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OMG. I came across this title after seeing clips of the Blu ray animated epic. One day shortly after hearing of the movie I saw this as a playable demo on xbox 360. Im not 1 for paying the high price for 1st day releases or even the prices of new games. Everything I have bought has been used months after the fact. I also prefer 2+ player games as I normally just have more fun playing with friends. Why am i telling you this? Well because ive had the game for less then a week and it was my 1st day 1 purchase at full retail pricing. Its also a 1 player game. I love it and don't feel like I paid too much!!! It that statement alone doesnt tell you how fantastic this game is... maybe a more info about the game might.
This game is fast paced.. fun, bloody, and over all a freakin blast. Not just a hack and slash but puzzles like Tomb Raider with more BLOOD. Lots of Blood ha ha. The way it works is like in most games- building meters. You have a meeter for the souls you punish and another for the souls you forgive of sins. The ones you punish help fill the red meeter, which, when filled, allows you to gain a new available level under combo attacks using the scythe. Once these levels become available you can then uses your acquired souls gained from everyone you kill to purchase (for lack of a better term) new moves. If you forgive souls it helps you open up new levels under the blue meeter for acquiring holy powers. Holy powers are for distant attacks and are also upgraded or "purchased" with the souls you have acquired from kills.
The graphics are amazing. Perhaps I like it so much because the game makes you feel so small. For instance entire walls and floors collapse, bosses often take up the entire screen. The game has a way of making you feel inferior so to speak. Game play and cinamatics also blend well together. The sounds is amazing when used with my surround sound. Over all this game looks and sounds great and is a blast to play.
Id also like to comment that save points are rather generous. It will auto save several times when completing a puzzle or when it shifts new gears to a combat sequence. Game saves to save you game and shut off the unit are also quite fair. | video-games_xbox |
My new best friend. There are two reasons to buy this for playing Street Fighter over using a traditional 360 controller: The D-Pad, and the buttons. That may not seem like much, but in the end they're both perfectly executed.
The D-pad is an interesting design. Essentially, it is a very, very small joystick with a d-pad mounted on top. Thus you can move right by either pressing down on the right side, or pushing the pad towards the right. Because of this the movement is very fluid and dynamic, but there is a bit more travel than you would get with a traditional d-pad. I've found it to be very helpful with rotation-based moves (down, downforward, forward), but the distance is less helpful for charge moves (back for 1 second, forward). Directions are quite precise, and I never find that I'm accidentally pressing the wrong way. Overall, it beats any d-pad available on the 360 easily, including previous Mad Katz pads and Hori imports.
Further, the buttons are pure beauty to use. The layout is perfect, and the buttons are spaced far enough apart that I have yet to accidentally mispress. Button action is short and sharp, allowing for faster usage. This is the button layout that the game was made for. The shoulder buttons, unfortunately, are somewhat stiff and difficult to use, but they get the job done.
The pad also features rapid fire, which is pretty easy to use. Hold the rapid fire button, and tap the button you would like to set. A light on the controller blinks as it goes. Simple. As a bonus, the controller is curved almost perfectly so that any button can be held down with a simple rubber band, if you're the kind of cheater who does that sort of thing.
10 seconds after starting off with this controller, it felt perfectly natural in my hands. This is the way the game was meant to be played. Instead of fighting against the controls, I felt like I was playing the game. 40 dollars for a pad that you will probably use on one or two games may seem like a lot (and it is), but this controller is just a pleasure. Highly Recommended. | video-games_xbox |
Great game, if not slightly redundant. I'm a huge video gaming nut, so when I saw the trailer for Lollipop Chainsaw (the one made to the tune of "Lollipop, Lollipop", I knew I had to have it. I'll tell you though, the game doesn't quite live up to the hype of the trailer.
I'll break this down into sections, as this seems the best way to express my opinions of this game:
Storyline: This game has a cheeky sense of humor that not everyone will appreciate. I loved it. Chainsaws, hot chick, panty shots as she is killing zombies. A gamer-geek's dream. And the comments she throws out while playing are hilarious. These are the high points, however. The storyline itself is weak, but the same can be said of many gaming franchises. I mean, we're here to kill zombies and look good doing it, right?
Graphics: Nicely done. I did see an occasional glitch, but overall the game was smooth and oh so pretty.
Difficulty: For a game with a female lead (which you would think would attract more girl players), the game seemed overly difficult. Don't get me wrong, I like a challenge, but many players might be put off when selecting an easier mode and getting their rear handed to them every few minutes. For me, however, the game play was challenging enough to keep me interested and experiment more with the moves that would wipe out many foes at once.
Controls: To me, this is where the game fell down. Game play is kind of rough to get used to. In the beginning, I found the controls hard to work with and kept cursing under my breath when the girl on the screen wasn't doing what I wanted. Once you invest some time into the game, you begin to understand the "eccentricities" of the controls, and game play becomes easier. This, to me, is a huge deal, and something that should have been addressed at design time.
Enjoyment: To me, the fun factor was ripping apart the zombies in a glorious shower of blood and guts. However, the game also has a reward system where it spits out gold and silver coins as you wreak juicy zombie carnage. I sometimes felt like Mario as I ran for the coins, which to me added a little bit of a cheese factor to the game. But, they had to figure out some way to have you earn new items and attack moves, didn't they?
Value: Let's be honest. This game is a fun game for less than $30. There's plenty of zombie killing, humor, and gore to keep your heart thumping for awhile. The controls are kinda stiff at first, and the story is nearly non-existant. Even the concept, which is a 1-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer isn't original. But if you want a few hours of enjoyment requiring no brain power, this works well and can be a load of fun. I got my copy on sale for $19, and find it worth the price. If I had paid more for it, I would have been unhappy.
Verdict: Not for everyone. If you find the idea of running around in a cheerleader outfit killing zombies and taking names, then this game might be for you. If you are looking for a solid story, good game play, and something to stimulate your mind as well as your reflexes, you may want to look somewhere else. | video-games_xbox |
The greatest comic game of all time. I cannot begin to express how wonderful this game is! I've purchased several comic games in the past (all of which have ended up on ebay) hoping that one might capture the magic of how it would feel to websling or fly or shred an enemy to bits with Wolverine's claws. But game after game, I have always come away thoroughly disappointed. I mean, is it really so hard to approach a comic game with the same level of production as Gears of War or Fallout 3 or Mass Effect? I suppose many publishers just assume a comic game will sell no matter what the product value, and therefore they rush it to store shelves.
But Arkham Asylum is different, and is everything I have ever wanted in a Batman video game.
First off, you actually feel like Batman. By the end of the game, you have all his gadgets and all of them are actually useful. I found the detective vision, the grappling hook, and the exploding jelly (great for setting traps) to be the best, but the others are almost equally great.
If you've seen the in-game pictures then you know what to expect from the graphics. Arkham Asylum is an extremely gritty place that is displayed in surprising detail. There were several pictures I saw before the game's release that I swore were cut-scenes (the one where Batman is standing on a cliff ledge overlooking Arkham Island comes to mind). But, quite surprisingly, nearly all of them were still-frames of actual in-game footage (the cliff ledge included). Even in the beginning when you first deliver the Joker to the island, you are in full control of Batman.
Other reviews I've seen on Amazon have explained the storyline, so I won't delve into detail. By now, you probably know the premise. Just know the story is intriguing and well thought out.
Another aspect of the game that surprised me was the Joker. The voice acting by Mark Hamill was superb, which is expected, but he is actually funny. Sometimes in the Animated Series I found the Joker to be a little too campy, but they've certainly given him more of an edge in the game and have allowed him to be more risqu. Every time I sit down to play, he blurts out something over the loud speaker that makes me laugh out loud. The Riddler's audio recordings are also pretty funny, with a punch-line at the end of each of them. Great stuff!
Also, every scene involving the Scarecrow is worth the price of admission alone. Many of them are the spookiest things I've seen in a video game in quite some time! Don't worry, I won't ruin it. Just make sure when you hear Dr. Crane's name mentioned or you see gas fumes hanging in the air you have the lights out and the sound way up. Chills!
The only gripe I have is that the faces and mouths are stiffer than they should be, not quite matching the vocal inflection. However, the outstanding voice acting and wonderful look/feel of the rest of the game makes this quibble seem tiny and forgivable.
I really could go on and on about how cool it is to sneak around in the shadows, striking fear in your enemies, or how great the combat feels -- all the moves are tight and powerful, just like in Chris Nolan's movies. Please, do yourself a favor and pick this game up. If you're even mildly interested in Batman you'll LOVE it. I for one can't wait for the sequel! A+ | video-games_xbox |
Great console with some caveats. This is a great addition to the living room entertainment system. The console is significantly smaller then the original xbox one. The front has actual buttons instead of the touch style buttons which, in my opinion is a nice upgrade. If you do not have a 4k tv, and already own an xbox one, I say take a pass. If you are in the market for an xbox one, then pick it up as this also comes with halo 1-5 which is awesome. If you have a 4k tv and want a 4kbluray player, or want to stream movies in 4k it is worth picking it up. You have to change some settings around on both the tv and the xbox to really get things going, but there is a nice help page on the xbox that tells you exactly what you tv is capable of. Another great feature is the hdr capability. No I will point out that it is in the hdr10 format not the dolby vision. So that is something to consider about your tv as well. I have a Samsung so that was a non issue with me as Samsung follows the compliance of hdr10. Speaking of hdr, it is beautiful, but again you will have to play around with some settings on the tv. As I found out, only my hdmi 1 port actually allowed hdr. It took a little while to get all the settings set up, but it was well worth it, the resolution and color spectrum is insane. I only had 1 4k bluray with hdr laying around so I popped that in. All I can say is wow. Deadpool looked as if I was in an Imax theater with my curved display in 4k with hdr. I could make out the stitching on his mask. So all in all I am extremely happy with this console, and for me, it is absolutely and upgrade from my regular xbox one. I would however only recommend the purchase for two groups of people. 1) those that don't have an xbox one and are in the market. Go for it, its only a little more then a brand new regular xbox one. 2) Those people who have a 4k tv set up, and are in the market for a 4k bluray player. | video-games_xbox |
One Word: "Disaster. This is the first time I'm writing a review for an Amazon purchase. I am so dissatisfied with MW3 that I felt compelled to warn other people.
I'm a "Halo" transplant - I picked up a copy of Black Ops last winter.
Black Ops is excellent; Modern Warfare 3 is awful.
Choppy gameplay and poor map design make for a terrible multiplayer experience. Each map feels and looks the same, save for a few superficial changes. Very few places to hide, yet very little open space. Virtually all of the maps are a series of long corridors with cars, boxes and other debris strewn throughout to add authenticity. Many say this was done to eliminate camping. Camping ruins games, so I welcome changes that enhance enjoyment of the game. Unfortunately, the game developers did a terrible job implementing this.
If the maps of "Black Ops" are well-designed, spacious, wooded paintball arenas than the maps of "MW3" are cramped parking lots with a few cars and milk crates available for cover. It's painful.
I would agree with the oft-heard complaints about quick deaths and ill-conceived spawn protocol. On several occasions, I literally turned a corner and witnessed several enemies spawn in front of me. It's a joke.
Another point that I haven't seen raised in anyone else's review: The weapon rating system is sub-par.
Take a look at the Black Ops weapon rating system. See how Treyarch used illuminated squares to show a weapon's rating in a particular attribute? You can clearly see how one weapon compares to another in categories such as "fire rate" and "damage".
That's the kind of attention to detail that enhances the game experience. You know EXACTLY what you are getting with each weapon.
Modern Warfare 3 opted for a different system for displaying weapon attributes. They use a single elastic bar to depict a weapon's attributes. This makes it very difficult to compare how one weapon stacks up against another. Using the same dull "blue" colored bar for each attribute, instead of using different colors, exacerbates the problem.
If you enjoy strategy in your first-person shooters, this game is not for you. I can't overstate how terrible this game is.
Of course, if people stopped mindlessly buying new editions of video games (e.g. Madden, C.O.D.) every single year, it would force developers to create better products.... | video-games_xbox |
wow a day out and the Haters Come Out IMO L4D Killer. I've only spent 5hrs. playing Dead Island
And I totally dig it
It's fun with Flaws yes But, it has major b*lls
to me This game Blows Left 4 Dead out of the water
L4D Felt like DLC and I'm a huge Valvle fan!
i have yet to run into any glitches
Speaking of glitches unless you played the Original Atari 2600 with Games like E.T. , Superman, & Haunted House
you have NO Clue what a BAD thrown togeather game is!
I've been playing games since i was 5yrs old and I'm less critical as some gamers
A Reviewer on Duke Nukem Forever made a great point
Some gamers are snobs and think cause they can google game lingo/programmer slang they are so much smart then us normal people...
The Controls at 1st seem strange But, once you get use to how to play the game it works prety good
Audio is excellent........
The Game Play: Is a mixture of Half Life 2, Dead Rising, & The Condemned Series
with the back drop being ripped out of Just Cause 2
The Island is massive it seems very alive (much like the 1st Far Cry)
Being able to drive vechicles surprised me (even though it's a bit odd But, better then nothing)
Driving over zombies running at the car made me think of Return of the Living Dead (Made me Smile!!!!!!!)
The Story: I'm disapointed in lack of Story after seeing that Stunning Dead Island Trailer
(In hignsight I think all that fooatge with the Family and the lil girl's untimely death from the Trailer)
was ment to be the Original Opening of the game
After the cut scene which makes no sense you can get out of your room and go the opposite direction and you'll come across That now famous hotel room with evidence from the trailer along with the bodies of mum & dad but, the window isn't shattered
The minor Flaws, lack of Story and V/O can be forgiven
The game has major charm
Just on the Fun metter It's a 10/10 something I can't say about the much Hyped and super pushed LA Noire
I highly recommend this title just forget about all the negative naysayers
it's very fun and addictive
If you are a Hardcore Horror Fan
This game is like being put into a video game version of Fulci's Zombie or Zombie Holocaust
Plus plenty of DLC coming soon..........
A very unique and enjoyable experience so far 9/10
UPDATE 9-14-2011
After dumping a good 24hrs into the game I must say
Dead Island is one of the best New IP's in the last year (Next to Bulletstorm)
It's without a doubt One of the BEST Games I've ever played and I've played allot of titles in the last 25yrs.
Plus I just started Act II
The title is Beyond Epic if you pick this game up (Every Adult Gamer Should)
take your time on it explore the massive Landscape -it's allot like Mass Effect 2 the more you put in the more you will get out of it
My previous gripes are fading away
Once you hit Act II guns can be found hidden and on the "Punk" Humans,
These Zombies are much smarter then in Previous games. they hear noise, catch movement and seek it out, They can climb up the sides of building structures
The detail is stunning I came across a Zombie wearing a Friday the 13th Type hockey mask swinging a board at me **Crazy Stuff**
There is a Story Hidden deep in the game you can find these Audio Files
That are Setting up the back story to the Zombie Outbreak
you are hearing it from this Man's point of view the detail in these clips so far have been very interesting and creepy
Along with Personal I.D.'s
I think this title is the start of a Huge Under taking from Techland
(Like a Resident Evil Zero type game)
Still No Major Problems with Bugs/Crashing (Fingers Crossed)
If this is a Sign of the HQ content Techland can do there Future is Limitless
This Game deserves major attention from All Gamers
It's Crazy fun a Pure Mix between Far Cry on Crack with a splash of Evil Dead & Dawn of the Dead
Move over Capcom & Valve The game has Changed 9.5/10 | video-games_xbox |
What's new in the latest update xbox 360. Last time Microsoft updated the Xbox 360, it was 2010. The so-called Xbox 360 S added some much-needed upgrades to the 360, including built-in Wi-Fi, a larger hard drive, and a smaller chassis. More importantly, the 360 S was quieter, and incorporated a new hardware design that eliminated the notorious "Red Ring of Death" overheating issue that afflicted the 360 since it was first introduced in 2005. For 2013, Microsoft has introduced another version of the 360, known as the Xbox 360 E. But with its successor, the Xbox One, hitting stores in November -- along with its arch-rival, the PlayStation 4 -- is there any reason to sink $300 into a new 360? And even if you do set your sights on the 360, is the latest model the biggest bang for your buck? I spent some time with the 360 E, and here's what I found out. The new 360 vs. the previous 360 A bit smaller than 2010's Xbox 360 S (I'm talking millimeters here), there's really only a few aesthetic changes to the design of the 360 E. For starters, it's designed to fall in line with stylings of the Xbox 360's incoming successor, Xbox One. The 360 E shares a similar glossy and matte mashup with angled grilles on top and on either side for On the back panel, the all-important HDMI connection is still there, but there's no longer a multi-AV out port. Instead, what's left is a jack for a 1/8-inch breakout AV cable. A cable for a composite connection (yellow video plus red/white stereo audio) comes in the box, but you'll need to find a component one for HD. The good news is that the cables are no longer proprietary. The bad news? Still, to this day, you cannot play Xbox 360 in HD right out of the box without supplying your own cables. Microsoft has eliminated some of the versatile connection interfaces that were present on the 360 S -- which is actually kind of a bummer. Gone is the dedicated optical audio-out found on earlier 360 models. That means the only way to get surround sound is through the HDMI connection. If you're like me and have a slightly older AV receiver that can't accept audio over HDMI, you might be in trouble. If this wasn't enough, the Xbox 360 E actually removes a USB port as well. You're probably not going to feel the impact of only having a total of four ports (two in the front, two in the back) as opposed to five, but when you're paying the same price as a 360 S, one would assume that all the parts would be kept intact. Another slight difference: the touch power and eject controls from the 360 S have been replaced with more-traditional physical buttons. There are, however, a few things that survived the trip from S to E. The 360 E maintains the elusive infrared port (so, unlike the IR-less PS3, you can still use standard remote controls) and a replaceable hard drive (you'll still need to use the proprietary Microsoft model, not just a standard laptop HDD). What else is different? Not a whole lot. The 360 E can stand horizontally or vertically. The power slot is differently shaped, but the inline power brick from the S is still present. Ethernet and Wi-Fi are still onboard for online connectivity, and the dedicated Kinect port remains. Microsoft debuted the E console saying it would run quieter and cooler. During my few weeks with it I did notice those two things to be true, but nowhere near the dramatic improvement going from a "classic" white 360 (the 2005 version) to the 360 S (2010 version). If temperature and noise are your two biggest reasons for seeking an upgrade, allow me to talk you out of it. Gaming and entertainment options The Xbox 360 is the top-selling game console of this generation with good reason. The game library is top-notch, with all of the top third-party games you'll also find on PS3 (Madden, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, Assassin's Creed, BioShock, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and so forth), plus a handful of key Xbox exclusives, such as the Halo, Gears of War, and the Forza series, as well as the upcoming Titanfall. There's also a great selection of smaller downloadable indie titles on Xbox Live Arcade. | video-games_xbox |
One of the greatest Horror FPS's out there. Your are a marine sent to Mars to investigate the strange occurances in the labs as well as in Mars City. Lights have been going out for no reason, people have heard whispers when nobody's been around, more cases of insanity have occured, and people are leaving more often for unusual reasons. From the beginning, you know something is not right, but you're trained for this. After you delve deeper into the truth though, you soon find that this might be bigger than just disappearances. Once you find one of the people the base shakes and a portal to Hell is opened up. While in this chaos a strange fiery skull jumps into the scientist you have been sent to secure and he becomes a strange monster similar to a zombie.
This is when your comfort zone sinks to the bottom of the scale. You are thrown into a dark world that seems to have no end. Most of the hallways are barely lit forcing you to pull out your trusty flashlight. But this isn't Halo, so you must either hold out your weapon or keep your flashlight out. You can attack with your flashlight, I just don't recommend it unless you are low on ammo. Speaking of which, ammo can run out quickly in this entry but you can always score some more if you pick up other people's PDA's. Finding them can be kind of hard sometimes though, because of the poor lighting in some of the rooms.
The gameplay is pretty solid though, most of your mission are just move from point A to point B while trying to survive. Sometimes, doors will be locked and you wil have to find a key or somebody's PDA to access the lock. The enemies are extremely creepy. The zombies hide very well but the demons in this game can be warped to your location.
Some of the eerie effects of this game are not B-grade either (well maybe once but that wasn't a huge one). Sometimes a well lit room will lose the lights (including your flashlight) and then reapper will monsters around. Others include creepy visions where things are not right with the inclusion of voices in the background, quiet voices. But the absolute creepy one has to be the living landscapes similar to those seen in the Silent Hill games. You'll enter a room and things seem to be alive, add to the fact you can sometimes see corpses of men talking to you with ripped out insides.
You will love this game if you love FPS or are fans of the series in general. Keep in mind though that this is not the same game as the first two in the fact that enemies do not swarm you or respawn constantly.
Pros
- Great Storyline, a first real in-depth storyline
- Creepy lighting effects
- The eerie things that can happen to you such as the lights going out and hearing voices
- The enemies are done wonderfully
- The survival horror aspect where you must conserve ammo
- Awesome graphics
- The ability to play online co-op, which is exclusive to the Xbox game
Cons
- The graphics are not as good as those on the PC
- Its easy to get lost in the complex due to identical rooms | video-games_xbox |
Surprisingly good. This game was a nice surprise because it was a superhero game that wasn't too campy and ridiculous, but fun. I, as every other avid video gamer, was hesitant about what the quality of this game would be like, having seen the spotty track record of titles related to film franchises.
No, this game isn't a direct movie tie-in, because it's not a full Green Lantern origin story like the movie is going to be (from what I can tell by movie previews to date). Hal is already chosen by the ring, and this game is more like his first adventures as a Green Lantern. It's just good timing to make a video game release with a big name movie release - it's called marketing, people - you'd do just the same thing to make $$$ if you were in charge.
The gameplay could get a little repetitive, in the way of a beat-em-up game like Marvel Ultimate Alliance and X-Men Legends, but mixing in the ring constructs with scenery changes wasn't too bad at all. I died a few times even on the easiest difficulty because I had to figure out how to defeat certain strong baddies after some trial and error, but never got frustrated about it. Flight missions were decent, with constant action going on in them so you stay attentitive. I replayed a few missions just for experience points, but I'd say it took me about 7 hours to go through. Not too much replayability after that unless you really want to. There might be some future DLC on it, looking at the box's back. I did not try co-op.
Visually, the graphics were decent, and I never got any framerate losses. 3D was meh, but that can be subjective for every person - my eyes got a little tired from the red-green glasses supplied. The character art was nice in my opinion, with vibrant colors and also ongoing action (battles in the background). I didn't get bored of the environments.
I'd recommend this game as a nice, casual superhero game that keeps moving you along, but not feel like you're grinding your way through. I thought it was a fun story. I know some people are going to think that it's going to be way off canon with the manhunters doing their rising and all, but I thought it was good for what it did (yes, I've read some GL titles, myself). Not every comic book video game property has to follow verbatim to what a printed comic book title did. Batman: Arkham Asylum did pretty well on its own. But if that's what you really want, then wait for a game called something like "Green Lantern vol. 4: As Written By Geoff Johns".
TL;DR - its a good and fun 7-hour superhero game, don't hate it until you actually play it! | video-games_xbox |
EA has officially killed Bioware. The whole From ashes DlC needing to be bought for $10 or purchase an $80 collectors edition to get is ridiculous. The case for the Collectors edition was a letdown. I had to spend 5 minutes trying to carefully get the discs out of the case without breaking them. Then trim the plastic insert with nail clippers so I could put them back in. Now for the game play. I played the first 2 on normal or higher even insanity. This game on normal mirrored Mass Effect 2 on insanity. Many times I was overrun in seconds and had to retry several areas multiple times. I was not happy at all with the balance of play in the game. The cover system was touchy. Shepard moves like a tank and the ai was a lot quicker. There were several places where enemies that were tough to kill rushed you frequently in high numbers. Gears of War 3 was much better this game felts like a cheap copy of it. The story was good and my choices from both other games had an impact on it. You also had some tough decisions to make along the way. I was a bit disappointed with how many of the characters from ME2 were simply footnotes in this game. The games final 15 minutes ruined this entire franchise. It felt like I had wasted my time playing these 3 games and making those choices. Yeah the series is over, but this game has one of the biggest letdown endings in gaming history. Kinect: I purchased one specifically for this game and it was not as grand as I thought. There is a delay when in combat and about a third of the time I had to say commands twice or more. It is sorta fun and makes combat slightly better when it works. If you don't own one already I wouldn't buy it just for this game. You have to play multiplayer and buy Xbox live to get the games best endings or play some stupid game on an I phone. This is total crap! I have never been a fan of mutliplayer. I should not be forced to play it to see the best ending period. It should have been a supplement not a requirement. This will be the last Bioware game for me. EA has ruined them with their don't give a crap other than make money philosophy. I would recommend not buying this game if you haven't already. | video-games_xbox |
Halo 3- It's not the Best, but what is. (This is my dads account on here, not mine, still don't have a credit card =P.)
This game has been criticized by some, loved by many, and accepted by the gaming community. Then why are there all these bad reviews?
1. Graphics: 9/10
I am sick and tired of hearing people say that this game's graphics are horrible, or bad compared to other games. So what? Some say that it's just slight improvment over Halo 2. If you say that, please, get your old xbox and a second tv out and look at the ddifference. It is phenomenal. So is the lighting and overall look at the game. Sure, if Bungie had released a month later due to more graphical improvements, but hey, it's not a bad looking game.
2. Sound: 10/10
The Sound of this game is one of it's biggest strong points. Almost everything that happens has a unique and wonderfully realistic sound in it. From the battle cries to the sounds of gunfire, this is amazing. And the soundtrack of the game is also incredibly good, setting the mood just right. I like how Bungie made it so everything you hear is real time, of real conflicts happenning somewhere in the game.
3. Gameplay: 9.5/10
I hate whenever people compare this to the original Halo's gameplay and say it is crap. This game retains the same basic Halo gameplay, just with newer features. Gameplay is solid and versatile. The vehicles I found incredibly amazing to drive and shoot, and the weapons are perfectly balanced out. Everything feels just right for this finale of a series. And instead of just menial gameplay modes such as capture the flag and deathmatch, like COD4(I'm probably gonna get a lot of bull crap from this, but Halo 3 has way more flexibility) Halo 3 expands it's multiplayer by adding many gametypes such as Oddball and Infection. Then, you can tweak the gamemodes to make it even more fun. Forge is also one of the best things in this game also. Create your own map, then share it with the Gaming World as whole. Theater is also cool, as you can see just how awesome that kill you ade was or whatever you want to do.
4. Story: 8/10
This is Halo 3's weak point. Halo 2 added an overwhelming number of characters and plots that confused players. Halo 3 took Halo 2's horrible eding and twisted everything up nicely into a neat finale.
5. Multiplayer: 10/10
This is everything Halo 3 is about. Halo 3's multiplayer is better than anything else I have played. Even when compared to Call of Duty 4, there is almost nothing that compares to it, besides World of Warcraft. I have spent over 1000 hours playing and have not considered it old. If you have Xbox Live, this game is a must have. | video-games_xbox |
Beautiful Console, Great Value. There are in-depth reviews of the Xbox One everywhere, so I will write about what's different, and what are my personal experiences using it.
What I like:
1- The color scheme is very simple and elegant. I've always liked white-colored electronics as they provide a stark contrast to 99% of the black electronic products out there. The PS4 have had a white version for the longest time, and besides the Sunset Overdrive bundle, Xbox One has been missing its own white version.
2- The Quantum Break/Alan Wake version at $300 is a much better deal than the Sunset Overdrive version at $350. With the price of the games taken into consideration, you are essentially getting $400 worth of value for $300, plus a cool-looking white console with matching white controller.
3- Speaking of Alan Wake, you also get that for free. Both Quantum Break and Alan Wake are downloads though, so no luck for those who would want to resell it.
4- The shape of the controller feels much better in the hand than the smaller and less ergonomic PS4 controller. I also prefer the trigger buttons and analog sticks.
What I don't like:
1- Comparing the Xbox One to the PS4, the PS4 interface is much faster and easier to use. Perhaps Microsoft is trying too hard to have the a computer/all-in-one entertainment system, but it's over-ambition shows. Many apps load and execute slowly - you can feel that lag and strain as it tries to load and run things, while the PS4 breezes along most of its operations. A specific example is the NFL and ESPN apps.
2- There are things I like about the controller better than the PS4 controller, but the overall quality is inferior to the PS4's. The plastic shell feels cheaper, the face button feels cheaper, and the D-pad feels the worst and chintzy of all. Considering that the PS4 controllers sell for $50, the Xbox One controllers should not sell for over $60. To be competitive and gain ground on the PS4, Microsoft not only needs to lower the price of the console to $300 bundles like this, they also need to lower the controllers to less than $50, and the Kinect 2 to $75 or less.
I am really debating whether to keep this Xbox One. I love this white version - I would not have bought a regular version, or any "limited" version had it not been on sale for $300. With rumors of an updated console, the truth is, right now is not the best time to jump into a new console if you are not sure exactly what you want. To the casual gamer who doesn't have either consoles and are on the fence looking to buy one, the PS4 is just more exotic and have a much better library of games. What other big game franchises does Microsoft have over Sony than Gears of War and Halo? The PS4 has a much bigger backing in Japan, where some of the best games are, that are not even ported to the Xbox One. To ensure its survival, Microsoft cannot think "American," and must adopt more diverse and expansive strategies than just to make shooters. The PC game industry already has a lock on that(plus MMO's), so Microsoft must find more unique ways to get better games to its target audience, which is the casual and family gamers. I have had the original Xbox, Xbox 360, and now the Xbox One. I have also had a Playstation ever since the original One. So I have a subjective view and love for both. If you love Microsoft, then this bundle is a no-brainer. | video-games_xbox |
Simply the best game I've ever played. There is a movement going on in the world of video gaming, those of us who absolutely cherish the 'Manhunt' title are doing whatever we can to convince Rockstar to make a sequel to this game!!! It's been out for a few years, and I know it was a hit when it first came out, so instead of wasting time with more dumb GTA titles, can we please get our sequel? There is numerous web-sites dedicated to this 'movement' , they talk about petitions, phone-calls, you name it, fans of this game are willing to do it. I believe one person went so far as to try and get to the head execs at Rockstar headquarters, but his message apparently fell on deaf ears.
Alot of fans feel the reason no sequel has been discussed is all the controversy that first appeared upon the games initial release. I have a hard time believing this, while I agree this game is sick and twisted and extremely violent, it's nothing we haven't seen before in any of the GTA or Resident Evil titles. If anyone takes this game to serious and causes any problems then blame the individual, not the game.
Okay, enough preaching, let's chat about this amazing game. No game I've ever played kept me more entertained, excited, and shaking my head in disbelief then 'Manhunt'. While I agree it is a tad slow and deliberate, the patience and persistence you need to play this only adds to the enjoyment. It's nice to have a game when you can use stealth instead of mass-murdering, when you use patience and planning istead of running head-on into the crowd and start hacking everything in sight. I also liked the way the game gets much harder the farther you advance, at first the beginning levels are rather easy, but as you hit level after level (there are 20) the game gets more intense and much more violent. Another big plus is you can control the severity of the kill, you can make it quick and mildly painfull, or make it gruesome and gory.
I have never been a huge fan of 'bosses' those games when you finish a level, but at the end there is some ultra-tough boss that takes an extreme amount of damage to destroy. With 'Manhunt' you don't get that, it's just gang member after gang member coming after you, all with different weapons that vary in inflicting damage on you. I have played and finished all the GTA games as well as the Resident Evil titles, and don't get me wrong, those are fun games (except Vice City, what a waste of time) but after playing 'Manhunt' and completing it some 15 times now, it amazed me how much those other games were lacking. For pure suspense, there is none better!!!!!!
Brian Cox supplies the voice of Starkweather, the main man in control of the whole game. You talk about a perfect fit, his voice is chilling yet comical at times, forcefull through most of the game, then pathetic and begging at the end. Cox absolutely nailed this, and heres hoping that if we ever get a sequel, his voice will again be behind it. So while I'm not gung-ho with the petition, etc, etc. I figure the more I can make people aware of this sensational game, then the more apt they will be to play it and buy it, maybe that will get Rockstar's attention. | video-games_xbox |
Would you kill a child to get ahead. "Imagine that you are creating a fabric of human destiny with the object of making men happy in the end, giving them peace and rest at last, but that it was essential and inevitable to torture to death one tiny creature -- that baby beating its breast with its fist, for instance -- and to found that edifice on its unavenged tears, would you consent to be the architect on those conditions?"
--Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
===============================================================
I didn't really want BioShock. The name didn't exactly thrill me, and the concept was a little hazy. Some guy underwater in the 50s being attacked by weird monsters in diving suits? What the heck was that all about? But my brother talked the game up so much that I put it on my wish list. I got it for my birthday and was instantly hooked.
BioShock has a vision, just like its creator/villain, Andrew Ryan (Armin Shimerman). And that vision is Rapture, an underwater city built with 1940s style architecture and Ayn Rand's (note the similarities to Andrew Ryan's name) principles. You are plane crash survivor named Jack and you are trapped in a hell that was once supposed to be Eden.
BioShock's central philosophical question is the plight of children. There are Little Sisters wandering throughout the complex, little girls who have been merged with some kind of mutant parasite that allows them to process ADAM from dead bodies. ADAM is a mutagen that bestows superpowers on whomever uses them, which puts the girls in a precarious position. Fortunately for them, they are protected by Big Daddies, diving suit-wearing behemoths with drills and rivet guns.
Running around Rapture are the shattered remains of civilization, the Splicers. These poor people are deranged; listening to them at length is a sanity-straining experience. Warped by their own mutations, Splicers argue with each other, weep over their fate, and of course try to kill you. Throw in a series of automated weaponry and robots dedicated to snuffing out all who cross Ryan's path and you've got one exciting first-person shooter.
BioShock is retro-sci-fi, all viewed through a 50s lens. There are hilarious instructional videos that explain how the various mutations work, vending machines that cheerfully solicit you, and public service announcements worthy of a Leave it to Beaver episode.
BioShock is well written. The plots take twists and turns and the villains aren't who you'd think. It's well acted too. You meet very few sane people, but interactions are largely through old-style cassette tapes that play in creepy, grainy fashion as you stalk the halls of Rapture. I'll still be haunted by one actor screaming, "I CAN'T TAKE OFF THE F****ING EARS!" over and over.
The graphics are phenomenal. Fire and water are rendered realistically, with bits of water beading on the screen. The Splicers are all creepy, from mask-wearing debutantes to crazy doctors in surgical masks, to Spider Splicers who crawl along the ceiling. And the Big Daddies are disturbing and a little pathetic, groaning and moaning as they pound their way through Rapture.
The game play is fun. A variety of styles can be used to win the game. Bad at combat (like me)? No problem; hack the robots and automated weapon systems using a series of tube puzzles. I'm a sucker for puzzle games, so the hacking really hooked me and kept the game from ever getting boring. I got really good at hacking. More than once I turned the entire security system against the bad guys. Using the right mutations, you can be stealthy, you can just blast your way through, or you can even turn your enemies against each other.
BioShock also gets all the basics of gameplay right. If you get lost, it tells you where to go. It helpfully lists your goals. A map is always available. These should be ingrained in every game created post 2000, and yet it's far too rare.
