honestly, my opinion onthe Orlesian... Great idea. Allows those who just picked up Awakening by accident not realizing DA:O was the original to play through without having to start at level 1 and miss what new content was added for this expansion.
As for your new party members. I just didn't care for any of them, with the exception of one familiar face. Each on of them felt like they were trying to rush themselves into my character (and my own) affections. In most cases my character knows these people less than a day and they're already best friends. Felt hackneyed. Hated it.
Added Content:
This was another major disappointment for me. This expansion pack actually felt like it was taking more away from the original than adding. You're confined to Ameranthine. There is no going outside of Ameranthine. You just have... Ameranthine... And while they do a decent enough job of trying to fool you into believing this is a large new land to explore... It simply isn't. In fact, not only is is small, its also boring! Its every generic landscape thats been in every B-rated RPG for the past ten years! I wasn't wowed once by any of the locales.
I would've loved to been able to explore the rest of Fereldan, see how my actions affected it, check out the gradual rebuild of Denerim and Redcliffe, alas, I'm stuck in dusty old Ameranthine.
The new specializations aren't all that great either. With the exception of the two new rogue specializations I didn't find the other four to be all that useful. The new skills really didn't affect the outsome of any of my battles either with the exception of increased hardiness.
Now this brings up a MAJOR beef of mine. The new Runecrafting, and, well, other crafting abilities. For some reason, the people of Ameranthine, they can't make anything on their own! Holy crap! I LOATHE crafting, in any game, HATE IT! While its a horrendous affair in most games, Awakening has given me a all new hatred for this game mechanic. Not only do you have to craft all your own ruins, and the majority of the more effective potions, BUT you have to do so under the confines of your extremely limited inventory space which naturally I didn't waste my character's talent points on runecrafting so I had to suffer through loading screens every time I wanted to make new runes but would run out of materials (due to not having enough inventory space) and have to return to the shop to get more blank runestones to go out and suffer another loading screen to make my runestones again.
Now you might ask, why even go through all that trouble? They make it kinda mandatory. In order to get the weapon weapon in the game, well, you gotta make runestones. CURSE YOU BIOWARE! Ahem... Sorry.
As for weapons and armor, while they did recieve a texturing update to most of the new sets that made them look quite attractive, there are no new models to speak of so you're still looking at the same armor types as you did throughout your whole DA:O experience. Not a big deal really, but for the price I expected more.
Story:
Its a decent enough plot. Rushed, short, but decent. I imagine though everything that happened in this expansion will merely be a footnote in the next expansion. Can't really say a lot here without any spoilers so I'll leave it at that.
Overall Experience:
Not not worth the $40 pricetag. At best this is a $20 expansion, and even then I feel like thats stretching it. My recommendation if you absolutely must play this game is to either rent (easily beaten in the usual rental timeframe), or wait until you can find a used copy for $20 or less. Not a bad idea really considering I predict before the year is out they'll be releasing another expansion to tie up the whole Darkspawn/Grey Warden storyline. Not really part of my review, but my money is on Dragon Age 2 being set in Tevinter and no I don't think they'll be importing characters from DA:O (which isn't really a bad thing considering my Grey Warden started his adventure in his thong with this import). | video-games_xbox |
The only way to play MK. This thing is solid. It's like someone sawed off a piece of the arcade machine and gave it to you. Even though you pay for it, it still feels like someone gave it to you. And it feels exactly like the arcade. You'll never have to play with some crummy d-pad and weird button config again. It works with MK9 and the original trilogy which is included with this Klassic version of the stick. I can't vouch for it working with any other MK games, but let's face it, if you're like me and interested in the Arcade Kollection, you probably don't care about the other MK games.
While the hardware is EXCELLENT (Shang Tsung claps enthusiastically in the background) the Klassic stick unfortunately lacks the hinged opening case which was a great feature of the MK9 stick; which opens for storage and access to the inner workings for repair purposes (yes I've already had to replace one HAPP switch on my MK9 stick and opted to replace the A, B, X, and Y buttons with their respective colors to make training on Xbox a little easier to learn) so I tend to use this one less often than the MK9 stick because I want to keep it running nicely since repairs won't be quite as easy.
My only complaints are minor, and in regards to the software, so Ed Boon, if you're listening, please take note...
First of all there are a few glitches that some may try to argue were in the original game, but I am positive they were not. The awesome Goro music in MK1 cuts off after a few bars and you're left to fight the monster in anticlimactic silence. There's also some weird echoing of the fanfare on the Vs. screen in MK2. There are probably a few others, but these are the most noticeable so far...
The button config could have been a little easier to use, namely that RB should have been the "start" button because that tiny xbox start button is impossible to find in the heat of battle when Dan Forden pops out and says "toasty" on the Portal stage in MK2 and you're trying to hit start so you can fight Smoke. The RB button is in the right place for where the start button was on the arcade console, and would have been a much more natural placement for arcade fans who know by feel where the start button should be for Random Select. Clearly the software was designed with only the standard xbox controller in mind, and therefore favors people who casually dropped a mere 10 bucks for a cheap game download, and slights hardcore fans who lovingly spent $130 (original price) for the full Mortal Kombat Arcade experience. How hard would it have been to add a different control preset?
And personally, I would have loved the option to play regular MK3 and not just the George Lucasized Ultimate MK3.
Anyway, the game has some bugs but is still playable, and unfortunately since the video game industry is so screwed up, they probably will never be patched.
But obviously it's the hardware that's of interest here, and it's definitely worth getting. Xbox controllers work on PCs, so even if you don't have an Xbox, get one to play MK on your computer! | video-games_xbox |
Marvel invades the Lego Universe. Growing up one of my favorite toys were legos as you could create anything you imagined. There have been a series of video games based off of serious movie and comic franchises. From Indiana Jones to Star Wars there have been a lego video game based off of it. Now Tell Tale games have unleashed their latest game called Lego Marvel Super Heroes but is this a game you will want to play?
The game centers on the villains that have banded together to free their brethren from secured facilities. From Rykers Island to the Raft six groups have been formed and each of them are in charge of all the lackeys underneath them. The six teams are led by such iconic villains such as Ultron & Loki , Dr. Doom, Tinkerer, Dormammu & Baron Mordo, Magneto & Mystique and Enchantress, Executioner, and the Mandarian. They have banded together to build a Doom Ray of Doom to unleash against the world. Nick Fury decides that he is going to need some help on this one as he summons the worlds greatest heroes to help him capture these bad guys.
And the roster of heroes that you will be able to play as is just as immense. Thor, Wolverine, Spiderman and Deadpool are just a sampling of the great characters you can play as. Each of the missions allows you to choose between two heroes and go against hordes of a common enemy. For example the first mission that takes place in New York has two heroes (Spiderman and Nova) going after the Sinister Six. And the bosses of course reflect this as you will be going up against Doctor Octopus , Electro and others.
One of the unique features of this game are the comic missions that you can undergo. Some of the more iconic missions are going after your uncles killer as Spiderman. Or you can head over to Japan as Wolverine to battle the Silver Samurai. These comic missions are a nice touch to the game as you can relive some of your favorite memories in Marvel history.
With a huge roster of heroes and villains, a great story and some really cool comic missions this is a must have if you're a comic book fan. | video-games_xbox |
Still the Best Indy Game. Indiana Jones doesn't have the strong legacy of video games he deserves. There've been a handful of successful titles, like "Fate of Atlantis" for the PC in 1992, or the SNES game that took all 3 films and crammed them into a fun cartridge. I'm also a big fan of "Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" for the Nintendo, but that's another story.
The X-Box version of "Emperor's Tomb", however, remains my favorite videogame for this character. I don't know how it compares to the PS2 version, or if there's a patch for the X-Box 360. But if you've got one of the original X-Box machines, then this is a game worth owning.
I won't boggle you with plot details, suffice to say that this feels very much like an Indy game in terms of location, colorful character, and artifact hunting. The story, as silly as it is, actually threads together quite well. You actually wanna know what happens next. And even if you don't, you're having too much fun to care.
The biggest strength of this game is the combat engine. Even more than 6 years after it first came out, "Emperor's Tomb" has very solid brawling mechanics. It's a blast to punch the bad guys, and it rarely feels clumsy. There are often weapons lying around for you to use, from guns to clubs. Breaking a table and using the legs as weapons is my favorite method of punishment; shoving a guy onto a ledge, forcing him to flip far below, is a close second. The gun combat works relatively well, with an acceptable cover mechanic, and decent hit detection. There are some occasional clipping issues, but it's so much fun that you won't care.
The graphics are still very good. Character models look nice, and are animated very well. There are some glitches with characters getting stuck in walls, but they're minor complaints. There are some creature and environmental effects that are nicely done, and the locations' architechture is crisp.
The music is awesome. John Williams' iconic "Raiders March" is used in many ways, from heart-pounding victory to suspensful covert operations. And the original score composed for the game is excellent; it would've fit perfectly in an Indiana Jones movie.
The puzzles are relatively easy to solve, most of them being glorified item-hunting quests. The platforming and use of the whip is somewhat problematic. Jumping often involves grabbing onto ledges, and you'll miss some jumps that feel a little cheap. Thankfully there's a very good checkpoint system in place so that you don't have to retread too much ground. Whipping is good for platforming, but worthless in combat. I suppose that makes sense, but it would've been nice for the whip to have a little more effect when facing the villains.
The worst aspect of "Emperor's Tomb" has to with the levels. Even though you go to some exciting locations and engage in some neat puzzles & exploration, the levels are simply broken into too many segments. For example, there's a chapter where Indy must escape a prison in Istanbul Turkey. But rather than just being a jailbreak, this levels is prolonged into an excavation through the Turkish underground, involving tridents and Krakens and other strange aquatic mythology. The levels are fun to play through, but they're so long that they interrupt the flow of the story. After finishing one checkpoint, you'll sigh when you realize the next load screen is yet another room in the same location. Some may find this repetitive. I say that it's always great fun to play "Emperor's Tomb", if you can accept that there is no logical reason for Indiana Jones to explore as much as he ends up doing.
But isn't that a great insult to give to a videogame --- "It's longer than it needs to be." If being lengthy is the worst I can throw at "Emperor's Tomb" (along with a few forgivable technical issues), then you should jump right in and grab this one. The controls are tight. The combat is fun. The exploration is gorgeous to look at. The sound is LucasArts quality. The Indy adventure would've made an excellent movie with more tightening. This is the best of the Indiana Jones videogame catalog.
I wish I could be more help in getting this to work on an X-Box 360. But I can promise that however you can play this game, it'll be worth the trouble. Isn't Indy worth it, after all? | video-games_xbox |
A low-budget Game of Thrones RPG that is actually quite good. I admit that I feel sorry for this game. Created by a small development studio with an even smaller budget, it's attempting to give justice to one of the most complex and interesting fantasy settings in recent history. Despite insight from George R.R. Martin and help from the show producers and actors, the game was shuffled out the door with no advertising at all. It was basically doomed to fail at market, which is a true shame, since the game is actually quite good. Putting aside all of the misdirection in how the game release was handled, I will try to give you a good idea of what exactly you'll be getting in this game.
Game of Thrones (the game) puts a large emphasis on story and character, which should be no surprise to fans of the series. Without giving any spoilers, the story progresses through the view of two characters. The first, Mors, is a black brother at the wall who is a disgraced former knight that took the black to avoid the noose. He is gruff, remorseless, and fits in very well with the harsh conditions in the north. The second is Alester Sarwyk, who is in the south, and is the eldest son of a noble family that controls an area known as Riverwood. After learning that his father has died, Alester comes back from exile, where he had learned the ways of the Red Priests. His pious devotion to his God puts him at odds with the rest of his men, and his is the story of an elder son trying to claim his birthright. The story is actually quite well told, with some voice actors from the show giving their performances. There are twists that you'll expect, along with some that come out of nowhere and leave you happily taken aback. Overall, the story does a great job of capturing the complex political machinations and gray morality that makes it so entertaining. Also, just to point out, the game has nothing to do with the books or the show, but rather takes place during the first novel, so if you're worried about spoilers, then just watch season 1/read the first book and you'll be good. However, if you've read all the books, then some references will be more meaningful.
While the story is surprisingly good, if the gameplay isn't there, then the game would still fall flat. Well there's good news and bad news. The game isn't broken. Its basically an uninspired copy of Dragon Age: Origins. As you level up, you unlock a variety of skills that can be used in combat. There's some depth in that certain skills can build on others, like if one causes an enemy to bleed, then another does 3x damage if an enemy is bleeding. Additionally, each character has a unique skill tree, where Mors is a skinchanger and can level up his dog companion, and Alester can level up his R'hllor skill tree. Again, nothing groundbreaking, but enough to make the combat measurably entertaining. Outside of combat, the game again takes a page out of Dragon Age, where Westeros is broken into zones like "Mole's Town" or "King's Landing", and you select each location from an overhead map, rather than a true sprawling open world game. The two characters actually have subtlety different styles of gameplay. Of the two, I find Alester the more entertaining in terms of story. His campaign is focused more on politics and intrigue rather than fighting, but both Mors and Alester will do their fair share of both fighting and talking. Basically, the gameplay takes a backseat to the story, but its entertaining enough to not drag down the experience.
The presentation is where the game really shows its low budget and small development team. The graphics are blocky, muddy and overall poor. It gets to the point where dramatic scenes are often lessened just because everything looks goofy, and the poor animations during conversation sequences don't help things. On a happier note, the music is decent, and as said before, the voice acting is fairly solid throughout. Overall, you're going to have to decide if you enjoy Game of Thrones enough to put up with some truly shoddy presentation and decent if uninspired gameplay. Personally, I found the game to be rewarding and the story kept me invested up until the end. Just know that the game is an underdog, with a budget and development team smaller than most all other major releases, and temper your expectations to match. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. | video-games_xbox |
Did Not Work for Me. Ugh. I really hate writing negative reviews on a product with good ratings. I feel like I'm the hidden needle of fault in a haystack of goodness.
Before I start with a review, I want to note that I have 3ish years of amateur disassembly and reassembly prior to my five professional years as an electronics technician. I am will to bet 3 months pay checks that my dis & as was perfect. It was unbelievably smooth with no, "Uh, I have a few extra screws," or "I hope my prying did not crack/break anything," moments at the end.
Once I cleaned my 360 and as'd it, I fired it up. Worked perfectly - for about 3 hours. I ran Diablo 3 in that time. In about the 3rd hour, the white colors had a noticeably green tint, and the darker hues had a less noticeable green tint as well. Uh oh. I turned it off, and hoped that it would get better the next run. It did...for maybe an hour of Hulu streaming. All-in-all, I was able to eek out between 15 and 20 hours of Hulu, Netflix and D3 before it was finally lights out.
So why three stars instead of one if the product did not work?! Truthfully, everything else was great. The shipping was prompt without delay; the opening tool, the T8 L-wrench fit perfectly; the solvent razed the old thermal paste; the purifier seemed to finish up the job; the screws and washers fit adequately; the thermal paste was plenty. I have all of the positives with a failing end result. In my book, that's worth something. I will extend a thanks for a 60% well done, but I can't rate any higher than a 3.
Would I recommend this to a friend? Eh, possibly. It worked for others. I'm the exception, at least it seems, to the rule. If I did, I would extend a warning that the product took care of the dis & as easily with a failure to ultimately fix the problem.
Note: While I was getting those artifacts, I did Google for fixes. I tried clearing the cache, removing memory, used only an HDMI cable, swapped HDMI cables and tv ports, placed the 360 with no other electronics between it and the screen, and removed and replaced the HDD. I did not need to clean the disc, because I never ran a disc after the repair. | video-games_xbox |
Initial Impressions. CD Projekt Red had done it again. Like the Witcher 2, the Witcher 3 is a finely polished masterpiece with the addition of complete open-world freedom. Graphic quality is stunning not to mention the intricate 3D textures found nearly everywhere. Combat, though difficult is fluid and very natural as each attack or block flows into the next one flawlessly. The open-world is rich with hidden treasures and never feels as if it is empty or too large. Overall, if you enjoyed either of the first two Witcher games, you will love the Witcher 3 and if you are completely new to the series, this is a great place to start as the game can stand alone and still satisfy greatly.
The world of the Witcher 3 is filled with a plethora of side quests as well as Witcher quests which despite being comparatively short, are quite fun to play. Each is truly unique, though many share common objectives, and after immersing one's self in the open world of the Witcher, one not only will undertake such quests as a means of income but will want to play them for sheer personal enjoyment. The estimated 300 hours of possible gameplay was not an estimate for only those who are determined to 100% complete every game but for any who enjoys open world RPGs. The world positively reaches out and grabs you behind every hill there is something new, something to kill, to find, to explore, et cetera. Moreover, CD Projekt Red created not only a visually appealing world but one that feels alive. All NCP's have daily routines, interact with one another and truly are effected by every choice you (the gamer) makes. The weather patterns are realistic and effect NCP as well as monster behavior which in turn prompts alterations in combat tactics. Attention to detail is impeccable (even the amulet Geralt wears is hung on a chain comprised of individually meshed and weighted links) which further adds to the believably of the game. To quote a friend of mine who I chatted with on launch day: "Its not like playing a game, its like making a movie."
Finally, unlike many other games which shall remain nameless, I have not noticed a significant difference in the graphic quality of my copy (Xbox digital version) from the pre-launch videos released by CD Projekt Red. Although the Xbox One was rated to have the lowest graphic quality for the Witcher, unless you have worked in design or have developed a trained eye for such differences, you will most likely not notice it enough to warrant buying a different platform. | video-games_xbox |
Sadly, a let down. I wanted to love this game. I've never seen the AvP movies, but i grew up enjoying the first two installments of each separate franchise, "Aliens" being my favorite.
So I had mixed expectations about what I might be in store for when I picked up AvP for my 360. The funny thing is that I was mostly concerned with how the source material would be represented, but that's not what turned out to be the problem.
The game looks good, and pulls off much of the atmosphere and look that I was craving. The interwoven story of the 3 species-specific campaigns does a good job of moving the action without getting too silly, but at the expense of becoming awfully bland and generic.
