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Best action game since the 2D era. I actually give this game 4.5 stars, it isn't perfect but 4 stars don't do it justice.
Remember playing Ninja Gaiden or Contra or something from the NES back in the day. The games made you want to break the controller and you usually had to face a boss a few times before you had him mastered enough to squeak by. And sometimes there was this piece you just couldn't pass. It was frustration, yet rewarding. You experienced some of the most memorable and epic moments in gaming that way. This game is like that.
Sure it's not the late 1980s anymore but this new Ninja Gaiden is a worthy installment and does a good job of adapting the classic feeling to the series. It's full of fast paced action, yet you still feel in control. You could slice by enemies with little effort if you perform well but you can also get careless and die at any moment. Despite being a game full of fast action, it also has some defense moves, blocking, jumping, and above all rolling that really becomes key to pacing the action in your favor and getting out of harms way. You can upgrade your blade and other weapons you pick up along the way including different kinds of nunchucks. This never gets tedious it's not like an RPG, it's just a simple 2 or 3 level upgrade that makes your weapon a bit stronger.
Graphics, sound, and all production elements are up to scale with all the other great games. You get a lot of different levels including army camps, caves, cities, airships most which are actually connected to each other. Only early in the game when you start in your home town which looks like a basic ancient Japanese town and then board an Airship, will you jump to the level without actually getting there during gameplay or showing a cut scene of how you got there. All in all the graphics and action all flow very smoothly.
The game isn't perfect, some people complain it's too hard, and the camera is a problem. People said the same thing when the original Devil May Cry came out. And yeah, the camera sometimes puts you in a vulnerable position because you can't see, but I wouldn't even of thought of complaining about that if I hadn't heard other people talking about the camera problems. I think that's just the genre, you got to deal with it. It's not a first person shooter.
The only real flaw I can think of is that the main attack button is the same as the button used to interact with the environment to solve light puzzles. And sometimes during the middle of the action you'll suddenly interact with something, whether it's a downed Ninja that's holding something, a box with arrows or a door. You'll be in the middle of the intense action and suddenly get near a door without even knowing and you'll be transferred to the other side of the door which is a different section all because the button to interact with doors is the same as the main attack button. This could have easily of been avoided by the developers. | video-games_xbox |
objective review from a ps3 gamer. I recently traded my buddy my playstation for his Xbox. My friend requested it so that he could play exclusives such as God of War III, Heavy Rain, and Uncharted 2 among others. I have gamefly so the first and only Xbox exclusive that really came to mind was Mass Effect 2. Granted its a PC game too, my top of the line gaming pc is basically worthless now and I'm a starving student so a new rig is out of the question which is why the console will continue to thrive. I have played most bioware games including kotr and the recently released dragon age orgins. after seeing gameplay demos trailers etc i began intrest with it. As soon as i got it I dove in. I have played some of the first game but otherwise I have no comparison to the original. The controls are perfected to a balanced combat/cover system that is as rpg oriented as it is action. Gameplay is smooth and shooting is great. no matter your class sniper or assault the weapons are different easy to use and are upgradeable. The graphics are smooth, somewhat detailed environments and epic settings. it may appear to be more of an action game than an RPG by first glance but this is as deep as RPG elements go. Great Leveling and uprgrade systems, living on the normandy is an ecosystem of a home base and through navigating the universe you come to meet stellar NPCs all with side quests and backstory to complete a large universe. besides the normandy, you literally explore the universe navigating to solar systems ranging from ours to distant galaxies. I heard complaints of the first having generic planet side missions and in this it has been narrowed down to just some planetary missions that vary in plot and setting. I really think that this story is up there in space classics like Star wars and Star Trek among others and is approaching the depth of those universes. The story, dialogue is almost flawless. choice is a strong key for the game and plays a great role of allowing you to evolve your characteristics that range from diabolical to heavenly and unlike most games that try to implement similar features you can become morally grey with equal footing on both renegade and paragon. This creates a much more realistic and balanced character IMO. all in all a great game the only flaws that i see are a few glitches, some boring dialog with the occasional character but there is very little that detracts from the experience. a finely crafted game that is somehow just shy of nirvana and being the masterpiece. if mass effect 3 contains subtle improvements from the second it will no doubt be the crowning achievement of the series and perhaps the publisher as well. a must have. I wish i could have played through the first and continued the story in the second and in the furture with the third. there is absolutely no reason the game could not be ported to the playstation and I still have hopes the series will come to the playstation. I'm no fanboy but the games I want are always ps3 exclusives. besides this game which is also on PC and the new splinter cell I have few other 360 exclusives I desire to play. I have played every halo game so far and while the multiplayer community is great the actual game is far from unique or special | video-games_xbox |
Xbox ONE the one and only NEXT Gen. So after about 6 hours of gaming I think i saw more or less the most functions, which where implemented in the system.
First of all this premium-quality console was manufactured so well, you cannot compare it to the old XBOX 360. The design may not be an Apple one but it's still nice to look at it, to be honest it doesn't bother anyone if there's a black high-quality console under ur TV, which won't win prices for its design. :D
Their a 5 reasons why i decided to choose the XBOX ONE instead of the PS4, which is a great console as well.
--Hardware--
Firstly the hardware, anyone knows that the hardware specs are quite similar to the Ps4; Xbox got the better CPU and the PS4 the better GPU, anyway to be honest the Xbox is right now slightly less powerful than the ps4. If I remind u the xbox 360 was slightly less powerful as well, the most of the games looked greater on the 360. So we will see on which plattform the games will better look within the next 1,5 years, when the developers adapted to the new consoles. However ,right now u can play on both consoles insanely good looking games like Forza5 in 1080p 60fps or Killer Instinct and to be honest the best looking game of this Next GEN launch is RYSE and not Killzone. I was simply blown away by this amazing graphics and if u take a look at it u won't maintain that the xbox one is slightly less powerful.
So it's an incredibly well-designed console with enough power for the next decade (with the aid of the CLOUD ).
--Graphics&Audio--
Like I already mentioned, when i saw Forza5 or Ryse i was sitting stunned in front of my tv, due to the really amazing graphics, in the end it's up to the developers to optimise their games for each platform and to be honest if you compare the graphics of both consoles u will notice that first party games look better on xbox one and third party games slightly better on ps4. Why? it's quite simple, the developers didn't got the finished console when they started developing just half- finished dev-kits. So they didn't had enough time to adapt themselves on the next gen and optimise the games on each platform. We will definitely see 1080p 60fps games on both consoles as a standard. Think about the launch titles of the xbox 360 or ps4 how crappy they looked compared to todays blockbusters like halo 4 or Gears of war 3 on the 360 or killzone3 or uncharted on the ps4.
So Graphics and Audio quality is amazing and it definitely looks like Next gen. After the launch titles, which look mostly incredibly amazing, we will see mostly every game in 1080p 60fps whithin the next 1-2 years, just give the developers time to adapt theier current gen engines to the next gen.
--Xbox Live--
I think I don't have to say much about it, in my opinion it's still the best online network for gaming. Well-designed and structured and u will see how much money they invested to get Xbox LIVE better again. 60 bucks a year is nothing compared what they offer u. So if u want to play mostly online, then u should buy an xbox one. It's simply more technically mature than the ps4 network.
Microsoft build server farms with more than over 300.000 servers for about 700.000.000 US dollars.
--CLOUD--
With the new cloud the power of the xbox one is limitless, a few examples of the cloud:
Forza 5 uses the Cloud to simulate the AI of drivers by looking at real human drivers, i cannot explain it very well how it works, but it works.
If u wanna play online COD without any lags u should buy an XBOX one, this is the only console which can offer dedicated servers like on the pc, just possible due to the power of the cloud.
--Controller&Kinect2.0--
The 360 controller was the best controller of the last gen and i thought it would be impossible to improve the controller, however they managed it. It's sensibly improved and ergonomic like never before. Now i'm waiting to get this controller for my pc.
Kinect 2.0 is simply awesome and it's a whole new experience. It works smoother, more accurate and really fast, voice control and gesture control is something i have never seen before, it works sensational which a precision i would have never dreamed of.
Kinect 2.0 is really groundbreaking technology and it is way better than the ps eye.
I think we will see lots of incredble things in the next years, just possible with this genius piece of technology. If developers learn to use it reasonably than it could revolutionise the gaming industry and due to kinect 2.0 the xbox ONE is the one and only next gen console. The innovation potential is soooo much higher than on sony's console, because they can't deliver that experience.
The ps4 is a well-designed console but it simply relys on the graphics power, Microsoft designed a powerful console as well on which u can play absolutely amazing looking games, but therer is also this groundbreaking piece of technology with kinect 2.0 which enables a brand new experience i have never seen before.
--Games--
The launch line-up is not the best, but there is at least one game for the most common genres. Third party games like cod, ac4 black flag,bf4 or fifa14 which is included by the day one edition.
The first party games arr also great with games like forza5, dead rising and imo the best looking game of this launch line up ryse.
Ryse is actually looking better than killzone 4 and it shows you with this amazing graphic how powerful this next gen is.
I'm looking forward to blockbusters like Destiny, Watch dogs, Titanfall, Fable Legends, Halo 5 and Quantum Break.
SO there are a lot of games coming the next year, which will show u why u bought a Next gen Console.
As a result I definitely recommend buying this next gen console to everyone, who wanna play with the most sophisticated hardware and software, on the market. Beside the incredibly amazing graphics the experience u will get with kinect 2.0 is way better than i got on my ps4.
XBOX one combines amazing graphics, the best controller, the power of the cloud, best exclusive titles and especially new gaming experiences, which weren't able without kinect 2.0, so u will definitely notice this amazing piece of technology is built for the future. | video-games_xbox |
Great Game! Wish it were better. I really liked this game. It's not perfect, though. The other reviewers nailed it pretty well. I think the main problem is it is trying to do too much. You can do with the predator just about everything you see in the movies, which is awesome at times. But the controls are difficult to learn and master. Probably the best way for me to handle a review is to just list all the pros and cons.
PROS:
- Awesome graphics, especially on the predator.
- Interesting, unpredictable, non-linear story that makes you think.
- Can do EVERYTHING with the predator that you see in the movies.
- Predator sound effects are PERFECT.
- Great Aliens cameo and story tie-in, with Weyland Industries and "Mother".
- Incredible selection of Predator weapons, with all that is seen in the movies.
- Unlockable predator costumes, including costumes from Predator 1, 2, and AVP.
- Good animation.
- Neat moves you can do with the predator, looks just like the movies.
- Camouflage looks great, as does the rooftop jumping and wall climbing.
- Some replay value in the form of unlockable trophies, costumes, and challenges.
- Unlockable Trophies in the ship look cool.
- Near-future setting is pretty neat.
- Interesting levels, with a lot of variety.
- Challenging difficulty - just right.
- Fun.
CONS:
- Complex, unwieldy controls that are not intuitive and difficult to master (This is the biggest problem by far. If you can't persevere through this, then you won't experience how good the rest of the game really is, and I can't say that I'd blame you).
- Graphics on the other characters are not so great.
- Level objectives sometimes confusing.
- Story may be too confusing (or "out there") for some.
- Unlockable Predator challenges are not very fun to play. (I would rather kill something than run a timed obstacle course.)
- Invisible walls block you all over the place.
- Predator can only climb certain walls. (Why? Why? Why???)
- Camouflage drains energy too quickly to be of much use.
- Linear gameplay, with little or no level exploration.
In short, I thought it was a good game, but I felt like it could have been more. The negative things the other reviewers are saying here are true. Still, it was fun to play and I am happy that I bought it. This one is really expensive and hard to find. But if you're a hard-core Aliens Predator junkie like I am, it may be worth the effort. Just keep in mind what people are saying about the controls. It really is difficult at first. But once you get used to it, the game itself is a worthy experience.
Thanks for reading! | video-games_xbox |
Great For the Occassional Gamer. I don't really consider myself to be a gamer. I enjoy playing video games and having grown up with a joystick and playing Atari games, I've gotten decent at using the multifunctional controller. Still I am anything but an expert. Also, I enjoy playing games that have a storyline that goes with them (even in video games, story is all). Therefore, from the perspective of an amatuer video game player who enjoys playing games that have a good story, I found BROKEN SWORD: THE SLEEPING DRAGON to be quite enjoyable and entertaining.
The plot of the game revolves around a conspiracy that is collecting ancient artifacts to release an evil power in which they hope to control the world. The two main characters of the game are George Stobbart and Nico Collard (apparently they have appeared together in two previous installations of this series). George is kind of an adventurer/archeologist and Nico is a reporter. In attempting to unravel the mystery surrounding the "Voynich Manuscript" the game takes the pair from the jungles of the Congo, to castles in Prague, to the streets of Paris, and the historic English village of Glastonbury. Along the way they meet several interesting characters that both help and hinder their progress to keep the Sleeping Dragon from awakening.
BROKEN SWORD: THE SLEEPING DRAGON is an easy game to play. The game is very user friendly. It contains several puzzles that one must solve, but with a little bit of common sense and some extra thought, most are quite easily solved. I was able to beat the game in a couple of evenings.
The only major drawbacks of the game is that it takes an incredibly long time to load up between scenes. Also, unlike some adventure games, once you've beaten this game, there isn't anything to go back and play again.
Expert gamers might find this game rather dull and could probably beat the game in a few hours. However, for those who haven't played many video games and like a good story, this is a game that they might enjoy. | video-games_xbox |
Red Light on the Power Supply, Got it from Gamestop. Btw i may give it another shot:)
Well i kept my Elite had the extra money so i decided to get this and try it out to see if i wanted to sell my Elite to my lil nephew who wants and Xbox. Plugged it in started downloading my online games, froze up around 90% on Trials HD. I proceeded to hit all the buttons on the controller(which had a lose piece of something making noise on the inside of it), went up hit the button to shut it down, nothing, so i unplugged it back in. Felt the system it was blazing(note:i have a totally open entertainment system with my HD TV, PS3, etc. not a thing closed in. Upon plugging the system back in the power pack was also extremely hot, then guess what? You guessed it, red light came on, and no power no nothing for the whole system. I'v seen some things about the system having the red light when you power up the system but it wouldnt even beep to turn on, NOTHING!. I work on computers for a living and am stunned that something straight out of the box could fry so quickly. My thought is that the brick itself isn't running enough power, or the +/- going through the system power supply is blowing out, for what reason? I have no clue. The only other thing i know is with all the new system ventilation your more likely to get extreme Static Discharge on your unit, so definitely do not set it on any kind of plush carpet or touch it if you feel a slight bit of static shock on anything around it. Thats really the only thing i can think of at the moment that could be the issue, i don't bother with tech support i just took it back and they gave me a full refund. They said usually they don't but they were actually expecting problems, so they are making exceptions. Good thing i didn't trade my Elite, i've had 0 problems with it from day one. Love xbox but i guess there are still touchy issues, which is expected with a new system. Also have a PS3 0 problems, so i think its just luck of the draw here. All the computer issues i see with dust, cat hair, ever pure dirt clocking up ventilation, power supplies, fans etc. it seems electronics just aren't made like they use to be. 35 year old man here, so no kids i'm not your fan boy dork, or some TROLL teen as the kids say. Whatever that means. So just be careful with this one.
UPDATE:I'd like to add that, If your old enough to remember, nintendos(original) and ataris, they took so much beating and lasted forever. Also stereos, even older computers took a LOT more abuse and lasted a long long time as well. Technology is becoming a very advanced process, much different from the old days, more power, more speed, and a more vast array of visuals are just stunning the world now, so it stands to reason the new stuff has trouble. Also your packing the power of a large desktop computer into a small compact unit, so yes there will be heat, and other issues as well with so much in something so small. Just like laptops will never beat a desktop for gaming, same reason, size, and they have the same issues. So hopefully it will get rectified, as i said love Xbox, just got a lemon. | video-games_xbox |
Everything is awesome! Oops, wrong franchise. The Xbox One version of this game is about what you would expect: Awesome.
Are the graphics noticeably better with breathtaking hi-res textures and more complex polygons and animations? Ha! But that's not what Minecraft is about.
There's no real story or campaign or objectives in Minecraft. You simply start out, have a variety of tools and environments to explore/destroy/build upon, and do whatever you want from there.
Complexity ranges from ultra simple (TNT go boom lolz!), to as horrendously complex as you want to make it (wiring switches to do all kinds of crazy things, create meta-games, and so forth).
There's the standard mode where you have a life bar, more limited resources (which forces you to craft/farm/mine for resources), and enemies. Or creative mode which is more suited for purely creating awesome stuff faster and easier. You can fly, move super fast, have unlimited materials, and so forth. Creative mode will prove to be a much easier way to build that replica Death Star you've been wanting for so long.
The console versions of Minecraft are always a little bit behind the PC version in terms of updates, but most won't notice or care except the die-hard Minecrafters. I prefer the console version simply because I prefer my couch to my office chair.
One important thing to note is that if you bought the Xbox 360 version previously (digital), you can purchase the Xbox One (digital) version from the Xbox Store for a discounted $4.99, which was totally worth it in my opinion. The Xbox One version also has many new achievements compared with the 360 version (1000 points worth vs 200 points). You may not care about these, but I personally love trying to fully explore the games and unlock all their achievements, so this adds a *lot* of replay value for me. Some of them will take quite some time to attain as they can't be unlocked in Creative mode.
But digital discounts aside, I generally prefer disc versions of games. Physical games tend to go on better sales and more frequent sales, they help me expand my fairly expansive physical game library, I don't have to worry as much about disk space, I can lend the game to a friend or resell it, and I have the pleasant feeling of actually owning something tangible. But if these perks don't interest you, the convenience of digital is nice to have to (switch games without swapping discs).
It might take awhile of tinkering around with the game before you "get it", but once you do, it can be a lot of fun. | video-games_xbox |
Almost identical to last year. This is pretty much the same as last year's game and since I really enjoyed '12 I would have given this 4 stars but there are a few instances where they got lazy... If you are into college football you don't have any alternatives so decide if the $60 (game + shipping + tax) is worth it to you. For those who don't already own '12 this will be a 5 star or 4.5 star game. So what do I mean lazy:
1 Rosters aren't updated, at least not correctly. Arizona's roster is missing the Sr QB who will be starting this year. I can see them giving us the LB who left the team a few weeks ago because timing wise that's though to keep up with. But the QB is a redshirt SR who has been on the roster going on his 5th year (and was previously a starter).
2 Stadiums aren't updated. Arizona stadium doesn't have the large 'jumbotron' in the South end zone that was installed and in use last season (in real life). It's the 3rd largest screen in college football so it's kinda hard to miss. Last years game didn't have it but I gave them a pass because it was new.
This is just 1 team, but it's in a major conference and it's very easy to get the info (any sports site will have rosters and if that's too much effort then just request the media guide from all the Big 6 schools which they'll readily provide). Did they update your team? You may have to take that chance.
I am a Dynasty player and they have made a few changes, most notably recruiting. When you set up your preseason recruiting board you will notice 20:00 SCOUT time. Be sure to use this before you start your season because once the season begins you only get 3:00 hours per week. Scouting is used to identify "gems" and "busts".
Gameplay is similar with only slight tweaks. The graphics are ever so slightly better. Some controls have changed (option pitch is now L1 rather than L2). Broadcast team has the same commentary you're already familiar with from '12.
To 'save the earth' the game doesn't come with a manual, it's loaded onto the game disc. A noble effort for sure, but the brochure included is printed in black and white rather than color, leading me to believe they were driven by printing costs rather than more noble concerns. Not that you need the printed manual but it's something I had become accustomed to.
I will still be playing this game a lot (especially between now and late August), but thought for the $ they could have worked a little harder on updates. | video-games_xbox |
Batman: Arkham Asylum from an aging hardcore gamer's perspective. I want to state that I'm not really a comic reader and a gamer foremost. I think it's safe to say that at this point, any Batman or comic book fan will tell you this game is awesome. But how does it stand on its own as a video game? This is what I want to share as a hardcore gamer.
The glaringly best thing about the game is that you feel like Batman. Being Batman, or any super powerful character with plenty of gadgets - licensed or otherwise, is fun when it's done correctly and Batman: Arkham Asylum's gameplay mechanics in this regard shine brightly. The gameplay is broken up into three main parts: beating up unarmed foes, incapacitating armed foes through stealthy means, and using detective skills to look for clues on how to proceed. The combat system is quite intuitive, and really highlight Batman's martial arts training since he can engage several unarmed thugs at once as he melees and counters his way through the crowd. It works beautifully, and you feel like a total badass when you can clear a room without breaking a sweat.
I am actually having a hard time deciding which aspect of the game I enjoy more: the brawling with the unarmed thugs, or the stealth with the armed thugs. In the stealth mode, Batman encounters several armed thugs at once, and he takes major damage from gunfire so the best plan of attack is "Predator style". To take out armed thugs, Batman makes use of quietly sneaking up behind enemies to silenty incapacitate them, or he can make use of floor grates or his hookshot to travel where the enemies won't see him. Perching above enemies allows Batman to hang upside down like a bat and take out any enemy walking by, or he can go with a less stealthy method and simply fly down and knock them out. In any case, the stealth and the combat are the most enjoyable aspects of the game.
The detective skills aspect of the game is "passable", making the adventure aspect of the game a bit mediocre. At any time, Batman can enter Detective mode, changing the way he views the environment. In this mode, the colors are practically inverted, and items or clues that should be investigated are colored in orange. The clues in general aren't really much deeper than a breadcrumb trail to the next objective (you won't be doing any Phoenix Wright style investigations or piecing together clues), so the whole detective aspect of the game doesn't have any depth. Another issue I have with the Detective mode is that if you want to be aware of clues or any hidden items in the world, you pretty much have to run through the game with the Detective mode on at all times. I've spent the majority of my time in this inverted color mode, and don't even know what the real graphics of the game world looks like. That's just poor game design right there - I would have preferred that the colors weren't all inverted while the important stuff is still highlighted for the player.
The Unreal Engine 3 works very well here, along with the music, sound, and vocals - providing for a very impressive presentation. I imagine that those who are fans of Batman and have desperately wanted to play a good one will giggle with glee when they play through Batman: Arkham Asylum. There's a ton of background material and references to popular characters in the Batman universe that get unlocked throughout the game. Unfortunately for me, as I'm not really a fan of the Batman universe, they come off as simple "collectathon" stuff that adds more fluff to a game I wish had more depth than its combat system.
One more negative: who was responsible for designing the bosses in this game? There are so many memorable villains in the Batman universe and we end up having to fight practically the same generic boss for most of the game? I'll admit that the first encounter was enjoyable since it did have some sound boss design, but by the fourth or fifth encounter I was shocked that the same fight was reused shamelessly throughout the game. If the developers every comes out with a sequel, they better have someone devoted to just bosses because this is probably the biggest negative in the game.
All in all, I think this game is enjoyable and a must-buy for Batman fans, but far from a revolutionary game such as BioShock (Game Informer calls Batman: AA this year's BioShock). Although this is what it's like to play a Batman game done right, would it still be as highly rated if it wasn't a Batman game? Most likely not, as hunting for hidden packages (disguised as Riddler's challenges in the game) are not enough to give the adventuring aspect of the game any real depth. Luckily for us, I think we're all a little bit biased towards wanting to be Batman, so the game's faults are easier to forgive. | video-games_xbox |
Centerpiece of a great setup. Alright, here's the deal. I ordered this as the centerpiece of an elaborate driving sim setup. The parts are as follows:
Thrustmaster VG Racing Wheel Servo Base (This product)
Thrustmaster VG T3PA-PRO 3-Pedal Add-On Set (Pedals)
Thrustmaster VG TM Leather 28 GT Wheel Add-On (Wheel)
Thrustmaster 4060059 Playstation(R)3/Playstation(R)4/Xbox One(TM)/PC TH8A Add-On (Shifter)
APIGA AP2 Foldable Racing Simulator Stand plus gearshift mount (What holds it all together)
So, putting all these things together I got a few things. Firstly, the headaches. Connecting this stuff to your PC is not plug and play. Each game seems to read each components differently. My main use was Project Cars with the HTC Vive VR headset. Project Cars does have a menu section for wheel controllers, but nothing really fits this setup. I had to manually assign most of the inputs for the game. The big stickler was the shifter, which I connected to the Wheel Servo Base, which made sense because it has a cord that plugs right in. Wrong. The shifter also had a USB connector that ignores the servo base altogether. That was what I wanted, and after fighting that the shifter started registering in the game. Pedals, wheel, stand, everything else was a peach, no problems whatsoever. The base is heavy, but yes it folds up nicely, and yes it functions well with my rolling computer chair.
Pairing all of this with the Vive is the great result. An immersive, accurate experience, with faults lying mainly in the software. To speak of the Thrustmaster components only though I have no complaints. Force feedback is as good as the game tells it to be, the pedals are satisfyingly responsive, and the whole arrangement is true to the cockpit view Project Cars offers.
As for other games I cannot say, but my experience leaves me no reason to think these parts won't give an amazing experience on other PC or console titles. If you can organize the cords and set it up permanently all the better. My situation demands that I put it all away after each use, and in that regard it works reasonably well. Definitely recommended. | video-games_xbox |
DOA battery. I just picked up two Xbox 360 Wireless Controller with Transforming D-Pad and Play and Charge Kits. (Silver)
One of them had the red light flash to green, and then I found the unplug-and-plug in trick to get the red light to stay red and actually charge. Now the charge shows at 50% on the home screen so I'm going to assume that it might stick, but I'm worried that the battery will have a shorter lifespan.
The other one doesn't show a battery on the home screen at all, and doesn't even flash red or green when I plug it in. Totally DOA.
Things I've tried:
* Controller 1 is now fully charged, so I know that controller and cable are good. I took the dead battery out of Controller 2 and put it into Controller 1, and then plugged in the working cable. Flashed green, stayed dead. No battery icon on home screen.
* Put charged battery 1 (from Controller 1) into Controller 2. Attached cable for Controller 2. Light turned red for a few seconds, then changed to green. Shows up as full battery on home screen. So the problem is not with controller #2 or cable #2.
My diagnosis: Battery #2 is dead, possibly from being on the shelves for too long. (Packaging was intact and looked factory-sealed.)
I then went to the Xbox support chat line, and I now have a service # to return the dead battery -- at a cost of $7-$10 postage in Canada.
Seriously, in what universe is it acceptable to ship a non-working product retail priced at $70 and then tell me I have to pay $7 postage to get a replacement one?
It would be cheaper to just get replacement rechargeable AA batteries. At least they work out of the box.
Love the games, love the Kinect, just can't believe the customer service on the super-expensive peripherals.
Funniest part of the chat:
Me: Do you have any recommendations for NON-microsoft branded controllers? They're half the price.
Microsoft: We do not really recommend third party XBOX controllers because they are not well-tested on the console and we do not really know how they would behave.
Microsoft: There is a 50-50 chance that third party controllers work on the XBOX.
Me: Well, there's a 50-50 chance that Microsoft BRANDED peripherals WORK, based on the two controllers that I bought last night.
Microsoft: I would know how this is bad for you. | video-games_xbox |
Soul crushing sadness. To see what they have done to my favorite franchise makes my wanna cry. THIS IS NOT NINJA GAIDEN!!! This is the worst game I have played in a very long time. I've played every Ninja Gaiden game going way back and this is by far the worst game they have ever done, Even the pointless remakes that were the exact same game just harder and a few different bad guys but at least that was still the same game. This is something totally different. It doesn't have the same speed and flow of the any of the other games or the freedom to completely control your guy. And the cut scenes.. My God, the stupid stupid cut scenes that kill the game and make it that much more unbearable. Its so sad to see the coolest most responsive games of all time get treated like this. They tried so hard to make this a game for everyone by taking away everything that made this game so much fun and rewarding. It was known for being ungodly hard and super fast and brutal and now its just some bloated slow boring piece of filth that tries to play its self off as something new. The only people that will tolerate this game are the people that have never played any of the next gen titles before it. If it sounds like I'm yelling and a little teary eyed thats because I truly am. This is my favorite series of all time and to see it turn into this pile of garbage is just depressing. First Madden turns into a child's arcade game and now Ninja Gaiden has turned into a soulless neutered waist of time and money. I will be writing, emailing, calling or whatever I have to do to get in contact with Team not so Ninja and tell them exactly what I think of this awful awful game. . Sorry for making this review so personal but I had to get it off my chest before I went crazy from disappointment. Please do not waist your money on this game. You would have more fun playing dodge ball with a porcupine than playing this slow monstrosity of a game. | video-games_xbox |
Great Gaming + Entertainment System. <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Xbox-One-500GB-Console-with-Kinect-Bundle-Includes-Chat-Headset/dp/B015YD91ZW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Xbox One 500GB Console with Kinect Bundle (Includes Chat Headset)</a>
Received the unit few days back. Everything works perfect. Here the Pros & Cons.
Pros
+ Kinect : Easy to control XBox and TV with voice. The Dance / Fitness games are fun. Practicing Fantasia (got from Library) / Lets Dance 2014 (bought from BBuy).
+ Hi-Fi Games : Games are so refined and next level in Graphics/FX. Trying to Play F1 2015. It takes time for newbies. Have to try the Top Rated Games (Halo 5, Just Cause, Gears of War, Tomb Raider). Am too a Beginner.
+ Smart TV Apps : If you have Non-Smart TV then this will make your TV Smart (NetFlix, HBO Go, you name it.).
+ One Drive : I have lot of media on my One Drive. XBox fetches the content with my live id. Watching Photos with controller is awesome. Especially Zoom and Pan the images via RT, LT.
+ Blu-Ray : XBox can play Bluray discs. Need to install Bluray app. It's Free.
+ Free Games : Xbox has couple of free games on App store. I really like "Airmech Arena". It's online only game. But very good to play.
+ Design: The console design/Matte finish is great. Has plenty of vents for air flow. Fits well on my TV stand.
+ 360 games : MS released patch to play old 360 Games on XBox one. At present it has couple of games. Expecting MS will release more by 2016.
+ Motion Feedback : MS fixed rotors inside Game controller for players to feel motion feedback. It's fun when playing Race Games like F1, NFS.
Cons
- Time to setup : It took more than 20 minutes to setup for the first time. It downloads over 2 GB firmware update for XBox, Kinect and Controller.
- Controller pair : At first the controller didn't get pair and xbox light was blinking for sometime. Then I searched for solution on google. Had to press the pair button on XBox console (on side above USB Port) and press Pair button on front side of controller. If you are familiar with XBox then it's not an issue.
- Power Brick : Not sure why the Power brick is really designed like Brick. It's so heavy and huge. Does it have internal fan to cool the circuits? :)
- Cables : The XBox Power cable and Kinect cable are so thick. For me, it's bit difficult to fit/hide in my TV stand. It's not big deal for many.
+ Free Space : 500 GB model shows 364.9 GB for Apps and Games. (Refer attached screenshot.) Installed 2 games and it took 36 GB. It's not a big deal. I still have plenty of storage left. If I used all, will attach my 2 TB Portable HDD.
Overall I like it very much and recommend to those who looking for Gaming + Media Center console. | video-games_xbox |
A new era in movie tie in game design. First off I have to say that Riddick is amazing! I got this game on release and I am really impressed with the amount of polish displayed in the design of the game. The intro to the game is setup like a movie and the first thing that you will notice is how amazingly detailed the world and the characters are. In addition, the story line seems very cool from what I've been able to experience so far. If the ending of the game is anything like the beginning then I can't wait to bust out of jail. Not only are the graphics in this game incredible, but the sound is really well done. All the characters that you meet are very well voice acted and really make you feel like your new home for life is a prison. The game play also deserves to be recognized because this is the best fps on a console since the mighty Halo. The controls feel real good when shooting and also when handing out knuckle sandwiches to your new "neighbors". I was surprised how good the hand to hand combat in the game is. Throwing punch combos and pulling off neck breaking stealth kills is a snap and really cool to experience. The music also deserves recognition since its very moody when it needs to be and also picks up, dynamically, with the action. Overall, the music in the game is very well done and so are the sound effects. The only problem that I have with the game is the lack of multiplayer but I can't fault the developers too much for that because what they were able to accomplish is so much better than a slapped on multiplayer mode. Besides, just because a game is played from the first person perspective it doesn't have to be multiplayer. This game is not just a first person shooter, its more of a first person shooter, rpg, adventure, and stealth game; Riddick definitely pulls off that mix with style. The rpg elements in the game are pretty cool. For example, you might get a request from some inmate to kill this dude for a reward if you decide to do it then you can get some money, info, or smokes. The game uses cigarettes as a way to unlock extra material like movie screenshots or concept art and such. Not only that, collecting the cigarettes is pretty cool on their own since the warning labels on them are pretty funny to read. Overall, I have to say that Riddick is definitely a huge surprise. I never expected that this game would be this cool and be based of a movie franchise at that. If you're into action games and are looking for something to start off your summer with a bang or a snap definitely pick up Riddick. Aight, gotta go back to try to bust out of the joint. (...) | video-games_xbox |
Much improved over the original. I was a purchased of the original Two Worlds. I loved that game despite its mountain of problems (and believe me it had plenty). I love open world RPG's like Oblivion and Fallout. When I heard the developers were pledged to fix those problems in the next game and continue what made the original great my interest was peaked.
Now that I have the game, I can say the developers kept their promise. This is far superior to the first one (while keeping and adding to the RPG features that made it great) and in my opinion deserves merit and comparison on the level of other mainstream games.
Short but sweet;
+++ Beautiful graphics - The draw distance is nice and the colors bright and vivid. The shadow and lighting is amazing and the level of detail on the character and monster models is very pretty. I kept finding myself impressed with something different as I went into each new area. 30fps for me throughout with the very occasional stutter.
+++ Interesting Innovations - The magic system is awesome. You could play for days with the different combinations. I like the "equipment sets". Lets me hot swap various equipment builds with the touch of a button. Context sensitive actions are well done such as using the same button for Dash (while running), Sneak (while standing), etc. Crafting is a ton of fun and so is Alchemy.
+++ Game is just fun - I really enjoyed walking around and checking out the scenery. The battles are fairly fast paced and the quests progress at a good speed. The inventory screen is standard fair and I found it pretty easy to use. You will find little details like spiders (not the kind you kill that are the size of a cat) hanging from dirty bookshelves and lightning flashes through skylights when the weather outside is bad. I just plain have been having fun playing it so far.
--- Voice Acting - I have heard worse actors, but not much worse. I am pretty sure they got Christian Bale to come in and do his awful Batman voice for the main character because that is what he sounds like in every situation. The Orc women you meet in the beginning was pretty good (The Orcs in general were serviceable) but most of the human characters just don't have any emotion or worse just don't sound like they fit the part.
--- and +++ Story - What can I say about the story. It had been a long time since I played the first one so I couldn't remember what was going on. Man was that hard to find online. What a convoluted story. The new game doesn't do a very good job of recapping or explaining either. The opening cinematic while gorgeous is really confusing. Its clear there was a human/orc battle but not why, what happened, or who won. The NEW story seems a little easier to follow (a bit) than this but fair warning - I think they assume you know all the details of the last one before you jumped into this one. I can tell the jist of whats going on but I like a bit more of that in my RPG's from the beginning. I like to know and feel WHY I am traversing the countryside trying to do whatever im doing.
--- and +++ Cut Scenes - I see what they were going for with the cut scenes and for the most part they are done pretty well. Unfortunately you get yanked from immersion when the cut scene starts and stops in completely different places with little explanation why. I think the story folks and the level folks needed to work closer together. Some of the animations in the cut scenes are pretty hilariously bad but can also be really good. Lip syncing is awful.
--- and +++ Camera System - The game seems to employ some sort of free running style shaky cam for any fast movement. I personally thought it was kind of neat and liked it but my wife said NAY! - it was making her seasick. So be aware of that if you have a sensitive stomach. The camera can be a bit jarring/shaky with fast movement.
I admittedly have only logged a few hours so far but I keep thinking about when I can sit down and play some more and that is always a good sign with me. With Fallout: New Vegas to compete with for my time those are higher marks than normal. I say pick it up. If you like this type of game you won't regret it.
NOTE: I gave the game 4 Stars because it isn't perfect because of above mentioned issues but if there was a half star I would give it 4.5 stars. | video-games_xbox |
If you enjoyed AC Black Flag you will enjoy this. If you enjoyed AC: Black Flag you will enjoy this one as well. The game keeps the same game play as the last one but to me it didn't have a complete story to it. The game takes a turn in the series where the assassins are usually the good guys and Templar's are bad but in this game the roles are reversed. It has an interesting turn of events and I will explain what I liked and what I didn't like about this game.
Game play is exactly like the previous AC games so if you enjoyed them then you will have no problem with this one. The combat was pretty much the same as it always is hit a button to counter then attack to finish them off. There are a few enemies that where this doesnt work but for the most part they all follow this basic format. For me I don't have a problem with it because I have always enjoyed the simple combat. Sea Combat is pretty much the same and still as fun!