But back to the Little Sisters. The main question BioShock asks is: would you harm a little girl to get ahead? Maybe it's just the fact that I have a newborn son, but I found the idea revolting. You're given a choice with every Little Sister you rescue, harvesting her or saving her. Harvesting kills the girl and garners more ADAM, while saving her gives you less ADAM but the gratitude of their creator (who gives you a gift for every three girls you save). It struck a chord with me, and soon I was determined to save every one of the little girls.
I thought this was just yet another means of BioShock hooking you into the game. But in actuality your decisions in how you treat the Little Sisters affects BioShock's conclusion. The Little Sisters are integral to the plot and how the game ends. They are the future, the future Ryan claimed he wanted but could never see.
Everyone else I've spoken to gleefully cracked the little girls open and took their stuff. As one gamer put it, "I'm a powergamer and that helped me get ahead faster, so of course I killed them." I still find that notion chilling. In fact, the very first opportunity to harm or save a Little Sister is very traumatic, with the little girl begging for her life. I couldn't bear the thought of killing one, even in a sci-fi video game. Maybe I'm getting soft.
In the end, BioShock isn't just a retro sci-fi shooter. It's a moral test. Of us.
===============================================================
"No, I wouldn't consent," said Alyosha softly.
--Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov | video-games_xbox |
FFXIII in a nutshell. ( SOME SPOILERS BELOW. )
I've edited this review to be less tl;dr for people. I am not taking FFXIII-2 or LR into this review.
Good parts:
-Square attempted something different. ( You and the rest of your characters are a ticking time bomb and people are scared of you. )
-Characterization. ( Lightning is not a Cloud-clone. Whoever keeps suggesting this is stupid. )
-Battle system.
-Graphics.
-Music. ( The best part of this game for me, to be honest. )
-Customization.
-The dub not being terrible. ( No one sounds like Yuna from FFX's first release. )
In the middle:
-The villians. ( What they did with Jihl is pathetic and robbed everyone of a good fight. )
-Unresolved plot ties. ( I'm looking at you, Fang and Vanille. )
-The 'summons'. ( Hit or miss if you like the transforming theme in the summons. )
-Certain character arcs.
-Dialogue. Some is just awkward translating from Japanese to English.
-How they dealt with iconic stuff from FF's past. ( Spells, weapons, and even names are referenced in FFXIII. )
-Blend of scifi with fantasy. ( Again, personal taste if you like or dislike. )
-No towns or classic trips to a town. ( Done on purpose for the game's theme but makes things feel lonely later on. )
-Monster difficulty spikes at certain locations in the game.
The bad:
-Extremely linear. ( This was probably the most glaring fault of the game. )
-Lack of being allowed to backtrack.
-Weird plot holes.
-The weapon and accessory upgrading part is very complex and grindy. ( We're taking 100+ hours if your RNG sucks. )
-Takes too long for the entire party to get together.
-Lack of story arc or quests for characters later in the game.
So should you get this game? I'd say yes, though I cannot defend it from the first few hours. It's a bit of a mess and almost feels like you have training wheels on for too long. But underneath is a very good game that offers a great amount of challenges. Yes, it's linear. And yes, some of the characters are annoying. But compared to a few past titles for this series, there is visible character growth in everyone.
FFXIII offered a lot of content to pursue after I'd completed the game. It's very grindy and sometimes frustrating, but it also kept me engaged in playing longer. Spending more time doing stuff in a game like this means you get more bang for your buck. | video-games_xbox |
Great First Try for a RTS Halo Game. To start off, I am an experienced RTS player...Age of Empires, Pharoah/Cleopatra, Age of Mythology, Medieval War series...you name it, I've probably played 100+ hours of it. With that in mind, let's go.
I wasn't expecting a TON from Halo Wars. I just got it because my friends had it and told me to buy it, so I bought it for about 12ish dollars from Amazon, including shipping. Upon playing through the campaign for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised at this game! It's pretty great, and definitely entertaining! The only cons I can really think of is that they could have had more unit types for each faction (UNSC/Covenant) and it would have been nice to play as the Flood and the Forerunners too (these are limited to opponents in the campaign). However, for those cons, I would have to say that they probably bothered me just because I am used to other, bigger RTS games like Age of Empires. Campaign gets 5/5 stars.
Multiplayer is pretty awesome, providing 1 v 1, 2 v. 2, and 3 v. 3 matches, either through Skirmish (a mixture of humans and AI) or true online play (human only). Online play can be somewhat monotonous though, as most people attempt a strategy known as "rushing," attacking your base within 10 minutes of the start time. However, that's no knock against them or the game...it's just a strategy. Multiplayer gets 3/5 stars.
Summary:
CAMPAIGN
pros: good story line, BEAUTIFUL animated cut scenes, interesting gameplay/situations, varied difficulties
cons: none
5/5
MULTIPLAYER
pro: good character selection, good replay value, fair level-up system
con: limited faction selection (UNSC/Covenant), somewhat repetitive
3/5
4 stars overall. I'd recommend trying this game out if you've never played RTS (real-time strategy) games before. If you're more experienced like me, give it a try...you might like it (50/50 chance). | video-games_xbox |
I Have the Power to Take Everything From You, Including Your Life. I've never really played any of the other 'Thief' games for the PC. The closest I came was on a demo disc that was included with my PC version of 'Omikron: The Nomad Soul' (I also have the Sega Dreamcast version of OTNS and that game alone is one of the major reasons to have owned that ill-fated console; I still have mine and, after all these years, it works great). I liked what I saw, but at the time my playing method for any game was to hope my health could take it, with cheat codes if I could find them, bullrush in and hope I killed everything in sight before moving on to the next area. Well, to my surprise, that doesn't seem to work on a stealth-based game. So, I decided to put the demo down and focus on other types of games.
Along comes this maverick company by the name of Ion Storm who produced a game called 'Deus Ex: The Conspiracy' for both the PC and PS2. Its gameplay was absolutely novel for it's time and it launched IS's reputation as one of the premier companies to watch. The game's sequel, 'Deus Ex: Invisible War', for the original xbox cemented that reputation, so when they announced they were coming out with the next Thief game, I eagerly waited for it to appear on the shelves.
Now, when this game initially came out, it ran the gamut of bad reviews, but I attribute that to the fact that no game that came out under the Eidos aegis at the time seemed able to be seen in a positive light. Being that I typically root for the underdog and the fact that I like to make up my own mind on such things, I decided to purchase Thief: Deadly Shadows and see for myself. It had two things going for it. First, it was from a company whose games I enjoy immensely, and second, it was fantasy-based. I've been playing the tabletop version of 'Dungeons and Dragons' since the fourth grade, so I love the fantasy genre.
I have to say I haven't been disappointed with this game. Some of the reviewers have compared this to the 'Splinter Cell' franchise. I remind everyone that this franchise pioneered ALL of the stealth-based games, from Splinter Cell to the 'Tenchu' series to 'Hitman'. Deadly Shadows is also much more free-roaming than Splinter Cell if you're not on a specific mission AND gives you more to do in a given area.
GAMEPLAY-5 Stars
I normally like roleplaying games a lot more than the average shooter or action/adventure game, but Thief: Deadly Shadows managed to hit my fun button. First of all, it's not a game based on forced moral judgements. You play a thief, pure and simple, and your job is to make a living by relieving others of their personal belongings. There's a vicarious thrill in doing something you know as 'wrong'. Understand, I'm not advocating that ANYONE take what I've written in this review as a prompt to go out and commit illegal acts. That said, the only moral judgements should be made by parents who don't want their kids playing this game to be exposed to this kind of venue because they feel they might be unduly influenced towards a life of crime. Additionally, you DO have a choice in how 'evil' you want to be over the course of the game. You don't HAVE to kill any of your victims. You have the option to sneak up behind them and render them unconscious by hitting them with your trusty blackjack. Thief: Deadly Shadows keeps a running tally of the number of people you kill or render unconscious as well as the total amount of loot you score and the damage you take.
Thieving is by nature almost wholly urban-oriented. You're not going to find very many riches hunting around the odd farm house out in the countryside. Therefore, this game gives you a city to run around in. It's a bit restricted at first, but as you progress in the story, more districts of town open up for you, giving you the opportunity to try your luck in areas ranging from a castle belonging to a decadent family at the onset to the docks (the low-rent part of town) to a forgotten subterranean ruin inhabited by strange creatures, a sailor's house on an atoll overlooking the bay, a couple of haunted areas -a ghost ship (The Abysmal Gale) and a former orphanage/insane asylum (Shalebridge Cradle), respectively- to the well-to-do suburbs where the high and mighty of the community stroll along well-lit, well-patrolled streets.
Ion Storm's philosophy (before the company was dissolved by Eidos) was that you get to choose how you play the game. That's why the Deus Ex games were as open-ended as they they were. They carried that over into this game as well in a lesser form. You can play the game in either a first- or third-person perspective based on your preferences. This is also one of about five games that I've run across where, if you are playing in first-person, you look down and actually see your torso, legs and feet. Also, as the story progresses and you're assigned various missions by the secret society known as the Keepers, there are numerous times where several missions are presented at the same time and you have the option to choose which one to undertake first. And also later on in the game, when you have the gold for it, you can purchase a set of climbing gloves that allow you to scale up the sides of buildings to the rooftops so that you're not limited to skulking around in the shadows of the city streets avoiding the watch.
Another aspect of Thief: Deadly Shadows' open format is that there are two factions, the Hammers (an old-school fire and brimstone 'convert or DIE, scum!' religious order of priests) and the Pagans (a group of nature-loving mystical Luddites). You become involved with them over the course of your adventures. You have the option to perform errands for each one to improve your standing with them, with the benefit of being able to use the resources at their locations should you need them.
Stealth is key when performing in this game. I learned in the course of my first playthrough that I couldn't just strut through town like I owned the place and cut everyone down that got in my way. If you kill a guard or citizen, they let out a loud scream that draws the attention of passersby before falling in a pool of their own blood, which incidentally stays there to put the watch on notice that something bad has happened. Leaving a body, either unconscious or dead, out in the open for anyone to stumble on is not the smartest thing to do, so if you take someone out, make sure there's a shady spot to put them in so they don't get noticed. There are also no end to the guards for a given district. You can't remove them all and if you try, you can bet that when you return to that area a new guard will have have appeared to take his place and THAT one might just be looking for you. As a thief, the first thing you learn is patience. And it's not like you aren't given the tools to ply your trade. There are several different types of arrows you can fire that will aid you in your missions, allowing you to snuff out torches, lay a soft covering of moss over loud metal grates (and those moss arrows can be shot at opponents to distract them for a quick getaway; I think it's kind of funny to watch them staggering around, gagging and choking) or cause a loud fireworks display in the distance to draw attention away from you. You also have flash bombs to blind enemies and jars of oil to make them slip and fall. If all else fails, you DO have your trusty dagger. For any of the undead you might run across, you can either pick up jars of holy water or shoot fire arrows at them, both of which are really the only way to take them down for good. Your prosthetic eye (you ended up obtaining this from a previous adventure) is handy for seeing in the dark and zooming in on targets.
The people wandering around also notice when changes are made. If you snuff out a candle or torch or leave a door open or the lid to a treasure chest, house servants or guards might see reason to search for you. If they spot you, someone will give chase and keep after you for some time after you lose them. Keep to the shadows.
One of the main complaints other reviewers gave this game was that the areas were tiny. Granted, but considering the technical capabilities of the hardware, that may be all the designers could put in for a level. There's still enough space to roam around in to keep me occupied for an average of about 15 hours per playthrough. That's almost twice the length of time the typical shooter will take me from start to finish. In those areas, there are taverns and homes you can break into on each day of game time to grab some loot to foist off at the nearest fence. Given the area, it may take some time to steal all the goods, like in the museum you break into during one mission in the rich part of town. You can also spend your time wandering around picking the citizens' pockets for extra swag. Another complaint I read somewhere is that the game takes place only at night. I'm not quite sure what that reviewer was thinking, but as a thief it stands to reason that you really don't want to try stealing anything in broad daylight.
STORY-5 Stars
The story of Thief: Deadly Shadows takes place over a week of game time. You are Garrett, master footpad and former member of the Keepers, the secret guardians of the City. You're simply trying to make your way through life doing what you do and not get thrown into prison. While getting rid of some treasure at a local fence, you receive a letter from one of your former associates to meet you in the town plaza. It seems they have a job for you. You reluctantly accept on the condition that it might be reasonably profitable, but soon find yourself tied up in an apocalyptic prophecy and to keep your hide intact, you're forced to play along.
The plot is reasonably intricate for a game of this scale and it contains enough twists and turns that you don't end up guessing the climax halfway through. Ion Storm was always known for their complex and intelligently written themes. This one doesn't disappoint.
SOUND-4 Stars
Stephen Russel reprises his role for the voice acting of Garrett. I personally doubt they could've found a better candidate. The pitch and timber of his voice PERFECTLY convey the attitude of someone who wants to keep out of the public eye.
The voice acting of the others they hired on to do the supporting parts are also of very high quality, although there is one guard I can't help but laugh at when he talks in his "Duh... Which way did he go, George?" manner (you'll know which one I'm talking about when you play the game). His prose reminds me of my days working with the inbred idiots I used to at my old lumber yard job. The music score and the ambient sound effects set the mood without fault. The score is not typically classical but it does convey a feeling that might be best described as 'post-contemporary medieval'. Along with the local light sources, sound in this game is directly relevant to your ability to remain undetected. A metal grate is going to be a lot louder when your shoes slap against it than that soft patch of gravel. This game is masterful in pushing you to take notice of your surroundings at all times. You ARE a thief, after all.
The one reason I give this section 4 stars instead of 5 is because of a glitch that causes the sound to cut out at times, usually at the least opportune moment. It can be incredibly frustrating when you try to break out of prison (especially when it's pretty much ALL metal surfacing) and not be able to hear the jailers coming around the corner AND you're working hard trying to reclaim the gear they've confiscated from you, so you have no weapons to defend yourself with.
GRAPHICS-5 Stars
This was one of the first games to employ dynamic lighting and shadows as part of its visual repertoire. Fires cast flickering shadows across you and anything else next to you. The color palette is rather subdued but I'm thinking the designers made it that way to emphasize the nocturnal atmosphere. The artwork is pretty much high quality throughout and runs close to the limits of the console's capabilities (the xbox contains one 733 megahertz processor, 64 megs of DDR SDRAM, a 16 megabyte Nvidia video card with an 8 gigabyte capacity hard drive; all of the games played on it have been optimized with its shortcomings in mind). It's also one of the first games to utilize ragdoll physics. There is very little drop in the framerate, even when you have multiple enemies closing in on you. The only time I had any problems on that front is when I stashed all of the bodies in a particular area in one hiding spot. The processor had one HELL of a time trying to animate them all when they were piled on top of one another. Still, Thief: Deadly Shadows does its job well in immersing you in the fantasy backdrop the game is set in and keeping you there.
REPLAY-3 Stars
There IS a lot to do in this game. However, it's only set up in a single-player format and after a while, the areas of the city become pretty recognizable. I can understand the other's reviews that stated this game is good for a single walkthrough, so I guess that any replay stems from whether you're the type of person who plays through a game once and gives it away or can only watch a movie a single time through before becoming bored with it, or if you're someone who gets something new each time you repeat a given task. I'm in the latter category. I've played the game through six times because I have a good time just running around the different areas and exploring. I guess you could see how Thief would play out if you chose not to make friends after all with the two factions for a little extra challenge.
OVERALL-5 Stars
I miss Ion Storm and the games they produced because they were not simple games. They were rather complicated, but they were written intelligently with no consideration of 'dumbing' them down for a lazy audience who is only interested in push-button shooters that are 100% action and 0% substance. Their games made you think. Thief: Deadly Shadows follows true to form, and for that, I give it two thumbs up.
If Warren Spector ever decides to re-up the team and start producing again, all I have to say is, if you keep makin' 'em, I'll keep buyin' 'em.
Peace. | video-games_xbox |
Not as good as the first! a bit dissapoited. I was a huge Halo fan Im sure just as much as you are,me and my friends spent literly countless hours on Halo 1 between myself playing single campaign and coopertive mode with a friend,must have beaten the game 20 times over. So lets talk about Halo 2,first I'LL GO AHEAD AND GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY ITS NOT THAT GREAT,"the game is good"the graphics are better,the multiplayer is better, but not as grand as the first Halo nearly all battles except early on take place in corridor sitiations,to me this is the biggest downfall in the game(besides the whole play as the covnent elite idea thats is just stupid) in the first Halo we had stages like Silent cartographor(thats probbaly misspeled)and Assult on the control room,Guilty spark etc..Where there was massive battlefields that you would have the enjoyment of battling,searching for items(weapons,health,ammo),or just looking around at the great visual achivements,the latter usally happend after you nailed all your enemy covnent. This also allowed for more tactical gameplan if you were playing co-op or multiplayer this is what made Halo so great its what gave it that spark if it would have been a corridor shooter we may not even have had a halo 2 well we probaly would to but it sure would not have been half as good,this is where Halo 2 go's wrong it basiclly all in corridors,dont get me wrong I love fighting in corridors cant wait for Doom 3 but thats not Halo, we want large battlefields some outside please. Some argue there are a few outside areas,yeh sure there are but you have to you use a vehicle to get through it,or atleast thats the games intention,otherwise you'll die or use all your ammo up. I kept waiting for a large maped out battlefield didn't happen..You get to play as an Honor Elite,sounds cool huh not really as short as this game is there are 4 entire levels devoted to playing as an elite ya have no choice,o.k. I have to comment on this first I spent hours and hours desposing covnent and now I,m suppose to be one,second when playing Halo just give me the Master Chief and some ammo and let me rip stuff up,and thirdly the Elite stages really are worthless,no fun at all there usally so dark you cant see anything(my tv is set perfectly) and it usally involves the Flood and ya either don't no were to go or you cant see where to go. At some points you just have to run around till you find the next checkpoint. Its not very fun during these stages. All in all Halo 2 is still a good shooter graphicly better than halo 1 but the gameplay and tactical aspects arnt near as good as the first. I'm really sorry Halo fans i never thought I'd be writing this kind of review two days after the game release it didn't seem possible with all the hype not to mention standing in line that midnight for 2 hours. I just completed a game on my xbox called Men Of Valor, the vietnam game you may have heard of it. Its a shooter also but I had more fun playing through its massive battlefields....thats on my review page to if ya want go read it I'll just say I enjoyed it more than Halo 2 surprise! | video-games_xbox |
The Witcher 2 - Game for us adults. Wow when I was getting tired of games designed for preteens along comes The Witcher 2. I decided to pass on the PC version due to the fact I wasn't sure if my mid range comp could handle it. When they announced that The Witcher 2 was coming to Xbox I decided to take the long wait. I'm glad I did. This game is meant for adults. It's very graphic not only violence wise, but has very sexual elements to the game. Hide ya kids and hide ya wife whenever Geralt and Triss are alone lol. I had played through the first Witcher on PC and loved it. CD Project Red really stepped up with The Witcher 2. Game plays fantastic on the Xbox. The user interface is great. My only complaint I really have is the map is not really useful if you are trying to pinpoint accurately where you need to go.
LIke I said the gameplay is fantastic. Weapons have actual weight to them, and it doesn't feel like your swinging at air (I'm looking at you Skyrim). The maps are very open for the most part, and you are pretty much free to explore whatever area you are in. The game is broken down into areas. You can't really leave that area until you have completed all the quests and progress the story. I have no problem with this element. Keeps me focused and I'm not wondering off and getting myself lost and completely abandoning the main story. TW2 has abundant amount of side quests too. Some are very lengthly in time and I love that.
I would recommend TW2 to anyone who loves a mature story and setting. Who doesn't mind listening to dialog and actually making choices that change the games story permanently. It's a fantastic experience so far, and I can't wait to see what the rest of TW2 brings to the table.
Also, this game is pretty much what other developers pass off as their 80 dollar special edition games. This is the most complete package I've ever gotten for a base price game. Soundtrack, handy 80 plus page quest guide, and foldout map. Buy it now, and help support more production of mature games. Us adults need to have some fun too! | video-games_xbox |
Much improved over the first. I played through and beat Assassin's Creed, the first game in this franchise. I didn't care for it, so I was hesitant as to what to expect from a sequel, but I gave it a try.
This sequel feels like a sequel. I mean, it feels like the original creators created it, that they built on the same engine, but improved it, they updated the graphics, game play, and abilities, all the while not loosing the features that made the original unique.
The graphics are fantastic! I feel like the creators too full advantage of the hardware. The sound is great. The effects are very good. All in all the graphics are very well done.
They improved the inventory and equipment system. It's not perfect, it's hard to tell if a new equipment is better than an existing one, but you figure it out. It feels very much like an RPG in this fashion.
Missions and the main story is very compelling. The ending is worth the play through.
Combat is VERY nicely done, and improved. It felt like a display of finesse, with your various button press timings in total control. I liked fighting in this game. Very excellent job!
Distance combat is, no pun intended, hit or miss. When you don't get the results you expect, having felt YOU told the character the correct motions, but he just decided to go his own way, it is some what frustrating. But it really does hit more than miss. Though, some distance weapons are almost useless. I am vague to avoid spoilers.
Roof top running/acrobatics are fun, though, most of the time I feel he did what I wanted him to do, there are many times he decided jumping to his death was a better choice than to the ledge right next to death - it happens, it's not perfect, but when it works, it feels like art.
I do not believe you die that often in this game - the potential is there, but you feel you have choices in riskiness most of the time to mitigate death. So there is very little trial and error, more choice and result. That is at least how I felt.
The voice acting is stellar! Loved it! Wanted more! The history is VERY interesting! I found myself researching things mentioned in the game. The often use real characters and locations, with details and blurbs - very interesting! I didn't always stop and read about a place, but I did often.
All in all, the developers have benefited the franchise, and I look forward to a sequel. It's already released, and I've already played it, and I will review that game once I feel I have a proper opinion. Until then, I feel that his game is a good purchase, especially at the price it is going for with the sequels out. I don't recommend starting at the first game. There will be references to the first character often, but you are NOT missing anything if you haven't played the first one.
I hope this review was helpful. | video-games_xbox |
The game I have wanted since I was ten years old. I remember being ten years old and watching old reruns of Roy Rogers and the Lone Ranger at 2 AM on Saturday mornings. Like most kids my age, I played "guns," and I always had a special place in my heart for the Cowboy. Of course that all changed the first time I saw "A Fist Full of Dollars" on the Three O'clock Movie. It was cut so badly that the movie did not really make alot of sense to me, but the style had me HOOKED. As I got older and into video games and computers, the Western genre was a joke. The most remembered western game from the 2600 era was the absurd "Custer's Revenge" (NSFW, be warned.)
Finally, the tech matured enough for "virtual places," more western games were attempted, but all fell flat except the two Call of Juarez games and of course Red Dead Revolver. I really liked Call of Juarez, the story and some of the levels were really fun! However it lacked style of any sort. Red Dead Revolver was a pretty average PS2 game, but it showed that Rockstar was attempting to implement that Leone style that was single handedly responsible for reviving the western in the early sixties. Though Leone got closer to the "real west," his style is very unique and cartoonish in its own way. I find it very interesting that Rockstar, a company founded and directed by (originally) non Americans could so accurately depict American culture for better or for worse!
Red Dead Redemption is a love letter to Sergio Leone's wild west. though Kosov(?) makes a good case for relation to Apocalypse Now in regard to the story, pretty much all Rockstar open world games have followed that same premise. As has been said, the graphics are simply outstanding, as the success of the Hillcoat movie shows that the engine is simply a treat to watch in motion. The detail is simply scrumptious for any fan of the genre. The gun combat is rock solid and butter smooth, unlike all of Rockstar's previous games. Speaking of combat, when the gunplay starts is when this game really shines. You see the puffs of smoke from pre smokeless powder weapons and the classic Ennio Morricone (Leone's composer) style music rises, You really feel like you are in one of those Spaghetti Westerns. Ketchup red blood and crazy cowboy dialog are all there, but the cream of the crop has to be the animations. People react to "bullet physics," so when you shoot a guy in the shoulder, he rocks back based on that hit location. It is tough to describe, but look closely at some of the videos - the enemies fall like they should, and will roll and slide to the bottom of a hill. it is all just perfect.
There is so much to do in this game it could last months of regular gameplay.
Also, there are a series of dedicated co-op missions for up to four people that are AWESOME!
If you are even a casual western fan, this is simply the best western genre game made to date.
Get it! | video-games_xbox |
Makes your racing games FUN. This wheel kept me playing Forza 2 for hours! I am an 'old school' gamer and I could never get the hang of using a joystick to drive. Keep in mind that this is the 're-released' version of the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel and thus it only includes a demo of Forza 2. The older models were recalled by MS, so beware of used ones.
First things first, the box that this wheel comes in is HUGE! The upside to the large box is that everything is put together and all you need to do is unpack the wheel and pedals and plug them together. You are going to want to plug the wheel into the wall and use the full feedback features. I don't think too many people are going to spend this kind of money on a racing wheel to sit on their sofa and play with the wheel on their lap 'wirelessly'. The benefit of the wireless part is that you don't need to worry about using up a USB port on the front of you Xbox 360 to plug this in. Connecting is easy, push the sync button on your console and on the wheel. Like magic they each recognize each other and you are in business. After plugging the foot pedals into the wheel via a little cable that looks like a telephone wire you are set to race. Feedback on Forza 2 was amazing! Understeer, bumps, warning strips, you feel everything.
Pros:
Top notch feel and finish, no corners cut on cheap plastic or details.
Works right out of the box. No drivers to fumble with.
Feedback (while connected to power source) is excellent.
Clamping system is easy to understand and use.
Doesn't tie up a spot on your Xbox USB ports.
Cons:
Minor- you need to find the right table/surface to mount this on. It is heavy!
Minor- clamping system is excellent, however, after a long race it may move and need readjusting.
Conclusion:
Spend a few extra bucks and buy this wheel. I think the smiles that you will get from finding out how much fun racing games can be with this setup will be worth every penny! | video-games_xbox |
HIGHLY recommended. I bought this game for my husband for Christmas and I was never really in to video games at all except for like old school mario. I decided to try it out and was HOOKED. It's my all time favorite game and my husband and I play it just about every day. I ended up buying my own 360 and my own copy just so I could play when ever I wanted while my husband is playing with his friends.
If you or some one you know is considering buying this game it's definitely worth the money. Worth it enough that I have actually purchased three copies from Amazon. Story mode is awesome, and it's very realistic. The sound effects are fantastic and this is a game you can definitely get in to. Another good thing about this game is you don't just "die" and it's game over if you have some one to play with. If you get downed your friend can come "pick you up" as they say, or basically revive you to continue on the game. Online play is even better. There are "Execution" matches "Assassination" matches and "Warzone" matches. Basically four people play as the locust (the "bad guys" in the game) and four people play as the COG team (the "good guys" in the game) and you play against each other to try and get your team to win the match. In execution if you are downed you can get back up with out having to be revived by your team mates. In warzone you can't be revived with out help from your team mates. Assassination match is where there is a leader on both teams and you try and take out the other teams leader to win the match.
Anyway, just trying to give a little insight on how the game basically is online. There are also ranked matches where you can do all of the above but you can get achievements from playing them. There are achievements for getting 100 kills with each weapon in the game, hosting 50 times, winning on every versus map and your team winning 10 times with out losing. It's not extremely difficult to get your achievements on this game and it's really fun while getting them. I DEFINITELY recommend this game to anyone who is interested. This game came out in November 2006 with only another month until 2007 and it was still the top selling game for the ENTIRE year of 2006. BUY THIS GAME!!!
Edited 12/13/08: It's been almost 2 years since I made this review and I still feel the same way for this game. Still my favorite on the Xbox 360, while Gears of War 2 is a close second. If you're reading this review contemplating whether you should try it, do it. It's worth it. | video-games_xbox |
Great quality, works with Xbox One, Dualshock 3/4. I bought these because I recently purchased a used XB1 controller on Amazon from a third party seller, which was advertised as in "good" condition, yet received it to find that the right analog stick would stick to the right. That seller refunded the purchase price (shipping had been free) but told me to keep or discard the controller. Being me I decided I'd take it apart to identify the problem, and found that the edge of the plastic on my analog stick had an imperfection, a raised bump of plastic that was catching on the casing and causing the stick to hang when pushed all the way in a certain direction.
Of course, I could just cut this off (and I did), but I decided to drop a few bucks on this pack of replacements just in case I needed them. At this point I basically got the controller for free, so figured, why not? Then, since I had these sticks, I decided to upgrade one of my Dualshock 3 controllers, because I've always hated the convex "bubble" shaped thumbpads on those controllers. I will tell you that it worked like a charm, and the only problem I had in the entire process was related to the fact that I overlooked the last screw in my DS3 and couldn't figure out why it wouldn't come apart--but that was my fault, and has to do with the fact that I was talking on the phone to someone about something unrelated while I was completing the mod. As others have pointed out, these sticks will leave a bit of a gap when pushed to the side if installed in a DS3 or DS4 controller, but that is by design. If the bases were wide enough for a DS3, they wouldn't fit in an Xbox One, which is what they're actually meant for.
As for the quality of these sticks, they are nearly perfect. I will point out that the seams on the sides of the sticks are a bit more pronounced than the ones on my original Xbox One controller (the mint controller I got with my system), but that doesn't really bother me. If you are troubled by this, I expect the issue could be remedied quickly with a Dremel or similar tool. | video-games_xbox |
Try not to listen to the people that say this is better than GTA4. I traded in gta4 for this game because I was really disappointed with the way it ended. It was wayy too short as far as the story, and it was way to short on the extra stuff outside of the missions. But it was still a very good games minus those negatives I just said, GTA4 was a rock solid wall as far as gameplay, it was just awesome. So i got this based on all the reviews saying that Saints Row 2 was the better sandbox. I was hesitant at first because the first SR sucked completely. It too suffered from terribly short gameplay and a horrible ending. I get about 20 min into SR2 and I realize just how bad it is. Not on par with GTA4 by a hair. The driving sucks, handling, everything. You can;t even get a behind the wheel view, you can only get the arcade style 3rd person view outside of the car. The gameplay is completely sloppy, no real finesse like gta4. You cant even change the view that follows your character, its stuck pretty much right behind him, which is annoying because you cant get a wide view of what going on.
I felt like I was playing an unfinished game, oh did I mention THAT ITS THE SAME EXACT MAP FROM SAINTS ROW ONE? NOTHING NEW BUT THE ACTIVITES AND MISSIONS, THIS COULD HAVE EASILY JUST BEEN DOWNLOAD CONTENT TO UPGRADE SAINTS ROW ONE. The graphics are good. Dont buy this game, rent it first. GTA4 was way better and it has Download content, there will be another add-on coming in october besides the Motorcycle one they have out now. It really comes down to this: There's more to do in Saint Row 2, but it suffers from bad gameplay, which makes the experience not worth experience. I expected way better, Why do these companies keep cheating us out of our money with these extremely short games that don't meet expectations or live up to the hype? Because we don't do anything about it. This game makes me want to throw my 360 out. | video-games_xbox |
Excellent Headphones for the Price. For the price, these gaming headphones are excellent. I knew when purchasing that these headphones are definitely designed for use on a gaming computer and that in order to use both the microphone and the audio on a game console that you would need an adaptor that works with the system you are planning on using them for. If you keep that fact in mind these are excellent headphones for both computers and consoles. They are extremely comfortable, I wore them for over an hour and I barely felt like they were on. They are a good size and even fit those with larger heads (my brother has quite a large head and it fits him just fine!) I tested out the microphone and audio using Skype on my computer and for headphones this price I would say that the microphone is excellent. They easily compare to more expensive gaming headphones. The sound quality is pretty darn good as well. No, they don't have the same sound quality as high end headphones like Bose, but it still sounds crisp and clear and is perfect for pretty much any gamer or teenager that isn't horribly picky about having the most expensive headphones on the market.
I sadly haven't gotten the chance to use both the audio and the microphone at the same time on any of my consoles yet since I am still waiting for the adaptor to arrive in the mail but I have tested the sound (not the mic) on a few of my consoles. I plugged the audio jack into my PS4 controller to see if it worked and how it sounded and it worked great and sounded great. I also tested out the audio on my Nintendo 3DS and that worked great also. I will update my review once I get an adaptor and am able to use both the microphone and the audio on my consoles! (I own a PS3, PS4, XBox360, Wii, Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS.)
These headphones have a very long red cord so that it can reach from your console to your couch and they have a nice sized volume control slider. The microphone can be unplugged from the headphones if you just want to wear them as regular headphones which is quite nice. If you don't want to purchase a separate adaptor for console gaming then these headphones are not for you. But if you are looking for headphones that have good sound and an excellent microphone for a decent price that works great on computers, as regular headphones, and can work on consoles with an adaptor then these are a great option! I recieved these headphones at a discount in exchange for my honest review. | video-games_xbox |
This is the Madden that we deserve. My interest in Madden has waned considerably over the years. Gone are the days when I'd stand in line at my neighborhood video game store for the midnight release and play till it was time to go to work, wired on Red Bulls and Mountain Dew. Granted, I still buy it every year, become enamored with the new bells and whistles for a bit, and then quickly lose interest once I realized that the legacy issues that have plagued the franchise still rears its ugly head. Madden 16 addressed one of these issues with the DB/WR interactions and it was a welcomed addition, but it still wasn't enough.
This year, I'm happy to say that Madden NFL 17 is leaps and bounds better than any iteration of the franchise EVER. I subscribed to EA Access on Xbox One which allowed me to play the game 5 days early before release. The three biggest pet peeves I had regarding past versions of Madden were thankfully addressed in this game: A.) DB/WR interactions. Yes, they were implemented in last years game, but in Madden 17, they are on steroids. In Madden 16, receivers would be able to fight for the ball by pressing the "aggressive catch" button which would lead to some spectacular looking possessions. However, it almost became an exploit as even average rated receivers were able to pull them off with abandon. In Madden 17, the success of these catches are now tied to player ratings so no longer will you see a Wes Welker sky a jump ball like Randy Moss. Defensive backs are also given tools to counter these type of catches with a "play the receiver" and "swat" the ball buttons. The result are incredibly life-like animations with a sprinkle of strategy and a pinch of risk/reward that make the game very fun. B.) Special teams. Kicking and punting in past Maddens were pretty vanilla and downright easy. I can't even remember a game when I missed a field goal. This year, field goals and punts are pulled off with a series of three button presses. One to start the kick, one to adjust the kicking power and one to adjust the kicking accuracy. It sounds incredibly rudimentary and simple, but the windows to pull off power and accuracy are small and more often than not, I would find myself missing extra points and chip shots. You can also use the left thumb stick to control the direction of the kick, however, it gives you a general overview of where the ball should hit and it disappears after a few seconds. As a result, the kicking game is a lot more challenging this year which is mighty refreshing. The return game is also given a boost with a "break the tackle" button once engaged with a defensive player. By pressing a varied button that appears on the screen (the AI mixes it up every time which makes it less of an exploit), I can attempt to shed a tackle and go for a bigger gain. You've got to be quick about it or it goes away in an instant. C.) Presentation. Commentary has been give a huge face lift this year. Gone are Nantz and Simmons who are replaced this year with Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis. These two have outstanding chemistry in the booth. They'll delve into backstories of certain players and recall a past game that holds relevance to the one you're playing now. I could not recall a gap in the commentary as these two were constantly talking about the game, the players, the stats, and each other (like where to eat after the game), etc. My favorite moment so far with these two was during a game in which I was playing as the Texans against the Ravens. Gaudin told a story about how a preseason game was halted in Baltimore so that the players could watch Michael Phelps (a native) compete in the Olympics. The amazing thing was that this really happened in a preseason game LAST WEEK. It turns out that Madden 17 will be implementing commentary updates throughout the season so that it's fresh and relevant to the current NFL season. Awesome. Stat overlays are abundant and they always display relevant information without being intrusive. Replays now show correct angles to the play and a new "Pylon Camera" focuses on touchdowns at the one yard line. I also love the side line shots of the coaches during the game as they convey every emotion from rage, frustration, and unbridled joy that can unfold on a Sunday.