Regardless, what becomes painfully apparent once the novelty of playing a game set in this world wears off, is that AvP is really not a very good game. The campaigns play like extended tutorials. They're fun, but short, and once they're over, there's really no point in ever playing them again. So you're left with online multiplayer.
The multiplayer stinks. From square one, finding matches is frustrating and boring. You'll spend most of your time staring at a 3D facehugger and listening to an obnoxious multi-layered hum, and once you get into a game you're thrown from purgatory into complete chaos. Any game type that allows species mixing is a joke, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
The main issue here is control. Each species has a specific set of controls that aren't individually problematic, but end up feeling all over the place whenever you switch from using one to the other. On top of that, the melee fighting is so clunky and confusing that I generally avoid it all together. That leaves me playing as a marine all the time, which is reasonably fun, but since my two friends who have this game like playing as predators, I can't develop a reliable team of marines to play alongside.
And that's the ultimate deathblow to this game. Not many people have it. It's not good enough to pull in non-fans of the franchise, so out of the 20-some friends in my list, only the 3 of us have it. And we're already back to playing older, better games.
Rent this if you like the movies, otherwise don't bother. | video-games_xbox |
Stellar Headphones...that come with xbox stuff. I'll write this review in 3 parts, one for the unit quality, the second for the headset as it functions with the Xbox One, and third for the headset as it functions on it's own. I'll try and make this as in-depth as I can, without getting overly technical...
Build Quality: The headset is quick and easy to get setup, although you will probably need to do a quick firmware update to the controller you attack the headset too. The headset already comes with the headset adapter for the controller (a $25 value) and all the cables you'll need to connect it, even a usb cable to make sure you have one for the previously mentioned firmware update. That is just solid awesome love for your customers, in my book. Polk is already treating you well, before the headset is even in use. The headset itself is stylishly designed and not overly large, so you won't look like a football coach wearing it. If wearing your headphones around in public is your thing, these will nicely accentuate your over-priced sneakers. Another large plus is that the band and brackets that hold the unit together are metal, so this unit is made to last a good long time. Finally, the unit itself is surprisingly comfortable for a set of headphones that is just not quite over-the-ear.
With the Xbone: Once the headset is setup, it functions pretty well...with some minor stipulations, which are mostly the Xbone's fault. The sound is fairly decent for a wireless signal. Certainly a large step up from using your TV sound, but it won't be replacing a home theater setup. You will, however, notice small blips in the audio the further you are from the console. My Xbox is only about 15 feet from the furthest point on my couch, but from there the blips are pretty constant. When I move closer to about 8-10 feet, they get less frequent, and under that they go away entirely. I might need to put my Xbox it a better wireless position, but just be aware it can be finicky. (The PS4 controllers don't have this same problem for whatever reason.) Like I said, that is an issue with the xboxs wireless signal, not these headphones. The mic is a spiffy little spring-loaded flip-down job that stays out of your way much better than a boom-mic. So your friends and squad-mates don't have to listen to your boogers, if you are a heavy breather. The sound quality is good enough for a VoIP application like Live, not sure about how it sounds for game streaming though. But honestly, if you are a game streamer, I probably find you very annoying anyway, and the less I hear your voice the better.
The headset: Okay, so it's a quality-built headset, with decent sound from the console. Now...unplug it from your controller and go hook it up to a proper sound device, and prepare to be very VERY happy with your purchase. The sound drivers that the Xbone uses to run it's sound through the controller simply do not do these cans justice. When I plug these into my computer (with a Soundblaster Z card) they absolutely come alive, and are stunning! The sound is very warm and immediate, with very deep and clear bass. I typically use a pair of $300 Sony MDR1R Headphones for music listening, and like most high-end cans, they tend to be a little light on the bass in favor of greater clarity. This Polk set, however, brings the bass and then some without making things muddy. I won't says they have quite the same level of clarity as the Sonys, but most people cant tell the difference. And even someone who can, like me, will still find these headphones VERY pleasing to listen to. As a quick test of speaker endurance, I boosted the volume on the headphones as high as I could comfortably take it, while listening to some dub-step (dont judge, we all have our vices). I could literally feel the headphones pulsing with the base-drops, but I could not detect any crackling or heavy distortion in the sound quality. This pleases me greatly.
As an audiophile I would still take the Sonys for listening to classical, or any other audio where quality is paramount. But for any music or movies where punch is valued over clarity, Id be happy to use these Polk cans. And for about half the price!
In short, I guess I should not have been this surprised. Polk has always been an exceptional manufacturer of sound equipment. So really here, you are getting a very competitively priced set of high quality headphones, that just also happen to be a solid headset, and come with a free Xbone adapter. What's not to love? | video-games_xbox |
Expectations... Be aware of what to expect in Dead Rising. Expectations can basically make or break this game. The problem I had w/ it and I think most others do is the fact we wanted to freely roam the mall while killing off as many zombies as we wanted with all the cool weapons avaliable. There would be a story to follow, but not in the annoying way it was implemented.
What CAPCOM delivered is slighly different from what most expected. The game takes place over 3 days, and within those 3 days you have to follow the game's main storyline within set time limits. Let clarify on that... you MUST get to certain story events within a certain time or you will loose out on the main story of the game. Side quests are avaliable, but you must pick and choose a few to do here and there because if you spend too much time on them, you will end up missing the main story. The game is made in such a way to MAKE you replay it two or three times atleast if you want to explore all the side quests and try to find all the cool weapons and things to see.
The issue with saving the game goes right along with the above... the developer didn't want you to be able to have multisaves and say take a different path or what not... they limited you to ONE save per XBOX360 profile. Everytime you save, you overwrite the last save. No other option. You can only save at the bathrooms and the safehouse. There is usually one save spot near each area, but it makes it a pain to save your progress.
Escort missings are a pain aswell as the people you try to save are extremly stupid. They try to fight zombies (and usually loose) and take forever to get where you call them to. You have to call for them over and over to try to direct them to safety.. again not so much fun.
The above reasons make you feel like the game is somewhat "job" like as it forces you to adhere to these requirements it has forcefully. It takes the edge off what could have been a five star game.
Why is the game still great? Well, it's extremly fun to go around killing zombies w/ just about everything you find along the mall stores (hedge clippers, chainsaws, bats, purses, etc..) and the game runs fast and smooth w/ nice looking visuals. Going around killing batches after batches of zombies just doesn't get old! Facial expressions look great and the zombie/weapon/voice sounds are perfect for the game. The voice acting great too IMO... its a shame that the few people you see in the game don't talk, you simply recieve subtitles for them.
I think the demo of the game also lead people to believe the game would be more free roaming that it actually is (fooled me) and that also plays a part in the initial dissapointment many are experiencing. Once you get over the fact that the you tied down by the clock and the subpar save system, you will enjoy the game though! Recommended! | video-games_xbox |
A welcome return to Rapture. It's almost difficult reviewing Bioshock 2 on its own merits given its similarity to the first game. The resemblance between the two isn't necessarily a bad thing though seeing as how solid and polished the original Bioshock was. But if you've played through the first game you have a pretty good idea what to expect here-sadistic splicers, upgradeable weapons, an arsenal of plasmids, unique gene tonics and a ubiquitous dictator-type figure. Luckily though, Bioshock 2 has a few new tricks to add to the familiar mix as well-even if they are somewhat minor.
The main additions to the game are two-fold. First are the Big Sisters, screeching "boss" type figures that attack like banshees when you've rounded up all the little sisters in the area. They're not really that difficult (especially with any metal piercing weapons you have on hand) but the fights are exciting and fun none the less. The second change to the game comes in the form of Adam collection. You still kill Big Daddy's like in the original game (an entirely more satisfying experience than should be allowed) and collect little sisters, but now there are a few more steps involved for maximum Adam collection. These extra steps get a bit repetitive and tedious after a while though especially when you're several levels deep in the game. I groaned a bit toward the end when I had to round up yet another trio of Little Sisters-knowing all the tedious steps involved in the process. I suppose you could add the ability to play as a Big Daddy as another new feature of Bioshock 2, but this doesn't really add to or change the experience enough to notice a significant difference.
There are a few new weapons in the game too-of which I found the drill immensely satisfying. (It's a lovely way to teach splicers a lesson or two about attacking you head on) There are new plasmids and gene tonics as well, but nothing remarkably different than those in the first Bioshock.
All in all-despite the feeling of Deja Vu, I really enjoyed this return to Rapture and will definitely play through this game again. Both games in the Bioshock series are incredibly polished and in my opinion give a resounding "YES!" to the idiotic question "are video games art". Every object, every environment, every effect in these games is a real beauty to behold. Add a haunting score and a sense of atmosphere to that mix and you have a truly immersive experience. I'm really looking forward to where they take this series in "Bioshock Infinite". | video-games_xbox |
Not the game changer I had hoped for. Titanfall is OK, and can be fun, but based on the hype I was truly hoping for a chance to reinvent my personal online experience. And this is because I truly suck compared to most FPS gamers. I am at best an average player that enjoys FPS's but the complete and utter suffering I have endured online during years of MW and COD have resulted in a series of premature abandonments of 60 dollar titles. Finally, for as much slack as it has received, Ghost's Squads totally saved my butt in online participation as I do OK and don't get slaughtered the minute I enter the field. With all the noise over Titanfall, I had hoped for a fresh chance to compete with all the other kids with its claims of original gameplay, so that I might have another opportunity to be OK online. But without the ability to practice in any way, no single player to try different styles, I still get butchered by the run-and-gunners. Sadly, Ghosts Squads (and the Ripper) still is a better online experience for the average (or below) player.
I will keep trying - I am better at parkouring, better at going up than across, but at the end of the day, competitive play is still the domain of the person who is twitchier than I.
I would like to add that I purchased this from Microsoft because they had a preorder 10 dollar store credit. Please, please never buy from them. I certainly won't again. I never received the credit, and trying to get this from MS has been absolutely painful. Long waits, getting passed around from the store to XBoxLive and back again without any resolution. Just astoundingly awful customer service, remarkably so.
BTW, and this has nothing to do with Amazon or the game other than I will never not buy a video game from Amazon again...finally got someone at the MS store to understand my problem, and she gave me a code after about 45 minutes of her talking to her supervisor. My guess is that she was just having a smoke break, cuz the code was just bogus. Seriously. Will never, ever, purchase from Microsoft again. | video-games_xbox |
Soo awesome. If you are about my age mid 30's and can remember as a youngster putting all your quarters or tokens in these arcade games back in the day? Then you will appreciate this collection of games you get for only $20. I hope they come out with more arcade games like this. For all the games you get this is a smoking deal. Amazon has the best price around and I got the games super fast.
I rate the following games:
720 10 out to 10 Skate of Die
A.P.B. 8 out 10 due to controls This game used to eat all my quarters for like 2 min of game play
Arch Rivals 10 out 10 Who does not like punching basketball players with green mohawks
Bubbles 5 out 10 strange game. Ants and bubbles WTF?
Championship Sprint 10 out of 10. Controls are super hard to get used too. Not like the easy Nintendo NES.
Tournament Cyberball 2072 10 out 10. This game used to intimidate me as a youngster and eat my tokens.
Defender 10 out 10 super retro fun
Defender 2 9 out 10
Gauntlet 10 out 10 Elf needs food badly (I would pay $20 just for this game alone)
Gauntlet 2 10 out of 10
Joust 10 out 10 Retro game fun always without the cigarette burn holes on the arcade buttons
Joust 2 10 out 10
Marble Madness 8 out 10 if you like this kind of stuff?
Pit-Fighter 10 out of 10 Kato, Ty, Buzz, nothing says I love you more than getting stabbed by the crowd/
Rampage 10 out 10 Eating people, smashing buildings, eating each other....oh yeah super fun.
Rampart 10 out 10 I still hate this game because it is soo hard but super fun
Robotron 2084 10 out 10 I loved this game. I wish they did food fight too!!!
Root Beer Tapper 10 out 10. Whats up with the guy who shakes the cans and makes u open them? LOL
Satan's Hollow 10 out 10 very strange Galaga style game but with Satan and lots of fire and green birds
Sinistar 10 out 10. This game still scars the crap out of me and brings back nightmares as a child. There would be a class action lawsuit if they allowed this in Chucke Cheese.
Smash TV 10 out 10 I would buy that for a dollar all day every day
Spy Hunter 10 out 10 just for the music alone. Ate all my tokens as a child.
Spy Hunter 2 0 out 10 this game is garbage. It was torture to play for 15 minutes just to get achievement YUCK
Super Off Road 10 out 10 Loved this game as a youth and controls just as wacked out as I remember them
Super Sprint 10 out of 10
Toobin' 10 out 10
Total Carnage 10 out 10 Big money, Big Prizes, I love it!!!
Vindicators Part 2 5 out 10. This game sucks and controls are all crazy just like back in the day.
Wizard of War 10 out 10. Scary fun game. Use your radar knight....Super robotic voice... LOL
Xenophobe 10 out of 10. This game is just straight up Alien the movie fun in a comic book way.
Xybots 10 out 10 | video-games_xbox |
Free costumes. Updated!!!
Hold your horses folks! I just found out there's a glitch in this game that will let you play all characters alternative costumes for FREE!
The only thing is...you have already have at least one alternative costume to be able to use this "glitch". All you need to do is select a character with their alternative costume already. Then select their assist type, (pick any one). Now scroll over to a character that you want an alternative costume for. Here's the very important part, you must be quick and it must be timed right. You have to press the cancel button twice and as you as you press the second cancel button you press "LB button" right after. The LB button is the "key". It can't be too fast, but it can't be too slow either - it has to be perfect! It's almost like you're pressing both buttons at the same time, but it's a millisecond off. If you did it right, you will see the character now say he/she has the alternative costume available to pick.
Remember it's all about speed, timing, and luck! Don't expect to get this trick done on your first, second, or third, fourth, even fifth try. I don't know how many times, I had to try it before I saw the alternative costume appear and got it. Oh almost broke my fingers trying to do it. lol
Finally, afterwards, I don't know how many attempts - I got it!!! At first I thought it not working, but when I got it, the clouds open up and the sun comes in to see the NEW FREE COSTUMES.
Also, you can only do the glitch for your first 2 characters and the 3rd character will just have to pick a regular outfit or something.
This also works with the Herald costumes to get more Herald costumes.
I don't expect to ever update this game ever again! Oh Capcom...you really surprised me sometimes. But, I'm on to you. Thanks for the glitch! Now leave us alone with it. ha ha
This glitch will save you $20 buck! Got to love it!
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I got the first MVC3 game when it came out at launch day at midnight. I waited over 10 freaking years to play MVC3. When I got home, it was totally not worth the money that I paid for it, $60 plus tax!!! I already notice that there were no additional modes then the standard arcade mode, training, and missions. This game quickly became very boring to play.
9 months later, UMVC3 came out. I bought this game from Amazon at launch day, Nov. 15. I started to play it and what you know, it was better than the original. This game should had been the REAL MVC3 from day 1. If they needed to make the fans wait 9 more months for this than why not? We waited over 10 years already, what's 9 months!
The 12 additional characters did make the original game better than without. The old characters were better to play with because they all did get more moves to play with. The additional stages helped. Later we got an additional mode, heroes and heralds mode. But, I could not shake the feeling that Capcom did rip off the fans by making MVC3 dead with UMVC3.
Yes, yes, one can argue that Capcom did not force me or any fan to buy UMVC3. Yes, we did get 12 characters more and they would costs less than buying 1 at a time. Yes, Capcom has been doing this kind of stuff for years since Street Fighter 2 by upgrading their game. Yes, $40 is worth the money for all the stuff in UMVC3. So, yes, I do see the reasoning for Capcom actions, but in no way do I agree with it.
Capcom is one of those companies that want to milk a person for all they are worth with this game. Is the Galactus mode and H&H mode really all the sorry the fans going to get since they bought MVC3? People that just got UMVC3 won't even get the DLC characters, Jill and Shuma for free. Capcom still want to milk people for those characters, but hey, if you buy them, you get a free costumes in UMVC3. Worth it?
Since we are talking about costumes, Capcom likes doing this new thing while playing against the AI in arcade mode. Now when you fight the AI, you will get teased with a character alternative costume. Before in MVC1 or MVC2, you could probably get these costume by just beating the game over and over by unlocking them. Now, you won't get those costumes by doing that.
How do you get those alterative costumes you ask? You can buy those costumes of course! Yes, yes, just give Capcom more money and you can unlock the key for them on the disc and now wear those nice new costumes. So, Capcom way of promoting or selling the player the idea of buying more for this game is in game adverting!
But wait, if you didn't think that was bad enough, you were wrong! There's more! You can only buy the costumes in pieces of a group bundle, but you can't buy costume 1 by 1. If you want 1 costume in 1 bundle and another costume in another bundle, guess what? You have to buy 2 bundles! But, hey, you're in luck! If you're going to get many different bundles, you might as well get the overall Value Pack and get all the characters alternative costumes all at once! Yup! You can pay $20 bucks and get all the new costumes all at once! Why of go Capcom, find different ways to take a player for all that they are worth.
What could Capcom do next for milking the customer? There is still the idea of UMVC3 SUPER, EXTRA, MEGA, TURBO, ARCADE EDITION! Meaning yet again version of MVC3 is yet to come out. Sure, some people say it won't happen. Sure, some Rep said it won't happen. But, if it does, what are you going to do about it? NOTHING! You can't tell Capcom what to do! Capcom does what they want. So, if they're wanted to make another one to milk out the game further - they will!!!
If the new version will be in disc form it's will be another $40. If it's a DLC form, it will be $20 or more. But the point is, it yet another way of milking the customer.
Can Capcom do yet anymore damage? Sure. For the next game, there will be in game stages and sounds previews just before matches resume. Wouldn't you just love to see that? OH yeah, I would love to play that stage. $3. Oh man, that soundtrack rocks! $2. Why stop there? "Let's go crazy!" Buy the all bios and endings for $10.
Capcom TAKE MY MONEY!!! | video-games_xbox |
Bungie keeps milking that cow. This half hearted phoned in bargin expansion for a full game price doesnt impress me. I bought it of course because it had Halo slapped on the label. But its even worse then I thought it would be. No matchmaking makes it extremely hard to find people to play the campaign and firefight with. This isn't 1998, get some servers Bungie.
