text stringlengths 503 33.4k | labels stringclasses 23 values |
|---|---|
Cars, Culture and Crime. Those looking for a revolution of the Grand Theft Auto tradition, GTAIV may not be quite for you. But for those that who crave the logical extension from GTAIII (Vice City and San Andreas included), this title is bound to satisfy. More guns, more cars, more areas, more missions, more items, more jumps and more polygons all mean more fun; and for the modern gamer, these now mean more choices, (but I'll explain those shortly).
Does all this content really qualify the "IV" of the title, (proudly stamped across advertisements like an ominous religious relic), or would a mere subtitle after GTAIII describe the game more accurately? Well, for the most part, the IV is warranted. We see a new playable character, a contemporary time setting, and a set of new interactions and dealings for the player to involve himself with. The level of detail has been upped dramatically, and the city is full of a minutia of content that really does worry players like me: "What am I missing, should I stop driving here, and what can I do at this place?" These are the questions that constantly challenge my sense of direction. The distractibility of the city is phenomenal. It is a study in level-design intricacy, as well as a phenomenal example of virtual town-planning.
The missions take a "choose-your-own-adventure" style structure in that certain jobs are optional, impact on future events, and often ask the player to choose a particular story-branch. Sadly, some missions are painfully trivial, and can force the player into virtual dates, nights-out drinking or at a vaudevillian show (the latter being the most impressive). As to how your choices affect the end result is a mystery to this player, but the idea that the game may have to be played through multiple times is a staggering thought. The replay potential may be through the roof.
Camera control is an issue for me - the price of such a living, breathing world seems to be questionable collision detection and a spasmodic, inconsistent camera. "Fishin' Lakitu" would be quite disappointed I'm sure. But new to this iteration is the physics engine that gives not only the inanimate objects a respectable realism, but also for the carbon-based biped population (people) of Liberty City. Tossing a grenade into a traffic jam has the convincing effect of what it may do in real life (although this writer has yet to make any bench-tests on this occurrence, I suspect Rockstar have made suitable inquiries) - metal and flesh will rain upon the pavement alike.
Furthermore, arming yourself with a truly devastating selection of assault paraphernalia has never been more satisfying in the series than in IV. The current trend to portray a line-of-sight from behind the protagonists shoulder (3rd-person view) finds it's way into IV, and a street battle with the (strangely psychotic) LCPD feels like something from a certain Michael Mann film, (or more respectfully to this author, the battle scenes of "Dr. Strangelove"). While the aiming system is certainly improved, it has not yet reached the standards of the other staple over-the-shoulder shooters. Arguably, this is not the focus of the game, but rather a sub-scheme of the games control. That is true, but I found myself having to reacclimatise myself to merely holding the left-trigger half-way down to "free-aim". Holding it down completely engages an auto lock-on scheme which admittedly, is quite handing for those far-off targets.
The "Auto" of the title certainly makes sense in IV. We have a smorgasbord of four-wheeled machines, not to mention more novelty rides than you would ever care to bother to program (amazingly, Rockstar did). Gratefully, each model has its own feel and nature. Plucking a car from Liberty City's inexhaustible vine is like a lucky dip of larceny. Chryslers, Fords, Toyotas, Nissans are all absent. Yet eerily reminiscent simulacrums populate the heavily worn roads of Liberty City. That's right - auto companies are not represented in this game. I guess the licensing is either too complicated, or the prestigious mobile makers have an aversion to seeing their products involved in manslaughter on a mega-scale. So be it.
Nevertheless, the game has so much to offer that any of these side issues are really quite negligible. GTAIV is a breath-taking accomplishment, and at least a great, playful and dramatic video game experience. Weather effects, musicality, real-time events and character interactions (some just plain bizarre) all hold the game on course. Certainly, the game poses all sorts of moral issues at the player, and it is often staggering how easy it is to slip into the lifestyle of a true sociopath scumbag. It's funny that the immigrant (Niko) alleviates his culture shock with such barbaric and criminal impulses, but it's even more staggering that this is vital to his assimilation. | video-games_xbox |
Please review requirement to install other applications before buying. Be very careful before purchasing. It's not clear when ordering, but you must install a new Amazon downloader application and setup a Steam account, which I will not do. However, refunds are not accepted after purchase. Buyer Beware!
Zero stars!
UPDATE: Here is what you need to do just to download the game.
How to redeem this item?
The title you purchased requires Steam activation.
Amazon Game Downloads is constantly working to offer an increasing selection of game downloads at competitive prices. Make sure to check www.amazon.com/gamedownloads regularly to see what new games we have available and the great deals we run every week.
If you already have a Steam account, please do the following:
Log into your Steam account on the Steam client
In the lower left corner, click "Add A Game..."
Select "Activate a Product on Steam..."
Click "Next..." on the product activation information screen
Click "I Agree..." on the product EULA screen
Enter the product code delivered in your Amazon 'Your Games & Software Library'; click Next
The game is now ready to download directly from Steam
If you do not already have a Steam account and/or client, please do the following:
In your browser, go to[...]
In the upper left of your window, locate the green "Install Steam" icon; click here
Follow instructions to download and install Steam client
Follow client instructions to create a new account or log into an existing account
Once your account is activated, log into your Steam account on the Steam client
In the lower left corner, click "Add A Game..."
Select "Activate a Product on Steam..."
Click "Next..." on the product activation information screen
Click "I Agree..." on the product EULA screen
Enter the product code delivered in your Amazon 'Your Games & Software Library'; click Next
The game is now ready to download directly from Steam | video-games_xbox |
Rockin' Good. This is an extremely well done game. The drum kit and mike are welcome additions to the series, and playing with friends is addictive and wonderfully entertaining. You can each choose your own skill level, so you don't have to worry about boring the socks off advanced players or the frustration of failing songs due to less-experienced friends.
The character creator is also a great feature, and if you're into customization, you'll have hours of fun creating and changing your character, instruments, band logos, etc. With so many options and unlockables, there should be something for everyone. If you don't care for customization, then you can just skip this and choose from the list of pre-made characters, including some new additions and familiar faces as well as several famous unlockables (i.e. Ozzy, Billy Corgan, Sting, Haley Williams, etc. - only made slightly annoying because you have to purchase them after you unlock them...but you should rack up enough cash by having fun anyway).
The single-player experience is still great (and I believe they did well with the difficulty ratings this go-round as the beginner level is basically just getting the rhythms, easy and medium add more buttons and combos, hard is challenging but actually doable with some practice, and expert is not for the faint of heart...or fingers). The song list is pretty satisfying, providing a bit of something for everyone, and while I don't particularly love every song on the list, that's par for the course for these types of games.
There is also a good bit of replay-value as you try to master each instrument. Lead guitar has the new slider bar, which is a little awkward at first, but is cool once you get the hang of it (and it's also unnecessary for the most part, so if you don't like it, you can just play normally). Bass has actually been made different enough from lead guitar (through the addition of open strum and actual harmony) to be interesting and fun. The drums are fabulous (and easier to pick up and play for newcomers than guitar), and you don't have to worry about annoying your roommate, spouse, parent, etc. too much - the drum heads are made of thick rubber, so the sound is muffled for the most part. The mike is a bit buggy (I can never seem to activate star power when I want to unless I press the button on the controller), but that's not overly annoying. It also has 2 settings, one where pitch matters, and "static mode" where pitch is irrelevant. This is helpful if you aren't the greatest singer but still want to get through the song...or want to come up with your own melodies. :)
Multiplayer, however, is what knocks this out of the park. This is a game that most anyone can play and have fun with, so it shouldn't be too difficult to convince a pal or three to get together and jam with you. You can have a great time playing songs together, or get competitive and battle it out. You can also go online to form a band or compete if your friends are MIA or far away, and you can get together with your buddies at home and take on other bands online. There's nothing like the bond that's formed by rocking together!
Okay, so singing isn't really for everyone, but you can have fun with your friends by taking turns with it and laughing at yourselves when you try to muddle through songs to which you don't know the lyrics. The argument can be made that a game which features vocals should have a group of songs that everyone knows, and this is a valid point. However, just as no one will love every song, no one will know the words to every song - that's just a given. Just have fun with it, and don't take yourself so seriously! With all of the other great things about the game, I'm willing to overlook a mediocre vocals experience. If I had wanted a pure karaoke simulator, I would have bought Lips.
Another interesting feature unique to GHWT is the Music Studio where you can create your own songs. I have only played around with this a bit, but it is pretty fun, and you can share your creations online and download songs by others - ensuring new free content (the quality of which will be hit and miss, but the online rating system helps you to weed through it all) for months/years to come.
Overall, I would recommend this game to anyone - gamer, music-lover, seasoned player and newbie alike. I have only played a few short demos of Rock Band/RB2, so I can't really compare the two. I imagine that it comes down to song list preference, and RB seems to release a ton of downloadable songs (although I've seen a good many from GH of late as well). I just know that I have had a great experience with this game. It was completely worth the price tag. | video-games_xbox |
Teamwork and better enjoyed with crew. Side note: People need to stop down voting the game just because of the Day 1 server issues, most games have this problem right out of the gate.
As for the review: I LOVE THIS GAME!
The game mechanics are absolutely amazing, the fact you have to put in actual team work to play is great. You are not going to be able to sail a gallon yourself so you must work together. You can play single with a smaller ship as well, but it is still difficult. The sailing is just awesome how they hit it right on the nail with just the right amount of effort to sail a ship. Close to real life, but still not 100%, and that is exactly where it should be. This game is enjoyed much more with a Crew and people that have mic's. I much prefer playing with my friend.
I love the fact that every upgrade is all cosmetic, and it is not loot boxes or "pay to win". I have been getting so tired of that recently. I think it's great to have everyone on the same playing field and making it truly about skill and not weapons.
The graphics are great, no wait, I mean they are ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! The islands, the boats, and omfg don't get my started on the water. Seriously the water is amazing.
A lot of people say that it dosnt have much to do, but it's about whatever you want to do. If you want to quest then go for it. If you want to pillage and plunder then do it. If you want to sail for absolutely no reason then do it. What is so different about this then say WOW? Or Assassin's Creed? Or Ark? It's all the same, do stuff if you want or not, your choice. The story's I am going to tale people about the fun times I had on this game with my crew will be endless. I did run into the Kraken and it wasn't as exciting as I had hoped, but also i did the World Event skull and that was some tuff stuff let me tell you.
Overall I would recommend this game to anyone hands down. It's great on what they did, and i think it will put Rare back on the map. | video-games_xbox |
Didn't hate it, but didn't love it either. I'm a huge Aliens fan. I love the movie and have seen it so many times I cannot count. Let's face it. Grabbing a pulse rife or a smart gun and going to town on a bunch of Xeno's is a blast. Here's my thoughts on the game though...
The Good:
The sounds are spot on. Pulserifles, the hiss of the aliens, the electric motors on the doors, and the motion tracker all sound just like the movie. It's great.
The atmosphere is tense and clostrophobic when you are in a hive. Aliens seem to litterally come out of the walls and can catch you by surprise.
The assortment of weapons are good and with the exception of the hero weapons do not see redundant. I don't understand the benefit of some of the hero weapons as an upgraded regular weapon is better in most cases. And they have special ammot. Hudson's pulse rife uses different ammo from the regular pulse rifle for instance.
They got movie voice tallent. Michael Biehn and Lance Hendricsen lend voice to the game.
The Bad:
The graphics do look dated. This game has been a long time in the making, and unfortunately the graphics didn't get updated as they went along. It doesn't look terrible, but it doesn't look great either.
Clipping and stutter are present in both enemies and NPCs as well.
Your NPC companions are dumb. Several times my companion got stuck in a hall or a door and wouldn't come an help. Also good thing there is no friendly fire because they would be dean many times over.
The online play lacks. It takes forever to que up, and gameplay feel heavily biased to the marine side of things. Actually the Xeno's are quite hard to control on ceilings and what not.
The single player story is short. I did it in about a day an half. And the characters do not have alot of personality to make you care about them.
It's not super replayable. I whipped through it on Normal (soldier) and pretty quick on Hardened (Hard) modes. I don't really want to play though it on Ultimate Bad ***
There is a season ticket available for DLC for 2400 Microsoft points, but there's NO DLC!!!!
In short I like the game, but I won't be keeping it. I played through it twice now, I eked out about 75% of the achievements, and jumped into a handful of online games and it's not compelling enough to come back repeatedly. It's a disappointment for sure. I give it 3 stars for the the single player campaign, but 1 star for online play. The way I see it that makes the overall 2 stars. | video-games_xbox |
The standout golf game of the generation. The Tiger Woods PGA Tour series has been solid if unspectacular this generation carrying with it somewhat limited appeal. Hampered by a heavy reliance on downloadable content the justification to purchase yearly has waned considerably.
That won't necessarily change with Tiger Woods 14. People who play yearly may not find as much value as novices. However for those who have skipped recent versions or who would be new to the series it can be easily recommended.
While Tiger Woods 12 had the compelling draw of The Masters for the first time, and Tiger 13 attempted to create a new experience with the Legacy Challenge, it would take travelling many years farther in the past to find a golf game that captured my attention in the way that Tiger 14 has. Any assumption that a gimmicky element would be needed to create interest has been proven wrong by a product that simply delivers realistic and satisfying gameplay as accompanied by a rich and involving feature set. Feel free to check out a few gameplay videos (Career, Legends of the Majors, Live Tournament) on the Pastapadre Youtube Channel.
One very successful element introduced in Tiger 14 is the "Swing Style" feature which gives each current golfer a more personalized feel along with the ability to craft a swing style when creating new golfers. Now each individual is classified in the following categories: Type (Power or Control), Shape (Draw or Fade), Trajectory (Low, Medium, or High), and Handedness (Left or Right). The tutorial helps in getting a feel for some of the differences and the selection screen explains the choices. They can be changed later if so desired. Draws and fades are manageable this year but it can still be difficult to nail that stick movement.
Legends of the Majors is the flashy new mode for this year. It involves playing through events from history within the confines of the time they took place. That means playing with the legends, old course designs, and equipment. The visual filter defines those time periods but feels out of place in a sense given the experience is otherwise all from the golfer's perspective.
Some of the challenges are fairly easy like re-creating a shot, while others take more work such as matching a performance over several holes or a round. Whether they are overly frustrating or just tough remains to be determined. There are 62 challenges overall and most are worthwhile but there are some that clearly could have been omitted. Why am I being asked to play in 1922 as Rory McIlroy against Keegan Bradley? Legends of the Majors is a decent distraction - and going through the history of the sport is a valuable journey - but it's not something that will hold much value outside of the initial play through.
The Live Tournaments online have been enhanced by adding more of the social element that had been lacking last year. There is of course still the traditional ways to play online but the Tournaments now offer the ability to see the shot arcs for up to an active 24 players on a hole and include group voice chat. I have no expectation of ever winning a public tournament, and that can still be discouraging in a sense, but setting them up with Clubs or friends makes for a fun experience regardless of performance level. Country Clubs have been expanded to 100 members and that too now features chat functionality.
Other additions of note are the LPGA tour, "Simulation" difficulty, and varied tee times that include night golf. Playing in nighttime conditions is more than just the darkness as the sound effects from the environment like the chirping birds are gone. It just has a new feel to it like playing on the historic courses provides in Legends of the Majors. EA probably should have taken sunglasses off golfers who wear them though when it turns dark out. I would not be the right person to assess the "Simulation" setting but from all other accounts it appears to provide the experience very talented players have been looking for.
Presentation would appear to be the weakness of Tiger 14. The commentary is bland, overly generic, and occasionally incorrect. The camera angles range from satisfactory to downright horrible. Quite often after taking a shot - particularly when putting - it immediately cuts to a camera angle that makes it impossible to actually tell what is happening. They may be meant to enhance the drama but all they do is remove oneself from the moment. The on-screen informational displays do well to communicate information with the leaderboard, scorecards, and Country Club stats but others seem pretty pointless - especially when the statistical leaders for a category are all the people who have yet to tee off.
Last year's method of being able to earn DLC courses through time spent playing has been removed due to heavy criticism and problems with the implementation on the PS3. Though not necessarily the wrong decision EA should have provided some alternate method that worked instead of falling back on the old way of doing things where the only way to obtain them is by spending significant chunks of money.
While the enjoyment being had with Tiger 14 may be partially attributed to having not invested much time with the series over the course of the generation - and particularly last year which just fell flat and was pushed aside quickly - it can't be discounted due to just that. The addictive nature of the gameplay and strong depth of content could be realized by many. Tiger 14s additions and improvements have the merit to be appreciated by the both the hardcore and more casual crowds and that is a balance that has been tough to come by in the past. | video-games_xbox |
Welcome to the new world 9.5/10. My first home console wasn't the Playstation or PS2
I've been playing video games since 1983/early 1984 my first two home consoles were the Atari2600 and the Original NES
and as a kid i use to go into these old run down sleazy building called Arcades where you would put a coin into the arcade cabinet and get to play a game!
I only bring this up because I've seen it all when it comes to video games i also don't hide behind some phony online name
So my point of view/opinion should hold a little water...........
One thing anyone should know if there are any two star reviews or below two stars
They didn't play a single moment of this title
They are just being fanboy trolls (The biggest problem with this recent generation has been this very problem)
Instead of trolling for hookers or getting a full time job these clowns have to just blatantly lie........
For what real reason i wish i knew
Enough of my rambling.....
Quantum Break has been in development hell for a long time and it finally arrives (After countless set backs and changes all around)
Is this worth all the hype or lack of hype Microsoft has really dropped the ball on pushing this
Keep in mind I'm taking my sweet time with this game it took 2hrs to finish the first chapter (That includes the mini episode that bridges the gap)
Graphics/Sound:
Graphically it's gorgeous it's pretty smooth (What's the HD resolution i honestly can't tell and don't care unless you are the Bionic Man or Superman you can't tell........ Whoever says other wise is full of it.....
Sound is top notch
Story: It's better you know as little as possible going into this title it's a Remedy title if you loved Max Payne1-2 or Alan Wake you'll dig this it's on that same level of quality
If you are a fan of time travel material you will also really like it
There are elements from Heroes Reborn and 12 Monkeys (the tv series) in this game
I can tell from completing the first chapter this is one of those stories you'll have to play through a few times to fully understand everything which i appreciate
If you are a die hard Alan Wake fan there are a number of very cool easter eggs for A.W. fans!
Which i totally appreciate and love
The live action interludes/mini tv segments are unique and very fresh (ok not completely fresh since during the Sega CD live action footage was being cranked out like internet porn) But, it adds a lot to this story everything is shot beautifully except the two fight scenes at the end of the first chapter look off either edited to much or shot like a quick MTV style look (everything else works during these live action cut scenes)
also the real cast is phenomenal
Shawn Ashmore, (Jack Joyce)
Aidan Gillen (Paul Serene)
Patrick Heusinger (Liam Burke)
Brooke Nevin (Emily Burke) Great actress if you ever seen A&E's Breakout Kings you'd agree 110% on that statement
Lance Reddick (Martin Hatch) amazing super underrated character actor watch him in Amazon's Bosch he's a rockstar!
Dominic Monaghan (William Joyce)
Courtney Hope (Beth Wilder)
Controls: The controls take some getting use to (If you played Max Payne or Alan Wake you'll feel at home sort of
The controls are the only real disappointing thing but, once you get more upgrades I'm sure it'll help (Hopefully)
Is this the best game ever made (I guess that all depends on your age and how many games you've played)
It's super ambitious and a real game changer
It reminds me of back in the mid 1980's when in almost every Arcade you had the run of the mill Arcade cabinets (Pac Man, Donkey Kong, APB, Golden Axe) then over in a dark corner you had Dragon's Layer (a superior laserdisc animated video game)
Quantum Break is that superior game that changes everything 9.5/10
my MS gamertag Duckman 1979 | video-games_xbox |
Campaign: Not Quite As Good As Halo: Reach. Halo 4 is a strong entry in the Halo series. It demonstrates that the Halo franchise is still in capable hands after the transition from Bungie to 343.
Halo 4's story begins with a somewhat tangential bit of Catherine Halsey fanservice. Right off the bat, 343 shows that they know what Halo fans like to see.
The production quality remains top notch. The voice overs are mostly strong. Oddly enough, the weakest link in terms of voice acting was the formerly less-talkative Master Chief. He's rather monotone and emotionless--which I get is part of his character but also has the consequence of sapping the emotion out of his speaking scenes.
Therein lies the problem in Halo 4's narrative. It is hard to convey emotion in a scene when the main protagonist seems to care very little about what's going on. Halo 4's story centers around a two-layer conflict: first, the obvious threat-to-the-galaxy posed by the guys you're fighting throughout the game (no spoilers here). Second, the race against the clock to save Cortana, who apparently is liable to go "rampant" at any minute, which the game explains as basically meaning Cortana is going to go insane then die.
Admittedly, I am not too familiar with the rules of the Halo universe, but Cortana's imminent death-by-rampantcy plotline did little for me because she's basically a computer fergodsakes, right? There's gotta be some 1,000 TB Cortana backup flashdrive somewhere in the universe. CTRL-C, CTRL-V, anyone? There's probably some rule of Halo physics out there that explains why they can't create another Cortana, but I'm not aware of it, ergo I couldn't care less if Cortana version 1.0 falls victim to a virus, rampancy, or whatever. And judging by Master Chief's voice over, he didn't care much either.
I'm being overly harsh. Overall, I really liked the game and give it 4/5. However, I will note that, in my opinion, Halo: Reach's narrative was much more engrossing and emotionally enthralling than Halo 4. This is not entirely 343's fault, as I am sure that they realize that there's very little they could do in terms of character development for the Master Chief, lest they test the wrath of the fanboys. 343 played it safe and kept Master Chief a typical, one-dimensional, down-to-business and emotionless video game protagonist. Now that 343 has proven its worthiness to carry the Halo flag, maybe they'll take more risks with Halo 5. | video-games_xbox |
Greatly Enjoyed. I purchased this from a friend who used it maybe twice and really need the cash. I wanted to get a newer Xbox for a while, and figured my Elite console would last me a little longer... Well it didn't, eventually I suffered from the Elite's version of the death ring when the video hardware went out. I'd had that console for 2 and 1/2 years after ditching the original white 1st gen console that suffered from total failure. I had owned the white one for about 2 years before giving it away as a Christmas present to trade off for my Elite. Sadly that console died 6 mos later..
But back to this console. The heat in which these consoles put off used to be funneled out internally to the back fan which pumped out forever and most of the time couldn't hold it's own. This system, following the logic that heat physically rises up. The heat is blown out of the top of the system so don't cover it or it will melt whatever you put on it!! This keeps the machine cooler and running longer with better performance rate. I find this console to run a lot faster than the previous 2 generations of the system and better output.
Originally with my Elite I poured money into it's lifespan by getting the Xbox Live camera, 120 GB Hard Drive, and the wireless internet adapter before it died on me. Now I basically traded up in terms of a unit and replaced the old parts. If you have the transfer kit for the older hard drives this is plus because you could possibly have more storage capacity if you save your old hard drives and place more player profiles on the console! (Yet to test this out..)
The only draw back to existing Xbox Live customers is the transfer process of data yourself. If like me you have multimedia content or console specific content you'll need to go through the Xbox Live web site and go through your profile and their FAQ on how to transfer your licenses to the new console. Because if you're squeamish about losing data and other items, it's best to cover everything before you truly have to start over. | video-games_xbox |
Capcom Digital Collection. Capcom Digital Collection is jam-packed with eight hit games previously available via Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360. The collection features popular titles including Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Final Fight: Double Impact (which includes both Final Fight and Magic Sword), 1942: Joint Strike, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Bionic Commando Rearmed 2, Commando 3, Rocketmen (including both Axis of Evil and It Came From Uranus packs,) and Flock! All eight games will be available together on a disc at retail for the first time. Each game preserves all the features, online functionality and Achievements from their download versions.
1942: JOINT STRIKE -- Maneuver WWII-era aircrafts and take on huge waves of incoming enemy fire, duck and dodge explosions and missiles while challenging huge enemy bosses. Recruit a wing man and employ new "Joint Strike" attacks, combining the powers of both aircrafts into one devastating barrage. With new weapons and power ups in the arsenal, prepare to rejoin the battle!
BIONIC COMMANDO REARMED 2 -- Equipped with his famous bionic arm, Nathan "Rad" Spencer swings back into action in order to stop General Sabio from launching a deadly missile strike. Swing, leap, and shoot through lush new environments while encountering countless enemies and huge bosses throughout the island of Papagaya in this retro side-scrolling action game.
FINAL FIGHT: DOUBLE IMPACT -- Players are taken on a hard-hitting journey with the quintessential versions of arcade classics Final Fight and Magic Sword. Both games feature HD-filtered graphics, a host of unlockables to discover, an integrated online leaderboard, and seamless online and local co-op multiplayer modes.
FLOCK -- Ready the cornfields and lock up the livestock, because Flock! is here! Use a unique UFO tractor beam to herd and protect cute, cuddly animals back to the mothership through more than 50 sandbox puzzles rife with dangers. Players can flock with a friend or create and share crazy levels online with a built-in level editor.
ROCKETMEN -- Join the Rocketmen and the Alliance of Free Planets in a white-knuckled struggle to free the solar system from the tyrannical grip of the Legion of Terra in this RPG-style shooter. Players have the choice to save the galaxy alone or cooperatively with up to three other players over Xbox LIVE or locally on the same console. The original Axis of Evil pack is joined by the popular expansion pack Rocketmen: It Came From Uranus which features three new levels to explore and additional weapons.
SUPER PUZZLE FIGHTER II TURBO HD REMIX -- Brings together the worlds of Street Fighter, Darkstalkers and other Capcom characters to provide extremely addictive puzzle mayhem. Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix features 1080p HD graphics, several new game modes and improved game balance. Gamers can enjoy single player, local & online versus modes or just watch other players duke it out.
SUPER STREET FIGHTER II TURBO HD REMIX -- One of the most popular games of the early '90s is reborn! Updated with 1080p HD redrawn art and widescreen support, this updated version of the innovative fighting game offers a unique experience that appeals to new fans and Street Fighter purists alike. Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix includes both online and offline competition for one or two players.
WOLF OF THE BATTLEFIELD: COMMANDO 3 -- One of the most popular arcade shooters is back! Players blast their way to victory utilizing a huge arsenal of weaponry, controllable vehicles and a rag-tag group of specialized soldiers. Up to three players can enjoy the classic arcade-style experience together on a single console or online. With a comprehensive scoring system and online leaderboards, players can see how they compare to the best digital soldiers in the world. | video-games_xbox |
Great game...with one GLARING defect. I am a fan of the LEGO game series. I have the complete Star Wars, both Batmen, both Harry Potters, Pirates, and LoTR and deeply enjoyed all of them. Only Indiana Jones was weak.
LEGO Marvel was on my way to being my favorite of the games. Huge hub world, lots to do, each character has powers and personality, and so forth. And most surprisingly, they rediscovered their funny bone! The LEGO Star Wars games were hilarious, but the humor in the other games had been poor. This one is littered with in-jokes for fans of the comic characters. I LOLed several times.
However, the roadblock that prevents this from being my favorite is the DREADFULLY bad controls for flying. Left stick for change of direction, hold A to increase your rate of climb, hold B to increase your rate of descent. Double tap A to go into a fast mode for long distances. Oh, and your character will spontaneously start to climb randomly AND will land if you get too close to the ground. This is clumsy, but adequate for "getting around" the giant hub world.
But when the game wants you to fly courses of timed gates in a race, these clumsy flight controls are a bit like trying to get your cat to jump through a fiery hoop. He's going to avoid it, and no amount of tuna treats is getting him through that hoop.
The developers should have made level flying the default. The left stick should have controlled speed and direction. The amount you push forward is how fast you want to go. Move left proportional to how hard to turn left. The right stick should control up/down. A little forward and you go down gradually, hard forward, and you dive steeply. Let the right stick go to center, and you return to horizontal. If you need an extra turbo speed, press in L or R.
Had the developers not made the flying races such a large part of the 100% completion requirements, it might not be a big deal. But they did, and it is, so i am docking them a star for it. With a better control scheme, they could have created more complicated courses for their races. | video-games_xbox |
Headphones disconnect, crackle, and have audio deterioration randomly. I bought these last year around Christmas because I wanted to get a decent set of wireless surround sound headphones.
What sold me on getting these headphones were the magnetic charge stand, active noise cancellation, and the bluetooth connectivity so I can connect them to more than just my xbox.
Intial use and impressions were amazing, the sound was high quality compared to Seven One's I was using prior. When phone calls came in or I was watching a youtube video clip on my phone, I could listen to both the game chat, and my video. the headset comfort was alittle too tight for my headsize and makes me think that there could have been some improvements.
Within a week I started noticing the sound crackling and disconnecting randomly. I was well within 30 feet of the base station with zero obstructions as recommended by Turtle beach but yet the crackling would still happen even if I was with 10 feet of the base station. Ive moved the base station around with zero affect so I do not believe interference is the issue. I have even moved the wireless network extender to a different room away from the base station. Could the Xbox RF signal interfere with these headphones? certainly not or whats the point of xbox specific wireless headphones?
In some cases the signal would completely drop and the headset would not respond to hitting the power button. I later found out holding the mute button completely powers off the headset like a reset button. I would have to pair the headphones to get connection again. I am using the Optical cord and usb cords that came with the headset to plug into the xbox. I am not sure why this headset is giving me such issues. For $250, you would expect everything to be perfect. These are far from perfect and I would suggest getting the 700 stealthforce over these for $100 less, they have all the same features but no charge stand which isn't a big deal.
I have frequently gone back to my Seven Ones and even though the sound quality it less... they still function more stable than the x800 elites. Sound does not break up or disconnect...
I might even suggest getting any non surround sound headphones for much cheaper and utilizing the windows Sonic. Much more affordable and windows sonic does a wonderful job of turning stereo headphones of any kind into surround sound. | video-games_xbox |
The addition of new developers really shines. Madden 17 rocks. It's that time of year again! More football! Is it just more of the same or is Madden 17 worth your hard earned dollars? Well read on!
In a nutshell, I'd say, get a hold of this game and decide yourself. Play it at a friends house if you need to before deciding. While the jump on 17 isn't mind-blowingly better than the previous games, I'd say anyone who loves football and if you loved 16, you gotta get this game. I'm very very pleased and no regrets spending 60 bucks on this bad boy. Most people I talk to about the game said they would never go back to 16 after playing 17. That's how pleased most feel about it. Is it perfect? Of course not, what game is? But read on.
The gameplay has been tweaked from 16 and from what I've been reading on the web, sports games sites and critics alike, we might have the best football game ever! EA said they have more devs working on this franchise more than ever and I can say, the polish shows. While I'll mention a few of the bugs later, I'll say, it's a good time to get a football game.
Let's get to nitty gritty. The controls are still what most Madden fans will expect with some tweaks. They brought back the beloved stiff arm move and that was missing for awhile. It really adds to the feel of the game and has been asked by the fans to come back, and yes, it's back and you'll enjoy having it back! The blocking, passing, running, all very smooth and very realistic. The A.I. seems better at blocking and you'll be picking up those big runs in no time. But the A.I. defensively is no slouch, even on All Pro, I was working to get my yards. Some say All Madden is still a bit cheese for the CPU to win and I have to admit, when playing All Madden, I at feel at times the CPU cheats to win. I recommend playing all Pro with adjusted sliders that you can find on operations sports to appeal to your liking on all facets of the game. IF you're struggling running the ball, just get in there and increase your running slider.
Defensively, playing defense is even more accessible than 16 was and if you play the game how you should, and pick good plays, getting stops in this game is more than plausible. The behind the back view on defense is still my favorite and it makes playing defense playing fun. I feel I can really play decent D as long as I'm good picking plays. Sometimes the A.I. just seems to make random bad plays and random fantastic plays, but it doesn't seem like it's scripted, if you take control of a defender, you can make a good stop on 3rd down.
I recommend going through the Skills Trainer, it's like the mini camp of old from the old Madden days to get you acquainted with the controls. It's fun to boot too!
Back on 15 and even on 16, we saw some pretty outrageous animations especially near the end of a tackle with guys flopping around again like they did even in Madden 25, but it's basically been 95% addressed in 17. Only a few clipping issues here and there, nothing that will distract you.
Offense feels great as the defense does. The typical controls still will be right home with the Madden guys. Running game is a blast and run blocking continues to improve each year, and I feel the holes are easier to distinguish in this game. Passing is smooth and doesn't seem overpowering and the defense seems to have a better chance at stopping those big plays especially when players just like to throw up for grabs. I tried a few of my money plays I learned over the years and they all seemed to be contained even if I had a high rating receiver. Computer A.I. is smart and mixes it up. I love the play calling screens as always and one of the biggest requests from gamers was to bring back the "Formation subs". I'm happy to let ya'all know formation subs are back. Nice and big and easy to read. I really like the ability to look through so many plays and the recommended plays always seem like a good option when you're wanting to do hurry up.