By and large, Madden 17 is an incredible game and finally, FINALLY after three tries, resembles a game that looks and feels truly next gen. This is a day one purchase for me.
EDIT: I've only dabbled in Play Now games and have yet to touch Franchise, MUT, Draft Champions and any other modes that were available. The two minor negatives I can say about this game so far is that QB completions are a tad too high on All-Pro difficulty and a lack of injuries even with the slider at 60. | video-games_xbox |
Solid Addition to the Series. Dynasty Warriors is one of those games that I like a lot, but I don't quite know why. I think I enjoy the idea of it all. Me versus an entire army of people. My behavior and abilities are powerful enough to destroy the entire army if used properly. However, I'm not quite a one man show since I need to rely on other generals and luitenants to hold their ground and win a battle or two as well. It's a nice idea.
In reality the Dynasty Warriors games are definitely repetitive. They add more and more characters every time but not a great deal more depth. The battle situations are roughly the same and certain characters are mirror images of each other ability-wise.
That being said, the game is just good fun. From the last time I played they added a career mode type of feel to the game. It used to be that you fought battles in a more linear order. Now you are presented with an Empire of different states, which must "rule over", invade, defend, etc. The decisions you make will ultimately change the mood of your fighters and affect the outcome of the battles. You can discover new items, capture new generals, and invest in different technologies. And it seems like getting new weapons is a little less difficult than in the old one.
This helps a little bit with the repetitiveness by allowing you to control several different generals throughout the game rather than just using one over and over.
Graphics wise, the game looks pretty good. It's not revolutionary and the draw-distance wasn't improved much, but it doesn't detract much from the playing. They seemed to add more seige type weapons and you run into more opposing guard captains and luitenants/generals.
The Music is about the same as normal which is pretty bad, but doesn't really annoy me much, which is good.
I'm pleasantly surprised that my Wife seems to enjoy playing along side me which is actually quite helpful and there aren't many games like that.
Overall it's a great addition to the DW series and a good price. Pick it up if you like the previous ones or are looking for a solid hack and slash game. I have the 360 version. | video-games_xbox |
Stop Comparing it to Before. This game is down right fun. I can't think of any other madden, since 2005, that has had such great graphics and more importantly GAMEPLAY. People continue to complain that this game is "not much of an improvement; looks the same; just roster updates". Well let me tell you something, they are right, haha. But seriously, this game does look the same except for a one notch improvement in graphics, very little. The presentation is cool when you choose a prime-time game cause there is a cool black guy saying stuff about the team. There are a few annoying things in the presentation though. Every time there is a flag, the refs talk to each other for much too long; and it doesn't even let you skip it! Lastly, talking about presentation, WHERE IS THE SOUNDTRACK! I don't want to listen to some bull **** orchestra song. It's like the song you hear on NFL Redzone when the channel is off-air. I mean I love classical music, but there song isn't even good, AND IT JUST REPLAYS OVER AND OVER. They put music in the stadium, but that's only 3 seconds of the song cause they are too cheap to buy the rights to some music. The game modes are pretty cool, but it has it's problems. The connected franchise is hard to play online cause there are so many leagues but they only have like 5 people and you never know when they will advance the week so you may be stuck waiting to play your next game. The offline mode is pretty cool though. You get to set your prices on fries and jerseys and all of that cool stuff. It's like the original franchise mode except with financial duties. Where the game shines is the GAMEPLAY. The running game is crazy good. Before it was hard to gain 2 yards rushing, NOW YOU CAN SCORE LONG A$$ TD's. The passing game is pretty similar but the user catching has improved which is enjoyable. INJURIES ARE VERY BAD IN THIS GAME! Every single game I have at least 3 injuries, usually 1 which the player can't return. WHAT IS THIS! That's not realistic at all. I am turning off the in game injuries because it is just too much. Everything else is pretty much the same. Commentary in this game has improved a lot... oh wait, no it didn't. The commentating is almost exactly the same except for some little facts like "the falcons lost to the seahawks in the playoffs blah blah blah". I miss Gus Johnson. I think they should give you multiple commentators to choose from, that would be cool. Get Chris Collinsworth in this game too, he was the best. "WHERE ARE MY BLOCKERS, WHERE ARE MY MEN, WHAT'S GOING ON!?". I love that guy.
THE REAL REASON THAT I BOUGHT MADDEN 25 was... NFL SUNDAY TICKET! It is such an awesome deal, I just had to have it. Don't know why some people had problems, but it works great for me. I'm excited to try it out. Just connect the laptop to the TV and watch all the games you want.
THE BIG QUESTION, SHOULD I BUY IT!?!?!?
Depends. I am the guy who buys madden every year for roster updates. This year, I bought it for not only the roster updates, but also the NFL Sunday ticket and the improved running game. If you want these 3 things, get MADDEN NOW!!!!!
Leave any questions about Madden and I will try to answer them. Please give a thumbs up if I my review helped you. | video-games_xbox |
The Most Fun I've Had Playing a Terrible Game. Sacred 2 is loaded with flaws, glitches, and bad ideas.
If you can get past the bad, there's some fun to be had.
(Sorry, couldn't resist...)
Concept: 9/10
A Diablo Clone for the Xbox 360! (Ported from the PC Version) Hack N' Slash Fans Rejoice!!!
Story: 0/10
With text like, "Kevin got GOOB'D for wearing Pink Spandex at the gym!" or "This grave is for concept art that didn't make it into the game." I can honestly say that no attempt was made at even creating game fiction. It's like the game was written Mad Libs style by angsty 12 year olds on forums. The voice acting is horrible and full of unfunny jokes that you'll hear 100 times by level 15. There is no excuse for this. So, I guess the story is, "You kill stuff to level up so you can kill more stuff."
- Some Hack N' Slash Fans can overlook this.
Graphics: 3/10
This is a top down Hack N' Slash game which features 20 enemies on screen at a time, so the graphics are never really that good in these types of games. However, the super-saturated backgrounds actually gave me a headache / eye strain. (Out of 51 Xbox 360 games, this is the ONLY one to give me a headache.) The backgrounds are so bright, it's very difficult to notice visual differences in the enemies. The game also lacks style. World of Warcraft is saturated but it has a stylized art direction. Sacred 2 feels like the brightest generic world of all time. When you really think about the graphics, it's almost impossible to believe that Mass Effect came out on the same system 2 years ago!!! The graphics in this game are passable at best.
- Some Hack N' Slash Fans can overlook this.
Interface Screens: 5/10
Navigating through the screens is really cumbersome and awkward at first, but if you really want to try, you'll eventually get the hang of it. Too Human does a much better job with interface screens. After you figure out where everything is, they're not that bad.
- Some Hack N' Slash Fans can overlook this.
Bugs: 7/10
There's some slowdown, poly tearing, crashes, dead enemies glitching, and interface bugs. This game is really sloppy.
- A few Hack N' Slash Fans can overlook this.
Bad Ideas: 8/10
No Pause in 1 player!!! No game fiction! A laughably bad opening movie! Worst Voice Acting for a 360 game! Confusing Inventory System! Once you assign your Stat Increases, you can never change them...
- It takes a very special breed of Hack N' Slash Fan to overlook this.
Gameplay: 8/10
If you didn't immediately take the game back to the store, and you actually tried playing it for about 2 hours, the game starts to get fun. The Character Customization and Enemy Loot Drops are great! You're constantly fighting hordes of bad guys and they're dropping things that you can actually use every 15 to 20 minutes. There are also socketed weapons to further your customization. You level up fairly quickly, so you're always looking forward to what's coming next. Each time you level up, you get to increase 3 things: Character Attributes (Strength, Dexterity...), Skills (Tactics, Swords, Speed), and Special Attacks (Hit Multiple guys, Hit one guy, Energy Leech...) So, once you get hooked on the game, it really gets addicting. The Loot in this game is on par with Diablo 2 and may have an edge over Titan Quest.
- This is a Hack N' Slash Fan's Dream!
Combat: 7/10
For this type of game, the combat is ok. You map weapons to the face buttons on the 360 and press them to attack enemies. You can also hold them to repeatedly attack. It's pretty simple. Potions are mapped to the D-Pad, which feels awkward, but you can get used to it. There is no cool down period after taking a health potion and you can carry a ton of them. With 99 Health Potions, you're pretty close to invincible.
- Hack N' Slash Fans hungry for some console action can appreciate this.
Level and World Design: 6/10
The dungeons are the smallest dungeons of any RPG that I've ever seen. Some are the size of an apartment and hold 3 enemies. Other dungeons are a series of linked rooms connected by a very short load time. The World is also a bit strange. You could be in a very easy area, then walk through a field and suddenly get ambushed by some very powerful enemies. There really isn't a clear distinction of when you're entering into a tougher area. On the positive side, the world is HUGE!!!!!
- Hack N' Slash Fans don't care about worlds, they care about enemies, powers, and loot!
Good Ideas: 7/10
At any time, if you are encumbered, you can "Scrap" your excess loot and instantly turn it into gold. It's a nice feature that prevents you from having to drop a ton of items. Mapping Combo attacks to the Face Buttons is also a good feature. You can change difficulty levels as you're playing! The Character Classes all have a unique feel to them.
- Hack N' Slash Fans can appreciate this.
Overall: 4/10
This game has a ton of problems and you really have to overlook quite a bit in order to have fun. As a result, I really can't recommend this game to the majority of gamers out there. However, if you are dying to play a Hack N' Slash on the 360 and you just want to level up and customize a character, then you can have a lot of fun with this game.
EDIT:
1 Star overall because of all of the problems, poor graphics, glitches, and an epic fail regarding game fiction.
3 Stars for fun, simply because getting loot is addicting after a few hours of play.
The game is Rated M for... no apparent reason. It should be T for Teen.
Buy this game if you can overlook a ton of faults and you really want to hack and slash your way through a massive world full of enemies for hours and hours.
There's no reason to rent this game unless you can keep the game for as long as you want. This is a really long game and you won't be able to finish it in a week.
Avoid this game if any of the faults that I listed above were 'deal breakers.' If you can't get over these things, then you'll be taking the game right back to the store.
If you like Sacred 2, you'll probably like Castle Crashers on Xbox Live. It's a hack and slash side scroller, and it's fun! You'll also like the Marvel Ultimate Alliance games from Activision.
If Sacred 2 isn't your thing, but you want a great RPG, then Fallout 3, Oblivion, and Mass Effect are some of the best ever!
Dragon Age Origins and Mass Effect 2 are on their way, too! | video-games_xbox |
A shooter about time travel, that can't bring it's gameplay out of the past. Time travel. We've all dreamed about it at one point or another. What would we do if we could change the past. Would we use it to fix our mistakes, and rewrite history to suit our need, or would we seize the chance at power, and use it to make ourselves immortal throughout time? Or, would we find ourselves part of a higher calling, destined to do something incredible? Singularity from Raven software (creators of action RPGs like Marvel: Ultimate Alliance) casts you in the shoes of one such individual. Faced with unlimited power, it's up to you to decide the worlds fate. Except it's not, as Singularity is quick to put restraints on just about everything you can do. What remains is a shooter with a lot of ideas and potential, but winds up completely average by it's own design.
Story
As part of a military recon team, you play as Captain Nathaniel Renko, on a mission to investigate strange occurrences on a remote island name Katorga-12. It becomes immediately apparent though that things are not in the least bit ordinary, and after narrowly surviving a crash landing in the ocean, you find yourself in the middle of a time warp. It only gets more insane from there, as you find yourself beset upon by Russian soldiers, and terrifying mutants. This is all because of an element unique to the island, simply named Element-99. You meet up with members of a resistance movement, and are then task with traveling back in time, and destroying the singularity that has caused so much mess.
While it starts off strong, Singularity almost immediately goes completely off the rails, getting way to complicated. The game tries to explain so much in the first hour or two that I became completely lost, and had to keep reminding myself why I was doing something or going somewhere. There is also very little in the way of character development. The good guys are good, bad guys are bad. That's about as deep as it gets. You encounter strange writings on the wall throughout your journey, but these never add up to much, and mostly serve to put questions in your head that have no answers. It's pointless, and I don't see why they were included. One thing I did like was reading the notes left by the destroyed residents of the island. This helped flesh out the world a lot more, but it's annoying that they almost completely disappear in the later half of the game. I wanted to know more, but the game just stopped letting me in. It's definitely an interesting story, but it could have been so much more.
Gameplay
The time shifting mechanic is the main hook in Singularity. With a device called the DMV, you can age object back and forth in time. It's a cool idea, but it winds up being really shallow. You can only age select few items, and these are mostly all used for the same puzzle over and over again. The explanation the game gives for this is that only things that have been touched by Element-99 can be manipulated. It then completely contradicts this by allowing you to age virtually every enemy in the game. I find it hard to imagine that every human being on the island is contaminated, but whole rooms that were used to experiment on the substance are not. It creates a disconnect between the gameplay and the game world, and doesn't ever pan out to more than a gimmick.
Raven has actually done decent job with the shooting in Singularity. It feels rather old school, but in a good way. The weapons are all rather unique and fun to use, but it's a pity that they make it so annoying to change them. Rarely do enemies actually drop the weapon they're using, allowing you to pick it up. The only way to really change weapons is to use the weapon chest placed around levels. These are often so far apart though that you can't really experiment if you find a particular spot better suit to a different firearm. Not that the levels lend themselves well to experimentation. The game consists mostly of tight corridors or offices, with little room to maneuver, let alone strategize. It's pretty much go from point A to B, shooting up anything in your path. But the shooting is a lot of fun. The controls are tight, and enemies give a realistic response to fire, which helps somewhat given how similar enemies AI is. You can count on them either rushing you or hiding in vain behind cover, without much thought for their own safety. It makes for an easy game, but it surprisingly enjoyable nonetheless.
Presentation
I was really surprised by how good Singularity looks at time. There is a ton of detail put into scenes, and the environments do a good job of feeling unique. Trudging through the sewers feels suitably unsettling, and storming a rail site is very exciting. These changes don't always make sense in the grand scheme of things, but it leads to some interesting locales so I say it's a plus. What I could have lived without though is the game horrible pop in. Almost every level suffers from it at times. Even cutscenes can't get there act together, looking super blurry and bland. The framerate also isn't the most stable, dropping a few times when things hit the fan and particle effects are going everywhere. But when it does work right, Singularity can really impress, and really improves the game.
The sound effects are really good, with the guns sounding as you'd expect, and explosions having a good kick to them. The voice acting is good generally speaking. Unexpectedly, but not unsurprisingly, Nolan North once again shows up to put everyone to shame. I almost wish he'd had more lines, just because he's so darn good. But the rest of the cast turns in an respectable performance, and make even some horrible lines sound good. The music never stuck out to me, so much that I can hardly remember it at all. The game ops for more atmospheric sounds than blockbuster score, and it works rather well.
Verdict
Singularity is yet another shooter that tries a lot of cool things, but doesn't come together in the end. The time travel is cool on paper, but it's so underused it just becomes annoying. It's old school design helps distinguish it from other shooters on the market, but leave you wanting for all the innovation that has occurred over the years. The story is OK, but leaves a lot unanswered, and the ending is rather disappointing. It's not a bad game, but it by no means represents a pinnacle of the genre. If you like the idea, I'd give it a look. It's fun for a rental, but don't come in expecting the next Bioshock. Try as it might, Singularity just isn't there.
Final Opinion: 7.5/10 Good | video-games_xbox |
Relies too much on gimmicks. I'm not really impressed with this headset. It's designed for gaming, so that's what I use it for. I can't comment much on the audio quality, because it sounds fine to me, but I don't listen to music with it.
So as a gaming headset, there are some problems.
1) You look stupid wearing it. The headset is very bulky and has a ridiculous glow. The glow is designed to impress other players, but I would never wear this thing outside the privacy of my home. The ear pieces stick out over two inches.
2) It's not comfortable. The black head strap is under tension, so when you put on the headset, it pulls the headset up. It's a very strong tension, so it feels like the headset is trying to get off your head. The tension is just too high.
3) The microphone picks up too much ambient sound. My friends could hear everything that was said inside the room at in the adjacent hallway. This is a problem because I have two kids who make a lot of noise, and everyone can hear what they say, even when they're not in the room. As far as I'm concerned, this is a deal-killer.
4) You can't charge it when it's turned off. The headset insists on turning itself back on when you plug it in to be charged. This makes it inconvenient to charge when you're not using it, because the headset also glows.
5) It doesn't support surround sound. Granted, for a $90 headset, that's probably too much to ask, but the problem is that if you normally connect your console/PC to an amplifier via digital audio, you won't be able to connect this headset, because it uses stereo RCA plugs. My primary Xbox is connected to my home theater via digital optical audio cables, and so in order for me to use this headset, I have to disconnect the audio from my amplifier and plug in the headset adapter directly into my Xbox. This would be unacceptable, normally. Fortunately, I use this headset only with my second Xbox, which is not connected to anything else.
6) The wireless transmitter has too many LEDs. This thing is *bright* -- way too bright in a dark room. You can't keep it plugged into the Xbox, because even when the Xbox is off, the USB ports deliver power, so the transmitter glows brightly 24/7. I fixed this by covering the whole thing in electrical tape, but now I can't see any lights.
7) The wireless transmitter won't fit in the near USB ports on the Xbox. The Afterglow designers must not have been paying attention, because the adapter is too large to fit into the rear USB ports. You have to plug it into the front ports.
So I would not recommend this gaming headset. There are other headsets out that that are less gimmicky and provide a better experience. | video-games_xbox |
Shameful cash grab from a semi annual franchise. If you like Forza Motorsport, beware. Where to begin... This series has become the Call Of Duty of racing games. Some simulation elements, yes, but largely an arcade game. Most features are the same as the first game although in some cases slightly improved and many others drastically less than previous games of the series. Graphics are largely unchanged even from Forza Motorsport 4 on the Xbox 360. There have been many glitches since release and most of them still prominent as of the time of this review. One particularly irritating issue involving wheels, you know those silly things people buy in order to have a more true experience. Well they are broken to the point that they have severely limited range of motion compared to the available rotation left over, ie. moving about a quarter of the full rotation the game thinks the wheel goes to full lock immediately after that short amount of rotation. Audio is good, but could be great. Wet racing is lazy from a physics standpoint, puddles are simply an irritating, infinite hazard to which the AI is rarely affected. DLC for this game is a very thin line from blatant false advertising seeing how cars from currently released DLC are NOT available outside of Free Play and Multiplayer. They make no mention of this in the DLC info to my surprise. The sounds of the cars in the Fast and Furious DLC pack are about as close you are going to get outside of the movies themselves. In my opinion at least the F&F pack should be compatible with Fora Horizon 2. I think 2 years is obviously not enough time(or its more than enough, but they'd rather blow the budget on marketing/advertising for an already established brand) for them to really up the game from what everybody already knows as Forza. It was fun for a short while, but it should not have been released in its current state. The DLC pack's are overpriced given they are restricted from what a large majority consider the core game. Aside from the rain and a couple cars, this is Forza Motorsport 5 with less freedom of expression and a lot more glitches.
Frame-rate is smooth as silk compared to Forza Horizon 2. Voice over's from the Top Gear guys is always welcome, but they are seldom heard. It would be nice to have them give info about cars as well as the racing culture that is already present. Other addition's such as Mods and Showcase Events are nice at first, but overall aren't needed. Showcase Events, to me are a way of reclassifying challenges and/or an attempt at hiding content. Campaign is a flatline. There's nothing to work towards as a reward, as wheelspins every driver level will spoil you with riches and treasures. If you can wait until this game is lower in price, do so. Turn10 and Microsoft needn't your funds so promptly. | video-games_xbox |
Dissapointed. I had high hopes for this next installment of the COD franchise. Those hopes were dashed. Instead of fixing glitches like being able to drop to the ground and shoot your opponent, they added awards and achievements for doing so. Has anyone considered how difficult it would be to go from running to prone and being able to shoot accurately at the same time, especially while using a sniper rifle? Have they considered just how difficult it would be to hit anything while pulling a sniper rifle up to aim but pulling the trigger before the gun is set? Yet the game would have you believe this is the proper use of such a weapon. It is clear that not one member of the COD team at Treyarch has ever spent time holding or shooting a 50 caliber rifle.
This game would have you believe that pistols and sub machine guns shoot bullets that are equally as effective at killing as are those from an assault rifle, large machine gun or high caliber rifle. That is a small weapons 9mm round is equivalent to a high powered 7.62 round or even 50 cal round.
Accuracy is also completely unaffected by jumping, but rather perhaps enhanced. Damage is certainly reduced by jumping.
If all that were not enough, it is unimportant where the gun is pointing when you pull the trigger, only the path the gun takes during the execution of the shot. That is if you pull the trigger far right of your opponent but manage to sweep the rifle to the left across your opponent during the report of the shot, the opponent will be hit, despite the clear dust cloud to the right of your opponent.
I long for a game that respects the variety of weapons and gives them their unique purposes. Where tomohawks do not fly 100s of meters and effectively strike a character on spawn. Where pulling the trigger on a large caliber rifle before setting the gun results in your player lying on the ground. Where big guns are powerful and deadly and slow you down, but light guns allow you to be agile while struggling to subdue an opponent. Where pistols and shotguns are only effective at very short range. Ultimately where choosing the appropriate weapon for the situation or play style is a critical choice. Where a careful strategic advance is rewarded and a hot headed rush penalized. Where skill is determined more by the player and less by the connection. This is not this game. | video-games_xbox |
Dark Souls will consume yours. I own both a PS3 and an Xbox 360 and my personal favorite type of game to play are RPGs, so when <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Demon-s-Souls-Greatest-Hits/dp/B002AB7TX8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Demon's Souls Greatest Hits</a> generated huge buzz upon it's release in 2009, I had to try it. Man, I'm glad I did because the game quickly became one of my all-time favorites. So, when the (sort of) sequel Dark Souls was announced, I knew I had to get it as well. Now, I went with the Xbox 360 version simply because I wanted the achievements for my Xbox gamer score, plus I just prefer Xbox Live over the PS3 Network. Both are great, but I just prefer the Xbox slightly. Now, on to the review...
This game, if given a chance, will consume you. You'll think about it constantly, think of ways to get better and will count the hours until you can play it again. Yes, it's difficult in the beginning. Most RPGs are, but this takes it to ridiculous levels of frustration at times. With that said, if you stick with it and level up I actual think it gets easier. However, some players may think it's too difficult, which is understandable. Everyone's tastes are different and if dying repeatedly and losing valuable souls forever that took you hours to accumulate doesn't sound like fun to you, then don't buy this game. I urge anyone on the fence about this one to rent it first. This is a unique gaming experience and it definitely won't appeal to everyone. I like it because I don't like to lose and when this game crushes my character with ease, I become all the more determined to pick up the controller and try again and achieve victory, because when you finally do, there's no better gaming experience!
Is there are story? Not really. Is it all just difficult combat? For the most part. Then what makes this game so special? The experience, it's the ride man. It's all about starting out with a weak character in the beginning that gets squashed by just about every enemy it comes in contact with, but ending with a powerful character than can take out just about anyone with ease! That's what isn't being said enough about this game in my opinion. Everyone is focusing on how weak you are in the beginning, but trust me, you have the potential to become God like in this! The maximum level you can reach is level 792 (for the record, it will cost you 11,938,030 souls to reach level 792), but just reaching level 100 makes you incredibly powerful. There are an array of amazing weapons you can master that at first are so heavy that you'll literally swing them in slow motion, but once strong enough you can swing them with ease. There are rings like "The Evil Eye" ring (gives you HP from fallen opponents) that give you an advantage over any foe. There's armor like the "Armor of Thorns" you can earn that covers you in spikes so that when you roll into enemies you'll deal out damage to them! You can take ordinary weapons and enchant them with special powers and abilities. I could go on, but simply put this is an RPG and gaming experience you'll never forget... and I haven't even mentioned the online capabilities! In online mode, you can enter other player's games and help them fight demons and be a heroic figure or you can be evil and invade other player's games with the intent to assassinate them and rob them of their items and souls. If you do this, your name can be entered into an online book that will allow others to hunt you down and assassinate you in order to avenge the player you killed. Plus, you can leave messages for other players regarding key moments of the game that either help... or hurt them. It's a fascinating world and experience that I strongly urge everyone to at least try. Don't let all the talk about difficulty keep you away. Yes, it's tough, but it's not impossible or nearly as bad as people make it out to be (in my opinion) in other reviews. I defeated Maser Ninja mode on <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Ninja-Gaiden-II/dp/B000ZK696O/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Ninja Gaiden II</a> and that was a million times more difficult than this. The worst thing that can happen to you in this game is that when you die the first time, you leave a blood stain on the ground in the exact spot where you were killed and however many souls you had on you at the time are now in that blood stain. So, you restart at your last bonfire checkpoint with zero souls. If you want those souls back, you'll have to fight your way back to where your blood stain is located and touch it. This is easier said than done because all the enemies in that location that you previously killed have respawned, so you have to kill everyone again in order to get them back. And if you die again on your way to that blood stain... you can kiss those souls goodbye for good. The most souls I ever lost was in Demon's Souls, I once lost over 150,000. It was a real spirit breaker to say the least! The most I've lost playing this game is a little over 1,500. Souls are important because they're like money in the game. The more you have, the more you can level up, upgrade weapons, buy items, etc.. So, if you can deal with that potential loss, than you can handle this game.
Now, I want to give people that are new to this series some tips in playing this game, if you don't want any spoilers, than stop reading now, but if you want some valuable advice that will save you some potential mistakes early on, then please read...
Tip #1 - I've read a lot online on Dark Souls forums that people are attacking and killing the first merchant they come across in the game, don't do this! It's kind of easy to do, because he looks like one of your enemies, but don't harm him! He sells some very important and valuable items that are critical to your survival early on in the game. He's located in the Undead Burg, which I highly recommend you start your game in. After the crow cut scene at the end of the tutorial, the crow drops you off at the Firelink Shrine. The path to the Undead Burg is located up a long hill and the entrance is guarded by some undead soldiers, one of which is constantly tossing firebombs at you. Defeat these guys and head inside the tunnel with the undead rat. Kill him, walk down the tunnel and out onto the steps and your at the Undead Burg. You'll find the area to the merchant guarded by two lone undead soldiers both holding spears and shields. They're easy to spot because they're both standing far out on a landing by themselves. Defeat them and then destroy the wooden crates that's guarding the lower level entrance to the merchant. Kill the lone soldier in this room (he's hiding behind furniture... sometimes) and then head into the outdoor room. The undead merchant is sitting on the ground, just talk to him to start buying from him. He has a pretty good bow (don't bother using crossbows, you can't really aim them) and has a large selection of arrows too. Also, he sells firebombs which are very important. Stock up on these to easily kill the large knights you'll find scattered thru out the game (target them, toss a firebomb, back up, repeat... easy). All of the knights have a low level tolerance to fire, so burn them up!
Tip #2 - Never consume special souls! I've also read online where people have consumed the first Fire Keeper Soul they come across, which is early in the game. Don't do it! Instead, head back to the Firelink Shrine bonfire, head down the path next to the man who is sitting close to the bonfire and give the soul to Anastacia of Astora (she's the mute woman in the cell). She will upgrade your Estus Flask to +1. She will also upgrade the flask every time you send here a Fire Keeper Soul, so save them. By upgrading your Flask, each drink will give you more health. All of the unique souls you find in the game can be used to perform an upgrade or can be traded for something really cool, so never consume them. The only souls you should ever consume are the ones you find from dead humans in the game, and those should never be consumed until you're at a bonfire and ready to level up. For example, if you consume a hero's soul as soon as you find it, die and then fail to get your souls back from your blood stain, it's gone for good! So wait to consume them at bonfires only.
Tip #3 - Once you reach the blacksmith in the Undead Parish start upgrading your favorite weapon immediately! You can upgrade most weapons to level +5 using souls and titanite shards. Don't worry, if you haven't got any enemies to drop any titanite shards yet, the blacksmith sells them, and pretty cheap too. Do this asap! It will allow you to kill enemies way quicker than if you kept using standard weapons. To increase weapons past +5, or enchant them, it'll take more powerful stones and items that you'll find later in the game, but if you play Undead and Undead Parish in that order, you can easily reach the blacksmith and can start making +5 weapons. I would also upgrade my armor to as high as it will let you at this part in the game. | video-games_xbox |
Not what you would expect after Modern Warfare 2. The game is fun but it takes a while to grow on you and I'm speaking for online game play. I've heard the story mode is awesome... I have not played it yet lol and I have had the game for 4 months. The spec ops and survival are also awesome but sadly the multiplayer is lacking. Most of the maps on multiplayer are small or big but fill space with empty buildings or areas you can't go into. Because most of the maps are small spawning is incredibly stupid and enemies will spawn right around the corner and kill you from behind about 50% or more of the time while you are playing not to mention all your teammates will go around the map and you will be all alone and safe in some area and for some reason it will spawn the enemy team next to you or all around you instead of your teammates which makes no sense. And when the game is lagged spawn points become stupider and you will spawn next to your teammate while he is under fire or in front of enemies and enemy spawning comes closer than before if that wasn't close enough.
The game would be pretty good if it the spawning wasn't just so damn retarded. Sniper rifles feel under powered for the most part as well as shotguns. You will constantly find that your sniper shot never hit a guy even though you shot him first and you'll end up dead. Explosives are also under powered except for the Javelin which is pretty damn powerful and kill streak explosives. The kill streaks are really nice and the perks are great except for scavenger which is a piece of crap in this game. Normally you just pick up ammo and pro you start with max ammo for primary weapons only which is stupid considering you could replenish explosives in modern warfare 2 and that was it's main purpose for use really. Another problem with perks is having to choose blind eye and assassin which were the same perk in other games. Blind eye hides you from kill streaks like turrets and helicopters and assassin hides you from uav's and other kill streaks/devices that might show you on the radar aside from you shooting yourself.
You will find yourself constantly pissed off in the beginning and getting killed all over the place as soon as you take some steps into the map.
It's a good game but online gameplay could be a lot better. | video-games_xbox |
Recommend it. The good: Alien isolation totally captures the looks and atmosphere of the movie. It's dark hallways and echoes bring me back to when I first watched the alien movies and totally engrossed me in the story. The game play is solid. If you're a fan of stealth you will love this game. It's not a shooter, or run and Gunner. It's a slow burn. You have to creep around every corner and have a weapon, or motion detector out because you never know what might be lurking. For the most part the stealth is spot on very realistic. Sprinting makes noise and even the beeps from your motion detector can attract attention (I learned that the hard way). The enemies are smart enough. Your main enemy is of course the alien, but you also have to deal with creepy android's and human scavengers. All provide their own unique style of combat. Also weapons and ammo are scarce so be resourceful. The crafting system is ok, but commited components can't be taken back, and there are only a handful of things you can craft. The story is pretty basic. You're a a bad ass chick who is trying to survive in a huge failing ship.
The bad: The story is long. This game could have ended 3 different times. This could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. There are times when you just are so tired of holding your breath and having to worry about where your enemies are. Backtracking is very prevalent. You will often find doors you can't access yet, or require a special tool for. So you have to go all the way back once you get the tool or code. Also, once the alien sees you, it's all over. It's always a one hit kill. You only have a split second to blast it with your flame thrower or a Molotov. It can be quite annoying after the initial awe of the alien wares off. There is no auto save. Again, this could be a good or bad thing depending on the player. Saves are only available at emergency panels. So be careful and try not to save with enemies near by.
All in all, this is a great stealth game. If you're a fan of slow burn survival horror get this game. | video-games_xbox |
A great game, provided you don't care about a plot. The controls are semi-intuitive, and the only thing the tutorials taught me that I didn't get from playing the first mission was "yaw" (a useful trick for when you're out of missiles and need to take out a few more targets with your machine gun, if you want a small gameplay tip), though the button to switch between secondary and special weapons is a bit awkwardly placed (the "back" button, or "select" for most people), but even then you grow used to it.
The plot is just horrid, and the only reason I didn't skip the cutscenes is guilt. Before purchasing this game, I read several reviews (on amazon and otherwise), and one stated "If this game has 500 lines of dialogue in it, then about 495 of those lines have to do with 'dancing with the angels'.". I naturally assumed this was an exaggeration, as do you, and I was right, but barely.
The gameplay itself is fun, though the difficulty curve might make some amateur gamers have difficulty on the third-fifth missions, at which point the difficulty stabilizes more. If achievements matter to you: The achievements range from some that are just ridiculously easy (e.g.: For each mission, there is an achievement for beating it), to the insanely difficult (beat the entire campaign without using missiles or special weapons).
The AI is reasonably smart, though my wingman at times seemed to serve little purpose, other than telling me what the red lights, sirens, and text warning already had (Missile Incoming!), and occasionally doing so twice (or more!) for the same missile. Regardless of if you play in the 3rd person view, 1st person w/o cockpit, or cockpit view, you'll feel like you actually are flying a fighter jet (or at least, you'll feel like you imagine you would if you flew a fighter jet). I personally play in the cockpit view, and have to say there is nothing in a game that can help achieve immersion quicker than turning left to watch a missile streak past your wing.
The handling in game is... Functional. It's not realistic, but it's fun. You can make sharper turns, go faster, be more acrobatic, etc. than you could in real life.
Now for the last point: Graphics. It's my personal opinion that graphics-wise, games really have reached a plateau, in that, though graphics can still improve, human eyesight won't be able to tell they have. The back of the box boasts of "photorealistic" scenery, and this is true... To an extent. When you're high up, the clouds look real, the contrails look real, and the ground streaking past you from below looks amazing. But if you are close to the ground, you'll notice that almost all details are "flat". Images of trees that looked just like you'd expect them to from 20000 feet from up above look like a map that you've pressed your face to from a thousand feet or so.
In short: If you want fun, buy this game, if you want immersion in the battles, get it. If you want a plot, look elsewhere. | video-games_xbox |
Bioshock: The Game You Must Own. I was talking to a friend of mine about the game recently and I think he summed it up best when he said, 'Everyone who owns a 360 NEEDS to have this game in their collection.'
I could just leave the review off right there because there really isn't much more to say than that. When you play this, expect a single player experience rivalled only by a handful of other games.
The graphics are stupendous. Very few games have a level of immersion like this one. You'll play it and you will feel like you're deep under the ocean, exploring the city of Rapture.
The surround sound is top of the line. You'll be able to pinpoint the locations of anything that makes any kind of noise in this game easily. This is one to play with the volume all the way up. Oh yeah, hopefully your subwoofer can handle the thudding footsteps of the Big Daddies.