The game had a terrible minute intro. The rookie is even more faceless and bland then Master Chief he says nothing, has no name and we know nothing about him. The HUB is too dark I can't see anything, the visor doesnt do enough. Where is my flashlight? The HUB may be open but there is still pretty much just one right way, with little to no reason to explore its the worst attempt at a sandbox I've ever seen.
The story itself is decent, but way to short. The music is amazing, no complaints there. Bottom line is if this was twenty bucks it would be perfect. But even then no matchmaking makes firefight worthless. And at sixty this is just an insult.
Edit: Okay I'm back a few weeks after beating the entire game on legendary and have had time to reflect. I still believe ODST could have been much better and Bungie just went through the motions. The story isn't as bad as I initially believed and you do care alittle about what happens at the end. But the complete lack of CGI cutscenes really hurt the plot, as this engine doesn't do facial animations well. Go look at Halo Wars if you want to see amazing Halo cutscenes.
The HUB was an interesting idea but pointless. There were no easter eggs, secret NPC's to find, shops, or pitched battles to come across. Just a giant wasteland of streets and buildings with nothing but covenant waiting for you. The only bright spot were the audio logs, but it wasn't enough.
After awhile I got used to the brightness and it wasn't too terrible. But still there were many times where it was to bright for visor mode but not as bright as I would like. Or I wanted to go visor mode for the targetting systems but I couldn't because it was daylight.
So I stand by my earlier review, its an okay expansion with some decent Halo story and gameplay. It was hardly a stand alone game, wasn't worth the price and doesn't do anything new or exciting. Buy it on discount if your a total Halophile, otherwise don't bother. | video-games_xbox |
Good game but not for everyone. NFL Street is EA Big's newest alternative sports title. In the vein of NBA Street, it takes the game of football and removes it from the big stadiums and places it in parks and beaches where playground style football belongs. Like other Street titles, NFL Street spices up the idea by allowing you to play with real NFL stars in this setting.
EA is famous for sports titles, their biggest being of course Madden Football. Unlike EA's other sports titles which focus heavily on realism and simulation of the professional game, NFL Street takes a more arcade like approach.
The rules are simplified. In order to get a first down, simply get past the fixed marker on the field within four downs. There is absolutely no kicking. That means no punting and field goals. Extra points are determined by running the ball in (1 point) or passing it in (2 points). Even the playbook is rudimentary with very few options. This may sound like a bad thing, but it actually works. The idea is to make plays in the field not work with complicated playbooks.
The action is intense. The hits are bigger. Even with no pads or helmets you never have to worry about an injury. This is a video game with artificial characters who can do anything. How could they possibly be hurt? That's the point of this game; it's a video game. It isn't Madden.
Madden fans should find lots to like about this game. Firstly, EA made the controls very similar so the learning curve is shorter for Madden players. Second, those looking for a real football simulation already have Madden (or ESPN NFL Football or NFL Fever). Those players shouldn't be looking for another Madden clone. This game is about fun; big plays and big hits. The ability to pull off style maneuvers and taunt your opponents only adds to that.
Now the bad. This game is hard. At least for me it is. I'm not that great at Madden but at least I can play competently. With this game, even on the easiest setting I'm having a rough time. "Easy" should be easy. Hardcore sports gamers probably won't mind (those that play Madden on All-Madden difficutly) but those of us (like me) that aren't hardcore gamers who'd like to pick this game up for the fun of it will be frustrated by the difficulty level. It's hard to have fun making trick plays when you can't do them.
The other miss on this game is the play modes. NFL Street's primary play mode is Challenge Mode where you take a team of seven user-created characters (very cool BTW) and play games that have a certain challenge that must be met such as getting to 14 pts first without a turnover or performing certain style moves. Completing challenges earns you points to upgrade your players stats. Once you've upgrade your stats enough you can try the ladder portion of the mode where you play teams in a tournament format. The challenge mode is interesting, but in any other game it would be an additional mode, not the primary.
Another mode are Pick-Up Game where 40 players are randomly generated and each person takes turns picking players to fill a seven man team for the true playground experience. This would be a lot cooler if you could play a tournament like this. Finally, there is the option to pick any team in the NFL and play them against other teams.
What would have been nice is some sort of season type play, maybe not like the NFL exactly, but something. Winning seasons is more fun than winning games. Along with this would of course be stat tracking for your players. Right now there is none.
Overall, NFL Street is a decent game worth buying if you are into the genre. The graphics suffer from that all-too-typical problem of having to be able to run on a PS2 which keeps many XBox games from looking as good as they should. Also, because this is EA, online multiplayer is only available for PS2 (no Live!). You can also play with up to 4-players on one system. I haven't tried this, but a couple of buddies who are competative would make this game a blast.
The game is far from perfect, but far from poor as well. It mostly suffers from not enough polish and not going far enough with some of the ideas it proposes. NFL Street 2 will most likely address all this. I just hope it's not so difficult. | video-games_xbox |
Meh. I bought these headphones for use with my Xbox One. I have a pair of Turtle Beach Ear Force X12's for my Xbox 360 and computer. When I received these new headphones, I was expecting the same comfort and control that I have with my X12's. Now while these XO's sound great, they are not comfortable. They have a completely different fit than the X12's, and they're very stiff. Even the mic wire is stiff and not moveable. In comparison, the mic wire of the X12's will bend to any position, or placement on the headset. The X12's are more flexible in fit too. The mic/sound controls for the XO's is also not as good as the X12's. I prefer the controls I have for the X12's in that they're on the headphone wire, and have controls for everything. This pair of XO's, although wireless, do have a wire that connects to your controller.. and that's no problem, but I would have prefered my sound controls to be on that wire, just like the X12's. Instead, the controls are located on a plastic piece that snaps into your controller. There is not as much control of your sound and mic as you had with the X12. Also, a HUGE disappointment, is that you cannot hear your voice while wearing the set. I researched these, I thought, pretty well, prior to my purchase.. as that was a really important factor for me. I generally talk, curse, laugh, whatever, while playing.. and that's whether I'm playing with someone else or not. I need to be able to hear my voice, so that I'm not yelling through the house, disturbing anyone else because I have not idea how loud I'm actually being. I suspect, that you will be able to hear your voice while playing multiplayer style, but I don't do that. Since the description said that you can hear your voice with this set, I thought that would work exactly how it does with my X12's. With those, you put your headphones on, and if you have the mic turned on, you will hear your own voice, whether playing single-player, or multi-player.
So, in conclusion, the pros are: Good sound, and wireless. Cons are: Stiff, uncomfortable, mic wire doesn't bend, less sound control than X12's, and you cannot hear your own voice in single-player mode. | video-games_xbox |
I'm just not a fan. First I'm going to disclaim that I've never used an XBox One controller before. Most of my gaming is done with a wireless 360 controller on PC, and I also have other consoles (most recently, PS3 and Wii U but have had many through the years).
So anyway, here is a third party XB1 controller. I'm going to ignore the ridiculous title and marketing and focus on the product itself. I'm considering it as its won entity as opposed to comparing to the 'official' one, outside of one point..
So first off, this is advertised online and on the box as being for "Windows". Ok, fine....so why would it not even recognize it on my computer and DL the drivers for it? I actually had to delve DEEP to actually find the correct drivers to get it to work on my Windows 7 machine. It DOES work fine, there's no question, but I can't give over three stars for such a misstep -- one that someone less knowledgeable would likely have no clue on.
But with that out of the way, let's get to the controller itself. It's wired, which while it isn't a problem in and of itself, is certainly not as nice as a wireless one. It seems well made, I don't feel like it'll fall apart or anything, and were it actually the official one it wouldn't seem weird in that respect.
My biggest issue with it, though, is that it's just not that comfortable. It hurts my hands after a bit, and I tried a bunch of different games of different genres in my tests.
The other major issue is there are two 'extra' little wheel triggers underneath. While it might be welcome to have a couple of extra buttons to assign, the issues is that they are too easy to hit and they are automatically mapped (one is to the start button).
The saving grace, though, comes from the d-pad. It's quite door, especially when considering the 360's one. Now I can imagine the XB1 controller is similar -- I don't know -- but it's the only thing that saved it from a one star.
So I cannot recommend. Just stick to...well....almost anything else. | video-games_xbox |
What a chore. Here is a list of chores a normal person would have.
1. Make the bed.
2. Clean the dishes.
3. Rake the leaves.
3. Mow the lawn.
4. Mop the floors.
5. Play Resident Evil 6?
That's right,Resident Evil 6 is a chore to play. Whether it be it's convoluted story,it's terrible dialogue,insanely bad AI(Artificial Intelligence),or it's painfully bad gameplay,there is quite literally nothing redeeming about RE6........Even in co-op the game only serves one purpose,and that is to piss two people off the same time.
Story:All though it is confusing,it's also understandable. Basically,bad guy wants to take over the world,ada wong plays a key role in his plans and does some very naughty things(or Does she?)and chris,leon,jake muller(Albert Wesker's son,never really explained)and even ada are caught in the middle of it all.
Along with chris,leon,and jake are newcomers:piers nivens(chris' partner),helena harper(leons partner)and sherry berkin(jakes partner).Now sherry's not new to the series but i believe this is the first time you play as her. In case you didn't know,sherry is in RE2 but she's only a little girl at that point. Also there are 4 playable campaigns in case you were wondering.
Graphics:This one's simple. The graphics are pretty much an updated version of RE5(which rocks).But in all honesty that's not a bad thing. Where the graphics do shine though it's when you come up against any mutated enemy. They are practically SO detailed that you can see how truly disgusting they are.....In a good way of course.
Gameplay:Well....i'll say this,the game controlls pretty well. Now unto ALL the negatives. RE6 tries to be a horror game an action game and a Micheal Bay film,and it utterly fails in ever aspect(not that Bay films are any good).First off,there are so many Quick time events(QTE)that by the time you've done about 100 of them,you'll realize that you're not even half way through the game. Second,there are so many scripted moments that you will want to vomit. There will be a zombie on the ground,you'll shoot it just to make sure it doesn't hit you,you'll walk past it then the zombo will attack you anyway.
Also the game tries to be scary but you'll most likely just laugh at it's attempts. When the game is utterly failing at scaring you,it'll be failing at being a decent action game. Boss battles take no strategy,engaging enemies in shoot outs is so boring you'll just want to turn off the darn game off. It also doesn't help that AI is just down right idiotic. Most of the time they'll just sit behind cover and not move but for some reason the zombie AI is just too broken and overly aggressive that even George A.Romero would just face palm. What zombie takes 2-5 shots to the head before dying,and they leap at you from 20 feet away.....and they get some air time. Overall,the gamplay is just awful,even in co-op the game is still just a pain.
Replay Value:Unless you absolutely love doing chores,then by all means,go ahead and buy this game. There are collectibles and the mercenaries mode but not even those things are not worth doing. If you missed one collectible from the ending of a chapter,then be prepared to go through that entire chapter because there is no section select for a chapter like in RE5. And those chapters are pretty darn long for how much pain you're going to have to endure. And mercenaries mode in RE6 is so bad that you'll be begging for the RE5 or RE4 mercenaries.
So there you go,Lame Story,Horrendous gameplay,Ok graphics(except for the monsters)and some of the worst moments you will see in the RE franchise. I truly believe that RE:ORC was better than this game,and that game was terrible. PLEASE LET RE7 BE GOOD!!!! | video-games_xbox |
The most refreshing game since Metal Gear Solid. I remember when Metal Gear Solid (MGS) came out for Playstation several (actually probably 10) years ago. There was a fair amount of anticipation prior to the release of the game. It was something different than your everyday FPS game. The game was based around stealthy recon and minimizing enemy encounters. Of course it was still a blast to run into a couple of guards and waste them with the famas or a strategically placed c4 but the point was that you had complete control over your strategy... you could do it however you wanted. The story line was captivating and really messed with your head throughout.
Assassin's Creed has taken this genre to the next level. Again you may accomplish your objectives however you wish, but now you have even more freedom to do so. Maybe there aren't as many cool gadgets and weapons as MGS but there are many aspects that make up for this shortfall. Of course the most obvious is freedom to go virtually anywhere in the city. You are free to roam every street, backalley, and rooftop. The fact that you can do this in 4 huge arenas just adds to the fun. Close attention was paid to detail of the city landscapes and the look and feel of the people in the cities. Another big step that Assassin's Creed has taken is in the AI interaction with the player. You can develop a 'reputation' if you start to cause disturbances and you can also gain some allies by helping people out. Granted the execution of this in game is overly simple (do this task to make allies) the idea is great and I'm sure will be built upon in future games.
Aside from the cutting edge game play the story is good. Not quite MGS good but never-the-less solid. And besides when you get tired of the story you can still spend hours just roaming the cities finding new hideouts and lookouts to enjoy the stellar graphics. I'll be honest and say that I have not yet beat the game but based on what I've seen so far it seems that it may play one's mind in the same way that MGS did. All in all a great game; one of the best on this platform to date. | video-games_xbox |
Above and beyond Call of Duty. Ever since Modern Warfare 2 came out I had pretty much given up on the Halo franchise in terms of sheer entertainment value by comparison, but after playing Halo Reach for about two weeks, I went to gamestop and sold my copy of MW2 because I knew I was never going to play it again as long as I had Halo Reach, nor have I even considered buying Black Op's. In my opinion this game tops every other first-person shooter ever made, maybe not with it's generic story line, nor the with the completely unrealistic game-play (if realistic game-play is your driving force behind buying games), but just the amount of fun I had playing the campaign, despite already knowing exactly what was going to happen, is worth the money that I paid for it alone. I have went back and beat the campaign three times, and I am currently working on the fourth; it is that much fun, and I can't really explain why since it's just another Halo game, but to me it just kind of stood out in the series. Anyone who is even remotely a fan of the Halo series should purchase this game as it is hands down the best Halo game so far, and as a prequel it felt very nostalgic since the events of Reach had been mentioned since the beginning of the first game, and I had the sudden urge to go back and play Halo 1 after beating Reach. Oh, and of course, the multiplayer... it is nothing like any of the other Halo games, at least not in terms of playing style. Halo Reach is far more fast paced than any Halo multiplayer, I even went back and played Halo 3 online and grew bored very quickly with how slow the match was going. And for all the people who still say Call of Duty is better than Halo need to get serious. Black Op's has had several videos released showing the multiplayer, and from what I've seen the main thing it's bringing to the table is the RC car bomb, which while it is cool in its own right, it can't possibly hope to top being able to fly around with a jet pack like you can on Reach. | video-games_xbox |
not the best Spidey game, but playable. I could tell the minute that I started playing this game that it was not going to match up to the quality of the previous Spiderman movie tie in games. I feel that this game was rushed to meet the movie deadline. So many things could have been done to improve the game play. For intance, the camera angle was usually always bad, making it difficult to fight. The graphics would fade in and out along with the texture.
The fighting style of the game could have also been improved. I felt that this game didn't have any strategy to it, there were a few buttons to fight with, and when you were surrounded by a group of people you resorted to mashing every single one of them. Dont get me wrong, there were button combinations, but I never seeemed to have time to complete them.
Another thing that could have been improved was the random bugs in the game, there were a few missions I couldn't complete. I would just run over an object that I was supposed to pick up, and I would watch Spiderman run through them like they were not even there. I would also get involved in random crime sprees, and I wouldnt be able to avert the crime because one or more of the criminals would be stuck underground or inside a wall.
There are a few other things that could have been improved before the game hit the stores, but I feel that is enough ragging on the game. After all, it is Spiderman. It is time for the parts of the game that stood out. I enjoyed the swinging mechanism, watching the webline shoot out, and then tighten as Spiderman weight was applied to the line. I also thought that the blur created when Spiderman swung fast was also a nice touch.
I thought that the spider-sense was extremely helpful, allowing you to see enemies and allies or objectives at the touch of a button. I enjoyed almost all of the missions in the game, although they could have been a little longer. I wish that we had gotten to play as Venom, and I wish the level with New Goblin had been longer, allowing us to tinker around with his skills a little bit more.
I decided to give this game a medium rating, this game is fun for a bit, but then it seems to die down, or at least it did for me, with every little glitch that I experienced, I felt the game lost a little bit of its value. I have to say, that if you want a great Spiderman game, then this one is not for you. I feel that the Spiderman 2 movie tie in game was more fun, and more well done than this one. However, if you want to expoerience the swinging mechanism in the game, as well as some of the interesting missions, then you just might like it. | video-games_xbox |
Excellent Graphics, Fun Escape. I got "Steep" for my 7 1/2 year old son for Christmas. He's not a skier or snowboarder yet, so I thought this game would be an interesting introduction to both pastimes, albeit an extreme, fantastic graphic representation. I had no idea about the wingsuit and parachute options when I ordered it.
I've had fun playing the game myself, just for the sheer sport in an open-world environment. I'm pushing 50 with two bad knees, so my snowboarding days are over (I've never skied). The physics are appealingly realistic when you consider you're just holding on to a controller, but if you're parked before a big-screen TV, there is an excellent suspension of reality.
As you play the game and try the different sport types, you are challenged to win races or meet certain goals, and when you win, new challenges are unlocked. In the open-world format, I am reminded of so many Elder Scrolls games I've loved (well, Skyrim especially, given all the snow!), but leveling up is far more confusing and the freedom to move about isn't quite as unlimited (as another reviewer nicely stated, I'd love to go into some of these buildings and look around, much like you can while sneaking about in Whiterun or anywhere else in Tamriel).
My son, on the other hand, approaches this game with the mind of an evil demi-god. He blitzes down heavily treed slopes at top speed, anticipating crashes with glee. It took me a while to realize that such tactics will occasionally cause your avatar to use swear-words, generally mild enough to be PG-13, but I have heard at least one "s" word from the avatar as he headed skippingly along and horizontal toward a field of sharp boulders at high speed. I have a feeling that caused my son to be even more diabolical in his tactics in every different sport in the game.
