Split (3)

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The Best Sandbox Sequel Since GTA 3. The Original Just Cause was a Great "Fresh" Concept to the Sandbox/Open World Genre But, It wasn't Polished had many Glitches, Problems That made it No Fun in the Over-All Landscape After reading the Great Review in Game Informer Mag. I was extremely Intrigued. Picked it up and I'm hooked!!!!! I have no clue how the Studio was able 2 get a Sequel up and made But, This is What The Just Cause Concept was meant to be Both THQ and Rockstar Studio need 2 take notice The Landscape has Changed! @ This Date and Time This is The Ultimate Sandbox Game That has Raised The Bar Even if you never Played The Original Just Cause playing the Sequel is like riding a Bike once u get the hang of it you have it @ The same time if you never Played the 1st Game u might Not understand why JC 2 is such a Huge Step Forward I've put in 30hrs and have Barley Scratched the surface Just Cause 2 is without a Doubt Epic (Bigger then any other Sandbox Title so far) and flat out fun so easy to get sucked into The Game has been re-worked from the ground up The Gun Play is spot on, Everything can be up Upgraded U can shoot Cluster Grenades into the Ocean/Water and see The Aftermath! The driving has a much better feel then the Original The New Grappling-Hook adds so much to how u can play the game along with attaching Various Items 2 each other When things Blow up They really Blow up!!!!! The havok physics engine has been used IMO the Best so Far in any Sandbox Game The 5.1 Audio is Really good (The Detail in the audio is amazing to say the least) The only area it Suffers is The Story (Don't expect Bio Shock, Assassin's Creed or Mass Effect type Story Telling) But, It doesn't Matter it's like alot of the Action Flicks of the 1980's Plenty of Action, More Guns, Over The Top Violence But, unlike a Film you are the one Directing all the action............ Everyone involved in Getting this game made should feel extremely Proud Eidos, Avalanche, & Square Enix have made a Amazing Free Roaming acting title It's One of the best Action Sandbox Games I've played for the 360 If you take Crackdown, Saints Row, GTA, Mercenaries 2, and Bionic Commando and mix them all up you'll get Just Cause 2 Hopefully this title gains Major word of mouth and gets Plenty of Attention. One of the Must Play Games This Year Buy it You won't be Sorry 9.6/10	video-games_xbox
Good yet bad. Bad yet good. Go figure. Let me say, first off, that I'm rating this game based on their storyline, their zombie game, their online, and their co-op. I have no feelings about the guns, because I mean, it's WWII. I knew they were going to be nerfed and weakened down. I knew bolt actions would be boosted because so many people whined and whined on the forums about not being a "one shot sniper god"-- Storyline: It's completely fine. A lot better than CoD3, because you switch back and forth so much between America and Russia against Japan and Germany. Don't get me wrong, it didn't quite hook me as deeply as CoD4, but then again, I knew basically what was gonna happen in the game- I knew we'd win the war, I knew lots of people would die, and I knew it would all be great and grand in the end with lots of celebrating. CoD4, no, you didn't know anything that was gonna happen next, that's how they hooked you. You can't complain about this storyline just because you can "foreshadow" your HISTORICAL victory. Honestly. Nazi Zombies: Upon beating campaign on any difficulty, you unlock the bonus mode, "Nazi Zombies" where you're trapped in a building by yourself or with friends and you, yeah, fight off hordes of zombies as long as you can. Is it fun? Not by yourself, unless you're one of those people that like being alone... When you're with a group of 4, with 3 friends, yeah, I personally have tons and tons of fun. Nothing quite like laughing while you poke your gun at a crawling zombie with no legs that keeps trying to bite you. I've had more fun with the Nazi Zombies mode than I have with CoD4 multiplayer & CoD5 multiplayer put together. It's just fun, luck, and skill. Online Multiplayer: Here's where the game lost a star in the "fun" part of this rating... Online Multiplayer is without a doubt... boring. It's basically if I can pull my trigger before you, I kill you. If you pull yours before me, you kill me... let down :/ The spawn points are as said earlier... really messed up. I recall playing a match recently with tanks on the level. The other team had all 4 tanks, and they had parked their tanks outside of my team's spawn. Basically, when we so much as tried to leave our spawn, we were tanked down. It was horrible. Sniping is so much more aggrivating than CoD4... Don't get me wrong, I appreciate having to earn my own sniper scope. THAT is fair, no sarcasm or anything. I feel you should show skill before just jumping in with a scope and going 'YEAH I RULE' However-- I don't agree with a bunch of kids that haven't hit puberty yet putting Stopping Power and Steady Aim on their class and just basically spraying with a bolt action and getting insta-kills. THAT makes me mad. Co-op: You can't complain about their co-op. They give you the option to play storymode with friends, they give you the option to fight together, they give you the option to NOT fight alone. Is it perfect? Not really- only because I don't approve of having one teammate die and the rest of the team fails because of it. That's my only dislike in the co-op. I personally enjoy playing with my friends on xbox live or split-screen :). That's it. It's a decent game. If you enjoyed CoD4 because of style, graphics, and playing with friends-- get this game. If you enjoyed CoD4 simply for the storyline and 'pwning' people on multiplayer with your ultra awesome skill that no one in the world could ever hope to match... I'd recommend staying a no-lifer on CoD4, because this game would just make you mad. Oh, and by the way- The game is not "too dark" If you use your brain and go to OPTIONS in the pause menu... you can adjust how dark or bright the game is. People are so clueless sometimes. It's like calling tech support and when they tell you to turn the off switch to on you reply with, "oh..."	video-games_xbox
An Amazing Experience. We got this "From Santa" this past Christmas (2011) for our kids (7 & 3). Of all the Kinect games we bought for the system, the kids keep coming back to Disney Adventures. We've yet to 'see' the whole park and experience everything, but the gameplay seems pretty tight for the internal mini-games and pointing to walk works too, or you can use the menu to get around the park as well. From flying with Peter Pan, going down the Matterhorn while trying to throw snowballs at Yeti, and running with Brer Rabbit to Brer Fox's house... the whole game is a BLAST! Thankfully, my kids HAVE seen Song of the South and love those characters. Brer Rabbit's voice is SPOT ON. While Brer Fox sounds like some little old lady... like it might be the same voice actor doing all three of those characters... who knows, but all the other Disney character's voices are exactly portrayed as they should be! Try hugging Capt'n Hook! Too funny. Plenty of things to do, min-games, or simply enjoy the graphics of riding a simple ride actually. If you have kids under 10 they WILL love this game while entertaining the adults too. Yeah...if a player hops out and someone comes back in... a random avatar is picked, but our kids don't care. My little boy laughs when his avatar shows up as a girl. One downside, is since kids are the main focus of the game... some kids who are in... "short" supply, or have small hands, the Kinect may have issues reading their hand wave. Many times we end up waving just trying to let our 3 year old to get in and play! Or he'll become over excited and either jump out of range or fall in floor with delight...(not sure why he does that, but he IS three)...which again... logs him out and we're waving trying to get him all over again... Great game, just wish the interface for entering the game was as tight as Kinect Adventures. Other than the waving issue...we found our "Happy Place" with this game, and I bet you will too!	video-games_xbox
To break in?.....or break down. As games progress in technology and power under the hood, certain things just have to go into the game or it kills the illusion. Remember how you can have a grenade launcher or RPG in say a Resident Evil game but you couldn't access the door because there was some stupid medallion hidden in some bizarre puzzle on the other side of the mansion? In Red Faction: Guerrilla, it essentially allows you to the missions you want but also how you want. You could just walk into this mission and kill everyone floor by floor...but why not just set charges to the support legs and have the building cave in on itself? It's this level of destruction that drives the main hook of Red Faction but it also comes with its issues as well which makes this a fun romp but not really anything substantial. Story: In 2120, Mars has been terraformed and taken over by the Earth Defense Force (EDF, naturally) who have turned to the dark side shall we say from the original and have now become the oppressor. Alec Mason, having just seen his brother killed for suspicion of being part of Red Faction, the rebel group against the EDF, and Alec tries to drive the EDF off of Mars and free the people. Graphics: Red Faction's graphics can be divided into 2 categories: the physics...and everything else. The former is mighty impressive as the layout and the basic building structures are very realistic with the stone and the rebar and the support beams and everything things collapse will usually have a specific destructive look as opposed to "it just explodes". For the other graphics? They're impressive sure but they're not really "wow"-inducing. They look nice and character models are good though odd-looking but Mars itself just looks rather bland as it's all rocks, mountains and it's just not unbelievable looking but it's serviceable. Sound/Music: The music in the game is pretty good but it's either barely there or it'll show up when things get all action-y but you're so wrapped in the action you might not even notice but when it is on you're like "hey yeah, that is kind of nice". The voice acting on the other hand is rather meh and the dialogue as well doesn't help since some VA's can make bad liners listenable (Gears of War, anyone?) but here it's just terrible or it's just not as good. The sound mix though is good and the sounds for the basic assault rifle has a really cool shooting sound and the destructive elements have a nice kick to them which is really all you need. Gameplay: Typically, Red Faction games were first-person shooters but now it takes on a 3rd-person view similar to not so much Resident Evil 4 but rather even Silent Hill: Homecoming, the upcoming Alan Wake or if you want, a Zelda. The camera can frustrate since it has a tendency to zoom into you in tight quarters and when you're getting shot, it makes things annoying. But the shooting elements are quite fun with RB controlling your weapon wheel with your face buttons being your weapon selection. They're customizable so you can switch on the fly from your assault rifle to your sledgehammer and back without the game "pausing" so you can bring up your weapon wheel a la Ratchet and Clank or F.E.A.R. Cover is in the game though sometimes you'll be off your cover or you're being surrounded on all sides you might feel like "screw this" and just run around but it's definately needed in areas. The game is a lot more open world like a GTA where you can take on side missions which range from time trials where you have to bring a building down or shooting enemy structures in a certain amount of time, side missions where you help faction members against EDF forces, bringing down important EDF buildings or the main missions. More you do, the more faction members will help out (Morale meter) and the less the EDF has a hold on the certain areas (Control meter) which would be good if your members didn't run you over, follow you INTO buildings you're trying to destroy and have them fall on you or stick so close to your vehicle that you can't help but run them over. The enemy AI is a quite ruthless; bit too much so actually since they follow you and more than once I went "oh just leave me alone already" and your members die rather quickly so they're not much help. It's an enjoyable game, which was surprising cause I HATED the demo but the main game is surprisingly good but it does get a bit repetitive, even early on in terms of missions so be prepared to feel a bit deja vu in the structure of the game but it's still quite good. Keep in mind I haven't checked out the multiplayer yet so I might edit this once I check it out.	video-games_xbox
RPG and Action game not fully realized. I read a bunch of reviews about this game before I bought it -- some of them so harsh that I almost passed on this title. I saw it on sale from a marketplace buyer for a good price, so I picked up. At its heart, Rise of the Argonauts is a greek-themed role playing game with a solid combat mechanism for a RPG. Those who want it to be Mass Effect are on the right track. Compared to Mass Effect, the plot is not nearly as well developed and the side missions are more limited as are your choices. Jason is trying to bring his assassinated bride back to life with the help of his friends (especially a giant Hercules) and a handful of gods (Ares, Hermes, Apollo, and Athena). The interface with the gods worked especially well. Every side mission and certain other accomplishments (such as killing enemies or certain dialog choices) give Jason awards that he may dedicate to one of the 4 patron gods. They, in turn allow him to buy special abilities and powers if Jason dedicates enough things to them. The bonuses work a lot leveling-up in traditional RPGs. Additionally, certain enemies have items that allow you acquire better equipment and weapons. The weapons and the combat mode overall also works well. Rt and Lt bumpers switch between weapons (no cumbersome inventory wheel or screen YAY). the finishing moves are pretty good. I agree with other reviewers that for a combat system this well executed, there are not enough baddies. There are some technical flaws (Jason cant jump and so open world is remarkably closed by rail fences or small stones across archway) and NO in-game mini-map which drives me a little nuts (you can find the map screen through start button). No, it doesnt not recreate the ancient greek story, but Rise of the Argonauts tells its own story in an interesting enough way. I award this game for its setting and approach. And only fault it that it was not more fully developed.	video-games_xbox
Another winner for SONY. With two teenage boys, I believe we have owned every game system out there. My kids wouldn't even have this one except that I really did get randomly chosen to participate in the race to win an incredible deal from Amazon. Despite the fact that we only have dial-up internet service, I was still able to get through and win. I tried for the [...] deal but didn't get through. I debated on whether or not to go for the [...] deal because we're not big movie watchers (James Bond BluRay set) and I didn't approve of the game Far Cry 2. However, I attempted to get through and made it. Later, I started researching and realized that I had indeed gotten an absolutely wonderful deal. The final price was really [...]. No shipping. No taxes. The movie set included 6 discs- worth about [...]. The bluray remote was included- usually you have to purchase it separately ([...]+). My kids are going to take the FarCry2 game to a local trade shop and they'll get something else they can play. If you do play this on an HDTV, you will need to purchase the correct cables. It makes a huge difference. Because our boys are sharing this, we have it set up on the main TV. The HD graphics are amazing and some are lifelike- especially landscapes. We have enjoyed watching our kids play. They like off road racing games. We have a 5 year old daughter and I purchased Little Big Planet for her to play. It is so "random" but even the older kids like it. We have watched a couple of movies on the system and, true to Sony's reputation, they have been theater like experiences. If you are considering a new system purchase, I highly recommend the PS3. It is still pricey for average income families. The accessories and games are expensive as well. Like I said earlier, we wouldn't have it except for the great deal I got from Amazon. We rent most of the games and movies instead of buying. It was a super surprise for our boys at Christmas. They secretly wanted it, but also knew that we couldn't afford [...]+, so they didn't even ask for it. We do the "three gifts" at Christmas since Jesus got "three gifts" from the Wise Men. It simplifies and limits gifts on Christmas morning. Since this was a big gift, our boys got two separate gifts and this one big gift was together. No one complained that they didn't "get enough". So, if you are one of those persons who wonder if Amazon's Vote, Race, and Win thing is real, it is. Thanks Amazon. You helped us give our boys a "really awesome" Christmas.	video-games_xbox
True to the Myst story. Myst III Exile (M3E) is not your typical Xbox game, that's for sure; it was originally developed for the PC and ported exactly as the PC version. Being experienced with all the Myst adventures, I was expecting the gameplay interface similar to Real Myst where character movement seemed more like you were actually walking instead of watching a Powerpoint slide show when moving. Although the producers of M3E claim and brag about the introduction of new 360 degree observation technology, this is actually not new (Real Myst used it first) and now they actually went a step back with the slide-show movement. I got used to it after a while, but it was a bit dissapointing to see such a great game with such an outdated technology, especially on the Xbox. That's the only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 Exposure to the M3E predecessor games (Myst, Riven) is necessary as the game documentation does not explain the story and reasoning behind M3E. M3E has one vengeful D'ni inhabitant named Saavedro that somehow discovered a way to transport himself to the age of Tomahna, where Atrus had just completed writing the age of Releeshan, in which he wanted to amend all of his son's wrongdoings. Saavedro takes away the Releeshan linking book and deliberately drops his J'nanin book expecting to lure Atrus and trap him in his destroyed age. You end up with the task of bringing back the Releeshan book and stop Saavedro from doing more damage to the ages. Your adventure starts when you link into the J'nanin or Learning Age. This age was originally conceived by Atrus to teach his sons about the creation of ages. You are all alone (or so it seems) on this tropical island with no idea of how to get Saavedro and the stolen book. You will have to use all your power of observation, logic and problem-solving skills to solve the many elaborate puzzles and discover the mystery surrounding J'nanin and Saavedro. The J'nanin age unlocks other new ages, required for you to complete the adventure. The puzzles, although logic, are not that obvious to solve. Atrus had to be very careful and have a method that only he would know in order to avoid other people to damage his creations. Luckily you were handed the Atrus journal when you start off in Tomahna and this book will give you an idea of what Atrus wanted to accomplish and also provides you with clues to solve many important puzzles. This game requires patience and a lot of persistence; for every step you take make sure to stop and look around, then continue on. Everything around you is important. The puzzles are mostly the mechanic-type; pull a lever, push a button, etc. Many times pulling a lever creates a reaction somewhere else, so be very observant. I can't say that any puzzle in the adventure was impossible to figure out on your own. The instruction booklet has a hint section for the puzzles but I always avoid those; there's nothing like the sense of accomplishment when solving a tough puzzle entirely on your own. There's always something that turns on your light bulb, sometimes re-reading the journals, walking again around the age, going back to J'nanin, even turning off the Xbox console and taking a break. The adventure is open-ended; you don't need to visit any age in a particular order in order to succeed. You don't die in this game; you cannot fall off a cliff, get electrified or drown. You are also not going to get stuck by pushing the wrong button. That doesn't mean you should start pushing or pulling at will, everything has a purpose and a method, and most of the time is not obvious at first glance. This game is recommended for experienced adventurers and Myst fans. Those new to Myst or to adventure games could find it a bit frustrating and the story will probably not make too much sense.	video-games_xbox