Graphics are fantastic as usual, the presentation is A grade and feels like you're watching a Fox game on Sunday. The players face scans are fantastic and probably a tad better than 16 and you'll see a ton of new tackle animation. The coaches are eerily like their actual counterparts, even more than last year and I thought it looked great in 16. So much love was to make this look more real than it already did, and Madden 17 gets nearly everything right in the graphics department and everything feels like you're watching a real NFL game on TV. Great overlays of constant stats, *but not obtrusive or distracting* and you'll always be kept up today with the little stats throughout a game or during your season/franchise mode.
As stated above, the presentation is rock solid this year. Brandon Gaudin, who has been the voice of Georgia Tech sports took over as the play-by-play commentator of Madden NFL 17, and Fox Sports NFL analyst Charles Davis is the color commentator. While not the most famous guys out there, you'll like what they have to say during games. Without a doubt, this is probably the best commentary you'll ever hear in a sports game and it's almost mind boggling all that they are saying and how they keep up with the action. I think that says a lot considering commentary is nitpicked more than any aspect of any sports games. In general, I think most people believed that 2K has always had the best commentary in the video game world. But, we can finally argue that Madden might actually be better! They are organic, lively, and have tons to say and it doesn't sound like the comments are just stitched in at random, it really does sound like a Fox news Broadcast! Even better, EA promises they will keep updating the commentary as the season progresses, keeping you up to speed with rookie updates and your favorite players.
The game offers online tournaments, my favorite mode, (Draft Champions). Draft champions is like fantasy football in bite-sized form. From that low-rated base of talent as you start your draft, you'll go through 15 rounds of a shortened fantasy draft until you build your team up to respectability. It doesn't take long and you play 3-4 games to see where you can take them. Pretty basic, but I find it very enjoyable picking your players to get a good balance. Madden 17 has a very deep connected franchise mode, online quick matches, roster sharing (woo hoo) and LEGENDS are still available to earn and unlock. (! I don't know how many yet), but nice to see I can make my own players too and make my own classic teams as you could in 16! I haven't tackled the Franchise mode yet, but i Heard it has a lot of new goodies like Madden moments added and deeper options.
The soundtrack is not my cup of tea, lots of modern tunes that is just in the background for me. I'm simply just not a fan of modern music, I like the classic rock and I miss the NFL Films music (Sam Spence) they used on Madden 10 and Madden 11. But you may like it, just depends on who you are!
Now there are a few bugs. There is a glaring bug that EA has addressed on their twitter account. Basically the issue is that you can see if your opponent is going to run or pass on the next play .It doesn't show you the play, but it does show you if they're going to pass or run. Obviously, against people online, that's kind of a big bug. But again, it will be addressed. If you don't want to know, then don't look it up. But playing online against someone who knows if you're passing/running, would not be very fun. So hopefully be patched soon. There's a few gameplay hitches of players morphing into each other, here and there, but it's very minimal and I didn't see it affect the game much. I recommend going to Operation Sports forums for gameplay impressions and any bugs or glitches reported.
With the few hitches people might come across, I'd say you still need to really get this game even if you have 16. Historically, Madden gets accused of being just a Madden 2.5 ever year with just updated rosters and minor tweaks. I think that's a bit harsh. That was probably true back on the current gen, but I find enough improvement on this one to warrant a purchase. You won't notice major changes from 16, but I feel there is just enough of goodness to warrant a purchase and the gameplay is rock solid this year. I give it a 5, out of 5.
I love football, and I love this game. And it's the only one we got. Thankfully, it's a good one. | video-games_xbox |
If you own an XBOX360, you need to own this game. Okay let me go on record as saying I LOVE this game so far (about 50% thru) from the stellar graphics to the non linear deep story. Is it the best in the series, THAT is a matter of opinion. I will say however that it IS MY favorite Splinter Cell (SC) to date. And I have played and loved them all, even found joy in the PSP version. But one thing particular makes this one my fave and that is the Story. I will not spoil anything but it is truly engrossing. Now let me follow my normal review format.
Graphics - 5 out of 5 Ubisoft really decided to show true 360 power. OMG! The graphics in this game rank up there with the greats...(FN3,COD3, Oblivion, etc.) may be the best I am still trying to compare. So many details in Sam's wetsuit, backgrounds, and enemies!!! Let me put it like this, you sneak up on your prey, grab him and hold him to interrogate watch his eyes flutter while he spills the beans and then watch his eyes roll to the back of his head when you choke him out. Nuff Said!!!
Sound - 4.5 out of 5 Michael Ironside does the voice acting for Sam, do I really need to go on? The sounds and background music is exactly what you come to expect from the SC series. Turn off everything in the room and turn up the volume you will get sucked in.
Controls - 4 out of 5 Here is my one and only CON, the camera doesn't always like the way you want control Sam, you end up having to toy with the right analog stick a little too much in some situations to see what you want to see. But as far as everything else it flows smoothly and controls pretty much like the others in the series!
Gameplay - 5 out of 5 Okay this is where the game absolutely TAKES off!!! There is just something about sneaking out of the shadows, grabbing and choking your enemies then hiding the bodies, gets me amped!!! But we have already done that right with others in the series right? Well imagine hanging and lowering yourself on a winch Mission Impossible style to obtain access to a certain objective or catch an enemy off guard. Or how about popping out of icy waters grabbing an unsuspecting enemy and dragging him underwater with you to choke him out (without fully getting out of the water). Let me tell you ladies and gentlemen this is STEALTH done absolutely right!! Then on top of the stellar gameplay mechanics. You have options on how to use those gameplay mechanics. Meaning you are a double agent, if you kill your enemies recklessly, leave innocent people to die you get closer to becoming that evil which you are trying to fight against. On the other hand if you choose to save the innocent and take your enemies out sparing their lives, then you uphold that which you have stood for all your years as an NSA agent. Simply put: THIS GAME ROCKS!!
Story - 5 out of 5 I am only about halfway thru this masterpiece and I will not spoil any of what I have experienced thus far I will however tell you that this is so far one of the best story I have experienced in a game. Ending not rated yet...
I will now say that I am a big Splinter Cell fan anyway so this review may come off somewhat Bias. I tried to be as unbiased as possible, but I honestly can not imagine anyone NOT liking this game once they get the hang out the controls and fortunately there are 2 training missions (practice) to help accomplish this. Also let me say that I play my XBOX360 on a 32" Samsung HD TV so when I rate the graphics that is all I have to go by, so I cannot honestly tell anyone how good the graphics look on a regular TV. I cant imagine they would be that much worst though.
Bottom Line: This game is one of the few (so far) for which you purchased an Xbox360...and it is NOT to be missed Trust me!! Let the Holiday Games begin!!! | video-games_xbox |
Not perfect, but the best I've been able to find. I game on both PS4 and Xbox One, and I spent a while looking for a headset that would work well with both systems. After some reading around, I realized that as long as you have an Xbox One headset controller adapter almost any headset is good to go. What I didn't realize is that not all headsets work equally well with the adapter. Prior to buying these I bought a pair of Turtle Beach XO 7 pros. I had a lot of problems getting audio to play consistently on those. If the headset wire came unplugged from the adapter there would be no sound when I plugged it back in. Turtle Beach support states that most likely the problem is due to the controller not being updated, but if the headset doesn't work properly on even one of my four updated controllers, then the problem is in the headset. I got tired of doing hard resets and messing with controller settings, so I returned them and got these ASTRO A50's.
The Astro A50 is really the way to go right now if you are gaming on both systems. Wireless, is a very relative term with these headsets. My gaming setup became twice as complicated, but I am satisfied with the way that it works. A quick breakdown for people in my situation. The base is USB powered, I have this plugged into one of the two USB ports on my PS4. The other port is used as a controller charger. I use the headset base as an optical pass through between my TV and my soundbar. This means that sound does not reach my soundbar unless I have the mixamp (and ps4 for power) on. Why would I do things like this? This setup allows me to listen to anything playing on my TV through either my soundbar, which I can mute or turn off, or through my headset. My PS4 does not have to be on all the time, it can power the set on rest mode, but the mixamp must be plugged into the USB slot in order to deliver voice chat. The Xbox one does not require the USB plug, and so I can switch between the two systems as easily as putting one system in rest mode and changing the channel (plugging in the chat adapter to chat on X1).
Some other thoughts: These look nice, are comfortable, and sound great. I read some concerns over the mic. quality, but I've not really had any issues with it. I've not had anyone tell me that they either cannot hear me or I sound bad. This is not to say that I do hours of live streaming, or that this is the best microphone. It is functional, which is what I care about. I would say that while the box contains everything that you need, you may find yourself going to the store for longer versions of the wires included. Space-wise I just leave the mixup/stand on top of my PS4 because the wires are not long enough to really put it anywhere else. | video-games_xbox |
With this headset, I've officially entered the world of online gaming. Until now, I'd been using the Playstation Eye for online gaming with my friend, simply using it as a microphone so we could communicate during gaming. In fact, that was the way we were both communicating--my friend has an Eye too, so my friend's voice was just coming out of my surround sound speakers and we were getting a little too much background noise from our Eyes picking up the sound of our individual games. With the Afterglow Headset, I've discovered how crystal clear online gaming should be. And my friend reports that even though she is still using the Eye, me using the headset has made my voice crystal clear over her system and also eliminated echoing of the game sound effects.
For me personally, the old school mega size of this headset with the cushioned pads is a treat. It feels perfectly comfortable on my head and won't budge during game play. The bendable microphone extends and retracts and is never right in your face. The neon lights on the band and the earphones are cool, but it's not like you can see them when you're wearing it.
Although I have PS3, 360, and Wii, I've only used it on the PS3, since that's the system my friend has. Changing the audio device settings in your PS3 menu is pretty straightforward. The real trick is connections. There are several options depending on your system setup, but unlike the Eye, which simply plugs into the USB port on your PS3 and you're done, this headset's wireless stick plugs into a USB port but then has to also be plugged into the red and white audio ports on your television. For me, that's tricky because I don't have a TV with enough ports--my PS3 was simply connected directly to an HDMI port, so I actually have to go behind my TV and unplug the red and white audio wires of my cable box to connect the headset's wires. In other words, I personally have to "unplug and replug and play" every time I want to use the headset based on my system connections. Also, that means there's a wire extending from the FRONT of my PS3 to the back of my television when I'm playing.
The other drawback is that you have to hope your controller and wireless headset don't lose juice at the same time. The headset has a USB wire that connects to the PS3 for recharging just like the wireless controllers do, so with one USB port holding the wireless stick, you only have one USB port free for charging while playing. Even so, these are minor hitches in incredibly sleek and well-built unit. I'm trying to convince my friend to get one as well. | video-games_xbox |
Grea FPS for the Xbox. Xbox is known for FPS games and this one adds to its collection. It has a total new look and design for FPS games for the future. I'll tell you the one thing that i really loved was the environments. They are freakin awsome. Its just amazing how they could make a jungle look that good in a game and it has all aspects of a jungle. The sunsets make the environment a nice orangey yellow color and it shines through the leaves on the trees. You can definitely tell it took time to make the environments.
The story-line is decent. You are Jack Carver and you are lying low in the south pacific on your boat. You let a woman named Valerie come with you. For some reason she wants to use your boat mobile so you let her for a few hundred dollars. You go to sleep and wake up to a noisy helicopter and you can see that Valerie has not returned. They start firing at your boat so you jump into the water and swim off to shore. The rest is up to you to find out what the hell is going on and to survive on the island. The problem I had with the story line is that it didn't really update much through out the game. You have to do so mucha before oyu get to see what is going on in a cutscene. They should have definitely put more cutscenes in.
The gameplay is great but can get repetitive. The game has 17 weapons for you to use which is a good thing, but you find yourself running out of ammo constantly. I guess this is alright for this game because you are basically living off of whatever you can get. The whole game is basically trying to stay hidden from the enemies and killing them with whatever you got between weapons, traps, hands and even rocks. Though its notlike splinter cell where if you are seen then you fail the mission. Once you are seen you have a chance to still survive. When you get seen the game kind of falls deep below. No matter what, once you are definitely seen they will not stop going after you. Even if oyu run somewhere and stay hidden they will still find oyu and see oyu in the hidden spot. The whole AI is pretty bad. And once you run out of weapons while you are seen you are basically screwed and the game gets annoying trying to beat the crap out of them for there gun while you are getting shot. You can get in vehicles but the driving is horrible and incredibly difficult. I mean once you get in a vehicle it doesnt switch to third person view to make things easier, its still in first person view and the controls for it are hard to master. You have to hold the thumbstick up to go and you have to use the same one to turn so you slow down around every turn. ITs a good thing they didn't put too much of the vehicle action in the game. Later on in the game you evolve into a beast or something and you have amazing powers. This makes the game incredibly easy and a little wierd but still fun. What i mean by wierd is that if you punch someone after you evolved they fly like ten feet and the rag-doll physics is not good at all. The game does get repetitive around mid-way through the game. You basically get tired of shooting the same enemies over and over again and all you do is shoot, kill and then move to the next area of enemies. The game can take long to beat depending on how oyu play it. If you decide to just be silent the whole game then it will ake a long time to beat the game. If you decide that you are sick of walking so slow oyu can just run through the game shooting every enemy because it is farely easy and you will beat the game in a much shorter time. The map editor is probly one of the greatest things in this game and with the online multiplayer, does not have the same feeling as halo though.
The graphics are amazing and I've never seen a game so beautiful in the jungle along with the sounds the game launches from a 3 star to a 4 star. The sounds let you hear wild animals in the jungle, i just wish oyu could see them, and the guns sound incredibly good.
I would definitely recommend this game to any gamer who likes FPS games. I would probably not rent this game because its long and you may get tired of the gameplay when you are about halfway through the game and you may not play it for a month. So if you decided you like it buy it, its just a waste if oyu rent. This game is rated M for Mature: Blood and gore, intense violence, strong language. | video-games_xbox |
WARNING: No Online Multiplayer. WARNING: There is NO online multiplayer for this game!
Essentially what you are buying is an updated version of the original game with better graphics - nothing more. The online multiplayer utilizes the "Halo: Reach" engine, but includes maps from "Halo: CE".
Their excuses for this:
1) "We didn't want to split up the reach community!"
Bizarre logic. Should we expect that for H4? Sorry guys, no H4 multiplayer - wouldn't want to split up the Reach community! Just imagine if COD used that logic. You buy Modern Warfare 3, only to find out that online multiplayer is Black Ops. What brilliance! Point being, everyone wanted online multiplayer for CE. Even the people that criticize us for being pissed off admit they would of liked to have seen multiplayer for CE.
2) "We would have had to ship on 2 discs!"
Would you buy a 2 disc game for the ability to play online multiplayer? There's your answer to this excuse.
Answers to people criticizing my review:
1) "You should have read the box!"
A) It's not a box, it's a case.
B) This is Amazon.com - not Wal-Mart. There is no "box" to look at. Nowhere in this page's product description does it say it utilizes the Halo: Reach engine.
C) I didn't buy the game, knowing months before that it didn't include online multiplayer. I created a petition on Change as well as the Waypoint forums to bring multiplayer back. I don't know why you genius's assume because I'm complaining about there not being multiplayer, that apparently means I thought there was. I want multiplayer on the game whether or not I thought it was going to have it or not - duh!
D) Go heckle people walking out of Target and Wal-Mart. Go chill inside of Gamestop and right after someone buys the game you can start yelling "SHOULDA READ THE BOX, DERRR". Who does that anyways? Is it common for games that have the xbox live strip, to be a different xbox live game? Besides ODST, this is the only game I know of that utilizes a completely different game's online portion. Do you really expect people to go on a treasure hunt on the back of the box to question what should already be assumed?
2) "They released this game and you can't be grateful for what you get?"
I'm sorry, I didn't know I was getting this for free. I didn't realize they donated their hundreds of millions of dollars to charity. Wow, you have totally opened my mind, and my heart. | video-games_xbox |
All Roads Lead Home. There's one crucial element that's somehow gone missing from most modern RPGs: the actual ability to role-play. You can play as Commander Shepard, but you can't do anything a Spectre wouldn't do. You can play as Geralt of Rivia, but you can't do anything a Witcher wouldn't do. Developers have *developed* a nasty habit of creating games that force players into a role and then tell them that they're role-playing. Maybe you are, but in that case I think our definitions might differ.
The opening moments of FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS see you shot in the head and left buried in a shallow grave somewhere in the Mojave Desert. Somehow still clinging to life, you're rescued and brought to the town of Goodsprings, where the local doctor fixes you up and sends you on your way. This is where the magic of the game reveals itself, because you have a few options here: Investigate the reasons why you were shot; Set out to get revenge on the people who left you for dead; Stick around and help out the denizens of Goodsprings; Strike out into the Mojave Wasteland blindly and forget that this whole ordeal ever went down. What happened to you was unavoidable, but everything that happens now is completely up to you.
The fantastic thing about NEW VEGAS is that it allows for so much. You really can do almost anything that you feel like. Gamble in a casino/Rob a casino. Explore abandoned homes/Break into occupied homes. Retrieve a rare item for an NPC/Shoot him in the back, take the reward, and the rare item. Pick out a nice house or apartment somewhere in the Mojave Wasteland and decorate it with all of the neat items you've accumulated. Help out several different warring factions, and then betray them all. Or you can just explore at random, discovering powerful or rare items along the way, or a series of quests that you never would've found otherwise.
Obsidian Entertainment went into this project knowing full well what players want out of a game like this. A heavily branched main storyline with several different outcomes; warring factions that can be played against each other; emphasis on choice, immersion, and exploration. If you go out of your way to explore some lone compound, an abandoned apartment complex, or a cave system, there's always something to be found, whether it's a new questline or a rare item. The game does an excellent job of rewarding you for being a little adventurous.
That's the base game: a well-written, dialogue heavy, well-executed post-apocalyptic RPG that might never be truly appreciated for the freedom and immersion that it extravagantly imparts to its players. As is, it's still one of the best games I've ever played, and one that you can believe the creators of PLANESCAPE: TORMENT and the original FALLOUT games had a hand in. And like I said, that's the base game.
-DEAD MONEY (4/5 Stars): This was the first expansion to be released for NEW VEGAS, and although it's by far my favorite out of the bunch, there are a few elements that might put off a few players. For one, this is a survival game, through and through. You wake up in the shadow of a mythical casino, stripped of all your items, forced under penalty of death to break into a vault. It's a very stressful experience, compounded by the extreme rarity of life-saving items, weapons of any kind, and how your primary enemies have to be dismembered before they stay dead. That, and after you're finished, you can't go back and explore, so it all has to be done in one shot.
But that all kinda folds into the story of DEAD MONEY, which I'd go out on a limb and say has some of the best writing of any game of this generation. It's a story of greed; that you're essentially being punished for doing things that you always do in an RPG. It has a lot to say, which surprised the heck out of me. The characters you come into contact with are memorable, complex, and just plain fantastic to talk to. And the payoff to the entire thing is just brilliant. The path to the Sierra Madre is an uneven one, but wholly memorable. The words "Begin Again" will likely stick with you for some time.
-HONEST HEARTS (3/5 Stars): Out of the bunch, HONEST HEARTS is probably the weakest. It starts out with a bang, after a caravan you're tasked with protecting ends up biting the dust, leaving you stranded in the Zion National Park. Afterwards, you're quickly caught in the crossfire between several warring tribes, with you becoming the decider in the matter. The whole ordeal is painfully short - only two hours compared to the others which provide eight or more - and the characters that guide you along aren't the most interesting, which the exception of Joshua Graham. There's no shortage of places to explore, and you can come and go as you please when the story is completed, but I'd say Zion itself is the most valuable contribution this expansion makes.
-OLD WORLD BLUES (5/5 Stars): If I hadn't been so taken by the story of DEAD MONEY, this one would take top honors from me. Channeling the zany, nonsensical, nuclear-obsessed sci-fi of the '50s, OLD WORLD BLUES is definitely the most entertaining of the bunch and definitely provides the most distractions. After waking up in the Big Empty, you discover that you've lost your mind. Literally. Your brain is gone, and your mad scientist-cum-cyborg keepers have no idea where it is, or even how you're still alive. "Tesla coils!" is the typical answer here, and they don't get any less hilarious as the story progresses. While the tone is generally humorous, there are some genuinely sentimental (if not full blown sad) moments throughout, making this an A+ effort all around.
-LONESOME ROAD (4/5 Stars): If you pay close attention through the base game and the expansions, you'll know that *all of it* has been building to this ending, but even if you miss all of the little visual/story cues, this is still a worthy conclusion. You'll learn about a man named Ulysses, and how he's the reason you were shot in the head in the first place. The man wants you dead, and he's wanted it for a very long time. But Ulysses is not content with telling you; he wants to show you, and the only way to do that is by following him through the dust-swept ruins of the Divide. The level design is a tad linear (intentional, I know), and since Ulysses is one of two NPCs available to talk to, the expansion might feel like one big running-and-gunning sequence. But this is an add-on that really wanted to drive home the RPG mantra that your decisions matter, and it does so in a powerful way.
-COURIER'S STASH/GUN RUNNERS' ARSENAL: These aren't really story expansions or anything. When the game was released, there was dealer specific DLC that's pretty much been bundled up and placed into these add-ons. In addition to providing a ton of new and unique weapons, it also adds new achievements and challenges (and crafting recipes, I believe). Not amazing or anything, but very nice to have in the package.
In closing, I think your enjoyment of this game will be depend on what you want out of an RPG. This Ultimate Edition of FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS provides hundreds of hours of content, a plethora of very compelling storylines, memorable characters, tons of weapons, and maintains the illusion of choice so well it'll be hard to imagine other players could possibly play the same game you have. <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/FALLOUT-3/dp/B001REZLY8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">FALLOUT 3</a> might have brought the series/formula to the new generation, but FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS takes that formula, perfects it and somehow manages to create one of the best RPGs in a very long time.
If Obsidian Entertainment hasn't taken a bow already, they're about due for one now. | video-games_xbox |
Underappreciated, and unashamedly fun. I picked this game up on the cheap, and honestly wasn't expecting very much. I am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Shadows of the damned is a well made, highly enjoyable, and extremely raunchy romp through the underworld in pursuit of your girlfriend, Paula. I want to be very clear when I say that this game has raunchy humor. This is not a children's game and the content reflects this. If you dislike constant phallic references than this is definitely not the game for you. For everyone who isn't going to let a little raunch get in the way of their fun, you are in for a treat.
You play as Garcia Hotspur, demon hunter extraordinaire and his trusty wisecracking sidearm Johnson. Garcia's girlfriend, Paula, has been kidnapped by the lord of darkness and Garcia jumps straight into hell to get her back. Garcia and Johnson are wonderful company. Each are fully fleshed out and have distinct, and engaging personalities. I never got tired of hearing their good natured banter as I played through the wonderfully varied levels.
The world of shadows of the damned are beautifully different. Each stage brings something new to the table meaning that you won't be getting bored. From sides scrolling shooters, to weaving through fruit stands avoiding a masked killer, the game does a great job of keeping things fresh. To address the supposed difficulty of a certain level where you fend off waves of monsters, please don't believe the hype. It took my three tries, and that was only so I could see the humorous cutscenes exclusive to dying in those sections.
If you have ever played resident evil four, the combat system is like that except better. Garcia moves pretty well, but I did find myself wishing his roll had a little more distance to it. You have four weapons: a pistol, machine gun, shotgun, and torch for melee attacks. Don't worry though; after every boss fight you will recieve an upgrade that completely changes the way the weapon works, and always for the better. A warning for all the achievement hunters out there, once a weapon levels up you won't be able to get the achievement for the previous weapon.
Overall this is a fun game. Had this game come out in a different year, one not filled with incredible AAA titles like Arkaham city, Skyrim, and Zelda, maybe Shadows of the damned could have enjoyed more shine, but don't let that stop you from picking up the sleeper hit of the year. | video-games_xbox |
Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Game. Well, I bought this game because of the good reviews I heard from everyone, including people on Amazon.com, and I decided to pick it up ($$$sale$$$). Well, at first, getting used to the controls, it felt a little bit stupid. The auto aim was awful, the graphics didn't immediatly impress me, and the overall gameplay was just boring. But I kept playing, and soon I found myself on the second mission, kicking butt, and realized 2 hours had passed. I had to stop and tell the world! "Why?" THIS GAME IS AWSOME!!!!!
1. Gameplay: First off, if you're an expierienced gamer, shut the auto-aim OFF in preferences. It really kills the gameplay. Second, realize how cool the gameplay is. There are dozens of guns to try out, the graphics are awsome, and your enemies actually use their brain. That's what made this game such a challenge. To begin the game, you see a little movie about an Alien race called the "TimeSplitters" . They travel through time, and are here to take over the world. So Earth sends out a last hope with a group of Marines. They send 2 (you and if you have a friend, a second person) marines on to the Alien's ship. They battle their way to the bridge, where 9 Aliens have already disapeared into a time warp. Each is in a different time with a time crystal you have to retrieve. So you follow these Aliens through each time period, shooting your way through anything from zombies, guards, aliens, other marines, spies, robots, etc...it's really cool. Once you finish the game, the world is saved. The thing is, once you beat a game on the hardest level, u unlock an even harder difficulty setting. Can u beat it on a harder level, than the next? Really cool, and you can re-do any level on any setting, at any time. And you can do all these levels in one player, or 2 player. So me and my best friends could go through the story as a team. What a blast!
You have anything from grenades, snipers, shotguns, pistols, machine guns, etc... and it just gets better. This is just the story. Should I move on?
2. The graphics: Not the greatest we've ever seen, but still quite good. You see gun shells fall to the ground, watch water spray down from a waterfall, see heads fall off and roll to the floor (only from zombies, no gore here!). When u shoot at wall, the gun marks appear and stay for the game. Glass shatters, people fall back when u shoot. Good explosions, etc... It gets the job done and a little bit more. Graphics here are good, but don't expect HALO.
3. Sound: Very good. Each gun makes it's own sound, voice acting is pretty good, the alarms make u jump with the realistic screech. Unfortunantly, you don't here the people walk. Little things like that aren't here, but once again, it gets the job done. 3.5 out of 5 stars in sound. But u don't really notice anything bad during the awsome gameplay. As for the menu music, FANTASTIC! Very good game, and the music really gets u excited for the games. I love this game, and the sound was part of it!
4. Multiplayer: AWSOME! 4 player, 3 player, and 2 player. You can play through the story through 2 player, and have 4 player fighting frenzy after that. You can do a deathmatech (where your 4 players fight off impossible odds working together), challenge (where you make a challenge and face it), campaining (where you have 2 teams with dozens of people going through all out war! Players pick their side), and the good 'ole 4-player killing spree. You all face each other, battling for kills, points, and the right to stay alive and call yourself the champ! These are just a few (to give you an idea). And with over a 100 characters to choose from, dozens of levels to fight in, and a ton of game types, this game will keep you entertained...for awhile!
Overall, this game rocked. I wasn't expecting such a fun game when I picked it up. Definantly worth the buy. And if you share an XBOX with good friends, room mates, brothers and sisters, etc.. you can work as a team in multiple ways, including going throug EVERY singlr mission in story mode, guarding each other's back.
It wasn't HALO, but it was a great game. No gore, and a ton of awsome fun, TimeSplitter's 2 (the sequel to the classic TimeSplitter's for the PlayStation) lives up to the hype, and can be compared to games like Perfect Dark, Golden Eye, and even HALO in some terms.
Hope this helped, now I gotta go play TimeSplitter's 2!!!!!! | video-games_xbox |
The game is broken. This is the worst NHL game I have ever played, and I have been playing them for over a decade. I honestly see where they were trying to go with the true performance skating, and it should have been great. They also made the defensemen much better at stopping passes going through the slot, making one-timers much more difficult to pull off.
However, the defensive AI is simply broken. It's like EA didn't bother to make the AI aware of the new skating engine, and often guys are stuck in quicksand when you control them, and you have to helplessly watch 3rd line wingers with 70 speed stride right past your top defenseman. They are often caught WAY out of position on the rush, and there is nothing you can do about it, because you are only controling one player at a time, and the cpu is doing something wrong with the other 4 guys on the ice.
The goalies are the worst thing about this game now. Last year, people were mad about how often cross-crease one-timer shots would go in. But here's the thing... they SHOULD go in. In real life if you can get that pass through and get a shot off, the goalies can rarely get across to stop it. Steven Stamkos scored at least 30 of his 60 goals that way last season. The problem in NHL12 was that the defense was terrible at stopping passes, and pucks would often go right through them. Now that is next to impossible. If EA would have made those changes to the defense and left the goalies the same as last season, I think this game would be much more playable. But if you can get pass all the stupid puck bounces, horrible hitting physics, and actually get a great pass through to the slot to a wide open guy shooting at half a net, the goalie will magically metamorphosis himself to where the puck is going to be before the shot leaves the stick.
Unless you are playing 6v6 EASHL and don't have to deal with the broken AI and spiderman goalies, this game is unplayable. | video-games_xbox |
Xbox 360 is more portable than the Wii with graphics on par with PS3. I bought mine 3 months ago, but I wanted to wait a bit before putting in my review:
I purchased my Xbox 360 in a "Brick and Mortar" store in March. I wanted to make sure I got the new falcon, and at that time it took some doing to find one. I did, which will be obvious by the smaller power supply, also at the time they were posting lot numbers, which help. I have had no heating problems what so ever. I bought a cooling stand anyway from Intec which has nice green lights and two big fans...but I hardly even use it. The system is as stable as a rock! I have played it for hours on end.
I will say that people need to be aware that, like any computer...DO NOT BLOCK THE AIR INTAKES! I don't mean to shout, but to call attention to this. Yes, it is a gaming console, but it is also a computer. I would not suggest putting it on the rug, or wedged between two other objects....make sure the air intake has at least 6 inches all the way around. I think that once you are aware of this, you will never have overheating problems.
The console itself in nicely designed, although I think the base might have been made broader to avoid tipping. I would have preffered the black elite, especially since I have since upgraded the drive to a 120GB anyway, but at the time it was hard to find the new heatsink and chip the Elite as well...so I bought the Pro with the 20GB drive (Its just not enough if you want to get the most out of the online experience...you really end up with like 13.7 usuable space with all the stuff they pre-loaded)
Xbox Live-I do not mind paying a subscription to get exclusive game add-ons (Sometimes for free) and Free Demo's of new games. If you are going to charge me $49.99 a year...well I can live with it, just keep the demos comming!
Accessories:
For me, the Wireless connector for my router was a good buy, because I got it used....$99.00 is just a crazy price. It should be about $49.99.
The 120GB drive is a must, unless you just want to save games and that is it!
I play my Xbox on my 22inch highdef computer monitor and it looks great (HDMI)!
Gaming Experience: In this family, gaming in the best way for us to get connected to each other ...we each know what the other is playing and help or heckel each other. We own a Wii, Xbox 360, GameCube and a PS1 and PS2.
The Wii is great for family night, when we play games together... but it is a totally different experience if you want to play alone....Plus I do not want to be tied to the Big family room all the time when I play (Wii needs a lot of room) The Xbox 360 can be played in any room. I like to play it in my office after work hours or on the weekend..the Wii just is not portable...plus the Wii is not a graphic powerhouse at all. Xbox is the best graphics for the money.
I give the Xbox a 5 star rating ....it has not let me down yet...and I just do not see much fault in anything....the games look great! | video-games_xbox |
One of My Favorite Games. To be upfront, this game is not without it's issues ... the ending is flat, weak, and something of a non-sequitor to the style of the rest of the game; combat can be frustrating at times, and not in a challenging way, but frustrating due to buggy AI or environments; and some sections of this game are mostly "move from point A to point B". But as unfortunate as these flaws are, this is one of my all-time favorite games.
It's hard to describe why ... I guess I'll start simply by saying that the combination of game mechanics, audio, player-driven organic story telling, and artistic design make this game more than simply "a video game" or AKA, a fun way of wasting a dozen hours, but instead an experience. Is it the best FPS on the market? Not even close. Is it a 50+ hour RPG? Not even really an RPG (though some elements are inspired, loosely, by that design). Is the story the most creative thing ever? Probably not, but instead, what this game has going for it is a strong RELIANCE on the story, and frankly, that's pretty rare these days in video games. Too often the story is used to justify why you're going around killing everything, or moving from point A to point B. Here, the story IS the game. There's a subtle, and actually, undisclosed morality system in this game that one only knows about after the fact (or by reading reviews like this or wikis) that actually changes the ending, because, again, the game isn't about GAMING, it's about telling a story that you, the player, help to create.