All in all, I think we both like the feel of the game, and the graphics are outstanding. I wish the scoring and leveling up were more intuitive, and I don't think "Steep" is ever going to be a marathon-session type of game like those previously mentioned Elder Scrolls games or perhaps Forza Horizon or any of the Civilization strategy games. Still, it's an excellent escape and I just hope it doesn't teach my son too many more inappropriate vocabulary words. | video-games_xbox |
The best single-player FPS experience I've played. THIS is how a FPS should be done in this day and age.
Don't get me wrong, I love me some Call of Duty. For online multiplayer, there really is no competition. Call of Duty has nearly perfected that experience.
Single-player on the other hand, is a totally different story. I've never played a FPS with such an incredible single-player experience in my life. Mind you, I passed on Far Cry 2, and Far Cry 1 was ok, but didn't reel me in.
Far Cry 3, I believe has perfected (or damn near perfected) the single-player experience.
When I play CoD, I get frustrated with the predictable scripted events that continuously happen, to make the game seem like a blockbuster movie. It's not dying that frustrates, because I die all the time in Far Cry 3. It's the WAY I die that frustrates in CoD. It's almost always the same.
In Far Cry 3, you can die in a nearly infinite number of scenarios.
One minute, I'm stalking an enemy base, trying to find the best way to sneak into it and take out the pirates, and the next minute, I'm hearing a growl nearby, and when I turn to look, I'm face to face with a Tiger!
Or another time, I'm trying to sneak around a group of pirates who's leader I'm tasked with killing, and I decide to swim in the water. Out of nowhere, a shark rushes me and bites my arm!
These are completely non-scripted events, and I had NO idea they would happen.
The whole world of Far Cry 3 is organic, and seems like a true living-breathing world.
Your friends and enemies will have to deal with aggressive wildlife just like your character has to. This has led to MANY an amusing and interesting situation.
I've died quite a few times, but never once did I feel frustrated because 200 soldiers would keep pouring in because I set off an invisible trigger, like in CoD.
Each death is unique, and unpredictable, and that makes it more interesting to me.
Also, your character's abilities grow and progress like an RPG.
The crafting system is a cool idea, I only wish they would have made it a bit more interactive than just pressing the A button.
To sum it up, if you like FPS games, and are tired of scripted moments and endless waves of mindless enemies, this is the most fun you will probably ever have with a FPS game.
Try it.
Pros:
-Excellent graphics
-Living, breathing world
-Great voice acting/characters
-Never plays the same way twice
-Feels like a true evolution of the FPS genre
-Level-up system
Cons:
-Some screen tearing when turning
-Multiplayer is not as robust as CoD
-Crafting system could have been a mini-game | video-games_xbox |
Flawed, but overall enjoyable, survival horror romp. Movies based on video games command low expectations, so in that respect you can't be blamed for expecting Saw to be a terrible game, but in truth it is actually enjoyable if you can look past the flaws. It is not a great movie-based game, but with the bar set so low in this genre, it easily stands out as one of the better titles.
The game's plot follows the standard Saw formula. Washed-up detective David Tapp is the latest victim of Jigsaw and he wakes up in an abandoned insane asylum, breaks free of the "jaws of death" trap, and spends the rest of the game jumping through hoops to save various characters (including Amanda from the movies). Gameplay is divided into three different areas; exploration, puzzle solving and combat. Exploring the effectively creepy environment is fun for a while, but the path is very linear and there is little room for exploring other areas on the side. Throughout the game, you are required to solve puzzles in order to proceed to the next level. These can include picking locks by matching colored tumblers, arranging fuses in a box, and releasing items in sequence to save a character or disarm a trap. Many of the puzzles are time-based and will require you to think quickly, which creates the most tension in the game. The puzzles are varied but not extremely challenging, so most gamers will be able to decipher them without too much trial and error. The combat(with inmates at the asylum) is largely melee-based and you have a variety of weapons you can pick up in the environment. The combat is the worst flaw in this game, but more on that in a minute.
The positive aspects of the game lie mainly in the atmosphere. This game really replicates the look and feel of a Saw movie, while playing and controlling like a rudimentary Silent Hill game. Fans of the movies will no doubt enjoy many aspects of this game, and in truth, even regular gamers will probably find something to like. The other bonus is the easy achievements, and believe me, this game absolutely rains achievements on you and this will no doubt please people looking to up their gamerscore. After one hour playing this, I added 265 points. No kidding.
The flaws in this game are mainly rooted in the linearity of the story and gameplay, and especially in the combat. There is no room for exploration outside of the main story, so the object of the game is strictly getting from to point A so that you can progress to point B. The game is not very challenging, which does allow you to soak in the atmosphere and enjoy the cutscenes more, but the game is also very short and there is little replay value. The combat is the biggest problem in this game, and it is plagued by horrible hit detection, unresponsive controls and frustrating slowdowns. Your character swings his weapons and dodges attacks like he is moving in slow motion, but your enemies don't and this is what will lead to the majority of deaths in the game. A better combat system is definitely recommended should they ever make another Saw game.
This game has gone down in price since release day, so it's easier to recommend now than it was before. It's a decent game marred by some clunkiness, but horror fans and especially fans of the movies will probably be able to look past this. It's a solid recommendation for a rainy weekend, but don't expect a masterpiece. | video-games_xbox |
Not as exciting as IGN says. The graphics are ok, but there is no object to the game except become most wanted. Story line, nope. Just the city has a list of most wanted racers, spoiler alert, not really the title can tell you that. Unless you want to compete to beat your friends times and their best that is all this game offers. They give you every car in the game, you don't have to earn them. All you have to do is find them. When you find them don't expect to make your new found car any different from someone else's. You can't even select the color of your car. All you can do is drive through a "Spray n Paint" and get a random color. You can't tune your car all you can do is earn different parts by racing not earning point. Don't worry if you run from the cops, the only penalty that happens is you lose the points from the pursuit you were in. But points don't really matter cause all they do is move you a little closer to the top of the most wanted list, which you can do by racing anyways.
The crash scenes are good, but the annoying flag that hangs off your car to show you what position you're in, just distracts you from driving. Is it that hard to look into the top corner to see what position your in? Do you like knowing which way to turn when you're racing? Don't except this game to show you that. Usually you have to run the race two to three times because you'r going to miss a turn and get well off track.
I was so excited to get this game, my wife was making fun of me. I was expecting a game better than or equal to the the most wanted of 2005. Instead they ruined what could have been a great game. Is it, that hard to build off of a game idea that already exist. The only people that worked hard of on the game were the people that designed the cars and sounds. And is it that hard to get some real police codes not just something they made up.
SAVE YOUR $60 AND PASS ON THIS GAME. Unless you like to just push the Right Trigger button with no idea why you should keep playing. I wish someone would have told me this | video-games_xbox |
Easily one of my favorites. I was initially "worried" getting this game as its online only and I tend not to be big into those types of games. When I bought it though I couldn't beat the price and had a few friends who were recommending it. So I went for it...
Initially, I wasn't enjoying it. As with a lot of these, I feel like your first days online you get your a** handed to you by more experienced players which takes some of the fun away for me. But after a few days of playing a half-hour to an hour here and there, I started to warm up to it and now its effectively my go-to FPS.
What I really enjoy (after gaining some experience) is that while being a FPS, it becomes more than just that as you realize some of the cool stuff your pilot can do. Wallrunning/hanging is something I really didn't experience/grok till I was a gen 2 pilot, but its so key to the game and when you get good at it, they strategy, etc takes on a new level. Then there are the titans. They can dominate the field, but they're not invincible. In fact some of the stuff you can do as a pilot (as you pick things up/figure things out) make it a much more even fight (titan's still usually keep the advantage though).
And thats what I find so striking about the game... There's a really well thought out and good balance across the board. Even as a level one pilot you can do a lot of damage with the tools at your disposal if you know how to use them. There's not really any one weapon or any one titan configuration that dominates them all... (even though there probably are favorites) The real differentiator is pilot/gamer skill in most cases which is the mark of a good FPS in my experience.
I also like EA's matchmaking system on this one. Generally, I find I'm put in with pilots who have similar skill level to me. Of course there's an occasional person (or set of people... watch out for teams who communicate -- gasp) who will dominate the field or a noob who's unfortunately learning the ropes but overall I think it does a good job of keeping the teams balanced and giving you room to grow.
So overall, really great concept/gameplay and can't wait to see what Titanfall 2 has to offer. | video-games_xbox |
I got exactly what I paid for. This product is great. Hi. I am a teen and I am satisfied with my Xbox 360 E. I've owned it for about two weeks now and I love almost everything about it. I was originally going to buy an Xbox 360 Slim,
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Xbox-360-250GB-Spring-Value-Bundle/dp/B00BBU8VFY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Xbox 360 250GB Spring Value Bundle</a>
but before Christmas this product's price went down by about $50. I couldn't resist. Who wouldn't want the newest Xbox 360 with 2 games, a 1 month Xbox Live membership, and a cheap little headset for $200? This product has it's cons and its pros and I will list them below.
Pros - Xbox 360 E is relatively fast, reliable, and overall extremely fun. Xbox Live has a variety of free downloadable games and great online gameplay. You can even use apps like Netflix, Hulu, Internet Explorer, etc. Halo 4 is very fun as well. This bundle also comes with Tomb Raider, a game with excellent reviews. I haven't decided whether to keep it to sell it. Be warned; it is a download code, and to download it, you must register a Live account. Not to worry; this bundle comes with a one month Live membership. I was slightly upset at that, however, because I wanted to save the membership for a later date. By the way, this rant about Tomb Raider and Live probably belongs in the cons section. The controller is, strong, durable, and feels great in the hands. Despite what some people are saying in their reviews, the Xbox 360 E is a lot quieter than the Slim version. Trust me! I don't think that the noise it emits gets any louder than a ceiling fan. It once got very loud, and I was quite confused. Then I discovered the Halo 4 game case was sitting on top of the fan. I took it off and that seemed to solve the problem. Watch out for that. It was my fault. :)
Cons - The headset is quite cheap. It works, but not very well. Of course this product won't get everything right, it's only $200 - $260. Also the UI (user interface) gets really cluttered when you have Xbox Live. Everywhere you go, there are ads, ads, ads! It can drive you crazy. Without Xbox Live, there are no ads, but you don't have access to an internet connection. That means no downloadable content. This content includes apps and downloadable games. Another thing that sucks about Live is that it can only be used for one profile. That means if you share the Xbox with someone else, like I do, you'll have to buy ANOTHER Live account for their profile if they want to join in on the fun. It used to be that you can use one Live membership for all of the profiles on your Xbox, but Microsoft changed that. Lastly, It is very hard to customize your Xbox's UI, partly because of the countless ads that I previously mentioned. There are only four backgrounds to choose from, and I personally find most of them to be drab, ugly, and utterly random. The avatars are fun though.
Shipping Information - This product arrived seven days after I placed the order. At the checkout I chose free, 5 - 8 day shipping. I also ordered a two year warranty, but that never came! Near the order button is a little check box where it asks you if you want to add a warranty to the order. I did just that. You probably shouldn't do the same. Maybe there was a shipping problem, but you shouldn't take any risks. There are other warranties on Amazon for the same price and they have the same ratings. Try buying one of those. Oh, well. It's not Microsoft's problem. It's the warranty company's problem. Just be warned. If you plan on buying a warranty, try to buy another brand.
Final Verdict - Overall, this product is great and I highly recommend it. Have fun with your Xbox, everyone! :)
PS: After I bought this Xbox, I started to regret not getting a PS3. Whichever one you want to buy is up to you. If you prefer gaming over other forms of entertainment, go with the PS3. If you want a mix of everything, get the 360. It's that simple. Go with what works for you. My regrets of stopped, by the way. I bought it and I love it! | video-games_xbox |
BEST racing game to come out in a long time. I did not get into the Fast and Furious movies till "Tokyo Drift" came out. It was not something that interested me, but the girl I was dating at the time insisted on seeing it. She had a thing for little Asian men. It's something I never really understood since she was six foot one, insisted on wearing heals or lifts everywhere she went and weighed in at two ninety-one. It would of been lethal for me to suggest more but there were quite a few broken chairs in our time together. I'd have to haul around a cooler of food when we went out together, but she allowed me to use a wagon to tow it on our long dates together.
It came as no surprise when she left me for an little angry Asian man she met at the pizza by the slice place in the mall food court.
However, the one good thing that she did for me was introduce me to the world of 'Fast and Furious.'
Instead of moping about the apartment, I went out and purchased the other two 'Furious' movies and subsequently followed the others as they have come out.
Becoming the 'Furious' entusiast, I got all things 'Furious'. I even painted my '97 Dodge Caravan electric lime green.
Normally, I would buy a game online, but I did not even want to wait for the delivery man to 'deliver' it on the first day that it came out not trusting myself that I might miss him (or her) if I was in the bathroom. Sometimes, when I flush the toilet, it muffles out the sound of a door bell or knock. Not a risk I was willing to take.
As soon as the game store opened up, I was inside to claim the game before they sold out.
Intially, I thought they sold out because the clerk handed me a copy of "GRID 2."
Trying to be polite, I declined the game and told him that I wanted "Fast and Furious."
While getting the game, he let me know that it had already been out for a few weeks, but I was the first person to intentionally purchase it. I assured him that in me knowing the incorrect wrong date was clearly not a unique case and more would be in to get the game as they became aware of this grevious error.
He kind of chuckled and didn't think so.
This game has blown me away me away from the beginning.
Other reviews will be more specific of the PROS and CONS (there are none!) but this game has really raised the bar for all other racing games. | video-games_xbox |
Assassins Creed 3. While not as good as Assassins Creed 2, this is still a very awesome game. We move on from Ezio and into the events of a new "Assassin" named Connor. Connor is a deadly force to be reckoned with but his character was not well developed in this entry. Connor is stale, emotionless, and left me not really caring about him once it was all said and done. This goes for all the characters in this game. You don't really get to spend the time with the historical figures here like you did in the other games (i.e. Da Vinci) and that goes for all NPC's included here.
The Story and Environment make up for the lack of character development though. The landscapes are beautiful. The weather changes make it even more so. The sound of the rain and your footsteps crunching the snow bring a new level of realism to the experience. The ability to hunt and free roam through the frontier is a wonderful addition. I can't express enough how beautiful the graphics in this game are. It is something you have to see to appreciate.
The story is well told. a lot of historical events are highlighted in this game. While detail is lacking on some of them it is still a great experience and should rouse anyone familiar with this time period.
The game play as many have mentioned is "dumbed down". Controls are very simple, almost too simple and it does not take much effort to get into the feel of how things work. Though while simple, it can be fun at the same time. You'll likely be less aggravated since controlling the battle will take little to no effort and you will be able to enjoy the visuals of the battle and the events surrounding it more.
There are a LOT of glitches in this game. From floating weapons, quest entries not being competed as they should be (i.e. Encyclopedia of the Common Man), to npc's walking backwards and stuck halfway into the ground. I once jumped and for some reason was launched into the sky and fell to my death. Many bugs, but I assume a patch will be the way to address these issues.
In conclusion this is a very well done game for the most part. A graphical work of art. AC fans should appreciate it as well as some fans of other games such as Red Dead Redemption. There is a lot to do. I was able to get over 40+ hours of entertainment and would not hesitate to do it again. If you are looking for something different from the FPS over saturation in the current game market, give this game a shot. Its a breath of fresh air in a FPS filled venue. | video-games_xbox |
TNA slams onto your XBOX 360. Not perfect, but a good start. Yeah, so you have read the other reviews that are negative, I especially love the ones that complain about the lack of superstars in the game. Yeah, if you can't be happy with 25 wrestlers to choose from, I don't know what the problem is. The game is well done. I know it is missing things, but so are most "Firsts" in a series. TNA Impact! Tries to do a few things here that have not been done in wrestling games in a long time. It is true, if you are a button masher used to Tekken or Mortal Kombat, this game is not for you. However, if you want to think and take the time to learn how to play the game and master its awesome grappling engine, you are in for a treat. Instead of the constant button mashing that most wrestling, or fighting titles for that matter, have, TNA IMPACT! will reward you with some awesome moves if you learn how to control the game. It's not clumsy or off key, you just can't slam buttons nonsensically and expect the game to just go into a frenzy of blissful non exsistant motion. if you push "Kick", you can't one second later push punch and then kick and then punch and then run and grapple and then kick and then punch and then, well you get the picture. This is not Raw VS Smackdown. The controls are just fine, just don't expect to be a sloppy gamer and enjoy the game. You have to learn them to enjoy the game.
The graphics are nice and clean and look pretty well done after the characters on the roster that are featured here. Not really a surprise in this department. The sound is good, although the comentary gets a bit repetitive, however this is a problem with all wrestling games that feature comentary and don't try and pretend that it's not either. Basically it is a well put together package, especially Ultimate X. This mode makes the game especially awesome. Ultimate X is very fun and can continue to keep you entertained.
The downside to the game are the fact that the belts are not featured here, although they are brought up. I still don't understand that one myself. There is a lack of original modes for TNA as well, however, if Midway does do a sequel, I will buy it and hope that they add more to the game. As a first go at the genre though, Midway did a pretty good job. Check the game out, itis better than the reviewers are giving it. | video-games_xbox |
Diverting and Initially Fun. I am an OLD school gamer. Atari 2600 was something I got for Christmas in '83 and now, twenty years later, my finace gets me an xBox for x-Mas '03.
Why do I bring this up? Because the freebie game, Clone Wars, is very similar to Combat, the freebie that came with the 2600. Both games are fun to START playing, and they offer plenty of vehicle variety. In Comabt you use a tank, a plane, a bi-plane, a bomber. In Clone Wars you've got all kinds of things to drive - tanks, walkers, animals, transports, etc. In Combat you could play on various terrains - mazes, in clouds, empty spaces. Ditto for CW - maze-like interiors, snowy worlds, rainy worlds, deserts. So, as far as first-play gaming, Clone Wars basically reminds of Combat on steroids.
The movie scenes are a bore and I skip over them. The actual SW: Episode II was bad enough the first time around. Its a bit annoying that you have to wait until certain pre-mission scenes are played out - if you've played the scene once, you should be able to fast forward through it.