There is better out there. This headset is very good for the value. When I first turned them on I was amazed, the sound was very clear. It adds a lot to the 3 dimensionality of games. Right to left is most notable. Up-down, and front-back, still have a little left to be desired. The controls are very easy, one for chat, one for game volumes, and a mute switch. The chat talk back feature could be a little louder but is most effective when you try maxing out he volume. You will have no problem with the other volumes. The volume controls do move a little easy if you're moving the cord around, a lock would be nice added feature to the headset. The mic is very sensitive to sound while the boom is very sturdy. You won't have an issue with it moving or breaking on you. The fact that they plug into a usb for power will help you keep your wireless controller up and running for longer. Only problem I could foresee there is if you're using up all the USB slots with wired controllers and a wireless adapter. Overall this is a great headset for the price. Any idiosyncrasies you have you can find them with this headset and upgrade later on. If you're looking to get your first headset at a decent price I would recommend this pair. UPDATE------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I have owned this headset for a little under a year and there are now some major problems. The first issue is a whine that comes from the headset that others can hear but I can't, so they'll get pissed about it, this started about a month after I got the headset. The wiring inside the the left earpiece where the boom meets the earpiece is loose or something. It will randomly make very loud noises in my ear and over my mic, I am constantly apologizing for "that loud noise my mic made". It took about 6 months before this headset started doing this. The latest problem which just recently started is low sound from other players. Even with the mic volume set to max and the game volume turned to minimum I can barely hear other players talking to me. Now the only thing that is reliable on this headset is hearing the game. This product starts off strong but deteriorates rapidly. Right now I am dropping this from a 5-star to a 2-star product and I would no longer recommend this product	video-games_xbox
It's more of a FPS specialist controller, and HIGH QUALITY. So I've been holding off on writing a review about this controller, mostly, because i figured that using it for an longer period of time, would provide a more accurate description. Well, I came back to edit this review after 6 months of having used my first ONZA tourney. It still works well, and I don't really want to ever have to use another style of controller again!! And, as i had predicted, i was correct; this controller is a very high quality product!!!! I remember reading a lot of reviews about this controller before i decided to buy it. I knew Razer has had a good reputation with making good quality, third party hardware, such as computer mice and keyboards, and I had owned a Razer mouse in the past that I really liked, so I wanted to give this controller a try. I found that a lot of the others reviews applied to my experience, but some did not. I was surprised to read about so many unhappy purchasers... I consider myself a hardcore gamer; i commit to at least 16 hours a week with a team of 5 players (including myself). Yet, i consistently log 40+ hours of gaming, but this time is spread amongst other games, which cover a broad spectrum of gametypes. UPDATE: As the title says, this controller was intended for shooters, so don't expect it to fit all of your gametype needs. I still use this controller for playing Forza 3, Final Fantasy 13, and Skyrim. I don't remember having used my old black microsoft controller in the past 6 months at all. I don't write many reviews about products that i purchase through amazon.com, but i found that this review may be useful to fellow gamers i play with, as well as anyone else who has become interested in this controller... So, I've been using this controller exclusively since I've received it by mail. I haven't been disappointed yet!!! I suppose it's best if i bullet-point my opinion about this controller: -PRO'S- (in my honest opinion, not listed in any preferential order) - rubberized surface: I find that this feature is very beneficial to me; i've owned a razer gaming mouse, and the grippy layer on this specialized controller felt just as i expected (and as i believe any controller should!) - customizable shoulder buttons: i know most reviewers complain that customization is limited to buttons of the same "side" of the extra shoulder buttons, but i decided, before I even started using the controller, that the custom shoulder buttons would serve as an extra L3/R3 respectively(same as pushing down on L/R thumbsticks). I've never liked smashing my thumbsticks to the point of uselessness, and using these extra shoulder buttons has become second nature. It did take a bit of getting used to the size, positioning, and "click" of both sets of shoulder buttons, but I love them now, and find it easier and faster to zoom in down a scope during certain shooters (if you are on my friends list, you will know which one is my favorite, hah). - Joysticks: I think these joysticks are superior to the feel and functionality of the standard microsoft controller. They are definitely more sensitive, as well as more precise. I've heard someone say that they are too sensitive, but I think they are just right (it's all a matter of perspective anyway, right?). I've kept them as loose as possible (same as the default position/position as shipped) because I like the extra sensitivity. The tournament edition does have an adjustability of tightening and loosening the thumbsticks, but be careful not to overtighten; I read many reviews of kids breaking their thumbsticks by overtightening them, then rating this controller as crap (when of course, it was their own fault for breaking it). By all means, BE GENTLE with all gaming hardware (and in life in general!!), duh! (hahhaahha) Also, the rubber grips on the thumbsticks are extra "grippy", which i find preferable to my old microsoft controllers. The rubber is so soft and grippy, in fact, that i've worn them down to the plastic part of the thumbstick (after about 6 months of HEAVY usage). So, i'm sure some ONZA users may complain about that happening, but it "comes with the territory" of having "grippier", softer rubber compound on the thumbsticks (much like when comparing tire compounds of cars). Luckily, I already have a second ONZA at the ready! (Thanks SMURF!!) - A/B/X/Y Buttons: These buttons are great!! They are sensitive, responsive, and have the feel and sound of clicking a mouse button. Once again, I prefer the feel of these buttons over what I was used to for so long. I was concerned that I may break one of these button eventually because they almost feel too delicate, but don't worry; I smash on the A and B buttons quite hard sometimes, and they're still fine. Of course, don't be surprised of any "button sticking" that may occur over time; this is an inevitable occurrence, so use your best judgement before blaming a controller instead of secreted hand oils, sweat and/or spilled soda, for examples. Also, these 4 buttons are backlit, which prevents me from accidentally stomping on my controller as I think that I can see in the dark when walking in my room during long, late-night gaming sessions, heheh. - Extra long "corded-ness": Of course, wireless is preferable to most, but I love not having to change my batteries during the middle of an intense firefight. I figure that this was taken into consideration if one were to actually be using on of these controllers during a gaming tournament; ya wouldn't wanna getcha head popped b/c you were changing your batteries! -CONS- -Corded-ness: I do prefer wireless for the comfort and convenience, but since they didn't have a "plug and charge" option for any of these controllers anyway, one would still have to deal with battery-change "lameness" during gameplay. -Limited universal functionality of the D-pad: When using this D-pad for the first time, it's obvious that it was designed for weapon selection during shooters. I highly doubt anyone would have much ease or success attempting a hadoken or other multi-directional movement to pull off crucial moves in fighting games like street fighter, but perhaps i'm old fashioned, having torn up the tip of my thumb on pointy SNES D-pads many years ago. Anyway, it's still works well in games that allow multi-directional weapon equipping, such as in the Fallout series; just push two of the uni-directional buttons at once to select your diagonally-equipped weapons. - Positioning of the start/back(its a select button, dammit! hahahah) buttons: I don't really consider this a big deal at all really, just takes some getting use to over time. I'm sure the designers of this controller decided that their change of placement was better or preferable for some reason. - Inconsistent malfunction of the thumbsticks: I have found my right thumbstick to somewhat "stick" in such a way that I can't fully push it in a certain direction sometimes. It only sticks about halfway, and I can get it to stop "f'n up" fairly easily. I've read that this has happened to other people, to greater and lesser degrees. I found that it becomes "fixed" by kinda flicking it back to the default position. I think it has to do with the thumbstick being partially clicked/pushed down while moving/aiming with said thumbstick, but this is only speculation, of course. Once again, I blame the unexpected design flaw of the L3/R3 button; a joystick/thumbstick will wear out easily if it's constantly being crunched down upon (which is why I love that I can hit a shoulder button instead of clicking/ruining my thumbsticks). I think that the thumbsticks on console controllers would have fewer wear problems if they eliminated this "push-click" functionality, but that's another topic... Well, I tried to be as balanced, unbiased, and fair as I could be throughout the review, but overall, I really like this controller, I've found it to be of high quality in it's design, function, and materials used to create it. I intend on buying more as replacements (I hope Razer keeps making these so I don't have to go back to microsoft controllers). If you think this review was too long/wordy, go read a book, increase your attention span, it's good for ya!!! Also, it did take me about a week or so to really get used to the different features and feel of the controller, so expect to feel a bit uncomfortable when adjusting to it. The trigger(s) shape is quite dramatic and different from a microsoft controller, but they seem to be more pressure sensitive and therefore, more precise, which is nice for racing games where a trigger mimics a pressure-sensitive throttle/pedal. And again, having two sets of shoulder buttons will require some readjustment to muscle memory. But if obstacles like these are small enough to reap the benefits, I definitely think you should pick one of these up.	video-games_xbox
An Adults' Game. At first glance, the latest incarnation of the Prince of Persia seems just like any other action/adventure game out there at the moment. However, this game is more than meets the eye, with unique attributes that seem to be aimed primarily at the more mature game player. First, the game does not develop like normal adventure games. Players are not required to think along the lines of "ok, where should I go now and what should I do next in order to get to the next level"? Instead, the various challenges are very well presented and laid out before the player, complete with the buttons to press in order to overcome them. So while there is a very short period where you orient yourself with the game (shorter if you're familiar with past Prince of Persia games), the effect of the game's approach is that game-play flows like a story read from a book. Even watching others play as the story unfolds makes for an interesting experience. And as a bonus side effect, you simply don't get stuck! Second, there is no emphasis on quick-finger-joystick-manipulation skills; this game is not Mortal Kombat where each character has its own unique moves that take seven different button presses and extreme joystick twisting to achieve, instead offering a very simple interface that rewards the player without requiring much effort. As a result, the performance a player gets after clicking a single button at a fight scene is quite impressive (and, by the way, fights are not the main course this game has to serve). Third, the game's overall story is shorter than normal. While many may consider it as an inferior value like disadvantage, it does not really bother me: I don't have the time to finish most of my games anyway (a quick survey shows I only managed to finish 20% of the games I purchased), so I actually welcome the opportunity to finish one. Fourth, contrary to the current trend of multi-player gaming over the internet, the Persian kingdom offers only one mode: single player. Still, I find the game's great graphics, game-play and finishing (despite the occasional camera angle hiccups) so rewarding and entertaining that you will hear no complaints from me (as you can read, it's quite the opposite). Overall, if you find the above attributes adequate, you will find this game to be very much a diamond in the rough.	video-games_xbox
Works well using my XBOX360 to remotely watch TV/DVD's/Stored movies / Limited range. I'm using a SiliconDust Dual HomeRun external tuner into my Router, then into my PC. This allows me to record up to two channels at once in HD using Windows Media Center. I'm also using an ancient (yet legendary) Linksys WRT54G router (that blue one you see everywhere). This router is too slow to stream HDTV wirelessly, I would have to upgrade to a Gigabit router to do this. It's a lot of data to send through the air. Just FYI, the SiliconDust tuner box is over the air (OTA) so you need an antenna. You can connect cable in to it but you will only see unencrypted channels (QAM) with this setup. Cable companies have been encrypting almost everything lately. So I ran 50 feet of Cat 5E cable out of the router to another room where I have a 50" Panasonic HDTV with an XB360 attached via an HDMI cable. This works amazingly well. Who knew you could stream HDTV over a $10 CAT cable? I do now. You need to add the XBOX360 Media Center extender App on the XBOX360 and also on the PC with Media Center on it. I'm using Windows 7 Home 64 bit. Both of those apps are free for download. Picture quality is indistinguishable from OTA broadcasts. What does all this have to do with a review of this remote? Well, I was using the standard XBOX360 game controller which is so clunky when watching any media on it. Anyone who has watched a DVD on the XBOX360 with the controller knows what I'm talking about. To fast-forward on almost any video you have to press the trigger buttons on the bottom of the game controller and this only allows you to advance 30 seconds at a time. This is very frustrating! But with this remote you can easily FF or Rew 1, 2, or 4X on streamed video or directly select chapters on a DVD. I think a remote like this is essential for using an XBOX360 as a remote media center. You can remotely use the BOX360 to view programs (and the Guide) and set them to record or play back. Whatever clunkiness is involved with this configuration is more a problem with the design of the BOX360 than this remote. The XBOX360 stores nothing when using this setup. All the media is stored on the PC and is streamed through the CAT cable to your XBOX360. I have no hard drive in my game console. So, for the money and convenience, I like this thing. One con is the range. I find it has to pointed directly at the XBOX360 and no more than 10 feet away. The remote is IR (Infrared = line of sight) and just not a real strong signal,	video-games_xbox
Fun, But Disappointing. First, know that I really did like Fable and am happy to have it as part of my collection. If I had to make a comparison, I'd liken Fable to Balder's Gate: Dark Alliance, which was an excellent game. I found Fable to be an enjoyable RPG with beautiful graphics and easy game play. The use of different weapon types, melee, ranged, or magic was well balanced. There are times when you will have to switch to hack and slash over magic and ranged weapons, but for the most part, you can choose one style and stick with it. This is one of the very few games where the use of magic as your primary weapon is actually viable. With that said, there are some severe deficiencies in this title. It does not live up to the promises its developers set forth and should really be considered RPG-lite. Here is a quick rundown of what I found wrong with the game: * Character Development: Simply put, there is none. You can't determine the sex, race, or appearance of your character. Character customization is the most basic of any RPG, yet, it is completely absent from Fable. * Moral Choices: Really, this is one of the main points of the game, yet I feel it had almost no bearing on the game except for some physical changes to your character and to the response you receive from the townsfolk. There was no core story branching from the choices made whether they are good or evil. * Moral Choices and Physical Change: The physical changes from moral choices were pretty bland. Horns if you are evil; light complexion and bright blue eyes if you are good. You do earn different "Renown" gestures, but I found myself ignoring these. * Experience and Character Growth: Typical RPG fare here. While that in and of itself is not a negative, quite frankly, from all the press the game received prior to release, I expected a new twist on leveling. * Equipment, Armor, Weapons, Etc: Here we find the biggest let down in the game. The selection of ordinary weapons is ridiculously limited. We have Iron, Steel, Obsidian, and Master categories with axes, long swords, maces, hammers, and great swords for weapon types. There are some unique weapons to be found, but even with their addition, it is still a very meager selection. Those who like archer characters get an even more limited selection of bows and crossbows. The one bright point in the choice of weapons is the ability to modify them with "augmentation" crystals. If you've played Final Fantasy, you'll understand the concept. Armor has very little variety; however, there are choices between a good, or bright, look and an evil, or dark, look. Even when there is a choice of clothing, the looks are so generic that it is hard to create a unique or "cool" looking character. * Linear Game play: While there is some freedom of movement and choice of quests, the game itself is quite limited in choice. The game boards are more akin to 2D levels than free roaming 3D environments. Also, while you can choose to do side quests, the Guild Master frequently chimes in to tell you about an important quest (the main story line). It feels as if the developers wanted to push you through the story rather then letting you make your own choices. * Underdeveloped Game Elements: Trading in Fable is a joke and feels as if it was an afterthought. Courting and marriage are interesting, but again, very shallow and not a highlight of the game. Drinking, eating, and sleeping are only there to restore health and aren't necessary to survival. OK, that's not such a bad thing if you don't like tedium, but these elements could have been better integrated into the game. The only funny thing is making your character obese....but even that offers a very minimal change in appearance and doesn't seem to affect your character's ability to perform physical tasks. The purchase of property is a waste of gold unless you are interested in pursuing the marriage element. * Graphics: Graphics were beautiful. Some may not like the slightly cartoonish bent of the game's look and feel, but I think it was very well done. My main complaint is the lack of variety in the NPC models and their generic nature. * Generic Interaction: Staying with the generic NPC theme, there was really very little interaction with the NPCs of Albion. There were a total of six NPCs that had any significant dialog, and most of that dialog occurred in cut scenes. To summarize, the concept of Fable has potential, but it just wasn't realized in the game itself. There are some definite jewels in the game; the viability of utilizing magic as your primary weapon. Archery is viable, too, with some reliance of a sword for close in fighting, but they should have really included some other ranged weapons as well, such as slings or throwing daggers. The game fails to meet many of the promises made in its advertisement. Hopefully the developers listen to the gamers and bring the original concept to fruition in any subsequent Fable sequels.	video-games_xbox