Storyline was short and started out good but became a bit confusing as time went on. The game starts out with the main character Shay being an assassin that starts to question the motives of his companions as he is sent in search of stole artifacts taken by Templar agents. During this time he feels anger and remorse as he kills Templars that are unable to defend themselves. Finally something happens that pushes Shay over the edge which leads to him abandoning the assassins and being saved by the Templars. To me if seemed as the story started to fail at this point because there were certain things that the assassins did that made no sense and the game failed to explain to the player. For instance the assassins were using gangs to bully town citizens as well as making poisonous gases for no apparent reason. It would have help to explain Why they were doing this instead of just saying Hey they are just doing it because they are the bad guys in this story. At the start of him abandoning the assassins he starts with a strong sense of justice trying to make up for past deeds and helping people along the way. As the story goes on he starts to fully embrace the True Templar ways becoming a fully agent of their order. All in all I thought the story was good in a lot of parts but because of it not explaining everything I couldn't fully get into it.
I had bought this game while it was on sale and didn't really have any hopes for it but I found it being pretty good. I would recommend this game to anyone who enjoyed black flag. It is pretty much a sequel to that game. Now I am off to play AC: Unity which I brought half off on amazon a few weeks back. From what I have heard between the storyline and numerous bugs I am in for an interesting time. | video-games_xbox |
Extremely nice system and great overall value. I've had the system for several days now and I can say I really enjoy its use. I find that it fits my particular needs extremely well. I ordered the system because I had a burning desire to play some games I just couldn't get on PC (like Sunset Overdrive or NHL 16). I've also been using the standard controller on my Windows 10 machine for a while now (works great with most games that support a 360 controller on Steam). On top of that, I thought the system might help make my channel surfing experience smoother, or at the very least help me save an HDMI port on my TV. I was also happy to hear that less features were being held for ransom behind the XBL Gold paywall (I don't have to pay extra to use Netflix anymore), so I decided to go ahead and buy the system.
The boot time has been quite good, although I don't have a regular or older Xbox One system to compare it to. I'm going to chalk it up to the hybrid drive doing its work. The included controller is also very nice, as expected. Having a standard controller to compare it to, it feels extremely premium. In fact, when you first open the black box, it's the first thing you will notice inside, along with its zipper pouch with the other sticks, other d-pad, and slots for the flippers. I didn't like the look of the disc-like d-pad at first, but using it is an entirely different story. It works very well. Even if you don't like using it, you can always swap it out with a standard d-pad.
The swapping is quite nice for the d-pad and the sticks, and you can tell this is where a lot of extra money that the controller normally costs went. The sticks and the replacement parts are all magnetized and made of a nice metal. Pulling up on the sticks can remove them, but only when done deliberately. In other words, I cannot imagine accidentally pulling them by mistake. You have a choice between the standard sticks, some round-top ones that are a bit taller (and remind me of the Dualshock 3 sticks to some degree), and some tall standard sticks that are supposed to make hairline or sensitive movements easier. You can easily mix and match any combination you like, so maybe people who play FPS games would want a taller stick on the right for aiming and a standard one on the left for ease of movement. There's only two d-pads to choose from (the circle and the standard d-pad), but both are made of metal like the sticks.
There's a system of extra buttons on the back of the controller that you can attach flippers to. This way, you can remap face buttons to the ones on the back. I believe an often cited advantage of this is how FPS players want to be able to keep aiming without having to take their thumb off of the right stick. If you don't want to use the feature, you can easily remove the flippers and put them away in the included pouch. To remap the buttons that the flippers press, you use an accessories app on the system and configure everything you want on the controller. This app is also available on Windows 10, in case you want to configure or use the controller on your PC. This level of customization feels unprecedented on the Xbox platform. I only play FPS games on PC these days because I find it far easier to shoot with the accuracy of a mouse and keyboard, but all these customization options might make me rethink that and give FPS games on consoles another try sometime. There's so much customization on the elite controller that it seems almost daunting for me. More options are always welcome, however.
I don't know if it's the fact that I'm still using XBL Silver, but I see no advertising on my menus at all. I think I saw a few when I first got the system and had set it up that day, but they've gone away and I haven't seen them since. I don't know if I somehow glitched my console or something, since it feels like a lot of space on some of the menus is empty, but this is a welcome addition for me. I remember how repulsed I was by all the intrusive advertising on the 360, and how XBL Gold didn't remove any of it. It's always been common sense to me, but I always wondered why Microsoft didn't just change the way XBL Gold works using advertisements. If I had a choice, I would have XBL Silver allow you to play online and do everything as you please, but with advertisements to support everything, and XBL Gold would be the ad-free option. Makes a lot more sense to me to have a model like that.
I got the system working with my satellite top box, but this is where I have to dock a star. I was pretty excited to get this working with my TV using OneGuide, except I learned I needed to have either an IR blaster or a Kinect to actually change TV channels. Everything else would be there, but changing channels would not work unless you had either of those two options. I also went through a lot of troubleshooting to figure this out. Considering I want a Kinect as far away from my home as possible, I ordered an IR receiver separately. It plugged into the back of my system just fine, although I was a bit baffled by how I had to stick the receivers on the front of my satellite box. Despite that, it all works now, but it's not quite as smooth as I would ideally imagine. When I open the guide, scroll down to some other channel, and try to change channels that way, I can see the system interfacing with my satellite box by entering the channel number. I guess it is a bit difficult or impossible to eliminate the satellite box's GUI and completely replace it with the cleaner, nicer OneGuide interface. On the upside, I did find a way to get my Logitech Harmony remote to work perfectly with the system.
But the reason I dock a star is if Microsoft sells the system knowing fully well you need either an IR blaster or a Kinect to change TV channels, why not include an IR blaster with their non-Kinect consoles? I guess I can understand not including it in cheaper bundles, but for an "Elite" console like this that includes just about everything else (a headset, a braided USB cable, an HDMI cable, etc.), why not include one? If you spend this much on a system, you deserve to have everything you need to use it.
But despite that, OneGuide has another shortcoming. On DirecTV, I have NHL Center Ice, but all of the channels in the OneGuide interface just show the channels as "NHL Center Ice". If I use the slower, clunkier GUI on my satellite box, it shows me what game is on that channel (example: "Maple Leafs at Penguins") or what upcoming game will be on in a few hours. The OneGuide interface looks so much nicer, but doesn't give me any information for these games like the DirecTV box does. I figure if the system can connect to a database of channel guides and know what shows are on standard television channels, why can't it figure it out for the NHL channels? I don't know if it's any better for the NFL, NBA, or MLB channels, so I can't comment on those. UPDATE: The Center Ice channels do show the games, but I have to highlight them in OneGuide to see what game is on that channel. Better than when I didn't know what was happening on the channels, but still not as perfect as it could be. When I try to change the channel to an HD broadcast, the Xbox changes it to the SD channel for some reason. I think this has to do with DirecTV's channel formatting being, for example, that 779 is SD while 779-1 is HD, since OneGuide doesn't pick up on this and only shows 779 as a channel. So when I try to change it to a game on channel 779 that OneGuide tells me is in HD, the Xbox just enters "779" into the satellite box and it goes straight to the SD broadcast.
Aside from that, I'm pleasantly surprised at the backwards compatibility that was introduced this year. It's nice to be able to redownload old XBL Arcade games and play them again, although I have to admit I found it a bit jarring to see the Xbox 360 notifications and overlay screen when playing older titles. Definitely reminds me that the system is emulating the 360. In addition, I find myself liking the DLNA streaming. Of course, I had to explicitly enable my Windows 10 machine to allow streaming to my Xbox One inside of the Windows Media Player options, or else it wouldn't work.
Speaking of that, I'm reminded of the day I got the system. Xbox Live was having difficulties, so several features on the system were outright not working. I was unable to launch and play any of the XBLA games I had downloaded, for instance (despite the fact that they are single player, offline games). I couldn't get into the store to download Netflix that night, either. If it weren't for the fact that I spent a lot more time trying to troubleshoot the OneGuide functionality that evening, I would have probably been more upset over how dependent the system is on Xbox Live.
If you're looking to pick a next-gen system and have been holding out as long as I have, the Xbox One might be worth a look if you want to consolidate some of your entertainment. | video-games_xbox |
Some reviewers don't know a proper "snicker-snack" from poppycock. If you're looking at this game and the reviews, then you're obviously curious! Some "professional" review site's might convince you that this game is a mere 6/10, but don't be fooled! Let's take this into account... Do you enjoy the strange and unusual, and sometimes creepy experiences? This game has that. Do you enjoy the occasional grotesque twisting of your childhood fantasies? That's a check too! To be straight forward, I am a fan of pretty much anything Alice in Wonderland. I also love weird, grotesque-ish, twisted things, lol! I thoroughly enjoyed this game. Now it's obvious we all have our own opinions about subjects, but here are my reasons for enjoying Alice: Madness Returns.
1. The original American McGee's Alice! I never had the pleasure to play it back when it was released, but the HD remake was a welcome surprise! Now here's an important note: If you purchase Alice:MR new, you get a redeem code that gives you the original Alice, free of charge. Without this redeem code (assuming you purchase used), it is 800 MS Points ($10) on the Xbox 360 Marketplace.
2. Graphics! They were beautiful in this game, all you have to do is google the images, and you'll see what I'm talking about! Think animation kind of sorta (but not exactly) like The Incredibles, it's exaggerated and "cartoon-ish" (for lack of a better word). The only oddity about the graphics is sometimes the textures appear "muddy" due to not fully loading quickly, but that's not a negative and in no way impacts the game! It was just obvious... >_>
3. The environments were stunning, from a beautiful forest, to menacing castle, and even the streets of London! Most games stick to one theme, such as being dark and scary to the end, or bright and happy, etc. Alice: MR had instances of gorgeous and serene, contrasting to the dark and ominous. They were the things of a beautiful, daydreaming nightmare! :D
4. Story! Ok, so this isn't going to win any awards for most ground breaking storytelling ever, I get that... But! Alice: MR investigates the tragic fire Alice survived. It's like one big mystery, one that only Alice can solve, whilst her mind slips further into maddening doom! At the climax of the story, I found myself in a "WTF, no way?!?!" moment. Great stuff O_O
5. Alice! I loved this version of this beloved character. She's so gloomy yet spunky! The odds are incredibly stacked against her, yet she's got that "I'm kicking ass one problem at a time" attitude! She's tormented, broken, and struggling to survive. Despite this, she has a so much personality, it was very much an enjoyable experience! Not to mention the sexy "swish swish!" of the Vorpal Blade, and she has a great assortment of dresses, lol. She's definitely not the dead persona Tim Burton had in his recent film adaptation... Just an opinion >_>
6. Enemies! Overall, they were pretty freaking sweet! LOVED the Card Guards in this game, very Hellish. The "Ruin" enemy gets a little repetitive, but, I really started to dig the possessed dollies, lol! I'll be having nightmares about those for a while, lmao! Oh, and two words... "Bitch Babies" xD (Note: That's really the name of an enemy in the game, so please don't punish me Amazon, I'm speaking truth! T-T)
I can go on and on, but it comes down to saying, this game was AWESOME, lol! 2 games to play made it a lengthy adventure. Now I should talk about gameplay before I end this. The fighting basically comes down to hack n' slash type of play. Depending on how you like your games, that might mean something. It's not a deep strategy kind of game. If you've played Devil May Cry, then I should say it's not going to be a difficult game to play. You don't need immense skill to get past enemies (on normal anyway, I can't speak for Nightmare difficulty). It's a good game for the casual gamer, because there isn't a learning curve. It's linear, as well. You can go off the beaten path and find collectibles and goodies used to upgrade weaponry, but this isn't an experience like, say, Dragon Age. Linear is not a bad thing though! For a hardcore experience, I dare you to play American McGee's Alice on Nightmare. That should be enough to drive someone insane... Damn those unfair deaths T-T
There will be plenty of combat opportunities, a plethora of platforming, and some puzzle solving. The puzzles are nothing complex, just little distractions. It's like doing a super easy crossword, but it totally makes you feel smart when you finish it, lol.
The game is rated Mature by the ESRB. Take that as you will, because you are the best judge on what you allow your kids or yourself to play. Personally, if I had a 10 year old (I don't have kids, so don't comment my parenting, lol), I don't think I'd let them play this, but then again, I've been online and heard kids playing M rated games like Gears of War and GTA IV, so what do I know? :P
MINOR SPOILER (I think >_O): Do you hate leveling your weapons and collecting stuff all over again? Well not to worry! Alice: MR has a "New Game +" option when you finish! So there is no worries about having to recollect and upgrade your weapons, nor do you have to re-increase your health meter! This all carries over to different difficult settings, as well! Neat :D
As far as the running of the game, Alice: MR ran smooth. I have the Xbox 360 version, and I always install my games (not 100% sure if that makes a BIG difference). Not once did I experience the game crashing or freezing, etc. The load times were acceptable and combat was often fluid without loading hiccups, which was nice :]
That about wraps up my review! Not everyone will love this, beauty is in they eye of the beholder and all that jazz. Fans of Alice in Wonderland type of stuff will enjoy this. I LOVED IT!!! lol! So if this review convinced you any, give it a shot! It's definitely a game that should be experienced first hand! I apologize in advance for anything I may have left out, but happy gaming on your mad journey through Wonderland! ~_^ | video-games_xbox |
Complete review of black ops 3 Updated. I wanted to take the time and explain all of the content on the game so buyers can make an informed purchase. As many know since there are 3 different makers of the game the gameplay and content can change drastically between them. This game is made by Treyarc. If you do not follow them they are the original creators of zombies and often regarded as the best of the three. Now for the review.
Campaign: The campaign allows for 4 different difficulties ranging from beginner to holy sh**. The game allows for multiplayer campaign which is a huge plus and a lacking feature from the years previous which I really enjoy. The graphics are what you would expect from such a large franchise so I won't go into detail there. In the game you are outfitted with a chip in your brain which allows you to interpret various things very quickly and also give you advantages such as hacking robots and or causing them to self destruct. The overall gameplay is not the best seen in the years of call of duty but it is well made. Smooth frame rates provide a really good experience overall. The game doesn't allow you to skip cut scenes and many are pretty long. I particularly like following the story however this could get old for some. One the campaign is complete it opens a new mode which is a zombie story mode. I personally am really excited about this however due to the long story mode and attempting it on realistic I have not made it that far yet. I will update my review when I reach that area of the game.
EDIT: The cut scenes are in fact skip-able and when playing a mission on realistic it is best to play with friends. Even when with friends a single mission will take on the order of 1-2 hours depending on the mission.
The zombie story mode is a lot of fun and depending on the difficulty you select can be very very challenging. At the beginning of a level there will be a mystery box. It's actually very well done in how they incorporate random things that have become a staple in the zombie mode. I was anxious to reach the zombie story mode, but was a bit reserved in thinking it might not be laid out very well. It is in fact is even more fun than the main story line in my opinion. I won't include any spoilers for those who haven't played either story line, but the game play is amazing.
Multiplayer: The multiplayer is standard call of duty but has the addition of a super power and wall running. I particularly don't care for the wall running or double jump and all that fancy stuff but if it must be added to the game then it is much better than the Exo suit from last years call of duty. The map designs are really nice for multiplayer and the overall game play feels very balanced depending on play style.
EDIT: I have actually come to enjoy the wall running mechanics unlike previously stated. It takes some getting use to but once you jump on a wall to begin wall running go ahead and aim down the sights and its a good method the sneak over to a player and get the kill before he realizes where you are.
The "super" powers that you can select from are a very nice touch. While some are way more useful than others I personally prefer the annihilator. Its a one shot one kill pistol and if you are an accurate shot then this is a must try. It is very effective and impossible to defend if you are accurate. Miss a shot however and the very slow reload will most likely render you dead.
Zombies: Disclaimer...I love zombies. The first and only map of black ops 3 is amazing. It's a huge map with many things to explore. In place of dogs however there are these bat like creatures that come every 5 rounds or so. Also as you increase in rounds a octopus like boss arrives and will chase you. He really isn't a big deal...easy to kill but more and more of these boss like creatures will begin to spawn each round. There are a few new additions such as gum balls and a new perk. I won't explain every detail but if you are a fan of zombies then you will enjoy the new map. Make sure to google how to find the perks as there are busted bottles that will explain the best direction to travel towards to get the desired perk. In order to turn on power etc you will need to become the "beast" which is ok I guess. It's new and different but not sure how I feel about it yet. I will say this though it's much better than the bus map that black ops 2 came with. Good luck Easter egg hunting!!!! I will add that if you are playing with a group of 4 I have found a very good strategy that will allow you to reach the higher rounds and each have their own circle. Once you open pack a punch room one player stays in there while another is just outside pack a punch while remaining in the rift. As long as you have opened all the rifts the other 2 players can simultaneously run the boxing ring circle. This will allow one to face forward and clear the path while the other is opening fire to clear the zombies chasing you.
Ok so that's a quick rundown of the changes and what to expect. Please do not downvote cause you are a fanboy or hate the game and do not agree with what I said. I am attempting to inform buyers of the changes and what to expect. Although some is my opinion of course I tried to give an honest review with no bias.
Update 12/9/15: So I have had a lot of time playing the game now and have unlocked everything that you can. Basically for the price of the game you are getting 2 full length story modes (Normal and zombie), the standard call of duty multiplayer with the addition of powers and wall running, and a massive zombie map that offers a ton of replayablility. Honestly Treyarc killed it with this game. although its not perfect since there are still glitches such as the game randomly freezing causing you to start a 2 hour mission over as well as a few other annoyances I highly highly recommend this game to those that are on the fence. IMO this is the best multiplayer experience to come from the Call of Duty franchise in a long time. | video-games_xbox |
Believe the Hype. I'll admit, that previously I've been drawn to games with a fairly linear gameplay style. Not linear in the way that there's only one single path and it can only be traversed one way, but linear in the way that the game can baby you and keep you on the right track, even if you're given a decent scope to explore.
Well it turns out that I was just looking for the right massive, open game. Because here you're free to be your own man. Sure, you can tackle the main quest and it's decent. But the real treat is the exploration. There's a positively huge world to explore, and even more underground.
Lets say you have some kind of vendetta against the raiders. They roam the Wastes, pillaging like metal-head versions of pirates, and you don't like them. Maybe out of strong sense of justice, or maybe one of them just looked at you funny. Well feel free to wander around, picking them off from on-high with a rifle, sneaking in to set up mines before tossing in a grenade to stir up some carnage, or put on your power armor and run in, guns blazing.
There's a big town, the first one you're likely to come across, with an undetonated atomic bomb sitting in the middle. You can take it on as a mission from the town sheriff to disarm it, or have the mysterious Mister Burke rope you in to rigging it up to blow. And you're fully capable of doing so, climbing to the top of Tenpenny Tower, and watching the mushroom cloud in the distance as you vaporize the city, and all its residences. It's all up to you. Scurge of the wastes, savior, or anywhere in between. Get into the slave trade business, or shoot your way through the traders' encampment and free the slaves.
The only legitimate complaints I know of for the game are the controls with the VATS targeting system, but you don't even really have to use it. In fact it's often better and more fun not to. Sometimes the game doesn't even feel like an RPG. Sometimes it's an action game, sometimes it's a shooter, but it's always an adventure.
The graphics are... terrific. Sure everyhing's grainy and brown and dark and bleak. But somehow it manages to be pretty anyway. Everything might be ugly, but it's ugly in a really good looking way. I'm trying to think of a celebrity to use as an example, but feel that would be in bad tastes.
The facial animations can tend to be a little robotic, but the voice acting is top-notch and lively, from everyone. And in a game with so much dialog, that's very welcome.
Speaking of sound, I was surprised to end up really loving the soundtrack. And I don't mean the ominous background tracks made for atmosphere, but the 1940s hits played from the game's "Galaxy News Radio". I, being a youngster, never even heard any of this music. But after having it as a constant companion in my fares across the Wastes I grew to love it.
My first time through Fallout 3 I played for over 60 hours, and didn't even do everything (keep in mind I did add four of the add-on packs). And just a few days ago I started a new file.
Speaking of add-on packs, there are five. Broken Steel, Mothership Zeta, Point Lookout, The Pitt, and Operation: Anchorage. Personally, I found Operation Anchorage to be boring and linear. The Pitt was similar, but with a better story and an uglier world to explore. Point Lookout is a valuable addition. And Broken Steel continues the main story and raises the level cap. I haven't played Mothership Zeta, so I can't comment. But I only recommend Broken Steel and Point Lookout (which are offered together on a buyable disc if you don't have access to XBOX Live). The standalone Fallout 3 is the most powerful and by comparison the add-ons fall short in general.
But in all, I found Fallout 3 to be a fantastic game, in my top-ten list of all time. And in a game-playing career of somewhere around fourteen years, that's saying something. If you're on the fence about whether or not to buy, I'd say buy. | video-games_xbox |
A lesser version of the original. Like many people, I was sucked in by the first Splinter Cell and eagerly ate Pandora Tomorrow up as well. And again, like most, I was somewhat disappointed with it.
The same gameplay is here, the same engaging interface, the same main characters. There are several new villains to battle and the storyline is very involved, though not as involved as the first Splinter Cell. You do travel to some interesting geographic areas, like Jerusalem, Indonesia - even LAX.
I was initially encouraged by the game, when the second level turned out to be one of the coolest Splinter Cell levels in both games combined - the train level. At the start of the level, Sam finds himself on the top of a speeding train in the middle of the night. You have to climb down the side, almost getting clipped by another locomotive passing. The graphics in this level are amazing and it's unlike anything you'll see in the first installment of the game. Then there is Jerusalem, amazingly recreated to cinematic proportions. At this point I began to notice the music. The same Splinter Cell themes were there, but performed with a Middle Eastern orchestra, incorporating percussion and instruments native to that area only. I was pretty impressed with this attention to detail.
But then the game began to wane. It was more like work than gaming. Many of the levels have a 1-alarm limit. Someone sees you - that's it. You're restarting from the last save point, which was probably several minutes back. I found that there was very little action and a great deal of strategy, which is fine I suppose - that's what you get in a Splinter Cell game. But sometimes it was to an excessive point, and I was just trying to get to the next save point, not really engaging in the Splinter Cell world. At other times I was rather impressed with the attention to puzzles. In one level you must navigate a dark mine field - with your thermal goggles - while spotlights scan the surrounding area. However, the spotlights are timed in such a way that you must move at very specific times, in a very specific pattern. It was well thought out.
The ending was very anti-climactic, and I wasn't even sure it was the real ending until the credits started rolling. I didn't feel the game was particularly long. I'd be interested to see how it compares to the original in its length. In the first game I felt almost overwhelmed as the levels kept coming and coming. In Pandora Tomorrow, as I said, I was surprised at how quickly the ending came.
All in all, I expected much more. It was essentially the same game as the original but with new levels and a new story.
I've read some about Splinter Cell 3 due out later this year (or early next year). It's supposed to be the game that most of us expected Pandora Tomorrow to be. A completely redesigned interface, a sound meter (to go with stealth), new weapons and completely new ways to circumnavigate your enemies are just a few of the features. I suppose Pandora Tomorrow was released to hold us over until then, but all in all it's only a mediocre effort that doesn't offer much than simply replaying the original. | video-games_xbox |
More like Dance Hell! And my copy is just fine... It's just the game itself that sucks. Okay, so I'm no great dance diva on the floor, but I AM capable of following simple dance steps. In an effort to just be able to dance to some of the awesome original tracks in this game, I went straight into the free play mode. Well, after an INSANELY long load time, up comes this funky looking (NOT in a good way) Owen Wilson clone claiming to be my dance teacher that's gonna make me the best dancer EVER! Is there any reason he neglected to mention that this actually WOULDN'T happen because I'd get so frustrated by this stupid tutorial that never progresses, that I'd just shut off my Xbox completely in frustration? Because that's exactly where I ended up.
Getting through the first two stages of that tutorial was fine, but then after that insane load time again, the next part comes up (still a tutorial I realized), where you're supposed to follow some simple steps to Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance". Since "Bad Romance" was one of the songs I'd added to my dance playlist, the first few times I thought it was the actual beginning of my playlist. Unfortunately not, it turns out, since the stupid AI dance teacher was still there, "training" me. After literally doing this same segment a good twelve times - during which it didn't matter HOW accurately I did the move, the stupid system continued to read the SAME moves as not done properly - the green success gauge at the bottom of the screen indicated that I'd done enough moves right to progress to the next segment, and I'd hear audience cheers, but that was IMMEDIATELY followed by boos and a declaration from the teacher of "let's try that again".
Uhm, how 'bout no? I'm taking this piece of junk back to the store tomorrow. Too bad, because the song list IS awesome, but how good is a game that you can't play, or that makes you want to fling the stupid game over your balcony? In short, I think, not very. Done. SO done with this game. Even for the under $20 price I found this for at a local Big Lots store, it's not worth it.
Dance Central (which I've owned for a while) is SO much better than this game. Of course, that explains why Dance Central is still listed as full price, and this one is less than half its original release-date price. Buy this at your own risk, even IF you tend to be inordinately patient. This game is simply an exercise in frustration for me. | video-games_xbox |
Solid arcade racer, but misses in many small areas. When my sister decided to rent this game from Blockbuster last week, I thought that this game wasn't going to be anything special (since I am not a big fan of EA anyway). I wasn't really excited when she came home and popped the game into the Xbox (which disturbed me from my Halo 2 playing experience by the way), so I left that particular room and let her enjoy her rental for the night. After leaving it shelved for a couple of days and a losing streak in Halo 2's "Big Team Battle", I decided to give NFS:U2 a chance.
When I popped the disk into the Xbox, I decided to first enter the career mode that this game offered. What I first got was a taste of the speed that was to come (if I decided to press on) as I raced from the airport to a car lot. What I got when I got there was pretty much where the speed ended. When you first enter the car lot, you are stuck with a handful of low-end stock cars. Luckily, you get the first car for free (and several others for free as well when you get a sponsor).
When I chose my car and left to enter the streets of Bayview, I decided to cruise around the city for a bit (to get comfortable to where everything was, etc.). When I cruised around the city, besides the fact that my car stunk and there is a corporate logo on all the time I am in cruise mode (which I will get to later), driving wasn't that bad. The graphics were solid, there were a decent assortment of real-life stores and billboards (Burger King, Cingular, and Best Buy were the most noticeable, since they probably coughed up the most money to be in the game), and there was a good deal of pavement to drive on.
One minor irk I noticed in the beginning was that some of the areas that are raceable were barred off from me, therefore leaving me with a smaller space to cruise around in. Another irk that I noticed was that you have to find all of the Performance, Graphics, Specialty, and Detail shops by yourself to unlock all of the goodies that you can put in and on your car. And even then, a good deal of things are still locked away until you progress thorugh the game (who was the genius that thought this one up?).
In itself, the racing in the game is solid. As expected by me, NFS:U2 is an arcade racer which relies more on top speed and the overall performance of the car than the anticipation of a turn and working on your car setup to maximize race performance in certain situations (even though you can tweak you car on a test course). For an arcade racer, NFS:U2 holds it's own and executes its gameplay well.
As for the number of races that you can do, there is a good deal of depth in this game. The racing modes are: Circuit (A closed race which involves several laps... and the laps are pretty long), Sprint (follow a course to an end point), Drift (garner the most points while performing drifts), Drag (a race on a usually flat and straight piece of pavement), Street X (Race on a track with tight turns and short straightaways), Outrun (Race another AI driver to see who can get 1000 feet ahead of the other driver with some "bank" at stake, and U.R.L, which is the Underground Racing League (race on real tracks with different patterns). As you can see, a nice selection is at your fingertips.
The only problems with the in-game are that it seems to rain EVERY. SINGLE. RACE. The rain effects are nice (Kudos to the graphics department), but when it rains in every Circuit, U.R.L., and Sprint race, it gets aggrevating after a while. Thanks to this, I tend to think that Bayview is no more than a fictitious Seattle.
Another problem with the racing is that the racing seems a bit too "arcadey" at times. It is "arcadey" in the sense that there is an obvious catchup in the game (for both you and the computer opponents), in some cases it's easier to ride the wall instead of realistically turning, and there is no damage model in the game whatsoever. When you get into a head-on crash at over 100 MPH with oncoming traffic, I expect to have at least some damage. But when I do this, I have a realistic crash with real sounds, but there is no damage whatsoever to my or the other guy's car. Even for an arcade racer, this is unacceptable.
After the race, you are escorted back to the cruise mode where you are looking for the next race or the nearest specialty store to improve or stylize your "ride". And thus is where the next problem of NFS:U2 is. Some genius "black-suit" EA exec decided that you have to drive to a certain location (which is usually in some out-of-the-way place) in order to race in that event. This idea is poorly executed, as driving from one place to another is an arduous chore and can be highly confusing after a while, even with the GPS (which can sometimes ask you to do an almost full 180 at times to get there in the quickest way). And in some cases, one wrong turn will lead you to go a lot farther than you bargained for (this is highly evident in Jackson Heights).
Some other problems I noticed were that the game did not support custom soundtracks (kind of ironic that the game allows you to "trick out" your car yet you can't add on any tracks burned to your XBox).
The game also tries, almost desperately, to be "super hip" with all of the "hip young lingo" in the game. I do not want to hear my agent saying that my last race was "tight" and my "ride" needs to be "tricked out" in order to "score me some photo ops". If I wanted this, I'd watch MTV and gag myself with rerun after rerun of "Pimp my Ride". I know that they tried to get the "underground" feel of the game, but it seems the the script was written by several 13-year-old surburban white males with an unhealthy obsession with gangsta rap and "the streets". Probably not the case, but it seems that way.
Another problem is that there is product placement "up-the-wazoo" (this wasn't in the game, by the way). I'm not saying that all of the product placement is bad. I commend EA for securing the naming rights for a good deal of part manufacturers and automobiles. And I really don't mind the occasional billboard about Burger King and Best Buy here and there, but EA stepped over a fine line with having a Cingular logo plastered on the screen when I cruise around the city in my non-racing time. Okay, I know that it's business, Cingular ponied up the most money to put their rights on the game, and any developer will take another cash infusion to aid development costs, but a Cingular logo plastered on the screen and finding a hidden shop next to a Burger King don't have to do with underground racing.
In short, this game does it's job of being an arcade racer and does it well, but a few minor irks have dropped this game a star in my book, I would reccommend renting this game first to make sure that this is for you, if it is then buy it. If not, no harm to you. | video-games_xbox |
Mashing the Buttons. I was initially impressed by the graphics and cinema-style action sequences built into the game play. Those are the strong points and let me say up front that I enjoyed playing the game. However, this will not go down in history as one of the great and re-playable games. There are about eight hours of regular gameplay and storyline. There are also multiplayer and solo 'gladiator' mode if you wish to continue playing. But, the skills you learn in the first thirty minutes of playing will get you all the way to the end of the game with almost no variation. That becomes...monotonous. You will spend almost all of your eight hours fighting between 2-5 enemy, of which there are truly only five AI characters (varied in different costumes), mashing the same buttons over and over. The execution scenes are very interesting, and I giggled happily a few times watching my enemies slaughtered in visceral detail. Again - mashing the same buttons for eight hours becomes very boring. The game is completely linear with no deviation. You follow the trail and mash the buttons. Given the nature of the actual game play (monotonous) it becomes paramount that the story is captivating to make mashing the buttons worthwhile. The story is pretty interesting, although not unexpected. Also, I was annoyed that a game set on Rome failed horribly in regards to historical accuracy. I'm not saying this game needed to be an authentic time piece, but the writers apparently took several prominent Roman figures and jammed them into the same game. There are also parts that I felt were unnecessarily similar to the movie Gladiator: one example being the Emperor Nero's son, Commodus (Nero never had a son Commodus, nor did Nero live to be in his sixties...) The storyline will give you a few names to Google if you are interested, but fails to reveal any actual historical facts.
Again, the cinema and graphics are very, very impressive. The actual gameplay and the storyline make this one game that will sit on the shelf collecting dust after the initial awe has worn off. | video-games_xbox |
If they would only synthesize. ...the ideas in DW, DW:XL and DW:E, I think that the series would really have some lifeblood into it. As it is, DW5:E is pretty fun, although the tedium factor can be high.
First, the good. I've always liked the idea of seeting up your own empire, rather than playing through the incredibly set pieces offered in both DW5 and DW5:XL. Both have their place, but it seems fun to create a character and set him in the backdrop of ancient China as he tries to hammer out his place. Furthermore, there are many challenges to be found, such as attempting to play as, say, Zhang Yan, as he sits alone, precariously between Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, Gongsun Zan and Dong Zhuo.
I also liked the fact that different elements of the ending were opened up depending on how you play the game. Play as an enlightened ruler, and you can become the prime minister, rebuilding the nation. Play as a despot, and you can become an evil emperor, complete with two lovelies who answer your beckon call. If you manage to declare the 5 tigers during the game, there is an ending sequence for that as well. I haven't found them all...
But the bad is definitely nontrivial. First off, there is really zero strategy involved here. You don't want someone to attack you? Form a short (or long) alliance - the opponent will always accept. Although later you can change this, in the beginning you can conquer the entire territory of another lord by conquering the city he's in, and the computer AI shockingly often puts opposition rulers on the boundary.
Furthermore, it is annoying to attempt to open up the better weapons for your army of warriors, and by the time you do, you're probably better off keeping your powered-up first weapon. I have never unlocked the level 4 weapons. I like the option of keeping the experience you've gained in previous games, but it makes for great difficulty in later scenarios (the box says there are 4, but I've already found 5) when your underpowered Liu Bei faces off against a behemoth in Cao Cao.
However, the game moves quickly, and at 30 bucks (although amazon seems to be overcharging), you can't really go wrong. As for Newman's claim that the price dropped immediately upon release, it's nothing but a filthy lie ("Newman!")... | video-games_xbox |
Do we really need another Tony Hawk 2 . Xbox may have great titles like Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding, Blood Wake, Dead or Alive 3 (my favorite), Genma Onimusha, and Halo, but one question...do we really need another Tony Hawk 2 ? I mean, come on now, this game is about 3 years old. I know what you guys are thinking..."why couldn't Craig give this a better rating ?". Why ? Because this is just an upgraded version of the same skating game that released 3 years ago. But let me give the lowdown on the game. The graphics are improved ! There are a hell of a lot of changes made for the Xbox version and the skaters look great, especially when they do shadowlike movements when their "Special meter" turns yellow, and the stages are bigger than ever. There are some new ones and old ones from Tony Hawk 1, but nothing really special. Most of the characters look almost the same. The only slight change is the detail and the framerate. The sound is still the same. The same grinding sounds from rails and cement. And especially, the same old soundtrack ! I just got tired of it now ! The only additional song is the one from the new skatepark on England. It sounds like an instrumental of DDR's "Paranoia". But once again...nothing special. The gameplay is still the same. The controls are still the same way it was from the PlayStation, N64, and Dreamcast versions. The only new element, is the multiplayer, where players can go at it with four controllers ! Wow...was that supposed to amaze me ? Anyway, this game is only for the people who never tried the Tony Hawk series or people who never even bothered to play the Tony Hawk series. But don't get me wrong. It's not like I have anything against THPS2X. I like how the game is done, but I'm just saying, I already played it on the Dreamcast and PlayStation. There is really no need to port it over to a powerful machine like Xbox (I still like Gamecube, Dreamcast, and PlayStation 2 better). If you never tried out the game, now's your chance ! Go ahead and get this game if you own Xbox. But if you already played it, just forget about it, and keep putting your focuses on the now and current Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, if you have a Gamecube, PS2, or Game Boy Advance. All in all an average game for the Xbox, but this game is 3 years old, and it's really pointless if an old game is played on one of the latest systems out there. Maybe Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2X shouldn't have been made in the first place.
HERE'S A THOUGHT...TONY HAWK'S PRO SKATER 3 IS ALREADY OUT ON THE XBOX, SO GO GET THAT ONE INSTEAD ! IT LOOKS BETTER AND MOST OF ALL, IT PLAYS BETTER. THE XBOX VERSION HAS ONE ADDITIONAL SKATER AND ONE ADDITIONAL STAGE. TONY HAWK'S PRO SKATER 2X IS ONLY FOR THE PEOPLE WHO NEVER PLAYED THE EARLIER VERSIONS, SO STAY AWAY, IF YOU'RE ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH IT ! | video-games_xbox |
Great fun for even non-basketball fans. NBA Street Vol. 2 is an engaging, colorful hoops title that is perfect for gamers who flip the channel whenever real basketball comes on the TV.
The game centers on casual 3-on-3 pick-up games set in a variety of urban settings. You can pick players from any NBA team, a roster of All-Stars, or a pantheon of famed ballers from NBA history. You can also create your own hoops star, tweaking a portfolio of skills like "dunks" and "handling" and even picking hair styles and outfits. There are several play modes, including quick, one-off games, an NBA Challenge against various teams, and the "Be a Legend" mode that lets you develop the career of your streetballer, improving his skills and upgrading his shoes and wardrobe as you dunk your way across the country on courts from New York to Seattle.