So why is this game so good? Mostly because, as an entire package, this game works, really well. There's only a couple of other games where I'm content to sit around listening to various NPCs talk to each other or the player-character, and here, it's not filler material, it's actually the game, and it's compelling. This game is fantastic because, while no one element is breakout, the entire game fits together and flows so well, that any flaws, even a weak ending, can be overlooked in light of a dozen plus hours of a rich, engrossing experience. | video-games_xbox |
Great Game with a few weaknesses. This is the third Spyro game in the "Legend of Spyro" series. This is also the first game in which Spyro can actually fly and is the first game made for the XBOX 360 and PS3 generation of consoles.
The original Spyro games, that came out for the Playstation One, were highly rated. Moreso than the more recent "Legend of" series.
That being said, I think this game delivers in providing some really cool, great looking next-gen environments along with, for the most part, the kind of quality gameplay that satisfies.
Graphically the strengths are that the environment and ambient surroundings are among the best I've seen for a game that is intended to be charming for both kids and adults. The weaknesses are that the camera angles get very restricted and the frame rate drops and gets choppy at times. Both Spyro and Cynder, along with the environments, look great in this game. Just as you'd expect on the 360.
Gameplay-wise I have to say the God of War like boss battles are very enjoyable and work well. Battling the typical onslought of enemies can get repetitious as they come out in large numbers at times and respawn over and over. Though you'll probably find yourself button mashing the x and y buttons to continually attack in these instances, there are some nice grabs and combo moves that you can do that help to break up the monotony of it. Each dragon has specific breath attacks, such as fire,ice, electricity ...etc, that can be upgraded to be more powerful throughout the game. Armor can be obtained and upgraded as well.
The co-op play works well. All you have to do is pause the game and you can choose "Single Player" or "Two Player" from the menu at any time and a friend can join in. Both Spyro and Cynder are joined together by what appears to be an electro-magnetic tether that keeps them within a close range of each other. This means in co-op mode the two players have to work together to try and basically move in the same direction throughout the gameplay.
The flying is sweet and I really enjoy it with only the downside being that it is limited by barriers. Tap the "A" button three times and you're in the air, any time at any place in the game. However, you usually have to get a long flying run, or have to go through a predefined route, in order to get to higher locations that Spyro can't immediately ascend to. If you're like me, you'll enjoy flying through the awesome environments at times.
The story plays out in a kind of superficial way. It is decent enough to carry the game but not quite up to par with the epic soundtrack and background music. The audio is top notch and the voicework is well acted. Background ambient music is movie-like and helps this to truly feel like a game for this generation.
Aside from the frustrations of limited camera angles, invisible barriers and repetitious fighting of common enemies, I think this game is great and I am glad I bought it :) | video-games_xbox |
Unparalleled detail, hurting for tracks & Forzavista detail. Love the detail level. The cars are beautiful, with all of the customization options you expect from a Forza game. There were two areas where Turn 10 let us all down.
1.> Tracks are lacking, sorely so. Racing in different classes does mix it up a bit and keep it from becoming truly stale, but it was a narrowly dodged bullet. DLC tracks will be a great fix for folks who play online a lot, but for someone like me who very much so enjoys the offline racing, this isn't going to do a lot for me. I understand the pressure Turn 10 was under, but, that doesn't put back the leg that's been cut out from under the game. Pushing this game out without tracks like the Nurburgring, Sedona, and Maple Valley was a missed bet in a HUGE way.
2.> ALOT of the Forzavista aspect of the game is gimped, generic, and lacking. As with the aforementioned pressure that Turn 10 was under, I do somewhat understand. They didn't have time to map and detail every car fully. That's cool and that part isn't what rubbed me wrong. The voice-over descriptions, however, reflect a lacking that truly surprised me. With a generic introduction for several cars that have their own unique history, this reflects a hurry up job that is atypical from Turn 10. This aspect only required more time with the voice actor and a negligible amount of additional voice recording to do right. For someone that enjoys the history and background of these cars as much as racing them, especially compared to the care, detail, and meticulous approach of the Forza 4 Autovista Experience, this aspect was very lacking and probably the largest disappointment.
Overall, a good game with great detail, beautiful visuals, great physics, the expected awesome levels of customization, and wonderful racing experience. Turn 10 did make their mistakes with this release, mostly but not all related to production pressure, but still worth it's own spot on your game shelf. | video-games_xbox |
Bioshock: Infinite Trashcans. Bioshock is one of the great video game experiences. Now remove everything that was great about it, add a portentous and dull reading of American history, bad acting, a 10 hour escort mission, and about five thousand trashcans. That's Bioshock Infinite.
I have to admit with frustration that I didn't bother finishing it, despite the money I spent on it. Life is too short and I have GTAV waiting, so I quit after about 6 hours of looting trashcans. I hate quitting games I've started, I always really feel like I have to see it through to the end. But this one took the biscuit.
The game is a drag. It almost never, ever comes together. I was excited exactly once, when I first flew up to Columbia. The first sky hook mission was pretty cool. But everything else? A sorry, empty, atmosphere-less drag. This huge city in the sky? It's empty. No-one's in it. Except the people who want to shoot you. And they're boring.
The game has zero tension, zero suspense, zero atmosphere, zero emotion - believe me, just zero. All those other people who say how great the game is? I'm telling you, they were smoking crack when they played it.
The story telling in this game is pathetically poor. I had been playing for a few hours, when I decided to consult an online walkthrough and discovered that my character had been a detective before going up to Columbia. WHAT? I had no idea! That would explain those annoying black and white flashbacks that pop up occasionally and make no sense
Most soap operas are constructed better and have more believable characters. Booker De Witt? One-note tough-guy dork with furrowed brow. EXACTLY the guy on the cover, by the way.
What about the actual gameplay - the action? The weapons feel generic, and it matters barely a squat what you shoot with, as the enemy AI is so poor that you're basically herding bulletsponges. It bored me senseless. Anyone playing this game for the action is either a masochist or, again, smoking crack.
Apart from spending my time shooting, what else did I do?
What I mainly did in Bioshock Infinite was loot trashcans. Because that's pretty much all there is to do in this amazing alternate reality they cooked up for 150 million bucks. Trashcans that contain food (sometimes), ammo (usually), and coins. There are lots of wooden boxes to search too. And lunch boxes. But mainly trashcans.
If you want a great game about saving a woman, get Dishonoured. That's got some great atmosphere, some great moves out of the first Bioshock playbook, and very compelling gameplay. Or just replay the original Bioshock. It's 7 years old but it's still pretty great. | video-games_xbox |
The best charging solution you'll find. I was not satisfied with the look or performance of another Nyko battery charger which you have likely seen in every single store - the one where you pop in two batteries etc. It didn't fully charge anything and eventually just stopped working.
This product is wonderful! It charges VERY fast and the batteries seem to have a longer life. I have yet to have a low battery during my marathon gaming sessions. It also keeps things organized, which has been an issue for me in the past with cables and batteries getting scattered.
The charging station encourages orginization and I wish had spent the money on this thing a long time ago. Once you get in the habit of returning the controller to the station after you're done tearing it up on XBL you're be throwing any and charging related items in the trash.
I even bought one for a friend at Xmas. He was still using the USB charging cord or batteries. It was a wreck around his TV! With this product that issue has been eliminated.
Buying this product is on absolute must for anyone with two controllers. It's an investment in my opinion and well worth every penny.
I read a few one star reviews on this product and would like to comment:
- One person stated to just use the MS hardware. That's fine for some, if you enjoy a mess of cables and short battery life. There was market demand, by adult console owners, for a space saving and organized approach to the gaming setup. NYKO has exceeded any expectation I could have had.
- Another stated incompatiblity with other batteries. The station is made for two controllers to dock and charge without the mess of wires. It is a space saver. When you have a place of your own you'll understand. Further - it comes with 2 long life batteries. Made for the station. You're not having to incur extra cost. That's voluntary, no one forced that upon you. If you have 4 controllers invest in another station.
- Long and short of it - if you're an adult, in your own place, and are a gamer then this a "no-brainer" purchase. Orginization is something I didn't firmly grasp until living with my fiance. | video-games_xbox |
Great, but not perfect. YThe title says it all! With this being the sixth entry in the Splinter Cell saga, Conviction is by far the most action oriented Splinter Cell game to date! Which doesn't make it a bad thing, but it also doesn't make it a great thing either. The story goes like this. Sam Fisher is no longer working for Third Echelon, a division of the CIA. He is working for himself, trying to figure out who killed his daughter, Sarah. Anna Grim is at his side, giving him details about his daughter. I really don't want to spoil the story, but let's just say it is great, while it lasts. This game is SHORT!! Beat it in two days on "Normal" difficulty. But there is a reason why for the length being short. The game is targeted to more of a casual gamer than the hardcore which doesn't make it a bad thing. Just easier to perform tasks than previous installments. Such as the new hand to hand combat system allowed the.player to instantly kill almost every enemy with ease. Doing so gives you points to cash in for weapon and gadget upgrades and costumes for multiplayer. Hand to hand combat also allows you to perform "execution" moves on your enemies. A red arrow will appear when you hit the right bumper on the controller. Depending on how many hand to hand moves you do, determine the amount of executions you get. When the arrows are set, hit the "Y" button and all the enemies will go down instantly with a strong cinematic feel. Interrogations also have a nice cinematic feel as well. Multiplayer wise, I've only played a few games, but from the feel of things, I like it better than the single player campaign. Here's my pros and cons:
Pros:
*Great compelling story!
*Teriffic voice acting and music score
*Hand to hand combat and refined executions are welcome
*Seemless loading to gameplay
*Multiplayer seems like a blast!
Cons:
*Campaign is WAY TOO SHORT!!
*Visuals look a little dated
*More action, less stealth
Overall, Conviction is a great game. Even though the campaign's length is the biggest drawback, it still offers a great story, some excellent voice talent, a beautiful music score, and addictive multiplayer modes that no action gamer should miss!
SCORE: 8 / 10 | video-games_xbox |
Missing the creativity of the older games. I'm not much for video games, but my brother got me Zoo Tycoon over 10 years ago for Christmas and I absolutely loved it. I spend countless hours building zoos. I liked the ZT2, but wanted more items so I could create themed areas of my zoo. Since I decided to go back to school I have been so broke and helping my dad tear out old tile in his kitchen so he got me an expensive gift, I was so excited that there was a new zoo tycoon that I did not do my homework. I dove in.
The graphics are amazing, being able to walk through my zoo is fantastic. It's also impressive that you can hear ppl's conversations as you walk by them when in the zoo. Feeding the animals, awesome, but once you feed, wash or play with the animals, it gets old. This would be a great game for a 5 or 6 year old, but not for an adult. There is very little creativity in this game. You can change the color or style of benches, but no building exhibits, no changing the terrain type, elevation, and when you put in a concession, it's a circle with the concession in the middle, I miss being able to put in a food court with picnic tables and flowers, plants and trees. I loved elevating ground with stairs and those rope fences....so much creativity! Also the marine mania was amazing, dolphin rides! Orca shows, I would love to be able to walk around a zoo and watch a show of any kind. I am thoroughly disappointed in this game, they put all of their energy and cards in the animal interaction and graphics and LOST all the CREATIVITY and uniqueness that made so many people love it.
Another issue is that the zoo capacity is no bueno. And remember the like 30 difference spots to build a zoo, now you have 1. Just 1. Ugh. Vastly dissappointed here. BUYERS REMORSE. This game is incredibly over priced.
Now I have this $250 xbox 360 gathering dust. Much to my dismay I have to upgrade to Xbox live gold to use it for netflix which irritates me endlessly, I already pay for wifi and netflix i don't want to ALSO pay the ever-greedy Microsoft to use what I get for free on ever cell, tablet, laptop, tv and dvd player in the world. EPIC FAIL! I am hoping they hear their customers and make it so WE can design a zoo, not select all premade circles. | video-games_xbox |
Not Much Better From The First Raw. I remember when I first got this game, I was happy about it because I was thinking it would be much better than the first Raw game which bombed in all aspects, but unfortunately it didn't do much better than the first Raw.
I'll give props for the graphics as the graphics were very nice and a huge improvement from the first Raw. The graphics were more realistic and looked how 3D models should look. Entrances were great as well. There was no commentary in the game and the announcers were Howard Finkel and a lady who was supposed to be Lillian Garcia but sounded nothing like her.
The gameplay can be a little bumpy at times and hard to reverse the CPU. One annoying thing about the gameplay is that if there are more than 4 superstars in the ring, the game becomes ridiculously slow and frustrating as a result. A good example of this would be the Royal Rumble Match. After about 5 superstars enter the ring, the game becomes slow and it's almost like you're playing the game in slow motion. Very very irritating to play matches with more than 4 superstars, which is why I try to avoid playing Battle Royals and the Royal Rumble match as much as possible.
There are plenty of superstars to pick from on the roster as pretty much every superstar and diva from the Ruthless Aggression Era is on here. Goldberg, Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, Edge, Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit, Triple H, Kane, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Stacy Keibler, Scott Steiner, Trish Stratus, Matt Hardy, Chris Nowinski, Rikishi, and even Nidia, and so many more
The main thing that bothers me so much about this game is the Season Mode. It's completely random and unrealistic on more levels than 1. For example, why is Jazz fighting Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship in the main event of a PPV??? And more importantly why is Jazz winning the title and showing up as WWE Champion?? Other random things include being attacked by superstars who aren't even feuding with you. Like if I'm playing as Edge and I'm suddenly attacked in my locker room by Eddie Guerrero, who I haven't even feuded with. Or if I'm playing as Lita and out of nowhere Stacy Keibler runs in my locker room and knocks me out. It just makes no sense. It also irritates me that you can't wrestle in one match in Season Mode without there being an interference. Whenever you're involved in a match, one of your enemies will run to the ring and you think they're going to attack you.....but they end up attacking your opponent. WTF?? This happens in every match you have, unless you get lucky enough to have a Steel Cage or Hell In A Cell match.
A cool feature consists of backstage interactions in this season mode. You can do things like encourage superstars to take out any diva or superstar on the roster, regardless of whether or not you're feuding with them, steal clothes from another superstar/divas' bag (if you do this enough times, successfully, you'll be able to unlock their titantron for you to watch in the Theater section of the main menu), try to attack a superstar in their locker room, call someone out, set a trap for a superstar, interfere in a match, rest, and many more. Each of those tasks will either succeed or fail. If you succeed at attacking a superstar or diva in their locker room or calling them out, your reputation and points go up. If you fail, they go down.
You can also choose your referee for matches in Exhibition Mode. You can choose between normal (Earl Hebner), slow (Nick Patrick), or fast (Charles Robinson). If you don't want the match to take all day then DON'T pick Nick Patrick as the referee. How slow he counts is absolutely ridiculous. He takes about 5 second pauses between each count, giving your opponent enough time to kick out, regardless of how much damage you've done to them.
Another bother I have with this game is the CPU. Beware that 99% of the time when you fight against the CPU, once they pin you, they won't stop. Meaning that if you get pinned by them and you kick out, they'll pin you again immediately before you even get a chance to get up. This will go on and on until you get tired of pressing buttons constantly and you lose. It's almost like the CPU is cheating to beat you which really pisses me off. The sad part is that there's no way to really reverse the pins, meaning that there's no stopping how constant they pin you.
My favorite thing about this game is probably the Raw Theater. This is similar to the Theater section in Smackdown Just Bring It and Shut Your Mouth but instead of playing a variety of videos for you to watch, they only give you every playable character's titantron/theme song. As I mentioned, the way to unlock the superstar's titantrons/themes is by successfully stealing their clothes (I think 5 or 10 times) in season mode. After you've done that, go to the Theater, find the superstar's titantron that you stole clothes from and enjoy. Unfortunately, titantrons are all they showcase. I think other videos would've been a nice touch
Overall: Slight improvements from the first Raw but not very much. Anyone who gives this game a 4 or 5 stars, must not have played any better wrestling games. A little known fact is that WWE Raw 2, was originally going to be called WWF Raw 2 with a roster and story mode based off of late 2001 and early 2002. Unfortunately after WWF transitioned to WWE in May 2002, they were forced to change it to Raw 2 and the game was kept in production longer for editing. By the time the game was finished it was 2003, so the game received a complete makeover with different graphics and a different roster. It's disappointing really because WWF Raw 2 seemed like it was going to be a better game x1000 than WWE Raw 2. In fact, I think there's still a trailer laying around on Youtube on what WWF Raw 2 was going to be like. I guess THQ got the picture that most fans were not happy with Raw and Raw 2, which would probably explain why this was the last Raw game made. Unfortunately for the short-lived Raw series, it received a less than decent burial. THQ would get it right in 2004 with their Day of Reckoning Series for the Gamecube | video-games_xbox |
Epic! Epic! Epic... in every way. It has been a very LONG time since I enjoyed a First Person Shooter campaign as much as I do in Crysis 2! As a matter of fact the last FPS campaign game that drew me in like this game does was Halo:CE on the first Xbox.
First of all the campaign is long: About 10-12 hours. You will definitely get your money's worth. This is one game that is truly worth $60. This game actually helped me remember why SP is so important in video games and cannot be short-handed for popular MP modes. MP modes are great to focus on but the SP needs to be done right and cannot be ignored. Crytek did a great job with this game and I'd like to see them make more games for the 360. Actually they are with a game called Kingdoms but that's another conversation.
Anyway in Crysis 2 you play a soldier by the name of Alcatraz who in a nutshell is the humans' last realistic hope to fend off an alien race known as the Ceth. You'll also be fighting a local hardline military regime known as the Cell. Simplistic storyline indeed but oh is it so gripping once you start playing. The story is told so well from cutscenes and just from the whole presentation of the game you get sucked in EASILY and you really do feel that you are part of this struggle in the big apple. It just feels REAL (partly thanks to the visuals--described below).
Keep in mind you don't have to play Crysis 1 to enjoy this game. New crysis; new setting; same nano-suit (well maybe slightly different from the first game but it's another nanosuit.) Yeah about the nanosuit---this suit makes you a bada** in the game. The suit has many abilities such as the ability to cloak and use stealth or to beef up armor to prepare yourself for heavy firefights. There are also many customizations you can earn as you move through the game to upgrade and/or equip yourself with even more abilities.
The environment and levels in this game are big enabling you to attack the enemy from different angles with different abilities as you see fit. it's this freedom of choice on how you want to attack that feels so rewarding as you progress through the game!
The multiplayer in this game is also pretty good but, admittedly, it will take some time before you get use to it. But once you do it grows on you and can become a really fun experience!
GRAPHICS--
Holy ****!!
PURE EYE CANDY!! IMHO this game has a photo-realistic "vibe" about it. It's not quite 1:1 photo-realistic but the game is moving in that direction and for a console game that's just crazy!! The point is that the environment and NYC just looks so real! The resolution and attention to detail in the buildings, skyscrapers, foliage (ex:trees swaying in the wind), etc.. is awesome! But the one attention to detail which is simply mind-blowing is the lighting in this game...it's SICK!
Aww heck you guys need to play it and experience it to see just how sick this game looks on the 360. I have died numerous times just looking around at the environment and shaking my head in disbelief that I'm playing this game on the Xbox 360.
...which brings me to something else I want to talk about in this game: The water. This is in my opinion the best water I have ever seen grace a console in my life and you can go swimming in it! Also once you're under water just check out the sun and the rays as they peer through the surface. UNBELIEVABLE!! In my opinion this is the best looking game on consoles right now!
Even if you think you might not enjoy the MP because you are too into other MP games like Halo or Call of Duty, the SP alone is well worth the price tag. GET THIS GAME NOW!!! | video-games_xbox |
Intec Screen Review. It's actually a pretty great product. I did find a few things that could have been changed or improved upon. The unit actually clamps on to the XBox 360. It is clamped on good enough you can carry it with the screen like it was a suitcase. The right clamp is a little bit weak of a design. It actually clamps thru the holes on the side of the case of the XBox. Once installed it is secure. I had one little piece of the right clamp break, which I am sure Intec would replace if I would call. It is still rock solid once installed so I will worry about it another day.
Their is hookups on the back for SVGA / S-VIDEO / Composite Video. SVGA being the weakest to Composite Video being the best. Of course the included cable was SVGA. I did plug in my Composite cable that came with the XBox but did not see that much of a difference. Possible Intec sells a Composite Video cable for it, but I doubt it. Maybe even a S-Video, but again. So they sent us the weakest cable, it's not like the monitor is High Definition anyway. The cable for the back was specially made to fit this monitor, it is like 4" long, so you would have to replace it thru Intec if needed. That also means that only they make the cables for it. So they need to step to the plate.
The picture is good. You can play for hours. Even at 9.2" you can see fine. The picture could be sharper, but they give you no adjustment in the menu system for the monitor??? That could be improved. But as for picture, looks really good and you do not have to sit right up on it. 2 Headphones jacks, I won't personally use, but I could. The sound, LOUD!! I mean you can hear this thing. I was surprised. The sound goes to 100, but I usually have it around 15 or 18. It actually puts out really loud, clear sound. I was impressed.
In the back the unit plugs into the Wireless Controller tabs. That had me worried, but they were smart enough to incorporate tabs on the back of the monitor unit so you could still use your Wireless adapter. It mounts directly onto the back of the monitor in almost the same place. Cool!!
Documentation is lacking. I was more concerned with the lack of product promotion. Everyone has seen this screen, but their is never any detail. Nobody wants to spend $175 bones for something they can't tell how it works. Their are no screen shots on the web of the back of the unit, how it attaches, the specifications of the display, power adapter pictures, simulated screen shots, installation guides, or general documentation readily availible for this product. You have to buy this item and open the box to really learn anything about it. You won't even find any good reviews about this product. WTF?? Intec needs to step to the plate and follow thru with this product as it is amazing.
The menu for the monitor needs more regular tunung options. This is a monitor, period, so they need to include standard menu items as such. The power adapter cord could be longer, but it will do.
I bought this monitor to play when I travel. It is not heavy, has a great picture, and looks to be of solid construction. It has lived up to what I had expected.
Intec needs to do their part and follow thru with normal manufacturing practices. They can't just make a good product, they need to promote it as well.
Damon Downing
Damon1974 | video-games_xbox |
Breaking Open 10,000 Zombie Piatas on a Tropical Island. I've never seen so many ugly women in bikinis in my life.
Concept: 7/10
Take your average open ended RPG and swap out warriors and monsters with survivors and zombies. To advance the story, you get quests from characters, complete them, and get rewarded. The quests range from driving to the gas station, filling some gas cans, and bringing them back, to heading into a dangerous area and exterminating the zombies, to locating missing survivors. As you kill zombies and complete quests, you gain XP. When you get enough points, you go up in level and are awarded more HP and 1 Skill Point. Each character has 3 skill trees and you use your Skill Points to unlock new abilities and stat bonuses.
Story: 7/10
On a resort, you wake up after a drunken night of partying to find out that the zombie apocalypse happened. For some reason, you are immune to the virus, so a simple zombie bite won't kill you. This makes you incredibly valuable to the bands of survivors and they'll reward you if you help them. You and the other survivors band together to battle the hordes of undead and get off the island.
World: 8/10
The world is pretty huge. Luckily, Dead Island has sprinting, vehicles, and fast travel, where you can teleport from safe house to safe house. There are packs of zombies every 50 meters or so and there's loot everywhere. The loot also replenishes itself over time. So, if you go to an area, loot 10 boxes worth of stuff, and come back later, you can do it again. The pacing of the game feels a lot like Borderlands. Fight, Loot, Fight, Loot, Fight, Loot, repeat. It does get a little tedious towards the end because there isn't much variation with the enemies and the enemies level up with you. When you are level 17, every enemy and weapon in the world is close to level 17.
Combat: 7/10
Dead Island has interesting combat. Every zombie in the game is dangerous. This isn't the type of game where you can mow down 50 zombies without getting a scratch. For the first 60% of the game, you're going to be armed with a melee weapon like a cleaver, hammer, machete, axe, oar... And you're going to swing it a lot. It starts to feel like you're smashing open 10,000 zombie piatas.
Both you and the zombies have a health bar and a stamina bar. If anyone's health reaches zero, they're dead. When you die, you lose 10% of your cash and respawn about 10 seconds later in the same area. If a human or zombie's stamina reaches zero, they cannot attack and if they are hit, they get knocked to the ground. Running, Jumping, Kicking, attacking all reduce your stamina. And swinging heavy objects like a sledgehammer reduce your stamina more. If you don't do anything that requires stamina (running, jumping, attacking) it will quickly refill after a few seconds. (Kind of like the Shields in Halo)
The stamina bar really forces players to make meaningful decisions. If you're wounded and five zombies come running at you, you may want to run. But if you use up all of your stamina running, and the zombies catch you, you won't be able to fight them off. If you can't get to safety, your best bet is to find a defensible position like a doorway or hallway and fight them off.
The weapons you find have 4 stats. Damage, Force, Handling, and Durability.
Damage: How much damage it does to the enemy's health
Force: This is how much damage it does to the enemy's stamina and weapons with a lot of force will cripple or dismember enemy limbs. An axe can lop off an arm, and a hammer can break bones. A zombie with two broken arms can't swipe at you, but it can still bite at very close range.
Handling: The easier a weapon is to handle, the less stamina it takes to wield it. So you can slash with a knife about 40 times, but you can only swing a giant hammer about 6 times before you tire out.
Durablity: This defines how many times you can use the weapon before it breaks. Each hit drains some of the weapon's condition and when it's low, the weapon becomes less effective.
The world is full of weapons and like other action RPG's some are much more powerful than others. Every weapon can be upgraded 4 times, giving stat boosts.
Dead Island also features a crafting system where you can modify your weapons. Attach a battery to a blade and it can shock enemies. Wrap barbed wire around a baseball bat and you'll cause bleeding damage. The world is full of items and they're pretty easy to get. The amount of items in your inventory is capped. (So, you can't carry 5000 batteries) You can only carry a few of each item, so if you do use duct tape, wires, a battery, and lighter fluid and use them to modify a weapon, you'll have to explore to find more.
There is no blocking in the game. You can only leap to the side to evade. If a zombie charges you, you can also try to kick it to knock it off balance, then deliver a deadly blow with one of your weapons.
You can carry 8 weapons at a time, and select them by holding RB and using the analog stick to highlight one of them.
There are also firearms in the game. Pistols, Shotguns, Machine Guns, Grenades, Molotov Cocktails... But these are rare and ammo is scarce.
Co-op: 9/10
The Co-op is seamless! If another player is playing their game and they are about the same level as you around the same area, you can see them in your game. With the push of a button, you can link up and play Cooperatively. Up to 4 players can join.
This is a pretty hard game, but when another player joins, the zombies don't get any tougher. So, playing with friends... or strangers... makes the game much easier. You can also trade items with other players, too.
You can drop out at any time as well and go back to your single player game without losing anything.
If you just want to play by yourself, you can set the Game Mode to Private in your Options Screen.
Loot: 8/10
The game world is full of loot! Instead of treasure chests, there are crates and luggage all over the place. You'll find cash, crafting items, and the occasional weapon. All of these things are useful. And you can sell them back to vendors for extra cash.
Your cash in the game is used to buy items and weapons. It's mainly used to upkeep, modify, and improve your weapons.
Level Up: 6/10
When you level up in the game, you get more Health and you get a Skill Point. There are 4 Playable Characters each with their own set of three unique Skill Trees. Most of the skills are damage boosts or damage type increases, but they're all helpful. You might unlock a stomp attack, +10% stamina, +2% critical strike with sharp weapons, etc.
Graphics: 7/10
There are loads of zombies on a tropical island. The game doesn't look bad, but it doesn't look quite right. The scenery and characters look a bit rubbery.
Sound: 6/10
The voice acting is average. The sound effects are pretty good. The music is a bit depressing, but sets up the gloomy atmosphere.
Replay Value: 6/10
It takes about 25-60 hours to finish this game, depending on how many side quests you do and how much you explore. After you finish the story, you can start over with the same character and keep your stats, or you can play as one of the other three characters. They are all a bit similar because you can only do so much with "survivor with hammer" rather than fighter, mage, rogue, ranger, cleric, etc... And after smacking zombies in the face with hammers for 50 hours, you feel done.
Maturity: Very M
This is a gory violent game with adult themes and a dark story.
Overall: 7.5/10
If you want the gameplay of a typical medieval RPG, but with zombies, and the kill, loot, kill, loot, pacing of Borderlands, then this is your game. The combat is interesting, the loot tables are rewarding, and the skill trees are meaningful. The main problem is:
You can only hit zombies in the face with a hammer for so many hours before it starts to feel repetitive. This is a good game, but it lacks the variety of a medieval RPG with different character types, deep lore, and a menagerie of monsters.
Buy it if you like the idea of a Borderlands with predominantly melee weapons.
Buy it if you can't get enough of hitting zombies in the face with hammers.
Buy it if you like seamless Co-op play.
Rent it if you have about 30-50 hours.
Avoid it if you like variety or high fantasy in your RPG's.
Avoid it if you don't like dark games.
Avoid it if you don't like games where the world levels up with you.
If you enjoyed this game, you'll like Borderlands; there's much more variety and loads of guns. If you want to kill zombies with friends, Left 4 Dead 2 or Dead Space 2 are good. If you want to slay things with swords in an open ended world, be sure to check out Oblivion, Skyrim, or Dragon's Dogma. | video-games_xbox |
Stunning RPG with few shortcomings. Bioware has always made great RPGs across multiple gaming systems. This one is no exception. Many compare it to KOTOR, but I don't have the luxury of playing that game. Even without comparison, this is still a well-written, well-presented RPG with only a few small shortcomings.
The world is large and well-detailed, as are the characters presented within. There are multiple options for dialogue (standard replies and use of skills to influence decisions), and character interaction features several famous voiceovers. The main storyline is extensive, and the side-quests available expand gameplay even further.
Character creation and evolution is simple. There's three attributes; you can either start with a template character or custom-create one. Once you're levelling up within the game, you choose points in the three stats and your available fighting techniques learned through the game. A choice of a dozen followers earned through the game can enhance these attributes.
The story is very addicting. Subquests help flavor the storyline further, but aren't necessary to complete the main storyline, which contains its share of predictable and unpredictable plot turns. While there are two ways to play the game (good or evil, referred to as Open Palm or Closed Fist), there is little difference in the outcome and very little else affected by this choice.
The battle system is flashy and easy to understand. There are multiple difficulty levels, catering to play styles that are either story-intensive or battle-intensive. Techniques are learned that increase your range of abilities, and quick-change and combo systems provide for lots to master.
Overall, despite the few shortcomings, I blazed through this game quickly, unable to put it down. The story, graphics, and music all played to make this a great experience, and replayability is still high even after the game's complete. | video-games_xbox |
Let's Clarify. I had never played this game on the PC or XBox 360 before I purchased it, so I was definitely apprehensive. I asked around and none of my friends had played either format, so no help there! They were, however, playing WoW and described the game to me, how the monthly fees work, etc.
After watching one of my friends play for two hours straight in a large party of characters defeating one of the "bosses", I thought it may be something I'd enjoy to consume time or maybe just get into.
The reason I bought this game is due to my interest in FF since the games were first introduced on Nintendo - loved them! To me, being a part of the world I had been so interested in years ago seemed pretty cool. After purchasing this game I liked it so much that I went out and purchased the PC version so I can play on a laptop when I'm away from home.
If you are thinking about buying this game, please let me provide you with simple advice:
1. This is NOT a "hack-n-slash" game where your only objective is to kill monsters. There are skill progressions, sub jobs, advanced jobs, crafts and plenty of missions and quests to keep you busy for a LONG LONG time.
2. Yes, there are online fees for FFXI. It's on the back of the box stated clearly. Do you HAVE to get an XBox Live Gold account? NO! Silver members also get to play but only have to pay the fee for the FFXI server.
3. So what's the complaint about $13.00/month to get updates, play with thousands of other people and have great support from Sqare Enix (who also deals with cheaters) and be able to play with an XBox Live Silver account? You'll hear none from me!
3. The graphics aren't superb like the newer game titles, but it was released in 2003! What do you guys expect? I appreciate the difference in HDTV format and updated sound enough to play it on the 360.
4. I didn't know that a USB keyboard was required to play the game, but the set I bought for my PC worked fine when plugged into the USB port on the console.
5. I've been playing for two months now and have made hundreds of online acquaintences from other countries and have enjoyed the tatics used to play the game. I plan on making it a mainstay in my free-time.
P.S. - If you don't have enough intellect or are too young to play Age of Empires or other in-depth stragegy games, I wouldn't suggest this game to you as it's not "easy". | video-games_xbox |
A game worth playing. For awhile I was on nothing but destiny. I still love it. However I swayed away because I needed the change, and variety is important. I started with Dying light, side note here is that if you like a zombie game go get dying light right now. I loved the sh** out of that game. Could've been a bit longer.. I personally got rid of it after completion because I won't wait for or purchase "add on" garbage. because that's all it is.