The controls are just right and are never frustrating. Little to say other than that.
The game itself is really in a class of its own. I love the mood that this game instills. It's tense to a point where I can safely say that this is one of the only games I've played where you dread turning the corner ahead of you. The intro to this game alone is simply jaw dropping and grabs you and doesn't let go from the outset. There are moments in this game that are literally terrifying. I'm not going to go on record as saying this is the scariest game I've ever played but it truly is an experience in fear and anxiety.
This is an instant classic and while there's no multiplayer, keep in mind that not every first person shooter was meant to be a fragfest. This one is about putting you in the middle of a terrifying scenario and making sure you believe you're actually there for every second that you're playing. Sure you can nitpick little things here and there but there's nothing in this game that comes even close to ruining the sheer perfection that is Bioshock.
I can't recommend this title enough. | video-games_xbox |
So your thinking about buying this product, eh. <div id="video-block-R2IALGKUS6PHJ" class="a-section a-spacing-small a-spacing-top-mini video-block"></div><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/D1SMhJ9F0FS.mp4" class="video-url"><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41VTwuov5%2BS.png" class="video-slate-img-url"> I love these! I play a ton of video games very often. And when I do - I choose to equip myself with the best gear in-game and IRL (In-Real-Life). So obviously I choose the most OP headset out there - The Astro-A40's.
Here's the rundown.
A40 Headset:
[COMFORT] They just feel right - they're pretty light which makes it easier for longer sessions. Which for me occur frequently. And the padding is super nice around the ears.
[AUDIO] I like the audio - its super crisp. You can pick up a lot more subtle tones such as footsteps and door-creaks or other ultra-dim sounds. I've tested them out on my iPod and the highs and lows are equivalent to my Beats by Dre headphones. So, if you're thinking of buying some expensive headphones for music - you can save some money by just getting these.
[PERSONALIZE] If you want to have custom tags - like my Pinky and the Brain tags - you can easily create personalized headset tags on the astrogaming website. Also, here on amazon - you can purchase pre-made tags for about $10 cheaper than the custom ones. Another option for personalizing you're headset it to go with the TR add-on - last time i checked they had a green and black leather one and an orange and black COD option. These are also available here on Amazon.
M80:
[Ease-of-Use] Simple plug and play interface makes it super easy to control. After plugging it in you'll have to do a controller update (which takes about a min).
[CONTROLS] If you want nothing but game audio just tap the controller icon until the white lights have filled in the available slots and vice versa. The master volume control is super convenient and it also acts as a mute toggle.
[FEEL] The overall feel is supreme quality - its very nice and it contours to with your hands in the controllers in a pleasant ergonomic manner. | video-games_xbox |
Same X-Com Story, Loads of New Content. Usually, Console Expansions are side quests or an ACT IV, that takes place after the final mission. With X-Com Enemy Within, this is a complete re-tooling of X-Com: Enemy Unknown with tons of extra content imbedded throughout the main quest. It's the same basic story and main missions, but this game is much longer and improved in every way. There are new maps, new tech, new weapons, new aliens, genetic upgrades, Mech suits, more character customization options, spy missions, and Exalt, an organization full of traitorous scum, who sabotages your efforts.
Story:
Alien Activity has been discovered on Earth. You command the X-Com Forces, a defense force for the Earth composed of 16 main countries. You run the finances, hire soldiers, provide them with weapons, research technology, build new gear, choose how you want your troops upgraded, and command them in turn-based battle against alien forces. Throughout the game, the aliens become more powerful and their sinister plan is revealed. Although the story is just told through the narrative of a handful of main missions, it's quite good and makes you think. That's what good sci-fi does. It makes you think.
Gameplay:
You oversee the X-Com forces and make all key decisions. You have a science advisor, an engineering advisor, and a command advisor. The meat of the game is the turn-based battle system, but it is necessary to get funding to keep your forces armed. If you build and orbit a satellite over a country, they will pay you at the end of each month. As the game progresses, the countries will have a variety of alien threats: Terror attacks, bomb threats, abductions, UFO landings, and UFO crashes if you shoot them down. You send your squad of commandos to wipe out the aliens in these missions. If you do well, the nation is happy and they keep paying you. At the end of each calendar month, you are awarded Credits, Scientists, and Engineers from each nation, based on how well you did. If you ignore them and fail missions, nations will withdraw from the project and pull your funding. So, it's important to try to keep everyone happy... or just do your best. This isn't the type of game where you can make everyone happy all the time so you will need to make very tough decisions.
You'll need to balance resources to keep your troops well armed.
Credits are used to buy combat gear, satellites, interceptors, and build facilities in your base.
Scientists - the more you have, the faster you can research. Researching a Plasma Pistol so you can make them for your troops will take 14 days if you only have a few Scientists. 4 if you have many.
Engineers - Many of your upgrades are gated by the number of engineers you have. So, if you want to build more facilities for your base, you'll have to hire more Engineers.
MELD is a new currency for the expansion. It allows you to build, upgrade and repair Mech suits for your soldiers. MELD also allows you to put your troops through gene therapy and get superhuman upgrades. Tired of your people dying on the battlefield, well how about a second heart, that keeps them alive for 5 turns as they slowly bleed out? Does it take too long for your snipers to get to high ground? Well, here are some super strong jumping legs so they can leap to the roof of a second story building! MELD is useful, but supplies are limited.
Alien Tech - you automatically salvage these from every battle that you win. You'll need these to build advanced armor and weapons for your soldiers. If you use explosives in the battle, you may destroy tech vital to your research and engineering! You are free to sell extraneous Alien Tech on a black market if you need some extra Credits.
Alien Terror Threat!!!
Who do I help?
3 Nations all have emergencies at the same time and you can only help one!
China: Has an easy terror attack and your reward is $100.
Mexico: Has a difficult terror attack and your reward is 4 Scientists.
India: Has a medium terror attack and your reward is a new very good Sniper Character.
If you don't help Mexico, they may pull from the X-Com project forever, but you may lose troops in the battle! However, you really need those $100 credits from China so you can build better armor! On the other hand, your team has lost a lot of men recently and you don't have any Snipers. You must make decisions like this throughout the game. And once you accept the battle, you must win it!
X-Com Forces
There are 4 Character Classes: Assault, Heavy, Support, and Sniper.
Assault - they're fast, can use powerful close range guns, and can dodge while they run.
Heavy - they use heavy machine guns and rocket launchers. Explosives are great at insta-killing a group of enemies, but you won't be able to salvage any of their corpses or gear.
Support - they can use medkits to heal, rifles to shoot, and smoke grenades to provide cover against enemy gunfire.
Snipers - they use long range rifles and are excellent at picking off charging or flanking enemies.
Each class has a skill tree, but in X-Com Enemy Within, there are advanced options that allow you to randomize the skill trees to make hybrid troops. You may end up with a Heavy Gunner / Medic, or a Sniper with Assault Skills. Not all of these random upgrades work well together, but in a game where you recruit and lose many soldiers, you will get a handful of gems! This game also allows you to randomize the stat upgrades for the characters as well, so you may have a medic, who can shoot as well as any sniper.
Late in the game, you will discover that some of your soldiers have latent psychic abilities, and they will be able to kill enemies with their brains, or even mind control them! Psychic warfare is a double edged sword, though. The enemies will launch psychic attacks on your troops as well, and they will need strong WILL stats to resist.
There are also 10 genetic upgrades you can apply to any of your soldiers. Resist Mind Control, Better Aiming, Mutant Healing Factor, Detect Enemies through walls (Spider Sense)...
If genetic upgrades don't interest you, you can have your soldiers become cyber soldiers and pilot Mech Suits. They basically become fast, high powered, walking tanks, who can punch enemies through walls, or fire Rail Guns. The MECs are an awesome addition! If a MEC soldier dies, you can repair their suit and give it to another cyber soldier.
Genetic Upgrades and MECs require MELD.
How do I get MELD?
In battles, you will see a bright yellow-orange canister with a number over it. That number indicates the # of turns the MELD will stay on the battlefield. When the counter hits 0, it is gone. It can also be destroyed with explosives!
X-Com battles are pretty easy if you move slowly and have everyone cover everyone else, but when you see MELD off in the distance and you know it will vanish in 2 turns, you are faced with a difficult decision. Do you let it go or have a character sprit towards it, possibly triggering an enemy ambush? If you trigger a large ambush, you could lose many soldiers and even the battle. These are the types of choices you must make.
What are EXALT and Spy Missions?
Suddenly most of your credits vanish from your account and you have no money for soldier upgrades! You may send a SPY armed with only a pistol and an extra item like a grenade, health pack, scope, light armor... This SPY is one of your soldiers and they will be unavailable for a number of days. When they complete their mission, you must rescue them. You send your squad into battle and fight the EXALT enemies who have the same powers and ballistic and laser weapons available to you. There are objectives like, your SPY must hack 2 enemy relays. (Hack means walk up to it and press A). OR you must simultaneously defend 2 checkpoints against enemies by standing near them and keeping the enemies away by killing them. If you fail, you must rush to defend a final checkpoint. The EXALT main base is in 1 of the 16 nations. When you find and raid it, you end their interference. Whenever you complete a SPY Mission, you get a clue as to where the EXALT base is located. If you choose to invade a nation that doesn't have the EXALT Main Base, they get insulted and pull your funding forever. Eventually, the exact location of their base is revealed and it's GREAT FUN to wipe them out!
How do I win battles?
You usually win them by killing enemies. You get a turn, then the aliens get a turn. During your turn, you can move each soldier 10 steps, and perform an action like shoot, throw grenade, use item, duck and cover, or Overwatch. OR you can Dash, and move 20 steps, but perform no action, unless your character has a special skill.
Then the aliens do the same.
Overwatch is great because it allows your characters to shoot at aliens who move into their range. If you place your soldiers strategically, you may kill more aliens on their turn, than on yours! Put two shotgun guys near a doorway, a sniper on a rooftop, a heavy gunner in a hallway and wait. It's great watching the enemies run into your clever ambushes.
Whenever you target an enemy, it shows how much health the enemy has, the max damage of your weapon, and the percentage chance to hit the enemy, and a percentage chance do a critical hit for extra damage. So, you may see two Mutons in your sights. Your gun does 7 damage with a 20% chance to do extra.
Muton A has 4 health and you have a 55% chance to hit him.
Muton B has 8 health and you have an 80% chance to hit him.
Know that when it is the alien's turn, they will both fire at you, so who do you shoot?!
Know that cover is destructible in X-Com, so if you have a Heavy Gunner or Mech nearby, they may be able to destroy a wall, giving your sniper a clear shot at one of the enemies with a very high chance to kill it.
What will I remember about X-Com?
Character Deaths. Painful, nightmarish character deaths. In X-Com, you invest lots of time and effort into your characters and most of them will have their share of heroic moments and turn the tide of the battle! But when they die, they are gone forever. There are times when some characters will have to make the ultimate sacrifice to win the battle. Or there are times, when the aliens ambush you!
I had a sniper on a rooftop and she was picking off flanking enemies and saved the squad! We felt invincible with her watching over us... but suddenly an alien materialized out of the shadows and strangled her to death in clear view of the entire squad. With our guardian angel gone, our hope was replaced with emptiness and fear.
Multiplayer!
X-Com also has Multiplayer, where you take a squad into battle and fight against other players! Each soldier, creature, or good piece of gear in your squad costs points. So if the battle limit is 500, you can bring a bunch of weak guys or a couple of powerful guys. Each move is timed, so the battles move pretty fast.
Why should I play this?
I loved the original X-Com from the 1990's, and like many gamers it is one of my favorite games of all time. Last year's X-Com Enemy Unknown was a short but streamlined version of the original. X-Com Enemy Within adds a TON of new content and is better in just about every way over its predecessor. It also seems 30-40% longer. Definitely buy this instead of X-Com Enemy Unknown!
If you already finished X-Com Enemy Unknown, well you know the story, but X-Com Enemy Within is so much better on every level, it is really worth picking up and playing again! You can buy this as a standalone game and it doesn't require X-Com Enemy Unknown to play.
It should take about 24-40 hours to get through the campaign on Normal Mode and longer if you play a harder difficulty Level. Because so many factors of X-Com are random, you can replay it over and over and over and it's always fun.
Note: X-Com is best enjoyed when you name your soldiers after your friends and let them know if they saved the world or died horrible deaths along the way! | video-games_xbox |
Welcome to Hell. Doom 3 has made a big impact on the Microsoft Xbox and so far the game is phenomenal. Who knew the Xbox could handle the superior power of DOOM3...Well I didn't. Doom 3 is simply one of the best games to be released on Xbox since Oddworld:Strangers Wrath. Although the story isn't as or near "compelling" as Halo's this game has an extreamly awesome Sci fi like storyline. I won't go into the storyline because you'll soon find out for yourself in this game.
Doom 3 pretty much takes place in MARS Space facility were you are on a training mission...lucky enough...the Portal to hell has open putting a near-apoclyptic battle against good and evil...The humans being the good of course and the demonic beasts and zombies being the evil...well sadly enough you are pretty much the only person that's still alive in the space facilty and alll of your other comrads, scienctest ect have bin either mutilated or turned into one of hells army...Then....you though it! YOU HAVE TO ESCAPE MARS "AKA HELL" AND STOP THE DEMONS FROM Taking over not only mars...but maybe even earth!!!....I think.. I really like the story for Doom 3, It's probably one of my favorite video game stories..
So far I'm nearly at the end of the game and I'm extreamly impressed by everything. The controls fit so well and tighlty done well to make sure the gamer feels comfterbal with the controls. The controls pretty much play like Halo. That's a good thing too.... Now I have to say my jaw literaly dropped from the gorgeous visuals, I couldn't believe how well the xbox could pull it off.. The visuals are nearly flawless and is simply THE best looking video game on a console today...or atleast shooter.. I didn't think the visuals were going to be great on the xbox but I was really wrong, if you thought the PC version was good, just see how well the Xbox can handle this...It's like nothing I've ever seen before, 10 times better then Riddicks visuals...Doom 3 is the best looking xbox game...PERIOD..
The Gameplay in this game is what alot of people complained about, it's just a "run n' gun" game...well..what is halo?..all they added were vehicles..Counter Strike, the list go's on! Sure this is mostly run and gun but this game pulls it off so well! For some the gameplay will get boring really fast, very slow and some will just put the game away. But most people who pick this gem up will probably love it and play it till they beat the friggin' game! The one major problem I had was it got really old and really fast when the demons would just pop out of the most predictable places, and some of the cheap scares were just plain lame. Yes the Technology is great but ID could have made the gameplay ALOT better..but I'm not trying to complain here, I really enjoy the gameplay and the arsenal of weapons that is bestowed upon you..
Visuals, sound, controls are nearly flawless and the gameplay could have bin a tad bit better but something I have to give ID credit for is probably my most favorite part of the game and one of the most remarkable thing in the game.....These guys are brilliant! They pulled off "hells" image so well! This game really defines the word "HELL" and I don't think any film has ever pulled anything this insane since The movie JACOBS LADDER...I truly give credit to the guys at ID, they did a fantastic job making mars look like another image of hell...Just play this game for your self and you'll see why I'm raving about how well this game defines the word "Hell"...
Other then that...
The Good
-Awesome Sci Fi storyline
-Superb control works
-Stunning, jawdropping visuals
-Really defines the word "Hell"..
-A great arsenal of weapons and probably the coolest looking shotgun I've ever seen in a game
-As bin said before by tons of people, one of the longest FPS's you'll ever play, it's way longer then Halo 2...not that I should be bringing that game up...
The bad
-Some people might find it a bit "too" linear
-Other then the amazing High value production this game is medicore at it's best..It's just "Kill, next room, kill then get the key and doing it allllll over again"
-REGULAR EDITION DOES NOT COME WITH THE 2 CLASSIC DOOM GAMES...Only limited collecters Edition
-This really isn't a bad but unlike the HALO2 CE that is still instores, Doom3's limited Collecters Edition will run out fast and from the looks of it we won't be seeing any more by the time they sell out, just like Resident Evil 4's collecters Edition so get them while there still in stores..
Other then that I've already said what I've wanted to say..Doom 3 is phenomenal. FPS at it's best(well...mediocer at its best)with a horror twist to it, Doom 3 will scare the hell out of you and will truly define what the word "hell" means...Visuals are amazing, gameplay is pretty decent but Entertaining!...and the controls are superb....In the end I give Doom 3 a...
4.3 out of 5..(The game itself)
Collectors Edition-4.5 out of 5...
Peace | video-games_xbox |
Easily recommended to anyone that is looking for a game that will consume a good part of their available free time. Note: my rating on this item is more of a 4.5 - 4.75 stars, but since you can't use anything other than whole stars in the ratings, I've rounded up. Why 4.5 - 4.75 stars and not 5 actual stars? Call me picky but I don't like giving 5 stars for anything less than perfect and while this game is very, very good, it is not quite perfect. What keeps it from being perfect? That's not so easy for me to call out here and is really more subjective than objective. It is more based on my own personal feelings than things that I can point at and lay claim to being wrong or broken.
Getting past my own personal feelings that draw my own rating down here, let me get to the things that I think this game does really, really well. The graphics in this game are spectacular. Very vivid, very realistic, and downright impressive and highly immersive. A player can very easily get lost in the game play here no matter how many times you die and restart along the way.
Battlefield 1 has, if you didn't already know (I suspect most already were well aware, but just in case, I mention it here), eschewed the modern or futuristic era and returned back to the World War One time frame (the war to end all wars, which, as noted in the start of this fine game failed to do just that). It means that we get old weapons, old vehicles, and game play that is more realistic in many ways than any of the modern or especially the futuristic type combat games (such as the Call of Duty competing series has gone for). For me, one of the big pluses of this is that I get to play with classic vehicles including old bi-planes. That is something that I absolutely love, though I also find frustrating just because of how frequently I might be killed and then respawn just as others do, only to find myself missing out on the vehicle because someone else has already gotten to it before I did.
The Battlefield series has long included what can only be called epic battles as the developers deliver an arena that hosts up to 64 players in some of the game modes (on some of the larger maps). It makes for a very frenetic and high energy battle that is very entertaining.
On the side of things that I can openly say frustrates me with this game series, the cost of the Season Pass is very annoying to me. I appreciate that the season pass can add a fair amount of new content over time, but the various seasonal releases often seem, in and of themselves, a bit under-whelming and somewhat disappointing as we gamers always want more for our money. Over the entire year, the totality of the content that is added does tend to deliver a pretty good deal for the total cost of the season pass, but then again I'd rather see the season passes be significantly less expensive. At about half the price, it is a decent deal. At even 2/3 or 3/4 of the price it is still not a bad deal. At the full price the season pass is , in my opinion, more spendy than it should be.
All told, I like this game a lot. It is definitely above 4 stars, and not that far away from 5 very solid stars, Easily recommended to anyone that is looking for a game that will consume a good part of their available free time. | video-games_xbox |
Well crafted, addicting, and good for long or quick sessions. THE SHORT: Great for pick-up-and-play. Fun and addictive, interesting and strategic without going too deep. This isn't a complex war-simulator, this is a fun action/shooter.
THE LONG: I'll begin by skipping any talk of re-living Star Wars battles and how accurate the scenarios are, etc. Yes I'm a Star Wars fan, you probably are too if you're reading this, and you don't need to worry, this game gets the feel down just fine.
So how is the actual game itself?
Very fun. I played the demo on a rented copy of the SW dvds since I just wanted to see them, having bought a bootleg of the original versions on dvd. Once I played the demo, I was hooked for hours on the one level offered. Getting the full game, I played for days on end and was happy to see that some finishing touches made the gameplay better than the demo with such things as seeing enemy troops on the map and more adjustable options.
In this game, you pick from about 20 levels that range in terrain (forest of Endor, desert of Tattooine, ice planet Hoth, etc) and complexity (open levels, levels with trees and caves for cover, passageways, elevated positions, etc). You'll find several that you want to play over many times. Once you pick a level, you pick a side (Rebels or Empire for the old schoolers, or CIS robots and the Clone Troopers for the new trilogy). Sorry, no way to play the Rebels against the Clone Troopers and mixes like that, but with 4 sides to choose from in almost every battleground and 5 troop types per faction, you'll have a lot of fun messing around.
The game is greatly set up for pick up and play-style action. Once you pick your stage and side, you begin. Just pick one of your bases to spawn your soldier, and you're good to go. Walk through the stage at your discretion, fighting how you want to. Jump into a melee and back up your brothers with blaster rifle blazing, throw projectiles from afar, or do some sniping. There's nothing more satisfying in this game than watching some Imperial drones (or Rebel scum if you prefer) run past your Endor tree and then jumping out behind them and capping a few, only to run back into the safety of the foliage while your comrades engage them.
The controls are quick, easy and adjustable, and there's not much worry involved. Just have fun: When your energy bar runs out, pick a soldier again and hop back into the fray as much as you want until your side dies off or wins. Don't worry about ammo since you have a fair amound and it gets replenished with each respawning or with supply droids that you stand next to. Just fight, run, blast, die, then keep coming back and taking down as many troops as you can. But remember that you can always quietly snipe or jump into the continually respawning rides (Tauntauns, X-wings, AT-ATs) for a change of pace.
The game is engineered for strategy too. On easy you can win a lot of battles with a quick trigger finger. But go up in difficulty and you'll find that quickly overtaking the sniper towers on Kashyyk gives you a huge advantage over just storming the beach Normandy style. You can always throw on "Instant Action Heroes" to spice things up too, giving each side an invincible lightsaber wielding toughie to deal with. Unfortunately no, you yourself cannot play as one of the main people such as Luke or Vader or wield your own lighsaber for that matter. At first, though I knew this was clearly a game more worried about the infantry battles in Star Wars, I still wished I could play as a Jedi. But believe me, the game is just right as it is- playing as a Jedi or using a lightsaber would make you pretty much unstoppable and take out the entire strategic and competitive core that makes this game so fun. A cool unlockable perhaps, but play this game for a day and you won't miss it.
Lastly, aside from the quick play mode there's a story mode that basically follows the events of the films and lets you follow them, playing them as the series' history dictated. That's decent, as is the conquest mode which lets you try to win as many battles as you can until you conquer all of the planets, or lose and watch the opponent try to do the same to you, battle by battle. Unfortunately, these are all only slight variations on the same theme, and it never comes down to more than a different structure for participating in the same 20 battlegrounds. It's funner just to have a friend or go online for more human competition, but even without, the battles that stretch across all of the game modes are extremely fun and addicting nonetheless.
With almost no badly designed or unexciting level designs and coupled with an addictive engine and lots of ways to fight any battle, to me this game is very well made and worthy of a purchase. Non Star Wars fans can probably enjoy it on the same level as a Dynasty Warriors title or similar constant-action game as well. It's a solid title that's easy to pick up and enjoy but deep enough to keep trying new strategies and setups. The negatives are that there isn't much variation on the battle-by-battle theme, and the unlockables are worthless (game design photos, etc). But for a fun action shooter, especially one that's so easy to get into, this one's solid. | video-games_xbox |
Tenchu coming to the XBOX. Well, technically this is a preview not a review since the game will not be released until the beginning of March. However, being a long-time Tenchu fan and having gathered all the available info I would just like to give people a little idea of what we can expect from 'Return From Darkness'. At its core is the same game that we all loved on the PS2. However, RFD has so much to distinguish itself from Wrath of Heaven that it would be wrong to consider it a simple port. First of all, the xbox version gets two new levels which according to the developers equate to approximately 22% more game. Judging by the comments of those who have seen these levels being played as well as by the available screenshots these two new levels look to be the nicest in the game with vivid colors, hi res. textures, beautiful lighting and exceptional art and level design. The fact that these two new levels are the best looking levels in the game is due in part to the fact that they were created from the ground up on the xbox hardware which we all know is significantly more powerful than the ps2 hardware. The rest of the levels have also received a major graphic overhaul with superior anti-aliasing (smooths out the jaggies), crisper colors, much higher polygon counts for the characters, improved shadowing, and very nice specular lighting (creates realistic light highlights on objects which gives greater depth and realism). In addition to all of these graphical improvements the developers have also worked in some significant gameplay enhancements. One significant enhancement is the ability to drag bodies. This ability was present in Tenchu II but was missing in 'Wrath of Heaven' and its return is one of the things I am most excited about since it has the potential of altering the gameplay dynamic quite a bit. There are also new special abilities which you can earn such as the ability to cloak yourself by holding up a cloak which is the same color as the wall or environment behind you thus allowing your character to blend into the surroundings making you invisible to your enemies. This is another addition which has the potential of changing the gameplay quite a lot. Some of the other gameplay enhancements include new combat techniques, new items, improved AI, as well as restart and continue functions. The xbox version also offers new enemies, a new boss and all new enemy and item placement making it a fresher experience for those of us who have already played through 'Wrath of Heaven'. Probably the biggest change for 'Return From Darkness' is the ability to play co-op or deathmatch on Xbox Live, making it the first stealth game to go online. This one feature by itself makes buying this game extremely enticing. But when you include everything else that this game has to offer it becomes a definite must-buy for Tenchu fans or anybody looking for a first rate gaming experience. March can't come soon enough! | video-games_xbox |
Don't play this one in the dark. Condemned: Criminal Intent is an intense horror game released by Sega. Taking full advantage of the improved graphics of the next generation systems (it's coming out for the PC and the Playstation 3 as well), it's a beautiful game, though in a very creepy way. Everything's harshly lit with a lot of shadows. Don't play this one with the lights out, that's for sure. Only the length and a couple of other problems mar what otherwise is a wonderful game.
The story is definitely gripping, with fairly good voice acting. You play FBI agent Ethan Thomas, a hunter of serial killers who becomes hunted himself. The cut-scenes are effective, moving you from one chapter to another with effortless ease and advancing the narrative. These cut-scenes aren't important for the gameplay (the game tells you what you need to do at the start of every chapter), but it definitely adds to the immersion. It's quite easy to lose yourself in the story. Every time I meant to turn the machine off and do something else, something kept me going to find out what would happen next. Yes, it's fun to bash the bad guys and the action is intense, but often it was moving the story forward that kept me going.
My one major problem with this game is the length. On Normal difficulty, with me not being an expert on these types of games, I still finished this in about 10-15 hours, maybe 20, of playing. I bought it on a Saturday, played a *lot* of it over the next couple of days, and finished it on Monday. I think the game is fun enough and I'm definitely glad I played it, but I did feel a little ripped off paying this much money for that short of an experience. A major strike against an otherwise awesome game.
Condemned: Criminal Origins is a first-person game, though "shooter" isn't really appropriate. Yes, there are firearms in the game, but you're limited to the number of bullets that are found in each one. You'll never be able to re-load. You'll have to find another gun before you can shoot again. Most of the action is hand to hand, so you have to find weapons somewhere. Don't worry: weapons are scattered around everywhere, from a length of pipe to a locker door.
Pressing the left bumper implements one of the coolest aspects of the game: your taser. The taser will stun your opponents, allowing you to run up to them, take their weapon (by pressing "A") and beating them with it (or shooting them if it's a firearm). It's especially effective when they're shooting at you and you don't have a gun. There's no way to get into range while they're firing without getting blown away yourself, so just use the taser. I found all of the controls quite intuitive and it quickly became second nature to do all of this. I'm not the best person at action games, so the ease of this was really appreciated.
You're also linked, through most of the game anyway, to the FBI crime lab and your friend, Rosa. When you enter a room where there is evidence to be collected, your intuition tells you to press the "X" button to get out an evidence-finding tool. Once you find the evidence, it's immediately sent to Rosa over the phone (handy!) and she'll tell you what it is. This is important to move the story forward, though occasionally the gas spectrometer will lead you to a bird for an Xbox Live achievement instead of evidence for Rosa. I believe you can turn this "intuition" off as well, though I can't imagine playing the game without it until you know the story.
Overall, I'd rate the gameplay as excellent. The AI of the enemies is pretty good, though sometimes they'll stand there and look at you until you get fully in their line of site. However, they'll use cover at times, they'll try to sneak up on you or gang up if there is more than one of them. If they're weapon breaks, they'll run until they've picked up a new one. They have the same abilities to pick up weapons as you do (sometimes they come on to the screen with no weapon and will pick them up on their way toward you), so if you drop something in the room, it might just be used against you. One thing, especially near the end, is that they are intelligent enough to fake you out. The big guys will sometimes fake an attack to make you raise your weapon to block, and then attack you when your weapon is lowered again. While frustrating at times, I found this extremely well-done.
The graphics in Condemned: Criminal Origins are simply wonderful and really add to the mood. Some of the cut-scenes are a little fuzzy, but I think that's supposed to be part of the atmosphere rather than a bug in the game. The shadows are creepy and wandering around the abandoned buildings and tunnels can be disturbing at times. Blood flies liberally, and the results of your actions will linger in the environment. The sound also adds deftly to the mood. Eerie sounds and bangs permeate the game, making you jump occasionally. When you're not sure which shadow the next attack is coming from, any sound can be unnerving.
I really loved Condemned: Criminal Origins, and it may just indicate the new wave of horror games. It's an extremely visceral experience, but it is also quite violent. It definitely earns its "M for Mature" rating, with a few swear words but mostly with the graphic violence. If you've just used your pipe to beat somebody over the head repeatedly, the blood stays on your pipe. The game will definitely keep you on your toes, making you jump at each sound. I just wish that it had been longer.
David Roy | video-games_xbox |
Fallout 3: Just What you Need to Know (Xbox. What is It?:
Fallout 3 is a first person shooter/RPG set in post nuclear apocalyptic Washington D.C. See numerous American landmarks in various states of decay, fight drug (chem) crazed raiders and brutish super mutants, figure out just where the heck your father went off to and just generally survive the wastes. Will you be good or evil? The game will react accordingly and each path brings different opportunities.
Before we Being:
Did you play Fallout 2? If so, you may be biased against this game. It changes a lot, the humor is different and a bit watered down. The play style is totally different (First person action/RPG instead of isometric turn based) but it still "feels" like Fallout for all intents and purposes.
The Breakdown:
Good:
-V.A.T.S. (a way to slow down the action and take careful "aim" is very satisfying and well integrated.
-Song choices are extremely well thought out, especially the old time radio selections.
-It's very atmospheric and emersive
-Lots of little details that people who pay attention to detail will definitely appreciate.
-Lots to keep occupied with, there are many, many side quests and so very much to explore that aren't even technically part of quests.
-Many ways to customize your character, especially if you like beards.
Bad:
-Stats max out far to fast, cannot super specialize like in Fallout 2.
-Lots of crashes, very annoying crashes. This apparently varies Xbox to Xbox.
-Numerous glitches, enemies being stuck in the wall and other odd occurrences.
-Rumored game ending glitches, I never experienced one in 80 hours of game play though.
-Anti-climatic ending.
-The repair system, I didn't like it, you might, but I think it could have been done better
Inbetween:
-The game is long, about 100 hours if you do everything. This could be good or bad depending on your tastes.
-The first person shooter element is satisfactory, but is NOT up to Halo 3 or Call of Duty quality, do not go in expecting that and you should
like it.
-Level 20 cap to encourage replay, but you probably won't want to (did I mention it is long?)
-Extremely gruesome (bags of mutilated body parts anyone?) slightly depressing and chock full of adult themes. NOT FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, repeat, DO NOT BUY THIS FOR A YOUNG CHILD (and I never say that)
-It's Oblivion with guns, radiation and six metric tons of grit. No, trust me it really, really is but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Overall I would highly recommend it, glitches and gripes aside. It's one of the best American RPG's I've ever played it trumps KOTOR, Jade Empire and Mass Effect in my book of ARPG's. | video-games_xbox |
Addicting Long Multiplayer, Short Campaign but a Thrilling Ride. I will just say that if you are a huge fan of Modern Warfare 2 than the prestige edition is the way to go. It delivers nice fully functional goggles that not only can be used but can be displayed on a statue of a head. The inclusion of a download for Call of Duty is a nice touch. If your not a big fan of the Modern Warfare than I wouldn't recommend it. I think with some it will have a personal touch.
As for the game, the campaign is short. I was able to beat it on veteran in under 6 hours BUT it was a great experience. Its an experience everyone should have. The cinematic gameplay moments are directed so well. The game replicates everything that Modern Warfare done so well. The story is decent and great acting. The graphics are a sight to behold that shines through the campaign and multiplayer.
I can't say enough about the multiplayer and how they spruced it up. Customizable kill streaks that unlock with experience can range from Harriers, Bombers, multiple different helos, and so on. The game is set up in a way where it gives you more customization not just from you weapons but through your perks. Everything is revamped in a better way.
What about the customizable avatars? They are there and done exactly like that of Street Fighter IV. It even lets you add icons and every match will show a slow mo of the last kill in a match. Its a lot of these little things added that just fleshed out an already well done multiplayer into something even more stellar.
Now on top of that, there is special ops that let you jump into objectives that can range from just killing a slew of enemies, race down a mountain, or disarm bombs. It is pretty challenging and addicting. Some of the objectives can be done solo or with another player. it is an exciting addition that rounds out a great game. I highly recommend this game. It might be short on the campaign side but the multiplayer adds so much from the standard modes of headquarters, team deathmatch, search and destroy and up to new modes that are placed in third person.
Short Campaign with a cool cinematic story and gameplay, fun addicting long multiplayer, and great single and two player special ops mode. A must buy for fans of the series, FPS games, and those who love good multiplayer gameplay. | video-games_xbox |
Microsoft should be ashamed. We purchased an XBOX 360 when they first came out. We were so happy with it, we decided to get a second one, an Arcade this time. I was tired of having to move the 360 from the media room to the living room every time we had friends over to play Rock Band, and I figured the back and forth couldn't be good for the system anyway. It was an added bonus that we would now have the media center extender in both rooms, and I would be able to play my games on the 360 when Mike was playing the PS3 or the other 360 in the media room.
We're a dual income, no kids family, so we have disposable income and spend a good deal of money on electronics. When our 360 Arcade broke, it was a mild inconvenience, an annoyance more than anything. Purchased in January of 2008, and broken by March of 2009. It lasted all of 14 months, two months past the warranty period. It wasn't the RRoD, so to fix it, we would have to pay $100. Microsoft would warranty the repair for all of three months. We're very lucky, we can afford to fix our 360, or even just buy a new one. But not everyone is in our situation, and that's what makes me angry about this.
There are kids everywhere who begged and pleaded with their parents for this console, and it was a big deal that they got it. Maybe it was a Christmas/Birthday combo gift, or the only present the entire family received. Some people don't have $100 to spend fixing a broken console, not to mention not everyone has something else to play while it's off for repair. It is NOT COOL that Microsoft will not do the right thing and stand behind their product.
That being said, when the 360 is working, it's a wonderful console. The interface is very intuitive and it has wonderful features that make it much more than just a gaming system. I can't say that we won't buy the next generation console, because we will. And, I guess that's the problem, the reason Microsoft can continue to sell and manufacture substandard merchandise is that we let them.
EDIT: Microsoft has, after this review was originally written, agreed to extend the RRoD warranty to include the E74 error message. Thank you, Microsoft, for standing up and doing the right thing. | video-games_xbox |
Stumbles a bit. Story
+It takes the premise of the first game, which was pretty awesome, and like any good sequel continues and expands the plot and world, partially through helpful tv and radio broadcasts and many more cutscenes than the original. Whereas the first game ended inconclusively, we now get some questions answered, with others left for the inevitable sequel. The pacing is better this time around, and relies less on the originals' "find tool to proceed" objectives.