The controls are a little intimidating at first, at least to folks like me who don't play a lot of sports titles. I imagine hard-core NBA gamers will have a much easier time mastering the various moves. But there is a nice tutorial that takes you through everything, and the game turns out to be one of those "easy to learn, difficult to master" exercises.
The graphics are pretty solid. The characters are fairly realistic with a bit of cartoonish edge to them. The moves are nicely exaggerated, i.e., players can soar several feet above the basket on their way to slamming down a spectacular dunk. There is nice variety in the appearance and skills of your opponents, who can range from towering men with afros to petit women in tank-tops. The wide selection of courts is also nice.
Finally, apart from the traditional street scoring of one point per basket up to 21, there is a cool system for awarding points based on style and combinations of trick moves. It is challenging and rewarding to pull off a string of moves that results in an eye-popping alley-oop that nets a huge score.
The drawbacks to the game include long load times and a rather confusing array of menus and options to get a game started. I have also had the game freeze on me several times while starting a match, though this problem seems to be cropping up in other games I have and may be a problem with my machine.
I have been addicted to this game for a couple weeks now and expect that it will be the first sports game that I play all the way through. Highly recommended. | video-games_xbox |
The Best Risen Yet; Pay No Mind to the Naysayers. Risen 3: Titan Lords is the latest release in the Risen series developed by Piranha Bytes, a spiritual successor to their Gothic series of games. Risen and Risen 2 were both enjoyable RPG offerings, both packed with a ton of content and a lot of depth for RPG purists to sink their teeth into, and Risen 3: Titan Lords is no different.
Actually, this game is everything that Risen is all about, so fans of both Risen and Gothic should be pleased, but now it's even better because the combat is vastly superior to the other two, now offering a roll mechanic which means you no longer have to stand around in combat and wait for the enemy to attack you. The combat is more fluid and makes for a better gameplay experience.
As for graphics, it's not going to blow your socks off. This is a small studio that makes these games, so they don't have an EA or Bethesda budget to work with. These are dated graphics, but they also look very nice at times. The most important aspect in Risen games is the attention to detail. While Piranha Bytes doesn't have the big studio or big budget to make graphics like the big boys and girls of the gaming world, they do create hand-crafted worlds chock full of little details, and nothing is essentially copy & pasted. It's all designed with love by the small team, allowing for worlds that feel alive, full of ambient and immersive settings.
If you need cutting edge graphics, can't deal with rough edges, then this game is NOT for you. However, if you are a person who enjoys games for depth, immersion, role-play mechanics, etc., then this IS a game for you.
Like I said, it's rough around the edges, but a 5/5 means "I Love It," and that's exactly how I feel about Risen 3: Titan Lords. Shallow people who only play it for 20 minutes and go, "OMG, crap graphics," simply won't get it, but those of us who aren't knee-jerk people who can appreciate more to our games, certainly will. | video-games_xbox |
12.50 for a Solid Misunderstood XBOne Title (Get It Now. I really like this game I'm not gonna lie and act to cool and just trash this game like all the gaming trolls love to do
I seen the first trailer i like everyone else did get fooled by it but, that's should be all "our" fault as gamer's
We've allowed publisher to trick us with smoke and mirrors for years now
and 85% we'll give 'em a pass
Lord COD, Battlefield, Destiny can do no wrong keep buying those yearly money grabs and all the over priced DLC
But, condemn Thief for missing the mark a little
Thief is the re-imagining of the loved first person stealth title
If you are a uber FPS grinder this game might not be for you
you have to think before you react you can go in guns blazing but, it's better to stick to the shadows and be sneaky
The controls @ first are a bit odd but, you get use to how to move everything becomes second nature
The Story is interesting and well written with plenty of twist and turns through-out
it's one of those smarts stories that have these strange plot twist you will not see coming trust me!
The Set Pieces are also very strong you get some great areas to explore and play around in
A Sex Club (everything going around you is scripted events but, the way it was done you can't tell) It's very organic and tightly crafted
this mission will catch you off guard If you've been playing games since the 8bit era..... this mission was unique and very refreshing!
A Massive Stand Out Level is a run-down haunted hospital/asylum (this level alone makes the $12.50 purchase worth it trust me) It's on the same level as Alien Isolation it's so creepy and just flat out perfect it Pops and will give you goose bumps
this one level alone is more scary then the whole (3-disc Resident Evil 6 game) that's how flat out impressive it is
Graphics/Audio
I first plaid Thief on the 360 mostly cause at the time I only had my 360! I loved the game but, it had no business being put, on a console that old
It looked outdated, ugly washed-out and just plain ugly!
The Xbox One version looks 10x's different in PQ the colors look right, the water looks alive (Is it truly next Gen??? yes and no it woun't blow you away but, if you compare it to the base copy the 360 version is they are truly night and day trust me! there's probably somewhere online with screen shots comparing the two in PQ etc.
the audio is also much better it being decode in DTS 5.1
If you have XBLive you may have got Thief (free) with Games with Gold on the 360
If you are like me and have both consoles it's worth getting the XOne copy of Thief the game should've never been put on the 360
Don't judge this game by the 360 version
Now with the price being this low nobody who owns a XBox One should ignore this title hell $12.50 that's a awesome deal for a triple A title
That way you'll have every right to c/o if the game does suck if you put 3-4 hrs into it and don't enjoy it for the low low price!
Thief and Dishonored are two great games that are two different sides of the same coin
A very misunderstood game attacked just because it would be safe to go after a Title like Thief a Re-make 9/10
My Microsoft GamerTag Duckman 1979 | video-games_xbox |
Amazing some ways, a disapointment in others. Let's get one thing clear: I love Spiderman. I love the comics, the movies, and the games. And I, like a lot of others, hold Spiderman 2 in very high regard as far as a video game (especially being a movie tie-in game), and a fan goes. So when I saw the previews for this game at E3 I bought the game day one.
Am I disappointed? A little in some ways, a lot in others. Do I like the game? That is a definitive yes. I'll start with the negatives.
CONS
One of the things that I've heard many people complain about is the web swinging. Personally I didn't care if he swung from the sky as long as it was fun. I mean, look at Web of Shadows. The webs didn't connect and that game was still fun I know that game is debatable as being good or not to some fans but I for one loved it... except the voice actor for Spidey.
Speaking of voice actors, I really don't like Spidey's voice in this game. This is just a personal opinion but Sam Reigel just can't be Spiderman's voice after doing the Ninja Turtle's Donatello. It's not that he does a bad job, It's just I can't think of him as Spiderman. And besides that, if they could get Josh Whedon or Christopher Daniel Barnes to do their previous Spiderman games, why change to a Ninja Turtle??
Minor gripes aside, there are still issues with the game that hinder the experience. The physics are absolutely absurd when Spidey is going through the air. You could practically make him glide it's so off (Though this is also a bit of a Pro as I actually enjoy controlling him so well... just not so crazily). The dialogue isn't all that great either from the rest of the cast. Nolan North lends his talents as Alistair Smythe and does a fantastic job as usual. But the script just isn't all that great, and while I liked the story and the twists and turns it took, was honestly just the fan in me loving Spiderman. It's not as memorable as memorable as Rocksteady's Batman games.
Speaking of the story, If you play this game first, I hope you feel like ruining the movie a little. They name a RIDICULOUS spoiler right in the first 20 to 30 minutes of the game. While I could partially see it coming (as you would too if you're familiar with the Spiderman lore) It's still a big kick to the face of all the people who play the game before they see the movie. Why bother releasing the game before the movie if it's going to be so full of major plot points? People are OBVIOUSLY going to get the game and play it, so if so insistent on making the game at all, why not avoid the movie just that much?
The detail of the city is also a little..... well, bland. Spiderman 2 had far more landmarks that made the city navigational without the use of the map. But here there are only two major landmarks, Oscorp tower, and the Empire State. I realize this is Beenox's first attempt at an open world game, but the detail leaves a lot to be desired. Even Spiderman 3 had a subway system that you could explore a little.
That lack of detail tends to permeate through the rest of the game unfortunately. Citizens always say the same thing when you save/rescue them and there really isn't that much variety in the side missions. Sure, you have the race challenges (who are voiced by Bruce Campell) but the rest after awhile become a little ho hum. They just become the same thing over and over with the same dialogue again and again.
The villains were also a bit of a disappointment. It's not just that they're villains we've seen before (except Vermin and Alistair) it's that they completely changed the background of them. They are no longer people, they were animals spliced with human DNA. This completely decimates the back story to villains that didn't even have too terribly much depth anyway. I would have loved for them to go a different route saying they were ordinary people, captured and experimented on, or just needing money. Making them basically monsters... well, it's just sad.
On top of all that is the games difficulty... being that there really isn't much of one. I played through on Hero (normal) and found it fairly easy to get through. The bosses just repeated patterns and were not that memorable. Not even compared (dare I say) to Spiderman 3. I did die somewhat through the playthrough, and it wasn't unfair, but it certainly didn't take Ninja Gaiden like skill with a controller to get through it (though in some ways I consider this a good thing).
On top of all this though has to be the length of the game. I sidetracked a little and still got through it in 6 hours or so. That's just not good enough. Exploring the city will only get you so far, and the collectibles just can't keep me going when I know there's over 500 comics. I don't care if they unlock fully readable comics or not, that's just downright monotonous and cheap to do to a player, especially when there's no way of knowing where they all are. It'd be nice if you actually tried collecting them that eventually you get to map them out like Batman's Riddler puzzles, or use your spider sense to get a direction for where they are like in inFamous.
Let's get some positives going. I'm starting to get depressed.
PROS:
Despite all the complaining and minor and major gripes, this game is still alot of fun. The Swinging (while simplistic) is still really fun. The new Web Rush mechanic, while not totally perfect (and what things are in games anyway?) is the best addition to the Spiderman games in a LONG time. You can actually navigate like you've always wanted to in all the other games. Running up walls, running on top of buses to get to that spot you web rushed to is a thrill.
There are even unlockable costumes (though very hard to find) to switch out, including the Classic spidey outfit from the Sam Raimi movie's for those of you who detest the new suit design. And yes it looks fantastic.
There are also some really cool little additions they put in the game, like the aforementioned Bruce Campell who narrated the previous movie games. They even have Stan Lee cameo in the game.
The combat has to be a major point that should be noted as well. It is REALLY cool. Spiderman moves quick and fast, attacking and counter attacking via Batman Arkham City style. Even if it is a copy from Batman, who's to say that's a bad thing? Spidey has NEVER looked so good while fighting.
While I complained about the villains, they're still really fun to fight. Especially the Spider slayers. They're huge and you interact with them much more than some other games.
The unlockable comics are also really neat, showing off all the major characters from the games first appearance in the Comic books. Even though there are a lot of comic pages to find during the game, I unlocked 4 or 5 by the time I hit 125, and believe me, that's not that hard to do, they're EVERYWHERE.
Also the game is very kid friendly as well. No excessive content like blood or swearing or sex for parents to worry, but it still manages to be realistic enough for anyone to enjoy (although the dialogue can be occassionaly groan worthy).
While it may seem I didn't write as many Pros as Cons, the game was still really fun to play. You can easily get distracted with the Pros to ignore some of the minor complaints you can have against the game. But it's admittedly a whole lot easier to ignore the bad the bigger the Spiderman fan you are.
I rate my games based on how much money I would spend to buy it, so overall I'd give the game a $40 to a Webhead, and $30 to people somewhat interested. There just isn't enough there to justify it at a full 60 Bucks. Still, have fun while you can. | video-games_xbox |
Great release for non-broadband owners or newcomers to Oblivion. These statements are in response to previous qustions and reviews.
This pack was designed for people that can not or do not have broadband service and wanted these two huge add ons for Oblivion. there ARE only the two included here yes. two others were available for FREE from Official Xbox Magazine in early 2007. The horse armor was never given for free and is not available on here. OR of course if you do not already have this game then this is the best option available.
if you already own a copy of oblivion and purchase this, you will then have two full copies of the game. about a year ago when bethesda said they will in time release the downloadable content on disc it was known that it would be on its own disc! some hoped it would be a disc update like halo2s extra maps were, but microsoft did not like the ease of someone buying one copy and just giving it to all of their friends.
that would still be possible with disc two in this set, yea but they made sure you are buying the full game along with the extra content. that was the deal made with microsoft.
disc two WILL install all of the patches that were required to play the additional content. then it will ask you which items you want to install, all, one, or neither.
my main character in oblivion is nearing the 300 hour mark. there is no fear of the game becoming "unplayable". the reviewer "mean critic" makes no good points and gives very little facts.
the game will then be played with disc one (a normal oblivion disc) while the other information is streamed from a hard drive or memory card. that is the way the downloadable content WAS PROGRAMMED to work. the information that is stored on the drive loads very fast compared to when loading from the disc.
if you buy this and already own oblivion, you could trade it in at many video game stores if you don't want to own a second copy. | video-games_xbox |
Razer Onza'd the Competition. Initially, I bought the Onza to avoid using the Stick buttons, the right one especially, by assigning their function to a shoulder button. I also thought I'd like the rubberized coating and was curious about the adjustable tension. After getting my hands on it, I have a slightly different preference order, listed below from least favorite feature to most favorite. Read on the for play-by-play.
___Backlit Buttons___
They don't hurt, I'm just indifferent to them.
___Braided Cable___
I have no pets and no kids, so I don't anticipate needing extra durable cables. Sure wireless would be nice, but Microsoft is stingy with the necessary licenses on their proprietary tech (unlike other consoles that use Bluetooth). And they are right to be. Razer's first attempt at the 360 controller should completely humiliate MS's engineers who have been at it for 5 years now. Without a monopoly on wireless, I can't imagine how MS would ever sell another standalone controller.
___Adjustable Tension___
It seems like a good idea, and I did like the feel of movement while the tension was high, however I found clicking the left stick while moving (how you run in many FPSs) was really, really difficult. While the stick was straight up as opposed to pushed in a direction, it clicked fairly easily, and when the tension is low it clicks easily enough in any position. It may be that in time the click will loosen up a little, but for now, it's kind of a letdown.
___Rubberized Coating___
I thought this would be one of my favorite features, but honestly, I can barely feel the coating, especially after a longer gaming session. This does have more friction than a standard plastic casing would, but only by a little. The analog sticks have a much more rubbery feel, and I wish the rest of the controller were closer to that. When I first saw the analog stick surface, I noticed it had no raised areas to help with the grip like the standard controllers do, but because of the coating, none is needed.
___Individual D-Pad Buttons___
It's not uncommon to hit one side of the dpad on a standard 360 controller and trigger the wrong action. Sometimes it's user error, sometimes the hardware just isn't up to precision, but in all cases, it's very frustrating. This layout definitely works better for me.
___Hyper-response Buttons___
Razer is renowned PC gaming peripheral company, known for gaming mice and keyboards. They replaced the A, B, X and Y buttons with buttons that have a mouse-like click. I had no real interest in this initially, but it is now one of my favorite features. It's not that it improves my game, it just feels so right that I can hardly imagine going back. The only thing I don't like about it is that the MFBs, RB and LB and the dpad don't have the same type of feedback. Why not go all the way Razer?
___MFBs (Multi-function Buttons)___
Some other gamers have expressed concern about being able to reach from the trigger all the way to the MFB, but I haven't had a problem with that. I haven't yet gotten used to my new layout yet, nor have I decided on the best resting place for my fingers, but without changing my grip I have no trouble reaching all three shoulder buttons. YMMV. I still can't believe AAA 360 games don't all come with custom layouts (as opposed to a few presets) by default, but this helps alleviate that software issue a little. You cannot, sadly, move the left stick click to the right MFB or the right stick to the left MFB, but that's a minor point. I expected to love these, and I do.
The main competitor here would be the official Call of Duty controllers from Madcatz that have combat buttons on the back, and their problem is they are located so high on the back, that I would have to change my grip pretty radically to accommodate them, and that grip feels oddly unstable to me. I like the idea of buttons on the back, but the devil is in the details and I'd rather have extra shoulder buttons that are easily reachable.
___Conclusion___
The 3 features I loved most are all available on the standard Onza. The rubberized coating was most of what drove me to buy the Tournament Edition, but the coating had less grip to it than I imagined. If you already use other Razer stuff, you probably know how much friction their coating has, and can judge based on that. I could still use adjustable tension on my right stick, or perhaps both and move my run function the left MFB, so it's not completely useless, it's just not quite as polished a feature as I expected from Razer.
Even with a few quirks, this is the best 360 controller available. The only sad thing is that it comes so late in the 360's lifespan. | video-games_xbox |
Awesome game!!!... much, much better than the first one. I must say that eventhough I'm not a comic fan I have always like some videogames related with them. "Ultimate alliance 1" was so fun for me that I spent hours and hours playing it with my little nephew. Then "Spiderman: Web of shadows" was also an amazing game for me. I had a lot of fun with it too. And now "Ultimate alliance 2" is here I can tell you that this is no exception. First of all I must refer as a HUGE improvement on this sequel the graphics. They're so cool and detailed this time.... specially on the scenes and landscapes more than on the characters. The second improvemente here is the action. Now it's way more fun specially when your team is in the middle of a large group of enemies such as robots of soldiers and you have to kill them all right in there.... you have a lot of fun in this circumstances. And of course, the "fusion" mode with the superheroes you have is awesome as well and practical too specially in those circumstances that I mentioned before. The bosses on the other hand are not that easy to defeat this time... a fact that I consider an improvement too because this makes you think as a team and to use the best possible options with your superheroes. Probably here something I could say as a "negative" side is the fact i'm not very familiar with the villians I'm fighting with (probably with the exception of electro and titanium man) but then again I'm not a comic fan so, probably somone that is more into the Marvel world would explain me more about them.
The storyline of the game is quiet great too. The fact that the government is pushing superheroes to sign a petition to see wheter they support the law or against it is so cool. This gives us the chance to see the heroes' real colors. but of course, there are some that I wouldn't find surprising to be against government (e.g. Wolverine or Luke Cage) but Captain America??? wow!!! I swear that I though he was going to be on the "law side"... but of course, who the hell knows what the government's real intentions are.
The bottom line is that the game stands itself without any problem, it is way better than the first one and it's so easy to play. Get it without hesitation... I bet you'll have fun. | video-games_xbox |
Great hack n slash but a few issues keep it from achieving total perfection. N3II was a gamble on my part. While I staunchly support the hack n slash genre this one got negative marks across the board at many review sites. Was it "that awful"? The masochist in me bristled with excitement as I placed my order!
Disappointingly I must confess this is not a "So bad it's epic!" affair. N3II is simply "rather decent" for the genre and it fails at being the terrible intriguing train-wreck most gaming critics made it out to be. It's not going to blow any minds or stand out as a footnote in history but it's unabashingly enjoyable once you get pass the slight learning curve!
The first thing you'll notice is N3II expects you to sprint around while blocking and tumbling. If you don't pay attention to your surroundings archers, shamans, and annoying bird-things will whittle you down quickly. This game takes the philosophy of "death by a thousand paper cuts" and runs with it shamelessly!
N3II likewise has the distinction of being much harder than a typical Dynasty Warriors title. Some stages end with huge boss battles that can decimate your hero of choice and send you home crying. In other dire situations you must defend a castle gate from an onslaught of enemies who can do damage to the surrounding fortifications over time. "Winning" is one half trial and error and one half leveling up your weapons, stats, and equippable spells. Akin to an rpg N3II expects you to "grind" as you re-do certain missions to farm for experience orbs and hidden items.
Aesthetically N3II went through a bit of an identity crisis. The first game was lively,colorful,and whimsical. It wasn't too embarrassed to make you fight a giant frog-man wearing a king's royal red cape or put you into the shoes of a cute water bubble casting witch flying around on an enchanted staff. N3II by comparison splatters the blood of your enemies onto the camera lens as you cut them in half. The color palette is dimmed by somber broodishness and it really does seem that N3II switched out its' Narnia influence for something that is closer to ASOIAF or Lord Of The Rings. Whether or not you will take to the new style or not depends on the kind of person you are. I can appreciate the direction of both iterations despite the fact their extreme opposite polarities makes it hard for me to accept N3II as a "genuine sequel" to its' predecessor. It's the same shock of alienation that would occur if I watched the first Harry Potter film than proceeded to view Deathly Hallows. That's how jarring the atmospheric differences truly are. Perhaps Konami got "gritty and mature" to appeal to western audiences but sadly we're discussing a genre that is a hard sell here no matter how many severed limbs and brooding protagonists are added to the equation. Combining N3 with N3II would likely result in some kind of freakishly awesome gaming wonder-crack! A shame we'll probably never get a third iteration of this series.
Concerning the combat, I don't take issue with enemies cheaply juggling me once in awhile. Turn about is fair play and I appreciate the added challenge. However, the camera can undermine the player a little too often. It sucks to be mercilessly brutalized in a corner because I cannot even see the location of my character. Luckily this doesn't break the game. A quick evasive roll forward or to the side can usually help you get your bearings. Again, N3II encourages you to not stay idle too long. Amidst a swarm of cheap adversaries taking advantage of you ? Move your arse! Getting pelted by arrows as you try to mow down the infantry? Then change your tactics and go after the snipers on the ridge!
While it's wonderful N3II encourages you to be strategic during fights it's equally a downer you can't order around your allied troops. This was a feature that made the first game more satisfying and there really is no justifiable reason to leave out squad commands in the follow up.
To make up its' shortcomings N3II adds "check points" to the fray. Personally I found them to be very helpful but other gamers have lamented over the fact "auto saves" can be spread too far apart depending on the chapter. I cannot help but to sympathize with the caveats of my brethren. Most games allow us to record or progress whenever we want so why stick to an archaic design choice?
N3II opens up with the lord of night being resurrected. If he can merge the orb of light with the orb of darkness he'll become immortal yet if he cannot do it by the 99th morning he'll revert back to ashes. The elf capital gathers 5 heroes together to restore peace and tranquility to the land. Galen is a dual wielding swords master. Sephia is an elfin princess and wind sorceress who uses bladed silken shawls. Maggni is a stubborn ogre brigand who prefers to maul foes with his bladed shields. Zavvi is a beautiful coa coa skinned elfin archer. The last character is a goblin assassin named Levv who uses chained blades to eviscerate crowds of cronies and to pull himself up to higher locations. On the plus side every character has a lot of attributes and gear to customize. They also have unique skills that aid them in exploring each environment differently from their peers. On the negative side their attack animations and movement patterns are roughly identical.
I may give off the vibe of being unimpressed based upon what I've written up so far. Yet you know what? I totally love this game! It's the first of its' ilk to come along and give me a decent work out even on the easiest setting. While the plot is simplistic it's not cringe worthy and the voice acting is tolerable. It's neat having to tactically balance the re-charge rate of used spells with the next mob busting orb spark attack.
Putting it bluntly, if you find experience farming, buffing up characters,collecting loot,blasting hundreds of adversaries into the air at once, and slicing monsters apart to be soothing and theraputic N3II is worthy of your consideration despite its' faults!
Bias opinion
With easy puzzles, rpg lite elements, multiple playable characters, platforming elements, and outright insane boss monsters N3II may entice hack n slash devotees who are craving for a more challenging adventure. Overall it's a good addition to its' genre but it's not so "ground breaking" it'll usher in brand new followers
The janky camera, a few poorly placed save points, and the lack of local co-op are N3II's main blemishes. Assuming you can forgive those follies it is an addictive, loot intensive, and grind intensive jolly fun jaunt!
For you if
If you're a massive battlefield hack n slash enthusiast, like a challenge, and you are generally put off by the anime aesthetic N3II offers a gloomy and grit covered dark fantasy tale for a cheap reasonable price. It may not end up on your "best games of all time" list but it will delight you deep down in the recesses of your more carnal and self gratifying subconscious!
Not for you if
If you never got into Dynasty warriors and Sengoku Basara or if you preferred the setting of the first N3 this game will not woo your socks off in the slightest. What we have here is a relatively okay game with a few glaring flaws that are hard to ignore for gamers who have set their bars of excellence on a higher level. Even for hack n slash fans N3II isn't quite as impressive as Dynasty Warriors 7 or Sengoku Basara 3. The drastic changes in setting and atmosphere are bound to metaphorically ruffle quite a few feathers the wrong way to boot.
Overall "4 practice bodkins out of 5"
N3II is a game of "mechanics" and what it does it does quite well. This is not a game that needs multiple patches. This is not a game that freezes or corrupts recorded data. It was crafted with the upmost care and attention to detail. Poorly placed save points and an ornery camera are "annoying" but neither imperfection is so glaringly awful it turns the core experience into an unplayable mess.
Fun factor "4 practice bodkins out of 5"
For hack n slash fans N3II delivers a lot of fun wrapped up in its' addictive farming and grinding! The darker fantasy setting,steady challenge,rpg level up system, and big monstrous bosses do much to seperate N3II from other hack n slashers in a good way.
Yet the lack of local co-op, inability to control allied soldiers, and sometimes frustrating spikes in difficulty need to be addressed all the same.
If anything this game intrigued me enough to check out the first one that started it all. Though it's unlikely, I would welcome another N3 game on the consoles with open arms!
Pros
+Fun addictive combat
+Characters are nice to look at
+ Orb spark attacks are befittingly flashy
+Platforming segments and light puzzle elements prevent excessive monotony
+All 5 characters have their own story lines and diverse ways to move through the game's many areas.
+Boss monsters are surprisingly well designed and range from awe inspiring to just plain creepy.
+Compelling dark fantasy atmosphere
+Check points
+Hidden items give a lot of incentives to re-play missions.
+Serviceable voice acting and a decent sound track
+Battles require tactics to win
+Online co-op
Cons
-Camera is spastic sometimes
- Enemies can easily juggle you if you don't play it safe.
-Protagonists don't seem as "diverse" as they were in the first game.
-Occasionally check points are spread out too far apart.
-The blood, gritty realism. and violence in N3II may alienate the fans who were fond of the previous game's more vibrant and enchanting setting.
-Cannot earn exp. orbs in the coliseum
-The ability to control allied troops is absent
-No local co-op
-Real time event button mash sequences during a few boss battles (Do they have to be in EVERY game now?!) | video-games_xbox |
Childish, yet preachy. My advice to you before you buy this game: read, re-read, and re-re-read the 3rd paragraph of Andrew Fitch's review at the top of the main page. It is spot on. This game's battle system, music, and graphics are all pretty good. However...the characters are atrocious.
(1) Every single character and place has a musically influenced name. The main character's name is Alegretto. His friend's name is Beat. They meet a girl named Polka. Falsetto. Jazz. Waltz. Salsa. Tuba. FREAKING TUBA. If your name is Tuba, you've got problems.
(2) The dialogue is absolutely horrendous. You have scenes with mothers delivering deep philosophical diatribes to their pre-pubescant children. You have an ending where the characters PREACH to you for 30 minutes, nonstop (I am dead serious). You have THE WORST cut scene I've ever seen, where a character gets fatally wounded and then proceeds to deliver a 10 minute soliloquy, complete with a multitude of flashbacks to a TRIVIAL (i.e. characters chit-chatting about nothing) scene we JUST SAW moments ago. Me and my roommate WERE DYING laughing because it was an absolute FARCE. Single worst scene I have ever seen in a videogame.
The characters are bland and annoying. Be prepared for about 4 or 5 child actors (a pet peeve of mine in video games...they are always annoying) complete with childish jokes and annoying pranks. The plot was alright...but there is a twist at the end that just makes me shake my head. I told my roommate about it and he thought I was joking.
Another problem I have with this game is the achievements/sidequests. Beating the game, you will probably only rake in about 300-350 achievement points. To get the remaining achievement points, you will need multiple play-throughs guided by a walkthrough. That's because the majority of the achievement points for this game are allocated to a side quest that relies heavily on the "score piece" sidequest, which is virtually impossible to complete without a walkthrough. The score pieces aren't labelled in any way, and there is no way to tell which pieces are appropriate in which situations.
The game is saved for 3 reasons:
(1) The battle system. This thing is FUN. And the good news is that it gets more and more fun as the game goes on. There is nothing sweeter than chaining together 5 or 6 harmony chains on some fool. Also, Falsetto is an absolute beast in battle.
(2) Graphics/music. Play the demo. If you like what you see/hear, know that that's what you'll be getting for the majority of the game. They aren't super-realistic or hi-tech or anything, but they're pretty to look at and give the game a good vibe.
(3) The Mysterious Union. I'm telling you, man...this is where the game gets challenging. This is the ONE optional area of the game (to my knowledge), and it's just a killer dungeon where you really get a chance to test your mastery of the battle system. The only downside is that one of the requirements for completing the dungeon requires that you grind like crazy for a couple of hours. But wow...I really felt challenged and like I accomplished something. | video-games_xbox |
Co-Op or No-Op. "Gauntlet" is `born anew' in Midway's latest update of its legendary franchise, which tries in vain to add grit and a storyline to attract new players. While the story is mildly interesting, it's still quite simple - an emperor betrays his four immortal heroes (warrior, valkyrie, elf, and wizard) in an attempt to steal their powers, but rescues them in the nick of time while sacrificing his own life. Naturally, as this is a game about dealing death on a massive scale, this event triggers all kinds of beasts to stalk the land, while the emperor's advisors turn into twisted versions of their former selves and must be dealt with one by one (can you say boss battles?). For a "Gauntlet" game, the story is quite complex - but obviously that's not saying much when you consider that "Gauntlet" has rarely had anything that even resembled a storyline playing behind its action.
In its newest format, "Gauntlet" plays like some diabolical concoction of its namesake and Sega's "Golden Axe" series (itself about to be updated), with a dash of the movie-licensed "Lord of the Rings" games thrown into the mix. Surprisingly, this is the first game in the series to remove the overhead, top-down perspective that is a franchise tradition. Admittedly, that does make it feel less like "Gauntlet," which purists may frown upon, but at the same time the perspective works quite well. It provides a good view of you and your surroundings, which is nice indeed because the graphics on display here are quite pleasing to the eye.
Like its storyline, the gameplay in "Seven Sorrows" is simple. Simple in a charming way, but nonetheless mindless. You select one of the four titular heroes, plunge into the game and begin killing everything in sight. This is the very same formula that spawned "Diablo" and countless other variations, and it's still fun after all these years. All of the heroes have their own unique skills and attacks (though they aren't as different as they first appear to be), including unlimited ranged attacks (countless axes for the warrior, countless arrows for the elf, etc., etc.). Though a few new tricks have been thrown in, you'll probably stick to the basics because they prove to be so effective. The heroes do gain new abilities and attributes in between missions, and while this is a nice touch it ultimately stands on the shallow end of roleplaying.
Strange though it may seem, "Seven Sorrows" is actually less cerebral than Midway's last entry in the franchise, "Dark Legacy," which is saying something. Levels are arranged in a linear fashion, and gone are the winding labyrinths that we used to know. What's more, many of the special items and treasures have been plucked out, leaving just the basics - gold to purchase new skills with, and food to replenish health. Fortunately the monster spawners remain in tact, constantly generating foes until they are destroyed, and one improvement to the series is that you no longer need to collect keys to open chests. And yes, Death can still appear when you least expect it to up the ante. Still, there's the inescapable feeling that this isn't exactly "Gauntlet," despite some cool nods to past efforts.
Other problems include monsters completely devoid of personality or challenge (although boss encounters are fairly memorable and much more interesting) and a very short campaign with little replay value. That said, the game maintains that strange addictive quality for its duration, especially if two or more friends are playing it side-by-side. The production values are good, and despite the sometimes tedious gameplay the levels themselves are varied and colorful.
"Seven Sorrows" is interesting, as "Gauntlet" purists may sneer at the changes it has made to the franchise, while other players may just not see what the fuss is about. However, there is a fun game to be had here, particularly if you bring a likeminded friend to the melee. I hope, however, that next time Midway combines the best aspects of "Seven Sorrows" with the much more traditional "Dark Legacy." Until then, "Seven Sorrows" should serve its purpose to arcade starved players with an itch to co-op. | video-games_xbox |
This is a ood game, and a lot of fun to play. Here's my two cents worth of this. Is this the best wrestling game out there. To me, no. Does it have merit, and is it worth playing and owning? Yes.
The presentation overall is quite good. Graphically and soundwise I like this a lot. It's well done. The conrols, to me, were easy enough to learn with reading the manual and a bit of practice. Every move resounds with the sound of impact when you land a punch or a kick or a move of any type at all really, and particualarly when attacking with weapons. I like the fact that when the tables break, the peices STAY in the ring and can also be used to hit your opponent. The only thing is that with six tables in the ring, along with a couple of chairs and what have you, you have a mess. It can be real carnage in the ring sometimes.
There is no commentary in this game. This is not a bad thing. The only thing is that after the last two Smackdown games, I miss the commentary. You may not, but that's up to you. The story more is kind of fun, but at the same time, it's limited in it's scope. Before every show, there are eight to ten matches, and you can decide what you want your wrestler to do before each one. You can rest, call someone out, attack them, set traps, complain, and a few other things I can't remember right now. The action you choose will be accompanied by a short cutscene of your wrestler doing what you chose. However, there is no text to explain things in Season Mode like the Smackdown games have. You have to watch characters body language to figure out what exactly is going on in this season mode. The only voice-work is done by Lillian Garcia and Howard Finkle, the ring announcers.
This brings me to the real strength of the game: the Create a Superstar Mode. You can customize your height, weight, and call name, all the way to the lighting, pyros, and music for your entrance. This really helps you customize your wrestler and feel like you are wrestling as yourself. Coming out to your own music and having your home state announced really makes you feel like you are part of the WWE action. On the other side of the coin, the season mode only lasts until you get to Wrestlemania, and as far as I can tell, goes no further. You don't get to play AS the Champion after you win the title, as far as I can see. I beat Hulk Hogan at Wrestlmania and after a brief celebration screen, it went to the closing credits of the game. At least in Smackdown I could play more and defend my belt and such.
In closing, this is a good fun game. I gave it four stars instead of five because I miss things. I miss commentary, and I like a scripted story to an extent. Will I get Smackdown Here Comes The Pain? I hope to. Is Raw 2 worth owning? To me, yes it is. Both it and Smackdown Here Comes The Pain are and will be good titles with their own strengths and merits. If you pick this up, I wish you much fun with it, because as a fun wrestling game that lets you have your own personality, this does shine. Peace to all who may read this. God bless you all. | video-games_xbox |
Fairly horrible experience but somethings are good. Before beginning to review this, I'd like to point out that I recall playing through a variety of versions of various Alien franchise games. From AvP on the Jaguar, all the way up to the horrible psx version of Alien Trilogy. All of them were fairly horrible with the exception of maybe the arcade beat-em-up edition of Aliens.
With that said, I wasn't very excited about Aliens Colonial Marines. I knew it was going to be horrible, however, me being a huge Alien fan, I had to get it. All I can say is that I wasn't nearly as surprised as other folks. There are many things I liked about the game but I will say that what kept me from enjoying it would have been the fact that the game felt unpolished. Or a better description would be that it felt unfinished. I think with a bit of refinement this could have been really good. The game felt like it was done but all the developers had to do was put in a bit of refinement.
The game is really hard to write in a good solid review. So with that said, I think I'll blurt out some random points about what I liked or didn't.
Disliked:
* The word "Marines" is excessively overused. Right from the get go, the word "Marines" is used literally in every sentence. And it isn't like a casual "marines" mentioning like a proud marine, but they emphasize it to go "MA", slight pause, "RINES."
* Clipping issues with the world. Some exciting parts of the game are ruined due to what I think are clipping issues. For example, one part I recall you're walking in and you're tracking these Aliens and suddenly, one goes underneath the ground and all you see running after you is a tail stuck out the ground. You can't kill it because it's underground, yet it can kill you.
* Hitboxes appear "off." Especially distance shots do not appear to work very well. Also, when someone is hiding, even if their heads are exposed, it doesn't appear to register the shot very well. There are times where you can unload an entire magazine of pulse rifle on something standing next to you and nothing will happen.
* You level up to gain weapons. The game has a way to gain new weapons through leveling. It's very similar to perhaps Call of Duty. None of the upgrades are actually useful and all of the weapons appear rather horrible compared to the bread and butter M41A Pulse Rifle, Shotgun, and whatever handgun.
* Explosion effects are not really that useful. Again this goes with the hitbox issue but it appears using the grenade is not very useful.
* AI is horrible. The alien AI is horrible but also your teammate AI is horrible. Your teammate could literally be standing next to an enemy and nothing will happen. The aliens appear to only attack you and not your teammates. So your teammates could be rushing in or walking casually around the room and absolutely nothing will happen to him. You would think developers would have this right considering that all the Aliens did in the movie was continuously come after the main characters and you just blast them.
* The graphics in the demo is vastly better than the graphics in this game. While it appears the gameworld is complete, the small effects like broken windows, smoke, etc do not appear in the final version. The demo however appeared to have much better effects. What I understand is that Gearbox hired many developers to finish the game and with that in mind, I think someplace the better version just didn't get complete and they just shipped it out with an older build of the game.