Back to this game.
Graphically 4/5 I think theres some parts they could've improved but overall it's rather good. the system runs a little rough here and there, but It hasn't effected or bothered my game play yet. The classes are fun to be part of although I immediately changed my classes after getting through the first part with one class. If you've played DA in the past this is essentially a must have to feel complete.
The story is huge and i'm constantly picking up a new quest here and there while trying to complete another one for some fool who can't carry a sword to protect themselves.
I haven't even came to killing a dragon yet (although one killed me because I walked up on its roost and spooked it) and I'm already immersed in and loving this game. The more you get into this game the stronger it will hold you. There's endless areas to explore, things to collect, and evil doers to slay.
The menu system I think could've used a little bit of work as well, although i have grown more used to it. I get a bit mixed up gearing up all 4 of my characters at once trying to remember which one wears what can be stressful. however once you get past the rush style life we're used to and pay attention to what you have, one can carefully plan a magic defense, distance, or CQC defense depending on what area you're coming up on to attack.
I did do this game as a download through xbox live i'm not sure if the disk is any different but something I do love is that I turn on my xbox, watch some netflix or something and when I go back to the game it's loaded where I left, no boot up or anything, simply constantly ready. It's rather nice. It's made doing whatever I want or need to do easy and seamless to switch back to my game.
I've yet to get through the first map that i scouted a town at initially... i foresee many travels in my future. If you're up for a relax, tactical, strategic based game in which you can manage a few different classes at one time, watch reviews, see a twitch, check some youtube, and pick it up. this is NOT a fast paced game in any way. | video-games_xbox |
Dead Rising Has Fallen. I've been playing this series since it first came out, I've played each game, repetitively, so trust me on this review. As I'm sure any DR fan knows, the series was sold after the 2nd release, so 3 and 4 came from a team of new designers, 3 was a little varied from the original plot and series, but was very recognizable to the original format. DR4 shouldn't even be considered part of the series. Whereas before, you were timed which was a major part of the game originality and what was desirable about it, it was a time management/free play/shooter game all in one, which was part of what made the series so addicting. The maps were big but recognizable and easy to learn after logging a few hours on it, this map is similar to a GTA map. It's huge and not friendly to play with. The survivors no longer have stories, you don't take them anywhere, all you do is beat up zombies and they run away. The zombies are also different from the series, as these are much faster, aggressive, and hoarded thickly, which can make doing even fast tasks very irritating, it's a cluster F&$K 24/7. It's much much more structured as far as where you travel and how you can get there, so the free play part has been scaled back as well, and now there is auto saving and no having to save in the bathroom, which was also nice because you could save where you wanted to. All the great elements about this game are gone, and now that we've covered all the fundamental problems, let's get to the CONSTANT glitching. CONSTANT. At this very moment, I'm playing through it for the 3rd time and I'm fighting the last boss, and it's glitched, so I cannot finish the game. I literally have to turn it off and do the battle all over again, because each time I've played through it, and it's been out a while now, I have several glitches. I've missed 3 maniac challenges because I show up after being alerted and nothing happens. Literally the boss doesn't show up to the fight, which means I cannot get the credit for fighting them, although petty much all of the maniacs are optional, which sucks as well, I liked the time limits in the previous games. All in all, I'd wait for a formal apology from Capcom and a revamping of the software before purchasing and if you were a loyal player of the series be prepared to be disappointed severely. They've taken the game stripped it of everything that made it DR, and turned it into a copy of every other game on the market. Severely disappointed with my purchase. | video-games_xbox |
Nice comfortable wireless headphones however they are heavy. The PDP Afterglow wireless headphones come packaged in a nice Xbox One branded box. Inside the box are the headphones themselves which come protected in a cardboard molded packaging, a small packet containing instructions and two chords, one to connect to the Xbox One controller and a standard 3.5mm jack for connecting to other audio devices like iPad, stereo etc.
The headphones themselves, once out the packaging, look very plasticy however the build quality on them appears to be very good.
The adjustable headband has plenty of padding and are comfortable to wear. The ear pieces also have plenty of padding making them comfortable on the ears. These are not however noise cancelling earphones and when you have them on you can still hear ambient noise quite easily.
Tucked inside the left hand ear piece you have a retractable microphone. This is a neat touch since you can simply slide it back inside its housing when you don't need it. The microphone is also adjustable so you can easily just bend it into place without harming it. The microphone, unlike the ear pieces, is noise cancelling and works very well in games to reduce ambient noise.
The ear pieces themselves light up a pale blue. In daylight the light isn't that strong but in a darkened room they are actually fairly bright. Unfortunately this can have an accidental side effect in that if the room is dark, you can actually get a reflection off the ear pieces in your television/Monitor. Luckily there is a little switch on the Xbox connector so that you can turn off the lights in the ear pieces should you want to. I can see this being an attraction to the younger gamer.
The sound quality from the headphones is quite good. It's not the best I've heard but it does have nice bass and the treble isn't tinny. The headphones give a nice round sound although whilst playing on the Xbox it tends to lean a lot towards the bass. Whilst testing these out listening to songs on my iPad, although the headphones are bass heavy, you can easily adjust the tonal range by selecting a different preset equalizer.
The headphones however have fairly major disadvantage to them, they are heavy. Although very comfortable to wear, after roughly an hours gaming with them I found that I was starting to get a sore neck, which inevitably led to getting a headache. So, for me at least, I couldn't wear these for a long time.
One other thing I would like to see, and some manufacturers like Turtle Beach do this, is bass and treble controls on the Xbox connector so that you can adjust the sound balance to suit as these are fairly bass heavy.
Overall a nice comfortable wireless Xbox headset however heavy and fairly bass heavy. | video-games_xbox |
Eh... it's okay... I guess. The game itself was beautiful, polished, and very pretty. Graphics, while astounding far away, were somewhat lacking up close. If you happened to get real close up into someone's face or looking at their person, there was... well... a lack of detail. I'd still give em a 4 out of 5 though.
The gameplay was fast paced, but choppy. Major cutscene action which couldn't be skipped... I mean, who does that? ...forces you to sit through crappy video-game dialogue and backstory? Boo.
The actual game itself was pretty GTA style. You could run through the cities (i think there were five of them), and free-run around, off, and on top of the buildlings. You could also climb on virtually anything, as long as there was something to grab. There were side-missions to complete, like collecting flags, saving citizens, and hitting up sync points. But mainly it was a linear mission style game. You could skip the side stuff and just go for the plot oriented stuff, but personally I liked saving citizens. Feeds my ego. Yum.
That brings me to the plot, which was predictable, but still entertaining. My complaint being that it took so long to get to where it was going, that by the time you get there it's obvious what's going to happen. They shoulda totally took a cue from Silent Hill and switched things up a bit.
I'll give them props for the combat, it was fun. However there's no variety in the weapons, and the combo system, while neat, should yield wayyyy more options. Esp for something on top of the line systems. I don't get why the game kept getting pushed back, it overall it's unfinished. They lack upgrades, items, and special abilities. These are basic components of any adventure style game. Take Ninja Gaiden for example, Resident Evil, or Devil May Cry for another.
All in all I don't know what all the fuss is about. The game looks great, but that's all. It lacks content, and that's what makes a game, country, or human matter.
My Grade: C+ | video-games_xbox |
Good cable, no digital audio without 100X. This is a quality cable, and unlike some of the other reviews, I have had no problem with the tightness of the connections. They're tight, but not overly so. The tightness is necessary in a good cable, it provides a solid connection. Especially on the shield area, that prevents RF interference. While I would not pay full "Monster Cable" price for it, for $10, it's a steal.
However, the cable does not come with digital audio capabilities. It does have a Mini-TOSLINK jack on the XBox side of the cable, however you will need to buy both a Mini-TOSLINK adapter as well as a normal optical cable to connect it to a digital audio stereo system. The Monster "<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Xbox-100X-Fiber-Optic-Cable/dp/B00005TN7V/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Xbox 100X Fiber Optic Cable</a>" comes with both of these and is 10' long as well. These can be found cheap-ish, if you look around. Try Radio Shack for the best deal on that cable.
Once connected, this cable does support DTS and AC3 and Dolby Digital on a regular XBox. Especially with XBMC running, the audio quality is superb and switches exactly as necessary.
The cable will provide up to 720p or 1080i output, as the original XBox cannot really go any higher without CPU replacement. It's simply not fast enough. WITH the CPU replacement, the cable has no problems with 1080p, if you have a TV that can accept 1080p on the component connection. Good luck finding that though.
In other words, if 1080p is a must-have, look elsewhere. If digital-audio is required, expect to buy another cable along with this one. But for a normal XBox (perhaps running XBMC), and a normal HDTV (which can't do 1080p on the component inputs), this is a perfect cable. The build quality is superb, and while you're paying slightly extra for the Monster brand-name, the XBox is now dated enough to get this cable on the cheap and it's very worth it. | video-games_xbox |
A shockingly bad game, even when played as intended. I remember when I first saw Brink. It looked amazing, even a year and a half before release. Conceptually it looked awesome... when I saw it released to extremely poor reviews, I was disappointed and surprised. Then, I saw that the developer/publisher released DLC for FREE for the first two weeks of August, in order to try and get more people to play, because nobody is. They also did that as an apology for the poor saps who bought the game, and I am serious about that, not exaggerating or making that up whatsoever. Now, a mere THREE months after initial release, it is only 12$! 60$ to 12$ in three months!? If that that is not a sure sign of a bad game I don't know what is, but I was deceived by SOME positive user reviews and an extremely low price tag (as well as my own naivety) and bought it anyway. Boy was that a bad idea. }:(
Brink DOES do a couple of things well. Here they are:
- A ton of customization that really feels like there are infinite choices to shaping your character's appearance, weaponry, body type, and class.
- Pretty cool music, when the audio isn't completely glitching out.
- The story concept is very unique, and pretty cool. It's decent <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Waterworldish/dp/0783219857/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Waterworldish</a> post-apocalyptic sci-fi, and I liked it quite a bit. However, ONLY the concept is good about the story.
- The art design matches the story CONCEPT well, meaning it is very unique, and overall it's pretty decent sci fi fare, if not boring and repetitive because there's two different types of environments. Variety is not a strength here.
Pretty much everything else sucks, terribly, which is very tragic, because *conceptually*, Brink has a ton going for it. Objection based 16-player matchmaking in such an interesting sci-fi apocalyptic setting sounds amazing, but... well... here's the bad, specifically:
- The AI is the worst I have ever encountered this generation. Either it's WAY too easy, OR, more likely, your teammates are completely idiotic morons who love to swan dive directly into headshots more gracefully than an Olympic synchronized swimming team. Opposite this team of fairies is a team of ultra SWAT commandos who also happen to have part-time jobs as Master Chief's stunt doubles. They're invincible, sharpshooting marksmen with brilliant neurosurgeon medics, super effective spy operatives, or rocket science engineers. You on the other hand, have a team that arrives on the short bus who die immediately or wonder around nowhere near anything important the entire drudge of a match. It's so frustrating. Now here's an argument to those jerks who say only unskilled players hate this game: I would like to point out that I play shooters fairly often. Not enough to be a MLG gamer, mind you, and not a TON of multiplayer, but I still consider myself a pretty decent gamer. I play video games a lot, and I find the game unplayable. So there.
- What makes my preceding point about atrocious bot AI worse is that, because this game sucks, nobody ever plays it so you'll end up with AI bots way more often than not. In my time playing the game, I was lucky if I had ONE other player with me in a match. Let's do some math: 1(me)+ 1 other person = 2 actual people playing in a supposedly SIXTEEN-player match... Remember, this is supposed to be a 100% MULTI-PLAYER GAME! GAH!!!
- Even if a match has as little as two people, the lag is so bad at times it is unplayable. I'm not kidding. With more, just say goodbye to any meaningful gameplay whatsoever, as if that was there to begin with (It's OK, you can pretend there was, if it makes you feel better).
- The level and mission design is horrendous. This is how a game of Brink will often play out: You have 12 minutes to blow up a door, so you die, then respawn way on the other side of the map, then you run for thirty seconds to get to the objective, die, respawn, then run for 30 seconds, actually plant a charge on the door, get shot and killed along all seven other members of your team by two enemy bots, the enemy undoes what you just accomplished, respawn, run, die, respawn, run, die.... *vomits*... well, you get the idea. It's this cycle ad nauseum for the duration of the time limit until it's over and you lose. OR you win within two minutes and it's not fun that way either. Talk about incredible frustration. It's a joke. Levels are designed where you're directed into choke-points directly in the line of sight of protected enemies.
- The "SMART" system which was supposed to take an awesome game, <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Mirror-s-Edge/dp/B00149PCAO/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Mirror's Edge</a>, and shove it down Brink's throat. It's an awesome idea. It's terribly implemented. You can't tell what is traversable, and more often than not, it fails and you're left stumbling around, probably getting shot.
- The story is awesome, in premise. In execution, it's nonexistent, and the "small touches" like all the characters yelling out what they're going to do like a bunch of annoying Rastafarian rebels is really obnoxious. Ugh.
- The sound, in my copy anyway, glitched out constantly. I was terrified that my new <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/ASTRO-A40s/dp/B004N7HSGU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">ASTRO A40s</a> were actually broken inside. No, they're fine (and awesome). This piece of trash is what's broken, in yet ANOTHER way.
- On one map, I stopped and waited for, wait for this, TEN ENTIRE SECONDS for the graphical textures to pop in... still with me? Ok, well, I paused and another FIVE SECONDS LATER, MORE detail popped into place. Remember I haven't moved this entire time. I waited to see another layer pop in, but it never did. Do you know why I kept waiting? Because they were fully loaded, but still looked to be one or two layers away from today's generation graphics. The art design is decent, if not boring and repetitive, but the graphical implementation of them is shockingly bad!
Seriously, I cannot word strongly enough how tragic this game is. It had so much potential, but fails so utterly in every possible way that it is downright irredeemable. I will say this, if this game actually HAD players on it, it MAY be a two-star game. However, you can't even experience that because nobody likes this game and so there are no other players to game with. A real shame. What I'm wondering is how in the H-E-doublehockeysticks did this go through both Splash Damage AND Bethesda without somebody noticing the glaring flaws. This game is truly a travesty to gaming everywhere. I am shocked this released. It needed another year or two, at least, to bring it up to today's standards. Too bad. I also must point out that I NEVER write such negative reviews of anything on here. I always try to put every commonly perceived flaw into context to make it a little more understandable. I literally cannot do that with this garbage. It's beyond redemption. 1-star game, and while it's not THEE worst game ever, it is the worst one I've personally played in a long while.
This game deserves nothing more than a funeral in my toilet, along with other materials you typically flush down the John, because that is what this game is... avoid it like the stinking, fly-ridden pile it is, seriously!
Edit: A month after writing this review, the game is now $9.99 NEW, and $6 USED! It is literally 1/6th the price it released at new, and 1/10th(!) if you get it used. That is a massive depreciation in value over the pathetic time frame of just five months... I am shocked... but then again, I shouldn't be, considering how bad this game is. Honestly friends, I'm just trying to spare you the agony this game will put you through, as well as save your wallet some funds for when the real games come out this Holiday season. The dramatic price drop should be the final nail in the coffin you need. Frankly, Brink SHOULD be $1 new, and Bethesda should PAY YOU money to get it used. | video-games_xbox |
One of the Best & Misunderstood Re-Boots in years (Now $21.00) Great Price Point. DMC The Definitive edition is a must own to add to any XBOne Collection
I payed the original $39.99 srp on it's original street date mostly cause i love this game
The Upgraded version is the way to go it runs at a smooth 1080p HD 60fps has all the DLC from the previous gen.
It's a real deal upgraded version (Once again if you play DMC on the 360 then play it on the XOne the 360 show it's age quickly)
This is without a doubt worth every penny now at the $21.00 price tag it's a steal
this ain't no upscale like Activision did with there so-called re-release of Prototype 1 & 2 that was put on PS4 and XBOne a few months ago
This is real and legit
DMC Devil May Cry is either loved or hated in the gaming community
which i never understood since gamer's c/o non stop of lack of anything different or fresh
Then when it comes around and it's to different gamer's reject it
Escape Dead Island and DMC Devil May Cry are two of these titles that come to mind that tried to be outside the box
Not enough people could just keep a open mind and support stuff like this
I could never get into the previous Devil May Cry titles but, this one is just so ambitious and unique and dare i say it risky
lots of people hated the new makeover given to Dante
I think it works for this more Dark and crafted game (I wish we got the full junkie looking Dante in all the pre-game press release info
But, gamer's freaked over those pics and we never could get the "Original" DMC David Bowie Dante
Everything about this game works cause it's self aware
If you mixed elements from They Live with Hellraiser you'd get DMC
The story has such a whip smart social commentary about "us" being asleep by Mass media aka TV (Products example= energy drinks)
who is behind all of it demons lead by the devil
One of the top general's in this arm of Hell is pretending in our world to be a right wing conservative talk show host (think Fox News)
and this New Network puts out misinformation to the general public...... all this stuff is flat out brilliant writing
It also has some of the most over the top crazy boss battles in any games
One Boss Battle you are Battling a Pregnant demon and her unborn demon fetus and it's Crazy!!!!
I wish it gained media traction for some of the content (I'm shocked nobody came out the wood work and used this title for Banning videos games) I'm surprised FOX News never tried to go after this title for brain washing the country
The less you know about the story the better mostly cause the story is really good and enjoyable
To bad so many people judge this game so poorly for being to ambitious and unique for it's own good...............
The controls are spot on like the 360 version
once you get the hang of the combat and movement they are solid controls
It's a hack and slash mixed with gun play!
Game play
the biggest draw back with this game is the difficulty! Once you get to the half way point it gets hard but, you do get weapon upgrades, abilities, etc.
Even if you never could get into the other Devil May Cry games play this it's insanely good in every way it's a stand alone title that outshines the other games imo
I'm still to this day amazed this version got a M cause it really walks this thin line
10-15 years ago it would've been labeled Adult by the ESRB
But, let's be honest in 2015 there are on the take and get a little payola to look the other way I'm sure
This is the best Capcom title for the XBOne Besides Dead Rising 3 IMO 9.8/10 | video-games_xbox |
Falls Apart by the Third Act. Spoilers (but you probably know them already)
Silent Hill: Homecoming starts off with a different take on the Silent Hill mythos similar to the underrated 4: The Room, and I thought it worked pretty well. The story is in tradition of slowly being fed to the player over time, and it's interesting and fresh (until about the half-mark). Let's go over each aspect of this game than shall we?
-Graphics: Not that graphics are a very important factor the graphics in Homecoming are alright, the atmosphere's done well and the monsters are pretty vivid, however the facial animations are a joke, as Alex Shepard looks like he has down syndrome and has a gaping slack-jaw drooling all over the place. The other facial animations aren't much better, I could've sworn Curtis' eyebrows popped out of his face more than once in the junkyard scene. The animators should stick to monsters only.
-Gameplay: Ehhh, it's mixed. At first Homecoming's combat is pretty intense and gruesomely visceral, but after you play Homecoming for awhile if you have a good reaction you get to know which monsters you need which weapon for, how to avoid them, and the fights get predictable. This leads me to my title point, around the halfway mark Homecoming starts to fall apart.
-Bosses: There's a few bosses in here, which would seem like a dumb move since they'd all be like Resident Evil bosses, but I think they pulled this part off pretty well. Each boss is unique and disturbing and they're usually pretty hard to kill. They also had a nice tie in to the story and were one of the highlights of Homecoming for me.
-The Monsters: They were pretty good in this, I especially like the Schisms (axe-heads), but a lot of the monsters just seemed like monsters for no reason, instead of being physical manifestations of the character's inner demons. Like the smog and the nurses, sure there are some far-fetched explanations on the web for their meaning, but in the end of the day the mosnters are creepy looking, but they're not really disturbing like the Abstract Daddies from 2 that represented incestual rape (seriously just google what they look like right now). So while the monster designs are kinda creepy and cool it's crystal clear that the designers didn't put much thought into their relation with Alex's psyche and the town's tainted history. Which leads me to the biggest problem of Homecoming.
-The Town: It was ballsy of Team Silent to take it out of Silent Hill for a change, but Silent Hill is always best when it's someone's personal struggle, not a bunch of evil people. When you make it a bunch of people Silent Hill loses it's sense of dread and atmosphere and just turns into standard horror movie fare, this is especially evident in the last hour of the game. So when you imagine the previous Silent Hill games do you imagine being tied down to a chair getting tortured and having to press "X" a bunch of times to escape? Well it's part of Silent Hill's history now, I really wanted to be forgiving for the new American developers but the whole torture aspect just goes to show that most American's think because something's gorey and violent instanlty makes it scary. WRONG! WRONG YOU IDIOTS! FIGHTING A GUY WHO'S HOLDING A BUZZSAW ISN'T SCARY! Biggest f*** up in Silent Hill's history was putting torture into an atmospheric horror game.
-Voice Acting: Say what you will about the first couple of Silent Hills, the voice acting was pretty bad, especially for 3. Everyone always speaks ambigiously and it just comes off like they're high, so it's a bit of an improvement in Homecoming and all the chacters were pretty interesting and unique (except Token Black Policeman of course), so that was a good strong point.
Overall Homecoming had a great start to it, a new town, new areas to explore, the Apartment complex was probably one of my favorite levels in all of Silent Hill, but it looks like the writers started struggling for ideas by the third act and resorted to torture porn. Shame too, because you can see some signs of potential in Homecoming, but it really falls into some grey void where it almost wants to be some horror action game like Resident Evil, but it also wants to stay true to it's roots of Japanese atmospherical horror, so Homecoming comes off as a pretty strange and unique experience on it's own. | video-games_xbox |
The guy on YouTube made it look so easy. I ordered these because a button on my Xbox One controller was sticking and causing me to lose several online multiplayer matches. It was the strangest thing, even when I would not have issues with the sticking button the controller still somehow managed to cause the xbox console to assign me terrible multiplayer partners.. I'd play my hardest, but through no fault of my own, we'd still end up losing by several points at the end of the match. I had to do something! (Youtube to the rescue).
The guy in the video had mentioned what type of screwdrivers I would need to open my controller, so I ordered these. I wanted to find a set that was reasonably priced but also looked like decent enough quality to get the job done. These screwdrivers are sturdy and comfortable in the hand. The included "plastic prying tools" also work very well, so that's a plus. What the product description failed to mention was that I would have extra pieces left over after I put the controller back together. There was one small screw, an "x button" that I don't recognize and what can only be described as the "twist tie" that you take off to open a new loaf of bread. I'm not sure if this is by design or not, but it would be nice to know beforehand. I honestly would have given this five stars if the product was smart enough to fix the controller by itself, but hey, you get what you pay for I guess.
So I highly recommend these screwdrivers. If you're an MLG gamer like myself (git gud skrubz), an electronics hobbyist or a NASA engineer looking for a challenge, buy these screwdrivers. They'll let you open your controller and fix any issues that are occurring on the inside. They're decent quality and come with extra tools to make the job easier. 4 Stars!
Also, slap that subscribe button or whatever. And, follow me on Twitch..And, donate on Patreon. I'll talk to ya'll on Discord. Thanks for watching Guyz. See you in the next one. | video-games_xbox |
DO NOT BUY DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT. Do not buy the maps, period. As I understand it, you are matched to other xbox live players based on what maps you have, and if few people have the same exact combinations of maps you have, you don't get to play. I downloaded two of the map packs and I have not been able to play without an extreme delay since. I was able to play one 5 minute round in 3 hours between 9am and 12 noon. 3 HOURS, 1 FIVE MINUTE ROUND! I waited one and a half hours just to play, not because I really wanted to play, but to see just how long I would be asked to wait. I'm insulted they would take money for that. It's clearly unacceptable. I would not download them even for free.
Aside from the DLC, the game has many hackers. I have once had a player describe the clothes I was wearing by watching me through my Kinect. White underwear and colored t-shirt. Embarrassing. Unless you're going to hack too, you're not going to win very often.
Sniper rifles do not act like rifles, but more like a sword. You simply swipe across the screen and kill whatever you swipe across. Not very enjoyable, but it works.
Lag. Unless you are the "host" of an online game, you're not going to aim at what you are trying to hit. Rather, try to predict where the target will be and whatever time you expect it to be there. This timing varies from game to game and you likely won't get a feel for the lag time until the game is almost over.
The zombies mini-game is fun but has it's problems too. If you start with 4 players and 3 of them quit, it seems that you're game is 400% more difficult. The game assumes you still have 4 players and sends out full wave attacks rather than the 25% you would have had if you started a 1 player game. Rarely do all 4 players end the game together.
All in all, I think this game was developed for the wrong reasons. It's more like an app that taunts you into buying stuff, not good or useful stuff, just stuff. Old Call of Duty games get my approval. This one does not. | video-games_xbox |
5 star for young kids, zero for nine. Two player mindless fun, a great game for kids under 6, then deduct one star for every year over 4 the child is.
For an nine year old I give this game zero stars.
Its easy fun cutesy game, play with your kid!
Update 7-20-2014
Must get kids games:
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Cloudy-with-a-Chance-of-Meatballs-Xbox-360/dp/B00242KDA4/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - Xbox 360</a> (3-6 year old, 2 player, easy and fun)
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Toy-Story-3-The-Video-Game-Playstation-3/dp/B0038MUCPK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Toy Story 3 The Video Game - Playstation 3</a> (3-9 year old+, 2 player, FPS for kids)
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Rio-Xbox-360/dp/B004NB1C54/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Rio - Xbox 360</a> (3-9 year old+, 4 player, 30+ Party games for kids)
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Lego-Batman/dp/B000ZKBJY6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Lego Batman</a> (3-7 year old+, 2 player, puzzler, 3rd person shooter)
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Disney-Universe-Xbox-360/dp/B0051875OU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Disney Universe - Xbox 360</a> (4-10 year olds, 4 player, fast action w/mini games, pure arcade play)
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Rayman-Origins-Xbox-360/dp/B0050SYAQ2/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Rayman Origins - Xbox 360</a> (4-9 year old, 4 player, arcade side scroll er)
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/LEGO-Batman-2-DC-Super-Heroes-Xbox-360/dp/B006ZPAYGE/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes - Xbox 360</a> (4-9 year old+, 2 player, huge world, action-adventure, younger kids need older player)
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/LEGO-Pirates-of-the-Caribbean-Xbox-360/dp/B003O6E7O2/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean - Xbox 360</a> (4-12 year olds, 2 player, nice variety of puzzle-gameplay, younger kids need older player)
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/LEGO-Star-Wars-III-The-Clone-Wars-Xbox-360/dp/B0037UCTCW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">LEGO Star Wars III The Clone Wars - Xbox 360</a> (5-9 year old+, 2 player, RTS game for kids)
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Lego-Marvel-Super-Heroes/dp/B00B98HF1O/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Lego: Marvel Super Heroes</a> (5-14 year olds, 2 player, younger players need to play with older player to navigate world, gameplay fan-tastic, low puzzles)
LEGO Lord of the Rings - Xbox 360 (6-14 year olds, 2 player, my son at 5 struggles but can play with heavy guidance from me, fun game, dad approved, low puzzles)
Minecraft - Xbox 360 (6-17 year olds, 2 player (can be large multiplayer) creative gameplay)
Rest of Lego games are all worth playing, if it wasn't for lego games XBOX would be a vast wasteland for kids under age 8. :) | video-games_xbox |
Tons of fun, stands up to the newer games still. I'll try not to repeat too much of what has already been said about this game and get right to the point:
This is without a doubt one of the best made for multiplayer FPS (first person shooter) games ever made for online "live" gaming with other players.
Why? Because:
- The controls are simplistic enough for anyone to learn. There are no complicated button combinations to remember, and you don't need to spend 50 hours studying it just to choose how you want to enter a game.
- The multiplayer interface on Xbox Live is perfect as far as I'm concerned - it's fast (there are no long waits for finding servers, no long load-times), and it is simple / straight-forward.
- There is a certain level of realism to it's action-packed feel. While it might not reach the depths of realism as it's predecessor (CoD3) or other newer games, it's still got plenty to get you caught up in the game. Nearby grenades will blur your vision and make your ears whistle, sniping requires good accuracy (and even makes you take/hold a breath to steady your scope before firing off a long shot), and the sounds give you a good sense of your surroundings / location of other players around you.
I have several new games, such as Gears of War and Call of Duty 3 (both of which are awesome!), but when it comes to jumping into a live match online quickly and just downright fun, CoD2 still takes the cake and I find myself still popping the disc into my Xbox for hours after only playing the other mentioned titles for a little while.
CoD2's controls are much more intuitive than the CoD3, Gears, and others, and the in-game action is much easier to master than those as well. This makes it more fun, less frustration, and you don't have to be a gaming expert to get in there & enjoy it.
By all means, get the other great titles like Gears and CoD3 etc..., but do yourself a big favor and add this one to your collection, you won't be sorry! | video-games_xbox |
Ninety Nine problems and gameplay are all of them. N3II: Ninety-Nine Nights is a Dynasty Warriors spin-off. Dynasty Warriors has developed a very poor reputation over the last few years. Notice I didn't use any modifiers in that last sentence such as undeserved or unfair. Truth is Dynasty Warriors has a well deserved poor reputation. N3II does nothing to improve that.
How bad is N3II? Try Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 bad. First of all, there is your primary "foe" the mooks. I put foe in quotes because these faceless clone warriors don't actually attack you per se. They basically stand around waiting for you to spam the x and y buttons and cleave them in half. There are literally thousands of them waiting patiently for you to walk up and kill them. This is not so much a strategic medieval battle as it is a grass cutting simulator.
The whole thing reminds me of a quote from a gaming magazine (for you young-ins out there, magazines are like blogs but on paper) reviewing the quite fun Army Men: RTS for the Playstation 2. Commenting on the serious lack of aggro shown by your opponents the Tan Army, he noted that it felt as if the Green Army had found itself in combat against UN Peacekeepers. In N3II I felt as if I had stumbled upon a sluggish group of Terracotta warriors.
Normally this would be the time I would discuss the plot. N3II however doesn't seem to have one... seriously.
Now the reviews for Ninety Nine problems and gameplay are all of them were pretty vicious. While a Metacritic score of 47 is pretty damning in and of itself, the fact that none of the usual suspects were willing to stick there head out and actually recommend this game is even more so.
N3II has some good points. The graphics are nice and some of the character designs are well done. (Yes that is code speak for fan service.) Unfortunately that is about it.
It is possible to make a good Dynasty Warriors game. Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires
wasn't that bad after all, but the spin-offs... oh god the spin-offs. No story, lacking power-ups and checkpoints, confusing and yet monotonous controls, ridiculously monotonous gameplay, cheap bosses and it's thirty hours long.
Did I play the full game? No. So who knows, maybe the game turns into a Bioware RPG or a Gears of War tactical shooter halfway through... but somehow I doubt this.
Score. Not worth your time let alone your money less than a dollar. (If you are a die hard Dynasty Warriors fan I would still wait till this hit the $10 bargain bin. | video-games_xbox |
the prince returns. like many who loved the sands of time, i was anxious when i learned of warrior within's release. i picked it up without any second guessing, and i've already beaten it.
so here's the good, the bad, and the ugly.
i think that warrior within is a HUGE improvement from the sands of time. the story is good (although i think they went a little overboard with this whole "time" storyline), you play the same prince although for some reason ubisoft decided to make him evil, however i found that overall this doesn't effect the games play.
the fighting is DRASTICALLY improved, there are so many more enemies of different varities, from your typical guards, to dogs that travel in packs and attack you vicioiusly when you are down. you don't have to stab anyone with the stupid dagger to kill them, you simply beat them into submission and they fade away into sand automatically. the dagger is replaced with a secondary weapon, which you can either throw or attack with. the acrobatics are also improved, with a bunch of killer combos and tricks.
the puzzles don't seem to be as challenging as SOT, but the traps are a lot tougher, with some new traps (such as stone crushers), you really have to stop and think about how you are going to get around them, bringing more strategy to the game. the new dahaka chases are really intense becuase they really test your skills.
of course, this game isn't without its flaws. its very frustrating when you have to use 3 sand tanks because the terrible camera angles have you missing a pillar you're supposed to jump to, and considering you can only get a max of 6 sand tanks, its even more annoying when you have to start over an area constantly.
the game also isn't very long, i beat it in about 6 or 7 hours. this game has little to no replay value (unless you feel like beating it on every difficulty) the boss battles aren't really anything special, and sometimes feel like your fighting a boss straight out of a zelda game.
my last complaint is that the game can be glitchy, for instance, every once in awhile when you die, when you go to restart, the game will freeze, the prince will occasionally miss a ledge or pillar when he clearly should've grabbed onto it.
other than thse few complaints, this is a great game and a must for anyone who loved sands of time or are looking for an original, fun, and challenging game to add to their collection. | video-games_xbox |
What Could Have Been a #1 Game Plagued by Apparent Irresponsibility. I'd like to start off by saying I first had Battlefield 4 on the PS3 and as soon as I started playing it on Xbox One I was absolutely amazed at how good the graphics are and how smoothly it ran. It literally feels like you're controlling a solider with a camera on their helmet in real life. I have never played a Battlefield that was on a console that could properly handle it without screen tearing or frame rate drops until playing Battlefield on the Xbox One.