-Though there's more plot movement in Bloodshot, the haphazard way of storytelling that brought the first down is still here, and all the more noticeable. Plot details and twists fly by without fanfare, and the cutscenes that tell the bulk of the story often feel comically rushed. There's also less tension to the story, in large part because the main mystery (why everyone is going insane) is explained, and in the last third the game takes an outright sci-fi turn that kills the tension for sake of action. Overall it's a good idea sloppily executed.
5/10-Adequate
Gameplay
+The tense and brutal melee combat and judicious use of guns that made the first game fun returns largely intact, with an expanded arsenal and array of enemies. The devs refined, balanced and changed several things-the health system, tasers, kicks, weapon ironsights, etc. The biggest plus is to melee, as alternate strikes, combos, QT chain attacks, throwing, and a revamped finisher system have all been added. All in all it's bigger, better, and more refined but still at heart just like the first game, and a few gameplay twists are thrown in the mix towards the end. The other main gameplay activity, forensics, has also received a major boost, now requiring some thought and being much more involved yet without requiring a major in chemistry.
-For all the improvements, the combat can(for me, at least) still become a bit of a drag, which means the game becomes a drag too. In the second half gunplay becomes much more prominant, which both kills the tension and displays the fact that Condemneds' shooter mechanics are sub par. The FPS bonus mode, which gives you infinite ammo, doesn't help in that regard. A few other gripes; the I found QTEs' stupidly hard to do, which made the(thankfully few) mandatory ones a royal pain, and sometimes the game doesn't indicate that you're being hit, so I occasionally found myself on my last legs with no idea how I got there. The forensics also becomes boring the second time through.
7/10-Good
Design
+Plenty of cramped, claustrophobic level design, tight yet not (usually) too confusing, just like the first game. Environmental puzzles spice things up. There are numerous extras hidden in the level-in addition to the usual hidden items, there are timed responses that flesh out the main character a bit, and radio/tvs that elaborate on the plot. In combination with forensics, all of these come together to form a level performance score, determining an upgrade you get at the end of each level. This gives you an actual reason to do these things, as well as character progression that opens up new abilities as you go.
-The contextual oriented controls can confuse and frustrate people over exactly what they can do and how to proceed, though after playing CO I was a bit more familiar with the tricks. The level design can get confused and mixed around on occasion, especially in the hotel level where the same layout is repeated floor after floor.
6/10-Average
Presentation
+The sound effects are the star here; the creaks, enemy sounds, and so on all contribute to the edgy, gritty atmosphere. There are definatly some good creep-out moments(dispite what I'll say below), and the enemies themselves in combat-the way they look, move, and jump out of the closet-all put you on edge. So basicly, everything is edgy. Graphics and gore effects are good and the environment palettes mix it up a bit from the usual urban look. Hit reaction, especially for guns, is well detailed.
-Voice acting is merely adequate. The game tends to rely on cheap visual effects in an attempt to scare you-hunchbacked figures flitting in and out of sight,etc.-which with some exceptions fall flat. Overall, the feeling of hostility and menace isn't as acute as it should be. One favorite cheap trick is that it sometimes blurs the screen during supernatural trips, making it very hard to see, and on a few disastrous occasions forces you to fight like that. There are a few glitches-floating objects, etc.
7/10-Good
Content
+The main campaign is longer than CO, clocking in at around eight hours. Take time to explore and you can stretch it to ten, or speed through it and it'll probably last around six hours. The mission scoring system gives it above average replayability, and the bonus FPS mode is fun.
-The multiplayer and fight club challenge modes, while better than the Story-only original, are sparse and won't last more than a few hours, if that. And like all horror games, playing through the campaign for the second time is much less engrossing than the first time.
5/10-Adequate
Overall
6/10-Average. It's worth playing, but only once. This is a good game to rent or buy used. It's undeniably more refined than the first game, but in my opinion something was lost in the translation. | video-games_xbox |
A few minor things aside, a great game. In this installment of the Splinter Cell franchise, Sam Fisher goes undercover to infiltrate John Brown's Army (or the JBA), a terrorist cell based in New York. As the game progresses, Fisher needs help the terrorists to earn the JBA's trust while maintaining the NSA's trust by undermining the JBA's activities.
This trust system forms the core of the game: various objectives will earn or lose trust with either organization. For example, the NSA could ask you to covertly plant a bug on a JBA phone, and by doing so you would earn trust with the NSA and by failing to do so you lose trust. Sometimes you get what are called "choice objectives" at which point the JBA and NSA give you opposing objectives, like the JBA wanting you to kill the hostage and the NSA wanting you to NOT kill the hostage. Balancing the trust of both organizations is a fine art, but the player savvy enough to complete a lot of secondary objectives will usually not have a problem, as only a few objectives affect both trust systems.
Completing certain objectives marked with a star will allow the player to unlock more gadgets or improvements to existing gadgets. While not totally necessary, some of the items (especially the hacking upgrades) are worth going out of your way for.
I found Double Agent a lot harder to be completely stealthy in, compared to the earlier entries into the series. It can be done, but where my scores were 90th percentile in the earlier games I usually ended up in the 50th or 60th here. Killing opponents is especially rough on your stealth score, as I got a -83% on a mission that turned into a bloodbath with 16 casualties.
In addition to the standard mission, there are now "undercover" missions that take place inside JBA headquarters. These are the real test of the player's cunning, as Fisher can't exactly knock out the people he's bunking with without making them suspicious, and getting caught doing ANYTHING suspicious is usually a "game over" offense. With a little creativity and luck, though, it can be done. I like how some of the objectives, the ones relating to building profiles of the major terrorists, can be completed in any of the JBA HQ missions. The objective screen will tell you how many profile pieces you have attained out of how many are possible at that stage in the game, and if you can't find Moss in the second HQ mission to record his voice, you can try again in the third. As you gain access to more areas, the number of items you can find increases, and your objective screen updates accordingly.
A big plus on the game is the ability to save anywhere, as long as you are not in a minigame like hacking a keypad or removing a detonator from a mine. This was also the most frustrating part of the game for me, as the actual process of saving took almost 45 seconds - 40 seconds to load the saved games you already had and 5 to actually save. While an acceptable price to pay, I guess, the fact that the game saves in 5 seconds makes me believe that this was an avoidable nuisance.
Another big disappointment is the new stealth indicator - green for hidden, yellow for visible, red for spotted. Gone are the light and sound indicators, which I thought worked very well. The new system only goes yellow when you actually are visible, not approaching it, and the sound measurement is gone, even though people react to sound even more in this game than in previous installments. Ubisoft dropped the ball on that one; let's hope they fix it in the upcoming Conviction entry into the series.
There is also a multiplayer spies-versus-mercenaries section of the game, which takes up about half the possible achievement points. I found this to be a weak multiplayer game though - the mercs play like watered-down Halo characters and the spies have no offensive capabilities whatsoever except for a grab move that more often than not can't be pulled off. The maximum number of players for each side is three, and the spies can only be humans while the mercenaries can fill out their ranks with AI bots. I would have liked to see that option for both sides to keep it fair. It does make for an interesting game though, as it pretty much splits the combat and stealth aspects of the Splinter Cell franchise and pits them against each other.
All in all though, this is a great game, and well worth the buy, as the single-player campaign is a bit too long for the average rental period. | video-games_xbox |
A Masterpiece. The ultimate GTA game San Andreas is absolutly stunning. GTA: S.A. takes the series into both macro & micro levels with a ton of added mini games & not to mention the ton of regular missions. Weighing in at 5 times the square mileage of GTA:Vice City. San Andreas is the coolest,grittiest, biggest action game I have ever played on any console. The XBOX version has sharper clearer textures, with progressive scan & 16:9 widescreen support. Improved lighting & the world is less saturated ,& the draw distance is better than the PS2 version . Although the graphics aren't stunning the overall scope & attention to detail is fantastic. Also exclusive to the XBOX version you can play your own custom soundtrack from your xbox's hard-drive, it shows up in the radio playlist while your driving. There is also a 30 second instant replay feature exclusive to the XBOX version ,this is kool when you just performed an insane jump & you wanna watch it again. Load times are faster than the PS2 version ,when you enter a building no long load times on the XBOX,the transitions are flawless almost in the blink of an eye. Im glad I waited for the XBOX version. Everything that was in the other games is in here & more, much, much ,more. You could easily call this game an ACTION/RPG with all of new things to do that have been added to this installment of the GTA series. On the action side they have added bike riding abilities now in this series & its incredibly fun & addictive ,you can do bunny hops, ride in bowls, ramps, back yards. etc. On The RPG side you can eat, get fat ,get thin,work out, get buffed, buy clothes,get haircuts, get girlfriends, run gangs,etc.etc. The Mini-games you can play pool,shoot hoops,horse betting,dance in clubs,etc. The list goes on & on. I could go on for hours how awesome this game is . There is just so much to cover & review. GTA: San Andreas is easily a 60 to 80 hour game to get the coveted 100% game completion. GTA: San Andreas is (NOT) & I repeat (NOT) the the standard rent & beat it in one week type game. San Andreas is a definatly MUST OWN game. My New Favourite Game. | video-games_xbox |
Haven't had the full experience but it feels the same. I managed to play a bit with my friend when it arrived at his house. I have read mixed reviews, some people hating on it and some people loving it. I can see the die hard COD fans liking it but i'm not sure about the word love. I am not a COD fan, however this view is unbiased. I am indeed a halo fan, and naturally i can pick and pull away similarities and differences, but i won't because these are two totally different games with a different purpose. But I can say that its obvious that annualizing releases really effects the game quality. I'm bringing attention to what many reviewers before me have mentioned. The fact that this game looks and feels something like MW2 is incredibly annoying as i can see it letting down a lot of fans. I used to play MW2 for a while, but never really prestige cause i never saw the point except for a shiny new badge, and to have noobs "ooo" and "ahhhh" at it. So i left it alone for a while to pick up reach and continue my halo fandom. I never bought black ops because i have been too busy with other stuff in my life to drop 60 on a game that will have another sequel to master by the following year. But then i hear MW3 is coming out, and saw promos and trailers that had me aw stricken, full of hope. Unsure, i decided not to pre-order it to see how it turned out.
So today, i go over my friends house for the experience with the surround sound, some munchies and a giant high def TV. Total let down. The campeign seems decent to an extent. But the multiplayer was the biggest let down. Yes they've added some new stuff to make it a little different, but in general its exactly the same. Similar graghics, similar engine, similar weapons, and the same old unlockables. Why spend a year on a game to add a few new features and sell it as a completely different title? Its an insult when you see the work Bungie has put into their franchise. Same with Rockstar games, they specifically don't annualize their titles in order to preserve the quality. Everyone immediately noticed the difference between halo 3 and reach. Completely different graphics and engine, with similar mechanics but utilized in different ways. And whats the difference between a good sequel like Reach and a Bad sequel like MW3? Time, patience, and not being afraid to bring in some originality. At least BF3 brought in a completely different perspective of gameplay. it shouldn't be about producing the next hit title, it should be about producing a game that's fun, original, creative, and enticing. Something that you'd want to play yourself. What i got from MW3 today made me think hard about spending a hard earned $60 on an overhyped title. They have enough money to take the time to start from the beginning and create a different experience, but their impatience makes the game repetitive and therefore it will suffer. Hopefully they read some of these reviews before making the next title in the franchise, because if it'll be anything like MW3, they'll just be waisting their time. | video-games_xbox |
Best case scenario. Best case scenario...this power supply is "luck of the draw". Contrary to the other positive reviews (which seem a little fishy...more on that later) I just received one of these units and it heats up so hot it is literally too hot to touch after just a few moments. It feels like you could fry an egg on this thing...or use it as a space heater in the winter time! I'd be afraid of it starting a contact fire if left on a carpet for too long. Even worse is the fact that while it works ok while navigating the 360 OS, it will NOT work for more than a few minutes when playing a game. After 5-15 minutes (it seems variable) it will cause the system to shut down and display the dreaded 3 Red Rings AKA "Red Rings of Death". Thankfully this is not a permanent death situation as the system can be physically turned off and then back on. The 3 Red Rings became synonymous with dying/dead 360s, but that actual "error" function is to indicate a "General Hardware Failure" which may or may not be fatal to the unit. In this case it seems the power supply is the culprit and is heating up so much that it might be throwing off stable voltage/wattage to the 360 which is causing it to shut down. Unfortunately, this problem occurs every single time when trying to play games, so this power supply is useless (and potentially a fire hazard).
If I give the seller the benefit of the doubt (and believe the rather dubious reviews which all read like they were written by the same person), it looks like best case scenario is I just got a lemon. Hey, it happens. But, if you plan on buying one these units you should be aware that the "reviews" here seem a little weird...and that the unit I received is a piece of junk. So, buyer beware. After I return this one for a refund I won't be buying another. I already ordered a new OEM unit direct from Microsoft for only $2 more. No more knock-offs with zero quality control for me. | video-games_xbox |
Best thing to hit the 360. I own and have played the heck out of Demon's Souls (the spiritual prequal to this game) for a while now. While Demon's Souls was PS3 only, it is great to see that people can get the same level of frustration and joy on the 360 now.
Basically, this is an action RPG game. What sets it apart from the rest of the others is the punishing difficulty and playstyle. Death, in most games, simply means you reload a save, restart a checkpoint, or just retry the area. In Dark Souls, death means the loss of all unspent experience\money, the respawning of all enemies and it usually means that you have to repeat a large section.
This is true even for major boss fights. When you die, and you will, you don't just restart the fight, you restart everything since the last bonfire you rested at.
The gameplay is nothing too different than what you would expect. You find spells, weapons and armor throughout the game. If you meet the necessary requirements, you even create and find some very new ones. Killing enemies builds up your collection of "Souls" which are used as currency as well as experience you use to strengthen your character. The real trick of the game here is that many enemies can kill you in one shot (even after you level everything) and understanding the leveling system for your equipment requires something close to a 6 week course. Monster Hunter fans will feel at home here.
The game is long, even if you are a master and you manage to avoid death. I have done decent for myself and am still looking at something near a 20 to 25 hour playthrough. Hint: using many of the online wiki's will help you out greatly. I have heard of people getting stuck for hours on one area alone. In short, your time vs money ratio on this one is better than anything you can find most days.
The multiplayer on the game is something impressive as well. While there is little choice on who you play with, and no chat of any kind, it is immersive and interesting. Many Covenants (societies or gangs if you prefer) you join in the game are geared toward multiplayer. While some will allow you to be summoned into other peoples game worlds to help them, others bring you in to cause pain. Some even let you send creatures into several worlds at a time, or bring many people together into one place against a common enemy. I am not usually a big multiplayer guy, but this game does an amazing job with it.
The only issues I have found so far with the game (thus the loss of a star) are some frame rate issues. At very nasty times, framerates will drop. Usually this happens while you are surrounded by enemies, or trying to make some very carefully planned motions. The first game had this issue as well, so I can't tell if it is due to a bad job in porting of just the game itself. Also, there are a large number of people editing their save files on the 360 versions of the game. People may be running around with super weapons and completely immortal characters. The leaderboards do a decent job of finding which ones, but that doesn't help when you are invaded by a death machine.
Much of my play has been offline so far. After hitting a section of the game where other people are summoned to fight you, I ended up going against a character who simply wouldn't die. It also seemed that this character was far better equipped that I would expect for the level we were.
All in all, this is an amazing game. It gives people without 360's a chance to experience a deeply involved, difficult game which hasn't really been seen this console generation. If you are looking for yet another shooter clone, well this isn't what you want. If you are looking for something different that honestly challenges you, look no further. After all, when a game doesn't have a pause button, you know it is hard core. | video-games_xbox |
A complete superhero adventure worth your purchase. The expression "short but sweet" describes Spider-Man very well. On normal I was able to beat the game in only about 10 hours. To be perfectly honest with you, I'm not that good at games. Spidey provided me with one of the shortest action/adventure games I've ever played, but I enjoyed every second of it. This is one of the top three games out there for X-Box. I've played most of them. This is no overstatement. You are given a task to accomplish, and you are given the freedom to accomplish it any way you choose.
Gameplay:
The boss battles were unlike any boss battles I've ever played before. I won't forget anytime soon the experience I had chasing Green Goblin through the New York City skies. The hand-to-hand combat style is remarkably similiar to that of Shenmue for Sega Dreamcast. You fight with the button combos your character knows and you discover new ones along the way. You can fight enemies anyway you'd like. If you prefer to tie them up with web and pound on them with your fists, you can. If you want to fall from the sky and dropkick them in the head, you can. Total freedom. And in video games, Freedom=Fun. Smooth, smooth, smooth. Minimal glitches and no slow downs make the X-Box version that much better. My only complaints would be the slow and frequent loading times between every level and absence of checkpoints. You can only save after you beat levels. For the long levels, that is a pain in the neck. As for the loading times, a minor annoyance, but I suppose it is necessary in order to produce the near flawless gameplay that you will see in Spider-Man.
Graphics:
Another category that the game shines in. Cars and building get smaller as you rise higher into the sky. Sky looks simply astonishing. A scene that sticks out in my mind is the fight with Vulture. It is foggy and raining when you start (rain looks how it really would if you were falling with it.) When Vulture is almost dead the sky clears up giving you an effect more amazing than any sky effect I've ever seen in a video game before. The cityscape streches on and on and building are modeled very realisticly. You will have to see it to believe it. Search the web (no pun intended) for screens from this game. You'll see what I mean.
Sound:
I never thought of Spider-Man as the sarcastic person "Spiderman: The Movie" makes him out to be. Even before seeing the movie, I have a good feeling of how they will portray him after playing this game. The real stars of the movies provide the voice overs adding a realistic touch to it. But in this case, that might be a bad thing. If you've ever heard Tobey Maguire speak you might know what I'm talking about. Characters talk a lot, but they say the same things over and over again. Though accurate, there should be more variety.
Control:
There's been many complaints about the controls in this game, but I like them. There are many, many tutorial modes to help you master the controls, which make learning them much easier then it would be if you could only read the manual. Camera follows you around pretty well, and you can lock it on enemies. A very convienant feature. There are occasional camera lockups, but you can take control of the camera to fix it and then set it back to auto. The bad control for me in Spider-Man was the Web-Zip control. It's hard to aim and difficult to execute. The Web-Zip might cause you problems when chasing Shocker and climbing buildings. Be prepared for a half hour learning curve. Simply put: The controls are well placed, but there are many of them.
Overall:
After beating Spider-Man, I can't wait to see what Superman will bring. Hand-to-hand combat while slinging thtough the air couldn't be more fun. The sound and some incomvieces make this game just short of perfect. Now I'm a critic, but Spider-Man: The Movie is an incredible adventure worth your purchase. If the length of this game makes you hesitant to burn [the money] on it then my recommendation would be to do a double rental. It will give you plenty of time to beat the game and it will only cost you [less].
Recap:
Gameplay: 10.0
Graphics: 9.5
Sound: 6.0
Control: 9.0
Fun: 10.0
Overall: 9.0 | video-games_xbox |
Guitar Hero who. I'm another that owns GH II and played around with GH III. I just finished 6 hours with my new Rock Band setup, with my kids, with my drummer (who is a phenome)- this is way too much fun. I like the new RB controller over the GH controller... and not just because I'm a Strat player to the bone. I really like the additional set of fret buttons up on the neck- I sure hope that switching to them for leads (on harder levels) will result in point bonuses. Gotta be a point to having them besides giving people a choice.
My drummer thought the drum pads were fine- he did really well beng the first time he's played any type of game like this (this guy has the hands of a old jazz drummer and can play with sticks and logs and still make it sound sweet). He did mention, as a drummer, it would have been cool if the pads were placed more in a "traditional" arrangement- and he said his left foot was bored! LOL A high-hat pedal would have been good- add another level of complexity beyond the medium levels of the game. I'm looking at doing some structure mods to the drum kit frame, make them stronger, but it should be fine without it- although this kit was designed for 1) people who have never played drums and 2) people that play with a light touch, from the wrist. Old school "play with from the shoulders and with construction boots on" drummers will tear this set up. It doesn't take a lot of force to make this work. You do have to be accurate though, it doesn't tolerate off-center hits all of the time.
The vocal mic pitch tracking did really well. I'm not a great singer, but I can carry a tune, and sometimes with the right pitch. And it showed during the game. Granted, I'm a guitarist in real life (or at least, I play one on TV), and do vocals only if I really, really have to- just because I can never remember the words. Notes are one thing, words are another. I don't know why. It just works that way for me. So I'll be interested to see how well it tracks words on the harder levels (only played on medium today- I play on Hard and Expert on GH II and III). The mic will hod up well- except someone's bright idea to tell the user to "hit the mic with your hand" to keep a beat during those "cowbell moments' (good term and good review Lisa Shea)- the mic will be another oft-replaced item. No matter. I'm plugging in my USB headset mic and trying the sing/play thing... you don't lose points for not keep the beat during those "cowbell moments" (hehehe... "I gotta fever, and the only prescription is... more cowbell!")
Overall- you really get your money's worth with this game. And add the fact you can collaborate bands over Xbox Live- that's too freakin' cool. Detail in the game is tremendous, nice touches throughout. Re-playability is so high with this game- truly adds to the value over time. Harmonix really had a lot of foresight with this creation. OK, it's still basically Dance Dance Revolution for your fingers- and it's a LOT of fun! So is playing live music on a real instrument. But those are still two different worlds, although RB lets you have more fun with it and you have to eat a lot less ramen and mac-n-cheese in order to perform on the RB stage. :-) And people won't throw beer bottles at you... and if they do, stop inviting those people over to your house! LOL | video-games_xbox |
Rocksmith. I'm consider myself an intermediate guitar player, I play stuff, mostly metal but not extreme solos. I might play continuously for a few months, but then I don't, and so on.
When I saw the revolution Rocksmith was bringing to the table I though "Man, I have to get this!"
I read the reviews on ign, gamespot and joystiq. They were not great but I did not care and finally got it.
The outer box came broken a bit but it contained the game with the cable, some stickers that had the number 3,5,7,9,12 and 15 I think. This is to be added to the top part of the guitar, so if you're new, you can see where is fret 3 and 7.
The game manual came with 2 pages, and it said full manual is on the game. Kinda nice step to save the earth, recycle!
The game has so-so tracks when you first play them, I listened to the songs before getting the game and did not like most of them. When I started playing the songs, I found them really good and started to like them. They have an acquired taste, like beer!
At first the game makes you start at basic song level. When you're done with the song you get Rocksmith points that increase your level making the songs a bit harder, meaning that more notes or chords are added.
The game adapts to your level they say...well, I think you adapt to the game since you're getting better and sometimes have to get really good otherwise you won't be able to play the songs on the concert.
Yes, game makes you practice a set of songs first, once you play them in a decent level you can play them on a venue.
I really like the game, and I love guitarcade. I was like, I will master this game in no time, but guitarcade allows you to learn a lot a to practice positioning, dexterity, basically you get better even if you're an intermediate player (I cannot say about an expert because I'm not one)
About DlC...well it seems it's going the old school route, I hope that changes and we get some new metal, I mean, metal songs. New DLC songs are supposed to be posted every two weeks so...I just have to wait. | video-games_xbox |
Port Royale 3 Mini-Review. Jim here, with my short & sweet review just in time for the official launch of the boxed edition next week.
Sadly, I missed out on playing the previous versions of Port Royale. Port Royale 3 is my introduction into the series, and from the start until now, my experience has been rather pleasant, indeed.
To me, PR3 is Railroad Tycoon meets Age of Sail, both of which are legendary and beloved gaming series' to me. There's simply a lot I love about this game. I love the acts of trading goods between ports, stocking up my ships with goods at one port, then selling them all at another, and watching my profits rise higher and higher. I love outfitting ships for war, shanghai-ing sailors into servitude, arming them with swords and muskets, and hoping they don't mutiny. I love the aptly-paced real-time combat, outsmarting the AI with my naval combat maneuvers, and slowly and expertly filling their ships with holes and lead until they sink in the drink. Surprisingly, I also find myself enjoying the main campaign's storyline, with the adventure, love, and political intrigue.
Yes, of course, it's not a perfect game. There are more than a few things I find bothersome with PR3, but thankfully none of them are things that break the game for me, or are causing me to dislike and quit playing. The buy/sell slider is one of my most irksome griefs, as it's a nuisance to use. For what it's designed to do, it does work, but it requires much more effort than is warranted, in my opinion.
Another string of errors I've noticed come in the way of mismatched verbal and written dialogues. For example, the character speaking will say `ship', but the on screen text will have it written as `vessel'; spoken `city' is written as `town'; `commodity' is written as `good'. Again, not something that breaks the game, but still a noticeable error, and something a quality editor should have caught and fixed by now.
Looking at the official blog and forum posts, it's clear that a multitude of fixes have already been instituted, with many more in the works. As long as that continues, it works for me. In it's current form, PR3 is absolutely playable, and worthy of the 4 stars I gave it. Its solid economics engine, engaging combat, clear and colorful graphics, and interesting storyline will keep me coming back to play until the finish. | video-games_xbox |
A great art style with touch difficulty and repetition. The Good: Beautiful visuals, stunning soundtrack, quick and easy to play
The Bad: Impossible camera, no trick system, stupid story, very monotonous, you can beat the game in less than 5 hours
I remember hearing all about Jet Grind Radio back in the day when I only dreamed of owning a DreamCast. About 6 years later I pick up JSRF off eBay for $2 and well...you get what you pay for. I expected a lot more of this game, but really it's just repetitive with a horrendous camera, lame story, and a few others odds and ends.
The story is almost non-existent where you have to stop the Poison Claw gang from taking over the city and you basically go through the city covering their tags with yours and racing them here and there. That's really all there is story side and it's a huge let down. I found the best thing here were the visuals and audio. The game has beautiful cel-shaded graphics with a rich hip and techno driven soundtrack. When it comes to game play things are very simple and derivative. Each section has a certain amount of tags you have to cover and you do this by grinding around places and covering them up. You have to pick up spray cans lying around everyone to do this though. Blue ones are worth ten and yellow ones are worth one. Once you cover all the tags you have to meet the Poison Claw gang and challenge them to a race. These are really easy and only require a little trial and error. The tags are fairly easy to locate thanks to them being dotted on your map.
I found the levels to be a bit claustrophobic though since you characters can defy gravity and jump 50 feet so you'd miss your line on the building and fall all the way down. This leads into the terrible camera which you CAN'T control and never stays behind the character. You always have to make circles and use the reset camera button. This ruins a lot of the game because you'll climb all the way to the top of a high tower and then fall all the way down and have to climb the top again because you couldn't see that open ledge. So, this is the basic concept of how you play the game it's just grind here, tag here, fight camera here, watch dorky Japanese characters dance around, rinse and repeat. Don't get me wrong this game is pretty good, but the game is just to monotonous and the camera ruins everything. Sometimes the police will be after you so you knock them down and spray paint them to death, some are too strong to knock down so you "boost" into them.
You're probably asking where is the trick system? Well there isn't one. The game relies on a few moves while grinding by hitting the X button and maybe a backflip here and there when you jump and that's about it. You do handplants in half pipes, but when you jump tricks are automatically done, and there are maybe a handful of tricks. After maybe 2-3 hours of playing you'll get bored and irritated with the game so much you'll stop playing (like I did). I got maybe 90% through the game and just stopped playing because it was too annoying and repetitive.
The game was really great back in the day because of the amazing graphical style, but I think Sega concentrated too much on that. The game has some serious slowdown on the Xbox 360 and makes the game almost unplayable in certain areas. There really isn't much in sound just a grinding sound, grunts, moans, whooshing, and crowd sounds when you run into them. I love the visuals Sega, but in the sequel please upgrade the game play. | video-games_xbox |
Disappointed but you do get a good workout. *****PLEASE RENT THE GAME FIRST IF YOU CAN TO MAKE SURE YOU WANT IT BEFORE YOU BUY IT(I wish I wasn't hard-headed and rented it instead)*****
I was so hyped about getting this game...finally something catered to hip hop dancing! The game overall had me "thinking" about returning it to get a refund. I will continue to play it to grow to at least like it.
Positives: The game has more hip hop music selections than Dance Central. Even on easy the game is not too simple that you feel like you're doing nothing. You will sweat doing this(if you're normal lol)! Awesome for people that love hip hop and need to get physical activity in their routine because this will literally work you out!
Negatives: The game has more hip hop music than Dance Central but the dances are not as put together as Dance Central. It's harder to follow the moves on this game since it flashes the moves and then disappears when it's time to do it. Dance Central shows the moves list streaming as you dance to at least see the moves coming. I feel like this game is over priced for what it offers and the low quality. It takes a tad too long to load the song once you select it to play and it takes the game longer to recognize you once you step out and come back in (really annoying). There could have been a better visual for the game; I feel like my eyes are just roaming around trying to find what to do because the colors and background are so....not put together plain and simple when compared to Dance Central. They have where you can edit the dancer but there are not many options to really personalize it to make it your own. Also there is no option to change if you want the "breakdown" on each song(this is to do your own thing)...at least Dance Central has an option to do the breakdown or not and if you do you can watch a playback of what you did. Pointless on this game. The dances could have been choreographed better as it really didn't have as much hip thrusting, popping, and shaking as I thought. I actually dance in hip hop and so far I am regretting my purchase the more I type about it which is a bummer. Maybe they will do better if they make a 2nd. I love Dance Central so I'll definitely be going to get the 3rd one very soon.
I didn't intend on this being a negative review but the more I typed, the more I realized there were so many things that bothered me about the game. If you have ever played Dance Central that could cause you to possibly not like this game since Dance Central is so well designed. If you have never played Dance Central it may seem like a better game to you but for me as a hip hop lover, dance, and young person...it just didn't cut it for me. *****PLEASE RENT THE GAME FIRST IF YOU CAN TO MAKE SURE YOU WANT IT BEFORE YOU BUY IT(I wish I wasn't hard-headed and rented it instead)***** | video-games_xbox |
I just... wow. I found myself saying that a lot in this game... I loved creating my character, the whole setup. Yeah there was a lack of some creativity with the customization, not very many options. But after that, I'll be damned if I wasn't the happiest gamer on earth! This game left me with a sense of awe and amazement. The first time I played through I just did the main story(because there are tons of side quest), And it was amazing! It took me about 17 hours. The ending was the best I have experienced in a while. But of course since there is so many branching story lines, mine was probably different then yours. I'm now on my second time through. I tried making a different character, but i had become so attached to mine, I couldn't do it. So I loaded up my guys profile and was off again.
So here is my review:
GRAPHICS: At times I actually said to my girlfriend, "it feels like i'm playing Gears of War, but with everything better" Some of you might take offense to that, but give it time. Even on my crappy 32 inch samsung (non hd) this game still looks amazing. 10/10
Sound: The sound effects are great. Even on my one speaker tv, it still gave me chills hearing the bellowing of the sovereign. The weapons sound great too. 9/10
Music: My favorite music in a video game ever. Period. The music goes so well with an epic game like this. When the music helps you feel the emotion of a particular situation, you know its good. I can't stop humming some of the scores for this game. Most of the time the music in a game is just there, and you forget about it. Mass Effect doesn't let you forget. 10/10
Gameplay: This is what most people complain about. But for me it wasn't much of a problem. The only thing is... yes your squadmates are stupid. But they are like that in most games. It's just that this game does so much right, that this really stands out. Yes, your squadmates do shoot at walls, but once you see the enemy and charge in to attack, it no longer happens. And yes they do get in your way when you press up against a wall sometimes. But hey, they need cover too! 8/10
Dialogue: My favorite part of this game. I love talking and interacting with all the characters in this game. This game makes you feel, and I know that sounds cheesy, but it's true. Once I found out that Seth Green did a voice in this game, I decided that once I found out who he played, I was gonna tear him a new one (i'm not a huge Seth Green fan). But after talking to him, and learning about his "disease" I didn't have the heart to do it. This game is going to ask you to make some tough decisions, just be prepared. Also this game has about 15 movies worth of dialogue in it. So you won't get bored. 11/10
Story: This is a story that has inpacted me unlike any other in a video game. The way things are set up, it just makes you want to learn more. If you loved this story, or if you haven't played the game yet, read the book, Mass Effect Revelations. It really sets up the story, some characters, and the Mass Effect Universe very well. I can't wait for the next game! 10/10
So basically what i'm saying is that this game has impacted me in a big way. It's an epic scale game, and does not dissapoint. Go out and buy it if you love sci fi, or getting the sense of really making an impact in a video game. | video-games_xbox |
Missed Opportunity: The Game. I am a casual fan of Halo. I own all of the games. They aren't a franchise I dearly love, but it has provided me with a lot of entertainment over the years. It's always been sort of a given that when a new Halo comes out, I will buy it eventually. After this one though, I'm not sure I will continue doing so.
Visually, the game is fantastic. Very few games I've ever played match the visual quality. It's obvious great care was taken in the graphic design of everything. Likewise, the score is also amazing. It's not the usual Halo music, but it's a change that I actually like. The original Halo theme and general music is pretty much gone in this iteration, but it was very noticeable and added layers to the story. Unfortunately, when all you have in a story are layers of music, you really don't have anything.
Good lord, the story. I don't know who wrote the script for this game, but if George Lucas had a hand in it I wouldn't be surprised. There was a moment early on in the game (and I wish I could remember the line) where Master Chief responds to something Cortana says, and I had an involuntary reaction of "Ugh." It was that bad.
I don't expect literary genius from video games in general, and especially not in first person shooters, but this was noticeably bad. And it wasn't only the scripted dialog, it was the the way characters were written and how almost the entire plot made no sense.
The game opens with a cinematic wherein Catherine Halsey (the person Cortana is modeled after) is being interrogated by some person whom you never meet. It's a quick and very vague exchange of words that I imagine is meant to give you the impression that Dr. Halsey is keeping some sort of secret about the Master Chief. This aspect is never revisited and never pays off in any way, and you never see her again. That's okay though because the dialog was so godawful the less there is the better.
Generally the plot to the game is Cortana wakes Master Chief up out of cryostasis because she detects there are hull breaches in the aft section of the ship. I actually liked the first chunk of the game, because it was more tutorial-like and wasn't horribly padded with pointless "You need to go here and push buttons in three different locations." So after the tutorial you crash land on a Forerunner planet, and this is where the problems really begin. You start to receive strange transmissions that are very garbled, and come to find out it's from a UNSC ship called Infinity, who seems to be transmitting from the core of the planet. So you go to investigate.
The tracking of the Infinity and journey to the planet's core in itself isn't a problem, but after you're told why that is where the signal was coming from, everything that happened before makes no sense. It turns out that a Forerunner called the Didact is manipulating the Infinity's signal in order to fool you into coming down to investigate, and shutting down two beams of light that are garbling the signal from the ship so that you can transmit back to them. But once you do that, you inadvertently release the Didact from where he has been imprisoned for a long-ass time. And as soon as he is released his magic armor automatically appears or was already there for some inexplicable reason, even though he was imprisoned by his own people for the extreme actions he took in the past. All of that is fine and I can give it a pass, except that the Covenent are also trying to release the Didact, and you have to fight them all the way there. So...why didn't the Covenent just release him and spare Master Chief from doing all this pointless legwork for no reason? For some odd reason he also has telekinetic powers and so like the comical villain he is, he needlessly chokes Master Chief and then throws him against a wall even though he could just kill him right then since by then it must be obvious to the Didact that he has cut a bloody swath though the Covenent ranks to get this far. He also says something generic about humanity being a plague or somesuch. It was dumb and I already didn't care because it was so shallow and his motivations were so weak or unexplained.