For action rpg fans Sacred 2 is a perfect score! For everyone else? Read this review with a grain of objectivity. It's hard doing a proper review for Sacred 2. The map is HUGE and with 600 missions and 6 classes there's a lot to be uncovered. Be that as it may, there's a certain rhythm and pattern prevalent throughout. At its' heart Sacred 2 is a hack n slash loot collector's wet dream come true! There are those rpgs that try to wow you with a sweeping epic story and highly polished graphical eye candy orgasms. Sadly, if you're expecting that with Sacred 2 you maybe let down a bit. The graphics while decent enough are nothing spectacular. The plot of high elves abusing a mystic blue goop called "T-energy" which is leaking out of pipes as it blights the land is thinly layered to give you a driving goal beyond fetching teddy bears for little girls, delivering worms to fishermen, and avenging the smashed carts of vegetable vendors. Be that as it may, I thought the subtle nod to environmentalism and "steam punk" was well implemented. It kind of made me reminisce about Final Fantasy 7. After all, T-energy has many parallels with mako energy! The thing that awes me about Sacred 2 most of all is the sheer size and meticulous detail of its' world. While the detail of the characters is only a notch above passable the caves, rivers, swamps, towns, plains, graveyards, crypts, and occasional odd technological ruins are all very much "alive". Grass sways in the wind, T-energy glows with an eerie blue luminance, skeletons grumpily slam shut their own coffins after they've been opened by careless grave robbers, and people go about their daily lives of farming, patrolling, fishing, and singing. I've always been a gamer who will gladly take a hit to the visuals department if the realm I'm exploring is "massive" with lots to do in it. Fortunately that is where Sacred 2 delivers in droves! Sacred 2's game play is straightforward. You can assign potions to the arrows on your directional pad and weapons (as well as magic & combat arts) are assigned to your X,Y,A, and B buttons. Keep in mind a shield can be linked to the same designation as a sword, mace, axe, or war hammer. The "Right trigger" and "Left trigger" can be used for additional functionalities as well. Navigating menus is done by pressing RB and LB talks to townsfolk or opens chests. "Junk items" can be scrapped in exchange for gold and all your special techniques and attributes can be upgraded as you level up. Pressing "select" will bring up the full map and if you want to save you can access that option any time by hitting the start button. The only fundamental "flaw' is there is no true "pause" feature. If you want to sort through your treasure and assign stat points when not under duress, going into a town is your best bet! Sacred 2 offers a few deeper layers to this typical formula. Blacksmiths can assign jewels, pearls, rings, and skulls into weapon slots to give them more power. "Combat runes" can fuse multiple buffs, special attacks, and spells into one action, allowing you to unleash a fury of destruction with a single button press! Luckily Sacred 2 doesn't penalize gamers for neglecting these more complex nuances. Compared to other games of its' genre it is more forgiving and if you really want a challenge, higher difficulty levels beyond "bronze" are available. Measuring up Sacred 2 to Sacred Gold is perplexing. I love both games and they each have their ups and downs. For example Sacred 2 has less classes but it makes up for it with "special mounts" each protagonist can quest for. Sacred Gold allowed players to decapitate heads, severe limbs, and really lay out the buckets of blood whereas Sacred 2 is far less violent (Even with the gore option on) yet it added funny lines of dialogue enemies mutter when they're slain. Sacred 2 has more varied camera control and is truly "3D" but Sacred Gold looked really impressive for its' time whereas its' sequel in the present cannot aesthetically measure up to rpgs like Witcher 2, Mass Effect 2, Deus Ex Human Revolution, or Divinity 2: Dragon Knight Saga. Sacred Gold took itself much more seriously whereas Sacred 2 outrageously breaks the 4th wall and pokes fun of itself at every opportunity. Both are wonderful hack n slash adventures. Which Sacred you'll become more fond of will boil down to personal preferences as opposed to one actually being better than the other one. As the saying goes, "Apples and oranges"! In the end you will know if Sacred 2 is "your thing". If you enjoyed games like Diablo 2, Titan's Quest, and Torch-light this is a no brainer. If however you prefer rpgs with deep stories, lovable multi-layered comrades that trounce around by your side, the possibility for erotic romance, and choices hinged on moral dilemmas that decide your destiny, Sacred 2 may seem a tad "uncultured" due to its' blatant refusal to reinvent the wheel or steep itself in blockbuster melodrama. Pros + Great sound track +Staggering number of side quests + 6 classes with a diverse set of combat arts and magical arts +Interesting take on "Steam punk", especially with the Temple Guardian! +Each protagonist has a unique "home base" and origin. +Special mounts that are a treat to find. Tired of horses? How about a giant monitor lizard, cute sky drake, gigantic spider, mechanical mono-wheel, hell hound, or Saber-tooth tiger?! That's "epic"! + Blind Guardian does a concert "in game" if you do their particular side quest to retrieve their instruments for them. How "Metal" is that?! Very! + Huge world. Yeah, even bigger than Skyrim! +Difficulty curve is just right. +Varied array of weapons, charms, and armor sets to find. +Combo rune system returns from the previous Sacred! + The enemy bestiary becomes very robust as you keep playing. + Huge boss creatures +Good sense of humor throughout that is mirthfully self aware! + The seraphim, dryad, and high elf are all "hawt". Normally I'd omit this as a merit but if you are going to sink 100+ hours into a game it helps to have a "banging booty" to stare at! +It's appreciated that Sacred 2 still clings to the age old tradition of "showing off" different armors, weapons, and accessories on your protagonist of choice as you equip him or her accordingly. + You can adjust the ratio of "nabbing loot" to be more picky about what dropped goods you'll stash away in your inventory. Believe me, this can be helpful because there are A LOT of item drops in this game! Cons -Controls maybe difficult to understand for those not well versed in the first Sacred or pc gaming in general. (Angry Joe mentions this in his you-tube review but personally I took to the game-play like a fish to water!) -Sacred 2 was reputedly "buggy" when it first released but I haven't had any problems yet. This could be because I picked it up after there was a patch. -If you prefer rpgs that are more story and character driven Sacred 2 may disappoint. -Camera stays zooms out in 2 player local co-op. I understand why the choice was made but it kinda sucks for those of us that want a closer look at the action! -Less overall character classes available than in Sacred Gold. (I miss the female daemon and vampiress knight in particular) - Text can be small and "almost" illegible at times. You get used to it but it's very apparent the interface was made for HD televisions. I wouldn't call it "game breaking" but it is annoying. -You can easily compare items you've already picked up but unfortunately you cannot compare an item still on the ground to one in your inventory. Sometimes ditching something you've already collected "just to make room" for a newer addition is a gamble. Will it be better or will it be worse? Luckily, this problem can be remedied by adjusting your settings to be pickier about what treasure you will salvage and what treasure you`ll automatically leave behind. -No pause button. (Derp!) For you if If Hack N Slash loot-fest rpgs have not lost their luster for you over the years Sacred 2 is a steal at the present price! I'd rank it as one of the better examples of its' genre and the presence of Blind Guardian certainly sweetens the deal for us Heavy Metal fans! Sacred 2 likewise integrates original ideas we've rarely seen in this genre. The Temple Guardian in particular is a type of class you'll never see repeated anywhere else. A dog-headed or dragon-headed robot with a "gun arm" cannot help but to stick out! Based upon the context of Ancaria's "technological revolution" such a character manages to still fit in with the setting. If you're searching for some couch co-op or Xbox live camaraderie this game offers a good excuse to get together with your friends, spouse, or intelligent talking pet! The map of Ancaria is enormous so those willing to explore off the beaten path can easily reap 100 hours out of this massive steam-punk fantasy harvest! Not for you if For many gamers a "good story" is a key component to the rpg experience. While I wouldn't say Sacred 2's plot is "awful" it's also not that compelling either. It throws in a few unique and intriguing concepts yet is too scatter brained to build upon any of them with sufficient poise. In addition Sacred 2 isn't the prettiest beau in her class. (She's a cute lass though! Aka she's not a hideous retina melting abomination or anything) There may also be those of you who preferred the more serious Diablo-esque tone and wider selection of character classes from Sacred Gold. If you cannot help but to be an unabashed graphics snob or if you are one of those obsessive compulsive fans who sabotages the chance of a sequel being better than the original predecessor in your addled mind, it's suggested to give this one a pass. Lastly, Sacred 2 is better for people with idle days coming up on their schedule. If you're still busy at work or at school you should save Sacred 2 for a lengthy vacation! Bias opinion In an alternate universe where I bought Sacred 2 at launch while having to deal with its' initial bugs it probably got a few points docked off from its' over all score. Be that as it may, in "this reality" I got it after the patch thus I didn't have to deal with corrupt save data, weird glitches, or any other "gremlins" running around in the system. I still wouldn't be surprised to find coding flaws in a game with this massive scope later on but it hasn't happened yet. (According to a friend, Star Ocean Last Hope was buggy as heck too but I was so lucky that I blissfully skipped around its' shortcomings while being none the wiser!) Believe it or not, there is apart of me that's a well written narration junky and a part of me that revels in making pivotal fate altering decisions as I try to woo the socks off all my female party members. Aka Dragon-age Origins and Persona 4 are two of my favorite rpgs! Yet I also like a game that gives me a chance to go anywhere and carve out my own path of destiny. I love hacking and slashing at hundreds of unique enemy types while hearing that satisfying jingle of treasure dropping off corpses. I don't always require an entourage of celebrity voiced automatons following me nor do I always need a game trying to appeal to my tastes in anime, my tastes in movies, and my tastes in literature. If a game is fun I'll take notice, even if it wasn't done on the biggest budget. Sacred 2 is simply loads of enjoyment for a reasonable price. It's no Skyrim but I don't think it was attempting to be Elder Scrolls to begin with. Later people may compare Sacred 2 to Diablo 3 but frankly at least for me the Sacred series as a whole is leagues more rewarding than Diablo 1 and 2 ever were. Sure, Diablo did the whole action rpg/treasure looting/dungeon exploration hybrid jazz first but I think the people who still claim it does it the best are wearing foggy nostalgia goggles. Look, if you covet games akin to Diablo, Titan Quest, Loki, Torch Light, and Gauntlet Legends Sacred 2 and Sacred Gold will rock your socks off! It may not end up being your absolute favorite series in this genre as it is for me but it will definitely sate a craving and fill a void until Diablo 3 comes out! For this reason both Sacred 2 and Sacred Gold get my highest recommendations! Broken's miscellaneous tip of the day Healing potions work on people you are escorting to safety as well. Even if the local wolves and ill tempered kobolds are not damaging you directly, it's highly recommended that you swig a red elixir every once in awhile to keep your companions alive!	video-games_xbox
Not as good as the original. That's not to say it's a bad game. It just seemed to me that there were a few elements in the game that the developers relied on to carry it, and instead of beefing up every level, every character, every little bite of programming... they left a lot of it so-so because you could now DUAL WEILD! And you had MORE VEHICLES! And, uh, was there anything else? In most of my reviews, I just cover the negatives. But I still gave this game four stars. So keep that in mind if you think I hated this game. I didn't. I just point out things that I think will make you throw your controller through the screen, in case you're prone to doing that and you don't want to break another tv. First off, the AI is NOT better than the original. Yes, they'll hop into a vehicle and ride alongside you, which is cool at first... until they run you down, crash into you, or oh-so commonly go flying over a cliff to their impending doom. What a waste. And if you're manning a turret on the back of a vehicle with the AI driving, for the most part it "works." It's a fun twist on the gameplay, which I so desired after not being able to get my AI teammates to drive for me in the original. But they'll also stop at inopportune times, as if they didn't see that missile or plasma shot coming at us, resulting in a painful, fiery death. The friendly AI is about the same as the first game when they're on foot. Not shabby. If you don't know where to go next, just look for your team and chances are they'll be en route already. But they also have a penchant for diving for cover in FRONT of your moving vehicle, which is just silly. Now, I wonder if it's because of the arrangement of the levels or WHAT, but the enemy AI didn't seem as interested in taking cover or flanking me this time around. They only flank if they're cloaked. So despite the new Brutes charging at me all the time, I kinda felt like I was shooting alien fish in a barrel. And the Brutes bring up another big topic: The AI is cheap. This isn't to say I think they're more sophisticated, since they kill me a lot. It's just how they DO it that irks me. In the original Halo, everyone killed me plenty, but they did it with skill. I had to die a bunch of times to learn the lay of the land, where the enemies were, and what my best plan of attack was. It...was...FUN. This time around, I died waaay too many times because a Brute was charging at me faster than I could retreat / take cover, and when it caught up to me, it would hit me twice with the same shoulder charge, effectively killing me almost every time. It was just frustrating, because it wasn't a learning experience. And good luck if you respawn two feet away from the guy on the next try. Brutes were nasty, but Elites would pull this same kind of thing on me by sideswiping me with their energy swords while cloaked. Always a matter of not being able to move out of the way in time, even if I knew they were there. Next topic: LEVELS AND DEBRIS. I don't know about you, but there sure was a lot of junk in the way on these levels. Much more than in the previous game. And when you're backing away from a charging Brute, or sidestepping to avoid a raptor-like attack from an Elite, you'll probably run into a pile of crates, shrapnel, or Covenant weapons cases on more than one occasion, leading to your impending death. This is definitely one of the most frustrating elements in this game. What happened to open landscapes, or even large rooms on ships? Why is everything so cramped, 99% of the time? You have a super-cyborg at your command, and he'll be bumpin' around like a drunk Pacman. The game graphically kicked my butt thoroughly when I first fired it up. The first few levels offered SO MUCH. The cinematics drew me in, and some of the stuff I encountered in the gameplay was just ridiculously cool. But then... ugh... then it slumped. The levels got 'dreary.' A note to Bungie, if you're going to make a very dark, dank level, MAKE SURE THE CHARACTER HAS A FLASHLIGHT! Even the levels that didn't require a flashlight were kinda 'blah' after five minutes. Last gripe on that topic - I KNOW I'm a super cool alien or cyborg who can jump about 15 feet in the air (higher than the last game even), but do I really NEED to jump to get up on a 2 foot ledge? If only I had flashing red lights on my sneakers to help the enemies see me even MORE clearly.... Why not make the jump button `sensitive?' Even in the days of the first Mario games, we could jump a little or jump a lot depending on if we tapped the button or held it. I felt like I was playing Master Jordon, not Master Chief. But wait, there's MORE! The game was abrupt. There wasn't more. The storyline was really good, kind of what I expected after the last game, but with a few extra twists and innovations. And there were multiple 'boss' fights that I really didn't expect, but was very excited about. But the last one was just, well... it made sense on a story-telling level, but the gameplay part of it wasn't working for me. I really didn't 'get' how I finished the boss off after trying to figure out his weakness for 15 minutes and over so many retries. The ending itself didn't bother me a lot. And there's a little extra after the credits, worth seeing. Sort-of-Pros: LOTS of people complained about playing as the Arbiter for over half of the game, including Bungie stating that "it didn't work." I hate these complaints. Probably because of these whiny Master Chief Fanboys, Halo 3 didn't include any Arbiter-played levels. I think it'll still be good, since he's a major part of the story still, but I just don't get how everyone could hate his levels so much. The worst part of it in Halo 2 is that he's going through the same missions that Master Chief followed in the first game, which sometimes felt