When I first got BF4 on the PS3 in November it was the only game I ever owned that you tried to play it and it wouldn't work, you couldn't join a match and you'd have to try over and over dozens of times until it would find a match and sometimes it would freeze half way or kick you out mid-match. From the reviews it seemed the Xbox One version also had these problems early on. By now most major problems have been fixed but there are still some annoying little bugs I experience. I mainly play TDM but unlike COD I actually enjoy all of Battlefield's game modes and once I started playing conquest I did experience the weird bug where you are stuck in the sky and have to respawn to get out of it.
There are still little annoyances like your classes being switched to older ones and having to re apply (which is made so much harder since you can't access them in the game menus or after the match but only in game.) Other things are where your laser sight doesn't remember if you had it toggled on or off after a respawn or how the dog tags and other notifications for equipment never go away so you don't really know what you've earned that's new, among other bugs but unlike the ones early on these don't ruin the game totally.
I only played a few missions of the campaign on the PS3. It doesn't seem like a ground breaking story but I do like it so far and find it more believable than a COD story. I haven't finished it so I don't know if the campaign is as short as others say it is. I can say that at least since they put XP-like score based achievements in the campaign it makes it worth replaying until you can do well enough on each mission to unlock the more valuable achievement which is an idea I really like to bring a concept that keeps people hooked playing multiplier to the story.
I'm satisfied with the on disc maps so I don't care about the DLC and especially since the game was broken from the start I don't think DICE or EA deserves the extra money from a game release they clearly didn't take seriously. Unlike Ghosts though, Battlefield 4 had a much better next gen debut and I enjoy it much more than Ghosts. It looks better, sounds better, plays better and that makes it worth a purchase. I still find COD more addicting and play it more but over all I like Battlefield more. There isn't a counter to know how many people are online when you are playing but it never feels empty like Ghosts does on the Xbox One.
At the current used price Battlefield 4 is definitely worth the purchase for showing the great graphics these new consoles are capable of and shows how close a FPS can get to true realism compared to many other ones which don't come as close. However it needs to kept in mind that the game was released nearly unplayable and still has some bugs so I don't think it's worth buying the DLC. I also don't think EA or DICE deserves the reward of having Battlefield Hardline pre-ordered or buying the Season Pass. They need to prove they actually take their games seriously so I hope that is the reason they have delayed Hardline to make sure they get it right this time. Either way I wouldn't suggest buying it new but rather waiting and see if they can redeem themselves and publish a working game since Battlefield already has all the elements of a great shooter if they can make it as reliable as a Call of Duty. Until then I think having Battlefield 4 is still a good choice. | video-games_xbox |
Lucky That Everyone Rated this 5 Stars "BEFORE" it came out. If you took only the ratings after the game came out it would only be a 2 star rating.
Before this game came out I knew there was no campaign mode and that didn't bother me and will not come into my 2 star review other than the fact that if you are going to do an ONLY Multiplayer do it right!
It is like they took the movements of Halo 3, the leveling up of guns in COD and the only one person multiplayer of MW and put them together: This game is a huge step back as far of online first person shooters go rather then a huge step forward.
If they could have taken the multiplayer/teamwork fun of Halo the leveling up of COD and the maps and destructibility of MW they would have had a winner in my book!
Con's:
1. Biggest con is that you can NOT play split screen in the game, not sure why this isn't an option but the fact I cannot play with my friends on the same couch with a "multiplayer only" game is unforgivable.
2. There no teamwork in the gameplay. For example if your in a Titan and someone jumps on your back there is no warnings for team mates to get them off of your back. (if you had a buddy playing next to you on a couch then this wouldn't be such a big problem.
3. Matchmaking Sucks:
3.1 There five level 1 newbies on one side with a six people level 30 or higher on the other
3.2 There is no picking of maps
3.3 There are bots in EVERY game, finding an opposing team member to shoot is rare.
3.4 No leveling up with skill. IE. Halo 3 where the better you were the higher level you earned.
3.5 K/D ratios are way screwed up. IE 2 pilot kills/1 titan kill/ 20 minion kills and 3 deaths....?
4. There is no reason to care about the game. Since there is no campaign to mention to give you any kind of backstory and what they call an "intro" is a movie trailer that leaves you wanting more just youtube it and thats all the the backstory you get. If you win nothing really happens. No kill streak counters nothing really fun as far as the gameplay goes.
5. Online only (not bad if it wasn't a $60 game)
Pro's: Hence the two stars:
The controller is sick!
Gameplay is fun the maps are well laid out: The titans/burn cards are interesting.
Would give it 4 stars if they fixed a few things: (split screen, teamwork, reason to play) | video-games_xbox |
Fun even though lacking innovation. Campaign review:
The Gears of War series, to me, has been the only must-have exclusive on the 360 (never been a Halo fan). GOW3 is the reason why I bought a slim when my original 360 red ringed over a year ago. So it pains me to say that the campaign in 3 is rather a letdown. Gears 1 burst on the scene with such in-your-face testosterone action and innovation that it set the standard for 3rd person cover based combat. It introduced weapons like the lancer and hammer of dawn that will live on in gaming history. Gears 2 refined the gameplay of its predecessor and added a sense of scale to the war--it did what a sequel should--improved on an existing formula, but lacked in freshness. Now we are at Gears 3, the end of a trilogy, and it feels as such. Gameplay is a little more improved, but all innovation has been sucked out of the franchise. They've added new weapons but the lancer and hammer of dawn are still the showcase pieces. New enemies seem downright out of place in this game. They've lowered the testosterone level in this game by adding sentimental moments, which I feel is a mistake. The story is the weakest part of the game--very shallow with the majority of the game being fetch quests for fuel and equipment. Graphics are very good as you would expect, but feels too much like their last release "Bulletstorm", which left a bad taste in my mouth. It seems that they've dumbed down the series with each iteration, so play this on the most difficult setting.
With all this said, it is still a good game because you know what you're getting. You also get 4 player campaign co-op which is great for the co-op players amongst us. Of course you also have a huge multiplayer community featuring Horde 2.0, which was my only reason for going online in Gears 2. All in all, this is the game that I'll be returning to for the next few months so it was a great purchase for me. If you don't game online and only want to see how the story ends, just rent it or watch it on youtube. | video-games_xbox |
useless cosmetic items. I will be honest and say I was one of the people that paid $80 for the legendary edition of the game, which included the first 2 DLC packs and a few...to be honest....useless cosmetic items. I was first disappointed with Destiny when after all the hype of the game and drooling over my preorder I managed to max my first character, a warlock out in less than 2 days.....that is....with me still going to work in between, which was pathetic. To add to the bitter taste to my mouth, the campaign missions do not explain ANYTHING to do with the lore of the game, you are literally on Earth shooting "bad guys" because you are a "good guy" for no real reason, I mean you could be the real bad guy but if they explained that it would ruin the suspense of you not knowing if you are actually the evil villain??! The saddest thing about this game really was that after waiting for your preorder, and maxing out your character there wasn't even raids available to do, so after getting your shiny new game and being a good little gamer you got to wait 2 weeks to even GET INTO the first raid.
Bungie tried several times to fix the game but honestly for the people who bought the game on preorder and who listened to bungie from the start on their hype train the game was a time consuming bust. Not to even mention their console-prejudice DLC exclusions for xbox, from the start of launch xbox was missing 1/3 of the game's content.
I really feel like they tried somewhat with this game, and it might of been better on the ps4 side, but just the fact that the game had so little to do and that Bungie decided to get so involved with the console wars really left a bad taste in my mouth and in my friends' the new DLC they want you to pay for is a joke, they won't charge a subscription but if you don't but the latest DLC you can't do anything in the game, if you didn't get all the DLC in a deal then you paid $120 for the game which is ridiculous.
I stopped playing this game a year ago and haven't regret it, I even sold the disc to it.
I loved Bugie-Halo but after this they seem like a sub-par game developer, and that's the honest trust | video-games_xbox |
Go chunky. For starters I would like to say that I would definitely generally recommend the Microsoft brand headsets to anyone looking to buy a headset for their xbox 360, my first two headsets were Madcatz ones and while the first one was great if quite uncomfortable the second one wasn't so nice and died much quicker. Now then, as far as the Microsoft brand headsets go I definitely have to advise buying one with the chunky plug in if at all possible, I know a lot of people prefer the sleeker look of the volume and mute controls being on the middle of the cord but if you're anything like me and have a cat or dog or even little siblings or are just a bit clumsy you will be having it yanked out at every turn. The benefit of the chunky plug ins is that they take more force to actually be yanked out so half of the time that a skinny plug mic would be jerked out by my cat jumping off my lap the chunky one remains firmly plugged in, this is important because the only thing that has ended up killing my mics aside from the one my friends cat chewed through, is the cord being yanked out repeatedly. If you want your mic to last you a long time try and make sure it doesn't get pulled out of the controller often because this damages it and eventually causes it to crackle when moved and screech in your friends ears when unplugged or just at random.
I have owned 3 different Microsoft headsets and have a 4th one being sent right now, the first was a spare from my fiance who had it for some time though hadn't used it much, that one was fantastic, worked great, was comfortable and when it died it was only because a stupid cat bit through the cord while I was sleeping at my friends house (Curse you Nala!). The second was the black headset that came with my new xbox 360 slim and I have to say it was a pile of fail, the sound quality wasn't as good as the old one from my fiance, it was tighter and more uncomfortable, it didn't have the chunky plug and so ended up getting yanked out enough times that it died after only a month or two I believe. The 3rd and current one I ordered here and it has served me quite well, I bought it back in early september of last year and I have used it all day every day since then more or less (I speak to my fiance and best friends on xbox live everyday, sure saves any phone bill costs for long distance considering my fiance is in the UK and my best friend out of state lol), it like the one that was given to me has a chunky plug, great sound quality and is comfortable to wear. Unfortunately after serving me so well for so long it is now on its last leg after I returned home to my cat who proceeded to knock my controller clear off my lap onto my tile floor where the cord had no choice but to come free due to the long drop, considering the fact that earlier that day the same cat had yanked the thing clean off my head rather than it coming unplugged due to the chunky plug I really have to stand by my love for the volume and mute controls being at the plug in rather than on the cord allowing a more secure connection to my controller. I only hope that I'm lucky enough to manage to get another one rather than a skinny plug considering most of the sellers don't specify which one they're selling unfortunately, leaving me to guess.
In short, Microsoft brand headsets, particularly the white and grey ones with the volume and mute controls at the plug in, giving them a chunky base have in my experience been great headsets. They have good sound quality, they're more durable than the cord control ones and they then end up usually lasting a great deal longer for someone like me who walks around the house talking on their headset and often snags the cord on things or those who also like me have a cat or other animal or even small siblings who might get tangled on the cord and yank on it. I would certainly stand behind purchasing the headset here at amazon where it is way cheaper than at somewhere such as Gamestop and in my experience works better too. This is a great buy, especially for such a low price and compared to other brands of headsets, these are usually better overall, in comfort, audio quality and durability. Just look out for cats, they seem to be the bane of all headsets >.> | video-games_xbox |
One of the best titles out for the 360. In 2006 when the first Gears of War came out on the 360, it was one of the highest and most popular selling games. This highly anticipated sequel picks up six months after the events of the blockbuster original Gears of War. However the sequel completely outdoes the original in so many ways with major enhancements, Epic Games didn't disappoint. Such as more weapons, bigger vehicles, and more action. The enemies are more dangerous, and the total experiences in both campaign and multiplayer is more immersive than ever. The new revolutionary tactical combat system, will challenge you depending on the four different difficulty, casual being the easiest and insane being the hardest difficulty, you choose to devise a strategy that will work against the incredible enemies who exhibit smart AI. Combined with the sweeping visuals and evocative locales of Sera, where the story takes place, Gears of War 2 offers jaw-dropping graphics that are made possible through advances in Unreal Engine 3 just for the xbox 360.
The limited edition version has everything you would ever need with features including several extras, including a Collectible SteelBook DVD case, "Beneath the Surface: An Inside Look at Gears of War 2 including some of the original trailers and some samples of the soundtrack," a 48-page hardbound book with exclusive art and a foreword by Design Director Cliff Bleszinski. You also get an exclusive gold-plated Lancer Assault Rifle that you can use during online play as well as an additional 5 new well detailed multiplayer maps that can be unlocked via xbox live which brings more bang for your buck.
A fantastic game with a solid and polished campaign along with a fantastic memorable experience with multiplayer, with endless replay value making you wanting you to finnish the game more than once. It also consists of fantastic bonus features and material, so don't miss out on this summer's blockbuster masterpiece. | video-games_xbox |
Helpful, but not by much in FFXI. This keyboard makes playing Final Fantasy XI so much easier, however, it is actually missing buttons that are required for Final Fantasy XI chat functions.
The control key is used by Final Fantasy XI to quickly reply to a /tell sent by another player. Since there is no control key one must manually type it in.
The "/" key is in green. But pressing the green button happens to make all the text disappear. So to type "/" (which is required for just about every chat function in the game) I have to press the green button, then the button with "/" in it, then the green button again, then the "/" button again... and even then it doesn't happen all the time.
The ' key is also behind green, which is on the other side of the keypad from where it normally would be on a regular keyboard. Which is weird. So I end up using the , key instead.
Then there is no tab key. Which is required by Final Fantasy XI to use auto translate. However, this game is in the onscreen keyboard. So to use auto translate I have to use a combination of the two keyboards which is kind of redundant.
And then chat itself is too sensative. I feel like a snake with a lisp. All the letters double very often. To be fair, this only seems to happen within a game, and not in xbox live messages, but I only really use it within a game.
While the backlit is a nice feature, it turns itself off too fast and can't be disabled when it is otherwise daylight so wastes allot of battery life from my wireless controller. And while having Shift, Green, and Orange, to fit so many more characters than the number of keys, it's still a tedious function.
All in all, I would say that it is fun to have a keyboard attached to a controller, but it is not very practical. For the money spent on this I should have instead purchased a regular USB keyboard and just plugged it into the Xbox directly. I could even have bought a mini wireless USB keyboard with a backlight and it wouldn't have been that much of a hassel to use.
So I give it 5 stars for fun, but 3 stars overall because of limited usability. | video-games_xbox |
Mr. De Leon, You'd Be Very Proud. ..Firstly, i think that i should point out that while i am and always have been a very avid and prolific gamer, in the past few years, this love of sitting, eating, and pushing buttons into the wee hours of the morning on any day of the average week has become..a thing of lesser joy, i'll say. In the past three or four years, there have been few games that have made me want to actually finish them off, that have made me want to see how the various characters ended up, whether they lived or died,how the storyline tied up....Indeed, i can honestly say that games like Max Payne, Grand Theft Auto, and The Assassin have never really drawn my attention....it was mostly fighting games for me...or maybe the exceptionally sensible exception, such as Kingdom Hearts....and then came Red Dead Revolver. Recomended to me by my Best Friend and 1/5 of my KA-TET, i bought this game simply because i was given a good rating, and was told that i'd absolutely love this game. The person who gave the rating to me has the same type of tastes that i do in video games, so, without so much as a careful onceover of my checking account balance, i bought this game, ock, stock, and barrel. And man, was i right to do that. The game starts off nearly identical to your typical Western flick, what with the killing of the main character's family, and his following proclamation of Bloody Wrath And Revenge. The game fast becomes an excellent forray into why games like this matter, that is to say, why it is important to dare being original...failure may follow, but so might Glorious Success! The game plays just as those before it did, but to me at least, the controls are far more well oiled and appropriate for a game such as this. As violent and bloody as the average player would want, Red Dead Revolver is no pinch on the inclusion of great tall tell telling, either. The story is absolutely hokey and old hat and by the book Old West, but that's what makes it great to play. You feel as if you're living through all the twisted complications and plot throwbacks that the main character is as you play the game. And best of all, all the right touches are there. The ten gallon hats. The fast shoot outs and Duels. The sheer look of the game and backgrounds. The over the top villans and their fun, yet deadly pltos and plans. You even get to save 'The Old Farm' at one point in the game. The cast is so authentically varied that it had my friends and i reeling back in surprise. Too many times have i had the experience of playing through a game with the heroic caucasian main character...not here, though. There are Hispanic, African American, Indian and even female main characters to play through the game with, and what's more, their inclusion adds to the game, making the overall story more sensible and more real. It just feels more authentic. It feels very reinvigorating to not play through a completely fictitious landscape that is the video game equivolent of Friends, with no racial or cultural diversity at all. I won't say too much else, but for those of you who are really itching to get away from the Grand Theft Auto-type gameplay and storytelling that has rather infected the genre of late, have a look and play at this fantastic game...you will NOT be disappointed.
Hawksmoor...From The Bleed | video-games_xbox |
Let the Good Times Roll. De Blob 2 is a welcome breath of fresh air for 360 owners looking to play something bright and cheery in between their "serious" FPS, RPG or action game sessions. You control the titular Blob throughout the game, whose job it is to soak up paint into his spherical body and bring color back to Prisma City, after the nefarious dictator Comrade Black forced his monochromatic regime on the helpless people. Each of the twelve levels are quite large and open environments with numerous goals to accomplish. Additionally, interspersed here and there are more traditional side scrolling areas for you to explore, paint and hop on baddies. As you might expect, very little on the way will cause seasoned gamers undue stress, as the difficulty is set exceptionally low. Nonetheless, I had a blast exploring the stages at a relaxed pace, attempting to find all of the collectibles and complete side quests.
The presentation for the game is without a doubt charming, featuring a simple but colorful art style (once you actually begin coloring the stages), funny characters and a playful, catchy musical score that actually adapts to your gameplay actions on the fly (very, very cool if you pay attention). Additionally, before each stage is a high quality animated short, which not only moves the paper thin story forward, but adds a great deal of humor and contains visuals not far off from Pixar standards.
While I enjoyed almost all of my time with the game, there were a few minor annoying bits to be found. As is common with the 3-D platformer, I found the camera occasionally uncooperative. More frustrating was the difficulty in targeting a specific enemy or object, especially when the action got a bit crowded or the camera wasn't placed precisely where the game wanted it to be. Still, neither of these issues popped up on a regular basis, and most of the game felt polished and well designed.
So, whether you're an adult gamer looking for a slightly different experience on 360, or searching for a game which can be enjoyed by the entire family, I highly recommend de Blob 2. | video-games_xbox |
Even more visually appealing than the first one, VERY smooth gameplay. Starting this for the first time - I absolutely LOVE the retro computer stuff, including a grim reaper with his scythe swinging around as a loading screen. Scrolling Linux like commands and screens, nicely done.
I did buy WD1, and enjoyed it for a few weeks, but ultimately I just didn't have time in my life to learn everything about a video game this in depth. When I play games I want something I can get into easily, and use it to decompress. First person shooters are great for that, but this just was WAY more involved than I was willing to invest time into, so after a few weeks or so, I never played it again. Not that I didn't like what I played, but it was just a bit of overload for a single father.
So I'm expecting this to also be as complex, but I still have to get it so I could see how it compared to the first game. And who knows, maybe I'll be at a point soon where I have more time to dedicate to something like this rather than just grinding out higher light levels in Destiny or something...
Graphics are outstanding. I have had no issues with any screen tearing or anything.
Load times aren't too bad - if you've played Recore, this will seem like it's loading instantly.
I forgot how enjoyable it is to be jumping from camera to camera, hacking people's phones and such. And there's just so MUCH to interact with in here. A real open world kind of playground.
There's the normal visual mode and a "nethack" mode that goes greyscale and makes it easier to find things behind walls without line of sight.
But this is where I started finding some of my old frustrations again. The aiming dot is this tiny little thing still, and depending on where you're at, it's sometimes really hard to see. Nothing like getting killed because you can't see the aiming dot to aim. And you can't seem to switch from sneaking to knock someone out from behind to gun quickly at all, and if someone is right next to you, it's just over. VERY frustrating for someone starting out the game who are used to other mechanics.
And hacking objects - A to trigger the object, X to create a proximity trigger, Y to shut it down for a few seconds, B to attract people towards it. I love the options, but for many, they just don't have time to learn 20 different things that A, B, X, and Y can do depending on the context.
But that's kind of what makes this game so outstanding - that there IS such a depth to it, such complexity. This isn't a game for a bunch of young kids like Destiny, this really does take some more commitment and some more effort, something that may keep a bunch of lightweights out of it.
Then there's the crossing over into other people's games. I remember that from the first one, but there's apparently a "Seamless online" issue wtih WD2 right now, so they've disabled it and kept if offline until they fix it. You can still do coop by inviting friends through the game menu, though.
I play on a 4K TV with an Xbox 1, so while the XB1 doesn't support 4K natively, the TV (and my receiver) upscales automatically, so while I can't attest to what this looks like on a normal 1080 TV, it's amazingly detailed on the 4k upscale here.
Compared to the first one, it seems that most of the things have been upgraded somewhat. I remember having to jump line of site from camera to camera before to get to something, now with the nethack view, you can directly hack something through walls and up or down floors from you without having to "navigate" to it as before. Also you can tag people, to keep an eye on them through walls and such.
If I can just get used to the third person point of view shooting, and that little white dot that often in the heat of battle just gets lost, I may have to start getting back into this again. It's a visual treat, very smooth video, and with the nethack view, it seems it'll be more flexible for what you need to do. | video-games_xbox |
Took me by surprise this one. I'll mention this straight out: I don't have an Xbox and never played Halo 1 besides a multiplayer match but recently a relative of mine is staying with us and he has an Xbox and Halo 2 so I checked out single player. Didn't realize how fun it was but one thing bugged me.
Story: I played the game a second time so I understood it more so it here it is. The Covenant are attacking Earth under orders from one of the Prophets. Didn't catch the reason why. A group of creatures called Brutes led by Tarturus want to activate Halo without the knowledge Halo kills all life within a 15-000 light year radius.
Sound/Music: This I can speak of. The music is downright catchy. They'll be moments of utter nothingness besides game sounds than some catchy techno-esque thing comes on. The voices are good too, but again, see above comment about aliens. The marines are good with some celebrity voices, but since one of them is David Cross, who played Zero in San Andreas who has the most annoying mission ever, I kind of hate the guy automatically.
Gameplay: This game is quite fun. Now given the option to Duel wield, you can have a Magnum in one hand and a SMG in the other. You can't throw grenades during this though which sucks cause I love throwing them and the enemy catches it. You can ride some vehicles with my favorite being the Ghost, this kind of futuristic motor bike almost.
The AI for the marines is also great too, no longer just shoot haphazardly, although I found myself without marines several times. The enemy AI is nice too, with enemies dodging attacks or crouching to avoid gunfire. One enemy I hate is these Brutes, this rhino-like things who either like to charge or fire grenades, hard to dodge those things.
Also cool is you play as the Arbiter, one of the Covenant who's maybe not as bad as his buddies. While Master Chief's black button move is flashlight, Arbiter goes invisible Predator-style, which is just downright fun to get the drop on them. My favorite weapon has to be the Energy Sword, you can do a mad dash and kill them in one hit(except Brutes and these other massive things). And in a have-to-kill-them-but-so-cute way are the Grunts, these little midget things that like to yell at you or if they're on your team, thank you for saving them.
Since we don't have 2 controllers, I can't comment on multiplayer but it does give plenty of options and with the addition of Xbox Live, you probably won't leave the house much but with single player, since it's so short, you probably will but you'll kick ass while doing it. | video-games_xbox |
Big Complaints. First complaint: A large amount of space is needed to play. If you live in an apartment (as many of us do) you may want to pass on the kinect, because if you do not have a significant amount of space, you will either not register in the game without moving all of your furnature outside while you play, and maybe not even then, but you will still run the risk of kicking walls, people, and pets. I thought I broke my toe after playing soccer and kicking the wall. You also have many glitches with this setup, for example: While I was playing with my daughter, my son stood up and walked to the bathroom, causing the game to register him as me and the game was finished with me as the big loser. Now while I usually let my kids beat me, you can see how this can be a major flaw while playing alone, or with a friend. I also noticed that some movements that I make have negative results on screen. I was racing in Joy Ride. I would turn my hands right to make a right turn, and the kinect would not register my movement and instead I would go straight off the track, also while I was playing, my son bumped me knocking me off balance and sending my car veering away.
Next complaint: Price. Too high for a game systen eXCESSORY. I was upset when I found that the wii balance board was $100. Imagine how upset I was buying an accessory that is double that price, but my kids were begging me for one, so I thought that it would make a nice surprise for them, and it looked fun. That was a big mistake, I dropped $200 into something that they thought was fun for about a month, and now they use only once in a while, usually when they have friends over, and most of the times, not even then.
Last complaint: Games, while there are a lots of games for the kinect that are fun, there are many more that seem to really blow @$$. I have spent what seems like thousands of dollars on buying games that are kinect compatible, only to find out that they suck. Like the most popular of game systems (PS2 and Wii) you will get a few great games followed by a pile of games that seem to be freeware, or games that took about 5 minutes to create and put together in someone's garage. Nothing I hate more, then seeing a game that looks fun, then trying it out and getting severly disappointed.
I know that a lot of people will disagree with me on my review, I just want to say that this is my good solid opinion. I can respect you if you like the Kinect, and am even still considering giving it more and more tries, but I have owned it for 3 months and am still not impressed. My hopes are that the next generation game systems that adopt or continue on the Kinects technology will address these issues and fix them. | video-games_xbox |
Strumming The 360 Away. When it comes to music video games, there have been very few that really have maintained an audience after a few editions. Guitar Hero really proved its merit very well this past year for all the platforms, but especially as a newcomer to the Xbox 360. The last edition, Guitar Hero II really showed what it could do for 360 owners for what they had missed out from the Playstation 2 before. Surprisingly, the gameplay proved to be more exciting than what gamers had bargained for, with the additions of extras from Xbox live, and a wireless guitar to rock out to, many have been very anxious about a sequel to rock out with. Now, true 360 owners get a second chance to play to their hearts content.
Guitar Hero III for the Xbox 360, maintains itself as a true sequel by delivering a lot of new additions to the rock and roll game from before. The gameplay includes a couple of new challenges here, from boss modes to the feature of battling others on Xbox live. The graphics are about the same as they were before, but the songlist really will drive new gamers well. The songlist that you can rock out loud to includes standards from acts like Guns N' Roses with their anthem Welcome To The Jungle, and the classic party song Kiss made famous Rock And Roll All Night, to newcomers to the Guitar hero franchise like The Red Hot Chili Peppers with Suck My Kiss and Weezer with My Name Is Jonas. The track list delivers with the gameplay well, but like always there are a few disadvantages to the game. The main disadvantage comes from the boss battles. You only have 3 boss battles to play, which leaves a lack of challenge. Also, with the gameplay lightly improved from Guitar Hero II, there really could've been more added here.
Still, Guitar Hero III does a great job at bring the latest for the Xbox 360 well, rather than the disgraceful Guitar Hero Encore: Rock's The 80's which left PS2 fans feeling a little bitter in the mouth. Hopefully, Microsoft will have the added extras that kept the game so well as it did before. Still, if you haven't had the rock experience, than this is the game to buy for the Xbox 360.
Graphics: B+
Songlist: B 1/2-
Sound: B 1/2+
Control: B+
Fun & Enjoyment: B for solo play; B+ for multiplayer
Overall: B | video-games_xbox |
Have Friends Will Travel. I'm a big fan of Codemasters and I liked Grid so much better than the Forza that was out at the time. Grid 2 is a somewhat superior package but also a mixed bag.
Right now I'm a Level 15, which is, I think halfway to the top rank. Today I actually thought about trading it in. You see unlike just about any other driving game, Grid2 punishes good drivers who get slammed around by slobs and aggros. In other words, crashes are costly. Except in the online version, I have yet to get into a room where the damage done to your car alters the performance of the car. Since Grid2 has the ability to sense who is causing the problems, this would seem to be a good thing, but if you're not running the lobby - good luck. If you are running a lobby with your friends, that's the best situation, but it has been difficult getting good races online with competent gamers who respect the basic rules.
Racing in Grid2 would seem like it's more fun, but not if you are serious about holding a racing line without a whole lot of fancy drifting. In fact, Grid2 is Oversteer Central, and it takes a while to get used to and figure out how to tame all these tail-happy cars. Even though I have mastered it on a number of the grippy cars, I still find it annoyingly different from the original Grid. On the other hand, it is a lot more fun than the understeer and completely detuned performance of cars in Forza.
Cars are distinct and upgrade paths are simplified and clean. The interface is very crisp and you know exactly what you're getting. It's a lot easier to max out a car class in Grid2. Although there doesn't seem to be a lot of different cars, there are plenty for a serious racer. There's a fair about of beauty, but I think it's just right and not overdone. I mean, get real. How long can you stare at a videogame car as if it were actually real. I actually prefer the more authentic motorsportsy feel of Grid2 to Forza - I mean nobody really races half the cars on Forza.
The online and career are practically two separate games. That was a surprise.
On the whole, it is a better game than the original, but it really makes you work to get the goodies. It feels like Codemasters is teasing us. Since on the whole I like the sort of challenges, I'll give it four stars. It's a very good game, but really not quite as fun as it could be. But at least it's not hokey like Horizon. By the way, the random tracks is an awesome feature and very well executed. Big props to Codemasters for that. | video-games_xbox |
Repetitive Gameplay kills the entire game. Lost Odyssey has great visuals, especially in the many (and I mean many) movie sequences. In the end however the gameplay is repetitive and you are dragged by the nose the entire story line. The storyline is one big clich around the central theme of immortal characters, the other themes are the same from every Final Fantasy game from which it borrows the feel and turn based combat style.
Due to the very high quantity of videos it feels like something you are watching rather than playing, and occasionally the game allows you to play through a couple of combats to give you an illusion of interaction. The voice acting (in English at least) is absurdly bad and cheesy, soap opera style, the script of the story doesn't help and the actors must have felt somewhat helpless with the lines they were given (specially the interactions involving the protagonist, who is trying to be far more serious than the rest of the project). The only truly artistic part can be seen in the poems that appear in the form of dreams, although completely devoid of any gaming element they are (some of them) truly well made.
Without spoilers one can only wonder what they were expecting placing characters like the grandchildren in the game. I honestly felt silly through major portions of the story for playing this. The lack of control over saving also makes this a difficult game for the busier player since you cannot be assured that you can play "just another 10 minutes and save". You save when they let you save, you play when the movie is done, and you fight at every six steps. The combat system is the FF turn based we all know but with a timing mechanism of two rings (to create SOME sort of interaction by the player) that while it seems like a good idea it gets boring as hell.
As a final note the steady progression of the opponents makes no sense, at some point you are battling regular soldiers who are still a match to your characters despite the fact that you are 20-30 levels higher since the last time you faced them.
In the end I felt the Lost Odyssey is a childish game they purred a lot of resources in. It isn't worth the time though. | video-games_xbox |
Best RPG I have ever experienced. I have been a gamer my whole life, starting with the Intellivision in the 80s (Burger Time, anyone?). Never before has a game been so addictive and has had me coming back to it when I swore I'd go out and interact with the real world for a while. It took me about 15 hours to complete (I only did 6 side-quests, there are many many more I'm told).
Fable is designed to allow you to be whoever and whatever you want your character to be. You first start off as a child and you grow into an old man as the game progresses. Every move you make changes the way your character turns out. As a result of everything you do you can be evil and make children run from you and villagers fear you, or you can be good and have people clap for you and cheer at you everywhere you go. Also, the way you prefer to do battle will determine your class. If you use your sword a lot you'll end up a warrior; if you use your spells most of the time you may end up a caster; or you can use your bow and become a ranger. You can combine them as well. I beleive the stats menu said I was an "Arcane-warrior" or something to that nature.
The graphics are very detailed. The story is captivating and deep. And the sounds and music are very well done. Despite my giving it 5 stars it does have its flaws. The villagers get annoying very quickly, the game is rather short for an RPG and another 10 to 20 hours more would have been great (I did ignore a lot of quest cards toward the end which may have made it longer, and I didn't do all the demon doors), and there is a small amount of spells and equipment (which is understandable since the game is so short).