But instead he gets in his comical bad guy sphere and flies away as his slipstream rupture makes the structure blow up real good, and for the first time in the game Master Chief survives a huge explosion, but not for the last.
Anyways I'm already sick of wasting more time explaining how nonsensical the story is. The biggest tragedy is that there is a separate story going on with Cortana and how she has been an active AI for eight years, and normal AI's begin to decay after six. This should have been the core conflict in the game. The problem wasn't that it wasn't, it's that it was done so badly that it came off and cheesy and ultimately supremely unsatisfying. There are also a couple of new characters introduced that genuinely seem interesting, but they are given hardly any chance to shine. I imagine they will be more heavily involved in the next game, but it was another aspect that was really disappointing. Instead of doing things cooperatively or in a way that allows the player to emotionally connect with them, you're forced to do mind-numbing tasks that are at least 80% "Go here and push a button to insert Cortana into the network." It is so dry and dull that eventually I just turned the difficulty down and began running through the sections of levels where it was possible. That's horrible to say, but I just got so tired of doing the exact same thing.
As with games like Crysis 2 or movies like Avatar, I don't care how amazing the picture or the sound is if there is no substance to the story. There is no satisfying payoff at the end. You can't just throw words out there with implied grandiose importance and expect me to care or think it's really epic. Words like Composer, Mantle, Gateway, Reclaimer, and on and on. What you're subjected to at the end is an overly forced cinematic that is supposed to be emotional (???) or something. But since it was handled in such a clunky way I wasn't moved at all (when I should have been). And then after the credits the Didact is doing narration in the past tense as if he survived the final confrontation (wouldn't surprise me) and is going to continue to be the villain. I mean if your bad guy is going to be senseless at least make him interesting, and not have him say such cliche things as "Humanity is the single greatest threat the galaxy has ever seen," when in the game humanity has done nothing without being first provoked. It's just so stupid, and I shouldn't be sitting and laughing at how simplistic the dialog is in a game like this. Again, it's okay to have corny dialog in action games or movies, as long as the people working on the game or movie know that it's cheesy. When the dialog and the tone are clashing though, the player is taken out of the immersion and then has to think about why that felt so wrong. Or maybe not everyone, based on the reviews, but for me at least.
I'm really not trying to come across as that guy who is nitpicking this game to death because I hate its popularity or whatever. I'm sure if I went back and analyzed the first three Halo games and Reach you could nitpick the logic to death in those games as well. And I know that all games have busy work in them designed to pad the playing time. That's fine, but the job as developers is to disguise it in a way where you aren't constantly feeling dread every time you go to do something, knowing that it's not going to be as simple as it's planned. Sometimes it should be as simple as it's planned. It's called diversity and it's a beautiful thing.
So yeah if you're a fan of games where you get fire cool weapons at aliens and robots and don't give a damn about story or characterization in even the most basic way, buy this game. Likewise if you want it just for the multi-player, I'm sure that's good as well. If you're looking for substance though, look elsewhere. This game earns two stars only for the time they spent making the game look and sound beautiful. | video-games_xbox |
One of the best RPGs on the 360. I didn't even know about this game when I bought a 360. My friend let me borrow a few games to see what I liked. This game was one of them. I had to buy it.
Story: you take control of an immortal named Kaim, that has no memory. The world is in a magic-industrial revolution. As you progress through the game, you start to regain your memory and the pain it brings. You meet other immortals and humans on your way that join your party. You realize the immortal sorcerer, Gongora, is attempting to destroy the portal to the immortals' world, making him seemingly invincible if he succeeds. Your party tries to stop him.
Gameplay: Turn-base RPG, open world exploration. The game spans 4 discs! The path is linear to start with, but later on you can return to any area that is still available. The game plays out on a planet and work your way from city to city with the traditional inns, item shops, weapons shops, etc that you can use to upgrade your equipment and defense. You obtain water vehicles throughout the game that help you progress to new areas. There are numerous side missions throughout the game that help your characters with more experience, items, weapons, powerups, spells, etc. Each character has an ultimate weapon that can be found throughout the game. You will want to find these.
Fighting: Turn-base. Up to 5 people can fight in your group. You have a front row and back row and the back row gets a wall barrier based on the front row's HP. Each character in your party and the enemies you face have a turn in combat that is based on their speed of attack. Higher spells can take multiple rounds to cast. Items are used immediately in combat. When attacking, if you have a ring equipped, you will be given two concentric targeting rings. You must time your button release at the perfect moment the rings line up. The effect of the ring can be perfect or good, depending on your accuracy. The effects are added to your attack. You can switch rings during combat. Each ring affects different things but it has a basic combat system based on the type of enemy. They can be water, fire, wind, or earth based. Earth beats water, water beats fire, fire beats wind, wind beats earth. As for leveling up, the mortal characters level up based on experience while the immortals learn skills from mortals by linking that ability and earning experience. Once learned, they can link another skill until it is complete. You can link affects of accessories as well.
Magic: there are 4 classes of magic. White, Black, Spirit, and Composite. Magic is an important part of combat. Some characters are better at magic than others. White magic is for healing/protection, Black magic is for element attacks and negative status effects, Spirit magic is for stat changes, healing ailments, and non-elemental attacks, while Composite magic combines 2 spells. Once you obtain composite magic, the spells will appear as you learn new magic in white, black, or spirit magic. There are rings that help reduce casting times and protect the caster as well.
Conclusion: the controls are easy. The game is long but never boring. Rings are a big part of combat and can be the difference between winning and losing a battle. There are multiple side areas to explore, including a temple that has the toughest enemies and is very tough to navigate. Lots of hidden areas and hidden items in the game. If you love the Final Fantasy style fighting from the original games and town explorations, then you will love this game. Tons of cut scenes and the characters are awesome. Get this game if you own a 360. You won't regret it. | video-games_xbox |
WARNING - Activision has Canceled DLC Support for this Game (Please Read. What new buyers may not know is that Activision has removed and canceled their DLC support as well as terminated (allegedly are moving) their online servers for this game.
No. 1 the DLC. Activision released this statment:
"The Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Downloadable Content was a limited time offer, expiring on December 31, 2009."
What this means is that their DLC packs featuring Juggernaut, Psylocke, Magneto, Carnage, Black Panther, and Cable are no longer available.
What's worse is that people who have downloaded these characters before will not be able to join you online because you would need a patch downloaded by Activision to join their missions, however Activision has also removed that patch which they do not host anymore.
So whoever buys the game now, cannot only download the extra characters mentioned above, they cannot also play alongside players who already own them.
To add insult to injury, Activision added Xbox 360 Achievements and PS3 Trophy Support for the 6 characters above, but since you won't be able to download those characters, you will be stuck at 1000 out of a possible 1250 achievement fulfillment.
However, Activision's statement above was also a lie. The DLC mentioned above was released in November of 2009. Activision released this statement on January 6th, a whole week AFTER the service had already been canceled. Meaning, there was no consumer warning about this at all for their loyal fans. Also, the content was removed at least a week before the 12-31-2009 date they stated. I checked on 12-26-2009 after I had received some points for Christmas the day before, and it was no longer there. Some people on Activision's message boards have said that it wasn't already available even before Christmas.
The online servers are currently down but said to be temporary as they are trying to move it to another server. With what's been going on right now, I wouldn't be surprised if Activision just continues to axe its fans, and this too was just later canceled.
Activision has dropped the ball on this game big time. Just Google this mess, and you will see for yourself.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. | video-games_xbox |
Easily one of my favorite Action RPGs to date. I picked this game up on release date at a GameStop (recently purchased for a friend), and it was their last copy. I was deciding between this and Mario Strikers: Charged, and I sure as hell don't regret my decision.
The story follows Yuri Lowenthal, a former Imperial Knight, skilled swordsman (left-handed as well!), who sets out to help the lower quarters of the village in retrieving a stolen power source of their's, known as blastia. He soon runs into Estellise, or Estelle for short, a princess of the land, who is affiliated with a childhood friend of Yuri's, Flynn, who's a captain of the Imperial Knights. Yuri and Estelle, both with their own goals and motives, set out on their journey, uncovering an evil that plans on threatening the entire world. They meet various fun and ecstatic characters that join their party, others are NPC, as well as different enemies, monsters, etc..
The gameplay is superb, with up to four players able to jump in and out whenever they please, picking their characters and using them in battle. There's no random enounters but rather, bumping into the monsters that show up on the map as you travel. Player 1 obviously controls most of the game, whilst the other players have full control during battle. You're free to move in a set area during battle, and as you gain experience and new weapons/items, or even with story progression, you can further your combos, artes (magic abilities), and burst limits. With all the different strategies and actions available to you, the gameplay always feels fun and refreshing.
I haven't played an RPG in a few years before hitting this title, and it couldn't come at a better time, as I felt I appreciated the genre much more than before. Granted, RPG genre is one of my favorite genres, but the RPGs were growing stale for me at the time. The graphics welcome the anime style...speaking of which, Bamco (Bandai+Namco xD), really outdid themselves with this category. The 3D typical anime style, then there's the skits and such with character faces in 2D talking, and the third (yeah, three different art styles in this game, incredible), is an amazing CGI-anime style of cutscenes used...rarely shown but once you see it, you'll be amazed.
Music is, well there. There's some moments that mess with you, such as battling against an ally, the music really hits home and is, in a sense, sorrowful. I especially took notice of the intro theme, Ring a Bell, wonderful song.
I know I should give a few flaws for the game, as no game is perfect, but this is more my satisfaction with the game rather than a pros and cons list at the moment. If I had to throw in some flaws, it'd be that this version is inferior to the one on the Playstation 3, which I hope they'll bring over to the States. Flynn was one of my favorite characters, but we were only teased with him as far as playable characters go. I also found some backtracking to be a bit annoying, but there wasn't too much backtracking like in other games, and some character voices were meh, but even that has it's reasoning...they were all fitting to their character.
I thoroughly enjoyed this game and would love to go back to it. I hope this helps convince you to check it out because it really is deserving of the Tales of series title. There's also a prequel film: ToV - First Strike I believe the name is I've yet to check it out myself, but I heard it was decent in it's own right. If you like RPG's, try this. You'll find something to like of it, something that'll keep you playing until the end, I found plenty myself. | video-games_xbox |
A Tragedy. The tragic person is the guy or girl we all like, funny, smart, attractive and lovable, but with a single flaw that rises up to ruin everything. They're the person we want to like SO MUCH. The person we forgive, again and again, hoping that the next time things'll be different, that that nasty streak won't surface, that the ugliness won't come out, but it does, again and again and again, until we give up and walk away.
This if Fifa 12.
Graphics? Best in the series.
Dribbling? Even more refined.
Play modes? More of them and more refined.
Shooting? A joy.
Defending?.........
I give the Fifa team credit. They took a huge risk. Defending has always been far too easy in Fifa ( hold two buttons, sometimes three, get ball back). So they made changes. The concept was good. No more button holding, time your challenges, make the tackle yourself. The execution, however, leaves one asking why.
My brother, a highly skilled Fifa player, and a skilled gamer in general, played the demo. His words "Defending is no longer about getting the ball back". And this is precisely the problem. (He traded the game in two days ago)
Defending in soccer IS about getting the ball back, patiently, with discipline and with skill, but it is about getting the ball back. Fifa 12 presents a system where the defensive player is given no option but NOT TO TACKLE, as a missed tackle is catastrophic and usually leads to opposition scoring chances, and leads to what looks like a drunken stumble from Vidic or Pique. Its almost funny.
The best tactic is usually to hold L trigger (xbox), and the shadow button (A, formerly the tackle button) and bring pressure from behind, switching to the other player at the last second to tackle.
The tackling system is simply clumsy, and leads to behavior you would never see on a football pitch, even from a boys intramural team.
There is an option to turn on the old defending (Legacy Defending they call it), but not in ranked online matches.
I love realism, and up till now Fifa team have been the best sports team at EA sports, consistently producing amazing products. I look forward to further refinements in the new tackling system. It has a great deal of promise and I hope they stick with it. But they missed the mark on this one. | video-games_xbox |
My love hate relationship with gears. The statue is pretty sweet the light up features were a total bonus. I think his skin tone was off and the plastic onthe face was too shiny... If you haven't played through don't read on there may be spoilers... gameplay wise my first impression of the campaign was ugh i was bummed until the last act. They basically saved all the good s*** for the end. I'm talking super fun mech battle lots of cool treats. None of the bosses are exceptionally hard. Storywise ( I've even read the books) i wasn't completely disappointed but they could have done so much more with tying in our oldskool crew with the new one, and the locust tie in is wishy washy. Still got my Marcus still got my Baird!!! On another note one of the most beautiful looking gears games hands down the colors and details to graphics are amazing and we do need to give props to the system they use when your pushing through windstorms it's actually really neat. ( don't throw a frag it will blow back at you).. ok online play ughhh... the frame rate was increased and it is smooth. They've added a few new weapons and features like dragging dudes over cover and executing. Ok here lies my beef. When a match used to finish you stayed with your team and waited for the next match to load. Now your kicked back to the main menu and start over. This takes 3-5 minutes between matches. Next, they have gone COD on us intruducing a system of bounties and drop boxes to unlock characters, get weapon skins etc. The great thing is you don't get to pick its randomized. Maybe you unlock a character or weapon skin or get stuff you don't want... i just wish at least with characters we coukd unlock as we leveled up like we used to instead of hoping we save up 600credits to unlock them one day... Haven't jumped into hoard yet it's looking really good from reviews I'm reading hoard fans are happy. I do miss features they had on gears 3 where you could set up a private match against bots and practice... that stuff no longer exists. Overall as a gears fan i love my set and I'm adapting to the changes they've made to our game! | video-games_xbox |
A thoroughly enjoyable, if not particularly deep, game. The game Lego Star Wars is just what it sounds: a kid's take on the classic sci-fi series using Lego stand-ins instead of rendered people. As such, you should expect this game to be simplistic, childish and somewhat repetitive (it is, after all, listed as a family game). Once you realize this, the game is a blast.
Each of the six episodes is divided into six parts. At first the player only has access to Episode I Part 1, but once that is beat Part 1 of each of the other five episodes is unlocked. Beating Part 1 in an episode gives you access to Part 2, beating Part 2 unlocks Part 3, and so on.
Each part takes between 15 and 30 minutes to beat, on average, so you can actually accomplish something if you only have a limited amount of time. The first play-through is always in "Story" mode, where your characters are pre-selected. Beating it on "Story" mode unlocks "Free Play," where you get to choose a roster of characters. This effectively doubles the length of the game, because a lot of the bonus items are unattainable in story mode (for example, an item might be located behind a door accessible only by a stormtrooper, but story mode is played using Obi-Wan and an R2 droid). Most of the bonus items are actually pretty decent. There is also a HUGE cast of characters, about half of which unlock as you play through the game and half available for purchase, but they fall into a half-dozen or so categories, so there is not much of a learning curve. "Death" in the game consists of being penalized about 2,000 studs (the game's currency) and being almost instantly respawned, with one level excepted (see below). This makes the game much more accessible to younger players and gamers with less-than-lightning-quick reflexes.
The game also comes with a healthy dose of humor - the "I am your father" scene is PRICELESS, in my opinion. This humor is a big part of keeping the adults interested.
Now, a few cons from the game. There are a few levels where you pilot vehicles full-time. The perspective is a bit weird, the screen is quite busy, and controls handle clumsily. On top of that, the game tends to turn you around at weird points. I was actually glad when I reached the end of these levels, because they are decidedly less fun to play than the character levels. Speaking of character levels, there's a lot of places where you can fall to your death, but many of them are not obvious until you hit them. Finally, the last part of Episode III inexplicably changes the "death" mechanic from an instant respawn to a checkpoint restart (even on co-op and even if the other person is still alive). This is incredibly frustrating, as the level requires the most precise timing of the game - it involves jumping between platforms that are sinking into lava.
Those relatively minor annoyances aside, this is a fun game. Yeah, it's simplistic, but it's entertaining, and that's what video games are supposed to be. | video-games_xbox |
NINJA GAIDAN. I've read EVERY review of amazon and I am going to mention the "CONS"
DIFFICULTY - Normal is the lowest difficulty and it's perfect for me for a month of owning the game. People who say this is hard and have been playing games for 5 or more years and took 30 goes to beat the first boss are bad at games or this genre. The only help I got from this game is reading the "be like a ninja and act like one by being fast". There are ninjas that throw incerdintiary shuricans(that explode), soldiers that have rocket launchers and more enemies that will stress casual gamers.
CAMERA - If you played DEVIL MAY CRY 1(fine camera)/STARWARS JEDI POWERBATTLES(worst camera ever when platform jumping)this will be easy to get used to. The camera rareley goes far to down on Ryo(it does it when going down stairs). It's a fast paced game so it would have been a bad idea to manually use the camera. Use the RIGHT TRIGGOR.
REPETETIVE - People need to stop this because it'll take 50 years to make a non repetetive game. I think NINJA GAIDAN took 6 years to make. It's like saying TOP SPIN is repetetive because you just play tennis and PROJECT GOTHAM is because you drive. In this you wall jump, wind jump, bird jump, throw shuricuns, power attack, use ninpo, go into first person view, look for scarabs, play original ninja gaidan, face bosses, face bosses, have two throw attacks, many attacks of different weapons you can swim and more. Now that proves NINJA GAIDAN is not repetetive.
RESPAWNING ENEMIES - They rareley respawn
Reviewers say having quick attack and interact at the same time is bad, this is bad for some because if you defeat 10 enemies you might walk through a door by accident and have to face them again but you can run away from enemies.
SAVE POINTS - There're NOTHING wrong with the save points(apart from last chapter). Do people know that you can use them more than once. Before a tank boss there is a save point that some will miss and when they die they do 20 mins of game play, you have to explore the levels and not rush.
IT'S LINIER - That doesn't matter because people would be complaining about getting lost if it wasn't linier. Would anyone care if the jurney is great. I hate it in games if there're 3 routes to choose from and your're worried that there might be a secret.....
NOT BEING ABLE TO QUIT - Push START and SELECT simultaniously for 2 secs
GOING THROUGH SAME LEVELS AGAIN - This is like HALO(Asault on the control room) and DEVIL MAY CRY. The levels connect together better than Halo and as good or better than DEVIL MAY CRY. Different things happen such as having to swim instead of going on land, different enemies, graphics and a new rought is different sometimes. Whoever designed the layout of levels are clever.
SHOPS ARE FAR AWAY FROM BOSSES - Reviewers said when facing a boss called ALMA for the first time they were low on health and it's hard to beat that b~tch. What I DO IS IF I LOOSE 6 health potions in a battle I start it again to do better then I can face bosses with a fair amount(I used to perfect my stealth skills on SPLINTER CELL).
Just like HALO/GRAND THEFT AUTO this game game doesn't get boring quickly. | video-games_xbox |
Returning to Rapture Doesn't Feel TOO Different. Bioshock 2 is a first person shooter set in an underwater dystopia called Rapture. The player must seek resolution to events that occurred over a decade ago, when times were much simpler, and of course before the downfall of Rapture. Things have changed since the first time you submerged in the original Bioshock. Things seem to of gotten worse, to balance this you will become one of the most feared enemies in the original, a Big Daddy.
As a big daddy your arsenal has been altered, and why not when you're a metallic gargantuan wonder, in place of a tiny Thompson you'll now be equipped with a destructive .50 cal machine gun. A Big Daddy has a very special role in the series, as a protector of Little Sisters, things can get up and personal no worries your hand is drill. So while a few tweaks definitely make the gameplay more interesting, sadly a few water drops pelt this sequel.
While a story of decaying sanity is still apparent, by finding audio logs of past residents within Rapture, the overall premise of the story at foot here just isn't as engrossing as the original. This could be due to the original having so many firsts, from plot twists to the marvel of realizing the scope and location of the game. Fortunately Bioshock 2 makes up for this by strengthening the gameplay. The graphics are richened, blues glow, reds violently explore dark depths, and colors swell and pop. Atmospherics reign supreme in this game, from every flickering shadow, leaking ceiling and warmly lit room, this game illustrates a world worth inspecting. Controls can be a bit confusing when compared to the standard fps floating amongst the market. Rest assures they become second nature, and are quite convenient for the game play at hand. You'll be shifting through weaponry and plasmids in no time. Good thing to with the vast unlocks available online and off, you'll want to be exploring all these techniques.
In case you're wondering, plasmids are specially altered genetics capable of giving one the ability to launch fire, shoot lightning, or launch a swarm of bees toward enemies. Mulitplayer is a large and fun addition to the game. Plasmids and gene tonics (always active bonus skills) are the core build up for the mayhem. A tiny plot is mixed into the multiplayer serving as a brief prolog even before the events of Bioshock 1. Before you begin the onslaught, take some time and pick out your character, there aesthetics and there melee weapon. Players can duke it out online (no splitscreen to speak of sorry) in a free for all, a capture the flag variant (involving little sisters), or classic team death match. Other modes are available on top of it all. As you play online you'll earn experience, though in this case it's called ADAM, with enough you can unlock new weapons, weapon attachments, and all the genetics one could possibly want. Per loadout (customizable class) two weapons can be held, two plasmids, and three gene tonics. Play with them and find what works best for you, are you the stealthy type?
My only true gripe with the game deals with the Big Daddy you play as. For such a powerful and terrifying foe in the original, you seem to be quite the runt in this one. I understand that there are different models to be dealt with here, but it's almost as if a reskin was trying to cut it (oh and louder footsteps). This isn't bad but can take one out of the experience. Making it feel like you are just playing a leangthy expansion to the original, as no real significant changes are present.
Returning to Rapture, there is a lot to discover. Tons of items and exploration can lead to hours of extended gameplay. Alternate endings, lengthy 10+ hour campaign, weapon upgrades, it's all here. Rapture and its inhabitants probably wouldn't welcome you back, but the developers certainly made sure it feels that way.
In case anybody was wondering, I purchased the Collectors Edition. The contents have been clearly analyzed by many, just to add to it all I to find it worth the 100$. The music from Gary Schyman really impressed me with his understanding and appreciation for music. The vinyl record included (featuring the original titles score) was intensely satisfying to listen to, the CD I have not checked out as it features music from this game and I've been playing with my ears open. The book is richly detailed, serving as a much better commentary then any disc in recent years for a game has. The three posters I have not checked out yet, but intend to sooner or later. Everything about this boxset is quality, and it really makes me happy to know I didn't purchase yet again another bottom of the barrel `special' edition. | video-games_xbox |
Not perfect, but far better than the first 2 reviews state. First off, let me state, I would give this a 3.5 (7 out of 10) but Amazon does not allow partial ratings. ***UPDATED*** due to multi-player issues I lowered it to a 3 out of 5.
My Kinect Brunswick Pro Bowling arrived today via Fed Ex, and I've only done the quick play so this isn't a complete review. I was a little worried after reading the first 2 reviews, but I would have to greatly disagree with their reviews, as I had a far better experience with the game.
First off, I check the booklet to get an idea for how to play, and then after booting up the game, I went to the how to play menu (one is how to bowl, and the other is how to use the menu items). Armed with some basic knowledge, i started the game, picked a bowler and chose the King Lanes.
The game has different types of balls, and they are rated on the spin factor, and it gave me the mid rating ball, and I was just missing my spares. When I switched to the lower spin ball, my scores greatly improved (6 straight frames of spares or strikes in the 2nd game). Also you aim your throw with your non bowling hand, and the game tells you during the menu that if you want to step to please take a step back prior to throwing the ball.
Why did it only get a 4 (or the 3.5) because i quickly discovered that if you don't bring your non throwing hand straight down it can once in a while slightly move your aim, which means you have to go back and re-aim. The other thing is since I was taking the step back (I like to put some speed on it) if I started my up swing too soon, the ball didn't release (i learned what was ok, and wasn't ok by the first game) and I ended up throwing a much slower ball which had more time to curve on me.
The pin action was pretty accurate (very good) and you can skip the highlights (good). If you like bowling, I would tell you to get it.
***UPDATED***
I had some friends over this week and played multi-player for the first time, and noticed more of the glitches that people were complaining about. This game would freeze or spazz out when we changed bowlers, specially when we went from one friend who is 6'1" and somewhat bulky to someone who was 5'1" and pretty thin.
I would say this is a better game to play by yourself or on line. | video-games_xbox |
Get up! Get down! Get Up! Get Down! This is JSRF. Here's my review of JSRF from Gaming Monster 2002.
Gameplay:8
JSRF has many things to enjoy. Your main goal: take out the Rokku police force, battle rival gangs, and cover Tokyo in fresh graffiti! There's lots to do and the cities and parks you skate through are gigantic worlds! Thriving with cars and people! You play as one of the streetwise skaters. There's over 24 characters to play as in the game but you'll need to defeat them in races and battles to play as them. The police force is on your tail on almost every level of the game. Sadly they don't present much of a challenge on some occasions but do become alittle trickier. You can take out a fleet of police tanks in about 5 minutes. Yes, It's that easy. Even the rival gangs and foes are easy to defeat. Finding the graffiti tag spots will be harder as you search throughout the wide towns. Plus if your pretty artistic you can make your own graffiti. Tricks are cool too but that's not the main aspect of the game. Multiplayer is somewhat fun. Games like "Ball Hog" where you take a ball and race throughout an alley and "Tagger's Tag" where you spray your opponents back with graffiti makes the game slightly better. There's alot more but I'm too lazy to list them all. Ah well. Still makes a great gaming experience.
Graphics:10
Cel-shading never looked better. The nutballs over at Smilebit have made pure art with this game. The game does slowdown at times when things get too hectic but anybody can tell you this game looks great. The cities are detailed nicely and the people who inhabit them are just as good. The sparks from your grinds are even fun to watch in the shiny night-sky lit by thousands of Japanese billboards. Who knows what they say but ooooh! Sparkly lights! In other words...brilliant.
Sound:9
'DJ Professor K here. Giving you the word on the street!" Voice-work for characters such as DJ Professor K are superb. He dishes out tips and encouragement throughout the game as well. Others like the bosses and gangs are weak and low. Not much there. Now for the main part of the sound review. THE MUSIC! Yes, JSRF has some old tunes from the original Jet Grind Radio but pulls out alot more to impress the old fans and new ones. Revamped or just new the music in the game is a collection of pop,rock,and techno. Perfect for the setting of Tokyo in 2024. Futuristic. Plus there's alittle rap mixed in. Now shake it all up and you get the soundtrack for JSRF.
Control:8
Control is alittle odd to get used to at first but becomes alot easier over time. Since you'll be zipping pretty fast across streets and rails you better have a good trigger finger to get all the graffiti spots.
Final Rating:9
This is one heck of a Xbox game. Maybe the next best thing to Halo. Great graphics and music. Alittle slowdown at times when too many things clutter the screen. You'll enjoy playing it. Unlocking every character in the game will give you something to do when you beat the main adventure and with fowl mouth robots and evil corporate police squads and the beats from Jet Set Radio this won't get old for a while. It is the future.....for skating at least. ... | video-games_xbox |
Fable II is the reason you play video games. Fable II is beautiful, charming, and funny. It's everything you could possibly ask for in a spouse, -er I mean video game. The humor can be somewhat childish (farting in public) but can also be laugh out loud hilarious!
What motivates you? Is it love? Is it revenge? Is it a desire to protect all that you hold dear? Is it the desire to acquire more things, money, and respect from others? All of those can be very powerful motivators, and you can find all of them in Fable II.
Fable II is everything you loved about Fable I only more of it. (If it ain't broke don't fix it, right?) You can still buy shops and houses, only now you can set the price of rent and goods. (and get good or evil points in the process) You can also buy and upgrade each individual piece of furniture for your houses. You can still get married, but now you can turn any house into a marriage house. The towns look familiar, but are much bigger. You could spend a lifetime just doing all of the side missions. The choices are endless.
You get out of it what you put into it. If you really work to keep your wife happy, she will keep you VERY happy. ;) (and give you children if you so choose)
Not only can you buy every piece of property in the game, but you can also rename every townsperson who isn't a main character. Your creativity can run rampant here. I already have a well endowed, cleavage showing woman named [...] McGee and a bisexual cultivator of crops called [...] the Farmer.
Online and offline co-op is a nice addition from the last iteration as well. You can drop in and drop out almost as seamlessly as in the Lego games. Like the Lego games you share the same screen (offline, haven't played online yet). One of the biggest frustrations with sharing the same screen is when the 2 players go 2 different directions. This can be easily remedied by player 2 pressing the back button to warp up next to player 1.
Graphics: 9.5 Artwork in motion, characters are a little cartoon-ish though
Gameplay: 12! You could spend hours acquiring land, spouses, and children, hunting treasure and playing with your dog!
Story: 9 Clichd yet intriguing
Music: 10 The background orchestra music fits perfectly with the setting
Voice Acting: 9.5 Very well done, yet most voices are the same as the last Fable, who knows maybe you sound exactly like your ancestors from 500 yrs ago
The bottom line: if you're willing to invest the time and effort into Fable II, it is VERY rewarding. | video-games_xbox |
Two Worlds II - A Huge Improvement. Two Worlds II is the sequel to one of the biggest disappointments ever, Two Worlds. That game had so much potential, but it was a technical nightmare. The game was choppy, looked rather poor, had lousy combat, no blocking, awful voice acting, and so many other issues. Many enjoyed it for its "campy" approach to dialog and such, but it just wasn't a very good game at all. However, Reality Pump has turned the corner and improved on every facet of the original game with Two Worlds II. This is an exciting role-playing game that succeeds where its predecessor failed.
Positives:
- Beautiful Graphics Engine - Unlike Two Worlds, Two Worlds II is a beautiful and lush gaming world. It looks crisp, alive, and vibrant. Each different environment is detailed and beautiful. The lighting, water effects, texture work; it's all top notch!
- Some Solid Combat - While the moves the main character does are a bit exaggerated, the combat itself works well. While the original Two Worlds didn't offer any blocking mechanic, Two Worlds II does and does it well.
- A Large World, Filled w/ Quests - Two Worlds II is a very large game. While its map isn't as seamless as Two Worlds map, it offers much more detailed and interesting locales. Along with that, apart from the main quest and such, there are many side quests to complete.
- Better Voice Acting, More Interesting Story - While neither of these components will win any awards, it's a vast improvement over the first Two Worlds. I actually really enjoy the main character in Two Worlds II, as there's some good and witty banter that goes on in the game. The story itself is typical fantasy fare, but it's certainly an enjoyable romp.
- More Polished Than Two Worlds - Two Worlds II is still a game that's rough around the edges, but unlike its predecessor, it's completely bearable now. It feels like a more well put together game.
Negatives:
- Framerate That Dies Out - Even though the framerate is usually pretty decent, sometimes the game will get super choppy and almost unplayable for a few seconds. It seems very inconsistent, so I have no idea what causes this, but it's a slight nuisance.
- Clipping - Enemies will clip though the environment and it may become a chore to kill them.
Two Worlds II still isn't a perfect game, but it's one of the most enjoyable role-playing games I've played in recent memory. As long as you go in not expecting a perfect masterpiece, I think you'll really enjoy your time with Two Worlds II. I'll give it 5 stars because of my personal enjoyment, but that doesn't mean it's flawless. | video-games_xbox |
Now with more Co-op. So I figured I would write a REAL review of the game. As a bit of reference, I have been playing the C&C series from the beginning and really loved the Red Alert branch. For those of you with similar backgrounds, it plays like a mixture of RA2 and Generals.
In terms of game play, I really enjoyed playing through the campaigns. The missions are fairly diverse and do a good job of ramping up the difficulty after the first few introductory missions. There is a set of tutorial missions for those new to the genre, or just a bit rusty. The game sets you up against different AI "generals" but there doesn't seem to be any really difference between them, only which actor is taunting you. The three factions build bases differently and each factions unit's are fairly diverse. While I haven't spent as much time with each as I would like, they seem to be fairly well balanced.
In game graphics are bright and colorful, a nice change of pace compared to a lot of other games out there currently. Graphics quality scales well so it can be played on a wide range of systems. Units have some nice animations, especially the Japanese transforming units.
When playing a skirmish (non-campaign scenario against the computer) there are some fairly large steps between difficulty levels. On easy the AI will pretty much wait around for you to come and kill it, on higher levels it does a respectable job of building a force and assaulting your base.
The game is presented in standard C&C style, with live action video cut scenes introducing each mission. The series has been known for its campy cut scenes and RA 3 really embraces that legacy. While the actors do a fine job, it's hard not to smirk at the cheesy dialogue and over the top delivery. One thing that I will say to parents is that that a number of the actresses are very attractive and are not wearing *AHEM* "typical" uniforms. That is to say if you are opposed to some cleavage and short skirts you may want to get this for your husband and not your 12 year old.
The one thing I have against this game is the horrible multiplayer interface. RA2 online interface was poor back when it came out 7 or 8 years ago and EA has done nothing to improve upon it. Once a game is entered, everything works fine, but getting to that point is far too much labor.
In summary, RA3 is a fine addition to the C&C franchise. It has unique visual style that sets it apart from previous titles, but still remains true to its predecessors. The game play is solid and the AI competent. Playing co-op is a brilliant inclusion and I highly suggest you bring a friend along when stomping on the computer. With the exception of the multiplayer interface the game shows a lot of polish and is great pick for the holidays! | video-games_xbox |
Isn't about Volleyball, But still good. The huge fuss has been created over the Dead Or Alive X-Treme Beach Volleyball
(DOAX) back in 2001. Back then Tecmo promised to create a game that nobody had
done before them. Tecmo wanted to include at times practically naked girls of their
best selling series of fighting games: Dead Or Alive. Initially numerous rumors
surrounded the title about just how far the game maker is going to take their game
that quickly became one of the most controversial games since Mortal Kombat and
Doom.
The release of the game in January of 2003 showed that a lot of the fuss was really
just based on rumors and speculations. The game doesn't feature and extremely
controversial material, significant nudity or violence. The game really is what name
suggests, - girls in bikinis playing volleyball to earn money that they can spend on
accessories, swimsuits or try their luck at the casino. Game does feature some
suggestive material that may not be suitable for early teenagers and is rated "M" for
mature (17+). It's is unknown why many extremists think this game should not be on
the market simply because of the suggestive themes. Thousands of movies are rated
"R" (17+) that feature full nudity and softcore sexual themes, - something this game
doesn't have.
The graphics in DOAX are simply breath taking, as it will be hard to find a game with
more beautiful environments and extremely detailed characters. But the game lacks
in value. To put it simple - there aren't enough stuff in the game to spend around half
a hundred bucks on it. Game features eight different characters (all girls... hmm...)
that team up in pairs to play volleyball on Zack's island. There is a certain light
element of "Sims" built into the game, as all characters have their own preferences.
Teaming up with someone can be quite an effort, but to keep them happy, can be
even harder. Most of the items in the game can be given as gifts to other character,
so practically any item or outfit that one girl has, can be transferred to another.