* Story is horrendous. The game takes place after the events of the Alien trilogy so that means Ripley is dead, and the last of the alien species are dead. However, this game make no sense. At the start, we see the Sulaco is still at LV426. Hicks is somehow alive too. He sent a distress call and that's where the game takes place. At the start of the game, a main character indicate that the Sulaco was over Fury 161 yet the explanation of this is later revealed in the game and it's extremely poor. There are literally thousands of alien walking around yet no explanation on how they came about. LV426 blew up yet it remained in this game as well.
* The quality of the cut scene is vastly different than in game graphics. What I mean is when I first seen a cutscene, it appears like characters had dirt and cuts on them. Then in game, everyone is clean and fine. The graphics appear to load rather late in that at first the world appears very muddy then suddenly somewhat good. Still very unpolished though.
* Aliens don't explode or react like they do in the movie. The acid do no appear to do anything and when hit or struck, don't "explode" like they did in the movie.
* The Tracker is absolutely horrible. The tracker is what I was most excited about in this game. As you recall, other aliens game had the tracker on the screen overlay but this one you get a separate tracking device that you can pull out like in the movies. However it fails miserably and I don't even know how they could get this wrong. It's more of an objective locator and finding hidden things like legendary weapons and name tags. Otherwise, what appears to happen is that while there are enemies, a tacker icon will appear on the screen. This means there are enemies and if you pull the tracker out you can get a location. Now with the tracker, there might be blips on the screen but again I think the main thing is that you have to trigger an event in order to see the enemy. For example, there are parts in the game where you pull the tracker out, see that there's a blip behind a door so you get ready, door opens, blip shows it right in front but the alien doesn't appear until you entered. Essentially the tracker is useless and it most certainly didn't felt like the movie where you got this tracker and you're trying to find out what's coming at you. It didn't felt scary at all. The tacker wasn't even graphically similar to that of the movie. In the movie, each blip was fuzzy ball. In this game, the blips appear as a sharp round object. It didn't felt like the movies at all.
Likes:
* The world is very well imitated to the Aliens film. I felt that the world was really well built but again it's about the small refinements that I don't think they ever got around to.
* Guns and gun sounds are very well designed. Again they got it right down to the movie. I never tested out any other weapon as I stuck with the pulse rifle, shotgun, and pistol. I felt they were good enough just the way it is. However, being that you can customize it with things like a silencer, I felt it gotten a tad bit silly and again not well used.
* You can find Legendary Weapons and Dog tags. The game really plays well into the nostalgic elements of the films. Dog tags are nametags that you can find that has the name of a person from the film and quotes. The quotes are sometimes good. Now the legendary weapons are really fun. You get various weapons that are used by characters in the film. From Vasquez pistol and smartgun to Hick's famous shotgun. Very fun to find. Sadly some of the weapons cannot be carried throughout the game like Vasquez smart gun or Drake's flame thrower. Other like Hick's rifle appear to use completely different ammunition from the normal weapons you find even though they might be the same type.
* There is a Prometheus reference in the game. Well it's no big deal anyways, but near the end there's a neat reference for those who seen the movie and understand some times about the original Alien derelict ship.
That's about all I can really think of. Again I felt that if they stamped out the bugs, and polished it up a bit, this game could have been really, really good. It had everything going for it: a good fan base, some exciting level designs, but it all fell short because they just didn't polish it up before releasing. Plus the demo version appeared to be REALLY good while the final build is horrible.
Overall get this purely for nostalgic reasons. But otherwise don't expect a top of the line game that you can carry on for years and years. | video-games_xbox |
More frustration than fun. *UPDATE*
This was a statement made by an EA spokesperson to Polygon on or around 12/4/13:
"First, we want to thank the fans out there that are playing and supporting us with Battlefield 4," the spokesperson said. "We know we still have a ways to go with fixing the game -- it is absolutely our No. 1 priority. The team at DICE is working non-stop to update the game. Since Battlefield 4 China Rising expansion pack was already in the final stages of development by the time issues began with Battlefield 4, we decided to fulfill our promise to deliver it this week, but we're not moving onto future projects or expansions until we sort out all the issues with Battlefield 4. We know many of our players are frustrated, and we feel their pain. We will not stop until this is right."
(Source: [...]
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When I got my Xbox One yesterday, I was giddy with excitement to pop this game in (it's the only game I was really wanting to play at launch).
Initially, I was blown away - the graphics are amazing, the sounds are crisp, and the controls are mostly fluid. But then...I kept playing.
The problem I've always had with this series is that there seems to be some sort of "penalty" for being a newcomer to the game. The starting guns suck and they have limited attachments. My first game (unranked) I was dumped into a game of level 60-70 somethings. You know what, I'm not going to knock a star off for that though - it's how the series is albeit not the best system in my opinion.
The reason this game loses stars is because is when you do get a game going you'll have "stutter" lag. Meaning, at the time you most need your connection, you lag. Enemy in front of you? Lag. Shooting an unsuspecting enemy? Lag. It's the kind of lag that freezes the screen in place for a second - not the "why isn't that guy dying?!" lag. And let's not forget my most recent experience, and why I have time to write this review...
The game chokes without any warning and takes you back to the Xbox home screen. This has just happened to me four times in a row. The servers are crashing and this game is riddled with other odd bugs. I gave it an extra star because of the first points I mentioned but that's being a bit generous. (I should probably add that the menus are so clunky - especially when you are modifying equipment and changing loadouts.)
Battlefield 4 is like that girl you meet out at a bar who looks hot because you may have had too many and the lights are low. But time reveals all things and in the morning this game doesn't look too good without makeup, you've got a headache, and you're wondering...why did I spend so much money last night? | video-games_xbox |
Rainbow Six Vegas has an encore. Rainbow Six Vegas 2 was well worth the wait. The graphics are much improved from the last edition with weapons, the operatives and the environment all getting an upgrade.
I will say that it's disappointing that with COD4's outstanding graphics, games can not just pick up where COD4 left off, so it is a bit of a step back from COD4's graphics.
When you look at RBSV2 you can not try to compare the game itself with COD4 for some pretty obvious reasons. COD4 is a run and gun, weapons driven game with air strikes and helicopters. RSV2 is a tactical shooter with moments of intense stress on the heart (try terrorist hunt on realistic) and a game in which success relies on being patient and finding good positions to attack.
RSV2's maps are absolutely amazing. Graphically they still are quite pretty, but it's the deep amount of routes and places to get up against that makes this game so successful. From a Theater to a Japanese Casino -- or even to a beautiful Villa by the beach, RSV2 delivers all sorts of environments to get your shooting pleasures fulfilled.
Another great feature to RSV2 is the ability to earn XP points towards new weapons and camo in single player mode or in Terrorist Hunt -- FANTASTIC! Better yet, in Terrorist Hunt your friends in the game earn you XP for their kills. Just yesterday I played this for an hour and ranked up faster than I would have if I played online for three hours.
Negatives? Well, my biggest complaint with RSV2 is the lack of a Melee system. The problem occurs when you are face to face with an enemy and you are both out of ammo and must reload. Rather than a quick slash with a nife, you have to switch weapons or reload and it can be rather frustrating. A Melee system would have been a great edition.
Grenades. The grenades system was poorly implemented and is tough to get the hang of. You must hold down the 'b' button for some time to get any distance on the 'nade and if you don't get enough of an angle on the throw your man will simply flop the grenade about 5 feet (or less).
All in all, I haven't put the game down since yesterday. It is a staple in my Xbox 360 until I get sick of it and want to go back to running and gunning on COD4. COD4 will not be dethroned as the best FPS on the 360, but RSV2 is by far the most thrilling and fun Tactical shooter on the 360 and if you like Tactical shooters better than the Halo/COD4 type game then this could possibly be the best game out on 360 for you right now. | video-games_xbox |
Too good to be true. Definitely not. After reading all the rave reviews this "game" is getting, I decided to be a sceptic and buy it for the sole purpose of finding it's flaws.
Then I met Maya, and she showed me all of my flaws instead. And then I started to hate her perfectness even more, because she showed me my flaws nicely!
I had no idea how out of shape I truly was until my fitness evaluation. I rolled my eyes and trudged through it, saying aloud that it was so lame, but secretly thinking it was the coolest, most innovative thing ever. I looked at Maya, and sad, "Seriously. Jumping jacks??!! Puh-lease. Are we in third grade gym here?" Then I began doing them.
So after I regained consciousness, I huffed and puffed through the rest of the evaluation. Then I was given a workout schedule recommendation, and a plan for healthier eating. I was happy with how thorough it was. And the food is very simple, yet extremely yummy! Nice, normal, healthy choices. Things I actually have in my house!
RUN, don't walk, to go buy this right now. It's wonderful for beginners, or even the advanced who is looking for a change of pace to get away from their latest plateau. The Yoga Meditation Garden is wonderful, the workouts are wonderful, Maya in wonderful, the food plans are wonderful. I know I sound like a broken record, but it's truly that impressive. My entire body aches so bad that it's painful to type this review. Who knew I had muscles in there somewhere?
A thousand times cheaper than a gym membership and a personal trainer, even if you have to buy an Xbox for it. They are planning to release a PS2 version in January, so it would be a great gift for the New-Years-Resolution-to-get-in-shape person. There is also access to a wonderful, supportive companion site where you can post a journal if you'd like, or just share your "war stories" about Maya.
All in all, this is the best thing I have ever bought for our Xbox. Besides Halo 2. ;)
I am editing this review today, Friday March 4, 2005 (originally written in Nov. 04) to add that with the help of this game, I have gone from a size 20 to a size 14. In 4 months!!! I follow Dr. Phil's food plan, and use this program 5 days per week, and the pounds have just melted off. Not a week goes by that I don't see improvement. | video-games_xbox |
A great idea, good execution, but not one size fits all. I was looking forward to the Onza for about a year before I finally got my hands on one. And it really is a very impressive controller, and assuming Razer's worked out their quality control issues I would highly recommend it to many people. That said, even though I have not had any QC issues with my own Onza TE, I am back to using my standard wired 360 controller with a <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Xbox-360-Controller-Silicon-Sleeve-Clear/dp/B0010YEFSS/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Xbox 360 Controller Silicon Sleeve - Clear</a> and a KontrolFreek <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/FPS-Freek-Classic-White/dp/B002R2JCNK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">FPS Freek (Classic White)</a> on my left analog stick. At the end of the day, the deal breaker with the Razer Onza was this: It's just too small.
I'm a tall guy and I have relatively large hands. Outside of video game controllers, I rarely run into a situation where I feel like something isn't comfortable because it's too small for my hands. Keyboards, mice, gloves, sporting equipment grips...they're all cases where a proper fit helps maximize comfort and performance, and they're all available in different sizes. Third party controllers have been available at the same size as the Xbox 360 controller and smaller, and I've bought a <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Microcon-Wireless-Controller/dp/B0000AI1KT/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Microcon Wireless Controller</a> for my son, as I know a properly sized controller makes a big difference. Sadly, there hasn't been a large controller available this console generation, so my sleeve + FPS freek solution is the best fit I've been able to find.
Performance wise, there are a lot of things in the Razer Onza controller that I am quite happy with, enough that I really wanted to find a way to use it as my main controller. After using it for a while, my main pros would be as follow:
- Excellent backlighting on face buttons (although and option to turn this off would be nice for people who play in dark projector rooms)
- Excellent tactile and audio feedback on the face buttons, which have very little travel distance. This was probably the single most impressive part of the controller for me. Clicking these buttons feels, and sounds, very much like clicking a high quality mouse button, and were the buttons both a little bigger and a little farther apart, they'd be perfect.
- Fantastic cable. It may sound minor, but I game on high quality wired arcade sticks and wired controllers, and the quality and length of the cable of the Onza is better than any of my other peripherals. A very nice touch.
- Rubberized coating: Similar to the silicon sleeve I use on my Xbox 360 controller, this is a nice touch that is definitely an improvement over a standard plastic controller.
The things I don't feel strongly positive or negatively about are as follows:
- Programmable shoulder buttons: These are a great idea, but they are too small, too close to the normal RB and LB buttons, and cannot be mapped to the D-pad directions, despite the D-pad basically being split into four distinct buttons. I am sure, with time, I could have gotten used to these, but their size and proximity to the RB/LB buttons was a constant reminder of how small the controller feels in my hands.
- Adjustable tension knobs did not have nearly the impact or usefulness that I thought they might. While they can be adjusted, I didn't find a "sweet spot" in tension that I missed when I went back to my standard 360 controller. I definitely appreciate this feature, but it's not as important as I originally thought it would be.
- The location of the start and back buttons are out of the way. For games where you want to use the start and back buttons regularly, mapping one or both buttons to the programmable buttons is probably far more efficient and ergonomic than trying to use the buttons in their current location. For games where you want to use the start and/or back buttons regularly and also use the programmable buttons for other functions, their location may be frustrating, but I don't consider a con the way some other people do.
- It seems like there's a slightly reduced travel distance for the triggers, and they feel different, but I didn't feel like they were much better or worse than the standard 360 controller.
Other than size, the one area where the controller disappointed me was the D-pad buttons. The d-pad was supposed to be an improvement over the 360, but it isn't. While the d-pad on the normal 360 isn't great, it can be used in a lot of different genres. The Onza's design suggests it was specifically designed for use as for discrete buttons to be used for inventory selection, but the clunky plastic buttons don't even excel in that area. I can't imagine anyone trying to use it to play retro games, fighting games or anything else where you'd want precise 8-directional controls. Worse yet, the programmable buttons cannot be mapped to the D-pad, so you have no choice but to use the d-pad.
If I wore an M-sized men's golf glove, I'd probably love the Onza. I'm confident I'd at least like it enough to at least give it four-stars and use it instead of the 360 standard wired controller. But as it is, it's too small. I understand that it looks about the same size as the 360, but it's ergonomics (which might make it feel better for people with the right sized hands) make the size disparity feel worse, and it feels even smaller once you compare it to a 360 controller with a silicon sleeve.
I wrote Razer, and even got a reply back, about the controller size. It sounds like Razer is at least considering the option of making the Onza available in a larger size. Someone should. With all the time and money people spend gaming, there's surely a built-up market of adults with larger hands who'd gladly spend money on a high quality controller made with their hand size in mind.
I'm hopeful that Razer will take criticism of the first Razer Onza TE, and use it to create an updated and improved version. Should a larger version of the Onza be made available, I will buy it. Ideally, they'll update the Onza with a better D-pad, the option to map the d-pad buttons to the programmable buttons, and make it available in different sizes (maybe S, M and L?). An L or XL Onza with a better d-pad that can be mapped to the programmable buttons and an option to turn the back-lighting for the buttons off would basically be my dream controller, hopefully one that I'll see one day. | video-games_xbox |
If this is wrong, I don't wanna be right. For summary judgment, skip to the very bottom.
I'll never understand Sega's game release date logic. They often release some simply outstanding games (Skies of Arcadia, Valkyria Chronicles, Sonic Adventure, NiGHTS on Sega Saturn, Shining Force, and now this), but when they release them, it's amidst larger, more notable games, and as a result the Sega games get kicked to the curb. In particular they did that with Valkyria Chronicles - it was released, surrounded by two of the largest games at the time, Call of Duty: World at War and Gears of War 2. It never stood a chance. Nevermind the fact that Sega never even bothered to advertise Valkyria Chronicles in GameStop or Amazon or any other game store. I only knew about it because I specifically target RPGs. We've got people who are just now playing the game, realizing that they skipped over a classic.
Resonance of Fate is/will be such a game too.
Overshadowed by the hype that is Final Fantasy XIII and God of War 3, I fear that this one will go under the radar and not get played for two years like its brother. If you're reading this review, hopefully you're at least curious, or maybe you just weren't impressed by Final Fantasy XIII. I suppose it's possible you already beat that game and moved on. In either case, this review is going to be a bit difficult to follow, because I have to exert extra effort into how to express what I think about this game. Not bad, just...different.
RoF takes place in the distant future, where humanity has so destroyed the world that the majority of the population is gone and dead. Before their end they created a large machine, called Basel, that is designed to purify and replenish the earth. It was not able to do this, as the remaining population decided just to live on some of the levels of Basel and ended up ruining it. It's livable, but not able to do what it's designed to do. The story unravels slowly as you are introduced to the various characters of the game. Unlike other RPGs, there is no "meeting" your party. You start with all three of the characters you'll be using, and though one or two may leave or be otherwise not available at times, generally you're working with the three. There's a reason for this - the battle engine, which I'll get to later, works best when you have a full staff. IT's not for nothing though: there's something to be said about a game that actually shows its male characters watching porn while the female character is taking a shower...then cracks jokes about the size of said female character's breasts (no, there is no nudity displayed!)
The graphics in RoF remind me a lot of Infinite Undiscovery, Star Ocean: The Last Hope or Magna Carta 2 - where everything looks like the screen is at maximum contrast and sharpness and things just "pop" at you. This can be good or bad - it's an acquired taste and certainly not nearly as visually stunning as Final Fantasy XIII, but it's not a horrible looking game, either. In fact some of the towns and buildings you'll visit are quite detailed, down to things moving in the background and the changing from day to night (something very few RPGs do anymore, by the by) as you adventure. There are a given number of game engine cutscenes, and a select few CGI full motion ones. What is there, is fairly short and not designed to be the focal point of the game by any means. The cutscenes last barely a minute each, and are snippets of the overall story. The majority of it is told through the quests and the dialogue between the characters, so if you're not a fan of reading, you might want to skip this game.
Don't expect to see the usual swords and spears of other games. RoF uses guns and other artillery to get the job done. These guns can be customized with different parts to make your characters as powerful as you want them to be. Your weapons also have levels of their own besides the characters' levels. As you level up, you gain various skills and enhancements that make your characters more potent in battle...and trust me, you'll need them. Some battles are extremely simple, but you get to bosses that use certain strategies that will push your skills to the limit. In regular battles there are times you seem invincible; some bosses can bring you to your knees with a few shots. It's that random. You can run and shoot in given directions, jump and shoot your enemy into the ground, or juggle your enemy into the air from below. There are a variety of other techniques that you can leverage to assist you, all of which require a lot of multitasking to do. It's not the type of game you can button mash your way through - maybe a few of the regular enemies, definitely not the bosses. For example, you might run, but be stopped by a boss who levels you with a major attack. Depending on how much damage you'd taken up to that point, you might be sent into critical mode, which makes you so weak that all you can do is shoot and run away; no fancy tricks. One more hit, you're dead, and have to try all over again.
Without going into too much detail about the battle engine, know that it feels like a mish-mash of a number of games from the past: Max Payne, for the acrobatic gunslinging; Wild ARMs, just because; and a pinch of Dark Cloud, in that the enemies you defeat hold the key to "rebuilding" the world around you. As you slay each enemy, you'll gain energy hexes that are used to navigate the world. This naturally forces you to do battle in order to advance in the game, and discourages you from running from every enemy. You really shouldn't be about running anyway...because you'll come up against a boss that will mop the floor with you in short order if you don't keep your party sufficiently powered up. If you're feeling adventurous, RoF features a number of difficulty levels that you can unlock as you beat the game, each one incrementally more challenging than the ones before it, with the base level being difficult enough as to frustrate most reviewers. If you're a glutton for punishment, the game will give you what you came for. However, I want to warn you: The battle controls are a bit difficult to learn. There are so many controls that make use of basically every single button that they can be overwhelming. There is a full on training section; use it. DO NOT try to just jump into the game and start playing without going to the training, because you will get killed and you will get confused, I promise you!!!
Resonance of Fate is a throwback to older games such as Ninja Gaiden, Mega Man and the NES versions of Metal Gear, where you'll encounter bosses that are so cheap that you feel compelled to defeat them no matter the cost. To the game's credit, it never feels like you're underpowered or underleveled, because you were forced to grind to unlock the energy hexes. But it's the tactics used by the bosses that will frustrate you - attacks that take nearly 10x the damage you're accustomed to taking up to that point, attacks that go the full range of the map, and attacking you from behind cover. But it gets better: the game rubs this dynamic in further when you die, because you're given essentially three options. Load your game, which means you're strolling back however far from wherever you last saved; Retry, which lets you try again to beat the boss without walking back to him at a cost of 200 Rupees, or Retry in Hero Mode, which lets you try again to beat the boss without walking back to him AND gives you enough power to do some major damage, at a cost of a staggering 20,000 Rupees. It's entirely possible these amounts go up as you progress each chapter; I didn't die enough times to verify. But you can't help but be absolutely livid at the notion that a boss used a cheesy tactic to take you out, costing you precious money to get a second shot at him. It actually encourages and energizes you to beat the snot out of him when you regenerate. What's worse though, is that if any one of the three characters dies, it's Game Over. There is no reviving in this game, which just adds to the challenge.
IF I had to note the most impressive thing about the game, it's the music. Clearly, Star Ocean was inspirational when deciding what tracks to compose for this game, because it's just as well orchestrated and intricate as SO. Every theme you encounter has an epic feel without being too overpowering or loud; and the battle music changes depending on what you're doing at any given time. I can assure you that I'll be getting the soundtrack...that is, if one is ever released, which it probably won't be.
In summary: do I recommend it? Absolutely. This is a sleeper hit for sure. It's a shame that it is being overlooked in favor of other more notable games, and it's even more a shame that Sega has not pushed this one harder. It almost seems like Sega has just stopped emphasizing the US market since the failure of the Dreamcast which is unfortunate: if not for them, we wouldn't have the types of games we have now. Resonance of Fate is a must try. Even if you don't feel comfortable buying it just yet, rent it at least. | video-games_xbox |
Review: Medal of Honor. The recently released Medal of Honor is an attempted reboot of the classic EA property co-developed by Danger Close (Campaign) and Dice (Multiplayer). This time the title is set during the initial invasion of modern day Afghanistan and the player will step in to the role of a Special Forces Tier 1 Operator and Army Rangers. While the game features the now standard set of sniping, open combat, and night ops mission. It provides a far more emotional and realistic story than what has been featured in the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare franchise.
Even on its most difficult setting Medal of Honor is not insanely challenging or cheap (No Call of Duty-eque infinite grenade throwing enemies) as the pacing and set pieces are very well laid out for every player. Once unlocked the Tier 1 mode is where the primary challenge comes from as players must not only contend with the game on it's hardest difficulty but will also be graded on time and accuracy. This provides a nice challenge to the crowd who is looking for something more. The game does suffer from some random glitches with objectives not loading properly and at times require re-loading from the last checkpoint. The game controls beautifully and can be customized to the standards of almost any players style or preference. The controls are very responsive and firing from iron sites or a scoped weapon feels very natural
Graphically the game is on par with its closest competition the Modern Warfare franchise, but isn't as beautiful as the Battlefield: Bad company series. Sky boxes and set pieces are amazing in this game as well but the problem is in the mountains of the middle east their is is not a lot you can do with the scenery. Character model are nice and have very little problem with clipping and no real graphical glitches appear at any point in the game.
The audio for the title is really well done. I know that EA worked closely with several un-named military agents to make the game as close to the real life of a soldier as possible. The thunder from approaching AC-130 and its rounds impacting the earth sounds amazing on surround sound systems. The game also features a diverse and believable cast of voice actors who do the job set before them fantastically.
The competitive mulitplayer is a decent attempt to bring this series back to life but is unable to hold up to the Call of Duty or Battlefield franchises that currently dominate the market. The multiple side of the game was developed by DICE which is the developer of the Battlefield franchise and tries very hard to mimic a lot of the aspects that make the Battlefield multiplayer popular. The problem is Medal of Honor is much more or a fast paced shooter in line with Call of Duty than that of the strategic class gameplay found in Battlefield. The maps are typically open with many area's can be exploited causing a great deal of spawn camping from both sides. While this can be a valid tactic in competitive play it certainly hurts the chance of bringing new players in to the games community.
Gameplay: 3 (out of 5)
Medal of Honor steps out of the past to take on the modern day military shooter juggernaut. While surpassing it in realism and drama, it falls short in its attempt to steal away the Call of Duty crowd.
Controls: 4 (out of 5)
Highly customizable to fit the preference of just about any player. The controls are spot on and very responsive.
Graphics: 4 (out of 5)
Medal of Honor is graphically on par with other titles in it's genre and is generally a fantastic looking game.
Sound: 5 (out of 5)
Fantastic voice work and weapon sound effects really add to the feel of the game.
Replay Value: 4 (out of 5)
The campaign is short even by standard first person shooter standards but the multiplayer will keep gamers who do not want the next Call of Duty busy till the release of Battlefield 3.
Overall Score: 4 (out of 5)
Review Score Information: 1 - Poor, 2 - Below Average, 3 - Average, 4 - Above Average, 5 - Excellent | video-games_xbox |
Borderlands from an aging hardcore gamer's perspective. Barring the issues with the item system that made me cancel my pre-order in the first place (no trading window, a lack of unique developer designed items, no loot rules, etc.), the game is fantastic in every other aspect and definitely recommended. I came to terms with accepting that I would play this game more for the action/RPG experience, and not to be a lootwhore. After all, people have already figured out a way to easily dupe items on the 360 version, so no real sense in coveting gear because it can all be shared anyway.
So what is Borderlands and why am I really digging it? The main reason I'm enjoying it is because it combines aspects of several top tier games. When I first started playing it I thought to myself, "Wow, Borderlands is like the current generation's Phantasy Star Online." Phantasy Star Online was an addictive online action-RPG that was released originally on the Dreamcast, but also found success on the Gamecube and Xbox due to its online play. People had to pay monthly fees to play it, but you joined up with several other players online and went through dungeons and quests together killing enemies to level up and find cool loot.
Borderlands preserves the most enjoyable aspects of Phantasy Star Online: the social aspect of the game - allowing for up to four players to play together with enemy difficulty scaling and better treasures dropping. At the same time, Borderlands implements a well-designed quest system that is not unlike soloing in World of Warcraft or practically any online MMORPG these days. I for one loved to solo in World of Warcraft, doing quest chain after quest chain since you were always rewarded with loot and experience. Borderlands implements the quest chain system superbly as well, and I can't help but reminisce about WoW questing when I play Borderlands.
Tying the package together is the sound FPS system of the game. Surprisingly, the FPS mechanics in the game work very well. Fallout 3's FPS mechanics were kind of hokey, but Borderlands is very intuitive because not only are there understandable statistics on weapons like accuracy and kickback on a weapon, but the control system is basically the Call of Duty 4 system. Fans of Call of Duty 4 will be right at home in playing this game and aiming for headshots. It can very much be played as a FPS game so it should appeal to action gamers as well.
For those of you that have yet to experience such addictive online RPG games such as World of Warcraft and Phantasy Star Online, surely you must have experienced the addictive nature of Call of Duty 4's leveling up and challenges. Borderlands is like that (it has its own set of challenges that provide extra exp) but now throw in 4-player online co-op and tons of new weapons to find and share and you have a game that you can play with friends for many, many hours.
In summary, I can forgive Borderlands' poor item system because all the other aspects of the game are just so well done and enjoyable. I even forgot to mention the amount of humor present in the game, as it doesn't quite take itself so seriously and makes the game even more amiable. I recommend the game to anyone that was a fan of any of the action-RPG games that I've mentioned above, or even FPS fans that want to play a game where the emphasis is on co-op and not adversarial. | video-games_xbox |
One of the best headsets Turtle Beach has put out in a while. This is a great product. I was pretty harsh in my review of the Turtle Beach Elite 800x... but this headset is an improvement in many ways.
Mic: First and foremost this is a gaming headset. It has to work perfectly in that respect or what's the point. This mic picks up my voice crystal clear. The mic monitoring also works great. And the simple volume & chat controls makes it easy to adjust so that the balance is just right during a party chat.
Wireless: Connectivity here is amazing. Can't stress this enough. No hissing or any noticeable clicks or anything. Honestly it's probably the quietest headset I've ever used in terms of annoying background static/noise/hiss (that includes wired and wireless headsets). The range is more than adequate for me to put the controller down in between matches to get a drink, bite to eat, or use the restroom (with mute on of course!) while still hearing good humored party chatter between games. It's also worth noting that my Xbox is less than a foot away from my wireless router, but I still don't get any wireless interference.
Comfort: The cushions are a bit stiff IMO, but the headset is so light and it doesn't squeeze into your head so it doesn't really matter. It's no problem wearing this for an extended period of time. The padded bar at the top is probably the best feature and keeps everything secure w/out being tight. Not the most comfortable headset I've ever had, but it's good.
Sound: Stereo sound is just as good as I've heard in other headsets. Comes with a few presets to crank up the treble or bass if you want. I'm no audiophile, but I have no complaints here.
Overall: This is a great headset. The best I have found for the XB1 for sure (even compared with more expensive options such as the TB Elite 800x)! And the fact that it's 100% wireless (not even a chat cable is needed) is what really pushes it over the top. I can't help but feel like some of TB's offerings back in the Xbox 360 days were superior, but I've been waiting impatiently for a really good XB1 headset that worked well in every area and so far this is the 1st one that checks all the main boxes. I'm very happy with them at $150, but as the price starts to fall over time these are going to be an extremely good bargain.
5 stars! Not because it's perfect, but for right now it's the best bang for your buck.
***EDIT*** I did have one issue with this headset that was resolved... the mic works a little too good and picks up my breathing. I contacted TB support and they said they would send me a foam cover for the mic head which would filter out my breathing directly on the mic. Was glad to hear this because I had already figured that out and used a mic cover I had pulled from an older headset (which did fix the problem). May not be necessary depending on where you keep the mic, but for me it was. | video-games_xbox |
Almost great but some flaws hold it back. Despite the rating, I really like this headset. In fact, I almost love it. But there are just too many things about it I don't like to keep me from giving it a high rating. I bought this a few days after buying the HyperX Cloud II and Cloud Revolver, and between the three this is the one I chose to keep. I'm including the following information, which is a bit off-topic, to show my thought process in choosing between these three so others can hopefully benefit from it. I preferred the comfort of the Cloud headsets, especially the Revolver, and while comfort is a huge criteria for me, it was only a marginal difference, and I much preferred the versatility of this headset over those. The Cloud Revolver was the most comfortable headset, but it was limited to 3.5mm, which prevented me from being able to use it with the Steam Link (which I've since given up on, but that's another story). It was also corded, and I prefer cordless (though not Bluetooth, due to ALWAYS having issues with Bluetooth devices on Windows as well as lag and bandwidth problems). Most importantly, though, and the main reason I decided against it, was the noise whenever the metal band touched/rubbed against anything. So if I rested my head on the chair, it would occasionally rub and that sound would reverberate through the speakers. The Cloud II didn't have this annoyance, was almost as comfortable, and can connect via USB or 3.5mm (no 7.1 with the latter, though). Considering it's cheaper than the Revolver and comes with an extra set of ear cuffs and a USB 7.1 sound card, it's definitely the better choice between the two, and I strongly considered keeping it as a wired backup. The connector that came with it to split the TRRS 3.5mm plug into two TRS plugs isn't very good, though, since it only works for jacks spaced that exact distance apart. And both HyperX headsets also share one final issue, which is that the inline controls are upside down.
So onto the LS30. I ended up deciding to keep it primarily due to the wireless aspect and since the comfort, while not great, seemed comparable to the others. I like the fact I'm not tethered by wires, the USB wireless adapter works in the computer, Steam Link, and nVidia Shield TV, I can also use the headset as normal-looking headphones, and, I can even use them wired (more on this later). I absolutely love the controls (rotate one ear to adjust speaker volume and the other to adjust mic volume, press on one ear to mute the speakers and the other to mute the mic) and the mic-monitoring feature. I like how the mic lights up when muted. I like the looks and the apparent build quality. The mic quality wasn't good at first, but after the first day my friend has consistently said it sounds great, comparable to the HyperX headsets. And this is with AND without the boom mic attached, so I typically use it without, which is great. The speakers also sound great. I'm not an audiophile, but I'd rate the sound a 4-4.5/5.
Now for the things I don't like about the headset, in order of importance. First is comfort. As I said, it's close to that of the Cloud II, which is close to that of the Cloud Revolver. All three rest on the bottom of my ear lobe on the left ear regardless of how much I try to adjust the fit. Apparently my left ear is a little larger than my right, just enough to be too big for these headsets. Also, if I don't get it positioned perfectly, and honestly I think even if it is, it seems to not necessarily rest on but push on the back of my ears. Finally, these squeeze tighter (more pressure) than the others, while the Revolvers were the best in this regard. Combined, these issues cause me to periodically readjust them (probably every 5-10 minutes depending), and after wearing them for a couple hours they start to become uncomfortable. Not usually nearly as painful as I've experienced with other headphones, but definitely enough discomfort and/or mild pain that I wouldn't want to wear them much longer. They're also a little heavy, which adds to the discomfort, though this isn't too bad and I'm not sure they could be made much lighter and still be as high quality, not to mention they have to house a battery.
Next up is the ability to use these wired. In LucidSound's defense, I'm using them with my computer, which they're not designed or marketed for, and so I'm not docking points for it, but it's still worth mentioning. The reason I got the HyperX headsets first was because I looked at this one, liked what I saw, but then saw that computer use wasn't supported so I moved on. In fact, they work perfectly with the computer in wireless mode, with the exception that the controls are switched, which isn't a big deal at all. Still, I wonder why they don't just say it works with computers, since it does (and preferably fix the reversed controls, though, again, not a big deal). The issue is using it wired with the computer. I bought a Y-cable to take the TRRS plug on the cable that came with the headset and convert it into two (mic + line out) TRS plugs to connect it to the computer. And of course two 3.5mm extension cables because the included cable is only about 4' long. Kind of a pain, not to mention the extra expense, to get it to work, and then only somewhat. Without the extensions, it worked pretty well, but I had to sit too close to the computer. With the extensions, my friend heard a constant noise that he said sounded like a fan. I'm guessing he was hearing the sound of the case fan being picked up through the onboard audio which was made worse somehow by using a long extension cable, or perhaps the cable was picking up EMI. All I know is I couldn't get it to work, so while technically the headset will work wired, for now it seems that realistically it won't. Additionally, once I hooked it up wired, I became very loud to him, so he had to turn me down. This wasn't an issue before. And even after switching back to wireless this remained an issue. Also, when we tried wired, if I had him turned up very loud he would hear an echo of himself, which makes no sense. Again, this remained after going back to wireless, though it's possible it was always like that and I just hadn't turned him up that loud before. Either way, it makes absolutely no sense that he would hear himself echo if I have him turned up. I tried playing a video loudly to see if he would hear that and he didn't, so for some reason he's getting feedback of himself when I use this headset.
The next issue I have with this headset is the range. The first night I connected it to my computer and was talking to my friend it dropped out when I got ~10' away. So I unplugged the USB dongle from the computer and reconnected it using a USB extension cable. This increased my range to ~25-30', which is a lot better, but still not great. I'm not sure why moving it a couple feet from the computer made such a big difference. Maybe it just got it away from all the metal and/or electrical interference, but stuff like Logitech or BlueTooth dongles don't seem to have this issue. This headset would really benefit from having a 50'+ range. Also, as I mentioned earlier, the mics at first performed very poorly (especially the internal, but even the boom mic), and I suspect this was related to whatever was causing the poor range. In any event, that problem seems to be resolved now.
Battery life seems pretty good, though time will tell if it's really 15 hours. I'm pretty sure I didn't get close to that on the first charge, but I didn't charge it when I got it, so now that I've fully charged it, we'll see. What really upsets me is that you only realistically get 85% usable runtime out of whatever the battery provides, because once you get to 15% remaining, it beeps every 30 seconds. To me, it's essentially unusable at that point, unless you're desperate. So even if the 15 hour runtime is true, you're only going to get 12.75 hours before you'll need to charge it. This is simply unacceptable and borders on false advertising. They need to get rid of this "feature" or provide a way to turn it off, either permanently or by pressing a button to acknowledge it. I'd be fine if it did it until you pressed a button, even if it then did it again at 5% until you press the button again. But to just keep beeping every 30 seconds for over 2 hours is ridiculous, and is the biggest reason for the lowered rating.
These headphones also don't do very well at blocking out noise. Considering the mic monitoring feature allows you to hear what's going on without removing them at the push of a button, it seems they should have been designed to be much more isolating. Perhaps they're an open-backed design for increased breatheability, but I don't see info regarding that one way or the other. There's also a constant, low-level background noise when in powered mode.
The headset would also benefit from being more compact (by folding up) and versatile (by including a BT radio to connect to phones). And turning it on and off sometimes requires multiple attempts, because sometimes I'll hold the power button for 3-4 seconds and it won't turn on/off, but then I'll press it again and it'll work within a second or two (case in point: it just took four attempts to turn it on). Finally, the EQ button only provides feedback as to which setting you're on in the form of one, two, or three beeps. A voice prompt would be nice for this, or perhaps a low-frequency beep for bass-boost mode, a high-frequency beep for treble-boost mode, and a medium-frequency beep for normal mode.