After wasting a well spent 15 hours of my life on this game trying to be on the side of good. I think I'll waste another 15 or so and try to be evil next time around. I highly recommend this game to any gamer, whether you like RPGs or not. | video-games_xbox |
Not such a bad game for all the negative feedback its gotten. Resident Evil ORC has been out for a while now and ive read most of the reveiws and its odd but appropriate to say that most people just want to put this game on the wall and throw darts at it. And they all have good reasons to elaborate on this. However, the 3 big issues I have seen people have with this game are the AI, the bugs, and the fact that the survival horror atmosphere is completely diminished. Now the AI I can relate with people cause the intelligence of your teammates are pretty poor. They really don't seem to be there when you need them and are off in the cornor trying to melee a group of zombies on their own while ultimitly failing. This means that you be better off just carrying a first-aid and anti-virus spray for yourself instead of your teamates helping you with such. Yet you can still go online and play with more smart people. Next, the bugs. Perhaps I was too overly engulfed with the game to notice them but if there were any I didn't see them. But then again don't take my word for that problem. Then theres the whole lack of survival horror everyone likes to put blast. The thing is with this game your not helpless Claire or rookie Leon. Your the highly trained and disciplined Umbrella mercenaries with plenty of ammunition at your disposal to erase and evidence of Umbrella's involvement with the outbreak. Im pretty sure many people have already stated this but some people just don't understand. Essentially another point-of-veiw story of Raccoon City. The whole point is to show what happened behind the main chaos of the outbreak. The whole game's story spans decently throught the game but the part that really got me rather angry and even broke the whole expeirence a bit was the final boss battle. The way it was set up made it totally feel like I was playing an online match instead of the actual game which almost ruined most of the epicness for me. I could have easily given it a 4 or even 5 star if they spent more time on this battle. All in All it is a decent game if your looking for a cheap price and if your a die-hard resident evil fan like so many including myself. I believe this game shouldnt be under so much fire for being a decent game but now we can look past this game and play resident evil 6 (which is better) and enjoy its awesomeness instead. | video-games_xbox |
READ THIS TO LEARN ABOUT THE COMPLEX TECH IN THIS MACHINE. The console is beautiful, it has a handful of useful upgrades and its actually the cheapest 4k blu ray player on the market. The reason for my review is not so much based on the quality (its quality is top notch) but more so to help people understand the tech involved with the S so that people know what they're getting and how to use these features. I'm going to talk about 4K upscaling, HDR and the IR blaster.
First is the 4k upscaling. This part is simple, you need a 4k TV and make sure in the settings of the XBOX you have the picture resolution set to 4k UHD. Second is the HDR (High Dynamic Range), this part is pretty tricky but if you follow the right steps this can actually greatly improve lighting effects and colors in games, movies and apps that support it. You'd be surprised at how good this makes the games look. First thing you need is a 4K TV that has HDR. You'll need to do some research online to see if your TV supports it but most TVs over a year old won't have it. If you go to the "display" settings on the xbox and look for advanced settings, than go to 4K TV details and it will tell everything your TV supports. If it says it doesn't support HDR than don't give up just yet. If you have a smart TV than make sure you have the most current update. You may be lucky and get an update that gives it to you. Even worse is that there are two different kinds of HDR. From what I know, all the new 4K model's from samsung, sony and LG support the one you need, however, Vizio currently does not. I believe Vizio is working on an update that would support it but I'm not 100% on that. Now in order to get the HDR working you need to go to your TV settings and look for dynamic range setting or HDR setting (This should be located in your picture settings of the TV) and make sure that your inputs are set to full (or whatever your tv may call it in the menu) not auto, on my tv when its set to auto the HDR doesn't work with the xbox. Xbox is releasing two games this year that will support this feature, Gears of War 4 and Forza Horizon 3. Check those games out if you want to see the beautiful effects you'll receive from this upgrade.
Last but not least is the IR blaster. This is much simpler than HDR. An IR blaster basically makes your xbox have master control over your entertainment center by turning your TV, cable/satellite box and sound system on and off with the Xbox. Its a small but awesome feature. For this all you need to do is go into the TV & one guide menu setting on your Xbox and go to device control. From there its pretty simple, select TV, than TV set up and it'l walk you through the steps to find the right code you need. You usually just need the brand and model number of your tv and the xbox will do the rest. Than do the rest of your components. If your TV isn't shutting off with the xbox than go to those same setting and you can set it to send the off and on signal twice. That worked for me.
Thats it folks. I know its a lot but they can be useful features that consoles almost never support. This really is a great console as far as tech goes. Enjoy... | video-games_xbox |
Another good addition to the Tekken Franchise. When I bought this game a few years back, I was pretty exited for this game. I haven't played a Tekken game since Tekken 3 on the PS1, and this would be a perfect addition to my 360 library. I was correct for the most part, but a few design choices hold it from being great.
Graphically, the game looks amazing. The animations are very fluid, and the effects of the impacts of the hits look incredible. Both the character models and the environments are very well detailed. The lighting is also done very well and adds to the atmosphere of the stages.
In the audio aspect, the sounds of the hits sound incredible and feel impactful. The music does a pretty good job. Certain songs are better than others, but the music isn't all that bad. The voicework for each character is very well done as nobody has an annoying voice.
The combat engine in this game is certainly amazing. This game features over 40 well-balanced characters all complete with their own fighting style, making every character feel unique in their own way. It features 6 new characters (lars, alisa, leo, bob, zafina, and miguel) who all fit very well into the tekken franchise. The game involves using button presses in order to string together long combos by juggling your opponent. One reason why I love the Tekken franchise is how it focuses on timing rather than memorizing combos. Both casual and hardcore fighting game fans can get into this game with ease. A rage meter is also introduced that gives you increased damaged after a fighter loses enough health. This is done to prevent quick victories as your opponent always has a chance to come back.
There are many modes in this game including arcade mode, ghost mode (which has you fighting various a.i. opponents), survival mode, team battle mode, time attack mode, online mode (which has been patched up), customization, and Scenario Campaign mode. Arcade mode is enjoyable, but features a very cheap boss known as Azazel at the end. He blocks almost anything and has a few moves that are very difficult to defend against. Pure luck and allot of skill are required to beat this boss.
The scenario campaign is probably the biggest problem with this game. It is the story mode which revolves around Lars and Alisa. The general concept of the story makes sense, but the reasons you are fighting certain characters is not all that explained. This mode is a beat-em-up in the style of Double Dragon and Tekken Force. For some reason, you must use the d-pad in order to control your fighter correctly when attacking an enemy. There are items to pick up which do help you on your quest. The other issue is the spiking of difficulty. One minute, you are blowing through the stage. The next minute, you are fighting countless waves of enemies who seem to block almost anything. This mode could've been so much more, but the controls, random difficulty, and somewhat lackluster story make this an unsatisfying mode.
For being the first Tekken game to appear on the XBox 360, it has done a decent job. More attention needed to be given to the scenario campaign mode, but everything else in this game works great. This is certainly a must buy for tekken fans and certainly worth a purchase for fighting game fans. | video-games_xbox |
An undeniably exciting RPG. Fable has reached the point where all RPGs dream of going. It's absolutely the pinnacle of the Adventure criteria. The creators put you in the game, they make it fun, and they make it interesting. Fable is the game that absolutely defines the whole light side/dark side thing. Because no other game concentrates on the subtle, small, important details and leisures quite like Fable does. People will learn to adore you, and people will learn to fear you, you have a life, you're not just some dummy on a string being instructed on exactly what to do.
You hear that? Fable is life. It's adventure. With a hint of unrealism, just to the point to make you eternally amused to never decease until the fat lady sings.
Battle System: 9. It's not guns, it's not shoot'em up blowing their brains out. It's classic swordsplay and acrobatics, blocking, stabbing, leaping, lunging, ducking, dodging, running away, nothing to say except 'die'. Not to mention, you can eat pie. And it's all realistic, hitting someone in the back, the head, the torso, all cause different amounts of damage, there's decapitations if you're lucky. And the game even keeps track of your decapititations, how cool is that? There's archery, shoot someone with and arrow, the further you pull back your arrow, the more damage it does, but the less accurate it is. You see? Realism. Plain, clear and simple, just like the drive-thru guy ordered.
Leisure and life: 9. Flirt with chicks, flirt with guys. (Eww..) Flirt with chickens. Whatever. Flirt with anything with a face. Get a special haircut, facial hair, tatoos, some chicks find them attractive, some scary. Some may think you're Michael Jackson with a sword and get the heck away from you. Hey, that's life, right? One of the first games ever to allow you to get married to any woman, (or man) and actually have sexual intercourse with them. Yep, you heard me, sex. Don't get cought up on the kinkiness boys, it lasts for 5 seconds when the screen goes blank, it's only for crickets and giggles. Buy a house, rent out your house, live in your house, steal from anyone, kill anyone, picklock doors, fish, dig, kick chickens, abuse your wife, whatever you wanna do, you can probably do it in Fable.
Main adventure: 10. Yes, this game is not all just chicken-kicking. There is a plot. Filled with with surprises, cliff-hangers, and ultimate rewards.
Gameplay: 4. Quite possibly the only downside to this game. It's TOO EASY. I completed the game naked and didn't die once. There is no way to change your difficulty. This does, however, make the game much more fun as you don't have to reload and just get lucky in order to defeat an enemy. But in all sincerity, you may very well just whiz your way past this game in mere hours if you put your mind to it.
But then again, that is why I am thankful for all the bonus material in the game, because the actual game itself can go by pretty fast.
It may seem confusing and hard-to-get at first, but all RPGs do, so just stick with it. | video-games_xbox |
Mic gave me problems. I liked the headset A LOT! There isn't many reviews on Amazon so I based most of my judgment of the product from the reviews on Skullcandy's website (very good reviews).
The problem I had was with the mic. First kind of annoyance is no mic monitoring, I think I get a little loud sometimes because of this. Second is the entire headset worked great for about a week before the mic started going dead one day while I was deep into a game that requires me speaking through the mic to get even further (Tranzit zombies on Black Ops 2). My friend suddenly couldn't hear me. I realized and made sure my connections were all good (they were) and finally just unplugged and replugged the USB, and the mic came right back up again. Literally a couple of minutes later the exact same thing happens.. So I go through the unplugging and replugging, problem solved... Then a couple minutes later the problem happens again.. This happened a good 10 or so times before the game finally ended.. Frustrated I just stopped playing and hoped it would never happen again. A couple of days went by and everything was fine. Then it happened again... same thing.. Every couple of minutes. even more frustrated I called Skullcandy who did offer to replace them which was great. They said it would take a couple of weeks. I opted to return them.
DON'T GET ME WRONG!!
I liked the headset A LOT until I had the mic problem. Very comfortable, awesome sound, and style. The wire is 5 meters long so plenty of length to reach anywhere in the room. Some people complain about the set up but even that took no more than 10 minutes.
I just have a hard time keeping an item I paid $85 for and having it fail in 1 week... Very disappointed skullcandy.
Last but not least. I submitted a review that almost exactly mirrored this one on Skullcandy's website (I didn't have it saved so I can't remember what I wrote word for word) and they rejected it in a noreply email. If nobody can leave an honest review on their website without it being rejected, then the reviews aren't valid in my opinion. Made me even more frustrated with Skullcandy. | video-games_xbox |
These Skylanders Are Ugly, But Powerful. I bought these Skylanders on amazon a few weeks back when they were hard to find. I figured I was getting a pretty good deal seeing as these Skylanders often went for much more on eBay. Only once they arrived did I realize how ugly the figures were, but once I started playing with them I saw how powerful they were in the game.
ZOOK- Life element Skylanders. His primary attack is shooting his ba'zook'a forwards like Gill Grunt's Harpoons. His secondary attack is building a barrier in front of him made from bamboo. He is a very powerful Skylanders, although not as good as some other life Skylanders. He is pretty ugly looking, so I would recommend Camo or Stealth Elf over him if you only want one Life Skylanders.
3.5/5
CYNDER- Undead element Skylander. Her primary attack is shooting electricity in front of her in a somewhat wide range for a few seconds. Her secondary attack is disappearing and going through enemies while making ghosts appear and killing the enemies she went through. Her figure looks sort of strange compared to how she looks in game, but she's probably one of the more powerful Undead Skylanders and a cool addition to anyone's collection.
4.5/5
LIGHTNING ROD- Air element Skylanders. Let me say that I was put off of this figure to begin with. I thought his figure's eyes and mouth made him look really derpy and just didn't like his design at all. But then I played him in game. He looks much less derpy, and is very powerful. His primary attack is shooting lightning from his hand and his secondary attack is shooting lightning outwards. He is my favorite Air Skylander, and he is a great addition in the fight against Kaos.
4.5/5
OVERALL- This is a great 3 pack for powerful characters. They are the ugliest three pack in my opinion, though. However, you won't mind if you like collecting all the figures and need some help beating the game.
4/5 | video-games_xbox |
They were GREAT... till they broke. TLDR: Don't buy this headset.
1) Buggy
2) Poor Construction
3) Broke after 1 year of use
So I am a rather avid PC Gamer, if I have a free moment you can usually find me in front of my PC either gaming or watching Netflix or Youtube. A little over a year ago I wanted to step up my gaming/entertainment experience and get a good quality headset, nothing that would break the bank mind you, but something that might give me a more immersive experience. I had heard lots of praise over Turtle Beach (TB) and the quality of their products so I made the leap with the Z6A.
First off when I got my first headset (uh oh there's some foreshadowing) they were buggy. Some defect in the wiring between the headset and the amplifier caused the right ear to fade out. No problem, every one is allowed a bad egg, I returned them through Amazon and got a new set a few days later. They worked great!... for about 2 months. Amazon's return policy had expired, no big deal, TB has a one year warranty, so I returned them to TB for repair. (It's important to note that repair does not extend your warranty.) Fast forward to now. On Tuesday the beta for battlefield 4 released so I was all kinds of excited. I got in a good day of slaughter and mayhem and it was time to go cuddle with the girl and get in some quality time. So I reach up to pull the headset off my head and *snap* there goes the right ear cup into my hand. So now here I sit, 30 days after my warranty expired, and my right ear cup has just broken off into my hand. I contacted TB customer support (CS) and TB will make no repairs unless it is warranty related. I am looking around now for a cheap fix since it is just the little plastic piece that is broken but so far the outlook for my area is not so bright.
You might be asking yourself how abusive was I to the headset. I used them, a lot, they got use every day pretty much. While I don't "baby" my stuff I do take care of my equipment, I didn't throw it out of anger or bash it against my desk. They had a few mishaps, a slip off the desk once or twice, but nothing major. This is why I gave it two stars and not one.
So for the above stated reasons I cannot, in good conscience, recommend a Turtle Beach product. Why?
1) It took till my third headset to get to one that worked as intended.
2) After a little over a year of use, though technically under since I received them from the repair, they have broken.
Now keep in mind, I got these for $76 while they were on sale, so I am disappointed but for the $145 they are retailing for now, they are a ripoff. | video-games_xbox |
A love-and-hate review. I really love this game, as well as nearly every THQ wrestling game since WCW VS NWO: World Tour. Still, there are to many details that lack polish, to many bugs and glitches to give it a perfect rating. It's without a doubt the game that crashes the most in my 360 since I bought it, and I've played a lot. It also has a bug that makes my 360 crash every time my created superstar is going to contend for a custom title belt, right after the belt is removed from the HDD (it most be temporarily removed before a title match and re-saved after the match) making me lost the belt and all the money invested in it. It's not that much of a big deal but it's only one of the details that scream the game was rushed.
Another one is the intros, both of them (Raw and Smackdown) are displayed in low-res and full screen only, which is annoying because I bought a widescreen 720p LCD HDTV to play my XBOX 360 games and to have a cheap intro in an HD "next-gen" game makes no sense. Also, the roster feels outdated. The superstar with the highest overall in the roster is Kurt Angle, who's currently at TNA, and superstars like Jeff Hardy and CM Punk are nowhere to be found. There's no hope of updating the roster through downloadable content, since the game does not support it.
Another huge letdown is the commentary, which is completely carryover from the 2006 edition. This completely sucks if you played the previous version, and also the fact that Smackdown currently has Bradshaw instead of Tazz doesn't help the game feel less outdated. The game does look great and the sweat effect rules. The divas look hotter than ever and the story mode is way better that 2006's. There's a lot of fun in this game including earning the Money In The Bank trophy (I got it on my second try, my brothers are still trying). THQ should consider adding content download support for the next installment, as well as updates to fix the bugs in 2007. If they do this, maybe they can exceed the glory achieved by WWF: No Mercy in its time. | video-games_xbox |
Fantastic for the price. I purchased the headset refurbished directly through the manufacturer, so Amazon may not verify the purchase.
For the price, the headset is definitely the best option if you want a true 5.1 headset. Compared to my previous headphones that I used for gaming, the true 5.1 drivers in this headset are absolutely by far without question better than the stock surround virtualization that came with my sound card.
The sound quality may not be the best for music listening, although after playing with some EQ on the headset itself and the software that it came with I got a sound pretty similar to a set of over-the-ear phones I've got that were about twice the price, although the bass was not as full as I would have liked it to be.
The headset is surprisingly comfortable. I was worried that due to the giant rigid cups it would be heavy and awkward to wear, but the fit is actually really nice. The build quality is a pretty solid plastic with a fake leather pad on the top and the option for the same fake leather or foam ear pads. I found the fake leather material the most comfortable, but the option is nice. The USB cable is pretty sturdy as well with nylon shielding braided around it. I'm not worried about it getting messed up like a previous headset I had did.
The mic is really flexible and sounds MUCH better than a Logitech mic I was using previously. The mic can be muted on the in-line controller (which also allows the changing of the volume at the PC level as well as the balance of individual channels of the 5.1, i.e. center, rear, sub, etc.). The mic does have a red LED on the tip that some may find irritating.
The software is pretty functional but has a pretty dated interface (like win 98 visual style). It allows EQ and the addition of some effects and things of that nature. It has been able to do everything that I wanted it to so far.
It comes in a box with a few goodies in it as well as a hard travel case for the headset itself. Very professional-looking.
All in all, the headset is one of my best gaming purchases I have ever made. The quality/price ratio is fantastic, which I was worried about going into the purchase. Because of this headset I will likely purchase other Sentey products in the future rather than more mainstream brands. 5.1 over virtual 5.1 is something that I have always fought for as an avid Counter Strike player, and this headset gives me a great way to get that without lugging a full surround system to college and back. Easy 10/10 for me. | video-games_xbox |
Not good (edited from original review entitled "Ok; not great. Super late update: My poor review of this game isn't because I don't like the AC games. I later played Black Flag which became one of my all-time favorites. This one, however, is a dud.
Update:
I'm coming back to edit my review a couple weeks later. This game is simply not good. It suffers from poor mechanics, a trite story, dull characters (the main character is a wet blanket with an axe and a hood), and all of the maladies I originally listed. To its credit, the world is phenomenal but unfortunately it has little heart and its very frustrating to navigate. More than anything though, this just isn't the stealthy and sleak gameplay experience I feel that it should be. I've traded the game in having re-learned my lesson about pre-orders.
Original Review:
This is my first Assassin's Creed game, so take that into account. I'm about halfway through at this point and I'm a bit unimpressed.
- The story is very poorly told so far, and may in fact not be any good at all. I constantly find myself rolling my eyes -- it's not a particularly thoughtful tale and it's presentation is incredibly ham-fisted.
- What assassin? There are so many guards, who alert so easily, that stealth isn't really possible. It would help if you had some meaningful stealth abilities, but you don't. It would also be nice if there was a first-person camera for sniping, but there isn't. I don't feel like an assassin in any way.
- Load times are horrendous and often.
- The inability to save and revert when you want to is really frustrating. The save points chosen by the developers are not well-placed. Having to replay long and mundane portions just to reattempt the discreet optional missions gets old to the point that I simply stop caring.
This is a neat game with a neat backdrop, but it's not nearly as cool as it could be. It's not necessarily bad, but it certainly isn't great either. If my impressions change by the end, I'll come back and update this review. | video-games_xbox |
This game exists only to compliment hardware. I purchased this game thinking I was getting a clone of one of my favorite Air combat games, Heroes of the Pacific(HOTP), but instead I received a stripped down, bare bones copy that fails to capture the essence of HOTP.
Pros: good selection of planes, responsive controls, lots of action, co-op
Cons: SLOW DOWN/POOR FRAME RATE GALORE! Looks like a re-skinned last generation game(which it is; see HOTP comment above). Weak story, weak physics, weird pop-in glitches
So, as mentioned above, when I originally found this game, I instantly recognized it as HOTP, and figured they just tweaked the story and improved the graphics. Unfortunately, this game has taken all the elements that made HOTP work so well(excellent physics model for the planes, noticeable difference in the behavior of planes, action packed moments, harder learning curve and difficutly), watered down the gameplay, and stripped a bulk of the features right out of the game. What's left is a barebones experience that is quite frankly unacceptable this late in the console cycle. Choppy frame rate, muddy textures, long and tedious mission structures, and a B-movie story just don't add up to a fun, engaging experience. Maybe my disappointment stems from my expectations(as mentioned, I LOVED HOTP. THIS IS NOT HOTP other than in a basic form), but with other choices of air combat games out there(Birds of Steel, IL-2, Blazing Angels 2, Ace Combat), and knowing that another arcade style WW2 air combat game is coming out soon(Dogfight 1942), it is very hard to recommend this game.
The multiplayer is also bare bones; no XP leveling, No stat tracking, and worst of all, NO ONE TO PLAY AGAINST. When I finally did get into a game, everyone quit after about 5 minutes. Gone are the powerup balloons from HOTP, and without the sim-style plane handling characteristics, MP feels tacked on. If a community emerges for the MP, it may be a decent distraction, but as I mentioned before, a game called Dogfight 1942 is out in a few weeks, and if they get the leveling and stat tracking correct, could be the better bet.
So, after close to three paragraphs, here is my recommendation: Don't buy this game unless you really have nothing else to play. Wait for and try Dogfight 1942 before buying this game, and Download the damage inc demo if you're still curious. If you're looking for an arcade flyer with some WW2 era planes, Blazing Angels 2 is a better bet(stay away from the original though. that game is worse than this one) and more satisfying to play than this shell of a former good game. | video-games_xbox |
Looks great, go only with XBOX 360 Cable. I used Microsoft's VGA cable with the XBOX 360, and it looks great on my LG 22" Widescreen LCD Monitor.
Be sure to use the Resolution section of the XBOX 360 Console viewer to maximize what resolution is available for your monitor. Its under system properties of the XBOX 360. Be sure to try all the resolutions, to see which one looks and feels the best. Be aware that I have to use two different resolutions. A higher one for the XBOX 360 Games, and a lower one for the standard DVD player.
Personally,
I found that my monitor can handle all the modes, however, the 420p looks perfect. The following is a link to the Monitor I have. I have a <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/22-Wide-LCD-Black-Monitor/dp/B000N85XOC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">22" Wide LCD Black Monitor</a>.
Here is a summary of its specs:
LG LCD Model : L226WTQ-BF
22" CLASS WIDESCREN LCD MONITOR (22.0" diagonal)
WIDESCREN FORMAT
1680 x 1050 resolution
Wide at 16:10 aspect ratio
2MS ULTRA-FAST RESPONSE TIME
The only thing I have to do is downgrade the resolution by one step to view DVDs without distortion. The resolution right below 420p using the XBOX 360 Browser.
The best part is that ALL my XBOX 360 games handle the 420p resolution with awesome clarity. And when I say Awesome, I mean it. They look as good, (if not better) then almost any of my friends XBOX 360 Games using their HD TV hooked in by Microsoft's HDMI Component Cable hookup.
I have talked to friends who have used similar solutions for their LCD Monitors to play XBOX 360 games, and the truth is, Microsoft's cable is a great guaranteed way to go.
Like most reviewers, I too hope that Microsoft will put out a DVI version for its XBOX 360. However, for now, there are inexpensive couplers that can convert HDMI output (from the XBOX 360 HDMI Cable) to DVI input. Unfortunately, My XBOX 360 does not support HDMI, so I went for the VGA cable, and I am floooooooooored by the results :0)
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Xbox-360-VGA-HD-AV-Cable/dp/B000B6MLTG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Xbox 360 VGA HD AV Cable</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Xbox-360-VGA-HD-AV-Cable/dp/B000B6MLTG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Xbox 360 VGA HD AV Cable</a> | video-games_xbox |
A good Ghostbusters game? No way. The Good: Original cast!, amazing visuals, immersive, you really feel like a Ghostbuster, pretty good story
The Bad: Repetitive, some times unbalanced, really short
When we called the Ghostbusters back into our games in the early 90's, they didn't do a very good job. You remember the Genesis version, MSX, NES, GameBoy, Atari 2600, and C64. The richness of the Ghostbusters universe needed more than 8 or 16 bit graphics and midi sounds to make it come to life. Technology has improved considerably since then, -finally- able to do justice to our Ghostbuster friends. With the help of the Unreal 3 engine, the developers were able to set an atmosphere and story that is truly amazing.
Players start out in the Ghostbusters headquarters which has been properly equipped with a true to life fire pole for you to slide down on. Ray takes you through the basics on wrangling ghosts, trapping them, and using your gear down in the basement. One of the first things you will notice is that the controls feel very familiar, resembling those of games such as Resident Evil 4/5 and Gears of War. Still comparing it to a shooter, your Proton Pack takes the place of your "gun" and your "ammo" consists of different types particle streams. You can unlock four streams throughout the game, starting out with your basic Proton Stream. The Stasis Stream, Meson Collider, and Slime Gun follow suit quickly. The most useful is the Proton Stream which weakens ghosts and stuns them so you can wrangle, toss and then hopefully trap them.
Ghosts come in many shapes and forms and it is rare to see so many different enemy types and level bosses in a game. These include many of the ghosts from the movies. You will be battling the Stay Puft Marshmallow man, heading through the Sedgewick Hotel and the Haunted Library.
Each ghost has a weakness to a specific weapon type. To find out which type is effective, you must scan them with your goggles. Doing so will also reveal all sorts of other interesting and sometimes ludicrous information. Some ghosts are dispersible which means that they die after a few hits of a certain weapon, but others must be trapped instead. The objective is to weaken them until their health bar turns red after which you can trap the suckers. Walking around with your energy detector is good for finding artifacts -treasures that you get money for- and enemies.
Upgrading your weapons will improve them in various ways. You can increase a weapon's rate of fire, make it overheat less often or let you trap your enemies faster. All of these upgrades can be purchased in one play through. Ghostbusting is a high-revenue business and you will earn ample money to purchase any upgrade that catches your fancy. You are also tallied by how much damage you cause the city throughout your play. Doing too much damage may affect achievements.
The gameplay may sound simple, and it is, but that doesn't take away from the fact that it is extremely fun. There is always something new to be experienced and only towards the end of the game did I feel some repetition setting in. Ghostbusters kind of felt like a mix of Gears of War, BioShock, and Silent Hill. It can be downright creepy at times but it also has wonderfully witty humor and some great lighting effects that help create a fantastic ambiance. Walking through dark hallways, your senses are always stimulated in various ways. Things may jump out at you, or you will hear strange cries and screams. Besides being scary, it is also immersive; I left the game after about a four hour sit down and I really felt like I was a Ghostbuster (don't call the men with the long-sleeved jacket until you have played for four hours straight yourself!). This is for a large part due to the fact that the original actors are voicing the game, and I think that's what truly made the difference.
The game is actually based on the penned script written by Harold Ramis and Dan Akroyd that was never made into a third movie. There are a lot of tidbits in the dialog that relate back to the original 1984 classic. This game can be played by both fans and non fans, but is truly geared toward fans of the movie. You can safely say this game is one of the best move license translations ever made.
Ghostbusters is just one of those amazing and immersive games that make you all giddy inside. The game truly has an amazing effect on its players. It may not have a lot of depth, but it easily makes up for that in the fun department. It is worth noting that Ghostbusters is a little on the short side, giving you about 6 to 8 hours of gameplay. Fortunately the replay value is fairly high, making this a recommended buy. I really hope there is a sequel, playing Ghostbusters has been one hell of a ride. | video-games_xbox |
We HONOR all Veterans with this game. Soldiers ~
My thoughts ~
"Brothers in Arms" is THE 1st FPS to be inspired by real (historical) events by which the members of the 101st (Screaming Eagles) have participated.
I have read about the authenticity and research in which this game was developed from, so I was wondering just acturate it really was.
Once I opened the packaging, I was anxiously awaiting to play this game.
I was NOT disappointed!
I am a veteran of the Gulf War and this game "Brought tears" to my eyes.
ONLY a few will understand what I just said, and those few are the Veterans (from any war/conflict/mission) in which they participated in.
I was taken in by knowing that a generation who fought before me, gave their life for freedom (plain and simple) and did not complain (in the media) of not being able to come home within 3 months of being in the "Danger Zone".
I can not speak for all Veterans, because all Veterans have a different experience in experiencing combat.
But, remember, the 1940's was a different time, a different way of thought.
Yes, I served and I would do it again.
Now on to the Game Review....
I have the X-Box version with a 5.1 Bose Surround Sound.
Controls:
Score 10 out 10
Controls are easy to understand and adjust to.
The controls are assigned as Standard play
(for you seasoned Console players) you know what I am refering to.
Default Squad player, Conditioned Player, and Current.
There is also a "Lefty" mode for you left handers.
Main Character ~
Score 10 out of 10
You play as Sgt. Matt Baker ~
and You command a TEAM and must guide them to safety and to complete the task/missions at hand.
Your an NCO, the "backbone" of the Army, and YOU must use common sense, contain a brave heart, and above all - "LEAD".
This gamer does not agree with the statement made in which a NCO explains that a NCO does not do the following:
"The NCO never goes out into the muddy field to lay satchel charges..heck when I was active duty an NCO wouldn't even empty a trash bin if someone of lesser rank was standing around. The NCO is the the one that leads and inspires/intimidates his men to follow orders".
NCOs are THE Backbone and YES, they do pick up trash!
NCOs EARN that respect, and when they are RESPECTED, the
NCOs men will follow them into hell!
Why? Because they earn that by being respectful
(even by intimidation) of his men, but in the same respect, understand his men.
NCOs MUST set the example and do things that his men would also do and in addition would not let his men do anything that HE is not prepared to do himself.
You will come across this many times while playing this game.
YOU must lead and MUST guide your men or they are killed.
If they are killed, you have an opportunity to "reclaim/heal" them, as a statement says in game....
"War is sometimes not Fair, But in video games it is"...
then YOU have an option to "Heal and continue" or if you wish..don't. YOU have a choice.
Sound ~
Score 10 out of 10
Sound quality is excellent!
Sound are real and authentic and NOT Hollywood, meaning overly loud or hyper-extended.
Ambient sound is high quality and very clear.
Weapons sounds are taken from real weapon counterparts.
Natural sounds and quiet tones are heard and are wonderous.
Language
Be forewarned, there is "Colourful language in this game and IF your not offended by such, then it just adds to the realism of the game play.
The Germans "speak" German and if you understand German, it will come in handy as it will also help in trying to figure out what the next move the Germans will make.
When you get wounded, you hear your character grunt and feel pain.
Music in the game is just right and fits with the scheme.
The music reminded me of Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers.
Yes, there is some similarities to Band of Brothers, but remember, this game is based off historical fact, just as was Band of Brothers.
Graphics ~
Score 10 out of 10
X-Box graphics are outstanding and very unique to this type of game.
Uniforms are exact and even have the muddiness on the lower half of the uniform, which blends onto the character.
Even the face cammo, the the Paratroopers have at the begining of the game, will fade away after a time.
I also noticed that the uniforms become more gritty and dirty as you contuinue through the game. Increadable!
Each character has a personality all his own, and the eyes "blink".
Explosions are awesome and realistic.
Your POV (Point of View) has you getting mud (splattered) on your face and when your wounded, you see blood splatter on the screen.
and when you get killed, your tossed backwards and see the sky and you hear your fellow TEAM mates cry out your name, stating that your been hit and are down.
Bullet hits are noted and seen. Dirt is kicked up.
Splinters of wood are tossed up around you and you "feel" like your actually in combat!
Simply amazing and outstanding.
Granted NOT EVERYONE will be happy with the graphics, as everyone, every player has a different "taste" of what they need and should be.
You have to notice these "small" indicators when playing, because you will not see them the 1st time around.
Historical acuracy ~
Score 10 out of 10
COD is left behind by this game.
Brothers in Arms is as authentic in every sense of the word and it shows!
A Military adviser was used in the making of this game.
Research was painstakenly made and the locations are REAL.
Some of the locations, buildings, towns, and roads in the game still exist in to this day!
There is side by side pictures taken from the WWII vs present day photos and then comapred to the game, THEY ARE EXACT!
This game also has the approval of The VFW, The D-Day Museum, and The Fort Knox Museum, amoungst others, all which have contributed to the making of this game and so placed their "AUTHENTICITY" of approval to this game..
Extras ~
Score 10 out of 10
As you progress through the game, you recieve medals for your actions and with each medal earned, the game gives you "unlocks".