Transferring expensive outfits will require quite a sweat, as a partner must be
extremely happy to accept skimpy expensive outfits. Volleyball however is simplified
to a core (as for controls). There are two buttons to be used, plus two analog sticks.
It's easy to get into the game but not so easy to master it right off the bet though.
Tecmo promised many things in this game like swimsuit competition and lifeguard
drills, as well as many other features but did not deliver. Was game rushed? Most
likely. The game is a simple eye pleaser that doesn't deliver much outside of it. It is a
nice game to have for those who are interested in volleyball, follow DOA series, want
an easy to follow relaxing game or enjoy half naked computer generated girls. But as
for others, it's not worth getting until the price drops at least half of what it cost
when it came out.
P.S. One thing to keep in mind, this game isn't about volleyball really, but about half naked computer generated women.
Anyone who gave it 5 stars based because he/she thinks that it is a good volleyball game is only cheating himself.
Would any of them buy this sort of game if it was all MALE characters from DOA3?
I thought so.
-DIMITRI | video-games_xbox |
Highly Overated and Disappointing. I am reviewing the XBox version of Star Wars Battlefront, so therefore that could have something to do with my negative experience with the game and perhaps the other versions of this game were better. I cannot say for sure. It also seems that this game is geared more toward multiplayer gaming, which doesn't do me much good since I don't have XBox Live nor any other means of playing with anyone else at the moment.
Nevertheless, let me say that based upon my exeriences with this game, I can safely say that I have flushed $50 down the toilet in my purchase. The only positive outcome is that I was able to get most of that money back by selling this game on Ebay very easily, which attests to just how overrated this game truly is.
Never in all my years of gaming have I ever played a game with a more awkward and horrible control scheme. The real challange here is not to get your character through the environments, but rather it is in the struggle to properly control your character, which presents a huge challange in and of itself; just not the kind I am looking for. Instead, I ended up getting myself killed because killing enemy troops seems impossible, because the controls were so messed up; I ended up getting killed every two seconds because I could not control my character, period. Let's not even get into trying to fly one of the ships; I spent the entire time while attempting that feat trying to get back into the battle because the ship seemed to have a mind of its own, and I eventually just gave up and crashed it.
But dying again and again isn't really a problem, because eventually the level just winds up beating itself, and you win out nowhere. Where's the fun in that, you ask? Well, I can't find any either. I'd much rather beat the level myself, rather than just have the game decide its time to move onto the next battle. But instead of actually interacting with the game and participating in the battle, I am instead forced to struggle with the controls all the while getting killed every five seconds.
The one redeeming aspect this game has is its environments, which are beautifully rendered and stay true to the movies. I'll give credit where credit is due, but no matter now great the environments (the ones I saw anyway, in the short time I could actually endure this game before the frustration became too much), it doesn't save it if the gameplay is absolutely horrible.
Such a great concept, such a sore disappointment. | video-games_xbox |
its NOT in the game! Playoff format still incorrect. I agree with the other reviewers saying that this game cheats just to keep the game close. However what irks me the most is that this game can't even get the correct playoff matchups in the post season. It is apparant that this game developers don't know a thing about football, are lazy have, or a poor QA department or all of the above. I have emailed EA on this issue for Madden 2003, but they are so arrogant they ignored my bug find so its pretty clear that they never fixed the bug and it appears in 2006 as well. They claim "if its in the game", but apparantly its not. See below:
I am the Dolphins and I had the top seed in the AFC. And here are the final regular season seedings for the AFC
1. Miami (16-0-0) AFC EAST winner
2. Cincinnati (12-4-0) AFC NORTH winner
3. Denver (9-7-0) AFC WEST winner
4. Indianapolis (8-8-0) AFC SOUTH winner
5. Baltimore (11-5-0)
6. Pittsburgh (10-6-0)
Wild Card
========================
6. Pittsburgh defeats 3. Denver
4. Indianapolis defeats 5. Baltimore
According to the official NFL playoff rules, the lowest seed winner from wildcard weekend plays the number 1 seed. And in my case that would mean I should play Pittsburgh (6th seed) in the divisional. However the game matches me up with Indianapolis. It seems the game is doing the match ups by record instead of playoff seeding. The same thing happened in the NFC the previous season.
I also noticed that the game does not follow the tiebreaking rules. this year the falcons and panthers were tied at 10 - 6 in the NFC South. The split the season series and also have the same division record, so the next tie breaker is best W-L-T percentage in common games. The panthers won this tie breaker however the game put atlanta ahead of carolina. This is also wrong.
To test this out on madden 2006 I picked up a rental to see if the same bug appeared, and unfortunately it does. see below
I simulated an entire season and ended up with the following playoff teams with their playoff seedings
1. Eagles 12 - 4 NFC east champ
2. Seahawks 11 - 5 NFC west champ
3. Vikings 10 - 6 NFC north champ
4. Falcons 9 - 7 NFC west champ
5. Giants 10 - 6 Wild card team #1
6. Packers 10 - 6 Wild card team #2
I simulated the wild card and here is what happened.
6. Packers defeat 3. Vikings
4. Falcons defeat 5. Giants
Again according to the current NFL playoff format, the #1 seed plays the LOWEST seeded winner from the wildcard week, and the #2 seed plays the HIGHEST seeded winner from wild card week. In this case the #6 Packers should play the 1. Eagles, and the #4 Falcons should play the #2 Seahawks. However the game puts the #4 Falcons against the #1 Eagles, and the #6 Packers against the Seahawks. This is clearly incorrect and it seems that the game is matching up teams based on record rather than the seeding as the NFL does.
This game claims to be so perfect, but it can't even follow the NFL rules! I can't believe the NFL gave these people an exclusive license. | video-games_xbox |
Stunning action game. Mindboggling presentation and probably the best level design in an action game ever. You mix in furious high-comboing shinobi style 3D action with mid-air glorious gunvalykrie esqe combat with endless combinations of weapons, spells, accesories with a tight leveling up system that adds huge replay to levels with a haunting presentation that sucks you into the game with the most amazing and widly innovative levels ever put in an action game and you have this masterwork.
The game is deeper then any action title to date. Not only does it have an impressive 29 levels and the ability to replay them, there is also actually a need and desire to replay and master them. When you first get to most levels, they are so insanely difficult that you will have to do a more cursary runthrough the level in order to meet the objectives, get the most experience possible, and get out of there while you are still alive. It is almost impossible to master most of them on the first run through, but possible to complete them. Later in the game, when you have more experience, items, life, and weapons you can go back and really raise hell. And there are two great reasons to go back and play and master these levels which set apart this title from other action titles. 1) With the RPG element it the game, you need to go back when you have the ability to get the most experience and gold possible so you can better attack the next levels. 2) The level designs are so unique, amazing, fun, and challenging you will actually want to go back and play them. You will want to gather people around the TV say and say "look at this stuff, it's damn crazy."
To give you and idea of some of the early innventive levels which is the games real strength and why you need to buy this game you will do things like:
1) Go through an ancient ruined city; dodging behind buildings; fighting hordes of demon skulls, demon sorcerers, and other demon (stuff); causing as much destruction as possible; not falling through a massive bridge; not being sucked in by the incredible AI which tries to make you jump off cliffs; trying to get as many items as possible; and double-jumping up huge platforms to a summit to reach the final objective all while the final objective launches a fury of massive fireballs that can send you to death faster then you can say "damn not again". And once you get to the objective, yep, more hordes of demon sorcerers preventing you from taking out the objective while it launches fireballs at you.
2)Trying to get across a massive series of bridges to take out a evil sea nymph. Only about 10 problems though: if you fall in the water it begins to sap your magic power(and in turn your life); being pursued by hordes and hordes of powerful demons that can smack you off the bridges or destroy the bridges(their choice); when you attack the hordes of demons after you, you will probably accidentally destroy some bridges; whenever the moon is covered by clouds the spirts of the dead come out in the form of small fireballs that surround you preventing you from moving anywhere except at a crawl; if the fireballs come out when you are on the bridge, one of the demons will destroy while you are putzing around; if you are in the water when the fireballs come out, the water will sap your power while you are putzing around. When you get to the sea nymph, guess what, she is invincible when the moon is covered. So you have to avoid her(not easy) while she chases you and launches a barrage of magic attacks and you are surrounded by fireballs, try to chase her by dashing multiple times in midair as she flies away when the moon is uncovered and do what you can in a mid air combo you can manage before falling into the magic sapping water, get back to dry land before the moon is covered, deal with more hordes of demons trying to smack you off the land, and repeat.
3) Ride a ship through a graveyard of sunken ships to fight a big time demon. Problems you ask? The angry spirits of the dead who sunk with the ships (which the boss is the great embodiment of) are kind of (mad) and want your ship to sink as well. They jump on it in forms of massive, heavy blobs that try to weight it down and sink it. While you fight them off(you have to destroy them or they will jump back on the ship), some demons launch magic attacks at you, some demons try to hit you off the ship, and the ship is constantly tipping under the weight of the blobs and makes you slide off. And if you don't have everything on the ship under control when you get to the boss(not easy), the great big blob will quickly send you sinking into the great abyss.
Which leads me to another amazing thing about this game which sets it apart. In action games you usually feel invulnerable, unwavering, bold, courageous, and not afraid at all. Not really the case in Otogi. I have never really been scared in an action game before. But the creepy presentation, creepy story line, creepy visuals, and all around creepyness give the game a unique feel to an action game. The image of me sinking into the dark abyss in the graveyard of sunken ships to become and angry spirit that will in turn try to sink more ships and destroy more spirits is just damn creepy. It gave me the chills each time it happened and still makes me shivers. You almost have to overcome your fear in the game and do what has to be done to purify the world. It really does make the game as some have said a religious experience where you get sucked into the games realism, creepyness, and difficulty and use your talents, weapons, and ingenuity to overcome the situation and purify the world of the demons.
BUT BEWARE. The first three stages are a laughibly easy warmup and a poor representation of what the game is. Make sure to keep playing to get to the really interesting and insanely difficult levels. | video-games_xbox |
My thoughts of the TB X42 after 2 x 3 hour session +Update after 100hrs. The TB x42 is my first gaming headset and I would normally use my Tv's speakers (ie non-directional)
Packaging was secure and easy to open, the item got delivered (to Australia) in 4 days with express postage through DHL.
Product - compact, light (not flimsy), well balanced, easy to set up, over detailed instructions with pictures(which is a good thing I guess).
Sound quality is great, 5.1 surround took a while to get used to, and there is obvious ~360 sound directions. Bass isn't going to rumble the set of my head, Treble isn't going to pierce ear drums either. There is button on the headset to adjust, and I have found in multiplayer that I lean toward more treble than bass.
Wireless has worked seamlessly.
Mic is great, picks up all I say and my friends have said my voice is clear with no ambient noises. Chatting feels/sounds natural, and Mic monitoring controls the volume levels
UPDATE: after two month or ~100 hours of use.
Sounds is still great and the the Direction altering button on the transmitter is useful once you get used to the directional sound.
The head band for my average sized head is very comfortable, I have worn for a couple of long gaming session and have had no discomfort, but they feels a little lose if I move around, I can still walk around the house but wouldn't play Wii bowling/tennis (bad example but I am sure Knentic has a similar game)
The range is good and connection is great, I am not sure about distance but the signal will get through two brick walls (not a third).
MAKE sure you take the batteries out when it starts beeping (low battery warning)...you will only do it once and your chat friends won't be happy. I get about 12-15 hours out of my rechargeable batteries. I am lazy and rely on the 5 minute auto shut off.
I have sat on them (not very comfortable) and they did not break with no sign of damage.
I recommend this product, but i have not owned any others! | video-games_xbox |
Fantastic. The day before release, I decided to take a peek at the reviews for Assassin's Creed: Revelations, just to get a better idea of what I was getting myself into. I was somewhat disappointed with that I had found. Reviewers made the game feel glitchy, incomplete, and rushed. At midnight that same day, I was eager to get my hands on the game to see just what everybody was complaining about.
What I found was a game with an interesting, engaging story coupled with the fun gameplay from past iterations. Needless to say I breathed a sigh of relief.
My completion time for the game was somewhere around 10 hours (which was roughly the same as Brotherhood) over the course of two day. One might think that completing the main story in a game would leave a player feeling cheated, but it was exactly the opposite. Everything having to do with the story was so interesting that I just couldn't wait to zipline over to the next exclamation point to see what happened next. I don't want to do into any spoilers, but know that the story is much richer than Brotherhood's, and more filling than the first two games as well.
It wasn't the story alone that kept me playing, it was the gameplay.
The hookblade is a fantastic addition to Ezio's arsenal. He can vault over guards, perform zipline assassinations, collapse scaffoldings with it, execute a wide variety of combat moves, as well as catch himself on a building while free running.
One point I saw reviewers bring up was their total and complete hatred for Den Defense. I'm not sure how you can develop such a serious dislike for it though, since if you keep your Templar Awareness in check, you hardly have to deal with it at all! In my entire time playing, I have only done it one time outside of the tutorial. Just bribe heralds and kill the witnesses and you'll be fine. It really isn't that bad though to be honest. It just takes some getting used to.
Altair's missions were a bit longer than the Christina missions from Brotherhood. I don't want to spoil the actual missions, but despite being short they were an absolute delight to experience.
Desmond's time in the game consists of five first person puzzles detailing his time before his capture by Abstergo. You simply walk forward, using simple block pieces to create a platform in front of you, and listen to Desmond remember his past. It really is quite interesting and while completely optional, provides insight into the character we know very little about.
Well, that's it! I hope you guys don't pass up on this incredible experience! It really was a fantastic game, from beginning to end. | video-games_xbox |
Game is not horrible, install is broke, and Origin (EA online service) is stupid. I got this game because a non-gamer friend was suggested this would be a good starting point, and she didn't want to play alone. After troubleshooting her failed install, it turns there is a know (not fixed) issue with this game, where, some time in downloading and installing the mandatory 2GB+ patch, the game can randomly halt and requires you to force an uninstall and re-install. After being stuck at 86% for an entire night, I uninstalled, re-installed, and she was up and going. She was forced into creating an Origin account in the game.
As for me, I purchased this game. No problems with my install. I went to play it, attempted to use my existing Origin ID, and it said the ID was already in us. over an hour after having that issue, I have gone to their website, searched the web, installed their horrible spy-ware-esque Origin client on my PC. There is an option buried under "Add a Friend". So.
Recap: friend had to have my resolve her install issue (I'm a Software Engineer, not that it really needed one, but, I knew what to google), she enjoyed the game. I had to install a client I didn't want on my PC (that I promptly uninstalled) to play an X-Box One game. Think about that. Just a moment. I had to use a PC to play a Console game.
That they went with EA is sad, they are a horrible company. That the install was a failure on one system that required technical support, more sad. That I had to use a PC, install a program, just to play this game - not the saddest part, but close. Seriously, simply pathetic. And, that they have in game purchase with an already overpriced product (seriously, in game purchase? Super greedy) - that, that one right there, that's a sin.
Two stars for the developers and designers of the actual game, those who designed and QAed the Origin interfacing, go FUNK yourselves. | video-games_xbox |
IMO, do not buy this. I am not one to put a huge review so you will have to wait for those. I will just add some things I am thinking.
Glitchy Glitchy so much so that talking is garbled mixed in with someone else talking. So much so that an NPC ears pop out of his hood then go back in just to come back out again. Everyone walks like they have a stick up their behind.
The talking, when it does happen correctly does not flow.
AND the writing, I had to get up from my chair and stick my face to the screen to even read it. The combat is horrible because it is so far away that I am kinda guessing what I am doing. The graphics are horrible, nothing like the trailers...but, I am coming off from playing Destiny so my eyes might just be in shock that it looks like the took dragon age 2 and painted over the NPCs. I couldn't tell you about the story because I couldn't get passed all of this to even get to the meat of the story. I think I would rather watch the trailers then actually play the game. Hugely disappointed beyond words. I waited 4 years for this.
Btw, I have a 47" tv. I feel sorry for you that have a smaller one. You will just have to guess what it is saying or wait until Cassandra is talking and poof, she just disappears and the camera is watching a tree that was behind her. I am not normally a huge graphics person per say but dang, at least have the game work enough for me to get to the story then maybe I can suffer everything else. And another thing, I will never understand why Bioware takes our favorites like Morrigan and does not put them in the game as a party member. Varric? I dunno maybe some like him. Bioware had a winner with Origins and then took the recipe and MESSED IT UP. Just garbage since.
I watched some gameplay on youtube for xbox one. It was much better. If the game does not play well on older gen then it should not be released for it. I wasted $70 and could have put that towards a new gen platform that actually plays the game as it was indented.
Update: I bought an Xbox One...game plays 100% better...do not buy this for the 360 unless you want to deal with glitches and terrible everything | video-games_xbox |
Frustrating Yet Enjoyable Tribute to Old School Gaming. It's not easy being Ninja Gaiden 2. The original 3D Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox was a complete shock to the system, in terms of taking the move-heavy gameplay of 3D one on one fighting games, and successfully adapting it to the action-adventure genre in a game where you regularly fight multiple enemies. Along with Halo, it was one of the main reasons to get an Xbox. Sure, Devil May Cry may have laid the foundation, but Ninja Gaiden took it to the next level, even if it was brutally hardcore, and cursed with a twitchy camera. Ninja Gaiden Black, for the Xbox, and Ninja Gaiden Sigma, for the PS3, both provided expanded, more definitive versions of the game, with the latter adding not only HD graphics, but several new chapters as well.
Ninja Gaiden 2, however, gets less respect. Putting aside the technical flaws for a moment, some were disappointed by the switch from the unified "world" that Ninja Gaiden's city of Tairon provided, where conquering puzzles and triggering game events would open up previously inaccessible areas, to a very linear, level-based game. Others had issues with what often seemed rather severe balance issues, where enemies would often kill the player not necessarily through clever use of skill, but rather by sheer numbers, cheap methods, or in one case, by simply withholding vital information from the player(i.e. the exploding nuclear lava turtle situation). For many, perhaps it was the lack of the original's "sense of the new" that turned them off. However, the principal curse the game suffers, in my eyes, is technical: the extremely spastic camera. In short, the camera, while controllable, is often zoomed in so close, that the player will often be unable to keep track of the surroundings, with off-screen enemies seemingly attacking from nowhere. At certain times, the camera will get stuck in a corner, and shudder uncontrollably. There are also moments where the control scheme for using arrows is simply not player-friendly enough, given the speed at which action transpires.
The shame of it is that, if not for these technical issues, Ninja Gaiden 2 could easily rest within a "5/5" rating zone. The change from a "hub world" design to linear level progression allows the game to provide much more variety, as opposed to forcing the player to retread the same areas again and again, and seems to me to be a clear homage to the era that the original Ninja Gaiden trilogy emerged from. In particular, Strider and the Shinobi series appear to be referenced. In the space of the game, much like Strider Hiryu, you'll visit a Russian city in the winter, the Amazonian jungle, and even fight on and within a flying battleship crawling with hi-tech enemies. Similarly, the game's early levels in a futuristic Tokyo, a ninja-infested village, and a disaster-strick New York City all feel somewhat reminiscent of levels in the Shinobi series. As the game progresses to even weirder levels in the last third, the feel of the original, 2D Ninja Gaiden 2's "otherworld" levels is evoked to great effect. It's this straightforward emphasis on action that successfully channels the 2D action aesthetic into the third dimension here.
No holds are barred as the designers throw you into all manner of bizarre situations, such as fighting off an army of werewolves in a castle arena in Venice, or being charged by demonic centaurs on a desert plain in Hell. There's a story in there somewhere about some dangerous Demon Statue, a feud between Ninja clans, the Countess of Bathory, a mutated Rasputin, your pops, a large-breasted CIA agent, and some other crap, but let's face it- some games weren't meant to have a deep or non-ridiculous storyline. This game's story serves one purpose: to give the player the opportunity to sever a lot of ninja limbs, kill all manner of grotesque demons, and leap about like a homicidal, sword-wielding ballerina on crack. Speaking of weaponry, you'll get to wield a decent arsenal, including the Vigoorian flail (nunchaku, but with blades attached), tonfa sticks (think police batons for ninjas), and a freakin' huge Grim Reaper scythe from Hell. Like its predecessor, this game requires you to be constantly ready to dodge or block when not busy attacking your enemies. Unlike its predecessor, the game makes a concession to the player by both allowing some amount of health regeneration when away from enemies, and providing one-use full health recharges at save points. That being said, don't expect much else in the way of mercy from Ninja Gaiden 2. On your first playthrough, you WILL die repeatedly. If you can bear with some frustrating design issues, Ninja Gaiden 2 will provide you with one hell of an action rush- in fact, the kind of visceral, constant motion gaming that is a rarity in this day and age.
As a side note, Tecmo released a "remastered" version for the PS3- Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2. Having both versions (so sue me, I like this series!), it's hard to really say either is more "definitive" than the other, unlike the first Sigma. NGS2 has several new chapters with new characters, some new bosses, possibly better enemy AI, and also has a mission mode right out of the box. More importantly, it has a better camera and better graphics. However (and this is a big "however"), Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 has noticeably fewer enemies in each level, to the extent that the pacing and overall excitement in the game is dampened. It's noticeable enough that I'm glad I didn't sell my original version of Ninja Gaiden 2, even though the camera still gives me fits when compared to Sigma 2. Whichever version you get, if you're not afraid of a challenge, this flawed masterpiece will provide the old-school action fix you crave. Just don't be surprised when you trip over that camera. | video-games_xbox |
Excellent product. I have owned several MadCatz handheld controllers for the Playstation 2 in the past, and I wasn't very impressed. When I heard that arcade sticks were made for the Xbox 360, I did some browsing. It was either the MadCatz standard arcade controller, the MadCatz tournament stick, or the Hori arcade stick. Believe me I had a tough time deciding between the MadCatz and the Hori. Also I had no idea how to fix one if it broke or even modify it if I ever wanted to. I came close to buying the Hori, but after reading the reviews for the MadCatz tournament edition, and reading that the standard Madcatz arcade stick wasn't very durable, I went with the MadCatz tournament stick. Of course I was a bit skeptical about it, but I decided to get it. Well, i've had it almost 6 months now, and after about 500 hours of playing Tekken 6, Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe, Street Fighter 4, and Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, and hitting it out of frustration, I can honestly say that i'm impressed. The controls are easy to get used to, especially if you have played in an arcade, and the Japanese button layout takes no time to get used to. It also has a turbo button feature which I never use on a fighting game, but maybe I will on an RPG. There are also switches next to the Xbox button for locking your Xbox button if you accidentally press it during gameplay, and there is a switch for changing what you want your joystick to do. Its function is like on a handheld controller, you have the left analog stick and the right stick, but since you only have one stick on the MadCatz arcade stick, you can choose the function for it. You can also roll up your wire and store it into the back of the arcade stick which is pretty handy, but I don't take it anywhere outside of my house so I don't need to use the compartment. The controller is also well built, since i've taken my frustration out on it, and your hand or whatever you hit it with will break before the controller. Like I said, I had no experience fixing or modifying one, but after seeing a video on YouTube on how to modify a stick, it's easy. I changed the ball top to a bat top, and I stiffened the movement of the stick also. The buttons are easy to change also if you ever need to. I haven't played any other games with it, like RPG's, but i'm sure you can get used to it like I did. The price isn't bad considering how well built this stick is, and after writing this review, I will treat this arcade stick with more respect. Thanks MadCatz for a great product, now work on making your handheld controllers as good as this and I will start trusting your products again. | video-games_xbox |
Good looking headphones that unfortunately are lacking in sound quality and comfort. I am far from blown away by these headphones. I own a total of 9 or 10 headphone sets, 3 of them gaming headsets. These would rate dead last among all of them in terms of sound quality. The two gaming sets I have a Philips surround sound head set PS4 only and a Sennheiser set for all platforms. I should add that I have had other stereo headsets - some gaming, most not - and any that sounded as poorly as this set I either gave away to friends or donated to Good Will. Whatever else headsets should do, they need to sound good. To mention a PS4 game, there are some moments in THE LAST OF US - which among the many award it won were ones for sound - like the one in the basement in the hotel in Pittsburgh, that are just terrifying because of the sound quality. You walk about in that basement, Clickers somewhere down there, the steady drip drip drip of water making the whole thing more concrete and actual, a scene so visceral and intense that only one thing can destroy it: a bad headset. In games where some sort of gun is involved, headsets that can properly bring a gunshot to life can add a dimension to the game that a lousy set cannon.
This headset has some useful bells and whistles, and they are pretty cool look, but I have two major complaints. The lesser of those two is that they are uncomfortable. They rest on top of my ears instead of around them (and I don't think my ears are all that large, so I think these were designed to be on-top-of-the-ear headphones instead of over the ears - for the record, one of my all time favorite earphones we a pair of Sennheiser on the ear headphones that were both comfortable and sounded spectacular) and just sort of pinch my ears. But while comfort is important, sound quality is at least or even more important. And the sound quality of these headphones simply does not stand out.
So while these are well designed, they simply don't stand out in terms of sound quality and, at least for me, comfort. There are a lot of headsets available today, and unfortunately I don't find these to be competitive I'm sad to say. And I am sad. These are great looking headphones and I'm always hopeful that new headphones I try out will be amazing, but sadly these did stand out at all. | video-games_xbox |
Nice enhancements,great game as always, getting a bit tired of repetition. Pros:
* Crisper graphics and sound
* Great addition of little things...receivers slipping, CPU receivers actually missing passes (getting one hand on the ball only, etc) and qb sometimes missing targets...so completion% in the realistic 60 percent range rather than perennially 90% as before....fade route in back of end zone actually works (and looks cool to boot!)
* Haven't yet tested online features, but looks potentially robust as well.
* Haven't taken away from the great game play of last year's title. I'd say this is "NCAA 2009+"...i.e. same as last year's game, with some nice enhancements.
CONS:
* A little buggy like last year, but nothing major....drive summary stats often inaccurate, etc
* Getting tired of identical commentary that's been used for years now from Corso/Herbstreit/Nessler...time to mix things up a bit. Start doing regional telecasts with generic tv announcers, save C/H/N for national game of the week only.
* Missing little things here and there which need to be fixed....i.e. where are the corp of cadets and middies at home games for the service academies??? Where are live look ins/score updates during tv broadcast to other dynasty mode games?? Need more pre-Saturday studio previews, etc. When you turn this game on, you should feel like you're living a true college football season (with regards to media coverage, etc)...need to make the pre-game more "real"....video of outside the stadium on Saturday morning, tailgates, pre-game warmup, etc culminating with team running onto the field from the tunnel to roaring crowd, etc...need more pans to the sidelines to see what goes on there during the game...hurt players trying to nurse back to health, qb's calling the booth to go over reads, coach barking at players/officials/etc, celebration on sidelines during big plays, a "smart" crowd that follows the play (sometimes seem to be looking in wrong direction) and reacts accordingly (i.e. a crowd doesn't cheer the whole game...sometimes they are quiet and sitting in seats..which is actually most of the time...)
All in all though, no complaints....EA delivers a solid product with this title.... | video-games_xbox |
Great game, weak on kinect, other console versions are better. The game as a whole is worth playing for new or current fans of the Just Dance franchise, or fans of other dance/rhythm games, however the kinect version suffers greatly with the lack of finesse in the sensitivity. My recommendation, stick to the <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Wii/dp/B0053BG26C/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Wii</a> or <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/PS3/dp/B0053BG1EU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">PS3</a> version. Read on for details.
For those that have played Just Dance 1 and/or 2, Just Dance 3 provides the same fun experience with a well rounded song selection, and easy to learn 'jump in and play' style routines and learning curve, but with some new notable added features:
Unlockable Content (gameplay styles such as simon says and dance mashups using songs from this version featuring some moves from routines in the previous games)
Create Mode (create, record and save routines for the songs on the game)
Group Routines (similar to the couple routines, these are created for groups of four)
However, the one thing that affected the entire gameplay experience negatively for me was the Kinect sensitivity being buggy. With the virtually flawless interaction in the game Dance Central which was released a year ago (which I am only comparing due to having an extremely similar user interface for the kinect), this game has no excuse for all the bugs with the interactivity with the kinect. The menu scrolling (by moving your right arm up or down) is often 'sticky', where the selection won't scroll either up or down though your made the move to do so, and also picks up other movements as a 'swipe' selection, selecting things in the menus that you didn't intend. In gameplay, it is sometimes forgiving on simple moves done wrong/not at all, and doesn't pick up or is harsh on complex moves done right. Trying to play created routines from the create mode is even more unforgiving and difficult to do, even for simple routines. Also, during single player play, it sometimes with the feature for others to join in without interrupting, takes too much movement as being another player joining in, and switches that single player to being and scoring as player two, which can be frustrating for trying to beat high scores.
So no doubt this is a great and fun game as the previous games have been, however, unless you only have a Kinect enabled Xbox, or love your dance games crazy enough to spend more money on more glitchy user interactivity and the luxury of not having to hold a controller, you are better off buying for the other tried and true consoles on which the previous games have been released (links at beginning of review). | video-games_xbox |
A Showcase of Everything That Microsoft Could Do Wrong. I've never owned the original Xbox, nor have I previously bought an Xbox 360.
However, I thought that the mere price of $ 199 for a gaming console was a fair deal, even if the stories all over the internet about the Xbox 360's horrible design are true. I ordered an Xbox 360 directly from amazon, and not from another seller.
Before I go into my experiences with the Xbox, I have to mention that I have a PS3 plugged into a HD Computer Monitor, with an HDMI to VGA converter. In fact, that leads me to the Xbox's first flaw: the normal A/V output is directly above the HDMI output, and you cannot use both at the same time, meaning that if I were to play a video game , I would have to play without audio. Fortunately, Microsoft has addressed this issue by selling a VGA HD AV cable...for $ 30! That is absolutely ridiculous! I bought a PS3 HDMI to VGA converter for $ 8!
Secondly, a hard drive is not included with the Arcade version of the Xbox 360! The cheapest model of the PS3 slim comes with 120 GB! Another joke, if I were to buy an Xbox 360 with a hard drive, it would cost me the same as a PS3, which defeats the argument that the Xbox 360 is cheaper.
The Xbox 360 is also far too large and comes with a huge power adapter, another design fail.
The Xbox 360 controller runs with batteries! If you want a way to recharge your controller you need to spend extra!
I've also heard complaints that the Xbox 360 is far too loud.
To play games online with the Xbox 360, you need to pay for an Xbox Live Gold account! Of course, the online experience is faster and smoother than the PS3's, but still, I'd much rather it be free.
Now, I knew all of this before I bought the Xbox 360, and really, I didn't care that much about these flaws. There are some great games exclusively for the Xbox 360, and for me it would have been worth buying if not for one thing that is the absolutely ridiculous...the Red Ring of Death. I didn't even get to play any games on the Xbox 360, the moment I turned it on FOR THE ABSOLUTE FIRST TIME (this is not a refurbished unit), I got the Red Ring of Death, and I am currently waiting for amazon to ship me a new Xbox. But making a console that is so badly designed and engineered that a person who turns on a new Xbox finds that the unit is completely defective and worthless is absolutely inexcusable! Save your money...if you must buy a console buy a PS3, if you already have a PS3, beware that the Xbox 360 features horrible design. | video-games_xbox |
A different flavor, but still tasty. Dragon Age, an RPG player's gorefest. The first DA created a massive world full of things you wanted to know about, interact with, and kill. The enemies were, i'll admit mildly generic, but they fit the theme of a swarming enemy using numbers to win battles as opposed to skill, so it was completely forgivable. The main issue DA has though is it drags, much like many RPG's the battle system is very easy to use, and account commands for. However, as all RPG's it simulates an actual battle about as well as chess does. The problem is in RPG's you get time to think, time to plan. In actual battles, you get none of that. Dragon Age I showed us that battles can be hectic and still be RPG-like, but its still very structurally slow, and often as long as you have a good enough healer, what you do doesn't matter. In addition, attacks which were rolled for would land even though they couldn't. The battle animation for Peon's Plight takes about a second, and the ogre it was hitting as far away from me by the time it landed, and well, he died. I was happy, but, it was weird.
Dragon Age II looks to improve the battle, while retaining the massive RPG elements that made the first one successful such as character building, stat based improvement of abilities, and an epic story that's immersive. But does the game actually live up to the hype behind it?
The Good:
A lot of Dragon Age 2's strengths are its weaknesses as well, don't be alarmed to see the exact same happy note as a negative note.
The battle system:
- The last battle system in dragon age more or less returns, the wheel is still here for the 360 and PS3 versions and it functions the same way. You still use the right trigger to toggle the 6 settable spells and can access the wheel using LT for more or abilities etc. Targets however have been changed up, you can no longer use abilities in battle unless they are in range, this can get odd when you go to use mighty blow and won't because you're a few too many degrees off the target, but it does keep you from wasting valuable mana or stamina, which is a plus. There were a lot of occasions when I'd use an ability in DA 1 and missed because the enemy wasn't quite in the arc of the attack I wanted to use, leaving me in cooldown and more vulnerable than i would have liked. The biggest change though is battle speed. During battle Hawke moves quickly, or very quickly depending on class. The rogue is a speed demon to make an understatement. Whats interesting I've found though, is that depending on your class is how you can fight effectively, mages and archers are good for support, mage nukes are good for crowds and warriors are generally good for crowds while still retaining sanity. The rogue seems best played as a one thing at a time type attacker. His speed will let him get away from most players but by micro managing his attacks to focus on one enemy at a time rather than gung-ho fighting, the rogue becomes much less of a crazy attacker.
= The thing though is that attacking is button mashed by A or X depending on console. Now there is nothing explicitly wrong with this, but it does get monotonous, still, often later in the game your mash will be less frequent as your move pool will keep you in your special techs more than simply mashing A.
Character Development:
- Characters in this game are MUCH more easily customized. Remember how Morrigan's shapeshifter tree blew? No problem now. Every character is capable of being customized to fit your needs. Want the knight you get early on to be a tank? set her up to do so, you can even change her equipment to suit the type of warrior you need her to be, easy stuff, and much better than the last game. In addition, levels seem to come faster in this game, you get levels much quicker in this title in the beginning.
The system to level up has been changed, not in actual premise, but in looks. Each class has a set of abilities, all viewable from the start and all possible of moving around in. However just like the last game, there are prerequisites to each ability in the trees, and there are level ones as well. Look them all over and do some planning on the character's first level up to get acquainted, try to figure out your play style, and plan accordingly.
- Dog is now a pet spell. Believe me, this is a good thing.
- As far as actual Hawke goes, Hawke's character is defined by the conversational choices you make, say something firm and your character's alignment to a more violent or serious character type increases. This effects things they say in battle and more. A sarcastic character will say different things in the beginning of and during a battle then a noble one will.
- Just like the last game, your conversational antics will shape your friends views of you, do things they like, you guys become friends, do things they don't and well, you can imagine. The games calls it rival, but i don't know if the member will simply leave like in origins if rivalry peaks.
- Lastly Your party members are not without voice in conversation, they can participate in conversation given the chance, and some of the time, they will be happy you asked them for advice. In DA 1 this was possible, but, well i won't spoil much, but you literally give them the torch and say "do what you will" on occasion, and they do, sometimes outright solving a problem rather than providing what they think.