I wanted to love these, and even after the range and mic issues I had at first, the good but not great comfort, and the other small issues, I wanted to give them a 4/5. But due to the repeating beep starting at 15% battery power, I can't justify more than a 3. Hopefully they'll fix some of these issues with the LS40. For their first headset, they did really well, and you do get a lot for the price. But there's also a lot of flaws and a lot of room for improvement. Here's the main things I'd like to see in the LS40:
- improved comfort: slightly larger and softer ear cuffs, slightly less pressure (less tight), especially on the bottom of the cuffs
- improved low battery warning
- improved computer support (this is in fact the main difference on the LS40)
- improved range
- folding
- BT radio as well as the current one (don't want just BT, since in my experience it's EXTREMELY flaky with Windows)
Despite my low rating, I'd still recommend these if you're looking for something in the very specific wireless headset category. You can certainly do better if you just want wireless headphones, and you can do better for much less if you want a headset and don't care about wireless. But if you want a wireless headset, I think you'd be hard pressed to do better, certainly at this price, especially if you find this headset to be comfortable. While range is an issue if you, like me, want to be able to move around the house while listening to music or carrying on a conversation, it is more than adequate for gaming. The biggest, and really only, reason I would hesitate to recommend trying it is due to the beeping and, as a result, the significantly less than stated battery life. I'm looking forward the the LS40, but regardless of other improvements or features, I will NOT buy it if it still does that, so I hope LucidSound realizes how lousy that design is and changes it. | video-games_xbox |
Fun, but missing something. I'm a huge fan of this series, and this game continues the magic of picking up a toy guitar and feeling like you're rocking out onstage, but it's not perfect.
On the technical side of things, this is a good step forward. The mini-tours are fun distractions, though there could be more of those with some longer sets included. Keyboards are popular at parties, though the setlist could have supported that addition better. The interface has never been better, with the individual menus streamlining the experience a great deal. Never again will you have to ask "Okay, who hit pause?" Software-wise this is, without a doubt, the best game of the series for party-play.
Online play is also great for pre-arranged groups of people that just want to jump in together, build a setlist, and rock out, but it suffers when it comes to matchmaking, mostly from good ideas that don't work when they encounter real people. In theory, letting the whole group build the setlist is a great idea. In practice, this only leads to long sets of songs picked by one or two players that may or may not even have parts for all of the players. Suffice to say, this is not a game to play online with random partners.
The setlist is broad and varied, but there seem to be more stinkers than usual for me at least. For each epic song like Free Bird that is picked at every party, there is a stinker like Imagine that only the poli-sci major that knows the piano part by heart wants to play. This is also the first entry into the main series where you can't play every song with every instrument. As they've shown with the steady stream of downloads since the game came out, there are massive numbers of songs with fun keyboard parts; where were they when the team was picking the disc songs? There are more than enough good songs to warrant the purchase, but I certainly wouldn't try to have a party with only the on-disc material.
The game is still ridiculously fun, but this one doesn't seem to have the legs of the last entry. As a player that loved joining random bands and helping them progress through the tour in Rock Band 2, this version is a little disappointing, but this is without a doubt the best way to get four to seven people having a blast in your living room. | video-games_xbox |
Does Not Live Up To The Hype. ~~WARNING: Tried to keep it generic, but there are a few spoilers.
The game looked amazing in all of the previews, CGI commercials, and initial impression write-ups from the big game reviewers. In summary, I played the game through in 77 hours and I ended up enjoying about half of the game. I was disappointed with the story(s), felt that a lot of the pre-launch hype was flat out false, found that that the game was buggy, and was extremely annoyed with the process used to import save files from DA:O and DA:2. It is worth picking up when the price drops, but it is not a must have.
DA:I starts strong right where DA:2 left off. Bioware does a great job of throwing you right into the mix with a sense of urgency. Everyone is panicked at the cataclysm that has taken place, but they have cautious optimism that you and your gifts can help. You can feel the weight of everyone's hope in you. This continues through the first half of the game. The characters are awesome to interact with and the story is strong. You see that you are making progress as people gather to support your cause, feel like you making the enemy nervous, and that you are a beacon of hope despite so much crisis in the world. A couple major plot points identify your true enemy and his intentions for the world. I was constantly thinking to myself this is awesome! and I was annoying my wife with story recaps at dinner just about every night for 2-3 weeks.
But, the pacing gets off the tracks the 2nd half of the game. You have to build up your power points to make the main plot progress. This can be done via the many companion, NPC, and Inquisition side questions. Some are really fun, but many are bland MMO style fetch or wienie horde stomping chores. As the story progresses, it takes more and more power points to go to the next major plot stage. As a result, you will find yourself grinding mundane side quests quite a bit. Grinding for the power points needed to advance the main story throws off the pacing several times in the second half of the game.
If you are like me and really get into your game companions, you will probably find that there is not enough companion material to carry you through to the end of the game. At about 45 hours of my 77 hour play through, I had most of the major companion quests, romance threads, and party banter played out (I started getting reruns). At this point, they had nothing new to say when talking at the keep or when adventuring. It felt like they were empty NPCs and that they had lost their purpose. I LOVED the cast in this game and it was very frustrating to have their roles fizzle out before the end.
I kept grinding through side quests despite these pacing issues because I wanted to maximize my Inquisition forces. I eventually got bored with the repetitive generic side quests and decided to try the final battle with the Inquisition I had. Figured I was going to be stomped with my level 17-18 characters and with all the alliances I still had not secured. Tragically, your Inquisition forces play NO part in the final battle and the final battle was boring and easy. It was so anti-climactic that I initially thought another plot twist was coming, but to my disappointment, the credits rolled. There was cliff-hanger post-credit cut scene, but all it did was drag me down more because it was obviously a setup for something more. I hope EA did not pick apart the story to sell the remaining pieces as DLC as they did with Mass Effect 3. I am not sure which is worse, a botched ending or a company selling an incomplete product without letting consumers know up front. Either way, the game peaks about half way through and coasts downhill until the end if you are a completionist. It may be that the main story is paced to be a 50 hour or so adventure and that most of the side quests are blah filler there for marketing talking points (i.e. game length, content claims, etc).
Leading up to DA:Is launch, Bioware and EA talked about a vast modular open world (big zones) and lots of exciting places to explore. I felt that the open world was generic, empty, and not very exciting to explore. Some of the areas were huge on the surface, but the vast majority of the sparse caves, landmarks, and towns in the world were small, empty, and generic. You could not interact with most NPCs or many of the environments. Many of the key cities in the game were not accessible (i.e. Deneirim and Orzamarr) and access to the Deep Roads was limited to just a few small entrance areas.
Bioware and EA pushed the Lead Them OR Fail tagline and routinely emphasized how crucial your decisions were in the game. After you complete the game, you will realize that all your choices in the game did not matter. You get some different wording and a few different slides at the end of the game that depend on a couple of the games key choices, but that is all your choices build to. They make little to no difference in the overall story or the ending. Try making a new game and making choices opposite to those in your first game. The main story and ending will not change much at all. You really just have the illusion of choice in this game. The illusion is dispelled in the last major plot stage.
When the graphics were fully loaded, the game looked good through an XB360 and a 720P plasma screen TV. The text throughout the game was near impossible to read from any distance, though. This included menus and captions. The font was small, narrow, and a bright shade of white. Graphic flashing, meshes not loading, NPCs not loading (AKA ghost towns and keep), characters falling through the ground, characters slipping through walls, loading screen freezing, and character voice scrambling were common occurrences. The game patch sent out early December helped with the freezing, but not with much else. Bugs were a huge distraction and broke the game a few times for me. For some reason, the meshes would not load on the sides of mountains in the Hinterlands and on some of the dragons in the game. Both looked like big masses of Play-Do as a result. The bugs broke the game several times for me.
The game did not start out as planned. I pre-ordered the deluxe edition for the XB360 in hopes that I could carry-over my DA:O and DA:2 save files. Not sure how I missed it, but you cannot easily carry-over your previous games even if you stick to the same older consoles. You have to use the DA Keep through EA's Origins system to create a generic "tapestry" of your previous major decisions in DA:0 and DA:2. It supposedly can reference your old save files through your XB360 if your Origins account is synced with your XBLive account, but it does a poor job of it. It found only one of my two DA:2 save files and could not find any of my four DA:O save files despite everything being saved on the same XB360 hard drive. So, I made most of my "tapestry" manually from what I recalled from the previous games off the top of my head. Once the file is created, the game will look for it when you are hashing out a character at about the 5th step of the new character creation process. You must be online, logged into XBLive, and patient for it to work. You might have to go back in the character creation screen to restart the tapestry importation process a few times. It finally found the tapestry on something like the 4th try for me. After it is loaded, it will not give you trouble again. The advantage of the Origin's tapestry system is that makes it possible to carry a consistent story across different systems. This has a lot of promise, but EA needs to work out a lot of bugs and provide users with clear directions at games' launches from now on. Would it have been that hard to add some directions to the game's start screen? | video-games_xbox |
The gameplay trailer did not do this game justice in my opinion. I will admit after seeing the gameplay trailer for FS17 after watching the E3 CGI trailer, I was upset and considering not purchasing this game. But to me, the game is not done justice in the gameplay trailer at all. They have not only added several new machines and implements, but they have added so many details to the game to make it better. Your machine's tires actually flex and slightly flatten when going over certain terrain or being under load. The dirt looks much more realistic when cultivating or plowing (although the harvested field graphics didn't change much with the little yellow stubby lines sticking through the dirt to resemble cut down crops). You can do all sorts of missions on unpurchased fields for other farmers which is a nice way of getting to use some of the new machines without having to pay for them as well as a great way to earn money quickly. You can choose your character's gender. You can modify A LOT (not all) of the machines including tractor engine upgrades, multiple wheel/tire configurations including weights, dual wheels, narrow wheels, tracks, wheel colors etc. You can lease machinery instead of paying the full price. The machine sounds have been improved and sound very realistic. You can choose to have to start and shut down your machinery instead of switching through all of them making a ton a noise as they all start up. You can choose to have the camera not reset every time you switch between in cab and outside views (one of my favorite improvements I must say).
It seems like Giants really listened to what the FS community wanted to see in this game and delivered. Most people wanted things like more animals and animal breeding/transporting, dual wheel options on tractors, american-style semi trucks, and John Deere. Aside from the latter, everything was addressed and improved in this game (of course it is not up to Giants whether JD will ever give the rights to them to include in the game). It is way better than FS15. While I haven't tried out everything in the game yet, I will update later with my full opinion. But so far, Giants has really improved this series with this game and I can tell you I will be losing a substantial part of my life for the foreseeable future to it! | video-games_xbox |
All flash and barley any substance. Gears of War pits you as Marcus Fenix - a soldier who was sentenced to jail time for deserting his position in order to save his father during a time of crisis - as he and the Delta Team attempt to find Alpha Team, their "secret weapon" that will apparently win the war, and take down an invading army of freaks known as the Locust.
Its your basic third person shooter here meaning you get a bunch of weapons such as 2 types of machine guns, a shotgun, rocket launcher, etc. You can dive any direction you want, go toe-to-toe with the Locust in melee combat (in fact on the human machine gun there is a chainsaw that you can saw your enemies in half with), throw grenades, and so fourth. You'll be pressing buttons, kicking doors open, and commanding your team just like in Brute Force for the X-Box. Also, if you blow out your enemies legs then you can stomp on their head and watch it explode under your boot.... very fun.
However, G.o. W relies HEAVILY on what games like kill.switch & Winback have done in the past: taking cover behind any object, popping off a few rounds at the Locust, and hiding behind your cover as the enemy returns fire. You'll be doing this throughout the entire game, and although it is fun its just like what happened with the previously mentioned titles - it gets repetitive.
The Locust are an interesting bunch of freaks character design wise. There are these big guys named Boomers who have rocket launchers, there are these things called Wretches that run on their hands and feet, the basic grunt of the army called Grubs, and so on. They are well created and definitley worth checking out.
What makes this game really shine, to me at least, is it's online play. You and a friend (or random person that may join) can play the entire campaign co-operatively which was definitely a good thing to include. There is also your typical online versus games like deathmatch, team deathmatch, and a game of "kill the leader" where if the leader of either the Gears or Locust dies then the opposing team earns a point. In the versus mode you can also choose your character such as Marcus, Baird, Cole, and Dom as well as some of the Locust characters. However the death match portion's fun is obliterated by EXTREMELY weak weapons, the levels are lame & predictable, and when you die you have to press A numerous times so you don't bleed out... thats so lame and its not even worth the aggravation,
If your interested in those X-Box 360 achievement things then you'll be happy to know there are quite a list of things you can earn although alot of them are earned simply by playing the campaign.
Moving forward with this review, the graphics are breathtaking. The enviroments are massive and extremley detailed with an authentic and realistic feel, though decently linear. It truley shows what the 360 can handle and is easily one of (if not the) best looking games ever created. What bothers me about the graphics is how massivley big & bulky each character looks and how there isn't a big variety of colors used (its mainly like black, grey, yellow and white). They are so ridiculous looking that its hard to connect with anyone on Delta, or really anyone for that matter.
On the subject of big and bulky, your guys are so huge that lets say you wanna crouch behind a somewhat small boulder, you are most likley going to get hit because a piece of you will be sticking out. You get what I'm saying? And they literally THROW themselves against cover..its amusing.
The music is alright, and the voice acting is pretty good but the sound effects are kind of cruddy. The freaks sound terrifying with their native tongue while the Delta squad have this rough-n-tough voices with some funny dialog thrown in for good measure. The guns are very weak and sound it too which is really a shame. The explosions, however, sound very satisfying and real.
Sadly, you'll probably have Gears of War beat within maybe 5-6 hours and the ending isn't even worth it: Marcus & Dom kill General Ramm, Marcus sets off the Lightmass Bomb and hops onto a helicopter with Dom and the rest of the squad, Lightmass Bomb blows up Locust base. Thats it, and thats lame.
To sum it up though, even though this game has been in development for like 2 years and delivers excellent graphics this game isn't worth $60. Quite possibly the easiest game to say "rent it first" to. | video-games_xbox |
Pretty good but not THAT good. Unlike 97% of the other X-Box users, I did "not" buy my X-Box for Halo. Infact, when Halo came out I didn't even like it. Its true that this game has received way too much hype for what it really is. It is not true that this game is the best FPS game ever made, infact it doesn't even come close.
Halo is basicly Quake III, Red Faction, Aliens vs. Pred 2, and Half-Life all rolled into one game. The big difference is that for the Video Gaming industry, Halo was the best thing people had ever seen before, but for the PC Gaming industry, Halo was just another space first-person shooter.
If I were to rate this game on the basis of the PC it would only get 3 stars, but from the X-Box perspective its an O.K. game. Infact its pretty damn fun once you get into playing it in multiplayer mode. Even single player mode deserves praise with a some-what interactive environment. Co-operative play is by far the most fun however if you only have 2 or 3 people playing the game. Adversal multiplay doesn't really pick up until you have atleast 4 players.
One thing that is a big plus but also a minus is that you get to drive vehicles such as 4v4's, tanks, and a small handful of hover craft in this game. The bad part is that the driving physics for half the vehicles are questionable at the very least. The 4v4 is by far the worst handling of all and takes skill, luck, and patience to get the hang of. But if you have 3 human players in the 4v4 at the same time, you feel like a team.
The graphics for this game are beautiful and the sounds are rich and clear. Some of the missions are a little pointless and annoying, but if you get past them its fun again. The controls are fairly easy to get the hang of once you play for awhile, but the double control stick way of moving and looking around is a bit of a strugle to get the hang of.
Game atmosphere and level design are both high scoring with all types of level formats and styles. The atmosphere runs higher when playing higher difficulties, but its fun either way.
Bottom line: Halo is still an over rated game, but it is a fair bet, and if you like FPS games of the Quake/Red Faction era you should enjoy this game. I haven't yet played Halo on X-Box Live but simple multiplayer is quite fun if you have the controlers and the time... | video-games_xbox |
Next gen, really? Seriously. Okay lets be real here. I am tired of all the Microsoft lovers on here bashing the "Sony fans," by saying they're all spitting hype and that the 360 is this behemoth of a system.
I could outperform this console with a PC with a large lineup of games. I am a PS fan yes, but not because it's the cool thing to do, because they have provided good consoles with good games. Before that I was a hardcore Nintendo fan, I simply move where the grass is greener, and it isn't here.
I've played Oblivion on the console, and while it's working it's fine. I use my friends to play, and it keeps crashing. He is now on his 3rd system which still has to be shut off after a few hours of play to keep it from over-heating and becoming ruined, again.
Microsoft is nice about it when he called, they are very apologetic and pay for everything to replace the console, including shipping costs, so thats nice.
The console IS fun when you're playing it, and on a HDTV the games do look a hell of a lot better. But we're talking next generation, and when you're competeing with something like the playstation 3, you need to make sure you're competetive.
What I will say for the 360 is, visually the PS3 isn't going to be too much better, but still noticeably so, if you don't believe me look up a comparison of their video cards. The PS3 is just going to offer more, and for a couple hundred dollars more. Blu-ray discs can hold 54 gigs of information on a single layer. Which means MUCH larger worlds than the Xbox could hope to duplicate. The Cell processor is being compared to super-computers by technological experts, which you can ALSO look up.
All of you keep in mind the cell processor is 7 CPUs running at once.
Which also means AI and PPU support can reach a paramount level that you wouldn't think realistic.
For instance in Oblivion, they have what, 1000 NPCs? And? On a PS3 game the potential is more than 4 times that, with the hard-drive allowing for 3 second load times.
Oblivion on the 360 has glitching issues, and not only that, AI is... Unfair. When you steal something, why is it EVERYONE knows it's missing, and when you attack someone every guard knows where you are, and that you're a murderer? Whats going on there?
The bottom line here is, if you are a really hard-core gamer and multimedia type person I guarantee you the PS3 will be the console for you, it won't disappoint.
The 360 is good, if you aren't willing to push the extra 200 dollars for a console that isn't capable of as much and you aren't deterred by the high potential for motherboard destruction (usually due to over-heating) which will require you to have it replaced. | video-games_xbox |
Bioshock all over again. This is, artistically, a beautiful game. I love the sights, the little details of the environment, the vibrant color... The story and game-play? Not as such.
Have you played the original Bioshock? Man that game was fun. A new take on Rand with a compelling story-line of a tyrant in an underwater city; a fun, new gaming system where you wield fantastic powers in one hand and a weapon in the other. Awesome, new, riveting! And now we have... a story-line with a tyrant of a city in the clouds... Where you fight wielding powers in one hand and a gun in the other... Well, this feels familiar. A bit less innovative when you're doing the same thing 6 years later.
The story-line isn't too riveting, so much as have me following it with idle curiosity. I'm not rushing off to the next objective because I'm eager to find out more; I'm too busy wandering around aimlessly and checking out the sights until I suppose I might as well continue. The female lead (Elizabeth) is a good, strong character which is one redeeming quality and all of the characters involved have great voice acting. But considering the girl's background, her behavior doesn't match up at all which is a bit jarring. And as I continued further into the story, I was less satisfied and more annoyed by details that just felt wrong to me.
The game-play, well, it's Bioshock. Pretty much exactly like the original with a few new highlights. You'll be killing the baddies by wielding your god-like powers at them or going the old fashioned route and shooting their face in with the other. You know the drill. The most notable new feature being the ability to zip around on tracks in the air for fast travel to other parts of the map or getting the drop on the enemy. The game-play is fun but so reminiscent of previous titles that I quickly got bored and even the hard difficulty couldn't keep it interesting for me. This almost feels more like an add-on than a different game if not for the exact opposite locale.
Yeah, it's a fun game. But playing it gives me the feeling of how it could have been so more than just a beautiful setting; More than the same old mechanics and a similar but less compelling story-line. This could have been a truly unique and amazing game. Instead it strives for mediocrity. Would you kindly reach for the new and fantastic once more?
Note: More about my problems with the characters, story, and game-play in the comments. There are spoilers | video-games_xbox |
It sinks. Dinner last night may have been great, but it's not so great when you heat up the leftovers for supper the next evening. Maybe it's soggy now. Or lukewarm. It just doesn't taste the same, despite consisting of all the same ingredients. Which brings me to "Bioshock 2." I loved the original. It was one of the greatest, most original and atmospheric games ever released. It may have been the spiritual successor of the equally amazing "System Shock" series, but it was entirely its own thing. As for its sequel, well... I liked Neil Marshall's horror flick "Descent" too, but that didn't mean they should have made "Descent Part II," a pointless, unoriginal retread that had very little new to offer, and what was new wasn't very good and reflected negatively on the original. I feel exactly the same way about "Bioshock 2."
I never saw the need for a sequel to begin with, in all honesty, as the first "Bioshock" wrapped itself up quite well. Now, "Bioshock Infinite" is in the works, almost acknowledging that a straight "Bioshock" sequel was always a bad idea in much the same way as the "Prince of Persia" franchise decided to go back to what worked with "The Forgotten Sands" after that next-gen reboot that might as well have played itself. Granted, "Infinite" is trading an underwater city for a flying city (very imaginative), but it's DIFFERENT. It has the potential to do what "Bioshock" did the first time around -- take what we love about that game but make it fresh again. Basically, everything that, I feel, "Bioshock 2" failed to do.
In "Bioshock 2," you get to play as a Big Daddy out to rescue his abducted Little Sister, and that's about as far as the game goes toward forging its own identity. You still tool around in Rapture, which looks almost exactly the same as it did when you last left it. You still scavange everything you can find while squaring off with those Adam-addicted freaks. The gameplay is identical in almost every way, but with one difference -- we've already done this, and there's no compelling reason to do it again when you could just as easily pop your far superior copy of the original "Bioshock" in and give it another playthrough. Even the game's most tauted feature, playing as a Big Daddy, is weakly executed. You feel every bit as fragile as you did in the first game, and aside from your armored hands filling the screen, it's hard to tell you're not the same protagonist from game one except for the fact that you can now march around with a Little Sister riding on your shoulder and directing you toward the next source of Adam.
I think critics put on the kiddie gloves when this game stepped into the ring earlier this year. My admiration for the first "Bioshock" doesn't cloud my judgment though when it concerns the sequel -- in fact, quite the opposite. The overwhelming feeling of sameness just kept creeping in on me during my time with "Bioshock 2," like I'd done all of this before only better. The first game's story was far superior on top of it -- especially the "Would you kindly?" revelation near the end, perhaps gaming's best ever "Gotcha!" moment. There are no such moments here, although the chance to see things from an entirely different and very eerie perspective near the game's conclusion is certainly the best moment in "Bioshock 2." But it can't hold a candle to learning the truth about your supposed benefactor in the original game.
And that's the problem. There's just not enough that's new here, and what is new just can't compete with what came before. Even the whole playing as a Big Daddy angle, were it executed better, still wouldn't be all that fresh since something similar essentially happens at the end of the first game. Basically, there are two camps of people who "Bioshock 2" is for -- those who missed the first one (Why?!), and those who played the first one several times and still can't get their fill of Rapture. On those grounds, this glorified expansion pack is certainly worth its weight in gold. But if you loved the first game, and let's face it you probably did, but expected much more out of a proper sequel, you'll probably be just as disappointed by this return to Rapture as I was. This makes it a hard game for me to actually score, but let me put it this way -- I was playing this and "Metro 2033" at around the same time, and constantly found myself being wooed away to the mutant-haunted tunnels of Moscow and turning my back on the undersea mess that was Andrew Ryan's supposed utopia... | video-games_xbox |
Great graphics, Great Suspense, but not without flaws. Okay, so I reserved this game so I could get it the first day at Gamestop near my house. Wound up getting the flu, and wasn't able to pick it up until a few days after the release. I've been playing it for 3 days now, with a lot of hours in, so here goes my review, with more than 12 hours playing time.
First the good, game looks amazing. Great graphics, environment is spot on for an Alien game. Great recreation of the ship and the ambiance. Suspense is also good, sound effects, the lack of light in many areas of the ship, the ships creeks and squeaks, oh yeah, and the ALIEN running around in the vents, all make for a suspenseful, nervous, anxious environment. They have the atmosphere nailed down. Hands down. Alien looks great too. Nicely detailed, down to the slime stuff dripping off his mouth, to sound of him breathing when he's close by, and he's just as deadly like in the movie.
You cannot out run it, he will kill you, brutally. All you can do is hide, and hope he doesn't hear or find you. This makes sense, as the Alien is ferocious, and you cannot possibly defend yourself against him without superior weaponry which Ripley doesn't not have in this game. You get the standard "revolver", with is in my opinion clich and terrible. I mean, this is a Ship, a revolver is the high power weapon of choice on the ship? Really? Give me a break, but I'll get into that more. I have no problem hiding from the Alien, as it is deadly.
Now for the Bad, and unfortunately, there is some bad. I'll start where I left up top, the classic revolver. Just stop putting this in games dealing with zombies, monster, Aliens, etc. It's really clich and insults our intelligence at this point. Why on a ship of this size, would there be a slew of pistols, but no machine guns or assault rifles in case you encounter a dangerous foreign unknown threat? Ship or no Ship, you need security to maintain order, so there would be an assortment of weapons to fit different circumstances. Maybe this will come later in the game, but please, the clich revolver is just old and ridiculous. Reminds me of the first resident evil. You get a pistol and a few bullets, same thing here. You actually stumble across 1 or 2 bullets. They're doing the same story in this game, give the player a pistol and 10 bullets, then go around finding 1 here, 1 there crap.
Also, and this is something that can't be ignored. There is a particular part in the game, where you have to "kill" a few people that are armed and looking to harm you. After you take one of them out, you can search the body for items and such. Makes sense. So I took one out, and tried to pick up the revolver that they dropped. The pistol is sitting right next to the body. I can now arm myself and be able to defend myself against the other threats that are armed with pistols. WRONGGG. You cannot pick up the pistol that was dropped, but guess what, you can retrieve the bullets that person dropped. How does bullets help you without a gun you may ask? They don't. And that's why it's dumb. Simply unforgivable. No excuse for that dumbness. You can only get a pistol at a later time, when you find it, or I should say when the game decides this is the time for you to get a fire arm.
Bad point 2, the Alien comes out of nowhere at times, when you're NOT making noise, he will just randomly go to where you're at, without any reason to go there. And Kill you if you can't hide before he gets there. This is frustrating. If he's going to pop up senselessly, without you making noise, flashing a light, or anything like that, then he has no pattern. When there is no pattern, certain points of the game now comes down to "chance", and skill goes completely out the window. I've tip-toed, walk at a snails pace, and the Alien still comes to the room I'm at on this particular part I'm at now. So if I run and make foot step noises, he comes, if I crouch and make slight foot step noises, he comes, if I crouch and move at a snails pace and make NO NOISES, he comes, no matter the approach he comes. You can hide and come back out when he's gone, but he come's again!! So, he has no pattern and this point, and skills and sleuth will not help you. This is what will frustrate you. I don't mind being killed if I'm not stealth enough, or knock something over, shoot a pistol, etc. But when I do none of these, and still get found and killed, I got to call b.s. on that sir, and that is not right.
So there you have it. If you're a fan of the Alien series, I would definitely say get it, but it is not without the flaws I stated above. You can be super stealthy and different junctures of the game but it won't help you, I've proving that. And that my friend, is what will have you frustrated. Many have complained about the lack of auto-save. I haven't, because I thought if you were careful and stealthy you would not get killed, thus giving you a chance to get to a save point. But now I disagree and agree with the many reviewers who complained about that. If the Alien is going to kill you without provocation or without you tipping him off somehow, auto-save is a must for this game. Fun game at times, but what I mention will test your nerves and your patience. Cheers. | video-games_xbox |
SAVE YOUR MONEY! don't even rent. This game is just a major headache--can anyone say Stuntman? Oh my gosh, this game hides so well. It has this beautiful outside appearance--the graphics are amazing the voice acting is decent and played "real name" actors like Ving Rhames. The plot is pretty hardcore and what they say you will get to do sounds awesome!!
THE PROBLEM?? Everything else! Once you get past the superficiality of the above topics, the game SUCKS! The cars are fun to handle when it goes your way, but more often than not the tendency to slide becomes ridiculous. A slight turn could put you facing the other direction--which is even worse by the fact that most missions are either timed or require you to keep up with an enemy. The car damage is nice and detailed--but who cares when I said turn left and I did a 180 and got wedged between an invisible wall (stupid game engine) and a pole.
The plot and cutscenes are awesome, but the missions that go with them are so bland! Sad attempts at copying GTA, that's what I think. You never feel like you get a break--a chance to go browse the city for shortcuts and health. It is into one timed mission, to start another. Of course, it will actually take you as the player much longer--because just like in stuntman, you either perform the mission perfectly (their way) or you will start the mission over. And it is an extremely annoying start over with the inability to skip any videos--the repeitition and sheer aggravation with sitting through it gave me a headache before I finished my first mission.
This game is a sad sad sad sequel to an otherwise great and groundbreaking series. The shooting/on foot parts can sometimes be fun--and your character looks great--but it isn't worth it. The engine is just sad. Your character doesn't really feel there, and he walks sideways easier than straight. I like shooting better than in GTA 3/4, but the enemies' firepower always drains my health too fast and spoils the fun.
Also, anytime you are given a mission, pay close attention, because they tell you exactly how it has to be done, and you can't try to figure out what they said later. Often I couldn't hear what the guy told me (no subtitles for this part of the game), and I never could figure out what I was supposed to do.
I rented this game and had this much trouble with it, I wish I would have saved my money. This game is too hard, too repetitive (and no you have no sweet victory cuz you're so mad it took so stinking long and so many stupid random things happened along the way), and too much of too many bad things to be worth even renting!
It is also more mature, from what I seen in the first 5 minutes of "plot length" (2 hours of actual repetitive play), than any of the other games like GTA that are out there. Flush with detailed cutscenes of murder, shootouts, etc.
Save your money! | video-games_xbox |
Fun, but COMPLETELY overrated (the whole series. I absolutely LOVED the 1st Gears of War game. I was addicted to it. I actually made it into the top 0.1% ranking in the world. They didn't really focus too much on the story; that came into play in GOW2. But MAN, was the multiplayer ever so much fun! The best part were the shotgun battles. If you were the last unfortunate soul remaining on your team, as long as you had enough ammo left, you had a chance. And if you pulled it off.... oh, what glory! Now, that kind of ended in GOW2, but in GOW3? FORGET ABOUT IT.
Well, IF you can even find a match online. This game just came out 4 days ago, and last night I managed to only find 4-5 matches over a 3 hour period. Completely unacceptable. Multiplayer is just flat-out a disaster. It seems that if you're playing against a team that is working together (which, BTW, you'll never be able to find a team like this yourself), forget about it, you'll be wiped out in seconds. Oh, and you'll get Lancered to death or worse yet, sawed-off shotgunned.
BTW, did you know this game supports 3D? What does "supports 3D" mean exactly? It means "once you turn this feature on, the graphics will suffer horribly". The 3D feature is rather neat during shootouts, because the depth perception makes the game a little more challenging. But for the most part, the 3D is gimmicky, and doesn't compare to the 3D of Crysis 2.
As others have mentioned, the graphics are rather outdated, they're exactly the same as GOW2, if not worse.
The weapons are horrible. The "retro" lancer is virtually useless. The digger gun is a JOKE, especially when you're on the receiving end of it during multiplayer. The oneshot, though it is rather cool, is too cumbersome for actual use. The sawed-off shotgun is the new boomshot. It really is a one-hitter quitter, again, it works only for the opposing team, never for you.
One HUGE gripe is how blatant this company is to make money off of this game. Selling "season passes" for about $25 in order for you to get DLC every four months??? Who are you kidding here?
The game's saving points are the EPIC boss battles, those are simply phenomenal. The bosses are MASSIVE and it is a shame to have to destroy such beauties :p A few of the bosses almost fill up your entire tv screen. Also, this game has tons of features.
But the cons definitely outweigh the pros. The game is completely linear, and it seemed to me that for most of the game, I spent looking around for something, ie a rotor, fuel, etc. Oh, and the story? Completely stinks. You would think that for a game with a budget that rivals most summer blockbusters, you would get some kind of enthralling story, but nope. This one doesn't hold a stick to Bioshock's story (highly unlikely there will ever be a game with that great of storyline).
Luckily, I rented this game, because I played the Beta and was not impressed at all.
Bottom line, this game just proves that sadly, Gears of War wasn't a great series of games at all. | video-games_xbox |
Best headset I have ever used. I have used this headset for gaming (both PC and 360) for a little over 9 months now and I can't imagine playing a game without them.
Comfort: 5 out of 5
I have worn these for upwards of 10 hours without removing them and experience little to no fatigue that I would assume I would have wearing a headset for that long. The ear pieces slip well over my ear so I don't have something holding my ear down to my head; they also swivel quite well to fix any shape head. The headset ships with two types of padding (faux leather and a softer plushy material) for both the ears and headrails. I recommend going with the softer padding as the leather can make the user's head sweat during marathon gaming sessions (4+ hours). I have a slightly above average size head and I have both ear pieces set on the 5th of 9 size slots, so the headset should be able to fit both people with small and big heads quite well.
Construction Quality: 4.75 out of 5
I have used this headset for around 9 months now, at an average of about 30-40 hours of gaming a week, and I haven't noticed much wear and tear on the headset at all. The cords that connect the headset to the decoder box (or analog PC connection) are quite thick and well insulated and can take quite a bit of abuse. The headset itself has taken a decent beating (dropped on the ground, stepped on, etc.) and has came out of it without any damage whatsoever. The one knock I have is that the inline control for the volume feels a little on the cheaper side, but it has withstood my entire body weight (~200 lbs) on a few occasions and hasn't taken any damage thus far, but the fear is still there. The included optical cable is also a little on the cheaper side, but is still functional.
Ease of Use: 4.25 out of 5
The headset itself is simple to setup and use; just plug the power cords into the headset and decoder box (if hooking up digitally), plug the headset into the decoder (or straight into the PC if hooking up analog), and plug the included optical cable into the decoder box and the 360/PS3/DVD player. However, the plugging in of two separate power cords (one for the headset itself and one for the decoder box) can cause a nice little mess of wires. On top of that the actual plugs on each power cord is of the larger boxy variety so on the simple one line surge protectors it can end up blocking one of the outlets next to it.
Sound Quality: 4.5 out of 5
The sound quality is very good for gaming, but can leave a little to be desired for movies. For gaming you can't beat having 4 speakers in each ear. The headset really allows you to hear every little detail of the game, and gives you true surround sound. Something that is behind to the left sounds as if it is behind to the left. To this day my friends on Xbox Live are still amazed I can hear exactly where a player is on Call of Duty (one of them even has Astro's gaming headset and still can't pinpoint location as well as I can). The inclusion of inline volume for the 360 microphone is great. It really allows me to adjust the volume of player's voices so that they are audible, but don't drown out the sound of the game. It isn't the greatest option for movies as the bass isn't as powerful as I would have hoped (better than I thought it would be, but not the best).
Overall this headset is great and I recommend it to anyone wanting a great gaming headset and/or an edge up on the competition in online play. | video-games_xbox |
Thoroughly trained in English but all I can say is "Eh. I have been piloting 100-ton "Mechs" in fictitious environments for over a decade. I began playing Battletech on a ~50 Mhz Pentium in a "lush" 16-color setting.
Since then I have customized and outfitted hundreds of mechs within every title of the "Mechwarrior" mech-combat series. I know the intricasies of mechanized combat.
And yet still all I can say about Chromehounds is "Eh." The mechs are OK, the graphics are OK, the gameplay is OK, the options are OK... It's all just... ..."Eh!"
Chromehounds leaves the player to pretty much "figure it out." The instruction manual skims over a little bit of everything. It's up to you to realize that the mech you build in single player is different from the mech you build online. It's also up to you to learn that each country involved in the fictitious "Neroimus War" have their own parts, and to own all the parts, you must at some point participate in the online war from each country's angle. It's also up to you to learn just what the various parts can (or mostly can't) do. It's up to you to learn things like how to tell which of the three enemy Headquarters you must destroy (hint: it's the one with the enemy's flag painted on the side walls.) It's up to you to figure out how to design a mech, and how to deal with all of the frustrating menus and the inability to move various parts without first deleting them and then reinstalling them elsewhere.
Simply put, I've logged over 20 hours into this game and still don't feel like I understand it. The online Neroimus War seems like it has amazing potential, but if it really does, I can't figure out how to exploit it! I see other online members donating money in increments of ten million dollars, yet I have no idea what the purpose of doing so is except to earn an Xbox 360 achievement. We elected a president, but I don't know what this fictitious character's purpose is.
The quality of Chromehounds relies solely on the people you play with or against over the Xbox Live service. I joined a squad (a requirement to engage in the war) and was hopeful as one member online explained to me the roles of the other [human] members. A few days later when we were all online together, I quickly realized that I was surrounded by high school kids who had no concept of organized, strategic combat as one member raved about how "cool" we all looked with matching camouflage. I shot him.