Things such as the history of 101st Airborne (Screaming Eagles), a WWII 101st timeline of events, Productions stills, Character synopsis, plus much much more.
Multiplayer Mode
Score 10 out of 10
This was not diapointing in the least.
During Multiplayer Mode you also command either a single "TEAM" or a duel "TEAM" (Assault/Fire) in order to complete a mission.
The Germans in Multiplayer speak "English", which makes it easier when you play in the role of the Germans.
However, the Germans speak "German & English" intermixed...and repeat the german words in english and vice versa.
The dfault Maps are VERY Different and exciting to play!
I personaly enjoy the "foggy town" map!
Educational Value
Personal Opinion
My son (who is 10 yrs old) and I are playing this game together.
While playing,
During game play, I noted to him that this was the most realistic war game depecting actual events that I have seen and so took this opportunity to "learn" from it.
I explained the realities of war and the end result.
I also explain that once you die in combat, your dead and can not drop a quarter nor press re-set, and have a chance to live again.
Its a FINAL sacrifice and that actual "Heros" did give there lives for what they believed in and should be honored and remembered. This game does JUST THAT!
I liked thet fact that the game is taken after real events and the value of doing research in creating it and knowing that the battles/mission depected actually occured.
Which (he) can reference back to actual documentation and records.
Since I am a history and WWII buff, this was a BIG plus for me and added the pleasure of teaching/learning with my son on/in a educational level.
This game started a actual conversation about history and so "peaked" his intrest and wanted to learn more! (a plus in my book).
Of course EACH person will have a difference of opinion when it concerns what is "worthy" teaching.
Glitches
There are VERY few and minor ones that I have noticed.
It is true, that I noticed that a machine gun (sound) was "stuck" on continous fire, but this happened once and I never experienced it again.
In addition, during my whole time of playing this game, I noticed ONLY 1 "single" German firing at his own men, very strange and I only saw it once.
Imporovements needed?
(IMO) I would say that it needs VERY little to improve in this game.
I do agree that maybe a purple heart medal (should) have been awarded and have some Germans "surrender" would make it more realistic.
But these are "minor" items that don't really phase me in the least.
As you all gamers know, Games such as these types, when 1st released, will always be critizied, but will be improved on in the future versions/releases.
Same with this game, I am sure that (BiA 2) will come out with a newer, more enhanced version.
In closing
This game is a MUST HAVE for all the reasons mentioned.
Its give you an opportunity to Honour and to Remember those who have actually lived it.
In my case, when I see those "old guys", this gamer/soldier will always (silently) give a salute in respect.
End of SitRep | video-games_xbox |
Basically the same as COD 2 and 3 - HUGE letdown after COD 4. The COD series has been pretty popular, trumping that of the Medal Of Honor series. COD 2 and 3 for the 360 were basically the same game (graphics, gameplay, etc.). Then came COD 4 - one of the best looking and playing games for the current generation of systems. The COD WAW was announced...
I knew it would be a WWII game, which was a letdown considering the COUNTLESS WWII games that have been made since the PS1 (MOH, COD, Brothers in Arms, and too many others). The major difference with WAW is that you're also fighting the Japanese - something that has always been missing from WWII games (except MOH Rising Sun) which boggles me. I always thought (and still do) that this is due to political correctness. It's MUCH more politically correct to have a game killing Nazi's. No one can cry racism that way, plus it doesn't hurt Japanese sales. Nice. Sigh...
But at this point in time it's just plain tired. There is nothing new to offer in the realm of killing Nazi's in a WW2 game. There just isn't. It is time to put WWII shooters to rest unless someone can revolutionize the visuals, or something else about the gameplay mechanics. But why not a different war? Why not Vietnam, or Korea, or Desert Storm, or the current conflict in Iraq. Why always WW2? Hello?
Anyway, this game does NOT use COD 4 graphics. In fact not even close. The graphics and gameplay are really no different than COD 2 and 3. Seriously. This game is riding on the namesake coattails of COD 4. If you want this game but don't want to spend sixty bucks on it, the best solution is to spend ten or twenty and just buy COD 2 or 3. Other than some profanity you won't be missing out on anything. I guess I should have done my homework to see that Ubi was not involved in this game.
Apparently at some point in this game, there are zombies. Some kind of zombie Nazi. Again, this has been done and done and done (MOH did it at least once, Castle Wolfenstein did it a few times, etc.). Please game developers - put WWII Nazis and zombies to rest - THERE IS NOTHING NEW TO OFFER!
Conclusion - borderline last gen graphics, almost impossible to discern the enemy from your own troops, and just a boring ho-hum game. Luckily I got this as a gift. I'll be selling mine soon.
What a huge disappointment. | video-games_xbox |
Best game I have played! However, you should know. Okay, first off, consider this an add on to the game. You can download this game for free from xbox live. You can play for free (though you will upgrade tanks and generate in-game money slower). If you are thinking of buying this for a little kid you should wait. You will need xbox live gold subscription, the internet etc. This game has a steep learning curve and is drastically different from COD. Many young players do not have the patience to stick with this game and give up in frustration fairly soon.
2nd thing to note...this game is difficult. An online poll found the average age of active players to be mid-thirties. Oldest ages were in the 70's. If you are buying for a young child they will be up against adults who are into tanks as a hobby. At a minimum many of the good players in the game will study the armor zones, weak spots, penetration values of the guns, shell types, angle percentages and the rate it increases/decrease armor effectiveness. Not to say that young kids cannot enjoy the game but it has a steep learning curve and there will be many games that will be over very quickly because they will run into players who know these tanks inside and out.
3rd this package is for a premium tank. The developers were careful not to make this a "pay to win" game so any tanks that you buy will not be better than tanks you could unlock for free in the game. Premium tanks usually have some advantages that can be exploited by good players but crippling weakness when used by new players. They also generate in game money (silver) and XP faster than normal tanks.
-if you, are someone you know likes fast paced FPS then this game will be a shock. There is no re-spawning. When your tank blows up that's the end of the match for you. However, you can jump into another one of your tanks will no penalty for leaving the match early. This is a blessing and a curse since newer players will play reckless since they will be able to acquire several tanks fairly quickly. However, what new players do not realize is that your statistics are tracked and can be viewed by anyone. By the time most people become aware of this they are 3,000-4,000 games in and have dug themselves into a serious hole. Stats don't effect in-game play, but if you are looking to join a clan it will take months of hard work to turn it around to meet minimum requirements.
-One more thing about stats. Most players who stick with this game will eventually become fairly decent and will start to see themselves consistently at the top of the end game reports for performance. This will make them wonder how they stack up against other players. When they learn about stats and start comparing themselves, they will have a moment where they realize they are only average/below average compared to all the players on here. This can crush a person's spirit when they realize that they are nowhere near as skilled as they thought (I have seen players quit at this realization).
This is the most fun I have had playing a game. I enjoyed it from day one and love to see my name light up when I destroy an enemy tank. My lifetime stats show I am an average player but recently there are weeks where I am in the top 99%. This is overshadowed by the fact that there are players in the top 99.9% and 99.99% (1 in 10,000).
-As far as the language and swearing from players, because of the amount of time and effort spent to learn the tanks, and all the information that goes with that (armor zones, shell types, pen values) good players take this game very serious. they will get mad if players in a Tiger II are trying to snipe from the spawn. Or to see light tanks suicide-scouting. New players who do not know the role of their tanks, and the basic strategies for the maps can be targets of raging players who are concerned with maintaining a top 99.99% rating based on meeting damage expectations for each tank. Many players forget that young kids do play this game and don't realize that until the parents respond to obscenity laced voice messages that were received by a 11 year old. I have not done this but I do mute terrible players so I know to avoid them.
The players like the battles in the game, are not for the faint of heart. | video-games_xbox |
The Real Deal. Fixed my 3 RROD. I've had my Xbox 360 since early 2006. I normally play 2-4 hours at a time, about 3 times a week, with a few 8 hr stints on weekend nights. When it succumbed to the 3 RROD, I figured she had a good run. Wanting a challenge (and not wanting to shell out big $$$$ for a new console) I opted to attempt fixing it myself. I first cleaned and replaced the thermal grease, and that only fixed it for about 15 min. I then figured I'd do some research and go all out for the ultimate fix. In all I spent around $60 on all purchased upgrades. So far I've played 5 straight hours since the fix, and the Xbox is still running strong, and significantly cooler. Below are a few points.
1. Ensure you purchase this item from Xbox-Experts. I haven't tried any other manufacturers, but I followed other reviewers recommendation and this one worked the first time around.
2. Follow the tutorial located here:[...] as the supplied instructions are useless. Also, your better off reading the text, as the animated video provided is not detailed enough for someone making the repairs/upgrade for the first time.
3. I elected to drill out the higher post on my frame, instead of worrying about sanding them down to match the height of the others (you'll understand once you view the tutorial)
4. Ontop of this upgrade, I also upgraded my fan to a "Talisman Whisper Fan, with blue LED" (purchased on Amazon). No prior experience with this product, just went for an economical upgrade, the LED glow is fancy but didn't weight in the reason for its purchase. It claims to push more air, and I think it does.
B. I also purchased a "Xbox 360 Cooling Station" (Amazon again) that forces air through the bottom vents when the Xbox is in a vertical stance (it can only be used with the Xbox standing vertical). This I know works because I can fell the air being forced through the back vents of the 360 with the console off, and the cooling station running. I like this cooling station because it comes with it's own AC adaptor, unlike others that tap into, and rub the console of much needed power. You have to manually turn it on and off, but I'm fine with that (it's also equipped with glowing green LEDs at it's base)
5. Before doing all this, my Xbox was running super hot, and of course I had the 3 RROD. Since the fix, he frame is now noticeably cooler, and the upgraded fan isn't running at max RPM either so that tells me the combination of fix/upgrades are working. Not to mention it fixed my 3 RROD! Highly recommended | video-games_xbox |
One of the coolest things I've played. Worth every penny. I'm an intermediate acoustic guitar player, and I have always wanted to break into lead and rhythm electric. The most difficult part is I don't play in a band, and the books out there are either too basic or too advanced. I'm also the type who learns best by seeing since I'm untrained. Here's my plug. Lately, I've been realizing that of all the gadgets I have, very few of them actually improve something in my life. Most of them take away. This is something that is helping achieve a goal. It is an absolutely fantastic trainer.
The Good:
1. It starts you very basic with the root note of a chord as you play through the song. With each time you play, it will add additional parts of the chord as you get better. It helps train you.
2. It makes recommendations about specific lessons to visit based on your playing ability. This may include learning the "A5 chord" or bending strings or whatever.
3. The music is fun and the guitar sounds are really good. This makes the entire experience enjoyable.
The Bad:
1. Sometimes it does not pick up the correct note, even when you play it. I have a Gibson (almost same as cover) and have messed with the settings but cannot get to perfection on some songs as it says I'm not playing a note that I am playing.
2. There's no Jimi Hendrix. How can you have something with rock and not have Jimi? I realize he may be difficult to emulate, but still...bring some Jimi.
3. If you were brand new...never played, you will struggle with some techniques related to picking. maybe I overlooked this lesson but there needs to be more for the right hand. Everyone else should thrive.
Improvements: The ultimate improvement would be a world where people could input songs themselves and share them with others online. I realize this would not have lyrics and may be limited on the drums, but how cool would that be.
Conclusion: If kids spend half of the time on this that they waste on Halo or Minecraft, we are going to have an entire generation of electric guitar players. Worth every penny. I would have spent double on this and will purchase any future additions. I also plan on purchasing additional songs once I work through the included selection. Bottom line, this is more than a game, and it is lots of fun. | video-games_xbox |
Is there a rating lower than "1 star. This device should be a plug and play instrument. It should be as simple as plug it in, maybe use a laptop to configure, and then turn it over to the video game/Blueray player/etc... but it's not that simple. It's not even close.
So here's what bugs me...in order to configure this thing you need to either have a wireless router that auto-loads the DHCP information to the device or you must load the application on their CD. Well, and I know no one reads these things, but on the Trendnet User Agreement displayed from their cd, the wording indicates that the software will enable the retrieval of advertising banners. It doesn't say where those ads will be loaded or if it'll be on the PC you loaded their potential adware on or if it will be banner ads launched on the service/device you have this wireless access point attached to.
So I now have a device that is not connected to anything and I am wondering if I should simply return this and avoid all Trendnet products. I guess the reason these devices are so cheap is to help Trendnet create an advertising platform with its products and the only way to get those products into the maximum number of homes is to lower the price.
Now I do applaud Trendnet's honesty. I wish more companies would be honest about their nefarious activities. Trendnet puts this information in small print and way down in their software license agreement but I was able to find that wording without any problem. I was also doing quite a few net searches, and cannot locate anyone else who has read or admits to having read this agreement.
I am strongly opposed to any device/software/tool that is designed to deliver advertising to me. Can you believe that we are expected to pay for this behavior? This is just insane.
I urge anyone from Trendnet to reply to this and tell us all why they feel it necessary to push advertising on their networking products. | video-games_xbox |
Good With Minor Issues. Firstly, the game is fun. It isn't as fast paced or responsive as some of the fight games out today, but in some ways I like that because I don't have to memorize insanely huge combos. The monsters are all good and reasonably well balanced. The Single Player game is somewhat short. Fighting the computer is difficult at first, but then becomes rather too easy. Another annoyance is the fact that you have to unlock monsters to use them and you only start off with like 2 monsters. I don't mind unlocking monsters, but at least give us a little more 'starting' variety.
THE BAD
There are some small but definite balancing issues. King Ghiddorah is the most powerful monster by far. When flying, he can shoot you, and this shot is not wimpy. What is more, he can shoot you like this three times in a row before his energy runs out. Then all you have to do is run away from your opponent and recharge. Lather rinse repeat. They can't stop you. There is no 'wind up' to this flying shot. You leap in the air and instantly fire. Reacting in time is impossible against a half-way decent opponent. But even if you block the shot it still doesn't seem to stop the damage.
Rodan has some of the same balance issue. However, his shot doesn't do as much damage and flying sucks his energy much faster so it isn't as big a deal.
Destroyah's energy katana is another ability that can be abused. It is fast and 'stuns' you as well as knocking you down. It also does a LOT of damage. So as long as Destroyah has energy and gets in close enough you are hard pressed to avoid losing a good 20% of your health bar when facing an opponent that knows how to pull this move.
Mechagodzilla's missiles do a TON of damage. If you are on your feet and careful you can avoid them easily enough, but if you get cornered or knocked down and he hits you with a full spread then you lose a good 35% of your health. That's a LOT. Considering that no other monster can do damage at that magnatude it is a little unfair - especially considering he gets THREE missile loadouts at the beginning of each round. So basically until your opponent fires off all his missiles you are dancing around trying your best to make sure you never ever get cornered.
But the most annoying balance issue is MechaGhiddorah. His special shot makes your monster pause, scream, and drains ALL your energy. What is more, it doesn't matter what you are doing if he hits you. If you are on the ground and you get hit with this thing you get up, pause, scream, and get drained. So it is essentially 3 free 'grabs' your opponent gets if he ever lands this thing on you. That's a ton of damage and it is very frustrating.
Considering that Godzilla, Orga, Megalon, Anguilas, and Gigan don't have anything close to this ability to strip 20+% of an opponent's health in one shot it is a litte wampus. | video-games_xbox |
Stick To The Beaten Path. "Knights of the Old Republic" has been my favorite game for years now, and I've been eagerly anticipating any opportunity to indulge in a similar experience now that the series has sort-of dead-ended.
After getting a 360 for Christmas, "Mass Effect" was the first game I bought for it. As of now, I've played it through twice just to make sure most of the experience wasn't lost on me. Does it live up to expectation? In a lot of ways, yes.
For me, the big thing ME had to live up to in KOTOR's wake was the conversations. When a game is based on the ability to interact with your fellow party members as if you were actually there...it has be able to pull that off rather well to keep up the illusion. Thankfully, it does, as each crewmember aboard your ship has a very interesting story to tell.
The actual combat system is, in my opinion, one of the most entertaining and enjoyable systems I've ever played in an RPG. Weapons can be upgraded with ammo enhancements, armor can be reinforced, and the "magic" system evolves into something that's almost a guilty pleasure to use. Lifting a baddie into the air and shooting at them with your poison rounds until they dissolve never really gets old, nor should it.
The story itself is one that does echo KOTOR in some respects, but on the whole is very original for a video game. Gamers should feel like they didn't deserve such treatment when it all winds down. It's filled with plot twists and populated with very unique creatures with their own cultures and mannerisms (but all speak English, go figure xD). By the end of the game, expect yourself to be well-versed with many of the game's alien races.
Unfortunately, if one tries to venture beyond this epic quest to save the galaxy, you might find yourself trying to decide why it should be saved. The sidequests (outside the Citadel, at least) are ridiculously cookie-cutter, aggravating, and very unrewarding. And there are a lot of them. Each requiring you to drive a very unmanageable land rover over extremely rocky and always-barren terrain. The most you might find on each of the dozens of interchangeable planetary surfaces are a few mineral deposits, probes, or colonies that are of the same exact construction no matter where you go. (To those who completed the metal/gasses quests, you have my eternal respect and admiration for dealing with that.)
This was the aggravating part for me. It literally doesn't matter where you go outside the main storyline, you will find absolutely nothing of interest. Even when you are tasked to head to Earth's own moon, which is now inhabited by millions of people, you somehow managed to get stuck patrolling a barren crater.
And for having party members with so much to say typically, on these sidequests they fall annoyingly silent. (I know were probably dealing with the limited disc space now, but still). It simply feels like this half of the game was slapped on at the last minute with little regard to content as long as it took up some space.
Still, the only reason I'm giving this game 3 stars is because there is content within the game that just shouldn't be there. In an attempt to make this galaxy expansive, Bioware populated it with worlds that are as interesting and unique as billiard balls.
If you decide to stick with the main storyline, your view of how RPGs should be made will be forever changed. But take a close look at the sidequests and you'll find that they haven't changed enough. | video-games_xbox |
Better than SkullCandy PLYR 7.1. Was really undecided on these...I knew they had been out for a while AND had seen some iffy reviews, but after looking at them for a while now I finally ordered a pair.
Quality: Amazing
I purchased previously an afterglow just clip-on bluetooth headset for a starter gaming device and was not impressed. I was worried that it was an Afterglow quality I would be disappointed in. These did not disappoint. Came with a ton of battery life, and easy to install. Here are the highlights:
Comfort: Could wear for HOURSSS. The actual ear cups are large and VERY comfortable. If ear cups are stiff and hit your ears they become really annoying and these are perfect. Very adjustable, and soft leathery/memory foam feel is a win for me.
Sound: I compared these to a 7.1 SkullCandy PLYR headset and couldn't tell the difference between 5.1 and 7.1 These sound stunning. Modes: Regular - sounds great, Bass Boost - gunfire and explosions are super rich, Surround (whatever the term was) - is like surround on crack. All modes of course have the 5.1, but the surround + mode (forget the name) is SUPER crisp.
Mechanics: Mic pulls out on a flexible wire to fit your comfortably, though I was heard loud and clear with it retracted fully into the headset. All controls on left ear are great. Volume knob at the top, Chat - Game sound control knob below that. Mode button on outside of ear cup switches your sound modes quickly. Hold the mode button to change the glow color (you have to redo this each time you turn the headset on unfortunately).
Plugging it in: Super easy. Plug in your optical cord for sound and your usb for power and you are live. My only complaint here is that the optical cord is extremely short and unless you want the whole stand RIGHT next to your console/pc, you need a longer cord. I bought a 12' and am happy with having it on display next to tv unit. I am glad it came with cords for xbox and mobile/pc gaming/music, too!
Overall: Extremely happy with purchase. Whole family and a friend vouched for this over the SkullCandy PLYR 7.1. Can't wait to take this everywhere with me for more than gaming... | video-games_xbox |
Updated 1/10/14:Msft strikes again! From 3 red rings of death to the garbage disc drive problem. Spent an hour setting this thing up and was about ready to fire up BF4....NOPE of course not, always a problem just like the DMV! RRRRRRRRCLUNKCLUNKCLUNK....BAD DRIVE!
Update: I did decide to have Amazon send me another one, I'm the abused wife in this relationship with Msft. This will be my fourth beating over the last 7 years. He was so good to me when he originally came into my life in 02. I suffered through RROD'S and now the DDOD.....I promise I will leave him next time!
Update two: I received my second Xbox in fast order from Amazon. Msft strikes a second time ! The cord that fits into the power brick is loose, I will be calling them on this issue.
My thoughts from an original Xbox owner and a gamer since Atari: We waited eight years for this BETA BOX experiment to be cast upon us. The interface is not BETTER (shouldn't it be) than the current 360 and controller causes cramping after an hour of BF4 game play. NEVER HAD THIS ISSUE BEFORE! So, I guess this 100 million dollar controller didn't include an adult playing a game during the testing. The controller forces your bumper fingers too far forward, pushing your fingers off the bumpers in an unnatural position vs 360 perfection. Huge problem and you will see for yourselves how awkward it has become to game. Your bumper finger tips can almost touch each other on the X1 vs 1/2" space on the 360. This equals cramping because your hand never relaxes on the controller vs the 360..
Graphics are superior of course, but they could have been better if the cash was put into the box instead of into the Kinect. Ultimately, I feel MSFt will burn all early adopters of the Beta Box. They will dump the Kinect and make a more focused box and will do over the controller.
Sadly, the controller makes this a ONE STAR system. EIGHT YEARS MSFT !
Update3: Try fitting your size 12 foot into a size 9 sneaker, all the while running a marathon that you ran many times before without a problem. My hand has been hurting for two days now after playing (BF4) for a couple of hours. My first Xbox Beta had the DDOD issue and the second Beta Box One has a limp power cord connection. Called Msft and mentioned all the BS I have gone through for years with them and it continues with their next gen Beta Box. Offered me nothing except looking online at the forums and contacting Amazon....I was also mad that I could not find a BF4 MP server to play on. I was told the Beta Box One could only handle 1000 people at a time!!!!! BF4 sold millions of copies! I can't wait until the cluster muck Beta Box One is out of my home. 360 is the better machine PERIOD! | video-games_xbox |
lone wolves need not apply. I'm a little puzzled by all the terrible reviews for this game. I've been playing this game daily for the last week or two and don't regret my purchase one bit. I geuss the problem is that this is a different kind of online shooter. The main difference is that you have to play as a team. You can't just go it alone, to succeed you have to be a stronger force than the other team. Kind of like a tug of war to put it simply. Camping is pointless in this game and selfish play isn't rewarded. Bravery is rewarded and cowards are left out in the cold.
You can play as four different classes that each buff each other by making weapons stronger, increasing life bars and so on. The depth to the character creation is amazing. It's not just outfits. You can add up to 20 different abilities, and change between 3 different body types. The weapons are also able to be customizad. There really is a difference between the guns too and they sound awesome.
One of the main features of Brink is parkour or SMART. While not quite as amazing as I thought it would be it does help with getting around the maps quickly. I can't even count the number of times I would get hung up on a cinder block on the ground or whatever else in COD. That is where the parkour feature pays off.
With so many mixed reviews do what I did and find a used copy at Gamestop and return it within seven days for a full refund or try and rent it. Brink is truly a one of a kind game that is very well balanced and thought out. Your character becomes stronger over time and the abilities aren't easily exploited like say danger close with scavenger and a noobtube that kills anyone in a ten foot radius.
I could go on for pages trying to explain all the facets of gameplay like mines that go off only after you step off the mine so if you don't step off a teammate can come defuse it.
I will agree with one con to this game and that's the AI of the bots is pretty dumb.
I don't think this game is perfect but it's fun and brings new ideas to a genre that's getting a little stale. | video-games_xbox |
Decent action game, terrible survival horror game. Not every game can be a paradigm-shifting masterpiece. After years of trying to perfect Resident Evil 4 (including at least two completely scrapped attempts), it hit the Gamecube like a storm and completely changed how people viewed the venerable survival horror series. It was as perfect a game as I've seen recently, with amazing pacing, the perfect meaty length, intense action sequences and enough horror to still call it a horror game. In an ironic twist, Gears of War took inspiration from Resident Evil 4 and now Capcom returns the favor by taking some inspiration from Gears of War for Resident Evil 5. Unfortunately, they didn't take it far enough.
If I had to sum up my Resident Evil 5 experience in a few words, I'd say it was frustrating, exciting, annoying, action-packed, thrilling and ultimately a little bit unsatisfying. If RE4 threw out the entire kitchen but kept the sink (the horror), RE5 ditches the sink entirely. And that's where my problems come in.
Before I get too far ahead, the story is probably the weakest part, unfortunately. As convoluted and B-grade as it is, part of my love for the RE series stems from the stories. Here we have Chris Redford and his partner Sheva, members of the BSAA, who are in Africa trying to track down a man named Irving. Of course, the area they go into is swarming with a new form of Plagas-infected townspeople and Chris has ulterior motives in going to Africa that ties into his backstory. The story is kind of a mess and is easily the weakest in the series. The best part comes at the end as it brings closure to some story fragments started way back in 1998.
A lot of people complain about the controls. While the emphasis on action seems counter-balanced by the stiff controls, its the same control scheme used in RE4. And that's fine with me, for the most part. The further reliance on action does tend to add some aggravating moments but I honestly didn't realize there was a control problem through most of the game. The action sequences run from very good to just decent, with a few set pieces that really deserve attention. And of course the boss fights are hugely over-the-top and add some of the best moments of the game in terms of variety.
No, my biggest grief with the game is that it feels like a strange alien copy of a series I've loved for over 10 years. Where's the horror, I kept asking myself. Where are the scares? I would have been satisifed with a cheap window-shattering scare by the time the game was over. Everything just felt so...run of the mill. Most of the great parts of Resident Evil 4 were recycled. The beginning sequence where you're chased around for a time, moving quietly to avoid detection, QTEs, fights against giant rejects from Lord of the Rings...it all felt so familiar. And it doesn't do much much to push the genre forward.
If anything, it takes a few steps back. I love co-op as much as the next gamer, but horror is based about feelings of isolation and it's hard to have that feeling when not only is there another person with you, but it seems as if at any time, the cavalry can arrive to shoot missiles and provide backup. Playing through the game with a real person is a fine and fun experience, but a lot of people will be forced to play with the sometimes good A.I. partner and that's a shame.
Sheva, as controlled by the computer, does an adequate job most of the time. She's a rapid healer and isn't selfish with ammo. But she also is guided by AI principles and does some absolutely stupid things at the worst possible time. Like jumping off a cliff and running back, through the final boss who insta-kills her (and ends your game). Try having that happen to you three or four times. I have never been so frustrated at a game, but when death is sometimes predetermined based on the whims of your partner and not actual skill, my frustration meter goes through the roof.
Overall, I enjoyed my ten (definitely not the 17 of RE4) hours spent in Resident Evil 5's twisted world. It provided enough variety and fun to warrant a couple play throughs, especially with a human partner. However, I never got the giddy feeling I felt playing Resident Evil, RE2 or RE4. I'd definitely recommend giving it a go because it does offer some great moments toward the end of the story and surprised me with how it ended, but don't go in with the same expectations of RE4. Here's hoping that Resident Evil 6, with its proposed "complete reboot," puts the kitchen sink back in. | video-games_xbox |
Not a fan of the changes, but still an incredible game. Having played WAY too much of it when it came out yesterday, opinions are solidified. I want to say up front that it's still a great game, and worth every penny... because if I don't say it now, I may lead someone to believe otherwise, as I don't actually like ANY of the changes to the game--I just don't dislike them so heavily that anything is spoiled. It's also worth noting that virtually no critic seems to agree with me at all here, so your mileage may very well differ, especially toward the end of the critical portion of this post.
Combat saw the largest overhaul by far. Bioware wanted to enhance the shooter element of Mass Effect, saying that they wanted it to be on par with things like Modern Warfare, and attract some of those users. It's not on par with the Call of Duty series as a shooter, and trying to make it feel more like that was, in my opinion, detrimental.
Mass Effect 1 weaponry had unlimited ammo, and lore to back that up (despite the obvious logical disconnect with equipping ammo types on your weapon). That's been retconned in favor of standard ammunition dropped by enemies. Accordingly, attacks aren't limited by weapon overheat, but ammo and reloading. Gone is an element that was both unique to Mass Effect, and which made the game's weapons seem high tech and futuristic, while still feeling familiar as firearms, instead of high tech magic wands. It's also plenty inconvenient if you want to rely on sniping--there are more opportunities for it in ME2 than ME1, which is wonderful, but the sniper rifle (at least initially) has a maximum ammo capacity of ten. Ten? Really? I don't know the caliber of real world sniper rifles, but I could fit more than ten .45 cartridges in one pocket of my jeans.
Classes are now much more strictly defined. Abilities available to one class may very well not appear in another, even if they're the same "type" (tech, biotics, combat). The infiltrator, which I played in ME1, for example, is a tech/combat hybrid, specializing in sniping. All tech powers were also available to others with tech abilities, if they met the pre-requisites. This is no longer the case. I've got a tech/biotic party member who has a skill called overload. It's simply not available to me anymore, despite having had it in Mass Effect 1. While classes are more unique this way, the flavor of the skill sets is lost, or at least damaged. "Tech" isn't "tech," it's "tech that this character actually has." Even ammunition types are class specific. Infiltrators, for example, get cryo and disruptor ammo types. So... what, because I'm an infiltrator, incendiary rounds are too hot for my fingers or something? Am I afraid I'll prick my finger on a pointy AP round?
If I felt like my options replaced what was lost, that might annoy me less, but I don't. It's true that some of what was lost can be accomplished otherwise (for example, my missing overload ability is now partially covered by disruptor ammo), but I feel like my toolbox is smaller. During Mass Effect 1, in a pitched fight, I might overload one enemy, hit another with sabotage, use shield boost to get my armor's shields back online, and then medigel to quickly recover from hurt I took while they were down. Now... I could use incinerate. Medigel is not available for mid combat healing. You take cover, and you wait for your health to regen back up, the same as . I have no access to replacements for my offensive powers from ME1, and as far as I've seen, shield boost doesn't exist at all. If I play it more like a standard shooter, it's because 60% of my options to do otherwise are gone, and another 30% are diminished somehow.
The RPG element of equipment is largely gone. There are weapons in game to find and build, and you can outfit your party with those, but gone are the options for modifying them on the fly to fit your purposes. You can select your own armor, and paint it pretty colors (yay blue), but you can't adjust your party's armor at all. This is a bigger deal than it sounds, as it reduces your ability to tweak the game to your playstyle. In ME1, I'd give everyone the most shield-heavy armor I could find, ignoring damage reduction, and take pains not to let damage get through their shields in the first place. I'd equip them with medical systems, so if damage did get through, their health would regenerate without using up my medigel. Now, their armor is what it is. Their health regenerates if they take cover appropriately (which they don't, necessarily), but if someone is hurt, I have NO option to take care of them--I have to hope they'll get out of trouble and regen before they die. Medigel is now used to limit use of the Unity ability--a mid-combat resurrect for incapacitated members--and nothing else. I can't equip around situations to improve odds of survival, and it annoys me greatly.
Character development is also "streamlined" (read: dumbed down) to an aggravating extent. I'm not talking about a character's motivations, history, and so forth; the game's story elements are all still stellar. I mean the RPG aspect again. If you're familiar with Mass Effect 1's skill allotment screen, most characters had a healthy array of skills, and putting points into a skill unlocked several different abilities (or improvements to an ability) as you went. Now, you put points into skills directly. You get bigger numbers, and nothing else until the last level of a skill, where you "evolve" it into one of two variants. I had numerous occasions in Mass Effect 1 where I had to think seriously about where to spend my points. That's an indication that things were done right. This is missing from Mass Effect 2, and it's tragic to me.
Also gone are the low detail, "run around in the Mako on this planet and do stuff" missions. They were unpopular, so I understand why they were axed. The elevator rides in lieu of loading screens are in the same boat. Everyone complained about how long elevator rides were, but squad members would talk during many of them, or you'd hear news over the intercom. That kind of fluff was, to me, far preferable to a generic loading screen with a gameplay tip on it, and that's what we've got now. Squad members could also be talked to at any point in ME1. Face them, hit A, and they'd have a comment about the area. Gone. Sometimes an object or scenery can be activated to get a comment from them, but not always. It's something I miss. Certainly no deal breaker, but I mourn my fluff.
They replaced a lot of the removed stuff with more involved mini-games for hacking and electronics (but since there are no related skills, it's all on you now), mini-games for mining, the need to buy fuel for the ship (not every system has a mass relay, and faster than light travel from system to system without requires fuel), probes for that mining thing (and to do anything with "anomalies" detected on worlds), and so forth. While the resources gained from mining are used to upgrade the ship, characters themselves, weapons, and so on, and actually add play value, the process of mining itself is a waste of time. Hold down LT and wave a crosshair all over a planet until a sort of mass spectrometer wannabe goes off, then fire a probe. There's no thought or challenge or fun involved--you just wave your finger around. It's like putting a huge sheet of paper in front of a blind person, and saying "Rub this; eventually you'll find some braille." Screw that, put the braille in front of me, and let the enjoyable part (in this case, the upgrading) happen.