Menu's:
- Overall the game's menu system is more streamlined, its much prettier and the level up method borrowed straight from Mass effect is welcome, any party members needing to level will be in here. Its a circle menu like Mass effect for everything else. If you're not familiar, when you pause, you use LS and A/X to select your choice, the menus are pretty easy to navigate this way.
-Your inventory is still the same, a list of items in regards to the items slot you're using is displayed and you can use X/Square to compare a new item with an equipped one and then choose with A/X or leave it set with B/Circle. L1/R1/LB/RB lets you cycle through characters on any submenu. Its easy to use once you get used to it.
- The biggest change however is the abilities, all abilities are set up in navigable trees, each tree can be individually selected and modified upon level up with points. All trees like DA 1 can be utilized cross subclass just like the first one. However on occasion it can be difficult to precisely select an ability that you wish to upgrade due to the controller input due to bad placing, when with a mouse it would be easy. Still, the abilities are much more easily understood at a glance. Diamonds are abilities, small icons are upgrades, and circles are Passive abilities. All in all though, the menu system used by MA works well, and I can't complain that its borrowed.
Graphics and animations
- DA 1 looks much more stiff than this game does, the faces in DA2 are more emotional, and the movements are much less action-figure like, they flow much more humanly (if not superhuman sometimes) and as a whole look more peoplelike.
-Speaking in game (lipsync) has gotten better as well, but it was quite good before, still it IS nice even that has improved. The loading screens are varied and pretty and overall the graphical quality has improved as well. Environments do look better.
- Armor types have improved as well, expect more armor skins and types in this one as well as weapon graphics.
- Elves, Darkspawn and Qunari all have updated facial and bodily features as well, each race now looks much more distinct than they did in DA.
- Character customization is much more extensive than in DA1, worth noting that there are about 20 or more hairstyles for both genders plus more of others.
The story:
- This game had me at the beginning, the voice acting is very very well done, and no character I've come across yet seems to have a bad voice actor. The story itself is the same brand as DA1 however, and having not completed the title, i'll have a hard time completely stating its a rehash, but then again RPG's don't typically offer up drastically different stories from one another in principle (become powerful beat boss, repeat) Bioware as always however, has a unique talent for making characters mke impressions, you'll have favorites and some things these characters go through or do will excite, appall, disgust, or even sadden you, and i couldn't ask for a more immersive experience there.
Dragon age 2 is not without fault however.
The battle system:
- Mashing A/X is a chore, especially with the rogue, continually mashing A gets to be annoying, and might make you frustrated. But again, it might happen less the more abilities you get.
- I still don't get why there isn't a RT activated 3 way replacement menu (3 spell replacement menu on cycle) so that you could have 9 total spells mapped to XYB by pressing RT once to switch to the next set of spells and using LT in conjnuction if you needed to change in a pinch. Still press RT once to change to next subset, and twice to get back. I use more than 6 spells/abilities, and it would have helped, but the Circle menu gets the job done.
- The main issue you might see though is the speed at which battles happen, frail characters can be overwhelmed and killed quickly, Hawke can become uncontrollable, and the battle system irritating until you really get a feel for it. But what bothers me is a lot of that 'RPG feel' is lost in the button mash, and essentially the game kind of turns into a hack n' slash dungeon crawler on the surface, but it does get harder and make you micro manage more as time goes on.
You either like this decision at core or not, and its game breaking depending on who you are, it may feel dumbed down, but in its defense, combat in DA1 was rather bland in execution, not the animations themselves though.
Talking:
- This is hit and miss with me, sometimes i want to take a particular route and the option to say whatever is there, but the actual statement isn't what i anticipated. This frustrates me, sometimes I pick a violent sounding response to have it come out as a cold response, or a matter-of-factly response rather than "i want to slam your face into a wall with a nailbat nine times." Its nitpicking but still.
Map:
- The only other real issue I have is the game's map. I liked the last games map, and this one just gets a bit, i don't want to say confusing, but its more complicated than needbe, and that said, its a bunch of arrows and boxes with Day Night and Mountain options. Still, i think i liked reading my quests, the way they they are set up in the this menu is kind of a to do list, and its a bit irritating, because you now have your quests on your map, but no info about them. Maybe i just haven't gotten used to it.
Overall, i think DA2 catches a lot of flak for pushing the game to seem more mainstream, just like Mass Effect did with 2, but honestly, the battle systems being more refined and more actiony typically add to immersion and cause more thinking on the fly. Still the tasks can be mundane this way causing massive horde killing like a action platformer, which occasionally happens. But Bioware games focus a lot on the equipment and stats, its more subtle, but it was very evident in ME and DA. DA2 gives me the ability to run away to heal much easier and to lure darkspawn into traps easier or funnel them. DA1 not so much as you can get hit by attacks based on attack chance rather than location.
DA2 is worth a look if you like RPG's or action games. Try the demo on PSN or Xbox live, it will give you a pretty good insight of what to expect, but, the game is much harder than the demo lets it on to be.
I'd like to give it a 4.5, but 4 will have to do. Its good, but that's not perfect.
**************UPDATE***********************************************************************
I have now beaten this game, and have decided to update my review. The rating still stays at 4 stars. The 3rd act is phenomenal in presentation. I was in awe, as all of the things reached a climax and what happens, simply happens. I expected something, but not what happened, and what DID happen was awesome, you'll have to play it.
But i do have some new things to review.
Dungeons: I am dead serious, about 95% of your quests return you to the same dungeon, a part of the same dungeon, or the same layout for a house or something similar. Every mansion is the same, every undercity is the same, every cave is the same, on one instance is it colored different, but its inexcusable for the lack of creativity in a game like this, even if they were lame or small, the identical dungeons are awful.
Even worse, this is coming from the company that baffled me with the amazing dungeons constructed for Origins and Awakening, and you do see that in the well, about 3 dungeons you visit over the course of about 100 sidequests. I have to admit, i was disappointed.
Updating the Button mashing, i hate it, i hate it, i hate it. Even as a warrior, it was monotonous, and though extremely useful at times, a button press once could have been used to lock on and auto attack an enemy until dead and tilt stick and attack to choose another target, I did NOT like spamming A, and it does not get better the more you play, you spam A like crazy with the occasional stop to drive your abilites and its usually a split second or a full second before you're back to button mashing. Not to mention, the animations, there are about 5 major looping standard attack animations, and being in control of them somehow made me notice it more. I felt more like Kratos than a general most of the time, i wasn't shouting orders i was an unstoppable monster of death. It didn't work for me, it was like God of War with RPG elements.
Weapons and armor: Ok, you cannot customize your friend's gear, you can't wear other class equipment, and often cannot use certain equipment due to stat allocation (magic for warrior) making 66% of the items you pick up or wish to buy in shops completely useless. I question why Bioware did not put a filter in the equipment obtainable. What i mean is, instead of having to accumulate a treasure trove of awesome mage wear as a warrior, why not simply only allow Warrior exclusive items such as plate or chainmail. Weapons, i Can understand since your allies can use them, but armor is exclusively for selling and aside from selling it for pretty much nothing, there is absolutely no hope it will be used or anything other than selling. So why include it? you already have a junk folder in your inventory, so why include yet more junk we can't use right there in the equipment?
I don't like the warrior 2 hander, he wings it around like a wiffle bat, it's ridiculous, the weapon has absolutely no illusion of weight at all, and it angers me, Origins showed the power of big weapons but though you hit like atlas, you barely moved, your attacks were slow, but worth it.
Spawn, I'm unsure what it is, but this game likes its waves. However units warp in, come out of nowhere, or jump from an obscene height to the ground. Its so unrealistic, and so action platformer.
Dragon age 2 is a RPG driven Beat Em Up like God of War or Splatterhouse, it's sad, but its true. It plays well and it has a good story, and as a standalone title, its very very good. However, as a Dragon Age sequel, its a failure. It lacks the inspiration the first game had, its down to earth nature, and its grand world, but retains Bioware's amazing storytelling.
Standalone (and my review score: ****
Dragon Age sequel: ** | video-games_xbox |
One of the better adventure platformers out of this generation. There's a movement in gaming recently that tries to push "disturbing subject matter" with a bland array of dull colors and graphics meant to incite a sense of gritty realism. This has gone on so long we may have forgotten a game can have bright lush surroundings and flamboyant cartoon-like characters while still addressing deeper mature issues.
First an foremost Alice: Madness returns is an old school plat former. In the vein of titles such as Mario 64, and Kameo you will do a lot of jumping, sliding, lever pulling, and even shrinking to traverse areas that are a little larger than those found in more straightforward action romps such as Lollipop Chainsaw. If you get queasy around pitfalls and high heights Alice: Madness returns will definitely pour on the pressure and elevate your pulse! The game's effortless ability to induce a sense of panicky vertigo is admirable though there were moments I thought certain scenarios with their unforgiving relentless barrage of fast moving and disappearing floating foot-rests dragged on to the point of excess tedium.
The enemies in A:MR are not pushovers either. Running in hacking & slashing will get you killed often. Whether you are fighting giant cannon totting crabs, armored zombie card solders, samurai wasps, spectral sailors, giant dollies, or hulking fireball tossing gooey tar abominations adorned with multiple porcelain baby heads , chances are you will have to stun them or knock them over with one weapon before finishing them off with another.
Luckily A:MR gives you plenty of destructive implements. The hobby horse is akin to a heavy mace. It can stun enemies and break through weakened obstructions. The pepper grinder is a machine gun. "Rabbit bombs" explode when prompted to by a stop watch. Likewise they can temporarily be applied on weight sensitive tiles to buy Alice precious seconds to traverse her terrain. The vorpal blade is a fast moving knife and the tea kettle packs the punch of a makeshift grenade launcher. All these can be upgraded with teeth you find throughout your journey.
It's true the first Alice game had more weapons but the sequel makes up for it with a few nice added incentives. Alice can now break down into butterflies and blur in any direction to evade attacks. She can shrink in order to travel through small key-holes or to see details her big-self would otherwise miss. Additionally Alice has nice double jump and float maneuvers to make the plat forming just a tad less hectic. If you're still not "sold" there's also "hysteria mode" that transforms Alice into a creepier version of the white-queen when her health is low. Attacks do more damage during this burst of adrenaline and psychotic rage but Alice's hysteria gauge will tick down swiftly to prevent confrontations from becoming a complete cakewalk.
Of course next up are the graphics. Let me get something off my chest right now. A little abrupt pop in texturing never bothered me much. It's no secret the Unreal 3 engine has issues with this sort of thing but when everything is so beautiful to look at as it is in A: MR I could care less. Each area has a theme and they all "shift" between whimsical and nostalgic to macabre and psychologically twisted. It's ironic A:MR surprised me more with its' environmental transitions than the latest Silent Hill games. I could rarely predict "when" the world around me would suddenly flip upside down. Whoever scripted these events that gradually descended into complete insanity and pandemonium should be applauded!
A gripe some people may have is a lack of boss battles up until the very end of the game. However, for me the problem is we "expect" these over-the-top encounters and because of this it breaks the immersion. At least for me each place in wonderland was more unpredictable and more suspenseful because it lacked the usual hulking monstrosities guarding each exit point to the next stage. The only certainties we have are there will be more monsters to fight and more puzzles to solve. Beyond that we're very much left in the dark and we are completely clueless as to "when" a chapter will officially wrap itself up. This lent itself to the "horror atmosphere" of A:MR quite nicely. Whether or not it was a deliberate design choice or was due to lack of funding is anyone's guess.
The music is fantastic! Each track varies to fit the mood of each place ant there's a nice range amongst creepy industrial compositions, melancholy oriental tunes, and fittingly sinister violin pieces. The composer reminds me a bit of Akira Yamaoka and I mean that in the most flattering way imaginable!
However, there are a few qualms that pop up. First of all, A:MR is rife with puzzles and mini games. While most of these can be skipped there are certain ones that cannot. In truth many of these diversions are refreshingly artistic with old-school arcade conventions! The problem is not that they exist but rather how often certain ones are repeated. It gets to the point they feel like padding as opposed to well thought out side quests.
Secondly, both the camera and some extra tough plat-forming segments will conspire against the fun you're having. Neither quibble is so blatantly bad it leaves the game broken but they are noticeable all the same.
In the end I found Alice's return to wonderland to be an adventure worth undertaking. Much of the story continues the events of its' predecessor but because it's supposed to be a mystery my lips are sealed! If you're tired of military fpses, macho brochismo derp-a-herping, and soulless dungeon loot acquisition, A:MR may refresh that retro-gamer part of your inner psyche which has been neglected far too long!
Pros
+ Many secrets to find
+ Game plus mode
+Compelling story with a mystery thriller slant to it
+ Adult material handled with tasteful subtlety
+ Gorgeous sprawling areas with imaginative scenery
+ Fantastic sound track
+ Enemies require strategy to beat
+ Challenging enough to give you a sense of accomplishment after you see the credits roll
+ First Alice game included as a free download if you buy Maness Returns brand new.
+ Inexpensive dlc that's actually helpful
+Alice has good motivations as a protagonist and her cause is a noble one worth fighting for
+It's delightful to stomp around the Red Queen's domain as "Godzilla Alice".
Cons
-Certain mini games are repeated too many times
-Sometimes the camera goes wonky and makes a few platforming segments and a few battles more frustrating than they should be
- Other gamers maybe distraught there's only one actual boss in the whole game
-Play each chapter after an extensive cool-down break lest you end up punching your controller and shouting obscenities at your television screen
-Texture blur and texture pop-in issues rear their ugly heads
- The lock-on targeting feature is easy to understand but difficult to master
For you if: If you're a psychology buff who loves things laid out to you in fanciful metaphor you'll adore A:MR. Likewise if you count Psychonauts, Kameo, Mario 64, and Silent Hill amongst your favorite games then A:MR should find its' way to your collection as soon as possible! A:MR is also for the old-school-fools who yearn for a challenge and who like to be rewarded for exploring off the beaten path!
Not for you if: If you're afraid of heights, prefer slaying enemies over jumping around on moving platforms, get nauseated upon being exposed to re-imaginings of famous literature, and think Lewis Carroll was a talentless hack you should steer clear of this one! Admittedly A:MR is also on the grim and serious side so if you want a gaming experience with a sense of humor you will not find any "comedy gold" here. Certain people may also be offended by the content in A:MR. There are suggestive themes centered around brainwashing, prostitution, rape, and child slave labor.
Closing thoughts
At a further date I'd like to research on why we are so enamored with completely vilifying the Victorian era. Even self professed fans of this era always portray it as a grim hopeless place rife with classicism, misogyny, dirty back allies, serial killers, rapists, pedophiles, children slave labor, witch hunts, repressed sexuality, courtroom corruption, and billowing dark smoke spewing forth from monstrous trains and industrial factories. While I'm sure Victorian England had these problems to some degree it seems to be we only focus on that negative side of the equation. Heck, if I were to dwell only on modern society's "bad qualities" we'd be very much "Neo-Victorian" according to the works of Tim Burton and Zack Snyder.
However, one thing I like about Alice:MR is it's not steeped in complete pessimism, cynicism, and nihilism. Unlike say "Sucker Punch" that tries to pass itself off as female empowerment yet has a "wtf ending" that completely contradicts with its` initially positive message, Alice's conclusion is one that is satisfactory where true justice prevails. Unlike Tim Burton's recent tamer-than-expected trip back to Wonderland McGee's version isn't afraid to hold back nor does it pull any punches. (Though admittedly I enjoyed Burton's Through The Looking Glass adaptation for what it was. We all knew going into the theatres Disney wasn't going to let the man make it rated "R". )
It's also refreshing Alice can lay down the hurt in attire that's a touch more modest and befitting than a string bikini or a burlesque gothic Lolita outfit that`s two sizes too small. While I'm not against sexy titillation and I do not get morally outraged by its' presence , I do respect game developers who manage to make their leading heroine "pretty" without showing off excess amounts of her skin.
When it comes to steam-punk Victorian fiction American McGee and Spicy horse really nailed it for me. I'd love to see Alice get a third game in her series! Hopefully the sales figures for A:MR were not completely abysmal! | video-games_xbox |
Amazing with some issues. First Harden eddition:
5 out of 5 if you have Xbox live.
The edition comes with a lot of great addition.
Packaging:
Box is nice an does the job.
Steel book looks really great and the cover art is a lot better then the normal cover.
The platic that the journal seems a bit small and it is a very tight fit to take it out and put it back.
Elite:
It had some issues in the first few weeks and I am still learning all of what it offers, however I appricate that Activision is giving an additional month free due to the outage.
Seems very confusing and there was no good directions of how to set it all up.
Notebook:
Very cool, and I am already a big fan of journals so I really like it. Quality is great and looking forward to reading the whole thing.
DLC:
I am not a big fan of the avatar so it doesn't really matter to me but I could see how someone would really enjoy it.
Overall Harden
totally worth the money.
The extra $40 for the Notebook, Elite (Normally $50-$60 a year) and the steel book was totally worth it and I am happy with my decision.
Quick review of the game
Single Player
I was impressed with the story. They did a great job of leaving from where they left off and including different gameplay throughout the game. It is obvisouly very similar to MW2 and MW but I didn't expect them to change it that much. Graphics are not the best but it is not the graphics that have ever made COD games fun and worth playing. I enjoyed the story but I won't replay it for a while.
Multiplayer
COD brings some of the most fun quick multiplayer games. Thats what I really like about MW3 is you can sit down for 15 mins and quickly get into some action and at times it can be hours before feeling the need to quite. Weapon upgrades are really nice and it seems that I am unlocking something at every level, but currently I am only at 40 so I'm not sure if it will continue. Maps are a bit depressing. I aggree with some other reviewers in that they are not great and a bit too complicated. I look forward to some they release hopefully soon.
A big downside is that in many ways the Elite is a step back. having to log into a website or a different application is not fun at all compared to after a game checking out somebodies combat record or even your own. This has changed so you can't find stats as much or see your Kill count. At least not that I am aware of.
One thing that is really refreshing is that you can play different gametypes private games. One in the barrel, gun game and things like that. This is a lot of fun and a very nice addition.
Offline:
I think this is the worst issue with the MW games, at lease 2-3. You can't play local games with more then 1 xbox with multiple controllers on each xbox. For example, I work with teens and so I decided to set up a LAN party with MW3 after the release. Come to find out you can't hook up two xbox with 4 controllers each. Maybe that is all around but that was the best thing about HALO CE when it first came out. I think this could be a simple fix and I don't see what the problem with having this options. If you have any thoughts please comment, I would love to hear them.
Spec Ops
Mission based
Spec Ops in MW2 were a lot of fun. Maybe that was because I played a lot with other friends at my house but something seems really boring about these. They are different the Single player levels but of all 4 game options in MW3, this is easily the least interesting to me. But I don't think they are that bad, I just am more excited about all of the other aspects of the game.
Survivor
Tons of fun, but something about it get a bit old. I do not like most wave games but this is a lot of fun and even better with friends. This alone is a huge step in the right direction for the game. However, it seems like some levels are super easy and others are a huge challenge. On top of that the waves get very old after while and they don't change that much as you go.
All in all, If you are going to buy the game and Elite, work hard to buy the Harden Edition (However, don't pay more then $100.00 new. If you really want the book, I'm sure soon you will be able to find everything used very cheap).
With Missions, Multiplayer, Survivor mode and traditional Spec ops, this game is worth the $60 if you like fast paced First person Shooters. I know this game is not for everyone but if you like the last COD, you might want to give this one a try. If nothing else rent it and see for yourself. If you hate COD games, you will hate this, I'm sure. The game has issues, and I am not happy with Maps, some packaging, offline LAN issues and the graphics but theres is a lot that I am happy with.
But if your going to buy the game, Collector or not, the Harden Eddition could be a great way to save some money.
Feel free to let me know what you think | video-games_xbox |
Great Deal on a Great System. We have had an Xbox 360 in our home since the system first came out and I can easily say that the last 6 years with this console has been the best 6 years I have had yet with a videogame system and that is saying something as I have had just about every console released since Pong was released back in the mid 70's. Microsoft, a company that I was never too fond of given the fact that I am an Apple computer user, has really done an outstanding job with this system. While there were some hardware issues with the earlier consoles, I can safely say that the Xbox 360 S is a top notch console with none of the problems that plagued earlier models. Its superior in almost every way to previous models.
My single favorite aspect to this system is without a doubt Xbox Live and all of the things that come along with the service (you get 3 months included with this holiday pack). Basically Xbox Live gives you the ability to play games online and lets you download arcade games, game demos, trailers, TV shows, music and movies. Out of all of the things that MS has done, putting so much focus on the development of Xbox Live is, in my opinion, the smartest thing they have done yet in regards to this console. Xbox live has really become a fantastic part of the Xbox gaming experience. In fact, I couldn't imagine Xbox without Xbox Live. In particular, both my son and I love Xbox Live Arcade. There is now a massive assortment of games on Xbox Live Arcade and the nice thing about the games, besides the lower cost, is that they don't require the time investment that most of the regular Xbox games require. Its a more casual gaming experience and I really appreciate that, especially during my busy season with photography as I simply don't have the time to invest in big games during that time of the year. I love that every game available on Xbox Live Arcade has a demo available so you can actually try it out before making up your mind on whether or not to buy it. Xbox Live also has an on demand game section, which are regular disc based releases that you can buy and download over Xbox live. I personally don't buy on demand games as the prices really aren't competitive and I just cant justify buying a download version of a game when I can actually buy the physical version for the same price or less. Of course, buying the physical copy gives you the ability to sell it later on. This isn't possible with downloaded versions. Given that aspect alone, on demand games should be at least 5-10 bucks cheaper than the physical version and unfortunately that just hasn't been the case and this is one area where Xbox live can be significantly improved.
Xbox live also offers additional services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, ESPN, Zune, and LastFM. We currently use Netflix and ESPN and we love both services. Its important to note that Microsoft recently announced that 40 additional entertainment partners will soon be joining the Xbox Live experience including Comcast, HBO GO, Syfy, Verizon FiOS, Bravo, and Xfinity. This really isn't surprising given the fact that Microsoft has stated many times that their vision for the future of Xbox lies in it becoming a hub for entertainment in your home, not just a videogame console. With the announcement of 40 additional entertainment services being added, MS are now one step closer to making this a reality and I expect the list of services will only continue to grow over the coming years. Basically this gives people the ability to individualize their TV experience through Xbox live. I only watch about 5% of the channels I receive through cable, and pay a hefty price to be able to do so. So I am very interested in where this console is going in this regards.
I also really like that MS has been focusing more and more on the family side of gaming as my wife enjoys gaming and we have an 11 year old son. In particular, we really enjoy Family Game Night which highlights a different family game every Tuesday. The number of games suitable for younger children has increased substantially over the last few years and the console itself has parental options that allow you to lock out certain content from your children. This includes games, movies and TV shows. I travel a lot so these options are very important to me. I don't have to worry about what content my son is accessing while I am away.
As for regular gaming, Xbox certainly doesn't disappoint. There are so many great games available that I literally don't have time to play all of them. Just look at the games released, or being released, in the last quarter of 2011. You have Gears of War 3, Forza 4, Battlefield 3, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Saints Row 3, Batman Arkham City, etc. Those are just the high profile games. Of course, Xbox has a huge catalog of titles already available and many of those games can be purchased for 20 dollars or less. You can even play a large number of original Xbox titles on the 360, many of which are amazing games and could easily be found for 10 bucks or less at used game stores. Most people have a limited amount of time that the can devote to playing games and given the sheer number of great games available....well, lets just say that the vast majority of people will have the same problem I have, that you don't have time to play all the games you want to play.
For those that are looking to get their first console, this holiday bundle is a great deal. It has the 250 Gig HD and comes with 2 of the biggest games released this past year, Halo Reach and Fable 3. Its important to note that the you don't get the physical copy of Halo Reach. You get a code that gives you the ability to download it from Xbox Live On Demand.
Bottom line - Microsoft has really done a remarkable job with their Xbox gaming system. They have had a few bumps along the way but overall the Xbox is a top notch gaming system that now offers far more than just gaming. Whether your looking for casual gaming, hardcore gaming, online gaming, family gaming, or even motion based gaming, the Xbox has more than enough to fit the bill. As I stated originally, the last 6 years with the Xbox 360 has without a doubt been the best 6 years I have ever had with a console. Xbox 360 has become a staple in my house in regards to my families entertainment. Whether its for gaming, movies or TV shows, the Xbox doesn't disappoint. I really couldn't possibly give this console a higher recommendation. Its just a top notch entertainment device.
5 Stars!! | video-games_xbox |
Terrific controller. I am not an Xbox fanboy. True, I own an Xbox 360, but I don't hold one console over the others in terms of "omggottahave." However, I am quite fond of the new Xbox 360 controller. Its design was much better implemented than the original Xbox controller that was HUGE (then just big after the S type) and clunky. It felt like a block of heavy plastic. Button spacing was weird and it just felt clumsy. Now that the Xbox 360 controller is out, I have to say that it is my favorite of the 3D-based controllers out there. But this isn't a review about the actual hardware as much as it is for the uses for it.
In short, it works perfectly for the PC. I am not a huge PC gamer mostly because I have grown up on the console side. There are some games that I do really well with the PC (RPGs, MMOs, point and click adventure games, etc.) but there are some that I'm okay with (FPS) and some that I am terrible with (Platforming, third person perspective). On top of that, I could never find a gamepad made for the PC that I liked as much as the ones for the consoles. So, when the Xbox 360 controller came out that was compatible with the PC I thought the gaming gods were smiling upon me.
Getting it installed takes just a matter of minutes; mostly, your install time involves going to the xbox.com website, downloading the drivers for the controller and then just running that application. From there, the computer recognizes the controller and when you get into a game, you can easily calibrate the controls.
I have used three games with this. F.E.A.R., Tomb Raider: Legends, and Dreamfall: The Longest Journey. Dreamfall didn't recognize the trigger buttons. The bumpers, the face buttons, the analog controls and the direction pad work perfectly, but the triggers aren't recognized. F.E.A.R. was a bit tricky, mostly because there are so many buttons that need to be used that it makes using an controller problematic. Tomb Raider worked wonders and made me happy since I didn't want to shell out $60 for a game I could get for $40 on the PC.
Also, gamers should be pleased to note that Ventrilo recognizes the controller and you can use the press-to-talk function with the controller. It doesn't recognize the triggers, but any other button on the controller is fair game. Really helps when you're playing a game that Ventrilo helps you with.
Overall, it's a great controller. I will note that you can't use a wireless controller plugged in with the plug and play charger. You have to use the standard, wired controller. But for those looking for a good controller to use with the PC, I can't recommend the Xbox 360 controller enough. | video-games_xbox |
MQ-27 Dragonfire Drone Not Very Good. To start with I have a lot of the CoD collectible games. From the Remote Control car to night vision goggles. When I ordered this set I was thinking that I would get the same quality remote control drone as in the other preserve CoD games. Never the less I was very disappointed in the Remote Controlled Quadrotor Drone. It is made out of styrofoam with a plastic ring and they give you green tape to repair the drone. Like they are saying "You are going to break it so good luck".Now why they could have not made the Remote Controlled Quadrotor Drone all out of plastic is be on me. I would have like to have a better ROV then the big plastic box it came in. And on that note what are you going to do with the box? The coins were very good quality, the limited edition case was a nice touch. The soundtrack was nice but it's not like I would listen to i all the time. It was nice having all the Nuketown content but I really wish if you spend this much money they would give you a season pass also but then they would want $250 for the game like this. Gameplay in CoD: BO II is very good but I wish there was a lifelike setting for gameplay. Lifelike mode would be one shot and you done maybe two at the most but for the enemies it would be the same. Just something hard to play and try to beat. I'm done thanks for reading my review.
The Zombies experience of Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Zombies features three different ways to survive the zombie apocalypse. Unravel the mysteries of a dying Earth in Tranzit, fight endless waves of zombies in Survival mode, or compete in the new 4z4 last-human-standing mode, Grief. All are fun and some are tough but all are fun to play.
Tranzit
1-4 player co-op in a large open world with a variety of locations. The new Buildables gameplay elements help players move through each area to find the key tidbits that reveal why they are there and what they must do to survive. All the while, public transportation is still operational, as a bus will regularly stop at each location. Zombies ride for free.
Survival
Recreating the classic mode of just purely surviving the shambling, incoming Zombie horde, Survival mode allows you to play 1-4 players co-op in specific locations from the much larger Tranzit area.
Grief
You and friends can take on up to 4 people in a team vs. Zombies vs. team scenario. 2-8 players are thrown in a situation to be the last humans standing.
MP Technology with Zombies: Call of Duty: Black Ops II features new and extensive stat tracking as well as leaderboards for bragging rights. New skill-based matchmaking system will allow players of the same ability to take on the horrors of the night in public game modes. For players that are looking for an extra challenge, Zombies features custom games: Headshots only, higher starting rounds, and toggling of extra items are all available. | video-games_xbox |
Pleasing the Picky in Modern Times. As a PC Gamer coming to consoles, I have a hard time finding a first-person shooter that I'm even barely competent in. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for the X-Box is one of the very best examples I've seen so far. It has a very "playable" feel, making my WASD-familiar brain feel very comfortable switching over to the XBox controller. While I've seen more than one title using very obvious auto-aim, making your reticle snap-to and stick or making anyone in the neighborhood of your shots suddenly sprout magnets and pull fire to them, CoD: Modern Warfare doesn't do this. Instead it just makes it easier for me to aim while I'm running and/or crouching, jumping, etc. It's just plain easier to multi-task. Given that I typically have some pretty hefty hardware on the PC, I'd expected the XBox 360 version to be toned down a bit, and I was pleasantly surprised when things looked just as sharp on the console as they do on the PC. My co-workers talked me into this and I'm looking forward to having some people I know to bring me into the multi-player action.
Unfortunately, there's one thing about the Game of the Year Edition for the XBox that grates: it's no different than the regular edition. While the PC version offers extras, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare for the X-Box no longer gives you the bonus map pack for paying extra and purchasing the Game of the Year Edition: any additional map packs (I found one) have to be downloaded from the XBox Live store for an extra fee. If you're looking at the GotY edition for multiplayer, keep this in mind as the map pack is approx. 800 points to purchase.
I've now played this game's Single-Player Campaign through more than once, and loved it. Like other titles in the Call of Duty series, it uses team-based play, and simulates your team using the computer to "drive" your teammates. Continuing in the tradition of the other titles, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare adds more structure to the missions, more life to the characters, and more depth to the story. You spend most of the game as new recruit 'Soap' MacTavish, but you also get to flash back to an earlier point in the story, play as your commanding officer, and learn more about him.
One odd departure from other games is that there are storyline sequences that are not exactly "playable", but neither are they cutscenes. You live a segment of the storyline through the eyes of the person going through it. These are short, so they don't frustrate, and what they do is heighten the drama. It's an interesting technique, and because it isn't overused, it works well here to keep the storyline going.
Another great pacing trick is that the storyline spans countries. It crosses continents and it puts you in more than one spot: one of my favorites was manning three guns using night-vision cameras aboard a large plane as it provides air support to your team on the ground. Overall, the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare graphics are very detailed, the environments feel authentic, and the sounds impressed me. I liked the dialogue and I really enjoyed the fact that my teammates seemed to be somewhat intelligent. There were some really neat goals in each mission, and I have fond memories of the adrenaline rush. I'm delighted that they made a Modern Warfare 2. | video-games_xbox |
MVP 04' Is The Best Baseball Game Out There. If your looking for an outstanding baseball game then you need not look further! This game is the best! The graphics are second to none and the game play is smooth with very, very few glitches. I've played other new MLB games, like All-Star 2005 for example, and the camera angles make the easiest plays seem difficult. You control every aspect of the game from the swing, in the EA Pure Swing System, to the type of slide into the bag, to the different dives, snags, leaps, and bounds on defense! MVP 04'also includes legendary players/teams, reto uniforms, and even the classic stadiums! In the new Dynasty mode you're able to build a franchise from the minors to the majors, with the Free Agency, for up to 120 years, through typical play, sim, and the new manage mode! The new manage mode allows you to control the games every moves from a manager's view through commands! Aside from the classic extras included like the Home Run Showdown, and player editor MVP 04' includes a Pitcher Showdown, a race for K's, and a scenario editor, where you pick the situation (the inning, # outs/runners/runs, the pitcher, and the batter)! Also, just like in EA's Madden series MVP 04' has an EA Bio, Gamer Levels, Accomplishments, Profiles , and rewards! It's no wonder why MVP is the #1 selling MLB game! This game has it all! Truely, the only thing missing is online play, which is availible on PS2. I highly recommend this game to any baseball fan or casual sports gamer! Do yourself a favor and buy this game! There's so much to do its unbelievable! If you don't believe me then rent it, but you'll just be wasting $5 and valuable time that could be spent on buying the game! MVP 2004 is the BEST BASEBALL GAME TO DATE! Don't let the 2004 date fool you either when compared to other games with a 2005 date, the rosters are current as of Feb 2004, so! Buy this game! You won't regret it! | video-games_xbox |
Highly Addictive Zombie Killing Mayhem. Greetings,
Dead Rising is highly addictive. I have played this game for hours. You want to put the controller down, but a part of you desires to play longer an see what's next. The latter tends to win over the former.
I have played many survival horror games. Dead Rising re-invents the genre very well. There are no annoying puzzles. Weapons are everywhere. Defeating enemies is challenging, but you won't rip out your hair trying to defeat them. The storyline has several original elements, which is touch since this is a game about zombies. Best of all, a player doesn't have to find every secret or save every survivor in order to achieve the best ending. They player just has to solve the main cases and beat the clock.
The most important thing to consider is Dead Rising uses a MELEE COMBAT system. Guns are in the game, but they are not very useful. The best weapons are the Katana, the Baseball Bat, the Bench, the Soccer Ball, and the clown's Short Chainsaw. (It has a wider strike range than a standard chainsaw.) If you must have a gun, the Shotgun is the way to go.
Therefore, if you are a person that likes to run and gun, this isn't the game for you.
If you love to punch, bash, slice, and smash things, definitly buy this game.
Here are a few things to note.
1-- You can only have one save per Gamer ID. There are no limits to saving, but you can't have multiple saves under the same name. If you want to try different paths and strategies, you have to either return to your saved point or restart from Day #1.
2-- You character levels up throughout the game. If you die, you can transfer your progress into a new game. This is good, because you will need to be around Level 20 in order to make real progress though the game. Leveling up is easy too. It just takes a little patience.
3-- There are characters that you can rescue in the game. Rescuing people helps you level up very quickly. Unfortunately, the AI for the the characters is terrible. They get lost. They are slow. Some have to be carried or lead by the hand. They don't say away during boss battles. Thank goodness, saving people is not required to get the best ending.
4-- The story takes plays over the course of several days. Sometimes, you have to stand around and wait for events to happen. This can be annoying at times.
5-- This is an XBox 360 game. That means it looks best on a High Definition TV. If you do not have HDTV, you should rent this game first. Make sure you can live with how the game looks on your screen.
On a sale of 0.0 to 5.0, with 5.0 being the top...
Graphics - 5.0
Sound - 4.5
Gameplay - 3.5 (crappy rescue AI)
Originality - 4.5
Fun Factor - 4.0 (waitng around for events to happen)
Replay Value - 5.0 | video-games_xbox |
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