Will you like Chromehounds? Well, are you a do-it-yourself, mercenary-minded mech combat guru looking for the "next big thing?" Probably not. Are you looking for a new twist in team combat and only enjoy playing online? Probably - for a little bit at least. You'll learn quickly that the game gets repetitive even online, and that you make the same amount of money whether you're going 6-on-6 against other human competitors, or 1-on-1 against a computer-controlled AI opponent. The effect on the tide of the war is the same in those conditions as well.
Lastly, those looking for some quick Xbox 360 achievements - keep looking. 20 Hours in the game has earned me around 100 points. Many of the remaining achievements are based on very long-term goals such as deploying on 300 missions, traveling 100,000 miles, or unique accomplishments such as destroying a number of headquarters without engaging the enemy, capturing a number of radio towers, etc. They come merely with massive repetition, and a boatload of boredom to boot.
Extra note: The online issues that plagued Chromehounds from start have apparently been resolved. I purchased the game in April of 2008 and with the exception of a few day-long breaks in play for server upgrades, have had no issues with the online portions of Chromehounds. No crashes, no freezing, and knock-on-wood, no "Rings of Death" | video-games_xbox |
Bleh. Alright, this is a good game for the 360. It has moments of fear, shreds of character development, and sparks of charm. What it fails at it everything else. Consider this, SH2 was one of the best games of all time, according to most reviwers, and Konami wants that same success. What to do? Why not make a game like it with a similar story?
So yeah, instead of a greving husband seeking his wife, you play as an amnesiac would-be soldier who treks through his home town of Shepards Glen (Why not Silent HIll?) trying to find his little brother.
SPOILER: The Character of SH2 who sought his wife knew his wife was dead yet she sent a letter telling him to go to Silent HIll. It turns out he killed his wife. Well, SAME FREAKIN' PLOT TWIST! Yeah, older brother killed little brother Josh accidently and thus ruined some hokey religous sacrifise thing done to keep Silent Hill from Silent Hill-ing the nearby town of SHepards Glen.
The gameplay is fair, having a half-decent combat mode for your character. You have a dialog selection that usualy does nothing to the ending of the game, five or six people wandering the otherwise desolate town, and a brief reference to Piramid Head from SH2 (Seriously, he might as well have danced for us for all the good he did for the story). YOu would think that the game would be good right?
Well, HA-HA! No... it stinks to high heaven. It just does not feel like Silent HIll. It feels like Resident Evil 5 with the lights dimmed down. THe monsters feel phoned in, the levels range from too vibrant to too dark, the game is largely linear, and the story is recycled from the second game.
There are also only two or three choices made in the game to determine the ending. Before in the older games, like 2, the game measured your progress to determine your ending. DId you rescue this person? Did you get this item? Did you throw it on this person? Did you protect them from harm enough? Did you collect this widget and use it in this whatsit? Well, in Homecoming you have three choices: Kill mom or let her die, forgive dad or forsake him before he dies, or save your token black friend from death. So yeah, pointless.
As a fan of Silent HIll games, I hate to see this exist. It could have been good on its own, but they stuck Silent HIll on the cover and it simply could not live up to the expectations. It rips SIlent Hill 2 story page for page, almost, and then references older games through paper articles like we are supposed to expect this game to be a masterpiece among masterpieces. Not happening.
Buy this game if you are an action game fan. If you are a horror game fan, ignore this. If you are a Silent HIll fan then igore this. Save yourself the nosebleed. | video-games_xbox |
Game lacks dimension and breaks fundamental gaming rules. Ultimately when asked I would recommend my friends spend their gaming dollars some where else. As for me, I already spent them so I will have to milk every ounce of fun out of the game.
The game breaks a fundamental rule of games. Never let the random number generator determine the player's success in the game.
You have health and you have energy. Enemies attacking take away health, and using advanced abilities takes away energy. Both come back negligibly over time. The true source of health and energy regen comes from killing enemies, and destructible terrain. However whether you get health, energy, or cash is determined by the random generator.
The way this typically goes is you get punked loose most of your health drop several enemies, destroy some terrain and get lots of cash. You are in no way in control of regenerating your health. Then some ambient damage takes you down. In the end it didn't matter if you used your advanced abilities or not, your decisions to maneuver the battle field are pointless.
In the end the random number generator that punked you in the first place just decided you should die and you had no say in the matter.
That is not to say the game is not easy. There seems to be two levels of play within a given difficulty setting. One you take damage from everything and are in constant need of some health. Pray to the random number generator Gods. Two your character is so advanced that he takes no damage. The random number is silenced.
So you are either killing the everything with ease, or at the mercy of the random generator.
Where is the fun in that?
The development of your characters is also linear. It has one direction up. Your character has access to some 8 abilities. The first point is fixed and the rest can be added to the ability and removed later. So it is almost as if the developers are explicitly saying you enhance your character but you do not specialize him. The abilities themselves are diverse, but usually special use. Given the fact you can only choose between three abilities. Generally you are going to choose a buff a short range attack and a charge or ranged attack. Beyond that you may swap out the abilities for bosses. Given those options you usually only have one choice for your given scenario. The choice is not always good.
For example Blade has a Katana slash. You'll want to have one of his ranged abilities so you'll use the Katana Slash as your main attack. But the problem is that is is a charge attack short range but the range is like a donut. It has a hole in the middle. You do not hit the thing directly in front of you. Your character takes a step before he releases the attack. Since the enemy typically moves towards you you'll want to charge before he is in range so that you are charged when he is in range. If that only made of a slow paced game that would be okay. But typically one of two things happens. The enemy moves faster then you expected and punches you in the face while you slice and dice the air behind him. That or the enemy decides not to move towards you. There you are stuck holding a charge attack not moving looking like a moron.
If you own it, build up a bit and the game is like an interactive video no challenge all eye candy. Do not build up and test your tolerance with fickle fate. Do not expect character development to entertain you it doesn't. | video-games_xbox |
A brave attempt to battle Madden. I am a huge fan of football, and I love to play them as well. I always enjoy playing football games and being able to pull of spectacular runs and big plays. However, the football genre has been growing stale with EA owning the exclusive rights to create NFL games. It has really discouraged any competition from rising, but Backbreaker attempts to break this mold. It might not be as good or as polished as Madden, but it certainly brings new ideas and helps football video games feel fresh again.
Backbreaker features a game engine known as the Euphoria engine. This makes every play unique as no two tackles are ever the same. Animations are created on the spot as none of the animations are pre programmed. This creates some really strong hits and a great physics engine, but it also creates some goofy animations that just look laughable. It also has a camera angle (which cannot be changed) that is behind the shoulders. This gives much more weight to the hits and brings everything up close and personal, but it also obstructs your view on the field and what you can see.
For the 11 on 11 football, Backbreaker falls a bit short to it's competitors. The controls are much different, but intuitive at the same time. Running the ball feels authentic as you are able to juke, spin, hurdle, stiff arm, and (my favorite) truck your way to the end zone. All of this is done on precise timing, making you feel very in control when running with the ball. Passing has thankfully been patched up, allowing more accurate throws and better route running. The problem with passing, however, is the fact that the receivers will often drop passes. Even in open areas, they will drop the ball if they are even lightly tapped. Also, changing receivers is a pain since the camera is behind the shoulders, making it difficult for you to see the whole field.
The game features over 50 teams each with unique attributes and stats. The offline modes, however, are a mixed bag. There is a season mode which you can pick which teams and how many teams are in the league. You can scout and draft players, but that is really it as nobody retires, there's no free angency, and no contracts to deal with. There is also a Road to Backbreaker mode as you take a created team of low attributes in an 8 team league and take them to a 32 team league to win the championship. This mode has you earn points to buy better players in free agency, but it also doesn't offer much in replayability. The tackle alley mode is a blast to play as you battle through 100 waves trying to get into the endzone without getting tackled. This mode really shows the glory of the euphoria engine and it's physics. It is also two players competitive, which is allot of fun to play with a buddy.
Another great thing going for this game is the customization. Creating a team features it's own logo creator which is very advanced and limitless while also having a very in-depth uniform editor. It certainly takes a long time to make a team since there is allot you can customize. However, there is no create-a-player in here and all you can change on existing players on your created team is the skin tone and the jersey number. This really takes away from the immersion as everyone looks like a person from a tech demo.
Overall, this game has allot of thing going for it as well as some flaws which hold it back from it's true potential. Without any worthwhile mode, you might not play this game for a long time. The physics engine is amazing, but the 11 on 11 football has it's issues with passing the ball and some funny glitches that happen at random. If you're looking for an alternative from Madden, this is the game for you. For everyone else, I would tell you to give it a rental and see what you think about it. | video-games_xbox |
Uninspired (UPDATED. Let me start by saying that I have not played the campaign much, nor do I intend to. Multiplayer is the reason I have been playing CoD for several years. So, it's difficult not to compare previous CoDs to this one.
After a month of play my review has changed little. I want to like the game, but I have to admit now that I don't.
My bottom line is that this CoD seems uninspired. There is nothing about the mutliplayer experience that is truly entertaining. There is no fun or dramatic music, sounds, or TOC officer yelling in your ear with true urgency or excitement. In fact, it's quiet...too quiet. There is little to draw me into the game play.
It seems from reading reviews people either love it or are disappointed. I'm obviously in the latter group but I want very much to like this game. CoD was originally founded on portraying combat in as realistic a manner as possible. Many of us who have been playing CoD games since their origin value that premise of realism above all. In the last 4 years, CoD brought us closer to real world scenarios (with Ghosts being the first futuristic departure). The places and premises were real and current as the US was embroiled in 2 wars and multiple conflicts raged across every continent. For old guys like me, that's exciting. But then again, I read the news every day. I doubt the younger generations care as much about the realism that CoD was known for. So, developers have launched into futuristic play and it's less like what drew me to CoD and more like what made me drop Halo. Sure, it can be challenging to run/jump around trying to best an opponent in TDM but it does not entertain the same way. I miss hearing some heavily accented TOC officer frantically yelling "THE ENEMY HAS EMP!". In previous CoDs, it was as if the developer wanted me to feel like I was in a real world a battle that meant something. It was entertaining and comical (at times) and drew me further into each match. This game is quiet and play is insular. Usually the only thing one can hear during matches is one's own footsteps and the occassional "whoosh" of an exosuit jump (and then silenced rounds hitting your back). I've only rarely heard another player's footsteps; enemy included (so why have a silence perk on an exosuit???). I am also frustrated with how difficult it is to see players with whom I'm in a clan during a match. It feels completely isolating.
Exosuit: 3 years for an exoskeleton? I left Halo to get away from this type of futuristic play. IMO it does not improve or enhance gameplay. In fact, multiplayer play is faster and more chaotic than ever. KDRs will plummet in this game. It's so fast, in fact, that it's difficult to mount coordinated attacks (flanking, etc)....or even spawn without being killed instantly. I realize that developers felt they had little choice on where to take the game but their direction seems ill-conceived. The futuristic FPS with the jumping and the "lasers" is already old news (um, Halo, Titanfall, Destiny, etc.). How about another CoD where we fight ISIS or Boko Haram? Take us back to Vietnam or Korea or the Cold War using the improved game play and graphics.
Weapons: Also uninspired. There is a paucity of choices and there are really only a few weapons worth using. Shotguns are still OP and why developers would allow any situation where quickscoping can be done successfully with a 50 cal sniper rifle is beyond explanation. From what I've seen recently, quickscoping is the most effective way to kill quickly....and also the most unrealistic.
Perk system: It's fine but you'll find quickly that you're limited in choices. I think most players are roughly the same in loadouts and perks. I'm still playing around with them.
Maps: I'm undecided. Some are good, some are bad (as always). It does seem like the maps are developed to take advantage of the new verticality of the game. But, there's not really anything innovative or creative about them that makes a player pause. So, you have to approach them differently and I've found that matches can drag on to the bitter, clock-ticking end as people either hide too much or drop out from lag. The maps also seem to really set you up to get hit in the back a lot. Honestly, 70% of my deaths are shots from behind (again, can't hear anything coming. Why are my footsteps the loudest thing in a match but I can't hear anyone else's?). Spawning is the worst I've ever seen.
Lag: One month after release and honestly this is the worst I've ever seen in CoD. 3 years in development and I can't find a stable lobby?
Amazon: Game was delivered precisely when advertised. Packaging was flawless. Another win for Amazon.
I know I sound like a hater. I want to like this game but the futuristic stuff, uninspired weapons/maps, and the complete departure from realism doesn't do it for me. More power to those of you who love this kind of stuff. | video-games_xbox |
I've been playing Halo for 14 years. I'm a HCS junkie. To be quite honest, I haven't enjoyed the multiplayer aspect of Halo this much since Halo 3. I also haven't been this afraid of what they will change in the next Halo since H3. As someone who is a casually competitive player, this is the game that all of us within that community had been asking for ever since Reach.
I was a bit skeptical of the magnum replacing the fan favorite BR as a competitive starting weapon but have since grown to love the magnum. The magnum is precise, accurate, and the low aim assist makes it very skillful to use.
All around I believe that the H5 magnum is probably the most balanced and skillful 'try-hard' hard weapon to ever be introduced into the series, and coming from someone who swore by the BR, that is hard to admit. Strafing feels effective again, thrusting makes for last-second chances to win your one on one encounters, clambering allows for map fluidity, and audible footsteps increase the skill gap ever so slightly.
I know there are plenty of mixed opinions on the game itself, but I think that many would agree that the multiplayer is absolutely a win for everyone while the campaign is lifeless and dull. I know that there have been some who have stayed with the classic Halo titles and even many who have left the series altogether. I think the biggest complaint is that it doesn't 'feel' like Halo. My counter argument would be that we can't have the same H2 or H3 release every three years or so. Afterall, those game are over ten years old at this point and technology changes rapidly every year. Think back to what technology was ten years ago and you should be able to appreciate that Halo still feels and looks like Halo. Halo 5 is most certainly Halo and am proud to play it every day.
So not everything is perfect and would like to elaborate on a few things that should be addressed in the next title.
Smurfing is a huge problem and I have come to understand exactly what many players are trying to accomplish from this. For starters, there is still no playlist in which you can hop into and simply relax to have a good time. Every playlist has a hidden ranking system which doesn't exclude the social playlists. So in order to crack open a beer, order some pizza, and kick back, you are forced to make new accounts. The hidden ranking system that takes place even in social playlists is meant to help those who are low skilled but smurfs who are Onyx or Champions on their main accounts absolutely destroy regardless. Having one social playlist that doesn't have a hidden MMR would be great. You can go in and relax as much as you like but maybe with one catch. No K/D stats. All the try-hards looking to take advantage of low skilled players would have nothing to show for it and thus deter it from happening too often.
Aside from that, I think the 1-50 ranking system should be implemented exactly how it was in H3. People still play that game to this day to increase their ranks! Talk about longevity. There is no point in leveling from 1-152 in EXP. | video-games_xbox |
One of the Worst Games I've Ever Played. I've been playing games for over 25 years, and I'm a big fan of virtually all genres. Console RPGs in particular have been a staple of mine since I played the first Dragon Warrior (Dragon Quest) and Final Fantasy games back on the NES. Now, after subjecting myself to the first 25-30 hours of this game, I have to wonder...
Did they even bother to play test this game?
This has to be one of the most disappointing gaming experiences of my life. It's an absolutely unforgivable game in almost every respect aside from its technical achievements. The greatest problem with this game is that it's simply not fun to play.
For every hour of playing this game, I felt that the designers were punishing me for continuing to try to stick it out. And it's not even so much the linearity that I find to be such a problem (I actually don't mind linearity so much), it's the fact that the whole sum of the first two disks could have been condensed into about half of the time it takes to play them. You'll be spending so much time fighting in endless battles that artificially extend the length of the game. If you try to ignore the battles, then the designers punish you even further with an unbalanced and stupid levelling system that forces you to continue to grind. It's a total grind-fest at its core.
The battle system is terribly tedious. Even when you have the battle mechanics down to a science, it's constantly all about the broken stagger mechanism. E.g. Cast spell after spell until the stagger meter hits its limit, then attack full-force and juggle your opponent to death. Repeat this 20,000 times until your mind is completely numb. There is no balance to this game. It is totally broken and makes me yearn for the days when Square actually took care to make this franchise excellent when its creator was still with the company.
Back to levelling up. The system is pointless because for the first 20 hours of the game, you're stuck with levelling up the characters in a way that the game tells you to do it. It might as well automatically develop character spells and stats the way old-school RPGs have always done it. It's just another way to waste your time with having to manually go through and apply your points to stats (which is also slow). Hold down a button and wait for 5 seconds while your points deplete and link the next skill. Repeat this 20,000 times. After the first 20 hours, it lets you have more flexibility by learning any skills for any of the characters, but what's the point? It penalises you even more if you do this. And the game is brutal if you don't have the right team combo anyway. The battle with a character with wings (I won't spoil it by saying his name) about 20-25 hours in rings a bell. I fought it a few times and it was tedious. Tried again with a different set of characters and beat him in less than a minute and 30 seconds. What's odd is that was one of the only battles I actually liked. It required some actual planning and thought to properly abuse his stagger gauge without forcing him to morph into total cheapness. Finishing the battle (especially in 1:30) is really rewarding, because it lets you appreciate the game in a greater capacity if only they could have put more effort into the tactics side of things.
Which brings us to one more issue... The auto-battle system. I actually don't mind this system since it *should* let you focus on strategy in greater depth. But it just feels broken somehow, and you'll be spending all of your time shifting between defensive and offensive "paradigms" (an absolutely idiotic name) since a lot of enemies are deliberately overpowered in a flawed attempt to keep the game interesting.
I'm all for trying new things in games, but if this were not called "Final Fantasy" then I am certain that the reviews would be even lower than what you find here. It feels too experimental and broken. There are many other games that have done a better job with the tactics-oriented play.
It all feels like a broken, but prettier version of Last Remnant. Which, by the way is a better game , but only marginally so. It's better in the sense that it is more playable and has a better story, because LR was a technical disaster (made playable by installing it on the hard drive).
Final Fantasy on the other hand is technically amazing... At least graphically. It's one of the prettiest games I've seen in years, even on the technically "inferior" XBox 360 version. It makes me wonder why they needed any of the absurd FMV. Get with the program, Square. This is not 1997 and Final Fantasy 7. There is no need anymore for *any* FMV on today's consoles. They could have fit the whole game and its multitude of palette swaps, hours of dialogue, on a single DVD. It's the FMV that requires disk swaps every 10 hours.
The graphics are not without flaws. When you finally get out into open areas (I think after the first disk and again at disk 3), the game comes to a crawl. You'll understand that the graphics are only good because you've been jammed into tight corridors with short draw distances, with artificially large backgrounds that try to give the illusion of open space. The level design is misguided, and areas take hours to get through. You'll love the beautiful scenery for the first hour until you are so sick of running down the same type of corridor for 5 continuous hours. You'll finally be cast into faux-wide-open-spaces that look dull and run at about 5 frames per second. And yet again you'll have to fight hours upon hours of forced battles in order to survive in the next area. Yeah... This time it lets you skip this area entirely, but punishes you in the next area if you skip the grind.
The music is a bore-fest. For such a high-budget game, you would think that they would at least put some work on this. Tracks are uninspired and sometimes are interesting, but as a whole they are pretty terrible for a game of this calibre. I find it so amazing that the industry music veterans are have left these big companies and work on smaller games. E.g. Uematsu working on the Mistwalker games (founded by the creator of Final Fantasy - By the way, all Mistwalker games put this crap to shame). Or Mitsuda composing for ImageEpoch (Arc Rise Fantasia was a great traditional RPG game, if you can get past some of its localisation problems). Even low-budged RPGs from Square, like Nier (which I loved), have top-tier soundtracks that best anything else out there. There is simply no excuse for how bad this game's soundtrack is. It's not the worst I've heard, but it doesn't live up to the franchise by any stretch of the imagination.
As for the story... It's okay, but nothing to write home about. You can determine the outcome from the get-go. There are minor plot-twists throughout but it's nothing that isn't predictable. The writing is amateur, at best. As many others have mentioned, the game is littered with jibberish nonsensical terms that only make any sense if you read the game's built-in dictionary (which in some respects is more interesting than actually *playing* the game). If they had actually bothered to *tell* the story, then they could have cut down some of the grind-fest in favor of good storytelling. But it's like they deliberately tried to never require that you actually have to read something. As far as I can recall, virtually all of the dialogue in the game is spoken. In the past, I think I had wished that many games were like this and now I am seeing why it is a bad idea for both technical and game progression reasons. Towns don't exist so you don't have to *read* any dialogue... Ever. You barely even have to read during battle. It's like an RPG for 4-year-olds.
The cast of characters is laughable and most are annoying. Most of the dialogue is overly dramatic and poorly written. A times, it's campy but not done intentionally. The voice cast is generally pretty good, with the exception of Vanille, who you will make you want to poke out your eyes with that terribly conceived Anglo-Australian squeaky accent. You can't even understand what she says half the time because they make her talk just to talk, and the dialogue during non-cinema sessions (e.g. when the just randomly talk while you run down a corridor) is generally unintelligible because someone didn't know how to properly mix the audio in the game.
The save system is obnoxious. It encourages you to save a new file every time you hit a save point. After about 50 save files, the hard-drive access starts to crawl. After 80, it's even worse. After 99, it forces you to start overwriting your old files... The only problem with this is that you have to hold your right d-pad for 5 minutes to get all the way back to the first file. Again... Who play tested this? It's downright moronic. After a while, I just purged all except for my first 10 save slots. Even that took 10 minutes because the XBox memory manager makes you select and confirm each file deletion, one file at a time.
It's like every dollar and hour of development was dumped into the game engine, CGI, advertising, and hours of voice acting, but nothing else. Congraduation (sic) Square! You've officially turned one of your biggest franchises into a tech demo. This is what Square has become since FF VII.
These problems, are among the many reasons why I stopped playing this franchise after FF VIII (which was also highly overrated, but was at least somewhat more enjoyable than this garbage). I made a terrible mistake by trying to get back into the franchise with this game, and now they've turned me off for at least another decade. I seldom buy Square games anymore, and if I do it's for the Enix side of things (a disastrous merger if I do say so myself, which only benefited a failing Square but tainted Enix forever).
If you want to buy a good RPG out there, there are dozens upon dozens of them. This is not one of them. Try any of the Namco Tales games, something from Tri-Ace (like Resonance of Fate. Even Infinite Undiscovery was way better than FF XIII), Tri-Crescendo's Eternal Sonata (which is a few years old, cliche, but still decent), ImageEpoch's RPGS (Arc Rise Fantasia), Mistwalker's games (Lost Odyssey is great even though it's a few years old now), or even Nier (hated by many, but one that I couldn't put down). But, honestly, stay away from this game. Only diehard fans can stick it out, and I'd wager that most of them finally got off the bandwagon after experiencing this game.
I spent $15 on this game, with a gift card that I didn't even pay for, and still feel totally ripped-off. I think it's because I wasted 30 hours of my life playing this game, just hoping that it would get better. I just can't do it anymore. Even if the ending is excellent, I'm done playing this game. It's evil in disguise. I can't waste any more of my life on this miserable game because there have been no rewards. At some points, it actually feels like it's starting to get great. It even gets fun. Then it punishes you AGAIN and AGAIN for continuing to play it. I'm done with this. I actually want to literally throw this game in the trash because I hate it so much. I have *NEVER* hated a game as much as this.
Ugh. And yet I've wasted yet another hour writing this review. I could go on and on and on for hours about the problems with this game. There is nothing good about it. Avoid it at all costs.
As Kefka said many years ago when this franchise was actually excellent... "HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE!" | video-games_xbox |
A sleeper hit that makes for a fun weekend rental. The Good: Excellent chase scenes, fun context sensitive sections, gruesome and satisfying combat, superb audio and visuals, no Matt Damon
The Bad: You have to have watched the movie or read the book to know what's really going on, combat and shooting oversimplified, only one driving section, super short
The Bourne Conspiracy is based off of the hit book and movie by author Robert Ludlum. I have good news for people who haven't watched or read the book or movie; you didn't have to too enjoy this. The game is about a trained assassin by the government who tries to find his true identity and runs into, and has to kill, the people in his way. While the plot is a bit confusing the voice acting is superb and the game uses the Unreal engine (Gears of War) and the game just looks and sounds amazing.
While Matt Damon is missing as the lead role he won't be missed since the new character is better and more likable. The takes is really reminiscent of Indigo Prophecy with the game being full of context sensitive cut scenes. While there's essentially no mini-games there are three parts to the game: Fighting, shooting, and driving. The fighting is what you'll be doing a lot and it's just gruesomely satisfying. You have heavy attack and light attack and you can use these in a 3 combo attack. You can charge either one for a light or powerful kick as well. You can block and strafe around the opponent. When you get your adrenaline bar up (there are three segments you can charge by connecting hits) you can perform a takedown which is a brutal and deadly scene of using the environment or breaking some limbs and smashing heads into walls.
While all of this sounds simple, it is, but it's really satisfying and doesn't really get old. You also have bosses at the end of every level that have a health meter, and I can report the AI in this game is really awesome. During the shooting sections you can take cover, hold up to two weapons (a handgun and another weapon) perform shooting takedowns (up to three depending on how full your adrenaline bar is). You also have a cool run button that makes the camera shake while you run through halls so it really feels like your playing a movie. While your shooting sections are pretty generic and nothing special they work and thanks to the game's length you won't feel bored of this. There is one driving section in the game and the car handles superbly and it's just full of intense chasing.
While the game is full of so much action it doesn't last long clocking in at about 5-6 hours. There is no multiplayer what-so-ever and the extras are a bit lame. If you're looking for an awesome action rental then look no further than The Bourne Conspiracy. | video-games_xbox |
Works With Both PC and Xbox (mostly. I'm both and Xbox 360 and PC gamer so I needed a headset that would work for both. After a disappointing attempt with the Turtle Beach XP400s, I figured I'd give the Razer Chimaera 5.1 a try. In short, it does the job well but I needed some extra accessories and there were some quirks and cons to deal with. I'm giving it a 4/5 because of that. Below are the details:
Feature Highlights:
- AAA Rechargable Batteries. It can charge them through the base on which it sits, so I never need to take them out and if they die I can get an industry-standard replacement. Love it! I use Eneloop brand and get several hours of game time, but I'm sure the runtime will vary depending on what batteries you use (duh!).
- Wireless. No more running over the cord with your chair or tripping over it and sending the headset flying. The range is very good too, even going 20' through one wall or ceiling with no trouble. No clicking or hiss as in other headsets.
- Surround Sound. Technically not "real" 5.1 surround, but it does take clear optical audio and make a very decent imitation using Dolby Headphone. I'm not kidding: the room ambiance effect when listening to music made it sound like I was listening to my speakers, not my headset. Very happy with the quality, but I'm sure there are audiophiles that may not agree with me.
- Buttons. Easy to find without looking and the physical click gives you feedback that they registered.
- Mic Quality: Picks-up well and decent clarity for what it is. It's not a pro mic by any stretch, but it's a step up from the "average" PC mic. Xbox live chat worked well. Sensitivity was reasonable since it didn't register when I wasn't speaking even with some low background noise.
Annoyances:
- RCA Quality: These jacks don't provide the cleanest sound due to the limitations of the technology. This headset has noticable hiss when using them with the volume turned up to a reasonable level. Zero hiss on optical though.
- No Mic in Optical Mode: This is my biggest beef with Razer. You can't go truly wireless with both mic and audio on PC or LAN chat unless you use the RCA ports. With Xbox online you need to use a cable between the controller and the headset anyway, which is not such a big deal and it can work with optical. But the voice output from the headset being sent via wireless to the base station can only be processed when using RCA. A stupid limitation. See my further notes on this below.
- Tightness. For my average head size, the band is unusually tight which puts pressure on the sides of your head. It loosens over time and takes getting used to. Bigger heads would have trouble.
- Loose Optical Ports: If you use the supplied cord, it fits just fine. But the cords from other online suppliers don't have enough friction to keep them in place when the base is moved.
- Initial Drop Outs: If you have a router nearby and/or a lot of 2.4 ghz interference, the audio may cut in and out for a minute after turning it on before it finds an unused channel - presumably in the cleaner 5 ghz range in my case. It's rock solid after that.
- Possible Quality Issues: I had to RMA my set to Razer after the right-side buttons stopped working 35 days after purchase. The RMA was about a 8 business days there and back, and the replacement has being working fine since.
To Get Optical + Mic On A PC:
Essentially what you need to do is hook up the headset to the computer in the same way you hook up the xbox controller. You'll need a "Turtle Beach PC Chat Adapter Cable" (ironic I know) or something similar. One end is a 2.5mm two channel xbox-controller-style plug (mic + mono audio) that goes into the headset, and the other end splits those channels apart into two 3.5mm ends. The mic plug goes into the mic input on the back of your PC and the other is unused. The TB cable has the nice benefit of a slide mute button on it too. You'll need to fiddle with the mic input level a bit to get the right volume that doesn't distort, but it sounds decent after that. That's the same caution I would give with xbox users - you need to adjust the input level. Is it completely wireless? No, and that stinks, but it is a compromise that works for the 20% of the time that I need a mic in a PC game. | video-games_xbox |
My Kinect Works Now. I am a major gadget nut and I love to play video games. I bought the Kinect last year and preordered over 2/3's of the games. Of those, only 2-3 were moderately usable for me. I researched like crazy on the Kinect and it was not until about a week before it was released that they announced the real requirements for it. Microsoft originally said you only needed six feet in order to play. That's a lie. It starts at 6 feet and goes all the way to 12 feet. 6-10 feet for single player and 8-12 feet for multiplayer. My black leather couch is exactly 7.5 feet away from the the xbox sensor. The couch is huge and one of the deluxe lazy boy sofa and I am not moving that beast to play games. I could play Kinect Adventures, Dance Central, and Joy Ride ok. Your Shape was hit and miss. My leg would end up touching the couch and the game would go nuts. You would look on the screen and the leg would either disappear or do some kind of crazy MJ leg move. Several times I would have to lean back like in the matrix just to get a move right. I was greatly disappointed. I almost returned it, but I thought they would release a patch. Almost a year later there is no patch. Kinect was just collecting dust since you can't count on it. 50-80% of the time I would be ok playing single player, but I'd always run into that one move or one step that I couldn't do or my kinect would not detect because of the couch. I was incredibly happy that Nyko announced the Zoom. I just received it last night and it works great. My kinect is fun. Still not as good as ps move, but the kinect sees me and not the couch. You will need to adjust it slighly. The way the lens is setup you may have to move it. I had to lower mine a little bit so it would see the floor and I also move it a little to the side. The lens on the Zoom is wide angle so you will need an extra foot or two width wise. I had to move mine a few inches to the right since I have a recliner to the left of my tv. You need to re-run the calibration so I hope you kept the card. You don't have to, but you get better accuracy. I'd also re-run the kinect identifier utility. I am very happy with the peripheral and don't tell Nyko, but I would have paid 2-3 times what they are asking just to make my kinect usable. Now, I can finally play all my games as well as a few new additions like Fruit Ninja w/accuracy, MJ Experience, Child of Eden, and Gunstringer.
In my living room with a max of 7.5 feet. I am perfect. If you have 6.5 feet between you and the sensor you should be a-ok. It could detect all of me within about 3 feet and I'm 6'3" and I am a big boy. About 6.5 feet was the furthest the kinect calibration had me standing with the calibration card. I guess the 40% space reduction is right on. Couldn't be happier.
Just an fyi. Microsoft is supposedly working on a software update for kinect that will greatly improve the accuracy. The big M has already said they do not recommend the zoom, but so far the four games I tried it with were working perfectly. I have not tried Your Shape, but I bet the measurements will be off a little. | video-games_xbox |
Xcellent on the XBox. The original Soul Calibur was the best game made for the Dreamcast, and since that platform's demise, fans have waited four years for a follow up. It was well worth the wait. The game is premiering on all three major game systems at once, and although each version is essentially the same, each game has one distinct quality: They feature different lead characters. For the Playstation, it's Heihachi. For the Gamecube, it's Link. For the XBox, it's Spawn. They're joined by many of the classic characters from the original game, plus some great new ones. The biggest question, however, is this: What prevents this from just being another run-of-the-mill fighting game, another Kakuto Chojin or another Mortal Kombat clone? One needn't worry.
Although similar in style to other combat games, this one rises above them with extraordinary gameplay, first-rate graphics (esp. on the Cube and XBox) and surprisingly easy controls and fighting techniques. The attacks are pretty straightforward: kick, horizontal weapon, and vertical weapon. But there are some good combination moves available, as well. Like all other combat games, this requires button/control combinations and some well-timed maneuvering. Unfortunately, the XBox's Controller S is not well-suited for these moves; the buttons aren't aligned very well for some of the trickier attacks. (My thumbs still ache from playing Kakuto Chojin on the Controller S; of the 3 systems, only the PS2's basic controller was the most user-friendly. A possible solution: Try the Mad Catz MicroCon controller for the XBox). However, the XBox has other advantages that may offset the sometimes difficult controller. The XBox's excellent graphics engine (by far the best of the three systems) make this game a sumptuous visual treat; the player is surrounded by beautifully detailed scenery and environments. Gameplay on the XBox--thanks to its superior hardware--is smooth and load times are not a problem. There's really just one problem with the game: no story, plot or goals. Basically, you just fight. If you don't mind a straightforward fighting game, then this is your cup of tea. Truthfully, it's not that much different from the first version. But if it ain't broke... For those who never played the original, here's a chance to enjoy one of the best combat games ever devised. For those who loved (and miss) the original, it's just like experiencing this fabulous title all over again. | video-games_xbox |
Please read potential buyer. Two stars for incredible graphics and sound. The authenticity to star wars is in its own class. In itself, not a bad title. I guess I was expecting too much from EA/DICE, as usual. I'd regret purchasing this game if it wasn't a gift. I'll enjoy it as much as I can with friends, but there are things potential buyers must know. While it's aesthetic appeal, and semi fun game modes are in fact enjoyable, the fact of the matter can be listed quite simply:
1.) No similarities to the old games in the series. This does not stick to it's roots in any sense. It feels like battlefields cousin... Not in the good way.
2.) No galactic conquest. Perhaps the best game type of old.
3.) No old fashioned AI conquest. While survival mode is fun, it quickly loses its appeal. The battles game type is literally "kill confirmed" from call of duty. Very, very disappointing. You think at the very least they could get that part right. Wrong.
4.) Season Pass. This is a complete and utter slap in the face from EA and DICE. They've done this in battlefield 3 and 4. Battlefield 4 premium was the absolute biggest waste of money I've ever spent. I'm afraid the same is happening with battlefront. Release the vanilla game, leave out 75% of the features and maps, then sell them to you in the form of a season pass, or pay the max price for little chunks. Clever marketing gimmick, very poor business practice.
5.) Homing launcher... DICE absolutely had to add a weapon that mimics the very thing that killed battlefield 4. A stinger/IGLA that yes, locks on to ground troops. While not completely overpowered, it's still a nuisance and unnecessary. If anything, put it as a star card pickup... Not a weapon loadout.
6.) No space battles. Seriously? COME ON EA. COME ON DICE. DO YOUR HOMEWORK BEFORE BEGGING TO CREATE A GAME.
DICE has a chance to redeem themselves, but I predict that will not happen. Battlefield 4 is in no way similar to this title, and I'm trying my best not to compare the two, but that's what I'm expecting. Will change my review based on any improvements/expansions/additional game modes. | video-games_xbox |
Cut to the chase. If you've played previous Dead Space installments, than I am sure you did your research and reading about Dead Space 3 and do not need the whole spiel about how revolutionary this is to the franchise and how it's a breath of fresh air to be able to have a co-op campaign. I'm just going to jot down the quick facts for you, with a little of my own opinion for flavor:
+ Combat has added a few little changes, such as ducking and a more responsive and useful dive/dodge feature.
+ Weapon and suit customization is fun and has plenty of attention to detail.
+ More Zero-G Environments, which I'm sure everyone enjoyed before.
+ Since most sequels almost ALWAYS have a larger world to explore, this is no exception. Largest by a leap for the franchise.
+ "Static" visuals, such as backgrounds and surroundings are beautiful and eerie when they need to be.
+ A fully orchestrated soundtrack is excellently utilized to highten the intensity of the flow of the game.
A few cons:
- Aiming is more erratic and harder to pinpoint a necessary target when on the move or stopping a necromorph in it's tracks. Stasis use to slow down enemies to make a good shot will be used more than ever.
- While the graphics of the central characters and the surroundings is superb, the look and movement of the Necromorphs is a noticeable step back. In previous titles, the movement of the enemies was something that looked dangerously vicious and feral. This time around, it looked like generic pre-programmed "bad guy lumbering" and almost STIFF. Coloring and texturing on some enemies looked like something seen from a Playstation 2 title.