rehashed. But I still liked it, because they kept it fresh with his VERY different perspective on what he was doing. --from a fanatical religious aspect, rather than saving the galaxy. Plus, he feels betrayed by his OWN world, whereas in the first game the betrayers were always the alien race that you were fighting anyway. And he doesn't have a flashlight, but rather a short-term cloaking ability. This made sneaking up on my enemies a lot of fun, especially with the energy sword one-hit-kill melee weapon. So now you can control when you go invisible (on Arbiter levels), but I noticed that there weren't any invisibility shields just lying around like last time. So don't expect Master Chief to pull the same move. The Problem With Guns Is... I didn't like all the new weapons. There's a grenade launcher called the Brute Shot (?), and it seems cool at first because it launches grenades hard and fast, but when I realized I had to fire it 3 or 4 times to drop a Brute, and then the reload time was long enough for that brute's friend to run across a football field and kill me, I gave up on it. Fun, pointless weapon. There are two semi-auto earth rifles, neither being the original from the first game, and neither being that good, either. Dual weilding the smaller one is a pain, because the sight picture jumps around a lot, making it hard to hit anything. And the other one shoots in 3-round bursts, and has a weak ammo capacity. It's stronger, but neither compares to the original. The original wasn't exceptional, but you'll demand its return after playing with these. Halo 2 made me miss it. The Covenant have regular Plasma Rifles, and Brute Plasma Rifles now. I'm going to go ahead and assume that the Brute's version is more powerful. I have to assume so, because it gets hot and overheats in half the time it takes a regular one to overheat, so its functionality was null to me. The Covenant's version of a sniper rifle is handy in THEIR hands, but not in yours. It just doesn't drop anything but the grunts. I never really needed the earth sniper rifle, either, whereas I always loved getting my hands on one in the first game. There just weren't any real tactical uses for it because of the level designs in this game (cluttered levels). If you could get your hands on one, it probably wasn't in a real sniper-friendly level. The shotgun was pivotal in the first game when facing the Flood, but it didn't really seem that effective this time around. I stopped using it right away, because it didn't have the 'oomph' it had the first time around. Very weak. The little handheld plasma gun still homes when charged, but again, it isn't that effective. Now, there's a 'laser beam' gun - the Sentinel's primary weapon - and this is pretty good for mowing down most enemies... ESPECIALLY anything mechanical. And most weapons (I noticed the covenant weapons especially) were VERY effective at taking out enemy vehicles. Vehicles are so easy to destroy this time around. It's probably because they threw in so many of them. There are never just one or two inbound vehicles. There are dozens. So to balance it out, they made them easy to blow up. Most notably, Ghosts and Banshees. But don't worry - it's not so bad when you're piloting one. They seem a bit more durable when you're behind the wheel. And for the most part, driving them is more fun, too. The Ghosts, Banshees, and formerly non-commandeer-able Wraiths all have a new turbo ability, where you can dart ahead quickly. You sacrifice your ability to fire until you return to regular speed, but it's not that bad. While the Ghosts are a little more fun, and most of the other vehicles remained relatively the same as their last iteration, I guess the only complaints here are in regards to the Banshee. It has new "tricks" you can perform. (Think Starfox 64). Loops, barrel-rolls... all very smooth and easy to perform, but not very useful. In exchange, we lose the Banshee's cannon. Only itty-bitty rapid fire plasma blasts now. None of the big, crowd-clearing bombs. That, my friends, was turned into a handheld weapon that takes up half the screen and merely compensates the Covenant with their own version of a Rocket Launcher. (But it's really no compensation for the Rocket Launcher. It launches a fart cloud, from what I can tell.) Now, being able to board just about any vehicle by hopping on top of it and pulling out the driver is WAY cool. Especially when you're up in the air and a painful stop at the bottom of a ravine awaits the poor sap piloting the vehicle. Lastly, their storytelling in this game is at an all-time high. Granted, it's not always the most original stuff (it's sci-fi, and you know the universe has just GOT to be in trouble), but it was the best you can get for the HALO story. They never dropped the ball, and they took the story in the best possible direction it could've gone. In a way, I want to argue that Master Chief probably had TOO MUCH spotlight time in this game, since it's really not that central to his character. It's all about the Covenant, and I'm glad we got to see sooo much of its inner workings this time. So even if they cleaned up all of the gameplay mechanics that I had issue with, I don't know if they can write as intricate of a STORY for Halo 3. Here's hoping. I figure it'll probably be more about explosions and massive attacks, which is FINE for gameplay, but not storyline. I like me a plot twist! For instance, I didn't think "Little House of Horrors" could've made its way into a Halo game, but it did, and it was AWESOME. And why do I feel like I'm shooting at Chewbacca every time I kill a Brute? I hope they're not brown and hairy next time around. This game already has enough star wars copyright infringement to dodge.... Oh yeah, and I didn't review multiplayer. Didn't review it for the first game either, so it's not biased either way. I'm sure it's fun, considering one of my biggest gripes was with stupid AI.	video-games_xbox
True Review. Final Fantasy XIII.. Ah such a topic of complaint. However keep in mind that the people writing these other reviews have not even scratched the surface of this game. IT CAME OUT YESTERDAY. Yet they complain about how bad it is and they are only 3-5 hours into the game. The graphics... 5 stars, beautiful absolutely amazing. Battle system... 5 stars, completely new and stunning, an earlier review said that it was just mashing the A button, well the first 5 hours.. DUH! its completely new, they break you into it over time slowly so they don't confuse you, at first you can just push A to win. They apparently haven't gotten to paragrim shifts and all that good stuff which would be entirely confusing without the slow introduction to it. story... 3.8 stars, It's an amazing story!... but don't get me wrong, final fantasy has definately done better. voices... 4 stars, i would say 5 stars, but the pre teen girl is high pitched and obnoxious like you wouldnt believe. I will go into more of a review as i myself get farther into the game, but as of now there is no real reason to complain, it is just a game that you should BE PATIENT with and not hope to grasp the entirety of it within the first few minutes. Please comment on this review if you wish to know more at anytime. I will try my best to keep updated at regular intervals. UPDATE********* I am now a bit further along into the story, and as for the people that complained about it being too linear with no side quests or anything here goes: This game has really opened up ALOT it is now more free roaming than it was in the begining, I still engulfed in the story and it hasn't been hurt at all by the NOW AVAILABLE side quests. voices i'm still liking, even the girl has grown on me. Graphics still superb and beautiful battle system.. This changes and alot from the begining of the game, it is no longer just pressing the A button over and over, you can switch styles, choice attacks and who to attack tactically during a battle and yes this all actually helps you win, it matters who you defeat first. This game is REALLY quite fun. i bet most reviewers now change their reviews about how linear the game is and it starts getting better reviews, will still keep updated as i go along in the game. Please rate if this review is helpfull :)	video-games_xbox
Quite an advancement in FPS games. Up front, let me say this. I am not a "hardcore" gamer, and for the most part I stick to FPS games. But all the same, this game is truly far beyond anything I've played, including Bioshock and Halo 3 and every WWII FPS I've played. The graphics are far beyond even Bioshock, the story-lines are generally short but much more compelling than Halo 3 could ever pretend to be, and the battle-simulation is far more convincing than any of the other games I've tried. I have to admit, after the first mission I was breathing more quickly and my heart was racing. No other game has ever elicited that sort of response. Sorry to disappoint all the fan boys out there, but this game smacks down Halo 3 and even Bioshock in about every meaningful way: storyline, graphics, online game play, "fun" factor. If this game does not win GOTY, then then the system must be rigged. Veterans of the army and marines will appreciate the (sometimes newer) versions of the same weapons we used in our time - although the M249 and M16 variants never feed-jam, which is totally unrealistic! Some of the audio is not quite right, too, but unless you've actually fired the weapon in question you'll not likely care much. It kind of creeped me out looking down the iron sights of an M16/M4 variant - kind of got a flashback, but not the bad kind. Had to retrain my trigger finger to semi/3-round versus the semi/full-auto weapons you get used to in the other fps's. Was pretty cool to plant a claymore in the first mission, too. "Front towards enemy"! Having witnessed the effects of AC-130 Gunships firsthand, the part of the story where you man the gunner's station is much fun! The graphics during the sniper portion - the Ghillie suits are amazing graphically, and one of the weapons is a .50cal Barrett sniper rifle, not to mention that the storyline is flexible to the point where you can choose to engage or evade targets. Patience, grasshopper. Being able to call in airstrikes in some missions is a huge plus, too, and you can pick anywhere you want. This game really is a couple steps above anything else I've played. It was well worth the price, unlike most games. The online experience is first-rate, too, although I really liked the MOH:Airborne online gameplay, too. But COD4 has tremendous maps, graphics, audio, and a much better "instant replay" system. There are no online achievements - I thought that a little odd but after playing the game I realize that this is a game to just play for the sheer fun of it. Forget about achievements, it's better to just have fun!	video-games_xbox
Reach review. To contribute to the reviews of this game on Amazon, I will have to rate Halo Reach 2 stars. Not only does this game seem to continue the trend of Halo 3 and Halo 2, but it comes nowhere close to being as fun or innovative. Sure the engine is brand new and graphics are great, but gameplay is just flat out boring and uninteresting. Campaign mode is just ridiculously short and pointless. You go from one objective to another knowing that in the end Noble Six is going to die. To comment on the guns and armor aspect, I can say nothing more than unrealistic and aggravating. The DMR is probably the dumbest weapon anyone could put in a game. It takes too many damn shots to kill someone with and many times both opponents will die when the 5th shot comes around. The fact that a melee does more damage than an entire assault rifle clip and a grenade is pathetic. This game is less of a shooter and more of a fighting kind of game. You find yourself trying way too hard to kill an opponent when shooters are supposed to be laid back and straightforward. This game requires too many tactics and retarded evasive maneuvers. Another aspect of this game that really makes it fall short of good is the fact that there are essentially no additions of human weapons. You have the DMR, grenade launcher, and target locator two of which cant even be used in multiplayer. All three of these weapons are lame and pathetic. I don't see why they had to remove the Battle rifle and why they couldn't be creative adding new kinds of weapons. All the power upgrades such as Jet pack, sprint, armor lock, bubble shield, etc. are all just a waste of space. Armor lock is close to the cheapest thing you can have and yet it lacks a purpose. Bubble shields go away after 2 grenades and simply leave you stuck, similar to armor lock. Jet pack is flat out garbage. The only thing it does for you is make it obvious to enemies that you are in the sky and ready to die. To conclude this review, I have to admit that the credit system adds a new approach for leveling up and unlocking armor, which may be interesting to a loser trying super hard to do nothing. I mean c'mon guys, who in their right mind would give a flying f*** about unlocking armor and making your spartan character look cool. This is the most absurd thing ever. Not only do they try to copy the system of Modern Warfare, but they've somehow converted it into a money making system which allows you to do nothing but customize appearance. The conclusion boils down to a make a point that only the biggest queers known to man would even care about playing the game for this purpose. Other than unlocking armor you really have no motivation to play multiplayer (a rather sad motivator). The Halo 2 system was awesome in which you would rank up in levels and rank down based on how bad you played. Finally I have to say that Halo: Combat Evolved (fresh and new) and Halo 2 (Revolutionized XBL and multiplayer) were by far the best games in Bungie's Halo Franchise. Halo 3 got boring after 2 months and Halo Reach is just flat out pathetic. The motivation to play this game is nearly non-existent and the additions made to the game do nothing to make that leap from mediocre to a highly anticipated and successful final sequel. Advice: Do what many others have said, rent the game first, play it for a week and see if it is really worth buying. The game is obviousyl going to remain at a high price due to all the fans out there who are literally brainwashed by the franchise. Don't expect the price to go down for a while and be smart about whether it is worth it. Many good games are coming out soon-- Black Ops, Gears of war 3, Assassins creed brotherhood, Ghost recon future soldier, Medal of Honor, Fable 3, Crysis 2, Dead space 2, FEAR 3, etc. Be wise to save your money. Frankly, I am disappointed in this product. The problem is, it is one of only 3 games that I have to play right now and MW2 ive already gone upto Prestige 10 level 55.	video-games_xbox
Fallout 4, Even Better with Mods. I wanted to do a review for this game now that mods are available on Xbox. Fallout 4 is already a great stand alone game. While the story is not the best in the franchise (Bethesda aren't really the best at this) I find it from a gameplay standpoint the best game Bethesda has done. While previous Fallout games have better RPG elements and story, this game to me is just much more fun. The gunplay is just fun and I like updated graphics adding cool effects to the weapons. Fighting deathclaws used to be this tough task, but Fallout 4 has made that into a fun fight. Of course with the crafting system and settlement building Fallout 4 has given players plenty of options to have fun with this game. Now with mods the lifespan of this game has been increased substantially. While the add-ons released by Bethesda have been ok so far aside from Far Harbor which was a cool place to explore, mods are the real DLC here. Now for Xbox mods, players are only limited 2 GB worth of mods. Fear not though since a lot of mods have relatively small space sizes. You can probably download 10-20 mods and still have over GB of space left. Now what to expect? Surprisingly there are graphical improvements. There are mods to help the games sound effects, water animations, effects such as spring grass textures, and even one to turn the Commonwealth into winter wasteland. You have weapon mods, mods to boost character appearances, clothing mods, and plenty more to mess with such as quest mods and more. The only issues is that some mods might not work well with other or are not properly ready to run which can result in crashing so you may have to test things a bit. However, the system is easy to navigate and use. There is something for everyone. I personally like using the different weapon and armor mods, some of the graphical/performance ones, and ones that generally make the game better. Fallout 4 was already a great game, but with mods it gets even better. Props to Bethesda for finally achieving this. Have fun out there with the various Fallout 4 mods wastelanders!	video-games_xbox
UFC Tapout 2 - Best Fighting Game Ever. Information: Release: 21/3/2002 Format: Microsoft Xbox Genre: Real Fighting Developer: Dream Factory Publisher : Crave Entertainment Number of Players: 1- 2 players ESRB: Teen (Anticipated) Ufc Tapout 2 is the best fighting game ever, and it is only on Xbox. It has a unique fighting style and is great. Its more of a Mortal Kombat fighting game than a wrestling game, and has a full UFC lisence with all the best fighters. It is just like the real thing, fighting in a cage (The Octogan) untill a fighter taps out or is knocked out. This is a great game for fans of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and has many playing modes. UFC Tapout 2 is the sequel to the award winning UFC Tapout, and Tapout 2 is much better than the first so you can bet its going to GREAT! Here is a list of some of the features os the game: The sequel to OXM's Editor Choice Award, UFC: Tapout, developed exclusively for the Xbox video game system from Microsoft. A brand new, redesigned model and animation system will result in fighter models with more points of articulation, and movements will appear more fluid and life-like. Real-time mesh deformation - when players move and flex their muscles, you'll see the skin move and ripple with them. Over 35 real UFC fighters, the most mixed martial arts brawlers in any UFC game to date, including UFC stalwarts Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, and B.J. Penn. Several new fighters, such as current UFC Middleweight Champion Murilo Bustamante will also be making their debut in UFC: Tapout 2 With improved AI, fighters will behave even closer to their real life counterparts, use more attack combos and grappling, use more counter and reverse moves, and be much more aggressive overall than in the previous version. The fan favorite Tournament Mode returns in Tapout 2, where up to eight human and/or computer controlled fighters battle in an open weight free for all. The Career Mode continues to expand, allowing players to create their own fighters from scratch, using a wide variety of body types, clothing, faces and hairstyles. Through training and sparring against computer-controlled opponents, players will develop an ever-increasing repertoire of moves and abilities. An improved interface, enhanced sound, a new music soundtrack with a customizable play list and the ability to play ripped music from the Xbox hard drive ...	video-games_xbox