Shoot and blow up things. This gets a bit dull after a few plays, especially if you know the codes (which are dead easy to find on-line). Even without the codes, you get throught the game with moderate play in a few hours or days (I tend to play in 45 minute spurts so it took me about a week). Racing around in the fast vehichles is quite fun and driving the big transport with the multiple weapons destroying everything in my sight is a nice way to blow off steam.
The best bits are the on-foot stuff. Sadly, there are very few missions featuring this. The fighting is fun but limited in moves. Also, if you stay in a scene too long, things begin to repeat (the same guys come to attack you) and things get dull.
Speeder bikes and Strapes (?) are the fastest things in the game and they are the most challenging. The mission that take you through the scrap heap is still difficult and enjoyable.
The story, as mentioned by others, is weak. I don't really care about what I am suppose to be doing. I don't really feel like I am controlling the characters in their development. Its like those old, Choose Your Own Adventure books. There are limited options but you are given the illusion that you can shake things up. I am looking forward to playing Knights of the Old Republic. I understand thats a bit 'deeper' (i.e. you can become a bad guy if you want. Try shooting your allies in this game and you just get a stern warning).
A word on 'Bonuses' - the idea is that bonues will keep the player coming back for more gaming after they complete the mission. But the bonuses are not interesing - find the missing R5 unit, make sure everyone in the squad survives, blow up this before you blow up that. Bonuses should be mini-missions: Mace wanders off down a hallway and has a one-on-one with a bounty hunter or something. Also, when you do acheive the bonus objectives, you should actually get something for your troubles, but in Clone Wars, so-far anyway, all you get are multiplayer maps!?!?! Is this to encourage me to play multiplayer more?
Overall, there is some fun to be had in Clone Wars, but little to keep you coming back after you 'win'. | video-games_xbox |
As a game console, it's great....but that's it. Bought mine on launch day. Love the game console. Really let down by everything else. Had to replace the the kinect sensor after just 3 weeks. Apparently it has a known issue for failing but no understanding of the cause has yet to be determined. So they just keep replacing them. Spent 2 weeks without the kinect portion while the swap out was handled. It frequently (3 out of 5 tries) does not recognize the tv signal coming from the cable box. Last night it took 90 minutes after turning it on before the TV signal came thru. It frequently (half the time) ignores voice commands. I feel strange sitting in my living room talking to an appliance that's ignoring me but at $500 it's still cheaper than marriage. I have decided after 2 months of this to stop running my cable tv thru the console. I'll use the XB1 as a gaming console only.
UPDATE 2/14/14: Been waiting since Jan 20 for my latest kinect replacement. After setting up the replacement I waited 2 weeks for it to show up but it never did. I called in on 2/4 to inquire on the status only to be told they had cancelled my replacement on 1/21. No communication was made to inform me of this cancellation so I had been waiting for 2 weeks for nothing. Setup another replacement on 2/4. They cancelled that one on 2/5. Setup another replacement on 2/5. It hasn't been cancelled but it's not moving either. All the reps keep saying they don't know why it hasn't shipped but they can't do anything else to make it ship or find out what the problem is. I've asked Best Buy to take the whole thing back for a refund but they won't because it was purchased in November. Microsoft won't refund my money because I didn't buy it from them directly. They keep saying my warranty is covering the defective hardware but they are not shipping out any replacements so I don't see what good their warranty is either. Overall, I believe Microsoft Xbox division is a horribly incompetent group with zero customer service skills. Their warranties are empty promises. Their support staff is lip service. There is one helpful person there named Kelly who is checking my order status every other day to make sure it's not being cancelled again but she also cannot explain why nothing is being done. So thanks, Kelly....you're trying to help at least. | video-games_xbox |
Beautiful Adaptation. I had the pleasure of play-testing this game in its final weeks of development.
For starters, the game is based on the book and not on the New Line movie. As a consequence, you will find a number of story elements in the game that were not in the movie, such as the Old Forest, Tom Bombadil, and the Barrow Downs. The novel has been expertly translated into a 3rd-person action adventure, and there is a lot more action in the game than actually occurs in the book.
In this game, Middle Earth has been faithfully rendered (under the watchful eye of Tolkien's estate) by the talented 3D modelers, graphic designers, animators, game designers, and developers at The Whole Experience. The first thing that really struck me was the sheer beauty of the game -- the score, the environmental details (run through a pile of leaves just for fun), the textures, the fluid character animation. Some of the more interesting elements of the book also shine in the game. For example, the sense of foreboding, fear, and deadly seriousness constrasted with the light-hearted nature of the hobbits. The Black Riders are quite intimidating, especially at first. And there are climactic moments in the Barrow Downs that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. The One Ring, of course, plays a large role in the game. When used, the world changes, becoming shadowy and revealing secret areas of the game. The tension between the advantages and cost of using the ring creates interesting tradeoffs.
The gameplay is 3rd-person, similar to the Tomb Raider series. When you are targeting something with a ranged weapon (like a rock or a bow and arrow), it switches temporarily to first person. In each section of the game, you play as either Frodo, Aragorn, or Gandolf. The three characters are substantially different in their capabilities. Frodo is presented as an agile hobbit with plenty of jumping, leaping, climbing, etc. He's not great in melee combat, but excels at thrown projectiles. Aragorn is an impressive warrior, as well he should be. Playing Aragorn is empowering, with a thrilling and deadly sequence of sword strokes that makes him the best at melee combat. Gandolf can also fight well with a sword, but his primary weapon is magic, and he's got a cool set of spells he can cast to vanquish his enemies.
Of course, the game is not only (or even primarily) combat. In addition to general exploration and adversaries, there are a number of well-designed puzzles to be solved. Some of them are potential stumpers, I suspect.
In short, there is nothing earth-shatteringly new from a gameplay perspective. Nevertheless, the game excels as a wonderful and emotive adaptation of a much beloved book. | video-games_xbox |
Getting merked by Sam Fisher has never been so stylish. After patiently waiting for close to 3 long years, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction is finally here. After undergoing a massive overhaul and numerous delays, a game that was supposed to release during the Holidays of 2007 is now in our hands, and the question arises, was it worth the wait?
Like everything in life, the answer might not be as black and white as Sam Fishers visibility in Conviction.
This game is a complete re-tooling of the Splinter Cell series, if not the entire stealth genre. The original Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell released in 2002 by Ubisoft Montreal carried the tagline: "Stealth Action Redefined". Did the game live up to this bold title? Yes and no. While it offered cutting edge visuals and nail biting stealth, it did not necessarily deliver on the action. The real fun lay in carefully utilizing an arsenal of high tech gadgets, ninja-like acrobatics and nonlethal force along with a lot of patience and subterfuge to slink by guards and terrorists in order to complete your mission. You played as Sam Fisher, a new member of a black ops subdivision of the NSA entitled Third Echelon. Your objectives usually ranged from hacking computers for sensitive information to assassinating targets. Unfortunately some pretty glaring bugs in AI and an annoying alarm system sometimes reduced the gameplay to trial and error. As a result, the game remained fairly niche in its audience. I loved the game, it was highly challenging; however I could also recognize why a lot of people might not be able to sit down and devote five hours of sneaking about past guards and timing movements without any kind of action. People like action, lets face it.
These changes have been resolved in Splinter Cell Conviction, and I'd say that the series overall has now lived up to the tagline "Stealth Action Redefined". The newest tile delivers on the action while maintaining the stealth roots of the game to varying degrees.
Pros:
Story:
Like Infinity Ward, Ubisoft Montreal has gone to lengths to try and craft a single player experience that closely resembles a movie in its presentation. Previous SC games were never really great in their delivery of story. You could complete a mission and watch a 2 minute CG news broadcast and next thing you know you would be beginning your next mission with no idea what was going on. There wasn't much immersion. That has been addressed and Convictions storytelling style unfolds in a much more cinematic manner. The entire game plays out like a REALLY good season of 24. Following the events of Double Agent, Sam Fisher has gone rogue and is investigating the death of his daughter. He gets a phone call from an old colleague and before he knows it he's "back in the game". Sound a lot like Jack Bauer? It should. The story is narrated from the point of an old friend of Fishers named Victor Coste. The story comes together very nicely and has quite a few plot twists that a fan of espionage stories would enjoy.
High Point - Grims Revelation.
Gameplay:
This is NOT, I repeat NOT the same kind of gameplay from the first 4 games. Gone are the days of monitoring a visibility meter and ambient noise meter, timing your movements down to the second, chilling in the shadows 6 feet away from an a guard and praying that he doesn't take one step too close. Sam Fisher is now the ultimate hunter. We already knew in the previous games that he was highly trained - however you were encouraged to not be spotted and not leave a trail of bodies because the nature of your business was highly clandestine. All the stops have been pulled out and Sam now has nothing to lose and will not hesitate to kill a few people. The result is a much faster paced game that encourages aggression. Instead of sneaking by guards now, the real joy in this game lies in taking out guards. At the core of this new mechanic is what is called the Mark and Execute (M&E). The idea is you tag an enemy and tap a button and if the enemy is within the line of sight you get an instant kill. The catch is in order to receive an execute, you need to perform a hand to hand kill. These hand to hand kills are by far the highlight of the game in my opinion. Sam uses lethal moves to kill his enemy, and they end up being some of the most gratifying executions you could see in a game. They simply do not get old. Now instead of making sure your visibility falls under a certain threshold on a meter, all you have to do is hide in the shadows and the color sort of bleeds out to black and white, notifying the player that Sam is invisible. Sam can pounce from the shadows like the PREDATOR and ruthlessly eliminate his opposition. Let me make two things very clear before I wrap up the pros of gameplay. This game has by far the BEST character animations I have ever seen in a video game. Sam Fisher moves like a hunter and every motion is completely fluid. I cannot tell you how gratifying it is to drop from a pipe, snap a guards neck, tap the execute button and watch Sam drop 3 terrorists in one swift 360 degree turn. It really puts you in the game and makes you feel powerful. Sam is the best infiltrator there is, and all the NPCs in the game recognize it. It makes you feel like you're always in control of the situation. The second thing that I cannot stress enough is that Ubisoft Montreal has single handedly crafted THE BEST COVER MECHANIC IN ANY GAME TO DATE. Sorry Rainbow Six Vegas, Gears of War, Uncharted (what I've seen) and even...dare I say, Metal Gear Solid? Sliding from cover to cover comes 100% naturally which makes me wonder why this kind of system wasn't implemented earlier.
High Point - breaking into your former employers HQ through the parking garage
Graphics:
The visual signature of this game really puts you in the action. Fishers character is very detailed. Some of the locations are very memorable while some feel average. The missions that really looked great were *SPOILERS* The Lincoln Memorial, Third Echelon and The White House *END SPOILERS*. They have also implemented a new art design with something called projected text. This feature allows you to see objectives, story cues and brief video sequences projected onto the environment around you. This is a nice little touch and serves to make the player feel like they are seeing Sam Fishers thoughts. However it doesn't come off as innovative as Ubisoft made it out to be over the last 10 or so months. Sometimes it serves as a reminder that you are playing a video game.
High Point - Lincoln Memorial
Audio:
Michael Ironside IS Sam Fisher. If it wasn't for his voice, this character might as well be renamed as Jack Bauer or Jason Bourne. The previous Sam was calm, collected and had a highly sarcastic and dark sense of humor. This time through, Ironside delivers much more emotion into his performance. The result can either come off as bone chilling or laughable depending on the scenario. Guns sound as they need to, neck snaps sound incredibly satisfying, and the musical score is phenomenal.
High Point - The soundtrack
Multiplayer:
Let me put it like this, if you are just buying the game to play the main story, you are going to tear through it in one night of really fun gaming. However the developers decided to throw in some other play modes including a full blown co-op prequel campaign involving two spies, Archer and Kestrel. Furthermore the game contains a mode called Deniable Ops where you or a friend can team up and try and eliminate waves of foes either head on or completely silently (Hunter/Infiltration). The extra play modes are fantastic and should not be missed out on. I however believe that a game with a single player such as Conviction should only be judged on the merits of it's main campaign mode out of an old principle of mine that I won't harp on. tl;dr, the multi and extras are going to eat up your time.
High Point - The maps
CONS
Story:
IT IS WAY TOO SHORT! I played it on the realistic difficulty setting (the only true way to play) and I was able to get through it in 7 to 8 hours. Next up, When did Ana Grimsdottir go from computer hacker and tech support to deadly femme fatale? Since when did Third Echelon, a division in the NSA so secret that nobody will admit to exist, decide to move into a massive complex in downtown DC, begin hiring ruthless security guards and execute a terrorist. And how did it go unnoticed so easily? Hardcore Splinter Cell fans will complain at the fact that the story is less Clancy-like and more like a season of 24. Their point is valid, however it is also important to note that Ubisoft has started to go more mainstream with their Clancy titles ever since their acquisition of RedStorm Entertainment. Only now is it starting to become really evident. Don't get me wrong though, the story is very entertaining, just a little far fetched.
Low Point - the entire flash back.
Gameplay:
At one point in the game you play through a flashback sequence from some 20 years ago to help the player get an idea of what kind of relationship Sam has with another character. This sequence is by far the worst part of the game. A lot of the game mechanics have been completely stripped and it ends up feeling like something that belongs in a D grade action game, not Splinter Cell. Fortunately it is over soon. Sometimes when you mark targets for execution and hit the execute button, a target will walk out of the line of sight and Fisher will still perform a head shot through a wall. It diminishes from the experience momentarily. Also, who thought It would be a good idea to add a ridiculous trumpet jingle to your diversionary sticky cameras? Why doesn't Sam Fisher have his knife? Why was the computer hacking element removed? Sometimes direct confrontation is forced which goes against a lot of what Splinter Cell originally stood for. The AI can be spotty at times. You can kill a guard and use the body to distract another guard, kill him, let both bodies attract another, kill him and the final remaining guard will still go over to investigate the dead pile of his friends, blissfully ignorant of his impending death. Some parts of the game are less sandbox like and more linear which really removes options from the table on how to get by. You either fight these guards to get by or you die - not exactly what Splinter Cell was originally founded upon. However these parts are not as common as you might think. The interrogations are a thrilling new addition to the game. the concept takes inspiration from 24 in its execution and Sams moves borrow from Jason Bourne's arsenal. They are highly entertaining to watch but play out as little more than interactive cutscenes in which you move around and tap B to watch a really fun scene of someone getting their ass handed to them by Fisher.
Low Point - The flashback...don't pull that stunt again Ubisoft. It was like a BAD mission from G.R.A.W.
Graphics:
This game was made with the Unreal 2 engine and it is starting to show its age. It's a shame that a game of this caliber didn't end up looking as visually stunning as something like Modern Warfare 2, when It really should have; especially considering that one of SC's claims to fame was its visual presentation. Sometime the graphics look...jaggy. My other main gripe is the new binary lighting system. As mentioned earlier, in previous SC games (Chaos Theory), you had to keep your eye on two meters, an ambient light meter and an ambient sound meter. If either of the meters jumped past the ambient threshold, you ran the risk of being detected by guards when close by. This has been almost completely scrapped for a much simpler system that almost makes the game feel too easy. Now Sam can duck from shadow to shadow with near impunity from detection. If you are hidden, everything bleeds out to black and white to indicate that you know you are hidden. While it is a good indicator of your visibility, It really starts to put a damper on the visuals of the game when you take into account that you spend the entire game playing as a stealth hunter in the shadows. This amounts to spending three fifths of the game AT LEAST in black and white. It's a shame considering the game looks nice once you step into the light.
Low Point - Guards faces
Audio:
Let It be known that the delivery of the other main characters are not as strong as Ironsides'. One villain in particular comes off as slightly cheesy during the climax of the story. Ubisofts checklist for the next SC game needs to start with "MAKE THE GUARDS VOICE OVERS BETTER". They just seem over done at some points. Guards literally drop the F word in between every other word spoken. I guess If I was getting shot at from the dark and had no idea where it was coming from, I'd use it, but it just gets overdone. Some other cheesy lines ensue: "WHERE IS HE, HE DISAPPEARED", "COME ON FISHER, SHOW YOURSELF! LETS HAVE A GUNFIGHT IN THE STREETS OF D.C.!", "HOLY COW!", and so on.
Low Point - The guards constant bickering.
Multiplayer:
I won't touch on this because I don't feel like it.
Low Point - Not getting your annoying co-op friend to shut up.
The Final Word:
This game is an excellent follow up to the Splinter Cell series and delivers exactly what it promised. Hardcore Splinter Cell fans have a bone to pick, but then again what fans don't whine when their series is taken in different directions. The game could pass without the Splinter Cell name, but I suppose it is much better that it has it. Sam Fisher is really fun to play as and at no point in the story do you want to put the controller down out of boredom or frustration. The game can be pretty easy if you play on the rookie or normal difficulty, therefore I recommend playing it on realistic for a more intense experience. If you liked the assassination segments in Ubisofts recent title Assassins Creed 2, then you will love this game. It has excellent presentation and plays very smoothly. I did not get any slow downs or dips in performance. Even the notorious freeze bug that everyone had been talking about did not rear its head in both playthroughs of mine. If you are a fan of action games, then this is not a rent, this is a buy. If you are only getting it for the single player, you might be a little let down, however there are a plethora of things to do with the co-op and deniable ops afterward. If you are a hardcore splinter cell fan then chances are you have already hyped it for years, bought it on release day and have been spending the last week whining at Ubisoft about how you could have developed a better game that was more faithful for what you liked. Well too bad, Ubisoft has succeeded in making a more accessible title to the casual gamer while retaining the feel of Splinter Cell. They have made the equivalent of a blockbuster spy movie for the video game genre, and it would be a shame to miss out on it.