So far, I've found a lone positive change, but I don't like its implementation. The old paragon/renegade dialogue options are still there, but in addition, there are paragon/renegade interrupts. At points during certain conversations, a paragon or renegade icon will show in the bottom left or right corner of your screen for about one second. If you pull LT or RT (on the 360, not sure what the PC equivalent is), you'll do the paragon or renegade interrupt, accordingly. These range from shutting off a display that was terrifying someone to grabbing an electrical tool and killing an enemy in cold blood before he can make your life difficult. I applaud the addition, but the way it's handled leaves me missing them by a hair (since most conversations have no such options, you're lulled into not watching for them), cursing, and reloading a save out of a desire to know what would've happened. Having to replay like that isn't fun. I'd like a warning of some kind. It's an interruption in the heat of the moment, and I get that, but it could be timing based without being out of the blue. Warn somehow at the beginning of a dialogue, so I don't know WHEN it is, but I'm watching.
So... with all this, how can I still call it great? The most important part of a Bioware RPG for me is the dialogue, and that's intact and fantastic. Even characters I didn't even want to recruit are so well written I talk to them. I ask every question, I explore everything. The core gameplay is less fun, but it's not NO fun, and while I miss what's lost, I revel in what's still there. If you liked ME1, and the above details don't sound like dealbreakers, or you didn't play ME1 and want a great science fiction game that's more plot than pew pew, ME2 is most definitely worth your money and then some. | video-games_xbox |
A Fun Hybrid of Combat, Puzzles, and Platforming. Alice: Madness Returns is the story of Alice Liddell, a young girl who suffered a horrible tragedy involving her family and is considered insane by the parade of ghastly, morally bankrupt adults in her life. As the game opens, we learn that Alice is in therapy and her doctor is trying to help her forget the traumatic events that drove her to madness.
The game is framed in chapters, each a different thematic world of Wonderland, where Alice retreats when things in the real world become too difficult to bear. Horrible events are happening in Wonderland, and it is up to Alice to solve the mysteries of both Wonderland and the real world to defeat a monstrous evil in both.
Visual: The level design is fantastic. At this time, the graphics may feel a bit dated, but a lot of thought went into creating the different worlds of Wonderland (and the brief chapters in the real world are appealingly grim). There are worlds underwater, worlds suspended in air above the clouds, and hellish, demented worlds based on, of all things, falling apart baby dolls.
Combat: It has been mentioned that this is a hack and slash game, but the enemies are fairly varied. Some repeat throughout the entire game, but each chapter will introduce a new class of enemies, which the player will have to figure out how to defeat. Generally the strategies are simple, but the variety of weapons (there are five, overall) that you collect through the game and the different strategies to defeat each enemy keep it fresh.
Platforming: This game is, above all, a platformer; the levels and puzzles throughout as Alice travels each world are fun. Sometimes they get a little repetitive, but overall the experience is fun. Alice can jump, float, and shrink her way through her enivronment.
Mood: The one aspect of the game that impressed me overall is the mood. This is a dark, mature, and twisted game. I would think twice if you are considering this for children - this game is rated Mature for a reason. The horrific events that frame the story, the twisted enemies you encounter, and the creepy characters that Alice seeks out - they all come together to create a moody, dark, and trippy experience.
This game is a lot of fun. It took me about 10 - 12 hours to beat. Highly reccommended. | video-games_xbox |
nice to see old friends...updated. this will be an ongoing review...
first impressions..
1. graphics are very good albeit a little too blueish or something for my taste. can't quite put my finger on it. not the best graphics I have ever seen but pretty close.
2. I find the many buttons to make him do combat, magic, journal, aiming...etc a bit frazzling. maybe I am just used to playing the 1st one on the computer where you just click the mouse when you saw the highlight. I find the aiming a bit harder..for example the bombs, knives, magic...But, am just starting so maybe, after time, my reactions will get more natural due to repetition. Sometimes, making a character do more makes it less appealing..in my opinion. but...combat and whatnot is still fun and challenging.
3. as of yet, he is not shown meditating...only that you "know" he did. if this is the case for the whole game, as weird as it sounds, I will miss seeing him mediate near a fire. It was kinda relaxing. I hope to see this later in game but fear I shall not.
4. the journal is not overly user friendly...just my opinion..but, I can live with it. it has it's few good points, but I find myself hitting RB over and over to toggle to things.
5. music so far is gorgeous but I expected that after the 1st game.
6. Personally, there is something about Geralt's looks that I don't like as much as the 1st game. His hair?? his face is just off a bit..like the original's brother kinda thingy...related but not exact same look. But..he is still awesome. Sometimes, what was fantastic before should not be "improved"...same goes for Triss
7. I like the "scan with medallion" effect...that is cool.
Overall, so far, I am pleased. I can say, with all honesty, that I would recommend this game based on past game and what I have experienced already. Of course, the ending of Mass Effect 3 now has me more weary of sticking to that faithfully.
I hope to get more comfortable with the controls over time..but, can say for sure, I find them rather "loose" for a lack of a better term. I try to aim and it goes all over the place.
Anyways..that is my take so far. I am sure I will enjoy the game for many many many hours. it is just that kind of series.
big plus...same as 1st game..love the quest manual!
To be continued....
FYI...I installed the game on to the hard drive, as suggested for better graphics and smoother gameplay experience, and I find it is actually true. The graphics seem a bit better. Curious though, that I still have to put disc into tray to play it...ha! oh well...so it goes.
Also, I find the controls are more stable and less jerking if you toggle off the "auto rotate camera.." on the options menu. I think that is more for the mouse of a computer (per wording in game manual). Just sayin...
UPDATE:
I find the map quite useful on this game. At first glance it does not look like much but if you zoom in, you can see roads (paths) that lead you very well to where you wish to go. The medallion will also help you to know enemies are close by in enough time to stop and prepare yourself. It turns red. That is quite useful.
I also find the journal and it's updated information as you investigate. It also guides you as to what to do or where to go next so you don't feel like you are going in circles or getting lost.
MY FINAL UPDATE:
I have played enough now to give it my final review. I am extremely pleased and am having a blast. Also, the fact that I can change his hairstyle with a choice of like 5 of them (that is the woman part of me..ha!) once meeting a certain dwarf, I changed my star rating from a 4 to a 5. Games don't get any better then this! | video-games_xbox |
The best video game just got better. This is an upgraded version of the original game. Some new features in this "Black" version include.. 1) classic Arcade game and new cut scenes, 2) new weapons, 3) Mission mode & new enemies.
1) Well, the classic arcade game was a big disappointment because it is slow-moving AND you only use punches, kicks, and throws - there are no weapons. I thought the NES version was 10x better. Also, I misunderstood what they meant by cut scenes. I thought it was the beautiful cgi cinema, but all you get are non-cinema animation such as Ayanae reviving you when you accept the easy "Ninja Dog" mode.
2) On the positive side, the new staff weapon is excellent - it has a long range, and you can do a variety of lightning-fast techniques (There's also a smoke bomb, but it seems rather useless).
3) Finally, we have the mission mode. THIS IS THE MAIN REASON TO BUY THIS GAME. Once you beat the game in normal mode, you unlock Mission mode, which is where you will find new creatures such as Ashtar - your evil self, and this female demon with tentacle arms used as whips (they might appear in Hard Mode too, but normal mode was difficult enough for me so I never tried it). Start off with 10 missions and you must beat 5 to unlock an additional 5.
To avoid any spoilers about the missions, don't read the next two paragraphs.
First off, this mode is HARD.. not only do you fight big bosses, but you also encounter their minor henchmen at the same time. There are certain techniques to use to beat each mission, but you always have to be alert and thinking about your next move. I hated this mode when I first unlocked it because the words GAME OVER kept appearing on the screen, but I always found myself going back because I wanted to unlock more missions and see new enemies (each set of 5 missions has a catchy title but you don't know what it's about or what enemies will appear until it is unlocked). Despite dying 95% of the time, I finally got to my next to last set.. called Giants of the Underworld or something like that. The last mission is called Eternal Legend, have no idea if there's a new demon or if it includes the giant Angel/Skull Spider boss.. but I can't wait to find out.
BTW, for those who get frustrated, you do get a break in between. There is a mission set called "Fateful Confrontation" which I thought was very easy because you only fight one-on-one with Ashtar in 5 different settings. The Jump/Neck-Slash technique is all you need to do to beat him. To me this set is the most enjoyable. For one mission, you can jump up to building ledges and Ashtar will follow you like a shadow. then you can do a spinning piledriver on him (something which I saw in an intro scene, but haven't been able to do myself yet). And if this is too easy for you, don't worry.. the next set includes one challenging mission where you fight 2 Ashtars, one fights with a Flail, and the other with a Staff! | video-games_xbox |
Over-hyped. I had this game on pre-order for months because the demo, background info and different avenues of gameplay and interaction made it look highly impressive and seriously engaging. Such an anti-climax. Why do games always look so much better in the promotional shots, demos and magazine previews? Because, of course, they want you to buy this game thinking it's 'better' or at least in the same league as Grand Theft Auto. One of the top selling video game titles of all time and one of the coolest and most fun games out there. It's actually a great deal different to GTA. There's other areas of game action including stealth missions, 80s/early 90s retro-style arcade combo-fighting, shooting and street patrol. It is fun for a while but it sure becomes repetitive and resctrictive when most of the missions are very similar just in a different scenario. The driving is the main thing you do in the game and it really sucks when you need to speed like crazy, you spin, burnout and crash but you actually lose points for hitting pedestrains - which makes sense 'cause you're a cop... But seriously, sometimes it can't be avoided, and where's the fun in actually 'not' being allowed to hit people?
The graphics are of original Playstation quality, 3D but in a thin-layered, blocky way. The animation is also of quite poor quality. They could've done a lot more to enhance the outdoor environment, the horizon, the weather, time-of-day, lighting effects and the textures (especially the roads, signs and plants). The buildings all look practically the same in toy-like/box-like appearance lacking individual structure and intricate detail. You'll pass the same looking cars and people over and over. They also could've given better effects to improve the sense of speed and more theatre and characterisation with the city-dwellers and crims. I like the custom soundtrack option though. I thought the original track listing offered too much funk and hip-hop but not enough electro, tech, hard trance, NRG or even alternative and metal tracks all of which are ideal for cruising, car chases and mass destruction.
The fighting is fun to watch and there's a certain devilish satisfaction with the bone-crunching grab'n'throw and finishing combos. When you're fighting a group, it looks a bit unrealistic how the others move about whilst you're fighting someone else. The controls are frustrating and difficult to maneuver - or that might just be the inconsistent pace and level of interaction. However, the fighting does look like a clever satire of typical LA cop clean-up-the-streets type thing like you see on many late-night corny B-grade TV shows. This whole game is practically a parody of that whole outdated mindless stereotypical form of entertainment, and it works well.
Generally, this is a fun game with a short life. You could play to the point it becomes increasingly harder but by that stage you'd start to knit-pick at the flaws and lifelessness. I did like this game to a degree but I feel it's the sort of game which will improve if/when the sequel comes out. I understand that they pushed back the release date for further finishing touches and tests, but I'm not so sure the original release date should've been confirmed so soon when this rendition doesn't really do much justice to such an interesting concept and variety of gameplay with great potential. It also won't get very far if it is always compared to GTA. | video-games_xbox |
A classic, reborn. We are all familiar with disappointing remakes; from movies, to video games, even to political parties. Oft times it seems as if those who were given the privilege of retooling and a cherished IP, didn't appear to "get it", or cherish it in the first place, like many a high school student's book report. When I heard, and even read, about the new contender in the XCom franchise, it immediately dropped from my radar. The franchise has a horrid record at doing just that, missing the point. The videos and reviews seemed to point at the same. Oh, to my surprise, how much have those who are responsible for this welcome addition, "got it".
Turn based is back! This is one of the few most recent remakes of a turn based strategy, who didn't push to real time, or some hybrid wacky real-kind of, but not at all turn based (see Jagged Alliance) messes. From scanning the skies, to boots hitting the ground, this feels like XCOM.
One of the most noticeable changes was in the inventory system, which was replaced with a simpler equipment system - instead of picking items up in the field, making remove for that alien corpse you always wanted to lug around, now you equip a primary weapon, a secondary, and one or more additional items, and armor. There is only one round of weapon for a gun, instead of being able to choose HP, incendiary, or standard ammo, for example. While it is not the same as the original, it doesn't detract from the game, and I believe makes the game easier to get into, and less of a bean counter feel.
The game has a similar look and polish of the recent simplified Civilization game, by the same developer. Menus, for example, aren't just a bunch of text, instead you have rooms, and structures that represent the areas you are working with.
This game is so much fun, however, there isn't really that much replay value. Once, as I've done, you get all weapons and knowledge, it's really all the same in another play through. The number of stages where you do battle are pretty limited, even in one play through they repeat a lot. Near the end of the game, it feels like the end of the game - it seemed, for me, that all things felt like they were wrapping up - I completed all science, all constructions, all founder work - you can do -everything- in one play through.
As another review pointed out, the fit percentages are wacky. While it will say greater than 50% on chance to hit with a weapon on a target, it will, most of the time, feel like 0%. I've never seen a miss at 100%, however. Another problem is that you can shoot through indestructible objects, such as five walls, or the side of a tank. It's not horrible, it simply is something to get used to and say, "really? Why?"
My biggest complain are the defects. I've had graphical defects where a creature mesh will be leaning like MJ in Smooth Criminal, the game will indicate that one solider can see an alien, and yet, there isn't one... ghosts, perhaps? My squad will be hovering several feet in the sky, sometimes slowly approaching the ground every time I enter and exit the menu (doesn't affect game play, just graphics). Then, however, are the more serious bugs. I've had the aliens turn (indicated by Alien Activity), never end (I waited over 5 minutes, where it normally takes 5 seconds). I had to exit the game and reload, to which it only, again, took 5 seconds. I've had the game freeze on me (requiring me to hard reset the system by unplugging it, the first time I've ever had to). I've had the indicator to move a solider, however, I could not, nor could I do anything else except move the camera around - that required a soft reset. And there have been many other bugs, usually requiring a soft reset. More than I've ever had in any other XBox 360 game. Deal breaker? Not really, annoying? Heck yeah! I don't think they will get fixed, which is a shame, and very slack on the makers.
Would I recommend this game, yes! Especially if you are a fan of the original XCOM. The fact that the producers backed a game that hasn't tried to break it's own formula too drastically to pull in a new audience, is commendable! After a recent game purchase for a sequel was an incredible and unforgivable failure (RE6) this game has done well to respect the franchises original fans in producing a game that looks and feels like the original. | video-games_xbox |
Halo: Refined. Bungie's last and latest entry in the Halo franchise brings us a distillation of the series' best elements.
(Spoilers will be clearly marked)
*****
>>The Overview:
Halo: Reach is a triumph. It's a shining example of everything that can go right in a game, and it's one of the most brazen gifts a developer has ever given to its fanbase. Playing Reach, digging through all its rich corners and absorbing the sheer amount of work and artistry that went into this game, you start to feel a tingle of realization in the back of your mind: This is what Bungie has been working toward all these years, ever since the first unfinished gameplay reels of Halo 1 surfaced behind closed doors back in 1999.
Reach takes nearly every successful element from every previous Halo game and improves on it. The Elites, finally, return as your main adversaries, and they are fiercer and more cunning than ever. Here, we get a chance to tackle every kind of Covenant in battle, from the gentle Engineers all the way up to Brute Chieftains, who have been stripped of their shields and massive armor to show their still-lowly status at this point in the Halo chronology. Likewise, the Flood are nowhere to be seen, meaning the gunplay remains tight throughout--there's no predictable lull as you crawl through dark corridors and get bum-rushed by space parasites. Thankfully, Reach spares us from the "Library" levels of earlier titles.
Instead, we're treated to a solemn tale of a planet under siege, and the startling scenes of Reach's fall evoke similar visuals from last year's <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Halo-3-ODST/dp/B001HWB68K/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Halo 3: ODST</a>. Indoor environments are varied, and outdoor locales hearken back to the parched grounds of <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Halo-3-s/dp/B000FRU0NU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Halo 3's</a> and ODST's New Mombasa. Bungie even gives us a modern redux of Halo 1's "Truth and Reconciliation" level, with nighttime outdoor sniping made all the better by armor powers.
And armor powers are what make Reach shine. Initially controversial in the Reach beta, armor powers are the game's crown jewel, mixing up the Halo formula with an ingredient we never knew we so desperately wanted. Sprinting from cover to cover is not only a joy, but now a necessity on the harder difficulties of Reach, and tricking both AI enemies and human adversaries with the hologram will never get old. There are seven armor powers in all, including the infamous jetpack and active camo, as well as an update of Halo 3's bubble shield.
>>Multiplayer:
Multiplayer is better than ever, and the addition of armor powers lends a whole new flavor to the frag-filled proceedings. Do you take to the skies in the jetpack and expose yourself to easy gunfire, or do you remain on ground defense with the invincibility-granting armor lock? Ah, choices, choices--and Reach, more than any other game in the series, gives you an entire Covenant battleship's worth of them.
The matchmaking system has been vastly improved, and the new map-and-game voting system blows away Halo 3's archaic vetoing method. Each multiplayer session gives you a choice of three (sometimes two) map-and-gametype pairs to choose from, so in a Team Slayer match, for example, you can choose from Slayer DMRs on Reflection, Slayer Pro on Asylum, Elite Slayer on Sword Base, or even "None of the Above," which will spawn a new round of voting. It gives players a better chance to jump in to their favorite map or gametype, instead of being stuck in Halo 3's occasional repetitive map/gametype purgatory for hours on end.
Bungie has also proven that they can listen and respond to complaints quickly: Barely three weeks passed from the game's launch before Bungie released a big multiplayer update that improved the experience in spades. New modes and playlists were added, and a significant number of bugs were removed, turning Reach into even more of a hurricane-level force to be reckoned with. This is some of the best multiplayer you can get on the Xbox, period.
>>Firefight:
Firefight, too, has finally realized its potential as a massive time sink. Players can expect to lose hours just tweaking the settings, which are seemingly bottomless. Set player loadouts, shield strength, weapon strength, the type of enemies that spawn, player speed, and so on--even gravity can be customized, so your dream of floating lazily over Hunters while pelting them with infinite Magnum fire can finally be realized.
A massive bonus is that Firefight now joins the matchmaking ranks, so players can grab some random teammates and pound alien scum together. Matchmaking firefight games, for better or worse, are limited to only five enemy waves, so games end after only five or so minutes, but at least those at a loss for Halo-playing friends can get a taste of arcadey co-op mayhem. Firefight also gives the option, in certain game modes, for two of the four players to take the role of Elites and harass the Spartans, but online you can mostly expect folks to stick to the Rocketfight variant, which is exactly as it sounds: unlimited lives, unlimited rockets, and a bunch of Covenant waiting to bite the dust.
It would be nice of Bungie to expand the playlists here. The intriguing Generator Defense gametype from the Reach beta, which pitted three Spartans against three Elites, is virtually nowhere to be seen. It's now a pared-down Firefight variant, but with Rocketfight being the most popular gametype, Generator Defense has all but melted into the shadows.
Niggling multiplayer issues like these are the strongest reminders of Halo's wasted potential. Again, we get Forge, the ridiculously powerful level creator and editor--but custom maps are limited to play between just you and your friends. Theater mode makes a welcome return--but only one person at a time can watch. Halo has always given us such great tools and toys, but sadly those tools are always limited in their execution, if not their scope. If I want to show a group of friends an awesome replay of an entire match and give them a personal play-by-play, I can't. I can only upload the film to my fileshare and recommend it to them. If someone creates a revolutionary gametype (like the Infection and Rocket Race of earlier Halo games), I have to wait months for Bungie to catch up and put it in their playlists.
Bungie has always prided itself on its community, and its community features are certainly on the cutting edge of console gaming--but I can't help feeling there's a better way to reap the creativity of all those fans out there. Maybe a playlist dedicated to the top ten most popular game/map variants of the week? It would be a start.
But enough about multiplayer. What about the campaign?
>>The Campaign:
Gameplay-wise, the campaign is a rollicking, rumbling ride. Being able to fight all the species of Covenant at once--including the new, lightning-quick Skirmishers--is a rush, forcing you to switch and adapt tactics on the fly. Environments are stunning, and despite what those spoiled by the likes of Gears of War will tell you, the graphics in Reach are wonderful. Visuals are a marked step up from Halo 3, but the improved vistas come at a cost: slowdown can happen more than once while you charge headlong into the larger battles of the game. (Though thankfully it's absent from multiplayer.)
The enemies are slick and cruel, and playing the game on Heroic--or Legendary, if you dare--makes you feel the enormity of Reach's struggle as you're forced to your tactical and reflexive wits' end. This game can be hard, but never is it unfair.
The voice acting is spot-on, the characters varied and clever. Noble team is a charismatic group, and stepping into the shoes of Noble 6 to join them is pure joy. Your own mysterious Spartan can be female or male, and it's a treat--and a good reflection on Bungie--to see Noble 6's voice and contextual cues change accordingly.
Reach's narrative, however, is its weakest aspect. The presentation is flawless and cinematic, and the cutscenes bookending each level offer a welcome reprieve from the intensity of the gunfights. But the story's sequence of events, and the tale's ultimate resolution, leave much to be desired.
Not only does the story conflict with the events of the first Halo book, <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Fall-of-Reach/dp/0765328321/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Fall of Reach</a>, but the things that happen in-game seem to not only contradict basic tenets of the Halo universe, but also common sense.
***HERE BEGIN SPOILERS***
Killing off all of Noble team was a poor choice--particularly because they didn't all die. Jun, the team's sniper, presumably survived. If Bungie was going for a one-two punch of tragedy with Reach falling and Noble dying, they failed because they didn't even manage to kill all of them.
Then there's the issue of the deaths being painfully contrived. Apparently, autopiloting systems are designed to fail at the most crucial moments, Spartans have shielding except when they're supposed to get sniped, and Pelicans don't come installed with an eject button. Each and every death in the game was downright ridiculous. Spartan-IIIs aren't as powerful as Spartan-IIs like old Master Chief, but that doesn't mean they're made of toilet paper--or maybe they are, as evidenced by the avoidable ways Noble 6's teammates kick the bucket.
Reach's epilogue simply adds insult to injury. After a truly spot-on ending credits sequence, we're treated to a playable endgame mission that at first seems both frightening and mystifying, but which quickly devolves into an unavoidable--and anticlimactic--cutscene where Noble 6 gets rudely offed by a pack of Elites. This is then followed by an unnecessary, melodramatic, and wholly overwrought voiceover that's supposed to tie the whole Halo package together. The only halo I saw by that point were my eyes rolling.
While the other Halo games touched on a semblance of narrative nuance, and offered eye-opening twists (discovering the true power of the Halo rings in Halo 1; taking control of the Arbiter in Halo 2; reaching the Ark in Halo 3, etc.), Reach is a paint-by-the-numbers military story, replete with clichd and unnecessary deaths. Bungie couldn't even evoke the melancholy close of Halo 3, which wrapped up the trilogy while preserving the possibility for more sequels.
I understand Bungie wanted to close the book on their chapter of Halo, but by the end of Reach it feels more like a door slamming on your rear end.
***SPOILERS END***
>>The Sound:
The rest of Reach more than makes up for the weak story, however, and tying the whole package together is the sound presentation, which is arguably the best in its class. Guns fire with more punch; every bullet sounds as if it's ripping through the environment. Even the new (and deviously enjoyable) assassination animations come to life with visceral sounds of your knife being plunged into your enemy's skull. Explosions are positively earth-shattering.
The music continues Halo's tradition of high-caliber choir and orchestra, punctuated by moments of rock and drums. Marty O'Donnell and his team have struck aural gold once again, and the Reach soundtrack explores fresh new territory while sneaking in some throwbacks to the previous games. It frames the narrative and lends weight to every step of the game, and it's one of the best soundtracks, game or otherwise, this year.
>>The Package:
Topping it all off are the three versions of Reach: <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Standard/dp/B002BSA20M/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Standard</a>,<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Limited/dp/B002I0JF0Q/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Limited</a>, and <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Legendary/dp/B002I0HCVK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Legendary</a>. Each is $60, $80, or $150, and offers a nice reward for every level of Halo fan.
Since I received the Limited Edition (the "middle" one), I'll give a breakdown of what's inside.
For $80, you get a surprisingly hefty (and sturdy) plastic case and plastic slipcover that, together, give the impression that you've recovered a top-secret ONI data module. The case even has a tiny handle at the top, which is helpful for pulling out the contents. Once you've opened it, you'll first see your copy of Reach, housed in a black DVD case similar to the Standard Edition--only it's a different color, and without the "Recon Armor" promo plastered on the front art. Having clean cover art is a nice touch, and so is having your own DVD case to keep separate from the rest of the package. This is a major improvement from the cat-scratch packaging of Halo 3's Limited Edition, which so poorly housed your discs that they ended up looking like they'd been handled by angry felines when you first opened it.
Pulling away the section housing the actual game, you find a package wrapped in black bubble wrap and stickered with all sorts of official-looking seals from the Office of Naval Intelligence. Opening this up reveals Dr. Halsey's journal, which is like a love gift from Bungie to fans.
The journal is substantial--it looks like an expensive journal you could buy at Borders, with a magnetic cover and cloth-string binding. The thing is thick, too--I've been reading it for several sittings and still have half of it left to go. The notes and drawings within will keep any fan of the Halo mythos spinning in excitement, and opening the <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Moleskine/dp/8883701038/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Moleskine</a>-like back pocket of the journal reveals an explosion of goodies: an ID tag, a Spartan patch, and what seems like two dozen slips of paper and pictures and random other things. Going through all these tidbits will keep you busy for a while, and it really gives the impression that you've stumbled upon the famous doctor's personal notes--even down to the fake coffee stains on some of the pages. Fans of the Halo books will recognize a lot, and find even more mysteries to be solved.
It's too bad there isn't a nice making-of DVD included with this set, like with the Halo 3 Limited Edition. Basically, you get a massive plastic case, the game, and a really well-done journal, but that's it. I suppose I should mention the extra downloadables, which include the Recon helmet of the Standard Edition, plus an exclusive in-game Elite armor variant and a toy Falcon helicopter for your Xbox Live Avatar. If you're a true Halo fan who regularly dives into the "extended universe" of the books, and you want some nice extras but aren't willing to burn the hole in your wallet for the Legendary Edition, I'd recommend the Limited Edition. And if you like unwrapping and discovering things and finding little tidbits, I'd recommend this as well. Opening up my copy of Reach was like Christmas morning.
But if you don't care about story and just want to shoot stuff? Get the <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Standard-Edition/dp/B002BSA20M/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Standard Edition</a>.
>>Closing Comments:
So, while Reach's narrative is unfortunately the weakest of the whole series, the rest of the package is undoubtedly the absolute best. The campaign is worth it for the awe-inspiring set pieces and the red-hot battles, and Noble team is a good crew, even if you don't see them enough. Multiplayer has reached an epic plateau of fun, and Reach is one of the tightest, fairest, and most balanced competitive experiences out there.
Even with my complaints, Halo is still one of the most sublimely polished games on the market. And really, it seems to be the only one of its kind: Often, FPS games are either focused on real-world combat, or a much darker sci-fi route. Halo is one of the few shooters unafraid to use every color on the palette, and it's better for it. The franchise revels in the beauty of science fiction, with a lilting musical score and stunning alien vistas. Bungie has brought something unique to gaming with the Halo franchise, and it's sad to see them go. Who knows what surprises they might--or might not--introduce to the industry with their next project. For now, though, Reach stands as a monument to all they've given to us over the years.
Reach won't convert you if you're a Halo hater, but it might capture someone who's been on the fence. Armor powers, Spartan customization, and an improved matchmaking system are all welcome additions, and the campaign is loads of crazy fun. It might not reach the dizzying heights of the other Halo games, but neither does it drop to the dark, dank lows. Reach, more than any other Halo game, is consistent. It is consistently fair, consistently fun, and consistently great. It's a culmination of a decade's worth of work, and a fitting close, at least in terms of gameplay and features, to all that has made the series what it is. | video-games_xbox |
This game is incomplete. Ok here we go. First off this is my first delve into the xcom series but i have played through it to completion so its time to review. Let me also say that i bought this as a digital download on xbox one but i prefer to do my reviews here. I am no scrub when it comes to strategy games (long time rts player) and have been gunning people down on xbox since the beginning. At first xcom pissed me off, the difficulty level is very high even on lower settings at least in the first half of the game. If you make it past the halfway mark you will likely have an easier time towards the end but until then be ready to do a few restarts. The turn based game play, though not anything new, was a refreshing break from the normal day of fps and rts. The player models (when static) look pretty good and i liked that the characters appearances were randomly generated. Also the world map starting location and seemingly the non essential mission maps were also randomized making no play through the same. The story as a whole is kinda bland and there isn't any prologue to catch up players that didn't play the prior games leaving me feeling lost and without a purpose other than "try not to die". So if all was well at this point i would have given this game 4 stars, but then we get to the bugs. This game is beyond riddled with bugs both on the visuals side and on the game play side. The cut scenes featuring the random generated characters has a frame rate of half or less than the story cut scenes making everything feel very choppy and sometimes i would see incomplete loading of finishing textures making it look terrible. Some of the story cut scenes would have out of sinc sound to what was happening on screen, very annoying. I can get past a hand full of visual bugs but these were literally every few seconds making it kinda unforgivable. There are a few game play bugs like telling a character to move to cover and they get to within one block and just stop out in the open for the turn often getting himself shot. The enemies will sometime get stuck and fall through the map or just disappear, killing them. Objectives not being able to be shot even though you are standing on the objective just because the game thinks you haven't "sighted" it. There are a quite a few more to the point were i could write a book about it. The short of it is that this game had a TON of potential but needed another year or two of bug testing before release. I had the game crash while trying to load a mission 3 times during the campaign, luckily the auto save system works but its still a pain as the loading screens are VERY long. The final nail in the coffin was the final cut scene and up until this point i was at 3 stars for the game... i played the final mission, which is quite long, to arrive at the ending cut scene. The ending cut scene for games is very important, its the culmination of all your efforts being payed off with a completed story and some nice visuals...... Then the ending cut scene played with no sound, ZERO. Dead silence. i was so mad that i threw down my controller and went outside to smoke. I was furious. I still have no idea what the ending was about and i won't bother looking it up. This is the first time that i have seriously contemplated trying to get my money back on a game, games are art and therefore are not guaranteed to please you but they SHOULD AT LEAST BE COMPLETE!!! I payed $60 for 80% of a game when you take all the bugs and issues into account. The person that decided to push this game out the doors in this state has ruined it. Another year or two and you could have been golden! Now this just feels like a money grab. | video-games_xbox |
Such a shame. I never feel compelled to take time out of my day to submit product reviews.
Yet, alas, as a result of numerous ours hours played (more than I care to admit), I felt I had to chime in with my own take on this latest installment.
So, if I may cut to the chase... Let me begin by saying that this is, without question, the single worst MW game published to date AND the most embarrisingly obvious cash grab by a game publisher in the last decade.
I submit the following reasons:
A. It is the SAME game* as the prior two MW games...and World War...and Black Ops...for that matter.
* Okay there are some differences (all highlighting a lowpoint for the franchise)
1. The killstreak award insanity that began with MW2 has peaked to a ridiculous extreme. If you are playing any of the traditional game modes, you will not make it 30 seconds without hearing about yet another killstreak being rewarded.
2. The campaign narrative is horrible in comparison to any of the previous CODs.
3. The maps are utterly infuriating to anyone but a run and gunner (i.e. anyone who enjoys tactical game play or, God forbid, sniping).
4. Matchmaking is completely unbalanced; as are map starting points. To support this fact, in the 1000s of matches I've played I can only recall maybe 10 close games where either I wasn't routing or being routed by an opposing team (no exaggeration).
5. And, by far the most rage inducing downfall...system lag (especially if you are the host) and spawn deaths are at an all-time worst. In any game you play, you are in reality in two games: the one you are experiencing and another one every other player is experiencing, in which you may take a peak at via the astoundingly different version of events highlighted in killcam.
And, one last quibble, 15 dollars for four maps and 2 spec ops missions!!?? The game comes with 18 maps and similar number of spec ops...and everything else for 60 dollars...what kind of monkey math do the utilize to come up with these prices?
Honestly, this is proabably the end of my FPS online gaming. | video-games_xbox |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.