Great multiplayer but crappy single player. This game is one of the most fun games I've ever played. For me it really rivals Halo 2. Most people would probably disagree with that statement but it's true for me. First let me just start out by saying that the single player is just a way to waste time while your wasting time. It's so stupid and annoying. You basically play as one guy at a time while your stupid squad runs into oncoming fire. The only command you have over them is to tell a nearby soldier to get into the gunner seat of your vehicle. Anything more complicated than that and you will have to switch to him by the "Hotswap" feature. TO do that you have to be in direct sight of him anyway. Really not that fun if your used to games like ghost recon and rainbow 6. The real reason that you want this game is for the online play which is great. If you don't have xbox live then your going to pay around thirty dollars for about eight hours of annoyance for the single player. That's if you have to repeat missions over and over because you fail. The multiplayer is where this game shines by far. It's so much fun and I'll tell you why. When I play Halo 2 online there is always some punk who takes the gun that I want and am good with and then I get owned because I have a crappy gun. In this you get to pick what guns you want before you respawn after death. You can't have a custom set you have to pick a soldier class. There's assult which is basically an M16 whith an m203 grenade laucher and tou get a 9 mil pistol and flash and frag grenades. Then ther's the sniper which has a sniper rifle (obviously) a silenced pistol which is basically worthless unless you are fighting another sniper close range. You also get smoke grenades and a laser designator for taking out vehicles and helicopters and what not. Perhaps the most important tool is the GPS unit which allows you to reveal enemy locations on your radar for a couple of seconds. It also reveals them to your teamates as well. Then there is the special ops class which is just the assult class with silenced weapons C4 and a knife. Then the engineer class which has a shotgun, rocket launcher, land mines, a blow torch for repairing vehicles. Then lastly there is the support class which has the SAW machine gun a medical auto injector(mobile first aid kit) and he can call in mortar strikes. The other thing that makes this game so much fun is that you don't have to practice at it forever to be good. All you have to do is think. This game is not as much about how well you can aim as it is about strategy and teamwork. If you have played FPS's before you'll have no problem whith this game at all. Especially if you like military shooters. Another thing that is great is the vehicles. No matter what map you play vehicles are an integral part. More so on maps with helicopters. If you have someone who can decently pilot the thing the advantage is huge. You can fill up the passenger seats and fly over a high otherwise unaccessible spot and let your buddies parachute out. Another great part. If you find yourself hurling towards Earth then press the black button and pop out your parachute. It makes the game a little less real but it makes it a lot more fun. The ranking works like this:Three things are required for getting a promotion. You need medals for doing feats such as killing a certain nuber of people without dying or healing so many of your buddies in one life and things of that nature. You also need points which you get by killing enemies, capturing flags, taking over flag posts etc. The third thing you need is PPH which I'm not sure what that stands for but the more you win the more you get so don't suck if you want to pick up a rank. The bottom line is this. If you like military shooters that are semi arcadish and you have xbox live then this is the game you're looking for. If you don't have xbox live then you're wasting your money. Have fun.	video-games_xbox
Give it some time. I've played Mass Effect 2 & 3 so I bought this one to complete the trilogy and I have to say that out of the 3, this is the worst one. Design seems a little dated as compared to the other two but the biggest issue I had with this game was the shooting part of the game play. At first play when I was in a shoot out w/ some hostiles I would arm my weapon and just unload into them without effect! If a hostile is right in your face how can you miss with every single shot! So I gave up on the came and came back to give it a second chance (I've played 2 & 3 until I couldn't stand it anymore and wanted to play something new for a change). Second time around I realized that even though your avitar maybe equipped with all of the weapons (assult rifle, shotgun, sniper rifle and pistol) that depending on the class you assign your character (soldier, infiltrator, vanguard etc.) only has a set skill for certain weapons. On top of that, the accuracy level of each weapon depends on whether or not you're going to hit your enemy with that weapon (so if a weapon has an accuracy rate of 1 out of 100 what's the freaking point of even bringing into a fight much less equiping it). So with that figured out I'm back into the game and enjoying it very much. However there are some bad things mixed in with the good. I hate all of the planetary searches for side missions/tasks (I'd be so glad that I won't have to see much of another mountain range of some barren planet). The whole item accumilation thing is nuts w/ all grades of armour & weapon upgrades then having a limit but then I guess that's how Dragon Age & Star Wars Knights of The Old Republic were like as well. Then the mini-puzzle games for unlocking safes, lockers, artifacts and whatnot aren't fun and lack imagination; gimme the mini-games from ME2. In a nutshell, out of the 3 games this is the worst of them (I would equate it to Return of the Jedi, still great but not as great as Star Wars IV: A New Hope). This is the first of the trilogy and a little more rougher around the edges so just be a little patient and you will love this game just as much as 2 & 3. Story is still great. Garrus is such a tool in this game, glad they make him a bad @$$ in the next one.	video-games_xbox
Great Game...Get It. I bought Kingdom Under Fire/Crusaders on October 13, 2004. Overall, I found this game very fun, and very INTENSE. Below is a list of what I didn't enjoy, and what I did enjoy regarding the game. Negatives: 1. The game needs a bird's eye view without the map. There are four views all together, two on a map (long/close-up), two in melee(mid/close-up). The game would be better if they had a third viewpoint where you could pull back the camera one step further without opening the map to see other units and manipulate them around the screen. This view could look something like a Warcraft/Command and Conquer View. The map does this to some extent, but it can become tedious manipulating the troops on the map on close-up mode. Another option would be the ability to split screens by units, so you could see what more than one of the military units is doing @ once. 2. The voices are pretty cheesy. In the future, phantagram should invest a little bit more in getting better voice actors who don't sound embarassed to read their lines* This could also be viewed positively though 3. The game is lacking a bit in terms of varied gameplay. In the future, it would be ideal if we could customize our own characters, as opposed to choosing one of four templates. Additionally, it would be nice if there could be co-op modes - like in lord of the rings - return of the king or head to head modes outside of xbox live. Positives: 1. Graphics - This game has amazing graphics that take full advantage of the XBox Platform. 2. The cheesy voices - People who take wars between fictional medieval soldiers and orcs and dark elves too seriously need to get a life. This video game has somewhat of a kill bill/B-movie quality to it, in that there are excessive amounts of blood and gore, bad language, and dark elf females fighting in thongs. The terrible voiceovers are a finishing touch to this sort of craziness. *This could also be viewed as a negative 3. Challenging gameplay - This is not the sort of video game which you can start and play the whole way through without ever losing. What I enjoy about it is that as your units/characters get better, you also get better as a video gamer. For example, a newbie couldn't just take your saved game from let's say the 20th mission, and just play as him. He'd die immediately b/c the missions get progressively harder with time, and in order to proceed to further missions, one needs to become a better video gamer. 4. Intense and complex battle sequences/combat. Fighting Melee Combat - Dynasty Warriors/LOTR style, while commanding your units - Command and Conquer/Warcraft style, while taking into account unconventional things such as terrain, sun, weather conditions, etc. all require extreme concentration. To the observer though, your battles will have the same sort of chaos/intensity as the battle scenes in Braveheart, especially as you shift from view to view. It's extremely satisfying to fight hand-to-hand combat with your character against an enemy and to see people dropping to the ground because of your archers, while your cavalry comes from behind and flanks them. That's only an example of three of the many units that you can fight with. This game reinvents the real-time strategy genre, taking elements from Dynasty Warriors, LOTR video game series, Myth, Warcraft, and Command and Conquer, by molding them all into one video game and taking the genre to the next level. This game's very ambitious and it works. Although the game does have it's flaws, I do not feel that they are overly significant or that they detract too much from the game itself. One can accustom oneself to fighting using the map within a relatively short time, and even though you cannot customize your characters or go coop there are still 4 characters with over 60 missions. On a scale of 100, I would give the game a 96. Even though it misses a few minute things, it gets the major and main things right. This game has the potential to bring real-time strategy (usually associated with PCs up to this point) to the video game console in the same way that Goldeneye brought first person shooters to the video game console. I feel that this game will beocme a sleeper hit, and that they will make a really awesome sequel which corrects all of the minor flaws in this version if they take into account people's suggestions.	video-games_xbox
Buy on sale, you won't regret it. If you know you're going to want to open up your stick and mod pretty much anything easily, I'd go with this. I bought it so I could change the JLF spring, add some button plugs, and eventually change the art (possibly even get a custom plexi top with only six button holes), so I knew I wanted it to be easy to get in and out at all times. Also might bite the bullet and make it multi console some day... right now I'm mostly using it for PC though, so I'm not in any big rush. I think it's great to have the entire inside for storage, as opposed to the tiny door solutions for cables that I always fear will snap off... that said, the (removable) compartment meant for the (removable!) cable itself is a bit cramped for how long the cable is. I'd actually prefer that the cable were a little shorter, rather than that area being bigger, but I'm sure someday I'll be glad my cable is so honkin' long. In terms of non-cable parts... the stock Sanwa JLF and buttons are pretty much the standard right now, so you likely won't have to immediately toss them unless you aren't into sanwa parts. There is enough room (to my knowledge) to swap in all semitsu parts, and possibly the new hayabusa stick and kuro buttons. Pretty sure. Also it comes with a tiny screwdriver, and an optional bat-top to replace the ball on top of the joystick. I ended up going back to the ball grip, but actually only because I know it's the standard and I should be used to using it. It was really nice getting to try a bat -top, and I probably would never have gone out of my way to buy one... so thanks, razer! :) Anyway... definitely a quality stick, though I would hold out for a sale of some sort... the thing has been out for more than a year, I think, and though it is moddable to be multi-console, they obviously weren't allowed to make it that way by default (and/or they just weren't interested). Hopefully the new Mad Catz sticks will get things more competitive, now that they have similar feature-sets and prices!	video-games_xbox
Darkly Knighted. Damn, what a breath of fresh air this game was! A solid, fun throwback to the old days of platform narratives and the first kick-ass batman game possibly ever. If you haven't played it yet, seriously put it on the list right now. Bump it up a few notches if it's already there. So let's jump right in; this game does everything right. There are some minor imperfections here and there but they aren't even worth mentioning as nothing harms the experience overall. Sometimes the animations aren't cleanest, some of the investigating is repetitive, blah blah who cares. Gameplay can be broken into three parts: multi-enemy battle royals, stealth sections, and investigation. Which, if you're making a Batman game, is probably about as perfect as you can get. The fisticuffs are incredibly fun and designed to put you alone against a group of unarmed or lightly armed badasses. It plays out like a rythm game (which the game was originally intended to be... seriously, google it) and Batman's at his best when he's moving swiftly and precisely from one punk to the next. Once you've got the beat down (no pun intended) you can really build your combat multiplier which unlocks more speed and more bone-breaking attacks. It's the most definitive 'easy to learn, hard to master' style I've ever seen: it's only a couple of buttons, but getting to the point where you can take down twelve inmates weilding knives and stun batons without taking a hit requires real practice and some quick reflexes. Occasionally the inmates of Arkham actually manage to pick up a gun or two, which force the Batman to hide in the rafters and take down his enemies one by one. These sections are harder, as being spotted means being gunned down pretty quickly. But thinning their numbers with suprise attacks, explosive booby traps and what have you is incredibly satisfying. Leaving unconcious bodies for the others to find, like some kind of twisted calling card, really gives the feeling of being a vigalante lunatic baddass. By the end of the hunt, the remaining goons will be twitchy and nervous, scanning the room for you and shooting at shadows. It's a real reward and makes all the patient planning feel worthwhile. Each of these segments are distinct and, on their own, wouldn't make for a terribly impressive game; fun but not impressive. It's the moving from one to the other while trying to piece together the pretty tight storyline that makes it all work so well. And speaking of... all of this rests within one of the most fun video game stories I've ever seen. I put it up there with Bioshock, only without those repetitive fetch quests in the third act. Without spoiling much - we open with Bats bringing the Joker into Arkham Asylum... which In Gotham, I guess, doubles as due process. But whatever. After a brilliantly tense opening walk as you lead the Joker to his cell, he finally springs his trap! From there things go downhill: the inmates have been released, the Joker's in control and Batman is trapped in what feels more like a house of horror than anything else. Seriously, I was shocked at how much the game plays out like a horror movie or something, or like being trapped in a really awesome amusement park funhouse. Especially the mind-bending segments with the Scarecrow, which are probably the best in the game. The Joker racks up a serious body count and the stakes are pretty high. The atmosphere is taught and consistent, the voice acting is top-notch (Mark Hamill's Joker steals the show by far); again, Rocksteady pretty much did everything right. I've gone on long enough, but it's a game so well put together that most anyone will find something to like about it. A real step in the right direction. Here's looking forward to Arkham City!	video-games_xbox
Great Arcade Style Fun. Ridge Racer is a classic racing game that gives you fake cars, fake tracks, and fun arcade style racing. We've played both Project Gotham Racing and Need for Speed. All 3 games feature really well done car models with incredible reflections and details. In all 3 cases, the high definiton tracks and details really shine. All 3 games really take advantage of the XBox 360's high level of graphics. In Ridge Racer, you're dealing with fake track layouts - so you don't get to see the cool streets of New York, Las Vegas, or other locations. On the other hand, the locations done are all modelled on cool locations - you see bridges, streets and locations that seem quite familiar. The same is true with the cars. They don't have real models here - you get the Derota and other cars that are similar to real styles but not quite there. This probably saves them some money on licensing costs, but I have to admit that it's not nearly as cool to be driving a Derota as to drive say a Porshe. But really, Ridge Racer isn't about authenticity. It's about pure arcade fun. When you smash into walls, your car isn't even damaged. You don't get hurt at all when you play bumper-car games with your competitors. Really, this is about fast-blasting fun with an emphasis on sliding and nitro. When you skid around corners, you build up your nitro boost power. Build up enough power, and you can blast past your enemies with a WHOOSH of speed. It's really cool looking at the 'world view' of all the races, laid out as hexagons with interconnecting paths. You can choose a variety of routes to get to new races, unlocking new cars and colors as you go. There are over 100 different races to run, each with different twists and turns. That makes for great replayability on your own, never mind going up against friends to see who can corner the best. It's definitely a fun racer, and even if you have the other racing games, I'd suggest you at least rent it to try it out. Sometimes it's fun to have a game that you can just blast and slide away at without having to put serious though into strategy and turn speed dynamics. It does exactly what it's meant to do - provide hours of fun!	video-games_xbox