I understand that larger-scale games sometimes take up a massive amount of space, which can lead to some standards of quality to drop (Just look at Assassins Creed 3). On the level, this is an awesome game that definitely pulls its weight; I'm sure Visceral is proud, as they should be.
**UPDATE** I just remembered one PRO and two CON's I forgot to mention earlier:
+ The most beautiful change to the gameplay is ALL AMMO now falls under one type that works for ALL WEAPONS! Wow was I glad to see THAT finally happen!
- Melee combat (swinging and kicking) is essentially useless outside of breaking open containers. If you allow yourself to get caught in a corner during an Necromorph ambush (it'll happen), swinging and kicking will do next to nothing to free yourself up, and from what I've experienced, will not kill any baddies crawling around ground level. Make sure you have a weapon on hand that has a 'push-back' element (Force Gun, Shotgun, etc).
- While it IS awesome to have hundreds of options when creating your weaponry, this installment of Dead Space only allows you to carry 2 guns at a time. Sucks a bit, but not a hindrance necessarily. Starting off with 25 item slots sure takes the edge off! | video-games_xbox |
Well made, but probably not for everyone. Yesterday I had a chance to talk about the Trigger Treadz sold by iMP Gaming. They are a nice accessory that do what they advertise, but might not necessarily been seen as a must-have from a competitive edge standpoint. The other product in the Treadz series is Thumb Treadz. These work off of the same principle but for a different part of your controller.
Like the Trigger Treadz, Thumb Treadz are available for both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Let me begin by saying how much I would have loved these for my PlayStation 3 controllers a few years ago. Perhaps there was something out there like the Thumb Treadz and I just missed them, but as much as I liked the DualShock 3 controller, my primary annoyance with them was the rounded convex design of the analog sticks.
The newer consoles have better designed controllers. There is now a raised lip around the edge of the DualShock 4 while there is a nicely textured ridge around the edges of the analog sticks for the Xbox One. Thumbs can settle into the tops of the sticks nicely for excellent control and limited slippage. That being said, there is always room for improvement and that is where the Thumb Treadz come in.
Applying Thumb Treadz is actually very easy. Unlike the Trigger Treadz, these simply slip on over the top of the analog sticks. The software Silicone Ridge style goes on more easily, but I was actually quite impressed that they do not slip around at all. These covers are very snug to the sticks and after hours of play, I noticed only the slightest amount of shifting off of the center by the Silicon Ridge style. The other style was somewhat more difficult to get on, but it did not seem to shift about at all.
Like the Trigger Treadz, the Thumb Treadz come in two distinctive styles. In fact, I felt that there was considerably more of a difference in these treads than the trigger ones. Silicon Ridge is a softer, slightly larger covering for your analog sticks. It has a circled pattern akin to a bull's eye on the top of it. It is a more supple covering that even pushes into the indented tops of the analog sticks just a little, providing an excellent surface for your thumb. The Silicon Ridge is both comfortable and adds plenty of traction for your thumbs.
The second design is called TPU Dimple. This cover feels quite different, and was my preferred of the two styles. My kids all liked the Silicon Ridge, and my youngest actually said that the TPU Dimple was sort of 'irritating' to her. I however, really liked the firmness in them. The analog sticks had no slip to them at all when I was using these. I will agree that because of their texture and firmness, they could perhaps be less comfortable after prolonged gaming sessions, but there is a palpable advantage to these over the Trigger Treadz in my mind. Slipping off of a controller stick just happens, whether you have large hands or not. Just about every game uses one, if not both, sticks, and since they are almost always in some fashion or another under tension, the analog sticks feel more important than the triggers overall.
There was not real difference between the two from one console to the other. Likely because the sticks themselves are slightly different in size going from PlayStation 4 to Xbox One, the carved out piece of the Thumb Treadz is slightly different to match, but it is far less discernible that the differently shaped triggers on the two controllers. The Thumb Treadz performed equally well on both consoles, though here my opinion was flipped slightly. I appreciated the Trigger Treadz more on the smooth Xbox One triggers, but here I liked the added texture of the Thumb Treadz slightly better on the PlayStation 4's DualShock controller. I think that is perhaps because I already preferred the feel of the ridged edges on the Xbox One controller's analog sticks.
Because the Thumb Treadz are not fixed into place with any kind of adhesive, I wondered if they would retain their position on the controller sticks well. That question was answered pretty early on and they did exactly what they advertise - offering a better texture that helps to reduce slippage while playing games. The two textures are actually quite different from one another, and I get the feeling everyone will have their own preferences, but both styles suited me just fine. | video-games_xbox |
This is a great headset and at a great price. I was a bit skeptical about spending lots of money towards a headset. When you compare the prices of the best headsets out there, it is sometimes as expensive as a brand new console. Really? I will never spend $300+ on a headset when a PS4 costs $399 and a Xbox One costs $499. Never (unless a big sale happens which I doubt).
I have had a lot of experience with many headsets including Turtlebeach and most recently the Astro's A50s. They are indeed great headsets but the prices for them did not seem fair at all and so I had my fun with them and shortly returned them. I could always buy the cheap headsets but you get what you pay for and I wasn't interested in that. When I heard about this product and the good reviews it has, I was looking forward to trying them out. I can honestly say that I am very happy with this headset and though the price is a little expensive, it's a way better option than paying $250 - $300+ for the top of the line headsets. In my opinion, the XO Seven is just as good as those top of the line headsets (I am not missing one bit of the great sound).
Quick summary (for those to lazy to read full review)
Pros:
- The packaging of the product is very impressive. I felt like I was opening a very good birthday or christmas present. I was very happy opening the product!
- I was afraid that the weight of the headset itself would give me headaches and make my ears hurt considering I have a big head but it was in fact VERY COMFORTABLE. I want to stress that point, it was very comfortable wearing these while gaming for good 3-4 sessions.
- There are no need for many cables. It's just one cable that connects to the controller. That's it!
- Very easy to use and the setup is a breeze. Just make sure to update your controller using the USB cable that is included and you are good to go
- Works with PC and PS4. I was really happy about this because I wasn't looking to buy a second headset for the PS4 and the sounds while using the headset with the PS4 controller sound amazing as well.
Cons:
- Price (I think $120 would be a good price but Turtlebeach has to make money somehow : P )
- You can hear some crackles here and there but that is due to the controller and is just a update away from not being a issue any longer. I only hear it once in a while for literally 1 sec.
Anyone looking to buy a new headset, I assure you these headsets are the real deal. They feel and sound great. It enhances your gaming experience to a whole new level. You are going to love the XO Seven. Don't bother with the XO Four or the Atlas. Those headsets are a waste of money. Happy gaming! | video-games_xbox |
but the more I played it the more I disliked it. First of all it deserves all the . At first I thought that this might me a decent game, but the more I played it the more I disliked it. First of all it deserves all the criticism about racism and obscenity. This game is not for kids, or anyone who is fairly normal psychologically. If you're into endless cursing, blatant sex acts, and cruelty to animals, then this game is for you. Now for the game play, if you're still interested.
The game has Auto right in the title. The cars handle nicely, better than Forza in fact. The big problem is that this car game can't keep track of your car! That's right, you do an activity and your car disappears. You go into a guy's house, come out, and that car is gone. There is no good way to collect cars, like in Saint's Row. The map is rudimentary. You can't bring up the map and move around on it, like in real games. You get a static map with little blobs that are supposed to be locations of interest. 99% of these locations are clothing stores, barber shops, or gun stores. The jobs that you're supposed to do show up as ? marks. You're supposed to know, somehow, if you've done that job or not or if it's' the one you decided not to do. I guess Rockstar ran out of words. Speaking of which; you get little hints onscreen every now and then. If, like me, you don't have an hdtv you won't be able to read them. So helpful to see something that might say, "If you want to something, press the little blob." I spent a lot of time online figuring out what these things were about.
You can fly planes, but they are tricky and not a lot of fun, due to having to be super careful not to move the controls too much - more like work. There are boats, but the one I tried to use to flee the cops didn't work. It was really fun to run through all those back yards, weaving and dodging, with the idea of using the lake as an escape, only to climb onto a speed boat and discover that Rockstar didn't want that.
The jobs that require using a gun are terrible due to the fact that the targeting mechanism has a tiny dot for aiming - tiny, miniscule, almost invisible. I've played all the big shooters, both military and sci-fi and this is the worst I've ever seen. You get a white dot the size of a pin head against a pale building or the sky and it just can't be seen. The only weapon with a decent sight is the sniper rifle.
The jobs that you're supposed to do aren't too bad for Michael and Franklin, who live in the city. They are just run of the mill criminals. Trevor on the other hand, is a psycho, dirty, foul-mouthed, disgusting pig. You'll want to take a shower after playing as him. His idea of fun is running over deer or sniping at coyotes - and beating up or killing anyone who looks at him funny. Where he lives there are very few cars to steal, so you'll spend a lot of time just walking around trying to find one. Don't run too much; that's not allowed. Unfortunately you are forced to play as him, the game locking out Michael and Franklin. I tried driving over to the city to interact with them, but the game won't allow that. You can drive over, but no jobs are available. Rockstar Games doesn't believe in free will. You play what they tell you to play.
If you start a job and don't like it, it isn't easy to get out of it. You have to abandon the effort by driving 20 miles away, get killed and drop out, or restart the game. Not very sophisticated. One job requires you to shoot it out with a gang. The game kept failing the mission because I wasn't killing them fast enough. That was because I couldn't get the tiny pinhead dot onto them quickly enough. Very frustrating.
My biggest problem is that there is no moral choice in the game. You don't get to chose if you want to be scum. Rockstar demands that you be scum, so even if you ignore the poor mechanics of the game, it's still just a one dimensional, racist, violent, and ultimately boring piece of garbage. I enjoyed Saint's Row III and would recommend it as an alternative, since its violence is more satyrical. | video-games_xbox |
A great mix of RPG and Combat. Hunted is really well done minus some of the shabby voice acting done by the random dying NPCs you'll run into. The story is interesting to say the least and does its job to keep your attention. You really have to use solid teamwork to power through the choke point combat that is common in this game.
This game is not for everyone. But if you think you'd enjoy a game in which two characters have their own specific strengths (one covering the other from a distance with a ranged weapon while the other wreaks havoc with sword, mace or axe), then you would probably enjoy this game. Being RPG-ish you have a health bar and a mana bar, and they don't just regenerate. So you can't just fight and then hide and be at full health. Your mana does not regenerate either. I personally like this because it rewards the player for moving forward instead of hiding somewhere not participating. Hunted uses a very specific formula and does it well. You feel like you're playing a middle ages gears of war but at the same time you have to realize the RPG aspects of the game require their own strategies. Swapping out for better gear is obviously a good move. Figuring out what breaks so you can pick up more mana and health is a good one too.
My favorite part of the game is that the elf can shatter shields with her bow using a special move which then allows caddon to finish those foes off faster because your slow stronger blows just glance off the shields of enemies. At the same time caddon the swordsman can lift enemies off the ground allowing the elf to go to town on them with the bow. Teamwork is emphasized and will clear out mobs quickly. Anyone struggling with this game just has not picked out the finer points yet.
I saw another reviewer say your health should regenerate. Well it's a 3rd person heavily action oriented RPG not a shooter. I don't think your health should regenerate. In what world can you get hit with a sword 8 times and then hide behind a pillar and then 4 seconds later be ok? Halo was the only game in which that made sense. In an RPG that's not a FPS a health bar is ok.
Anyway there's something satisfying about being able to to have pure control over the combat like you do in this game. Sure the game is linear. But it's epic and satisfying and makes you employ strategy. I've played the GOW2 campaign 37 times total because it's fun to play through the game with a friend see how well you can do next time. And the campaign in Hunted is just as long as GOW2 as well. Which is a plus. 6 long chapters that each take a whole afternoon to beat.
I've seen a couple bugs here and there though. The game's not perfect. Like when your path get's cut off in front of you when it should have gotten cut off behind you. And the way the game's auto saves work could work a little better. And once I saw someone fall through the floor randomly. Besides a couple hiccups and some save issues this game's a blast if you like RPG games with a fast action pace. (Which is a rare gem.) | video-games_xbox |
Well played. Having been burned by a lot of TV and movie license games, including some of the previous South Park titles, I admit that I was skeptical about The Stick of Truth. But the fears were baseless. If you are in the target market for this game a South Park fan with a taste for computer role-playing then you will more likely than not find yourself a fan.
Its important to note a few important caveats, though. This game doesnt break any new ground in gameplay. All the tropes are there: quests, vendors, paper-doll character customization, turn-based combat, and useless junk loot to sell. But the game treats them in a fun, tongue-in-cheek way. For example, when you spend money at the vendor for Tips and Rumors, the tip is Dont waste your money on tips and rumors. Any experienced role-play vet already knew this, but its a nice nod. The character customization includes just about every animation option that has ever been in the show, but only some of them are open at the beginning of the game. The game even has a clever joke to get around the fact that they could never voice your arbitrary character name.
Its been said before, but worth repeating. The game is short. You can play through the entire experience in a little over 10 hours, and the replay value isn't great. Side quests such as finding 30 hidden Chinpokomon extend the playtime, but only by a few hours. If you are looking for a game to occupy you for weeks, this is not it.
And yes, the voiceovers tend to get annoying the 27th time you hear them. Par for the course.
But the real reason anyone would buy this game is the quality of the writing and the tie-ins with the show, and here it truly does shine. Although not quite to the level of the South Park movie of the late 90s, the writing here is better than many of the TV episodes; you can tell that the shows core team was heavily involved. And although the plot is nothing truly memorable crazy adventures of LARPing neighborhood kids with a few twists the gags are non-stop. I almost felt sorry for the intern who was probably forced to watch every episode and catalogue the references for inclusion. Nearly *every* point of note from the hundreds of shows makes it into this game, even if it is just a few pixels in a characters closet.
As for the sound and graphics, they are perfectly cheesy. If someone stumbled into your living room and didn't pay close enough attention to the game controller in your hand, they would probably just think you were watching the show. The animations are spot-on, down to the jerky bouncing of the characters.
If you like (or miss) the TV show, and you don't mind mediocre gameplay, this is a solid title. Not really surprising that searching for The Stick of Truth made me want to watch the show again. Well played, Matt and Trey. | video-games_xbox |
Entertaining Video Game Tie-In. Nowadays, every time there is a major comic-book based movie, there is a video game to go along with it. Most of them aren't very good at all. Therefore, I wasn't expecting much from GREEN LANTERN: RISE OF THE MANHUNTERS. I thought the game would be a silly replay of the movie with no additional story value, difficult gameplay, and terrible graphics. I was surprised to discover this is not the case.
The game is a tie-in, but not a video game adaptation of the movie. The main storyline (campaign) takes place either right after the GREEN LANTERN movie. The body of Abin Sur is returned to Oa for a proper burial but just afterwards the planet is attacked by Manhunters, a race of androids created by the Guardians as their first police force. However, the Manhunters became more interested in punishing creatures instead of serving them, so their ranks were dissolved. Someone has now united the Manhunters in a master plan to destroy the Green Lantern Corp, the Guardians, and Oa. Disobeying orders from the Guardians, Hal Jordan sets out to find out exactly what is going on. He's joined on his quest by Kilowog and Sinestro.
The game looks gorgeous and even comes with some 3D glasses that if you have a hi-def set up allows for some 3D effects. I also liked that Ryan Reynolds is the voice of Hal Jordan in the game. The game has just the right balance between simplicity and difficulty; it's not too difficult for beginning gamers to play and defeat, yet not so easy that an experienced gamer will hate it. There are moments when you think you know what you need to do to defeat a boss, but discover that though you had the right idea, you were slightly mistaken.
What I liked most about GREEN LANTERN: RISE OF THE MANHUNTERS was the two-player drop in/out mode. Very few X-box 360 games are made so that a person can play through an entire campaign with or without another person. I enjoy campaigns, but sometimes it's more fun to defeat a game working with someone else. This game allows for that as well as giving one the option of having a partner drop out without adversely affecting what you've already accomplished. More games should include an option like this.
Overall, I really enjoyed GREEN LANTERN: RISE OF THE MANHUNTERS. It was fun and challenging and allowed for my brother and I to defeat a game working together. | video-games_xbox |
Nice-quality headphones for PC gaming. My new headphones just arrived, and I thought I'd come on here to review them after about an hour of use. I do not consider myself an audiophile, so please bear that in mind when it comes to audio *quality*. My perspective also is colored by getting them on sale, so I can't say how I'd feel about them at regular retail price.
I found a deal on this at another online retailer and decided to give it a shot to use with my HP laptop. I plugged in the 3.5mm stereo and USB connections without the DSS2 and Windows 7 immediately recognized it as "Communication Headphones" under the Playback tab and "Integrated Microphone Array" under the Recording tab of Sound in the Control Panel. (The USB plug is required to power the the in-line controller/amplifier; the headphones won't work without the USB cable plugged in.)
I read some reviews complaining about hissing when there is no audio playback due to the headphones being powered, but I found that if you keep the "Game" (audio playback) dial on the in-line controller at about 50% or a little lower (with Windows volume as high as you want -- i.e., up to 100%) that the hissing dissipates to nothing while still providing ample volume for playback.
The cable is QUITE long -- 16' per specs -- coming out of the in-line controller, probably so that you can plug it into your X-Box while sitting on a couch. Fortunately, there's a velcro strap bound to it, so you can keep it somewhat manageable. The pack also includes a lengthy micro-USB-to-USB cable for plugging the DSS2 into a power source (PC or X-Box), a Toslink (optical) cable for streaming digital audio from PC/X-Box, and a 2.5mm-to-2.5mm "talkback" cable that plugs into an X-Box 360 controller. (I have not tested whether the talkback cable works w/ the controller plugged into a PC, but I doubt it's the case.) You need to use a 2.5mm adapter to use the talkback cable with a 3.5mm jack, but I didn't need to use that with my particular laptop to get the mic recognized. At any rate, kudos to Turtle Beach for not skimping on cables, although I would have appreciated a shorter cable coming out of the in-line controller, or a long male-to-female 3.5mm extension cable instead (so that I could keep the cord length shorter).
My chief complaint is probably that my ears get QUITE toasty while wearing them. This is probably common with all large cans, though. The build is plastic, but it seems to be of reasonable quality. The foam on the top and the cans is comfortable.
I haven't tested mic quality or the DSS2, but I will update my review after I put them to the test. | video-games_xbox |
GREAT STICK. Only peeps who take their fighting games more seriously than the average bear even consider this stick. Playing with the stock controllers on EITHER next gen system is archaic at best & to be taken seriously or to even win games you NEED A FIGHT STICK. Period. It's an investment if you want to make your game more complete. Done.
So the build quality of this stick is really impressive. The buttons have a very short travel which is the way I like it. The turbo settings are a bit un-necessary however you don't only have to use this stick for fighting games I suppose. There's some old school DLC shooters that I'd love to tackle with this thing. Anyway, it works. Well. Pulling off combos is not even remotely a problem.
If I had to say I have an issue with this stick its that upon vigorous play, it tends to slide on my finely polished wood table. The rubber feet are good but they could be better. If I had a different table maybe it wouldn't slide. Less lemon Pledge, more sandpaper. The gate is square & not octogonal or an infinity or smoother gate so basically, you feel the stick on "rails" in a way. That's the best way for me to describe it. You know exactly when you're pointing up left, up right, down left & down right. If you can't take this you can actually search online for some different parts. Honestly though, doing that is kinda' like putting aftermarket parts on a Camry. It's fine just the way it is & if you really want something better just spend the almost $500 for a professional controller.
I'm sure there's many people that are wondering why this isn't wireless. It's not wireless for a good reason. There is signal loss with wireless as opposed to wired controllers. That's really about it. These guys apparently take their controllers pretty seriously.
If not though, & you just play the game because you LOVE to play SF... in all factions... then be happy with this one. I love it. | video-games_xbox |
One of the best sequels of the decade. When the first <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Assassin-s-Creed/dp/B000P46NMK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Assassin's Creed</a> was released, it was preceded by a mountain of hype and high promises that proclaimed that this was to be the game to revolutionize everything that followed. After all the tech demos and previews of the game that were shown, I certainly had no room to disagree. It look absolutely marvelous. And when it was released, it still looked marvelous, but it played too much like the tech demo that we'd all seen.
After a few hours of a convoluted story, repetitive missions, gameplay hindered by lack of polish (not to mention the middle-eastern protagonist speaking with an American accent...somehow!) I put the game down and never picked it up again. I am very glad it was only a rental.
Two years and an onslaught of mediocre reviews later, ASSASSIN'S CREED 2 is unleashed upon the masses. Needless to say, even though I am a big fan of the Renaissance Era, I waited for the first volley of reviews before I went out and bought this game.
ASSASSIN'S CREED 2 not only redeems its predecessor's many follies, but it is most definitely one of the best games of the year.
You are once again playing as Desmond Miles playing through the memories of his ancestors. This particular ancestor is Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a citizen of Italy during the Renaissance Era. After members of his family are executed by way of betrayal, Ezio takes up his birthright and begins to walk the path of his father in becoming an Assassin.
The STORY, after everything is said and done, is amazing. It's thick with superb characterization, surprising plot-twists, and a conspiracy that's so intricate and spans so many centuries, it would probably give LOST a run for it's money. I came to love Ezio's character (as opposed to loathing Altair) and how he changes so much from the time he takes his first life, to when his story comes to an end. And since you are learning many techniques along with him, you will feel as though you are growing as he grows.
The WORLD through which Ezio skips through is probably one of the best sandbox-type worlds I've seen; rivaling OBLIVION, FALLOUT 3, and GTA IV in both scale and design. Just from what I know, everything is as close to historically accurate as it can get. Buildings such as Il Duomo look and feel as big as they should be. There are five different cities (including the one you come to own) and each feels so grand in scale that it's hard to believe that there are others just as big in one game. Renaissance Italy has never looked so good.
The GAMEPLAY is better than it ever was. You are given an array of weapons to use against your targets, including: a sword, dagger, throwing knives, smoke bombs, poisons, and even money. And since the world is so organic, you aren't limited to just chopping your way through each mission. Whether it be stealth, brute force, or distraction, you will have many ways to accomplish each mission and side-mission. And with the much-praised freerunning system, even more ways are opened up.
On top of this, you are given control of your own city. Yeah! All of the weapons, paintings (keep in mind, these are Renaissance paintings) and armor pieces that you buy are put on display here in brilliant fashion. You can also restore shops and certain locations within this city, which will bring in more foot-traffic that will add to the wealth of your town. It won't be long before the gloomy and boarded-up mansion that you take over becomes something more akin to a palace.
The COMBAT is fairly simple, if that can be called a detriment. There's one button to attack and one to counter. It seems like it could get boring really fast, but I've been playing the game for nearly 30 hours now and I've yet to sigh out of frustration over an encounter with the guards. It feels fresh every time, and the kill sequences are brutal and bloody to behold. It will definitely not get old, unlike other games like <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Star-Wars-The-Force-Unleashed/dp/B000R0URCE/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Star Wars: The Force Unleashed</a>.
If I had to say anything CRITICAL, it would be that the game is slightly too easy. Once you're done with the game, you should breeze through any achievements that you have left over, which leaves you with very little to do after the game is finished. Of course, there are a multitude of different side-missions (such as assassination missions, races, events where your goal is to beat the crap out of someone) but once you finish the game and upgrade your villa, there is little reason to actually go through and finish any of them. They all just equate to more money, which you will have more than enough of by the end of the game.
And while the cities are near-perfect in their construction, the countrysides, while still gorgeous, are absolutely dull to walk through. There's nothing to really interact with and it all feels more like a background than anything else. I would've liked to see an environment more like in OBLIVION, where I didn't care that I had to walk clear across the map.
In the third game, I would definitely like more of a challenge that would equate to some really good rewards and some very difficult achievements to complete. Collecting feathers is not difficult, just time-consuming. I hope that this is changed in the third game.
In the end, ASSASSIN'S CREED 2 managed to fulfill every promise that it's predecessor put forth, and improved on those promises tenfold. This is a fun and beautiful game that should not be passed up. I've never played a sequel (besides maybe <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Fallout-3-Game-of-The-Year-Edition/dp/B001REZLY8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Fallout 3: Game of The Year Edition</a>) that changed up its own formula so much for the better. When studios like Ubisoft make so much money from one game, there is usually very little reason to go in a new direction with their IP (I'm looking at you, HALO 3), but so much has changed in this world inside the head of Desmond Miles, and it's changed for the better.
I'm already eagerly awaiting ASSASSIN'S CREED 3 to see what age we'll be visiting next, but hopefully this isn't the last we'll hear from Ezio Auditore da Firenze.
"It'sa me! Mario!" Bless them for that little homage. xD | video-games_xbox |
Pretty Cool Game. Today is the year 2012, many games have been released since the release of the Xbox 360/PS3. There is only one game that I can say for myself that has genuinely made me interested in buying a console, Dark Souls. Before I had a console, I hardly played video games, since most games nowadays aren't fulfilling and the fact that multiplayer games are rampant, but I saw some folks talking about this game on a forums I visited one day. I then viewed game-play videos of the game and every bodies testimonies of the game from various online retailers, needless to say, I was really pumped up about the game. Moving at the right time, attacking at the right time, dodging at the right time, using the right weapons at the right time, being in the right area at the right time, all something I've been missing out for the longest time. Why haven't I heard this game before or its predecessor or even Tera(which I'm extremely hoping for not to be empty in a year from now.)
Now I said what I wanted to, I'll talk about the game itself.
The graphics are astounding, surely not graphic intensive as BF3 or TW2, but its still some eye-candy. There will be spots in-game that will definitely be under 20 fps and some major bloom that is annoying. Dungeons and the layout of the world is aesthetically pleasing, its nothing breaking the barrier but nonetheless still pleasing.
The sound and music, I haven't much time to notice them in-game. Frankly, I don't hear anything besides weapons striking and grunts.
Also the occasional gnawing of a human body inside a centipede.
Controls are easy to master and flows well over time, except for minor misconceives while trying to dodge or blocking without the target targeted.
Game-play is good enough for someone into the type of this game, just prepare some mind over matter when you die, a lot of times due to stupidity, as if button mashing, rolling right into the lava, thinking a baby shield can block a gigantic hammer, camera messing up from tight walls. Not necessarily a hard action game as stated by others, more of a heavy memorization game, except for PVP though.
If another Souls comes out in the franchise, I'd definitely buy it on day one, or at least buy Demon Souls and a PS3 to play it. Definitely one of the better games that I played from the year 2011. | video-games_xbox |
If you're after sound quality and balance, you will be very disappointed. I am a bit of an audiophile and have been into the pro audio side of things for a good many years and built a set of my own speakers, so it may be worth mentioning that I do have high expectations for sound quality. I bought these for office use (90% music and 10% phone calls). I wanted something wireless, over-the-ear style that I could wear all day, and with an extendible mic and mute button. After reviewing the comments on these, I figured I'd give it a shot, but unfortunately, I was quite disappointed - even for the price point.
I would be using these for 90% music and 10% phone calls, so I wanted something with good sound quality. I've scrolled through all of the 3 eq settings on these and none of them sound very good at all. It sounds hollow all over the spectrum. I like a very well balanced speaker and am certain not a fan of 'bass thumping', but the bass on these is just ok at best. It's rather muddy and lackluster. It's there, but it just feels lazy. The mid range follows the same pattern. It just sounds lifeless and stressed. Similar story with the treble - it lacks presence and doesn't draw you into the musical experience. To add to the frustration, there is always a hum regardless of the volume levels you set it at. I do know about proper gain structure, but setting up the gain structure properly did nothing to help the hum - it's just always there and always comes through between songs or during quiet parts and is really distracting. It doesn't really get very loud either if that's your thing - it runs out of steam long before my $10 earbuds would even break a sweat.
I haven't found these to be terribly comfortable although they are ok I guess given that I haven't used them for extended periods. Their physical size it a bit large, but I haven't felt as though they're about to fall off.
The range is pretty good and I can walk around the office and my team's section without it breaking up at all, but the usb plug is about twice the size of an old school usb stick when they first came out and also plugs into your computer's headphone jack.
In general, they're kinda cool with the color changing feature and all and the range is good, but the sound quality just kills it for me. I've gone back to my old setup of my $10 ear buds and a cheapo headset for calls and this is now collecting dust in my drawer. | video-games_xbox |
Yes, the main character is ugly, but the story is anything but. <div id="video-block-R2NJNGJ88FPID3" 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/E1X70VKVTGS.mp4" class="video-url"><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91olM8TYqCS.png" class="video-slate-img-url">Nier, released in 2010, and developed by Cavia, gained mediocre reviews when it was released. The one thing I remember most about those reviews is the common statement that the main character in Nier was rather ugly.
Of course, he (named whatever you name him) is rather ugly. And as time goes by he doesn't get much prettier. But Nier doesn't tell just the story of this one man living his live. No, instead it tells the story of a man trying to save his daughter, and going to the greatest lengths to do so.
In 2003 the Cavia developed Drakengard was released, followed in 2005 by Drakengard 2. The game play style of Nier is similar to both of these, as you play a third-person behind action game, with RPG elements, including health and magic points. You can either attack, use some type of (attack) magic, defend, jump, or roll, as well as use items.
Your weapons, starting with one-handed swords and growing to include both two-handed swords and spears, can also be upgraded, assuming you can find the necessary materials to do so.
To progress the story you speak with the various inhabitants of the world, going from place to place, fighting enemies between villages, and doing quests (the majority being optional) for various characters.
One other common complaint is the amount of backtracking required in this game. However, there are approximately a dozen major areas in the game, and moving between the furthest points takes much less than 10 minutes, on average (two areas are fairly long, but they are not the norm, and since you go through them multiple times, depending upon how many optional quests you do, you can move through them rather quickly). Because of the small number of unique areas, backtracking in a 12 to 45+ hour game is of course going to occur.
The game features four endings, however the game is split into two parts, and you start near the beginning of the second on subsequent playthroughs. The last two endings involve different choices at the very end of the game, so you really only play the game 1 and a half times, and the last battles twice, if you're going for all four endings (which I recommend).
Nier is, in some ways, the spiritual successor to the Drakengard games, with some even considering it as part of a trilogy. Indeed the story of Nier is rather good, and reminiscent of the Drakengard games. As mentioned above, the story tells the tale of a man seeking to save his daughter, and in the process gains companions, and discovers a deeper truth. This deeper nature of the world is especially clear when you start on the path to the second ending, and results in additions to the major plot elements. One could argue, in fact, that without playing at least through the second ending you can't really understand the story they've told.
Since the game was attacked on its fishing component, that's worth a mention here. Nier does feature a fishing component, which turned one game-related Web site off of the game. However, once you realize the trick to fishing in Nier - which is really just paying attention to the pole, as it's pretty obvious after the first couple times when you're supposed to start pulling back - and pay attention to map markers, the fishing component is actually pretty relaxing. (And sure, like real-life, a little boring as you keep trying to catch the fish you want, but instead get other fish or junk.)
Keeping in mind that I enjoyed Drakengard and Drakengard 2, and will overlook certain things if a game features a good story, I must give Nier 5 of 5 stars. I only wish I had picked up Nier sooner, and disregarded the reviews I had read.
I played the Xbox 360 version of Nier, which supposedly offered some advantage over the PlayStation 3 version. I clocked approximately 45 hours of game play, with 28 going towards my first playthrough, and obtaining 100% weapons, 91% quest completion, and 37 of 41 achievements. | video-games_xbox |
Very fun - but lacks content. I purchased my Titanfall via Microsoft Market Place but as a member of Amazon, I thought I would post my review here. I'm coming up on my one week mark playing Titanfall and I'm starting to wonder how long I will actually play this game.
I have had a lot of fun this with game so far, and have not had any technical issues connecting to he server, nor have I had any lag during the matches. The controls are spot on! They are easy to learn and feel completely natural. If you have played any other FPS you will have no problems learning Titanfall. The maps are rather large, and they need to be while piloting your Titans. Unfortunately, that is about all the positive feedback I can give on this game. Jump into a match - have your fun - end match - wait for new match - rinse, repeat......
All in all - if you have played a FPS, or an online shooter, this game is nothing new. In fact, I feel that this game has less to offer than most games........9 maps, on an exclusive, online only, internet connectivity required, multiplayer shooter seems to be rather small. I knew going into this game that there would be no offline, or single player campaign, which I thought would hurt the game, but figured they must be putting a lot of work, and offering a lot of options when it came to the online portion of a game. I was wrong. $60 for some of the game - $24.99 for extra maps and content - plus I'm sure boat loads of DLC as they come up with new maps.
The campaign is an actual joke to me - I had a really hard time following the story line as I was too focused on the objectives of Hard point or attrition. The fact that I could sit down and within an hour or two complete the campaign was really irritating.
I really don't want to bash this game because I think Respawn did a great job on the product I have in my hands. Is it worth $60.00 - I don't think so - without a Campaign - less maps than most games - poor AI - only 6 vs 6 - no co-op - no LAN connection to host a game - if servers go down - no game to play what so ever, poor match making, lengthy times in between maps - and nickel/diming in the future with multiple DLCS, I'm getting really tired of paying "full price" and then constantly forking out money to continue to play the game.....
I feel that I will be getting tired of this game sooner than later - this game really could have been great - there are a lot of elements that I love - but a lot that I think, personally, could have been added, or changed. For those who claim fanboy, I only have an Xbox One, and am pretty loyal to this brand. I really hope that Microsoft starts developing games that are complete - and that companies like Respawn realize that are many gamers out there that still enjoy the single player alternative to a game, and that relying on connectivity to play a game is really restricting the potential of games. | video-games_xbox |
PS4 or Xbox One? Flip a coin. I have both consoles, and I can't say I have a clear favorite with either one. They both made a lot of changes that put each other on even par. After using the One, I can fully understand why they required you to purchase the Kinect with the console. Without it, you really do not get all the bells and whistles that you expect. When I first heard they were doing this, I was like a lot of people blaming Microsoft with trying to boost up the price to get as much profit, but the One, in my opinion, would just be a disappointing purchase without it. It really immerses you in the game. Being able to call out commands while you play provides provides another level of game play. I love being able to call out commands, and having the One react. If I get frustrated with a certain part of the game, I say, "Xbox Watch Tv", and off I go. I also have the Smartglass App that keeps me connected to my game as well. Compared to the PS4, I feel more connected to the Xbox One, and I tend to find myself constantly picking up the controller for the One versus the PS4~ may have to do with the One being connected to my cable box, but still.. I can understand why displays at stores for the One does not allow you to play games, but simply play a video, because it would be nearly impossible to show the features of the Kinect in a busy store. It is unfortunate that as a consumer, you can't test drive this feature prior to purchase.
My only disappointment with the One is tied to the fact that the controller still uses AA batteries, Based upon other reviews, I know I am not the only one. I fully understand why some people think it is an insane reason to be disappointed, but you have to understand it is all about expectations. We are talking next gen consoles, so I expect next gen technology. I expect things to be faster, better, more advanced. Just as the One added bluray and wifi to the console, I had also expected the controller to stop using batteries. It feels a little backwards. Like purchasing a flying car, and still having to roll your windows down by rotating a lever instead of pushing a button. It just throws you off a bit. Especially in the world where everyone is connected with a cell phone with rechargeable built in batteries.
If you are trying to decide between the two, it is really hard not to notice the tide is heavily stacked against the One. PS4s are sold out almost everywhere, and when they do get them in stock, they sell out quickly. Ones are in Stock almost everywhere. Of course there could be an issue of an over supply of Ones, but speaking with various store Reps, they noticed how people come in, and go straight to the PS4. One local store has a table set-up trying to hard sell Ones. Also, you can take a look at the number of reviews on Amazon. Over 4000 for PS4 and just over 400 for the One. So if you and your friends can only pick one console, it seems logical to go with the PS4. If you are a parent, the 4 is $100 cheaper, and graphics for current games are amazing enough for you to notice if you do not game yourself.. But also if you are a parent that does not game, the One is more of an entertainment console and adds another depth to your TV experience for that extra $100.
As stated, there is nothing wrong with the One, and highly recommend that people get both if you can. In my opinion, in the long run, the One will end up being the better system. The level of immersion in the game is decidedly higher than it is for the PS4. Since the PS4 now charges you to use online multiplayer, there are only two things it does better than the One. 1. Graphics- One graphics is slightly better than the 360, but when I play a game on the PS4, It reminds me of the feeling I got when the Nintendo 64 came out and I was playing Killer Instinct. I was just floored by the leaps and bounds that it has come, and just like all past systems, it gets better over time. The other cool item with the PS4 is the speakers in the controller. I was playing Killzone, and had picked up an audiolog, and having the playback go through my controller was insane. It startled me a bit, but hearing it from my controller as the sounds from the game was still coming from my TV was an amazing experience. Although I have a great gaming experience with the PS4, I don;t feel as immersed as I do with the One though. The One provides an overall entertainment value that PS4 does not have. It allows me to move seemingly between my TV and Game which for a casual gamer is great to have. I prefer to watch movies on my One than my PS because I can easily switch between apps and systems without having to go through extra motions. With Skype I have communications as well. Overall it brings a lot of different new age applications to my TV, so I am not having to use different devices.