8.9 out of 10 | video-games_xbox |
Arguably the best stick on Xbox One. This is a very awesome stick. I bought it for my wife as she just recently got an Xbox One for Killer Instinct. This stick is easily modded and sturdy. I like the cord that comes with it and swapping out parts were a breeze. It is very solid and doesn't feel like it's going to creak and because it's on the Xbox One it doesn't have to follow Microsoft's stupid button layout for a non branded stick. The base is a little smaller than it's main competition which is the Madcatz T.E. 2 which some people would prefer and opening up the stick is easier than the competition's also as it comes with an hydraulic arm. The cord is also longer than the one that comes with the T.E.2 which I feel is really important because the Xbox one doesn't have any front USB ports and if you plan to use more than one stick you have to plug it into the back which may be a hassle based upon your entertainment set up.
Now onto the bad which I would say is much. The only things I would say is that the stick is a little on the expensive side given that the Xbox doesn't have many fighters and it seems like it is going to have less than the PS4 which isn't to the fault of Razer. It is a shame that the stick only works for the xbox one (one would think there would be Xbox 360 compatability) but it's not a big hit against it because the Xbox version of the T.E.2 has the same issue. Some people might have an issue that the stick is pretty much the exact same design as the Xbox 360 version which means there was no evolution but I see no problem with that because the stick is borderline perfect design right about now. Some people might be a little upset that isn't not as easy to customize the look of the stick as compared to it's rival. There is no way to quickly or easily swap out panel art or any sides of the stick. It's also a shame that Razer won't release a Playstation version of the stick.
Those setbacks aside, this is a very awesome stick and it is the best stick on Xbox One. the Honeycomb bottom pretty much makes the stick future proof to add more PCBs if you are willing to spend the money. If you don't care about a specially branded stick, or you don't plan to swap out art all the time this is probably the stick for you. | video-games_xbox |
This is what fans of Dragon Age Inquisition and Fans of Skyrim have been waiting for. Welcome to one of the most complete role-playing open worlds you have ever entered. In "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt," even the most seemingly insignificant characters have the most personal of stories, and every character in the Northern Kingdoms seems to come to life.
Developer CD Projekt Red crafts one of the finest open-world role-playing games of this console generation in Wild Hunt, and it's all about the way the world comes to life. Few role-players have this much personality and this many truly 3-D characters, all of whom help weave the tapestry that is these Northern Kingdoms. This is a game that will exact emotion from the gamer, a title that will make you feel and doubt and wonder the longer and deeper you play.
You reprise the role of Geralt of Rivia, the star of the previous Witcher games and a grizzled, 3-D hero in his own right. Early on, he's chasing a long lost love, working to find the young child he once nurtured (the titular Ciri), and trying to move on from the events of "The Witcher 2," all at once.
He's also a witcher, a member of a rare, genetically enhanced race capable of monster-slaying in this wild world. With that come tinges of mistrust and fear from some you meet. CD Projekt Red never overdoes this effect, though, leaving only slight hints of public fear, never reaching comic-book extremes.
There is a great deal of gray in "Wild Hunt," and Geralt often gets to make the call. The decisions are both large and small (Call out the general's motives? Let that woman die?), and you feel as if your moves do shape the future of this world.
The Witcher 3 gets this art of subtlety, something that video games are gradually becoming more proficient in in 2015, and it's evident throughout the game, particularly in the women that Geralt pursues.
Few games carefully straddle the line between female sexuality and the outcry for feminine toughness in 2015 better than "The Witcher 3."
Ciri is as powerful as anyone, and when you take control of her during the game you swiftly discover that. Yennefer, Geralt's romantic love interest and the pursuit that drives the earliest portions of this game, is a powerful sorceress, well capable of holding her own in battle, and no, an early nude scene, tastefully done, takes nothing away from that.
Yes, there is occasional nudity in "The Witcher 3," but it rarely feels intrusive. Like much of "Wild Hunt," it comes in a "Game of Thrones" sort of way, just enough to remind you you're playing a mature title, never enough to overshadow the overall experience.
CD Projekt Red does everything possible to further enhance its world with beautiful art design and smart technical decisions.
Saying "The Witcher 3" simply "looks good" is a near insult to the effort that's gone into this game, the day-night cycles, the way the wind blows against the trees and the grass, the detail on Geralt's garb.
Play "Wild Hunt" long enough, and you'll find yourself stopping randomly to take in the beautiful scenery, to appreciate the detail that's gone into the grass, or to stare out into the distance after scaling a mountain. And despite so many characters, nearly everyone you meet has visual personality as well, great care put into scars and wrinkles and moles and body types to generate a vastly unique populace. Even the cut scenes exhibit great care, with shifting camera angles and closeups that emphasize certain characters and expressions.
Gameplay, meanwhile, does its best to stay out of the way, functional without any flourishes that take your focus off the story. It's the little things that are the most terrific. Multi-step boss battles let you feel the enormity of massive beasts but never feel frustration. One-button horseback riding without thumbstick navigation along paths lets you ponder the story as you travel a vast kingdom, much as you might do on a car trip.
There are crafting and alchemy to delve into as well, each deep but never overdone. The alchemy itself will have you collecting items and leaves, much as many other games you've played, but it never feels rote, not with such a vast array of items and potions to be crafted.
Only the combat slips. A sore spot in "The Witcher 2," it's been revamped and made more console-friendly in "Wild Hunt." CD Projekt Red manages to bring combat more in line with today's action games, with parries and a variety of strikes, but the controls can occasionally feel sluggish. Geralt also doesn't move and turn with the fluidity you'd find in, say, "Batman: Arkham City," and the imprecision can feel annoying.
So too can the all-too-frequent bugs. As beautiful as "The Witcher 3" may look, graphical errors still abound, with disappearing trees or the occasional moment when Geralt walks through an object. There are unpolished moments, too, especially when Geralt clambers onto a craggy rock face yet appears to be standing on perfectly level ground. You can't fault CD Projekt Red too much because these moments are common in all massive open-worlders, but they're more noticeable here, in large part because of the elegance and detail that permeats so much of the rest of this game. The end result is a terrific role-playing game that any fan of "Elder Scrolls: Skyrim" will love. "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt" falls just short of perfection because of those nagging little issues. But if you've been looking for your next-generation "Skyrim," you've found it right here. | video-games_xbox |
A solid game. Right off the bat I'd like to say this is what Left for Dead 2 should have been. With that said I'll try to review the different aspects of the game:
Story 6/10: The story of the game is lacking for several reasons. The character selection (which will be covered more later) does nothing for the story development. The characters all have a small blurb about their backgrounds, but that's as far as the story development goes for them.
The game has an annoying aspect in the story (at least to this reporter) of pretending that all four characters represented in cut scenes, and for missions, the game again pretends that all four characters are there. This is kind of annoying to me, because no matter how ignorant most friendly A.I.'s are in games, it would be helpful to have three other bots to help you out.
The story mode is also lacking in the immersion factor. The main story doesn't pull you in. I had no qualms exploring or doing side quests right after finishing "a chapter". The story jumps around a bit instead of being in a more linear fashion.
Character Selection (+1): There are four playable characters. Each character has its own stats and skill trees (which have some similarities). Each character also has their own strengths, weaknesses, and "class".
Xian- Rogue Type
Sam B- Tank
Logan- Jack of all Trades
Purna- Leader type
Game play 9/10: Dead Island's saving grace is it's game play. There's a multitude of weapons which paired with a few different controller styles, there is bound to be hours of fun for anyone. The throwing weapon system is a pretty cool feature. Any melee weapon can be thrown. This is helpful when your weapon is about to break as it may give you the key few seconds to hall balls the other way.
Graphics (8/10): The graphics of Dead Island are pretty good given the vast differences in map areas.
Overall (8.5/10): Dead Island certainly has room to improve, but it an excellent game. | video-games_xbox |
Full Priced Game Masquerading Free-to-Play Clone. This review may sound like I don't like the game but nothing could be further from the truth, so Ill start with the positives. I own a PS4 and Xbox One and of the next-gen games Ive played to this point, 2K14 and Forza 5 are the two that stand out as making me feel like this is next-gen when I play them. For both games, the gameplay is familiar while at the same time I can feel the difference. When a screen is set you can feel the weight of it. Spacing feels better and more meaningful. Last but not least, it is visually stunning. Someone stopped by my home while I was in the middle of the game and as they passed by the TV they said, that looks real. It is a step forward and when in a game I have no complaints at all. If you love basketball youll probably love the way this game feels when you play it.
All that great stuff said, when you get to the game modes, it feels like a free-to-play game filled with microtransactions trying to get you to spend money. Now if 2K wants to make this series a free download and fill it with microtransactions then Im all for it, but after spending $60 for a game I don't want to feel like I need to buy at least $20 worth of VC to make it fun. To elaborate, the old modes have been revamped, so what used to be franchise mode is now MyGM. This makes running a franchise like a pseudo MyPlayer mode with the GM being your MyPlayer. To make lineup changes you have to have opened up level 1 coaching, which cost 500 VC. There are multiple areas the GM has to upgrade from Training, Coaching, Scouting, and so forth where VC will need to be spent to upgrade your GM attributes. Some of these things just add additional bonus to your franchise like players recovering faster from injuries, but as stated about the lineup, some of these things are basics that you shouldnt need to spend VC to be able to do affectively. In essence your ability to run a franchise will be greatly impacted by how much VC you get. Just like your MyPlayer experience is greatly impacted by how much VC you acquire.
Thats the main drawback to this game. There needs to be better balance between how much VC needs to be spent, what VC should be used for, and how much VC can be earned for free in a reasonable amount of time. There is a difference between using microtransactions as a way to add a bit of additional income and making a game built around microtransactions. This game seems to be the latter. When paying for a game it should be expected that the player should be able to feel as though they get the complete experience without feeling the need to purchase extra. I don't get that sense with this game unless you have countless hours of free time to grind for VC. If this is the direction the franchise is going then they need to consider simply going free-to-play then I could spend $75 on VC and itd feel justified. | video-games_xbox |
Flying Nazis... does it get any better. Wolfenstein continues to try to juggle the various beaten-to-death knives of WWII shooter, occult storyline, and "interactive" NPC's, and amazingly, does all three with only a handful of cuts and dropped pieces. Up front I'll say this is only for single player, as for some reason I can't even access multiplayer.
Wolfenstein continues to follow the occult-riddled Nazi escapades of agent B.J. Blazkowicz. Agent BJ (which an alarmingly large number of people call him without getting shot in the face) is dropped into Germany after sinking a German cruiser and finding a medallion that can both ward off bullets and flense thirty men down to the bone. Upon arriving, you discover a similar medallion, just prior to being given a briefing by a member of the Golden Dawn (Alister Crowley makes no appearances to my knowledge) and are tasked with preventing General Zetta from opening a portal to the realm of the Black Sun and stealing the power of the Thules. While so much of this seems hackneyed and dried out, not too mention rather over the top, considering that amount of story gets rammed down your throat in the first ten to twenty minutes, its delivered in such a way that it doesn't seem like the same ol thing.
Interactions are a bit strange. Some NPC's are interactive, and will calmly hold a discussion while a German platoon is attempting to fill you with lead. You purchase upgrades through the black market by finding bags and bars of gold(because cash is apparently for sissies), though after finding five dozen bags or so, I'd probably have absconded to buy a Hawaiian island. The finding quests are actually worthwhile, finding blueprints to unlock new weapon upgrades and inject some nice side pieces of backstory, but while being in plain sight, rather than being buried under boxes or tucked behind impossible to spot hidden doors, they require you to scour every square centimeter of every level, since we know most people leave a bag of gold on the sidewalk tucked between two crates, where no one will ever find it, as opposed to in a safe. Searching is rather neat, a simple button hold that actually shows going through the motions of searching cabinets or threading bombs, but its surprisingly rarely used.
Combat manages to be exciting and annoying in turns. Most of your eyes have telescopic night vision, able to spot and alert to your presence when they appear as a speck in the distance even on high end TV's. the sorcerers you encounter are rather overpowered, and can soak up almost as many bullets as you can. Health is ridiculous, and reminiscent of the Getaway, basically hide long enough for the blood around your screen edge to fade, making this a cake walk even on Uber difficulty assuming that there's decent cover available. Several of the effects, namely the anti-gravity which allows you to pick off soldiers like slow flying skeet are entertaining.
Overall, this game is okay. Not great by any stretch, as they lock you out of too many neat bits and spoon feed you too much story too soon, but not as disappointing as I'd been led to believe. After all, who doesn't like a good Nazi shoot? A decent plot and some entertaining asides that manages to stop just short of being grindy make this a solid rent-to-own, though emphasis is on rent. And if your looking for MP Wolfenstein, I'd just as soon stick to the online freeware. | video-games_xbox |
Great Concept but Way Too Short. Battlestations Midway lets you relive WWII as both an airplane pilot, submarine commander and naval tactician. There are a variety of ships, planes and vehicles to work with as you fight on the Pacific.
The graphics are quite nice, as you would expect from an XBox 360 generation of game. The water ripples, the clouds float lazily in the sky. The planes' flaps move as you turn, and the smoke and fire pouring from a damaged ship look convincingly real.
There could still have been improvements, though. The radar / compass is stuck at one size, which just doesn't work well for some missions.
The AI is a mixed bag. You can create a multi-stage move order for your allies, so that they take an indirect route to a target. However, they can't attack once they get there. They just sit and get sunk. If you leave a friend alone for .3 seconds, even the largest ship will somehow get destroyed by a tiny PT boat. Your enemies seem to be relatively smart - but your friends are all dunces.
This can become really challenging if you have, for example, 8 different squadrons of planes in the air that you are juggling, and if you take a moment to help one of them out of a jam, the rest all seem to completely lose their brain cells and die sudden, horrible deaths.
I'm not asking for your pals to win the war for you - but they should at least defend themselves semi-ably.
There are hidden objectives, and ribbons you earn - but they never tell you why you got the ribbon. It wouldn't be that hard for them to fill that detail in.
We didn't find the game "complicated" at all. They have an academy, a bit tedious to be sure, to teach you how to play. There's Campaign mode which walks you through a series of missions - it takes maybe 4 hours to play through them all if you're good. There are also challenges focused on ship, plane and submarine tasks, which let you play as both sides.
So the real question is, is 4 hours plus a few challenges going to make you a happy camper? Sure, you can replay those missions over and over again - but in this day and age, having a game with a main line that can be won in a single afternoon seems unreasonable to me.
A great idea - but they should have spent MUCH more time on developing a robust storyline to go with it. | video-games_xbox |
extremely addictive. i have owned this game for a short while but have played it as often as possible.its dang hard to put down! you get to run a theme park as you probably gathered already.ive read a lot of reviews from various sources and its not really as complicated as everyone says.it does have its obnoxious parts though.basicly,you get a loan and then must build a amusement park bottem up.every decision that could possibly be made is yours! you build rides from a few genres including water,roller coasters,kid rides,and transportation.theyre really simple in most cases but sometimes the computer won't just tell you what it wants you to do.thats aggrevating.then you must put in a bunch of shops to keep the money flowing.i like to put them at the top of hills so when the people get there,theyre all hot and are more likely to pay ridiculous prices for drinks.yes,it that in depth! then theres another menu for construction type stuff.this includes buying up land,intensive excavation,building sidewalks and more.then theres a less important thing where you can "create atmosphere".but its not really that exiting.just flowers,trees,trash cans and junk like that.theres a few nice statues and some fountains though.lastly,you will also have to hire boocoo security,mechanics and handy men.stuffs always breaking down and for some reason the people always litter no matter how many trash cans you put out.ive got a bunch of roller coasters,a train,tons of kid rides,water rides and even massive mazes for people to navigate.you can make money in many devious ways.here are 2 examples. 1-wait until a bunch of people are walking up to your park thats advertised as free.then hike the price up to 50 bucks.wait till theyve all paid then drop the price to free until youve got another flock coming.for some reason they only turn back unless if you go over 50.2-you can read thier thoughts.so when someone is lost and wants to leave,direct them to the info stand so they buy a map.if they leave you don't get rich.its loads of fun especialy if you have a lot of time on your hands,because it will devour your life! | video-games_xbox |
Samurai Warriors 2.0. Don't let the "2" at the end of this title fool you. It's basically an upgrade to the first Samurai Warriors. It features most (if not all) the same basic elements and hardly improves over the first one at all. Once again Koei has given us a basic hack and slash game. As if the slew of Dynasty Warriors games wasn't enough. Samurai Warriors isn't really all that different than any of Koei's other hack and slash games.
To begin, the game really does look the same as it did before. No real graphical enhancements, and not much of a polish to them either. So when I say this game is more or less the same, I'm not kidding. The XBOX360 version actually looks like the PS2 version; there is no graphical enhancements for the 360 version, which is a shame. Meaning if graphics is your thing, you might want the PS2 version instead as there's really no difference.
The only real difference between Dynasty Warriors and Samuraie Warriors (that stands out the most, anyway) is the simple fact that Samurai Warriors focuses on fuedal Japan (Dynasty Warriors focuses on China). There are an upwards of 26 characters to select from, most of which are locked until you complete the default characters storymode. In story mode you'll play through chapters just hacking and slashing away at your enemies. It's time Koei added more variety to these games. There aren't really a variety of ways you can deal with your enemies, and much like Dynasty Warriors, they clump up all over the screen. At first it's actually somewhat fun, but again, if you've played the first Samurai Warriors (along with Extreme Legends) and played the Dynasty Warriors games (along with those Extreme Legends) then you'll be disappointed (or really happy) to know that it's the same thing you've already been doing for years. Truly, this single aspect of the game could make or break it for you. Some aren't bothered by this at all. It's why Koei can continue to chuck out the same game over and over again. It's virtually the same, but some people like sameness, and of course I'm saying if you do then you'll feel right at home with this game, so don't let this review discourage you.
The story mode cutscenes are also given their own little dramatic effect. It doesn't work very well though. Like your standard Koei game, the English voice overs are terrible. They're so monotone and the dialogue is just bad. It's a good thing that you can easily have some fun with this game without gettind discouraged by the horrible voice acting. The music itself is really hit or miss. There's nothing really memorable about the music at all, and at times it just doesn't always feel right. We can let this slide, though.
Aside from story mode there is also a free mode which is more or less exactly like it sounds. You can choose any level you want and just go in and hack and slash at everything.