Prepare to have your mind expanded. I'm going to put BioShock fans at ease: BioShock Infinite is even better than the first two games to carry the BioShock title. Not only does it live up to the hype, but it also still manages to somehow feel like a BioShock game, although the setting has been entirely changed. It's a great game, possibly the best we'll see this year. BioShock Infinite begins with you taking the reigns of Booker DeWitt, who has been given the task of rescuing a girl in order to relieve himself of a debt. He is delivered to a lighthouse by two mysterious people. There, he hops into a chair and is whisked up to a city in the sky - Columbia. In Columbia, not only does he rescue the girl, but he figures out who she is and where, he himself, fits into the grand scheme of things. (Don't worry, no spoilers here). What's wonderful about BioShock Infinite is that it still feels a lot like the first two games. As previously mentioned, the setting has changed, but Columbia is as seriously screwed up as Rapture. The difference is that you get a better peek of what Columbia is like before it lies in ruins. In this world, plasmids are vigors and a Big Daddy is a giant mechanical bird who is intent on protecting Elizabeth (the girl) at any cost. BioShock Infinite, though, takes one step further than previous games. Columbia is run by religious fanatics headed up by a man named Zachary Comstock. Comstock has instilled the fear of God into the people of Columbia, but he is also responsible for extreme racism and class oppression in the city. And the story goes there - at one point, you have a choice of throwing a baseball at an interracial couple or the man goading them. It's gritty and depressing and yet holds up a mirror to what life was like in the early 1900s for people of color and the Irish (who are slaving away in a Columbia factory). It's written to make the player feel uncomfortable - kudos to the game developers for being so brave. There is also a lot of unexpected science fiction elements to BioShock Infinite. Booker and Elizabeth travel through alternate universes and timelines, thanks to Elizabeth's ability to open tears in the fabric of space and time. It's part steampunk and part science fiction and the two elements are seamlessly blended together to create a unique and interesting plot. My first thought upon playing the game was how beautiful Columbia really is. It's even more fully realized than Rapture in the previous games. From the parks and cemeteries to the fair to the fake beaches, every scene is beautifully detailed. I highly recommend taking time to wander around the game (not to mention, wandering is a great way to find more items and coins). Gameplay is smooth and hasn't changed from previous games. Vigors work exactly like plasmids and can be collected by exploring Columbia. I will admit, though, that my favorite is and always will be Shock - it's very effective for stopping enemies dead in their tracks. Enemies range from guys in Big Daddy-like suits to everyone else who lives on Columbia (although it's in the midst of a Civil War mid-game, Booker is still hated by all). I've saved the best for last, though: Elizabeth. Elizabeth is one of the most beautifully created AI characters that I have ever seen. She is rendered in such a way that you see every reaction written upon her face. She cowers when enemies are nearby and she reacts to dialogue and situations as if she were almost real. She helps Booker by finding items needed during combat (health and ammo, for example). She also can open tears in the fabric of the universe, allowing you to bring items over from one universe to another. She is the highlight of the game and its story is really about her. She is the emotional key to the game and players will find themselves feeling what she feels as they play. Now here comes my biggest complaint about BioShock Infinite. This wonderful character that was created, and that the game revolves around, was relegated to the back cover of the packaging. After reading about how The Last Of Us developer had to fight to keep their main female character on the front cover of the game, I understand why - women don't appeal to gamers (or so the industry would have us believe). Not only does this really irk me, but it also lessens just how important Elizabeth is to the game (and honestly, she saves Booker more often than he saves her). Instead, Booker DeWitt, a character we actually only see (as this game is all first person) a few times, is on the cover - front and center. Gameplay in BioShock Infinite with considerable wandering around and taking a few side quests runs for about 16 hours (I timed it on Raptr). The end of the game brings together all of the plots from the BioShock universes to one very satisfying conclusion - it's complex, but works perfectly, and leaves the door open for future installments.	video-games_xbox
What this system does and what to expect when you get it. Before i get started with this, i'm at 30+ year gamer who's seen about everything and i'll say this, any review written the first day should be ignored. This system takes time to absorb the pros/cons of it. A "day 1" review should never be written. While this is an awesome system....getting started is the hardest part. I have "business" class, high-speed internet. GTA 5 took 14 hours to install. Halo is also a several hours install. Why? These are "digital" versions, also known as "downloadable". If you want to play, immediately, i suggest buying the disc games and installing. This game system comes with it's general Operating System ONLY on it so you have to download almost everything you use. Now, the great part is that there is a LOT more coming for this system, such as Windows 10 (it's scheduled for November) which ramps up the flexibility and usefulness of this system. All you old 360 stuff, it will NOT work with it. However, you can plug your 360 into your Xbox one and play "through" it. It's kind of a piggy-back situation. Oh, another great thing about this system, you can buy an external SATA drive and just plug in and GO and the XB1 will, most likely, be compatible with it. There is a nice 5TB, external, from Amazon, for $129 that will set you for quite a while. These drives pretty much let you install anything on them, a big change from the 360 days where our options were limited. Being an owner of console systems, since their very birth (that's the 1970s), i can speak from experience that this is the best system i've seen. It's had a slow start but all of the XB1's "extras" are starting to come into play and make this system really shine. Playing GTA 5 (again) was like playing an entirely different games because it allows you to play "1st person" view as well. I highly recommend getting a Kinect, later, because this is going to be the system that's going to be the changing-point for consoles forever.	video-games_xbox
Worst AAA game I have ever played. I have never marveled so much at how bad a AAA game could be. Large problems and small, this game has them all. The controls are the first thing that strikes the player as a downgrade from AC 2. You can either sprint at full speed, or walk as slow as humanly possible, making getting around very slow, either from the slow walk speed, or ricocheting off every climbable item in sight as you sprint. Since they are the same button, you will often jump up walls or begin climbing things when you run, making stealth extremely difficult, and escaping enemies harder than it should be. Oftentimes the controls simply do not respond, or seem to be erratic based upon the situation. This is the problem with making one or two buttons do everything. Climbing itself, which worked great in all the other AC games, works terribly. Other than buildings, what is climbable and what is not is not apparent, and oftentimes Connor will simply not grab climbable objects, leaving you falling. Often you just get stuck in one place, unable to move, and can only drop. The game does not allow you to reliably hop down or walk over ledges, leaving you often jumping at full speed when you just wanted to gracefully hop down. They made the game itself make decisions for you when climbing, which often works terribly, as you often climb the "wrong" way, ruining any attempt at stealth. Combat is a huge downgrade, now all you can do is wait until an enemy attacks and press B. You may think I am exaggerating, but I am not. Of course you can attack more free form, but the game does everything it can to penalize you for this. Clearly the designers just wanted players to wait and tap B over and over. As such, combat is boring and repetitive. Oh, and the designers also thought that adding quicktime events would be a step forward. No further comment necessary. Fights also happen too often, as simply bumping into a redcoat or climbing a wall often causes about a dozen or so to instantly begin trying to kill you. You try to run, but since there are redcoats on every street, and they run as fast as you do, it is extremely hard to get away. There are not enough hiding spots, and enemies often just force you out of hiding spots even if they do not see you actually hide. It is not uncommon to have to run through the streets for ten minutes or so just trying to get on with a mission. Also, since the combat is so boring, you do not want to waste time fighting them, especially since any increase in your "wanted level" causes redcoats to seek you out and try to kill you with obsessive abandon. This makes getting around a town extremely difficult and annoying unless you are fully incognito. For a game about assassinations, stealth is essentially a forgone conclusion. Apart from the bad controls, for some reason the designers made stabbing people make a lot of noise, making some assassinations quiet, and others "loud." This is up to the gamer to figure out through trial and error, and makes no real rational sense. Why some stabbings ar loud, and others are dead silent, who can guess? The only reason the story is barely interesting is because it takes place during the revolutionary war with known historical figures. The missions are disjointed and do not follow a natural progression, and the writing is about average. There are no additions to the game worth mentioning that were not done better in AC 2, and many of the new gadgets do not work correctly about half the time. The optional objectives are often hidden from the player until they are failed, forcing the player to replay boring missions for 100% completion. This is a cheap tactic to pad the game and force replay value without any new ideas or interesting design choices. All in all, the game is lazy, buggy, and it is clear that the designers were depending solely on the novelty of the setting, and the strength of the franchise to move copies of this game. So you may as well play AC 2 again, as it is better in literally every way. Everything about this game is a downgrade from previous titles. Every single aspect.	video-games_xbox
Comparison of Dance Central1 and 2 and Just Dance 3. I ordered all 3 dance games at the same time -- Dance Central 1 & 2 and Just Dance 3 --- and decided to play them all before writing a review. Dance Central 1: 5 stars!! Amazing game with a great sound track. Pros: Lot's of fun!! Can be an intense workout. The graphics are good and the games ability to register your whole body's movements is really impressive(Game gives feedback on which part of body is not moving correctly) Cons: limited "extras" like playlists, workout/sweat mode, ability for two players to play simultaneously and the tedious Freestyle break in the middle of the songs(which sometimes is a good thing on the harder dance). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dance Central 2: Still 5 stars and has all features mention above but the sound track is not nearly as good as Dance Central 1 Pros: Graphics have improved a lot Two players can play at same time. Workout mode tracks time and calories burned. Cons: Song list is heavy on the R&B - lacking the variety and depth of Dance Central 1. In some of the reviews for this game people have complained that the song list is not kid friendly and I'd have to agree. I'd add that it isn't as male friendly as the first game. Too many songs with too many girly moves that even I feel ridiculous doing. Lastly, they changed the menu which is annoying. I have to go all the way out to the main menu to change the level (easy, medium, hard). Strangely, I find this game way easier than DC 1 and not as good of a workout in spite of the ability to kill the freestyle mode. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just Dance 3: 4 stars....BUT I don't see how anyone could compare this game to Dance Central. It's like apples and oranges because Dance 3 doesn't register the whole body's movements. They "recycled" their WII game and the only body part that is picked up is your right hand. Pros: Good song list, playlist options, ability to play multiple players, workout mode Cons: no full body registering (just right hand), characters aren't easy to follow against the background. Song sorting stinks because not sorted by difficulty.	video-games_xbox
one of the better fighting games i've ever played. Midway has managed to accomplish something that no other gaming company has managed to do: Create a fighting game that won't bore you to tears after a month. I've had this game for about 3 months and i still haven't unlocked everything. The gameplay is very diverse with each character having 2 different fighting styles and their own unique weapons ranging from daggers sculpted from ice to metal sticks attached to the forearms. Every character has different endings when you beat the game and, if you pay attention, most of them intertwine in some way. I only have a few complaints about this game. #1. The combos, while incredibly cool, are very long and impractical, seeing as how you have to remember a button combination that can sometimes be over 10 hits long while you are being wailed on by the CPU. Also, they often times don't even succeed, leaving you wide open to be attacked. #2. The CPU has abilities that you don't. This sounds like a really stupid complaint, but wait until you play this game and the CPU player blocks in the middle of your combo then retaliates with one of their own. You try to block in the middle of their combo, but absolutely nothing happens and soon they've taken down half your life in one combo. #3. The difficulty levels are horribly uneven. Easy is normal, normal is frickin hard, and hard is simply not possible. And finally, #4. Moloch. If you haven't played the game, this won't make much sense, but if you have you should know exactly what i'm talking about. The big guy who's the 3rd from last boss who will kill you about 50 times in the span of 3 minutes. This guy is harder than every other character in the game. These faults aside, once you adapt, it's a very fun game. There are almost 700 individual unlockable goodies, making for a gaming experience that will last you a good deal of time.	video-games_xbox
Good start to Next Gen UFC games. Ive followed and logged a lot of hours on UFC games. Its prob the number one game i play on xbox 360 and now xbox one. This is a great game. I love it. The reason i gave it 4 stars rather than 5 is because the gameplay modes are very similar to the older games. It gives you everything that is expected. Visuals: amazing. tapping into the next gen capabilities, you can see the difference! Content: you get more fighters, and a a wide variety move set that you can opt in and out of and switch around. Gameplay/Fighting: i think this has a improved a lot. I don't think people are use to the transition between games and are saying the palyers are moving slow/drunk, i don't think so at all. Moves are more realistic, fatigue hits harder. Players swinging and kicking at each other show a more realistic clashing rather than hitting eachother like rockemsockem robots. Fighters also go the distance in 3-5 round fights. You, of course can get the first round KO, but you have to playy more defensively, slip, counter, and really work for it. Past UFC games, you could just go in and out of the first round with left and right hooks and knock players out with a TKO, but the newer version makes it a lot harder to do so. It makes it more realistic for sure. Draw back from gameplay: is that takedowns are a little too easy. Ive only played online 3 times and suplesxed a guy 9 times in two rounds. Ive also played in career mode and always rely on the take down when i get overwhelmed with stand up. Another drawback (imo) in the KO/TKO ground and pound; when youve knocked someone out, thats it. There are no extra hits, and the ref doesnt come flying in to end the fihgt/ protect the other guy. In all real fights, the fighter won't let up until the ref flys in and calls it, usually still landing a extra punch or two....more of a satisfaction thing than anything. Submission system is new. I haven't really "mastered" it but i like it more than the older submission system. Transitions on the gound are a lot smoother as well. You cant just flick the right analog stick up and in circles, rather leaning your player in a direction, and reacting to his posture before going for the transition. (i like this)	video-games_xbox
Your Crazy. Your Crazy if you don't at least give this game a try. This is not only a game for RPG fans but action fans as well. To start you get to completely customize your character. Male or female, scars, hair, appearance and character history. There are several standard classes to choose from, some a specific class, others a mix of two classes. All balance nicely and provide different experiences. You get the assistance of seven other characters, and you get to choose two of them to assist you on quests. You get access to most of these characters early in the game if you spend a lot of time doing side quests at the Citadel the first time you are there. Wrex is by far my favorite. The controls are really easy to pick up on. Triggers are your typical - Left, aim down the barrel; Right, fires. Holding down the bumpers pause the game and allow you to change weapons or choose different powers for you and your squad. The D-pad gives commands to your squad on the fly. I won't really comment on the story, just know that it is awesome. The one thing that that is both a positive and negative is the dialogue. Positive because the questions or answers that you give are easy to choose without a lot of reading and then hearing what you just read. The negative is that the short version that you choose to say is sometimes miss leading, and comes out different in the conversation. The combat is fantastic. Very action oriented, but you can still pause (if you want to) to change weapons, use powers, or issue commands to your squad. The great part is even if you do pause it is really fast to select what you want and get right back into the action (literally 5secs.), or if you want to think about it more you can take your time. The cover system is pretty good, though I found myself sticking to things that I didn't want to sometimes. I hate to even give a negative because the combat is so good and challenging. However, if I had to complain about one thing it is that the enemy AI usually charges you. Sometimes they will use the cover but usually they just run at you. The good thing is that you squads AI is really good, and does a pretty good job of using their powers at the right times, though you can direct them if you want. There is a boatload of equipment and upgrades to choose from. The menu system and inventory is easy to manage, and doesn't cause to many headaches. Apart from the main story there are tons of side quests, which usually have interesting stories, but mainly involve going to a place, shooting some bad guys, then resolving a conflict or finding something. One thing I will say is that there have been a number of times when I have to set down my controller and really think about how I'm going to resolve this conflict. Trying to figure out who is right and who is wrong is sometimes very gray. And there is a moral system in the game, but doesn't seem to really affect the game play too much. I don't want to give too much away but you will know what I mean when you play the game. There have been a lot of complaints about the driving portion of the game. Basically the different planet you visit require exploring and you get in the Mako (a 6 wheel tank that can go anywhere... I mean anywhere) and drive around to find key locations found on the map. The part that stinks is the Mako can't shoot down. You have to be at the right angle if you want to shoot something below you. While this is annoying, I found it easy to compensate for and was blowing away guys in no time. With easily 40+hrs of game play if you do the side quests it will keep you entertained for a long time. I could go on and on about Mass Effect, it is the best Xbox 360 game I have played to date.	video-games_xbox