As far as my rating goes, I have trouble giving it the full five stars mostly due to the One does not feel like it is a next gen gaming console. It feels more like an advanced entertainment system that also plays games. I have high expectations that as games start coming in, and as developers get more time to develop games, it will become a strong gaming console. | video-games_xbox |
One of my favorite games of all time. The Good: Great voice acting, story, ripping out hearts and wreaking bloody havoc is fun, good selection of weapons, duel wielding, Darklings are funny and neat, unlockable content is interesting
The Bad: Story is too short, not enough Darkness powers or Darklings, Even though Darklings are neat they seem kind of useless
First things first...the graphics in this game are just absolutely amazing and out of this world. THIS is a next-gen game. What's so awesome about this game, besides the eye candy, is your Darkness powers. You get four powers that you can unlock throughout the story and you can use them to kill and wreak havoc and even solve simple puzzles. The other great things are the Darklings which you can command to kill your enemies.
The story is wonderful and keep you sucked in throughout. One thing that I really loved was the voice acting...it's top notch stuff. The best voice is the Darkness he has this insane sinister voice that constantly changes pitch and it's really awesome. I also love when you can eat everyone's hearts after you kill them and you can watch the demon heads pull it apart and munch on it...it sounds nasty but looks awesome. I love the way the story flips between two different worlds: 1940 New York and The Darkness world during WWII.
Now there are bad things here. Even though everything is top notch and spiffy there just isn't enough of it. Four Darkness powers and Darklings just aren't enough in this type of game. There are enough weapons (DUAL WIELDING!!) however, but everything is just too short. Also, the story just doesn't seem quite enough either and it's not a terribly satisfying ending. The campaign is also short...you can beat it in between 10-15 hours even if you do the side missions. I also found the Darklings to be almost useless since they die in the light and they take too long to run after enemies. The unlockable content is neat but not enough to boost replay value. The only reason why you'd play this again is to get the alternate ending. If you want a true next-gen experience pick up The Darkness...you'll love it. | video-games_xbox |
Role Playing at its BEST, Imagine, Create, Live your Fantasy. In short "MorroWind" is the most complete, open-ended Role Playing Game ever created. (I LOVE IT !!!!) What this means to the gamer is; you create your character, choose your craft and seek your destiny. You can do anything, go anywhere, be anything. Play a defined plot or free-lance your way. Everything you do as in life effects your life later on. This is "Dungeons and Dragons" the way it should be. This game could last for ever it is so immense & detailed. (1 month and counting. I have experienced, invisibility, underwater breathing, flying, potions, magical items, discoveries and advancements galore!)
This is my evaluation and "MORROWIND" experience so far!!!!!
I am a 37th Level, 25th Armor Class Wood Elf Master Thief!!! I have traveled through this vast magnificent 3D world without limitation of direction. The auto mapping feature keeps you playing not mapping. This vast game detail has been meticulously monitored, maintained and store in memory.(Save often and anywhere is a great feature).
A detailed map is supplied with the game for geographical referencing. As you actually travel through this MorroWind the computer map details are auto stored in memory. Your tasks are auto stored in your life destiny's journal. Again a great computer monitor tool for your chronological activities.
A very complex game but as life, you live and learn, or die!!!
This game is awesome!!! The glitches are very miner, ie.; NPC's (non-playing characters) sometimes walk above ground, The AI (artifical intelligence) is very realistic. These NPC's learn and improve as you do, plus if you miss the easy kill or sneaking by them they make you pay. Talk to everyone as in life leads you to fame, fortune or death.
Again everything you do now will effect you later. Use you head as in life you will learn by your mistakes.
If you cannot determine what to be or what to do, as in life there is a computer generated character test & a scripted scenario. Believe me once you get started and see all you can do ie; viit scores of towns, dive on ship wrecks, climb mountains, swim rivers & seas, explore hundreds of dungeons or slay enemies you'll be on your way!!!
This game is awesome. A single player open ended saga. I've been playing for over a month and I have only explored about 25% of this vast game. (I have selectedly chosen only certain area to explore until my abilities improve for the real challenges ahead. Enjoy!!!! | video-games_xbox |
Great Quality, Well Made, Clear Sound, Easy to Install and Use. I ordered these headphones to replace another pair that I purchased about 3 months ago that just stopped working all of a sudden. This seems to happen quite a bit with my 13 year old son and I think he is doing something to them because he goes through so many pair a year. It is horrible. These were not any of the well known brands and I was ok with that...I know people say you get what you pay for, but if you purchased as many headsets as I have in a year, you would just look for some that might last longer than 5 months at a time...LOL! My son had this to say as we were unboxing the headset, "Whoa! Mom, these are cool!" He didn't need me to help him set them up, so I let him get to the business of setting it up and plugging everything in. In less than 3 minutes, he was laughing and playing and talking with his comrades again in some game. This comes with every plug in and adapter you need to plug in the PS4, the computer, laptop, smartphone. You will need to purchase a different adapter for the XBOX One because it does not come with one to fit. My son's friends said the sound was clean and he sounded close up and clear. There is no static coming from the microphone or the earphones. I am really quite impressed with how well these are made and it looks like someone finally addressed the microphones too thin wiring that breaks so easily when it is moved around too much. This one is a little thicker, but flattened out, in a plastic adjustable housing. You can still move it up and down and I am hoping it will last longer than some of the others because the wiring is better protected. The microphone is usually the first thing to go out on almost every set. I ordered the blue and black set and I was really happy to see more than two other colors offered. I like having choices..LOL! The headband is padded at the top so it keeps it from pushing into your head and making it sore during long game play sessions. I think my son will appreciate that since he has been having marathon sessions all summer. Thank goodness school starts in 2 weeks!
Would I recommend these headphones? Yes, I would. This is a really nice set to have as a back up to a really expensive set of headphones or to have an extra in case you have another player show up at your house unexpectedly. These are perfect for the younger players who want to be like their dads or older brothers while playing.
Would I purchase these again? I believe I would. The cheapest pair at the big box superstore that is decent is $40. I am a bargain shopper and have paid $96 for a pair my son got 3 years ago as a Christmas present. I said I would never do that again. It seems pointless to me when I can buy these for less than $30 and everything works as it should and it has good clear quality sound. Yeah, I see no reason to buy anything else, but these headphones. Why spend so much? These are great and you can get them in six different colors. My youngest is learning the value of a dollar and I am trying hard to teach him. This made an excellent bullet point in that speech...LOL! Just saying...
I received a free set of headphones in exchange for my honest opinion and review of the product. I hope you have found my review helpful. Thank you! | video-games_xbox |
Wonderful but yes, it is flawed (some spoilers. "Hopefully a more thoughtful review discussing the good, the bad, and the ugly in Fable 2."
Have you ever just got a new system and were blown away by the first game you got for it? In many ways that was my situation with Fable 2. I was even wowed by the little things such as the detail in the leafs. However when I read my first review it seemed biased. Sure I was wowed by Fable 2 and yes, it still is a great game. However having spent time in retrospect I do have to take some things into consideration which I did not before.
The first is Fable 2's controls are great. Being able to fluidly switch between melee weapons, guns, or spells on the fly makes the combat fun and a seamless experience. Even if you are someone who normally detests RPGs for their slower pace would be hard pressed not to get into Fable 2's quick real-time action fights.
For gamers that missed Fable 1 many more expressions and actions are added to your socializing wheel than in the first game. The more you play the more articulate and expressive you become so even if you were not able to impress the bloke or lass you had a fancy for earlier on you can come back later and likely achieve the desired effect.
If you want open ended options Fable 2 does throw some nice additions into the works. You can get married and even have children. As time goes on you can also buy up lands and stores which will bring you a steady income. Though it may be hard to see at first Fable 2 has a life simulation aspect that cleverly hides amidst all your treasure hunting and monster slaying. Fortunately if you have no desire to sire children or have a spouse you are never once forced to partake in these activities. Like almost anything else in the realm of Albion it is optional.
Want to play the game as either an evil knave or spotless hero? Fret not. That is the whole premise of Fable 2 and chances are your character is not going to be identical to the one of your friend. Focusing on magic gives you glowing veins, eating certain foods makes you thin or fat, and you can change your hair and get tattoos. Your virtuous and foul deeds also take a toll on your physique and alter you over time.
You are also accompanied by a faithful canine companion that helps in finding treasure and fighting games. Treating your dog kindly or cruel does effect his behavior and appearance. Furthermore do not expect teaching your pooch to be easy. Though you may see it as harsh punishing your dog is good in certain situations as is playing with him or rewarding him with treats. Being too lenient can endanger your pet just as much as being mean to him. As in all things balance and moderation is key.
Teaching your dog new tricks is as simple as finding tomes filled with knowledge. "Dog related books" will boost his combat skill, awareness, trick repertoire, and ability to dig up better items.
The last big thumbs up I'll mention is you can be male or female. At least that opens a door to girl gamers that was previously closed.
With all this you may think I'm saying the game can do no wrong. However now we come to the things that are suffice it to say not so pleasant about this over hyped game.
My first qualm is though it seems like your decisions shape your world near the beginning of the game as you reach its' climax your choices narrow. Good or evil you are still out to stop the man who wronged you and your sister. Good or evil you are presented with the same options in the ending. You can continue the game filthy rich, continue the game by saving all those that fell to the corruption of the head bad guy, or rather sacrifice your family. In one of these choices you lose your mutt because yes, he counts as your family too.
Now I know some of you are thinking I spoiled the ending for you. But that's the rub. There is no actual ending. You do not see what happens to Albion if you triumph as a villain or as a saintly knight. Either path you choose Teresa gets the spire and you get the shaft. The game continues on in its' monotony and though you are made aware your sister is alive if you choose to save your family there does not seem to be a way to be reunited with her.
My second gripe is many of the quests you do are repetitive. You can save the slaves or capture people to be made into slaves. You can assassinate villagers, sacrifice innocents to the temple of darkness, make a donation to the temple of light, or help everyone you happen across. Sometimes you may even be asked to clear an area of monsters. While this is fun near the beginning after you've done each of these quests 10 times over the nostalgic sheen dulls considerably.
Third we come to the creature selection. While you may expect a variety of neat beasties they are limited. Bandits, hobs, balvorines, undead, trolls, giant bugs, and banshees cover every thing in Albion's glossary of gloom. It is true there are a few variations among each opponent type but the game is so long you'll get tired of your antagonists quickly yearning for something more unexpected such as the Kraken in lost chapters. The "boss fights" are so non eventful chances are you will not even see them as boss fights.
The next quarrel I have with Fable 2 is some areas seem incomplete. For example you come across an orphanage that has no use and later on while swimming around you see places you should be able to eventually get to on the horizon yet you never do.
Lastly though the socializing system seems fun at first you quickly begin realizing the people you interact with are missing a certain endearing quality. Perhaps its' simply that everything you use to interact with them is a gesture or attempt to entertain them. You never have villagers that stand out or provide you with more interesting conversations. Pretty much they all will like some things you do but disdain other things you do. However even if you make someone mad one of their favorite gestures will have them praising you in no time.
Sometimes its' good to make things just a bit linear. For example in Persona 4 most of your relationships lead up to one or two conclusions. Yet each conversation you have with those characters delves into their hopes, desires, aspirations, and fears. They actually "talk to you" like a real person and you immediatly feel attached to them.
Fable 2 by comparison uses the same villager skins many times over and though everyone may have slightly unique traits this is buried by their repetitive responses and similar mannerisms. For example you can marry two wives that look and act so similar the only way to tell the difference between them is by their name and what gifts they enjoy.
So IS Fable 2 a good game? By all means "yes" it is. While I do not agree over it getting "Game of the year" from G4 TV I admit Adam Sessler made valid points in his blog on why they came to that conclusion. In the end "Game of the year" is simply another opinion. I do not hate any other reviewer for having a different view-point than myself. There is enough immaturity online as it is without fan-babies firing off insults left and right.
If you are tired of J-RPG fever and want a game that is easy to jump into, fluid, fun, and you have a lot of time to kill Fable 2 is still a highly recommended purchase or rental. While it may not be "perfect" it is still addictive and engrossing on its' own merits!
Pros
+Silky smooth easy to learn controls
+Added canine companion who really is useful.
+The social wheel is more complex and you pick up more expressions as the game continues.
+Albion is MUCH bigger this time around!
+Some choices do indeed drastically change the world around you.
+ Art direction, music, and visuals are all breath taking to behold.
Cons
- Towards the end good or evil you are given the same choice which yields the same repercussions.
-Villager types and enemy types are lack luster and repetitive save for a few exceptions here and there between long stretches of playing.
-The socializing system while adequate is somewhat detached and both adults and children seem to respond to your gestures in the same boring ways over and over again.
-Certain areas seem incomplete.
-There is no actual endings to further the story-line
-Certain jobs get quite tedious especially if you do them in tedium for many hours. I suggest buying shops and land so you'll have to work less often.
-Quests get more and more similar.
-Some glitches and freezing. | video-games_xbox |
Far from perfect, but still lots of fun for the family. The 'toys to life' phenomenon is one that has really taken hold of video gaming, and Disney Infinity may be one of the most popular iterations out there. In my time with the game, I found it to be fun, but with some notable flaws as well.
While the review of this game might be seen as really, really late (it has after all, been out for some time), I only recently had a chance to play it since getting it around Christmas. Now I have a ton of characters (admittedly, very Star Wars heavy in theme but others like the Iron Man Hulkbuster have worked their way into the collection) and sets to compliment the initial acquisition.
Visually, there are some nice touches, from a lightsaber scorch mark on the ground to the relatively smooth animations during combat. One area that the 3.0 edition of the game has benefited from is an improved combat system - especially on the melee front. I do wonder how the all-inclusive framework (using characters and such from the earlier Disney Infinity games) will hold up as more and more releases get bolted onto it, but I dug being able to use older power discs and characters as well.
For those unfamiliar with the Disney Infinity framework, you have a disc that powers everything, from the hub (with lots of tutorials and some pre-designed sections meant to show off what the game can do from racing and shooting mini games to different types of combat and exploration) to the toy box to your personal home. Think of your home as your trophy room, where unlocked characters and items give you the ability to deck it out. However, the bulk of the time spent with the core game will likely be in the area editor. You can unlock different scenery, items and more, giving you a larger toy box to work with.
However, if you buy additional sets, you gain not only new characters, but access to more story modes too. Each of these runs a handful of hours and offer different pre-constructed adventures. For example, you might start off learning the basics of combat using a melee character, but unlocking other types of characters as you play through the story. Additionally, you might have some sections where you are doing a racing/chase scene or having dogfights in space against other starships. The amount of variety tucked into these adventures is pretty solid, though sometimes they can be a little buggy. I found a couple of quest lines that were hard if not impossible to complete, and one in particular frustrated me because I apparently accessed the part of the story that took me into space, but I did not trigger the event that would unlock the planet I needed to go to. I looked this up and found quite a few people ran into this bug, and all of these months later, it has not been patched. This perhaps bothered me more than anything during the experience.
The game itself is a lot of fun - especially when playing with someone else. Sure, half of the time my kinds and I were kicking each others' butts as much as the enemies, but that was half of the fun too. The adventures are greatly helped by the progression system that allows you to level up characters and unlock new skills or passive abilities. Getting Darth Maul to level twenty and maxing out his melee damage and Force Finishers was a riot.
Now, the idea of 'toys to life' has never sat particularly well with me. The idea that I would have to buy new characters or adventures to unlock the full game content has always felt a bit like a physical microtransaction. The only advice I can give on that front is that while I still feel this way, if you dig the figures and pieces, it is a bit less annoying. I have payed more for DLC and never gotten a physical toy out of it. Some of the characters are better made than others, but as a tremendous Marvel and Star Wars fan, I suspect that these guys will look good on a shelf (likely next to my Amiibos) one day when they do not actually serve a purpose. If you are okay with that, then the premise behind Disney Infinity should not bother you too much. If the toys are of no long-term interest to you? This might be a tough pill to swallow as it is going to cost far more than the usual sixty bucks to get the most out of your experience.
I have spent far more time with Disney Infinity 3.0 than I had ever intended to. My kids all enjoy it, I am a huge Star Wars nut so the theme fits, and I genuinely enjoy leveling up and progressing my characters. Some bugs in the game and the feeling that you are making a physical microtransaction take some of the shine off of the game, but generally speaking I enjoy the experience. | video-games_xbox |
No Problems Here. I'm 18 and I've been playing video games since I was as little as I can remember. From the first time I played Super Mario on the NES, and thought it was the best game ever (of course for the first few hours I thought the goal was to fall in the holes, not jump over them). After that I went to the Super NES. Donkey Country was my poison on that system. (The first game I actually mastered). Then for me it was the N64... But I'll skip ahead.
I had a Playstation 2, and had a great time with it. But around last Christmas I knew time was running out for my old faithful machine. So when it was time to make a decision, I knew the Playstation 3 was too pricey to ask for for christmas so I decided to jump into the Microsoft waters.
I have not been dissapointed at all. Is the machine on the loud side? The answer is yes. But it's no louder than my ceiling fan. But I have not played a game I didn't like since getting my Xbox 360 almost a year ago. Here are 5 of my favorites so far...
5. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
4. Saints Row (I hate rap, and "gangstA's" but this game is fun as hell)
3. Bioshock (One of the best games ever, but still not as great as the hype)
2. Gears of War (Possibly the best first person shooter I have ever played)
1. Mass Effect (This is the most amazing game I have ever played. Period.)
Microsoft makes games that I love. And even though some people may have problems with "the red ring of death" and other things like that. I have NOT. I bought a fan for my xbox 360 the week that I got it for Christmas (Better safe than sorry). I got it at gamestop for 10 bucks. And my 360 has never overheated.
Im looking forward to next year. Theres some great games coming. And while I will be getting a PS3 sooner rather than later, I will never abandoned my new comrade, the Xbox 360. I am officially a faithful follower of both game companies now. And yes, it is possible.
Thanks for your time, happy gaming and happy hollidays. | video-games_xbox |
Microsoft does 4K for the Xbox One and perhaps double dips at your expense, but should you go for it. For the TL;DR crowd - I like the Xbox One S 2TB system, but wish that it had been less spendy and/or included some sort of credits towards a game or movies to enjoy. Otherwise, it is quite nice.
With the Xbox One S, Microsoft is now taking a bit of a page out of the Movie studio's playbook - release a slightly different version of something that your customers had already (in most cases) bought with slightly upgraded features and charge a premium to get it, leaving those that already had paid their own hard earned disposable income to perhaps whine a bit (as I may here if you all bear with me) about having to pay for the same thing twice. But is this really the same thing? Yes, it is still an Xbox One, albeit with a larger hard drive (for the Launch Edition 2TB system), but is it just the same as before, or are there enough improvements to justify the potential repurchase.
For those that don't already have an Xbox One, the decision to purchase either the new Xbox One S line or one of the original Xbox One systems is a little easier - if you don't have a 4K TV and aren't rushed to get one, then the recent price drops make the original Xbox One systems a relative bargain. Actually that price drop is part of what rubs a little salt in the wound for someone such as myself when it comes to my purchase of the Xbox One S 2TB launch console. Buyers that buy one of the original consoles typically get a bundle that includes a game and they get it at a much lower price point compared to this relatively spendy console. The launch edition 2TB Xbox One S was a whopping $399 (which is pretty much exactly where the original Xbox One Console systems were back when the box was original released). The original consoles certainly don't have 4K support and can't do 4K Blu-ray playback, which is something that I was buying this console for (though, ironically, I just recently got a 4K Blu-ray player (this <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Philips-BDP7501-4K-Ultra-HD-Blu-Ray-Player-with-bonus-4K-Ultra-HD-Blu-ray-disc-Creed/dp/B01HBYUYSU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Philips BDP7501 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray Player with bonus 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc (Creed)</a>) and with it, I have less "need" of a 4K Blu-ray player than I once would have). It would have been nice to have had 4K support on the original Xbox One consoles, but the competition between Microsoft and Sony, and the age of the Xbox 360 (and relative slowdown in sales of same) pretty much pushed Microsoft into rushing the Xbox One to market. Sony has a very similar issue now with the PlayStation 4 as it too lacks 4K support and would need to play some catch-up to Microsoft if Sony wishes to keep their competitor from gaining any traction against them.
If you have a 4K TV set and haven't already plunked down over 3 Hondo's to get yourself a 4K Blu-ray player, than an Xbox One S is a good choice for you. It offers gaming and 4K Blu-ray playback in the same box. A slightly slender box compared to the predecessor in the line, but still a bit of a brick on your media center nonetheless.
On the plus side, the Xbox One S doesn't require the bulky external power brick that was required for the original Xbox One consoles. That saves space back behind your media center/TV shelving. It also runs cooler and seems to be a lot better ventilated. Basically Microsoft took many lessons learned from the Xbox 360 and the original Xbox One consoles and applied them to come out with this much improved system. It also allows them to sell both the original Xbox One consoles and the new slim boxes to satisfy several different price points at the same time.
My own biggest complaint with this 2TB Launch Edition console is that Microsoft seems to have been incredibly stingy on giveaways to their buyers. It would have been quite nice to have been given a little credit to spend in the Xbox Store. Perhaps on a movie (hey, one in 4K to show off the boxes abilities would have been forward thinking), perhaps on a game, or even better a combination. Maybe a $10 movie credit and a $20 gaming credit combined. Something that would have left buyers feeling that they didn't just rip themselves off just to say they got one of the Launch Edition Xbox One S consoles and got *nothing* with it.
Would I recommend purchase of an Xbox One S, especially the 2TB version? I think you could tell above that my answer was yes, but just to be clear - yes, yes I would. If you have a 4K TV, then by all means. Even if you don't, this console will work with a non-4K TV and it easily sets up and asks simple to understand questions that will help you turn on 4K support if you can (and if you can, then you obviously should). I give this system 4 solid stars, mostly lowered for the thought that Microsoft really should have tossed a bone (bonus) of some sort back to people that had locked in orders of these boxes only to find the prices on the original consoles dropped mightily once they did. Early adopters, like me, somewhat gambled and lost that there'd be something else for us. That is what we bargained for when we hit the pre-order buttons.
We did or will certainly benefit from the greatly expanded storage that is available with this console. While it was fairly easy to expand the storage on the original Xbox One consoles (just plug in an external USB drive and answer the prompts to use that storage for games), that came at added cost. I know, as I did do just that since the original capacity was not sufficient for my tastes. For those that wish to save some currency along the way, you could certainly order a smaller storage sized system and use it with or without adding external storage. That would leave some funds for you to buy more games to play, or some movies, or whatever you wished.
One final comment here - the white versus black thing. The original Xbox One consoles were black, while the Slim versions are currently white. I don't have a problem with it, but some people will inevitably complain about the color scheme being "off" for their media center area. I really don't know what made Microsoft change up the color schemes. I suppose it came from focus groups and customer feedback. Whatever the case, I like the new not-so-slick texture on the face of the box, and the white color doesn't really bother me. The texture is much better about not getting fingerprinted up, and the white doesn't look bad. For me it's a non-issue as my S box lives behind a sliding door in my TV stand (<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Sauder-Soft-Modern-High-Boy-TV-Stand-Fine-Walnut-Finish/dp/B00FZUYWMM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Sauder Soft Modern High Boy TV Stand Fine, Walnut Finish</a>) so I don't see it until I'm ready to play on it. At that point, the white color is actually easier to see and find the disc slot on. | video-games_xbox |
Oldy but Goody. I loved this game when it was new, never actualy owned it but roommate did long time ago, and we would alternate weeks playing this game after work. I just found out its on the list of xbox 360 compatible games, so I went and ordered this classic. To me the best part is the level of control and logistics, financially that is. You start off at the bottom of the pile with Light Wheel racing; basically a frame with a seat and an engine. You can either try out for teams that are willing to recruit you, or you can save up and own you own team. This game has it all, managing your own team, popularity contests for merchandising/sponsors, and even a relationship with the other drivers; something I don't see to often in sports games, but should considering on my bad days, I take it out on npcs.
The thing that is not as common with my limited venture into racing/sports games is the relationship with the other players, I tended to play recklessly and did an all or nothing approach which made my fans love me, but often resulted in fines, and my agent hounding me about making apologies. This attitude for my driver made merchandising sales skyrocket since America loves a bad boy, but made other drivers start to really loath me. I've had my rivals for the season more often then not tossing it all away as they tried to slam me into the infield as I passed them for the lead, in fact had one match were entire the top 4 wanted to see me in flames before they let me pass. This hate sometimes resulted with me getting in the top 10 in a few races, but in the end it costed them more giving me a bigger lead in the points as some driver who normally places decent quickly got 1st from just avoiding the pile up in the final laps.
The team ownership is why I love this game though, I like feeling like I own the car instead of merely borrow it. Plus in this one you earn a cut if your contract allows on sponsorship, and merchandising. I see it like a business sim, with my goal to cut out the middle man and buy my own team, upgrade my car/crew, and make fat merchandising profits so I can do it all over again for the next series on the latter. Once you move up you can easily hire a NPC driver to run your car while your doing other races or simply let them run full time with a few surprise appearance to rile up the crowd and/or change the pace if the other series are wearing on you. Its the uncut merchandising profits I love the most about owning a team in the game.
To sum it up this is my favorite racing game, and even though I got addicted to Grand Turismo 5 for a bit, but I always missed worrying about popularity with the fans, and other drivers, and how that would keep my t-shirt sales up lol. Every time I played a racing game since 2005 however sparse (not a huge race fan in real life) I always get nostalgic for this game. For the moments when a trivial would show up to my garage shouting at me after he tried to kill me on the track, and the fun times where I saw it more as a bushiness game, with racing thrown in for fun. I am so happy that I found out it plays on Xbox 360, because the thought that it wasn't was the only reason I never got this game once I started up my own console collection. | video-games_xbox |
is the downfall of this game. I bought (pre ordered) the Gold edition of The Division for $99.99 from Steam so I could start playing at 9:00 pm PST on March 7, 2016. (BTW: the servers must have crashed because I was not able to play for a long time).
The stealth/crouching combat system is unrealistic and is a poor design. It will be the downfall of this game. The manager who approved it should be fired. Its hard to explain but those who have played it know what I am talking about.
First of all, there is no way to crouch between most things. For example I want to crouch behind a car and sneak up to the enemy. You cant crouch from car to car and back again. The designers put in a system where you press the A button (X on PS4) and that forces you down next to the car (or thing you are trying to crouch next to). You cant crouch away except for the direction the designer put in the game. Additionally if you then press the B button (O on PS4) and it forces you over the top the direction the designer planned it and NOT NECESSARILY THE WAY YOU WANT TO SNEAK AWAY. As a matter of fact, there is no way to sneak away in all directions, you have to stand up and move away and this proves deadly in a heavy fire fight. If you are in the middle of the room YOU CAN NOT CROUCH. You can only crouch where the designers allow you. ANOTHER EXAMPLE: I crouched behind some air-conditioning ducting. I jumped over it in a fire fight and tried to crouch down. It forced me to turn 180 degrees and crouch facing the wrong direction. I was losing the battle so I tried to jump back across it. IT WOULD NOT LET ME until I stood full up. BAD, BAD, BAD design.
Pros:
1. Great graphics
2. Quick responsiveness
3. Good sound effects
4. Interesting scenarios
5. Big open world with lots of things to do
6. For those willing to wait it has a massive upgrading system
Cons:
1. Poor crouching/stealth design (might as well be non-existent)
2. Enemies take several bullets to kill (I emptied half a clip into a guy before he died and in another situation it took two direct close range hits with a shotgun to take down an enemy). It takes them very few shots to take you down. (this gets better with experience and upgrades)
3. No beginner, normal, or expert mode. All levels of experience play the same game. Frustrating for the beginner and boring for the expert.
Bottom line: This does not bode well for FAR CRY 5. | video-games_xbox |
Shoddy Product Proves Confirmation Bias Against Microsoft. I don't normally write reviews, since 99% of the time, there's nothing I need to convey to a future purchaser. For the most part, items work as advertised, or closely enough that there's no issue. An item that does its job is an item that doesn't need a written review. A star rating will do just fine.
But in this case, I cannot just give it a one star rating, and leave it be. No, we need to talk about something important, and that is the seemingly common defect involving the XBox One controller and its microUSB port. After a week of little use (I played like 3 games with it over the span with a week) the cable crapped out on me, constantly disconnecting, reconnecting, and disconnecting. It made games nigh unplayable, because it couldn't maintain a connection for longer than 3 seconds without a prop holding the wire up in an exact position.
Before the defect became apparent, I was happy with the controller, even if the layout wasn't fantastic. Being a PS4 gamer first, and a PC gamer second, I bought this controller because I didn't want to install third party software to make my PS4 gamepad work with the PC, even though the PS4 controller is much more comfortable in my hands.
The controller worked as advertised for the week, and then all of a sudden... it didn't.
Last night, I filed for a return of this product. I also installed DS4Windows, got my PS4 controller up and running in 10 seconds, and also got it set up to bluetooth so I don't even need to be wired to play, even if the microUSB on it one day craps out (it's lasted me a full year so far, with constant use, every day), which feels doubtless.
When it comes to console controllers, the PS4 dualshock does it right. When it comes to PC controller, the PS4 dualshock does it right. I tried giving Microsoft a chance, and they let me down hilariously, as I expected all along.
Do not buy this piece of garbage. It is a waste of 40+ dollars (I spent about 40 being a Prime member), that could be better spent getting a real controller. | video-games_xbox |
Great game for its time, not as good as Reach IMHO. Halo 3
As someone that played Halo, Halo 2, and Halo Reach, I felt it was obvious that I needed to try Halo 3 and Halo 3 ODST. Since Halo 3 was released years ago, there's not much more new info I can say on the game. The single-player campaign story made no sense to me. Doing further research, the story begins where the comic book ends. I felt it would have been better to make the game Halo 3 pick up right after where the game Halo 2 concluded, not every gamer will follow the comics or novels. Speaking of the single player campaign, the transitions between missions were poorly done. It's as if someone just skipped several cutscenes and throws you into something new. Keyes's death made no sense either, she could have gone in with more support and perhaps some body armor.
The interruptions from Cortana and Gravemind were a big nuisance throughout the game. The vehicle controls are still pretty much the same as they were in Halo (and Halo Reach) which I feel are very outdated. The physics don't feel right, and it would have made sense to use controls similar to that of other Xbox driving games.
The game also takes eons to load the campaign if you decide to play another game other than Halo 3 because it flushes the cache. The Halo "ring" takes several minutes to load when it does this. If you shut off the Xbox after playing Halo 3, and return to play Halo 3 (and not another game/demo), the "ring" loads super fast. They need to work on this in the future because I recall some issues with Halo Reach, although not as frequent.
Not much more can be said about Halo 3. The only things I'd recommend for Halo 4 are faster load times, more modern physics/controls for the vehicles (perhaps a helmet view or cockpit view ala Forza), and a better single player campaign.
I started playing Halo 3: ODST and noticed many differences from Halo 3, namely that the achievements are more similar to Halo Reach which is a good thing. They are more oriented towards single player mode which makes it more fun. The VISR mode in ODST is similar to the night vision mode in Halo Reach. All in all, I'd say that while Halo 3 was ok, I felt Halo 3 ODST and Halo Reach were better.
Overall: 3/5 stars | video-games_xbox |
This is supposed to be Chicago. Very unfaithful reproduction of Chicago; yes, some of the streets and landmarks are there (views from Michigan Ave, Millennium Park, et cetera), but they are missing highways, streets, and a drive down what I think is supposed to be Lake Shore Drive is completely unrealistic (hills on the horizon? really?) and not to mention some of the other big landmarks are completely off the mark, for example, what I'm guessing was Upper Wacker was one of the longest drives I've ever taken down Wacker, and that's at full speed, not the average 20mph you might travel down it from Michigan Ave to, say, Madison and Wacker. I'm not sure how hard it would have been to have the artists/designers actually browse through Google Map Street View to get it right, but I imagine it wouldn't have been that hard to do.
Having said that, Watch Dogs itself isn't that bad, it's an open world clone with some unique elements, and perhaps they were more focused on the gameplay than the actual design of the city, but why say it's set in Chicago if you can't get the city grid down right? They would have been better off giving the city a unique name as it feels like someone that's never been to Chicago or at least, lived/traveled around it, designed the maps, and that was a real let down as I was expecting to be able to cruise through the game to get from point A to B based on experience, not having to look at some map that's off on several levels, and be completely thrown off because the street I'm supposed to be traveling down doesn't take me down to the northside but somehow magically throws me back in the middle of the west loop. It loses a star for the unrealistic design there, but if you're not from Chicago, you probably won't care or even realize that, and based on the small other offering of titles for the xone, this is probably worth it until some AAA titles come along. | video-games_xbox |
Anarchy Reigns over and over and over again. First and foremost, it must be said that Anarchy Reigns is a pretty strange game. It's very old school and long story short, it's a simple, old school beat 'em up at its core that while pretty repetitive, is still engaging and fun to play. The single player story doesn't make a lick of sense and it really all comes down to mowing down hundreds upon hundreds of mutants and enemy vehicles to gain enough points to unlock the next mission and that's pretty much it. The thing is, there's just something about the game that is very relaxing and enjoyable due to the simple, no nonsense gameplay style and retro feel. Funny that I'm actually calling the game relaxing because this is one of those games where a good chunk of the time, the onscreen mayhem is so thick that you can't even tell what's going on and you have to rely on your intuition and hopes that you're not going to get yourself killed.
The characters are a colorful bunch, as they tend to be in the other games developed by Platinum Games such as <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Bayonetta-Xbox-360/dp/B001JEPX08/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Bayonetta (Xbox 360)</a> and <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Vanquish/dp/B003PHLTDC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Vanquish</a>. They range from pimps to buxom blondes in skin tight outfits, guys with chainsaws on their arms and more typical Japanese style androgynous males, all in ridiculous costumes. While there are a pretty decent number of different personalities to play with in the single and multiplayer modes (you unlock more characters for multiplayer through the single player), their move list is sort of limited and after playing with one particular character for a minute or two, it's a safe bet to say that you'll have already seen everything they can pull off. All the characters play pretty much the same in terms of button pressing, so it all starts to feel very repetitive a lot sooner than you'd probably like.
The graphics are fantastic as expected. The levels are insanely detailed and huge, with lots of spaces to explore. The music is generally good but while some to most tracks will have you bopping your head along to the beat, some of the tracks are the kind that make you wince or just scratch your head. It's a weird mix of club music and hip hop tracks and it almost seems out of place but like everything else in the game, it's just another element that adds to the uniqueness of this title and separates it from the pack. The sound in general is well utilized, with plenty of action across the entire sound field that employs all your speakers to great effect.
At the budget price this game is going for, I'd recommend it. I didn't really discuss the multiplayer aspect too much because honestly, I didn't get enough time with it. I managed to play a couple of modes online and it was pretty fun but the fun factor was offset by the annoying fact that there aren't too many people online and getting a room going can depend on how patient you are. I'm recommending Anarchy Reigns on the strength of its replay factor which is very high due to its score based gameplay, and its enjoyable, classic feel. I think fans of old school 2D side scroller brawlers like Streets of Rage 2 and Final Fight will appreciate Anarchy Reigns because it's definitely inspired by them and offers up plenty of hours of button mashing. | video-games_xbox |
Family friendly, fun NASCAR racing game. NASCAR Unleashed is a new game from Activision that is available on the XBox 360. NASCAR Unleashed is an arcade style game with a NASCAR racing theme. Players will get to play on real life NASCAR sanctioned race tracks with some fun changes. Some of the real life tracks you're racing on include Daytona International Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Martinsville Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. As you're racing on the tracks, you get to break away into new areas like the city, the woods or a harbor which gives the player a nice break from the traditional tracks.
There are fifteen different NASCAR drivers that appear in the game including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, and Joey Logano. It's great to be able to choose your favorite driver to play!
Your goal while playing is to place a certain position or to get a certain time for the race. If you don't manage to meet this goal, you will have to do it over to move on. There are also two secondary objectives to accomplish as well in order to receive more race points. There are more challenges you can complete during each game to earn more boost on your boost meter. Boost gives you a boost in speed when you press the boost button.
There are all sorts of fun things you can do while racing including drafting, boosting, and drifting. As you play, you can make rivals for big points by slamming into your opponents. If your car is damaged, you can head into pit lane to repair your car and get an extra boost. There are some challenges in pit lane as well so watch out. The better you drive, the more boost you earn. With each event that you win, you can earn upgrades to customize your car and make it look more unique.
My son had a great time playing this game. He loved crashing the cars and going off road with them as well. The special effects were pretty good with cars flipping over and clouds of smoke billowing up in wrecks. He has spent tons of time playing this game and doesn't seem to be bored with it yet. This is definitely a fun, family racing game. | video-games_xbox |
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