The game does try hard to put more of a strategic effort to the missions, but it's almost non-existant. For example, your attention may be called to an area on the map. The game expects that you'll take off and go there. You're not going to have to do that, though. There's really nothing strategic about Samurai Warriors. There wasn't anything strategic about the first one, and the second one's attempts to be such are pitiful.
There are two aspects of the gameplay that do stand out, though. One is the skill system, where you spend gold to learn skills for your character. It helps to make characters seem a little less generic, but not entirely. It does, however, give the game some much needed flavor and some neat customization ability. So there actually is a point to using characters over and over again, and chaning things up. The second aspect may very well be my favorite. The mini game: Sugoroku. It's more or less Monopoly with Samurai Warrior characters, and it's actually really fun to play, and can be quite addictive when playing with friends.
There's online play in this game (though the PS2 version doesn't go online), but it's not really satisfying. It's terrible as a matter of fact. When you go online you're put on two different maps. Yes, I said different. You'll never actually see your opponent. The basic goal is to defeat the enemy commander on your map before your opponent defeats the commander on theirs. Even worse, this is the only thing you can really do online. There's no flavor to it. You never see your oppoent, and there's no competetive or co-op modes or anything online. It's really sad to see. So while the game does have an online mode, you might as well forget about it and play freeplay or storymode because it's essentiall the same thing.
Overall, if you liked the first one, I'm not saying you'll dislike this one. I'm saying it's not really all that different. It's more or less an expansion of what's already been done a million times, and not just in Samurai Warriors. The gameplay can be fun, but just hacking and slashing at your enemies forever and ever with little variety will probably get pretty boring after a while. | video-games_xbox |
Kit Worked for Me. I've had my Xbox 360 since the end of 2006 and it finally did the RROD in Feb of 2010. I was devastated!
I've read about homemade fixes and never had the right materials to pull it off, so I was stoked when I found this kit on Amazon.
It's fairly simple if you're a hands-on kind of person and who has taken apart electronics. I've never taken apart an Xbox, but videos I found online helped supplement the online guide that this kit sends you to. The tool that comes with it is a little flimsy, but it works to easily take apart the Xbox case. The torx screws were the hardest to tackle, if you have your own set of screwdrivers, that'll help, but I used the tools from the kit and it was tough to not slip up but they came out.
My Xbox was fairly dusty and dirty, so I had to blow out and dust the entire thing as I was getting the motherboard out, so I assumed that's how the darn thing started overheating in the first place.
Taking the x-clamps off is a little tricky, because you don't want to scratch the motherboard, so just be careful about that section.
The cleaners that came with this kit actually worked better than I hoped, the original heatsick paste was thickly applied and all of it came off with the cleaner.
The trick to applying the new heatsink paste is a thin layer that covers the whole chip, without not too much runoff.
Once I overheated the gpu (using the second recommendation from the guide regarding overheating the unit to reset the thing) and put it back together, it was working a little sloppily. At first, I thought this kit wasn't working until I took it all apart again and tighten the heatsink screws from the kit a bit more. It worked fine after that!
However, my Xbox was having a problem reading discs, so I assumed the lens got dirty. I took it apart once more, and with help from online videos showing how to take apart the disc drive, I got down to cleaning the very dirty disc tray and lens.
Viola! Fully functional Xbox and I couldn't be more happier! I didn't have the funds to buy a new one, and I thought I'd try this cheap kit to see if I can even revive my console and it works (with fine-tuning and cleaning)!! | video-games_xbox |
Still the best looking game on next gen . One of the things that I have learned over the years is that Crytek ( the creators of this game and also the developers for the Crysis series ) Makes some of the best games you would ever want to play.. This game is no exception , from start to finish the game had me so enthralled in the story I just didn't want to stop playing..
If you are one of those people that think this game is just a game of quick time events ( QTE ) you would be completely wrong.. You have to initiate the QTE .. The fighting machanics of this game can be easily compaired to the batman games , they are fast and fluid.. You will need to rely heavily on your blocking/shield , without it you will die very quickly. Once you get the block , stagger , and attack combonations down its pretty much smooth sailing from there on out.. Im not saying it's completely easy from there but everything is alot more managable after you get everything down. YOU WILL STILL DIE THROUGH OUT THE GAME !! You will run into hords of ememies that at some points seem overwhelming , but after you die a few times you will see the things you are doing wrong and correct it.
The graphics are nothing but amazing in this game and simply something that could not be accomplished with the previous generation ( Xbox 360 , PS3 ) . Everything is just so detailed and beautiful to look at. I have found that after clearing an area of enemies I like to stop and just look around and appreciate the surroundings I am playing in..
In my opinion this game is nearly flawless and deserves nothing less than a 5 out of 5.. Don't listen to the paid professional reviews , if you want a real honest and truthful review , just read the user reviews.. There have been so many times I have seen profesional reviews really trounce on a game and give it poor reviews but doesnt reflect the actual user reviews that are much higher. One of the worst reviews I have ever seen was by Adam Sessler from G4 tv reviewing Darksiders.. I can't remember exactly what score he gave it but he gave either a one or two star review.. That was a totally inacurate review of the game.
Darksiders II Xbox 360
Look at the actual user reviews. What I'm trying to tell you is to look for yourself and play the games you want instead of listening to the '" professional " reviews.. As a matter of fact Sessler even gave this game a bad review and even admitted in his review he didn't complete the game..
On a final note , just pick up the game and play it if you are interested , it really is an excellent game and one that you will always remember.. | video-games_xbox |
Oddworld Inhabitants-Pure Genius. The first thing you notice when this game begins are the incredible graphics. They profoundly showcase the capabilities of the XBOX. no matter how chaotic the screen becomes, frame rates never miss a beat. The draw distances are also incredible. Bushes and shrubs are visable form across a lake or valley. This western themed universe is supremely well pulled off with the efforts of artistically talented Lorne Lanning and crew. At times I explored and hiked around simply for the sake of seeing the world.
The sound is just as good as the graphics. Dolby surround compliments the graphics dynamically. Sound effects are crisp and clear. The ambient sounds of the environments are aslo very well done, from lapping river currents to snapping machine gun fire. Voiceovers are fun and nicely performed, though at times it can be difficult to understand Stranger.
Stranger's wrath uses some well implemented tools to keep the game interesting. The game functions as a normal FPS and seamlessly switches to third person at the touch of a button allowing the player to run and fight hand to hand. During First person, Stranger uses a double barrel crossbow which fires live creatures that you must often catch to use. This feature is novel and allows a huge deal of replay value as you find different combos to better bounty your prey.
Stranger's job through most of the game will be to bounty outlaws. Obviously you'll be paid more to bring them in alive than dead. Bringing a boss in alive is a test in patience and at some points seems almost impossible. However, due to character development, Stranger will not bounty hunt the entire game. His chracter becomes more and more interesting and in Oddworld fashion, he is charged with the task of saving the world.
If this is what Oddworld Inhabitants can do now, future projects will be highly anticipated.
Pros:
Great graphics and sound, very high replay, excellent character development and novel approach to "live ammo"
Cons:
Can seem linear, very hard to bounty bosses alive | video-games_xbox |
Rough start, but hopeful for a better future. I wasn't planning on purchasing an Xbox One this soon, but I decided to trade in my collection of PS3 and Xbox 360 games while they were still worth something and I had enough credit to buy it. I hooked it up and downloaded the update. Popped in Dead Rising 3 and nothing. I repeated this several more times and either nothing would happen or I would receive a message to insert an Xbox One game, blu-ray, or DVD. I tried a blu-ray and DVD and the same thing happened. I finally contacted Xbox support. The customer service was very good and I now have another Xbox One on the way via their Advance Replacement program. I just hate having a hold of $540 on my credit card. I'm sure the vast majority of Xbox Ones work fine, but I would suggest holding off on purchasing one until Microsoft irons out the kinks.
Update: I did some research and apparantly Microsoft is giving a free game download to customers experiencing the disc drive issue. If you have this issue be sure to specifically ask for the free game download when you are on the phone with Xbox support. Otherwise you won't get it. I found out about this offer after I had already completed my repair request and missed out on it. Just thought I'd give others a heads up.
12/26/13 - I received my replacement console today. At first I was worried because my controller wouldn't sync wirelessly with the console. I just connected it to the console via a micro USB cable and that took care of the problem. I was hoping that the Day One update would already be installed, but it wasn't. It only took a few minutes to download though. So no biggie.
I'm only upgrading my rating of the console to three stars for the following reasons:
1. I'm still irked that the original was broken right out of the box. Although Microsoft did a great job of sending me a replacement right away, it still left a bad taste.
2. The games install at a snail's pace compared to the PS4.
If you're trying to decide between a PS4 and an Xbox One, I would suggest going with the PS4. I own both and I've been more impressed with the PS4. Not only is it $100 cheaper, but it performs better as well. | video-games_xbox |
A true achievemnet in entertainment. Mass effect is not more than a game. I have heard it be called an interactive story and what not, but such labels take away from this title what it really is. It is the next step in gaming. It seamlessly merges Rpg elements with over the shoulder shooters, and adds a rich, well done story of near epic proportions. If all that wasn't enough the characters you are surrounded by are as rich, and varied as the intricate plot in which they reside.
In a key moment of the game, which I will not give away, I was so shocked I nearly dropped my controller. The majority of games today can barely force me to give a crap about the character the I control. For me to become so invested in my party was a completly new experience.
Mass Effect is filled with wonderful moments like that, but they do not always come easily. Once you understand the mechanics of this game it is a joy to play. But when you first start out you are not given very much instruction on how to play the game. I started my first file as a vanguard, which is a combination of the soldier, and adept class. While the game gave me vague instruction on how to use my new powers, it used in game terminology to describe them. By the time I was 4 hours in, it was clear that I had made real errors in developing my characters, and I decided to start over.
To best understand how this game works I strongly recommend starting out as a soldier. Soldiers regenerate health, and are able to use every weapon effectively. While having abilities is cool your team will more thatn make up for that. Once you understand how to use their powers you should be able to start a file as any class you want.
Now for the review portion of my review. Mass Effect has gorgous graphics, and controls very well. The differnt classes are well balanced, and your team is always able to pick up the slack, as long as you are giving them direct orders. Left to their own devices your team is as dumb as a bag of rocks, but few in game ai's aren't so this isn't an issue. Weapons are varied and extremely customizable. The story puts most movies to shame, and the characters in it are extremely well done. There are a number of enjoyable side quests that will keep you busy for additional hours should you choose to undertake them.
Now for the negative aspects. Loading screens have been replaced with elevators, to give it a more realistic feel. You will get very tired of riding elevators. Enemey AI is caveman stupid. Forget taking cover the entire fight becasue the enemey has been trained in the Kamikaze style of warfare and will run through your hale of gunfire to get to you en masse. When you visit other planets you are dropped in a vehicle called the Mako. These portions range from boring to insanely frustrating. Boring comes from upwards of 20 minutes of searching for your objective over unnecessarily rocky terrain. The frustrating part comes in the form of the random mercenaries who you will encounter from time to time. The Mako's weapons targetting is painfully imprecise so you will usually end up using hit-and-run tactics, made even more difficult by the Makos's awkward turnng mechanism. Thankfully these sections are usually optional aside from a few story missions.
Mass Effect is an amazing game, and you owe it to yourself to play it.
Pros: Great Graphics
Amazing Story
Relatable characters
Rock solid on-foot gameplay
Character development and customization
Cons: Caveman stupid AI
Poorly designed vehicle segments
Numerous and sometimes long elevator loading times
And for some people the game may freeze. | video-games_xbox |
endless replay value. Where I'm coming from: I've played just about every Harmonix game, starting from Frequency for the PS1 to Guitar Hero 1 & 2, Rockband 1 & 2, Lego and Beatles Rock Band, and now (for a while now actually) Rock Band 3.
I've enjoyed all for them, and despite what I hear many people say 'play a REAL instrument'.. the fact is I don't have the time or -quite frankly- the people to learn. That is, to take up a real instrument it would be best to know people to play along with. Anyway, back to the game.
Rock Band 3 is a fantastic game if you love music and you love games. The fact that you are (more or less) playing the song adds to its enjoyment and also improves appreciation of the 'real' musicians and the songs. It's also a great way to get into new music that you wouldn't otherwise be aware of.
You can sing (well, depending on your ability), play guitar or bass (both use the same controller), drums, and with RB3, a keyboard. You can play keyboard parts with the guitar controller after you've unlocked the ability, but you still can't do the keyboard goals without the keyboard. There are also 'road challenges', that you can take solo or play with people on xbox live.
Unfortunately you have to have a USB microphone for vocals, it will not let you use the headset mic. Also, many songs have more than 1 vocal part (solo and harmony).
The 'career' mode from the first two Rock Bands is gone. You can immediately play all songs available. Instead there is sets of goals for every instrument that you complete by playing the songs in the goals at the required difficulty.
Also, money is gone. Instead of buying new clothes, they are unlocked by completing goals and certain achievements.
You can make setlits and save them for future use, share them with xbox live friends, or set it up as a challenge for all xbox live users--which expires in a week. (it'll still be saved for you to play anytime)
The setlist itself is very good (in my opinion). My preference is to classic rock, and so I was very pleased with the introduction song being 'Break on Through' by The Doors. You can also export the song lists from RB2 and RB1, albeit not all the songs transfer over (one of them is 'Black Hole Sun' by Soundgarden, which I miss). Nevertheless, the increasing amount of downloadable songs makes the game forever new. As mentioned, I like classic rock, so among my favorite dlc is alot by Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Yes, David Bowie, and even some more modern tracks.
Online play is ..well, dependent on the people you're playing with. I'ld say about 60% of the time it's a good experience, but sometimes you get people who quit early (one of my pet peeves) or well, picks horrible songs which can't be blamed because everyone has different musical tastes. The general rule is that each player gets to pick one song then it's started by whoever's 'host'. It's pretty rare (in my experience) to get all 4 players in a band online, with vocals being the most rare and guitar being the most common. There's sometimes a delay when the guitar and bass players are 'battling' over who gets which part.
In any case, just with any game, you'll need an Xbox Live Gold account to play with others online.
You can have other people playing with you on your own system to join in on an Xbox Live game, but not having done that I'm not sure how that works.
Overall, it's a very good game if you love music and games. Personally I never get tired of it and I've had it for ..well.. since it came out. | video-games_xbox |
A Decent Game. I have to start by saying I don't know why initial reviewers of this game decided to trash it so badly. I actually pre-ordered it and started getting a little nervous after reading the scathing reviews it first received. Don't get me wrong, this is no blockbuster of a game and like another reviewer said, it's not going to win any awards. It is one thing: fun. However, it's fun for those who like stealth games. This is not a hack and slash game. You are not going to be immersed in fighting or shooting. The entire basis of this game is hiding behind cover and either systematically killing enemies by picking them off guerilla-style or simply avoiding them altogether. Yes, sneaking around can be tricky. If you step on a broken shard of glass, it will make sound and you may get spotted. You may break cover too soon and get spotted. It's a little challenging, but that adds to the fun. It's more rewarding to clear a room of armed guards when one false move could result in a number of guns lighting you up. Besides, if you choose the right abilities to upgrade, they certainly make navigating a crowded room easier. You can level up as you progress through the game and you can do so how you see fit. There are a lot of skills and abilities to choose from, which is nice.
Graphically, it looks pretty good. It's cel-shaded, so it presents a lot like Borderlands. Sure, when characters are speaking, their mouths may not match the dialogue exactly...so what? The dialogue (voice acting) in this game is probably one of the weaker points anyway. The characters sound stiff and are uninspiring. But the entertainment value from this game comes of the gameplay more than the story anyhow.
Like I said, this is not blockbuster of a game. It's not the best I've ever played and it's certainly not the worst. It's an average game that provides above average fun. If you're looking for a nice stealth-based game, you could do worse than Dark.
PROS
- Controls are mapped nicely
- Stealth mechanic works well
- Lots of upgrades to choose from to power up how you see fit
- Good cel-shaded graphics
- The music is well done and matches the atmospheres
- It's fun
CONS
- The autosaves are too far apart. You could spend 20 minutes navigating through a large room of enemies just to get spotted and killed and have to start all the way at the beginning
- Dialogue is lacking
Overall: 3/5 (I'd have probably given it a 4/5 if the autosave feature wasn't so annoying) | video-games_xbox |
A Wothy End to a Groundbreaking Series. If you haven't heard, Halo 3, arguably one of the most important game-releases to date has arrived. Returning with Halo 3 is more of the same, which is in no way a bad thing. Anyone who has played either of the first two games will feel immediately at home with the control setups, visual style, and overall presentation to the game. Everything you'd expect from a major release title like this is in tact: beautiful, immersive environments that will leave you breathless, amazing sound effects, and game play that will always bring you back for more. Depending on what your forte is there are many things to do in Halo 3. If single player is what your interested in you'll find plenty of adventure (and challenge) in the campaign mode. It offers four difficulties, legendary being the most difficult, but all of them will leave you feeling satisfied once it's all over. Enemy AI is solid in all four variations. Aside from the Grunts (the lowest form of baddie) no enemy is an easy kill. Even the most seasoned Halo veteran will find it hard to overcome some of the impossible odds that will challenge their skills in Legendary mode. The campaign, which lasts around 15-20 hours, will provide you with enough "Oh **** moments to keep you coming back for more even after you've beaten it.
In addition to the normal campaign mode theres an added 'Online Campaign' feature where you and (up to) three others can take on the epic story-mode. This adds a competitive feel to the standard game with scores and medals for accuracy, kills, and detractions for death.
If you're a multi-player aficionado then online mode is where you will feel home. There are an assortment of games to play; everything from Capture the Flag to territories is available to choose from if you so please. If you're someone who doesn't like those kind of games, there's the more classical 'Whoever kills the most wins' type of match. These are all available to play with either teams or independently through the use of Xbox's live matchmaking system which ranks you with players of your skill level based on previous games.