The Campaign of the Decade, Remade and Remastered. At first glance, taking old (if classic) titles and giving them makeovers that bring the full force of modern console technology sounds like an exercise that occupies a point somewhere between pointless and cynical. But once you sit down to play them, doubts rapidly evaporate. There's no doubt that Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary is a labour of love. Microsoft has gone out of its way to be faithful to the Xbox original: it contains the same levels, plot and enemies - operated by the same artificial intelligence, so that they behave identically. But this time around, it's viewed through the filter of the graphics engine from Halo Reach, so while it feels exactly the same as the first game, it looks an awful lot more magnificent. And, just to emphasise that it's all about adding a new visual gloss to the precise experience that Halo Combat Evolved provided, you can hit the back button at any time (except during cut-scenes) and revert to the original graphics. Which is utterly fascinating - a bit like like archaeology on your console. Outdoor environments, in particular, benefit from the Reach engine - in their original state, they look textureless and considerably bleaker, with great slabs of greys and browns, and a fog, instead of detail, in the far distance. There's a technological cherry on top of this graphical icing, too: the game runs in stereoscopic 3D, if you have the means of displaying it. Microsoft would no doubt argue that a whole generation of gamers, although devoted to the Halo franchise, never played the original game, being too young to own an Xbox. If that describes you, Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary should offer a pleasant surprise. And Halo Combat Evolved's single-player game is much meatier than has become the modern norm. That, of course, is due to the fact that when it was released, broadband was more of a pipedream than a reality, as was Xbox Live. But it did have a multiplayer side, achievable by connecting up Xboxes with network cables. And yes, we really did lug our Xboxes around in those days (along with TVs). Perhaps it shouldn't surprise us that Halo's multiplayer proves to be so good: Microsoft was already involved in PC games, and developer Bungie was keen to woo PC gamers - which meant the multiplayer side of the game had to be spot-on. But it really is a joy playing Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary via Xbox Live - what you get, essentially, is Halo Reach's multiplayer, complete with the switchable load-outs involving jetpacks and so on and, of course, its graphics, enacted on the first Halo's maps. Which, it transpires, are magnificent and varied. It would be idiotic to assert that Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary is an essential purchase: it's a curiosity, aimed at the first-person shooter cognoscenti and Halo completists. But if, for whatever reason, you missed it first time around, prepare to be impressed. It's a mighty fine game - for my money, the best in the Halo franchise - that deserves to accumulate a cult following. Microsoft should be applauded for what they have created.	video-games_xbox
Excellent Action Game If You Don't Mind Weird Stuff. This game is very unique in a good way. Directed by the Japanese director known for "Killer 7" the game clearly shows the somewhat irreverent post-modern style. I would say some levels could even be described as avant-garde. This may be good or bad, depending how you look at games. If you enjoy traditional character types and story where you expect normal dialogue and linear progression this isn't exactly it. The game has very strange and often creepy dialogue, it somewhat objectifies women, (and men) hence my previous description "irreverent". The game heavily focuses, perhaps as a parody, on cyberpunk style. You and other characters casually have cybernetic limbs and implants and everyone acts casually like they're not there. At the same time the gameplay is shown in high contrast, dark shadows, environment and is accompanied by 70s acid jazz music . Not exactly to my liking but it plays only in the main menu. It has an interesting mini game where your character is going on dates with different girls over the world. You have to go on those dates to get new weapons or items actually. So the game is definitely aimed at men. Gameplay itself feels like a very good button mashing combo pressing fighting game. You unlock moves as you gain crystals. You have to learn the righty timing to get the moves to work. Have to know when to use what melee weapon or item. So the gameplay is very solid. Graphics may not be the best, and in fact they are kind of abstract frequently, but it does not hinder anything. Action looks stylish and exciting. The main character is somewhat relatable male. It should be mentioned that the game is very violent and you will see some things you would never expect to see in games as far as violence or suggestive sexual content. Whether you like that type of thing or not it makes this game all the more special and worth to check out. Note: while the game is excellent; it is important to know that the content in the game is definitely, absolutely not for kids. There is some very gruesome scenes of gore and dark humor all over.	video-games_xbox
A Twisted Web. With the huge success of the first two Spider-Man movie tie-in games, it was pretty obvious that there was going to be a third one thrown in there for good measure. Much like a lot of movie tie-in games, however, Spider-Man 3 feels a bit incomplete in some areas, and just all around lacks in others. That's not to say there's nothing good about the game because it certainly has its perks. The problem is that there's not a whole lot here to warrant the game a buy. As with the first two Spider-Man games before it, Spider-Man 3 doesn't really follow the movie all that well. It's loosely based on the movie. You've got the Sandman, Venom and the new Goblin to worry about, but the game also throws in other villains like the Lizard, Scorpion and Kingpin. Villains that weren't featured in the movie and here they come across as space-filling just to make the game longer. That doesn't really matter anyway as the game tries to follow the plot of the film AND work in these new villains. It makes the games storyline come off as quite a sloppy mess. The game's story is also carried by some rather likeluster and lifeless voice acting too, which is sad because they used the cast of the movie (save for Kirsten Dunst). I guess voice acting is far different from acting because a lot of the time you just don't get the sense that any of the cast really cared about the game. The gameplay is pretty similar to Spider-Man 2. You roam around the city by webswinging and looking for things to do. No matter what anyone says, webswinging in Spider-Man 2 was fun. In Spider-Man 3 it's still fun because it doesn't come off too different from its predecessor. So you can swing and zip around New York all you want. It's actually quite fun to explore the city itself as it's given some great detail along the way. And as you explore you'll also find little random crimes that you can stop. There's really nothing rewarding from them, and some of them are just not all that thrilling, but the fact that it's there is kind of neat. As you roam around New York you'll find icons that allow you to initiate missions and sidequests throughout the game. Most of the missions aren't anything too surprisingly difficult. Most of these missions are run-of-the-mill Super Hero business like saving people from burning buildings or stopping robbers. Things like that. The story based missions alone can keep you busy for a while, but the game itself really isn't all that long to begin with. Some of the missions and sidequests can be grueling, though, because combat feels a little off. It's the same button mashing experience as the last couple of games, so if you've played them, you'll feel quite at home here. The problem is some of the games adversaries you come up against use some unreasonably cheap methods to taking you down, and they can drop your health fast. This forces you yourself to use some unreasonably cheap methods as well and unfortunately it makes the game less fun to fight in because of it. You can build up combat abilities, but a lot of the time you're reduced to using cheap tricks to deal with your foes that the combat abilities really just don't matter because you won't find yourself using them. Bosses especially can be unforgiving, especially because some of them ensure that before you can start dropping their health, you've got to accomplish something else first. There are also some mini-games that take place during some missions, that usually require you to do a series of button presses or analog movements. These sequences aren't really bad, but they're not good either. Especially because a lot of the time they explain what you have to be doing WHILE you're supposed to be doing it. You'll often fail the first time just because you had to read the directions before proceeding. But when you start... you've already lost. It would've been nice if the game paused or something first. Luckily, if you do manage to fail one of these sequences you're not penalized. When you begin again you're usually right there where it took place. The camera is probably the biggest problem of all facing this game. It's too jerky and all over the place and often shifts inappropriately. Especially during a lot of the action. You'll spend a lot of time fighting with the camera and readjusting it. Graphically, Spider-Man 3 is almost state-of-the-art for a movie tie in. That is to say there are bugs and glitches found within the game. The overall presentation isn't bad in terms of what you see. But the technical stuff is definitely annoying sometimes. Enemies being trapped inside walls or having invisible objects in their way. It's another case of a game rushed out to meet the release date of the film. It's nice that New York looks beautiful at least and even Spider Man looks good, but a lot of the other character models don't. The games cutscenes are also drab looking as well. After giving New York so much detail, one has to wonder why they didn't give the rest of the game some detail. Again, one may assume it was because it was rushed to meet the release of the film. Spider-Man 3 isn't a bad game, really. It just feels rushed and underdeveloped. It's the curse of movie tie-in games. I'm sure some hardcore Spider-Man fans will have some fun with this, but most other gamers probably won't stick around too long for this one. Pros: +New York City Looks Great! +Webswinging is still a lot of fun +A wide variety of missions and optional things to do Cons: -Combat could use some work -New York looks great... but why doesn't the rest of the game? -A few technical glitches -Awful camera -The voice work is just dull -As with the other games, the story doesn't really follow the film all that well, and with the new stuff thrown in it just feels like a mess sometimes	video-games_xbox
An instant classic. Do not pass this up. First off, I'd like to say that I've been a pretty big RPG fan since I was little. Chrono Trigger(Super Nintendo) was the game that got me hooked on the RPG genre. Lost Odyssey caught my interest when it was first announced, so I started reading up on it a lot, and talking to people who imported to get as much info. as I could. After a lot of research I picked it up on the day of launch. Needless to say, I couldn't put it down. To not drag this out: This game doesn't do anything new, but it does everything right you'd expect from a traditional RPG. Amazing story, great characters, a solid battle system, and a New Game+ mode. This has everything to offer for RPG thirsty fans looking for a next-gen RPG. Pros: + Timed hit system put in place to keep the battles from lacking interaction + Insane graphics, the unreal engine is nice and allows for some crazy facial expressions. The scenery is really well designed + The sprinting/running in this game is quick! Mistwalker did this since they knew how walking slow in some RPGs can be painful. + The "Ring Assembly" system is neat. Allows you to combine accessories for some pretty wicked ones. These help in battle since you can switch at will (adds some tactics to the boss battles) + Anti-Grind system - they scale exp so people know when it's time to move on w/o overpowering there characters. Hardcore RPGs can still grind if they want, but at least they let it be known when you're at a good level (to keep the game challenging). + Boss battles are no pushover. Assuming you don't spend hours and hours building your team up to insane levels, the bosses in this game will be no pushover. + New game plus - allows you to start your game over with some of the stuff you had in your previous file. + One of the best Soundtracks in awhile. The man behind much of the Final Fantasy series is on board with Mistwalker, and it's very good. Cons: - None. The loading time issues you read in some reviews is gone. This was only on the "Review build" of the game. The retail versions DO NOT suffer from lag like they say. Many youtube videos prove this, and were made specifically to show how the loading times are fixed. Many sites like Gamestop even admitted this recently. Go buy this game now if you like Japanese style RPGs.	video-games_xbox
Two steps backward in the evolution of BF. Any fans of Battlefield 3 should not buy this game and continue playing 3 in hopes it will spur more expansion packs. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME, it will make you very sad. While this game tries to make some minor improvements on the series it overall remains an utter disappointment. I have been playing for almost a week now hoping that I will suddenly realize that it is a good game, but it isn't. Another expansion and maybe a patch for 3 would be a markedly superior product. What EA released was a rough sketch of a rough draft of a game. It looks as though they began work on it in July 2013 after realizing they had a game due in the fall. The graphics are awful. The contrasts are too high and everything looks like very bad CG. The player models have the look of low budget movie CGI where they never seem to belong in the environment they are in. Like they are actors in front of a green screen. Very few of the environments look natural. Everything is sharp edged and shiny and it looks more like bad virtual reality than an actual environment. Dice has changed all of the game controls. One can speculate that this was an attempt to make the game more appealing to the COD players. The result is that a lot of the muscle memory that you have from the previous games is useless and you will need to learn to play again. You can reset the controls about 90% back to BF3 at best, but you will still have a lot of learning still. Dice tried to add different challenges to the gameplay by adding longer reload and respawn times to the vehicles and the result is much less, yet more frustrating vehicle combat. Vehicles will take an eternity of 90 seconds to respawn and often there are players waiting to respawn in them in the map and spawn screen. Tanks, IFVs and most vehicles have magazines that take time to refill. If you rapidly fire 5 rounds in the tank, you will have to wait 20 seconds for 1 round to reload and another for the next after that, forcing you to have to disengage from combat and hide until your magazine replenishes. While I know they wanted to add some degree of realism over the infinite ammo of the previous generations' vehicles, I would have preferred a set capacity such as 40 rounds, like reality, where you would have to find a support troop or ammo depot to replenish. This current setup makes little sense and adds to the game's ample frustrations. Dice also addressed the overease of the stinger/igla and made it much more difficult to score a kill with, which I think is a good development and probably one of the only things they got right, but they also replaced it with a monstrosity known as the MBT LAW, which is infinitely worse. It is self locking, requiring no aiming and it also gives no lock-on warning to the target. By the time the warning even registers in the target vehicle, the missile has already hit and the firer has already launched another due to the 1.5 second reload time. The multiplayer maps are all very mediocre. There are two or three that are okay, but they could still use more vehicles. If I had to say two good things about the game, it would be the new attack boats, which I was apprehensive of at first, but rather enjoy as they are basically better-armed IFVs. Also, giving c4 to the recon class made it infinitely more formidable, this was long overdue. Helicopters are also a little more stable and easier to fly. But alas, these were not necessarily deficiencies that made the last game unplayable and do not make the game worth all of its other pains. There are no epic moments in this game. And if they do happen, you don't even notice them. The days of an epic battle on firestorm where there is always a free tank in the spawn, are over. This game is not worth your time or money and remains a splinter of BF2BC2 and BF3.	video-games_xbox
Dull, irritating, predictable. A crying shame. I am a HUGE FPS fan, and have played nearly every major game in this genre since the original Castle Wolfenstein - and while not a fan of console versions of what essentially is a genre best left in the PC arena, the original Perfect Dark on the Nintendo 64 was a spanker of a game. I was thrilled when I read that a sequel was to be released, and rushed out to buy it, fondly remembering those late-nate PD gaming sessions, now to be converted into HD glory, with more features and thrills. I tried so hard to like this game, I really did. However, beyond the hype and opinions of those who have never experienced what a great FPS should be like, here are the facts of life. 1 - Awkward aiming. Unlike most console shooters, PDZ requires near-perfect aiming - there is not much aim-correction for using the pad, and you play the whole game thinking 'I wish I had a mouse and WSAD keys..', which seems what the enemy must have, because they have less than no trouble getting headshot after headshot on you. 2 - Crap storyline. Cheesy, dull, terrible dialogue. Only the youngest of gamers would be excited with any story-based content on offer. The stereotypes are on display and proud of their corny lines, reciting them with sarcastic gusto. Cut scenes soon are skipped. 3 - 'No jump' feature. Sounds silly, especially as the original didn't have a jump button, but with the new levels and their detailed environments, you might find yourself screaming at the TV when your hard-earned skin-of-your-teeth cinematic escape is marred by clipping an inch of your leg on a small rock and taking a busload of fire in the process. 4 - bipolar AI. Enemies and friends alike switch moods between deciding to be tripping, hobbling cannon fodder to head-shot assassins. There is no feel of realism, no sense of game world stability, and the game never levels out between ridiculously easy and so hard the only way to move around a level is to perpetually roll. 5 - Rolling\Cover. On that note, the 3rd person feature is a waste of time. The 'roll' feature, presumably, exists to help one stylistically evade the enemy's fire, but you never seem quick enough to dodge the bullets well enough. On harder modes, you'll find the only way to conserve health is to become this constant gymnastic ball, pausing only to inevitably take damage while you return fire. The 'cover' feature is awfull, and exists only on selected scenery - little help when you actually NEED it. It generally feels like a useless addition for the game-enhancing-cinema-style-experience ethos that designers really ought to dump. The problem is that it has a split second pause before taking effect - and that you have to be perfectly in position to do so. One problem of this is if you do it in the wrong place, you actually expose yourself to the enemy and face the opposite way - a hail of enemy fire later and you're frustrated meat. Lastly, once you're actually in cover, you have a second's window to lean out, aim, and get off at a maximum 2 shots before the guy you're shooting at clocks you.. and don't forget the 2 or so guys coming around you to mash you up in close combat. After a few of these situations, you'll be using this feature rarely. 6 - Dull multiplayer. I'm sorry but it's true. PDZ multiplayer feels half-paced and as an afterthought. There are a handful of options compared to the pages of game customisation the original had - eg. slow time, game modes, etc.. None of this for PDZ. 7 - No innovation whatsoever. Now THIS is the area I wanted the game to shine in, excusing the rest of its problems. Sadly, its a bog-standard affair that never excites and thrills the way its predecessor did. There are other things I could mention, but honestly, the list goes on. Graphics are NOT the be-all end all, and I never experienced one moment of genuine excitement at the gameplay or game world. It does not immerse the play the way, say, Condemned does, having you gripping the controller in real thrill. All in all, roll on Halo 3.	video-games_xbox