This brings about one of the games downfalls: the online community. The online scene is littered with pre/post pubescent whiners that curse, drop racial slurs, and do nothing but talk trash the entire duration of any lobby moments. Sometimes you'll be lucky enough to get one on your team and if you're doing poorly, they'll surely let you know. While this may seem a little harsh and more of a chance encounter, once you arrive online you'll find out that 90% of your games will be with or against players like this. Sometimes it's funny, but if you're someone who just wants to enjoy themselves then it's an extremely unneeded hindrance from enjoyable gaming. Gameplay aside there's a lot of customization to be done. First and foremost you'll want to decide whether or not you want to be a Spartan or Covenant Elite. Then you'll want to pick your unlockable armor types and customize your own personal emblem. Through the use of the games 'Forge' editor you can make some serious modifications to any of your favorite maps, then invite your friends to play on them with you. If that wasn't enough you can use the games 'Theater' to view previous games from anyones perspective with fully rotational cameras capable of taking screenshots that can be sent to your computer. It's an unneeded one, but a very nice touch nonetheless.
Minor griping about the length of the game aside, Halo 3 comes out on top in terms of enjoyment and replay values. There are so many things to do once you load up the game you will have a tough time deciding where to even begin. That's an amazing thing to come across in todays games where you usually just goto one point, then to another. A game with this much depth brings a lot to the table right off the bat. With promises from Bungie with more to come in the future in the form of online updates and added content, theres no reason to miss this years biggest game and the ending to one of this generations most successful franchises. | video-games_xbox |
Fun gameplay and amazingly funny references. Amped 3 is the first snowboarding game to come out for the XBox 360. You get to fly through the snowy slopes in full wide screen high definition.
First, it's important to fully accept that this game is made very tongue in cheek. You get cut scenes with drawings almost exactly like Trogdor, you have sequences of 60s-style circles with good/evil George Harrisons urging you on. You get modern alt music mixed in with Blinded By the Light. Sometimes there are Wonder Woman style flashing lights. "The Dueling Serpents of Fangar!"
A lot of the references might go right by people who aren't both classic TV watchers and new website visitors. It's amazing how many subtle funny things are built into the dialogues and cut scenes.
But back to the game. You customize your character - male or female - with the typical array of skin color, body build, hair, facial hair, hat, clothing, board and so on. You have a GIANT mountain to explore that you can explore, do challenges on, follow the storyline on, and just have fun. If you get tired of tracking down cool places to board, you can always snowmobile all over to find a new hidden spot.
Like any game, the key here is to master the controls. Once you get the hang of the different moves, you'll be carving, spinning and sliding whereever you want to go. Dodge in the trees. Launch out over the rocks. The mountain is fully rendered and waits for you. The game is pretty forgiving for beginners, so they don't get frustrated, but also provides enough challenges that skilled boarders will find their ways to have fun.
The graphics in widescren high def are a mixed bag. On one hand, I love the groomed rippled snow and the trails you leave in it. It made me want to put aside the controller and drive up to the ski lifts. The funky stars and circles and other indicators are all true to style. The clouds and sunsets in the background are photo-realistic and lovely. However, the character models are a little plastic looking. Comapred to other games we're playing right now, they weren't up to standards.
It's important to note that the game is about fun - not about training you to be a professional snowboarder. If you slam into a tree, you don't get hauled off to the emergency room. You just bounce off and keep going. If you take a nose dive you just roll and get back up again. I don't really consider this a bad thing in a video game.
Well recommended for snow bunnies everywhere! | video-games_xbox |
Eating and protecting Brains has never been so much fun. If there were a 4.5 rating, Left 4 Dead would get it easy, It certainly rates 5/5 to me on fun factor which is what is most important.
I am enjoying Left 4 Dead immensely. It is an addictive, challenging, atmospheric and sometimes funny game which will keep you coming back for more. Many people praise the game by starting with, "If you like zombies then...". I believe the game is good enough to not need such a precondition mentioned. I would word it, if you like FUN games, then you'll love Left 4 Dead.
Left 4 Dead is based during a Zombie Apocoplypse and you play as one of four "survivors" who are immune to whatever infection is going on. These four survivors are purposely generic, ripped straight out of your typical B horror Flick. There is the college girl named Zoey, the Bad looking biker who screams like a girl when in trouble named Francis, the Grizzled old Vietnam war vet reliving his war days, Bill and the Shaun of the Dead-esque assistant store manager named Louis who seems to view this Zombie crisis as just another bad roll of the dice in his life. All of them are entertaining and a joy to have around. They all have some great ineraction with another and Louis and Francis in particular have some pretty funny one liners. Playing as each character offers the same experience, none have strengths or weaknesses but you'll more than likely pick a favorite for reasons of your own. It is good they all play the same because this is a coop game and if people are fighting in the pre-game lobby because they want the "best" character, your coop experience will not be so great.
There is a Zombie Apocolypse, and these are 4 immune survivors who need to do nothing other than survive and get to a rescue transport. This is the story of Left 4 Dead. Those looking for a deep story and enfolding plot lines as you progress will need to look elsewhere. You will not find it here. There is only one cutscene even, before the title screen, which is pretty intense and leads right up to the beginning of the first "campaign" of the game. After this cutscene, nothing. Not even after you beat a campaign, just credits and stats at that point (which are neat to look at so you can point out to your teammate that it was in fact HE who was producing the most friendly fire and using all the health packs). The gameplay is what counts and it is fantastic but it would have been nice to see more cutscenes before each campaign begins. The one they do have is pretty awesome.
Left 4 Dead tries, and succeeds, at replicating the old Zombie horror flick feel. There are 4 campaigns, which are essentially movies with their own names. The name of each campaign/movie has just the right level of cheese to it. The first one is named "No Mercy", where you are trying to get to a hospital (Mercy Hospital) which has a helipad on the roof. The catch line for this movie is "curing the infection, one bullet at a time." It's so bad it's great! I love it. The B-movie take adds much personality to the game. Another campaign, where the survivors are trying to get to a boat is called "Death Toll". Get it? Oh God. lol
The presentation with the B-movie twist is excellent and the graphics back the game up just fine. Now this game runs off the source engine, which Half-Life 2 runs off of. The source engine is 4 years old and is not known as a graphical powerhouse but does the best physics out of them all. Left 4 Dead is no Gears of War 2 or Oblivion, but she is still pretty enough that you'd take her home without needing to be drunk. The environments are dark and cryptic with all sorts of little details thrown in. In a hospital level you can find an X-Ray room which has the thumbless Left 4 Dead hand X-ray image up on a board, next to an X-ray of the missing thumb. On the walls throughout the levels are graffiti or messages which give you clues about what sotry there is, where to go, what happened to those there before you (which adds even more to the atmosphere of the game) and even bathroom stall like one liners and arguments. On one particular wall someone wrote, "we deserved this!", underneath this ominous statement is a response, "maybe you did, but I didn't do anything!". Little things like this add to the high level of detail and atmosphere this game offers.
Expanding further on detail, there are hundreds of different zombies in the game. If you actually took the time to look at each one you would rarely see two Zombies that look exactly alike. It is also depressing to see that these were once regular people, now turned into flesh eating monsters. You will be attacked by what once was a soccer mom, a trendy young college girl, a cop, a business man, a national guardsmen, etc. the lighting and shadows and framerate in this game are excellent and you will always be spooked out by your surroundings. The environments however are not all that destructable. As a zombie (in versus mode) you can knock down doors and certain walls, but as a survivor you can't interact all that much with the environment. What you can do is find numerous escape routes if you look hard enough. Jump out a window to land safely on a pile of trash bags, creep out onto a ledge or find a stack of crates that leads to an otherwise hidden room. Windows can at least be broken, doors can be shot through, some doors leading to secret areas can be busted down and there is the occasional TV or strobe light you can blast away. Otherwise the environements aren't too interactive, but there is plenty to do in them. The framerate is smooth and the lag is minimal to nonexistant.
Gameplay is where its at and gameplay is where this game Excels. The core formula and mechanics are simple, 4 people with access to pistols (single to dual wielding), Uzis, Shotguns, Automatic Shotguns, Assault Rifles, Hunting Rifles (sniper), Molotov cocktails and Pipe bombs. There are also Gasoline canisters and mini propane tanks you can pick up, throw and shoot to cause fire and explosions. All of these weapons serve their purposes well and have their strengths and weaknesses. Aside from Atmosphere and detail being key strengths in this game, Balance is another one. You may have your favorites, but there really is no "best" considering the many different situations you find yourself in. You often have to either work with what you have and/or plan ahead and devise a victory/exit strategy. Some have complained that they wanted more weapons, namely a Flame Thrower but it is not needed at this time. Maybe in a later update to the game the devs can add it in but what we have now works great. This game is not about super weapons and blasting everything to oblivion, it is a strategic affair where you are constantly at threat and feeling vulnerable. A flamethrower would cause many problems because friendly fire is always on and someone would no doubt cook their entire team with one. Molotovs do just nicely, learn to love them.
The game will often throw whatever its got at you, and then let up if you are under too much stress. This element of the gameplay is called the A.I. director. This director is what makes every level different everytime you play through it. Health, weapons, secondary weapons and enemy spawns are different throughout each level and can change on the fly. If the director feels like you are getting a free ride, a horde of Zombies will be thrown at you, then another soon after. If you've been getting your fair share of stress, you may suddenly realize things have gotten quiet (often a little too quiet) so you can heal or take a breather. The A.I. director works very well and is definitely not a gimmick. You really feel like some unseen force is always watching your progress, contemplating its next move (some liken it to a Dungeon Master in Dungeons and Dragons, I never played that so I wouldn't know for sure).
Strategy is a big part of the gameplay. Run N Gun tactics will get you killed fast, along with the rest of your team. All 4 of you need to work together as one. The game does not just encourage this, it forces you to do this at the higher difficulties. You will learn to adapt to each others play styles so you don't shoot one another and can cover each others backs effectively. You will learn the importance of advancing in a triangular formation to cover all your sides. You will learn the importance of having the two in front to duck down so the two in back can fire over their heads harmlessly at whatever threat lies ahead. You will learn to always have someone periodically check your rear so you don't have a Scooby-Doo scenario where everyone is tip toeing along, with a monster tip toeing right behind them. You will learn to conserve your ammo, fire at different targets and wait until others are reloading before you start to fire. You will learn how to avoid friendly fire and the importance of melee. You will learn the importance of pipe bombs and molotovs, especially pipe bombs which have a beeping sound to it that attracts zombie hordes, perfect for getting them off of you if you're overwhelmed. You will learn to listen to your surroundings. There are what are called "special" zombies in this game. A Boomer which is an obese Zombie often can be heard belching and gagging in the distance. He is dangerous, if he vomits on you, or if you shoot him too close and he expodes on you, then a horde of zombies will immediately jump you to feast. Apparently that things bile is a treat for the zombies. There is the smoker zombie who coughs and wretches like he has emphysema. He can often be heard behind your team, where he tries to pick one of you off while the rest are distracted. Whoever has the rear needs to look out for this smoker because he can do serious damage to a team by separating them. There is the hunter zombie which can be heard growling and often pounces on a you from the shadows. The only way to get him off is to have a teammate shoot or push him off (team work, always). There is the Tank which is this massive hulking monstrosity that is a pain to Take down and you must always prepare for at every moment, no matter how rare he might be. There is the Witch, which sounds like a harmless little girl crying alone in the darkness, but if you disturb her, instant death for you. The A.I. director, the special infected, the necessary team work (stay together always!) and the tactics you are forced to use make this one hell of an experience. The control is perfect and responsive and the gameplay is just intuitive overall.
The sound is great, as I touched on. It is an integral part of the gameplay for you need to listen to your surroundings for clues of what is coming up next. The little music that there is, is haunting, and the music that starts when a horde or tank is upon you gets your heart pumping. The best and freakiest music of all is that of the witch when she is nearby and/or disturbed. This music combined with her cries is hard to describe, all I can say is it is disturbing and will leave you cold all over.
Some say this game is short. If you play it on easy or normal, and are good at FPS then yes it is. Those modes are just for messing around or to try and get achievements more easily. Advanced offers more challenge but as long as you play as a team, you should progress just fine. The real challenge, and in my opinion the real game, can be found on Expert mode. This is where you are forced to play as a team and stick to all the tactics that work and learn from the ones that don't. This is where you can spend 20 mins discussing a plan to ward off the hordes in the finale of a campaign before they are alerted. This is where you are made into a better player and feel the true tension and fear this game can dish out. I have put in dozens and dozens of hours into the game on expert and only beaten 2 of the 4 campaigns. I highly recommend playing this game on Expert, it is not so much a harder difficulty than it is a completely new and different game. Never before has dying in a game been so much fun.
Besides 4 person coop you have Versus mode where you can play as the special Zombies (except the witch). This mode is so much fun. Pouncing on players as a Hunter zombie or smashing them around as a Tank never gets old. I personally love puking on them as a Boomer, there is something satisfying about that and snagging a straggler as a Smoker with your 100 ft tongue and pulling him further away from his team is one of the best feelings you can get in a game. That's one way to teach someone about the importance of teamwork. teamwork is just as important in Versus as it is in the campaign. Zombies need to employ teamwork too!
Downsides to this game are few so I'll just quickly go through them:
- This is a multiplayer centric game, an awesome one at that, but it is impossible to beat the game on expert with the AI controlled bots and it's just not as fun. You want to play with people. There really isn't much of a single player experience to be had, though it is still an average experience, and is better than alot else that is out there.
- Right now there are only two campaigns (movies) which can be played on Versus mode, though the devs are working on the other two as I type this. They just need to balance out the maps for those campaigns.
- Only one cutscene, which is very well done. There should have been one to introduce each campaign/movie.
- I hate the whole "infection" storyline when it comes to Zombies. A biological explanation for Zombies is not needed and takes the supernatural allure of them away. I prefer the "Walking Dead" theme, where there really is no explanation. Like in the movie "Dawn of the Dead", "when Hell is full, the dead shall walk the earth." Perfect. A minor gripe, I just ignore the whole infection theme anyway. It's not hard because there really isn't much of a story here anwyays.
- If you don't have friends to play with the game may not be as enjoyable. Then again, I personally had nobody on my friends list that was playing this game so I went to the xbox.com forums to find people to play with and it worked wonderfully. I also risked playing with some random players and to be honest, the community for this game is much more mature on average than that of other online shooters. So this negative can be turned into a wonderful positive if you're not anti-social. Meeting new people is worth it to play this awesome game.
Oh one more thing, you can play splitscreen and take yourself and your friend online to play as well. Groovy.
I prefer letter Grades when it comes to games and this one easily gets an A- as well as a smiley face/gold star. | video-games_xbox |
Another Year, Another CoD, Same (but improved) Great Formula. First off, let me get this out of the way: BF3 MW3 BF3 MW3 blah blah blah blah blah
Ok, now on to this game, MW3. I have been an FPS fan my entire gaming life, and the CoD series has always been especially fun for me. I realize the plot to the single player campaign is insane and ridiculous, but that's part of the fun. For me, video games are meant to be over the top and fun to play, not a real life sim (once again, that's what they are TO ME).
Call of Duty MW3 is just that: over the top and ridiculous. The single player campaign really has no depth to it, but it's a fun, action packed ride that had my attention the entire time (which was about 6 hours or so). It's strange to say that a single player campaign isn't the main draw of a game (Half Life and Half Life 2 were my first video games), but that's really the state of affairs with FPS games these days.
The multiplayer realm is where MW3 really shines. All of the old, classic game modes are back with the addition of a few new ones. My new favorite is definitely Kill Confirmed, which puts a strategic twist on the regular TDM gameplay.
Now to address a lot of the (ridiculous) 1 star reviews and their main argument: it's the same game. Yes, MW3 and MW2 share a lot of similarities, as any sequel does. More to the point, MW2 had a great flow and feel to it, so why not apply those same elements to the new game but even better? MW3 improves upon MW2 in every conceivable aspect, from the visuals to how the guns feel/sound to the netcode. If it ain't broke, don't f*** with it. MW2 was broken in some regards, but MW3 fixed those issues and it's definitely a much more polished game and most importantly, fun as hell!
MW3 isn't for everybody. The online play is fast, frenetic and overall nuts. If you prefer to sit in a corner or alley way, waiting for kills, this game isn't for you. If you like an incredibly fast paced shooter that rewards all types of playing strategies (you don't have to have the highest kill/death ratio to be the top scorer, just go for objectives!) then MW3 might be for you.
Then again, to those readers that are foaming at the mouth idiots who will never-endingly compare BF3 to MW3, then all I can say to you is grow up already. | video-games_xbox |
Overall, "Adventures" is a very fun game. Kinect Adventures is most likely your first hands-on experience with the Xbox add-on Kinect sensor. Mine came with the 4G Xbox system. You don't need anymore remote controllers; instead your whole body serves as the controller via the Kinect camera. You flail your arms; you kick and scream, and do all kinds of unimaginable body contortions, and to add insults, it can be captured by the very same camera to send to the vastness bowels of the internets! Who knows? You can be the next laser sword wielding boy sensation if you can stand all the embarrassment from your friends and family relatives.
The idea is to drag your lazy bones, stand in front of the tube and save you from becoming a hapless couch potato. Your first few hours will surely be a lot of fun. You can have another player join you by simply position themselves on your side. He can be a boy or a girl depending on which side he jumps into.
May favorite is "Roaring Rapids", you ride on an inflatable and try to collect as many points by maneuvering with your body. When you jump, the boat jumps with you and you can reach objects high on the rock. By performing successive jumps with a friend, you can even reach higher, even up on top of the clouds.
I also love the game similar to a dodge ball, although you just have to hit targets by slapping and kicking the ball as opposed to getting the blissful satisfaction of hitting someone's vulnerable parts, it is a very active game that can make you gasp for air after finishing a set. You can also use your knees, your body for blocking, or your head. Not to be outdone, the log obstacle course is likewise a very fun game. You have to jump, dock, and position your arms and legs to reach objects to get as many points as possible. Other games are popping bubbles where you are in outer space, weightless and can fly by flapping your arms. The game that I don't care very much is an underwater lab where you have to patch leaks from the damages created by sharks, and other sea monsters.
Overall, Adventures is a very fun game. It just doesn't have as much repeat value as Dance Central, etc. | video-games_xbox |
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