Great strategy and fighting too. Magic The Gathering Battlegrounds is NOT a card game translated to the XBox. It is a fighting game that is based on the environments and creatures found in the Magic world. You can choose from various characters, each representing a different style of world. The demo only has 2 worlds represented, but the actual game has 6. Each has his own look and selection of spells and creatures. The training mode walks you through the basics. You are in essence on a battleground split in half. You can only cast spells on your half of the battleground, and if you stay in your enemy's half for too long you take damage. You gather up mana to cast spells, and the more mana you get, the more powerful spells you can cast. Some spells create creatures which either attack your enemy or sit still and defend you. Some spells attack your enemy and his creatures. Other spells give enhancements to your own creatures. Unlike other fighting games, this isn't just about 'attacking blindly until he's dead'. You have to balance your spell usage between defending your own body, creating creatures, enhancing your creatures and taking out your enemy and his creatures. Since the mana supply is not copious, exactly how you balance your mana can make the difference between survival and death. The quest mode lets you learn new spells and abilities, and practice your skills. The actual combat mode is where you move forward in the rankings. The game is XBox live enabled (tho the demo is not) which should be the real key to this game. Sure, it's fun to play against computer generated characters - but the real joy will be taking your well-trained character and setting him against the world of other gamers, and seeing how well you rank in that world. The graphics are rather good, and I really felt like my characters and I were a "team" working together to defeat an enemy. The game isn't complex in the "advanced RPG" way nor do the battles involve multiple button-mashing sequences like, say, Mortal Combat. Instead, it is a fast paced strategy game that exercises your mind as much as it does your fingers, and the winner will truly be the person who is the best rounded in ALL areas.	video-games_xbox
bugs, unintiutive hand-to-hand and too hard boss fights ruin enjoyment. read the user and critical reviews. they're accurate. there are serious bugs. you'll have to restart sections many times. some people have game ending bugs. my first bug happened with Deathstroke, very early on in the game (I think he's approx the 1st major boss after Killer Croc). It was a very difficult boss battle so the game glitching in the middle of it was beyond annoying. Stick with the Rocksteady Batmans. They're apparently a developer that knows what they're doing. This one does not. This game has a confusing sequence in which you wander around in a Mad Hatter fantasy. I had no idea what to do half the time and ran around like an idiot. In another frustrating boss battle, you're supposed to somehow know to use explosive gel or concussion ball to differentiate the boss from tons of duplicates. How in the hell could you possibly know this? (it only gives you this hint after you've failed - which you will). And how do you use these things on the fly as a quick attack (I had to look it up online). Normally you have to switch over to the weapon, then aim, then hold down a button for a little while, then hit another button. You'd be dead if you did this in hand-to-hand combat...The combat is so frenetic it doesn't matter anyway. Crap and people are flying all around (as is the camera) that you can't focus on anyone. Hand-to-hand combat is a staple of the game. Not much has changed here since Arkham Asylum. That's a bad thing. If Asylum had any flaws, this was it. It uses a rock-paper-scissors style of combat where you can bounce from one enemy to the next (similar to Assassin's Creed) but it's very very imperfect. In fact, you have to really work at it (more than I care to) to figure out how to disrupt an attacker mid-way through your whirlwind attacks. You'll be bouncing from dude to dude and the game will give you a CLEAR indicator that a particular dude is going to attack, then it'll say "HIT Y". Very often when I hit Y, NOTHING EFFING HAPPENS. Hit it quickly, stop what I'm doing and hit it. Nothing. This needs to change. We're not all savants and we don't all have the time to figure out what you're REALLY supposed to do here....Blade attacks are the same. "Left thumbstick away and hit Y" -- yep, I do that and still get hit 3 times in a row (about 95% of the time) with the blade which hurts your health quite a bit. Stupid. The game is punishing in this way. Punishment isn't fun. I don't feel like it explains itself well or plays fair... Boss battles are punitive. One of the very first ones was incredible difficult (on normal difficulty). Half-way through the game, fighting another well-known villain proved exceptionally difficult (had to restart maybe 20 times) again on normal difficulty, for a veteran gamer...There was another subsequent boss battle that wasn't quite as hard, but an extraordinarily poor explanation of what I was supposed to do at a certain point lead me to fail it 3 times...Normal difficulty seems rather hard. Also, there's not much to the "origins" of the title. Except in brief moments, we don't see Arkham become Arkham, Batman become Batman or the Joker become the Joker. It's already all in progress...	video-games_xbox
Totally worth it. Simply, these things r dope. Had them for a bit now thought I'd chime in. Buddy said they were good, wasn't kidding. Can hear guys coming, boosting, zombies breathing etc. etc. very well built, very good looking. Watched some reviews of these vs other similar lineups (YouTube hardcore gamer) and this unit won out, so I trusted the pro and happy I did. I will say two things: 1). It's adjustable, might sound dumb but I didn't pull down on the ear piece hard enough to stretch out at first so thought it didn't adjust (which I didn't realize it did until getting annoyed and the stitching was hurting my big bald head) so, low and behold, they're adjustable, much more comfortable now and I wear a 2xl motorcycle Bell helmet (aka big round melon). If I could tell turtle beach anything, it would be to put the stitching over the head on the outside and give smooth leather on the inside, might not look quite as sleek, but if you game for a while it would be more comfortable. Not enough to detract a star tho once u adjust it, you'll be good to go, happy I discovered that. No issues with mic as some reported and I turn my controller off and on, pull out the jack to pee then plug it back in, didn't even have to mess with any settings either. I just plugged it in and it worked. Almost forgot # 2) when u go to take off the connector piece to charge ur controller it's tough to remove and ripping it off is difficult and feels ur gonna break it. Flip the controller over and use ur thumbs/thumb nails to push it off the back, if you hear and feel a click, flip it back over and easily remove it, or it might just come off completely. The best way I've found to safely remove. Con: battery sucking, BUT, this will happen with all direct connect units so to me is a non-issue and to be expected. Be sure to charge controller after each round of playing. I skipped a night once and battery died on me next night. Just a heads up. If u r a marathon gamer and game more than 7-8 hours, which I've only done once, you're gonna want either back up batteries or a backup controller, again heads up. Ok, hope this was helpful, happy gaming	video-games_xbox
Rainbox Six: Vegas meets Ghost Recon. Ghost Recon Future soldier is a new direction for the Tom Clancy games, that's for sure. I was a big fan of Advanced Warfighter 2. I enjoyed managing the battlefield assets, while being engaged in the battlefield at the same time. I also enjoyed the ability to progress through missions in many different ways. I enjoyed the Rainbox Six: Vegas games because of their cover-to-cover intensive shooter action. To a lesser degree I enjoyed some of the basic stealth-creeper action of some of the Splinter Cell games. GRFS is an interesting mix of these attributes. GRFS will go from stealth-infiltration to run-and-gun battlefield action in a split second. Over all I found the game to be fairly "arcadey". You have a squad with you, and the friendly AI is pretty good. The friendly AI really never hurts you -- only helps you. They don't really get caught during stealth missions, they are pretty decent in combat, and only rarely need to be revived on the battlefield. I think the developers went out of their way to make sure they aren't a burden. Besides the "Sync Shot" stuff, you can't really control them. In that regard, I kind of miss GRAW2. The cover system is worth mentioning. It is fantastic. It works very well, especially when moving from cover to cover, dynamically, on the battlefield. The peeking/leaning around cover, targeting your next piece of cover, and hustling to it -- all work fantastic. Hats off to the developers. The stealth mechanic is a bit over-used in the game, but still works well. You'll realize very quickly that you are practically invisible, unless an enemy is very near to you and looking directly at you. You realize the horror of facing an active-camo enemy when you start running into them later in the game. Pretty fun. The game plot is pretty run of the mill, but still interesting. The missions are varied enough that they don't get repetitive. In many of the missions the progression is linear, but in some you have the option of approaching them more from a stealth or front attack perspective. Many times you mix a bit to get through. I played a tiny bit of the multiplayer. I don't buy these games for the multiplayer, but it didn't leave a bad impression on me. The cover system and gameplay seems identical to the single player, which is a step above the multiplayer experience in the GRAW games. I expect fans of multiplayer action will get a ton of mileage from it. In conclusion, while the game isn't perfect, it was definitely a very good experience. If you are already a fan of the Tom Clancy games, you'll likely enjoy this. If you haven't gotten into these kinds of games yet, you may very well find this one to be a good introduction. It is light-weight, but tactical. It is unencumbered, but challenging.	video-games_xbox
Great Games. Sonic Mega collection plus is a collection of all the original sonic games from the sega genesis and game gear classic's. There is a newer version on the xbox 360 and ps3 of these games called sonic's ultimate genesis collection but however the gamegear games aren't on it and either is the lock on games either. So with that being said theres still a reason to own this version for hardcore sonic fans. Anyway if your new to the sonic games then this is where I would start as there is a lot of classics on this disc besides Cd and sonic adventure 1-2 and of coarse the ones that came out on this console and a few (but not many) stinkers as well. I will give a short review of each of the games not counting the unlockable ones Sonic 1- The sonic game that started it all obviously not much to really say other than it being one of the best 2d platformers ever made except for a few of its sequels 9/10 Sonic 2- This is the one everybody remembers mostly it introduced the spindash and tails ,plus the infamous bonus stage and supersonic anyway this is the best sonic game ever 10/10 Sonic 3- While I prefer the 1st 2 games this one is still good (even though I hate the carnival stage) 8/10 Sonic & Knuckles- basically a 2nd disc for sonic 3 but it has better levels 9.5/10 Sonic 3 & Knuckles- the best way to play the game 10/10 Sonic Spinball- This game is either a love it or hate it within sonic fans but I love it very challenging but fun and innovative in its time 8.5/10 Sonic 3d Blast- Now we come to the first stinker of the collection while its not the worst sonic game ever it was just tedious and the controls were horrible but 1 extra point for the soundtrack 6/10 Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine- not a fan of these types of games so don't go by my score of it but its basically dr. mario with sonic 6.5/10 GAME GEAR GAMES Sonic The Hedgehog- Completely different levels then the genesis version other then green hill zone but still good 7.9/10 Sonic Chaos- Best of the gamegear games on this collection 8.5/10 Sonic Drift- Considering this was on a handheld in the early 90's I'll say its good just hasn't aged well 6/10 Sonic Labyrinth- Worst Sonic game known in existence and in my top 10 worst games ever list -1/10 Dr. Robotniks Mean bean machine- Why this was included is beyond me but I'll give it the same score as the genesis one 6.5/10 Sonic Blast- not the prettiest game out there even for gg standards but it had some good levels 7/10	video-games_xbox
Not a expansive as Forza 4, but still fun and great looking. I have played all the Forza games, and in fact finished the career and all the events in Forza 4 (something in excess of 300 hours to complete it). My main disappointment with Forza 5 is the lack of tracks. Yes, the ones they have are beautiful, but all of Japan (including the mountain runs) are gone. Also missing is Hockenheim, the old Sears Point, Road America, Maple valley etc.. The worst affront is not having Nordschleife in the mix ... how can you be called Forza (or any real simulator racing game for that matter) without the "Green Hell"! Additional nits is a lack of control over the environmental sounds (less control than that of the previous game) which means that for some cars, their sound is so quiet they're drowned out by the others you're racing ... causing this old guy to miss some shift points or sit on the rev. limiter ... not great for winning races. The other significant issue ( and this may be just me) is that many of races play out more like a Demolition Derby that an actual real race or simulation. Stated differently, there is no form of racing (yes including NASCAR), that would allow such intentional and significant repeated contact. It is very difficult to race cleanly. I know that this if somewhat a function of the new drivatar system, which is indeed a technical marvel because it "learns" and is based on ones own driving style as well as other players driving styles. It's just seems less realistic and more like playing online multiplayer with a pack of very aggressive drivers (which can sometimes be fun, but it's also nice to be able to race with serious, respectful players as well). There are some other minor nits (as of this point there is no market place so I can't gift cars to my friends or sell them back for cash). Many people have complained the point system is too stingy, but they have corrected most of this issue (if you get the game, go online to forza rewards to redeem additional points, it has some significant payouts). I believe that the pressure to release Forza 5 concurrently with Xbox1caused a somewhat premature release of this product. With that said, turn10 and Microsoft Studios are great franchises and I'm still having a great time playing the game which is why I recommended it with four stars. It seems that it is still an act in progress and I sincerely hope that they will update the lack of tracks with an additional map pack (at little or no cost), add some more cars, and provide some level of control for the level of aggressiveness of the drivatar system. Enough of the writing stuff, time to fire up the Xbox1 and go play some Forza 5!	video-games_xbox
Highly Disappointing. After reading many different reviews I became more and more excited for the eventual release of the Fable. I must say however that this is certainly a game that does not live up to all the hype. Graphically this is one of the most beautiful games I've ever seen. In addition there are some elements that the game brings to the table that are very exciting, but when it comes right down to it don't really add much to the overall game. If you are expecting an epic, or even exciting story, that works to pull you into the game so that you loose track of time (similar to KOTOR) then this certainly is not the game for you. In fact I personally will go out on a limb and say the story in Sudeki was more gripping and exciting (which really doesn't say much). Personally I thought this point was a huge let down. The next thing that someone will notice almost immediately is how incredibly easy this game actual is. I was able to complete the entire game (side quests and all) in a little under 15 hours. In that entire time I never once died, had to restart a quest, or even to think for that matter. It seems like almost all of the missions you get are escorting people from point A to point B, with the routes marked out for you and nothing but mind numbingly weak and repetitive enemies along the way. These points however wouldn't by themselves be enough to spoil a game for me, but the actual game play itself was. Your character progression is broken into 3 areas; physical, skill and will (magic). Within these categories there are a total of 3 abilities for strength and 3 for skill. Will gives you the choice of 16 spells, none of which really stand out in any way as being original, and all but 6 are useless. The truth of the matter is that you will inevitably end up having to play some sort of melee combat character. This is for the simple fact that ranged combat, although neat when you decapitate people, really isn't an option until later in the game at which point it really is to late to develop it effectively. Similarly a wizard type character is about as successful as a vacation resort in Antarctica. This is due to the simple fact that the 4 attack spells the game does in fact have, don't do anywhere near as much damage as a sword, take a long time to max out, and believe it or not almost every creature in the game is resistant to them. As such the game really turns into a sword swinging button mashing contest. Now there are some good things to the game. As mentioned before the graphics are nice as is the musical score and voice acting. In addition to this you have the ability to really go to town on customizing your appearance. The alignment system is also fairly nice, albeit very predictable and often irritating in choices. For example ambushing and wiping out an entire town of bandits, who try to fleece your demonic hero, is enough to take you from prince of darkness to neutral?!? How do you figure?!? The other cool thing is being able to buy and decorate homes and shops, get married, have sex, and really do just about anything you would want in an RPG. These things however are, in my opinion, just window dressing and don't add much to the game.	video-games_xbox
XBOX 360 Elite - The issues are simple. I just want to make this simple for everyone, since the issues are really that: simple. The XBOX 360 has great games that anyone will NO DOUBT enjoy. Drive Noise, HD capability, additional cost for accessories that some people feel should be included--I can deal with these considering the GREAT games I mentioned. The question is can you deal with the constant threat of one day turning it on and getting the Red Rings of Death (RROD)? Even if one had the luckiest break of getting a perfect unit that will never die (which no one will ever know of course), spending $400 on something thats supposed to be state-of-the-art should not give you this kind of dread--or have you go through months of non-use due to exchanging units through Microsoft. Most of us are not millionaires who can just buy XBOX after XBOX either. So to me, NO, its not worth it just because of RROD. The worst part is, Microsoft, BY NOW, should have admitted their design flaws and replaced their console with a reliable version--even if they had to go back to square one--considering their many loyal customers. Just that fact alone convinced me that I will not buy another 360. That really is an insult to us XBOX fans if you think about it. I will keep playing the Wii with the kids and get a PS3 in the near future. Update: Finally decided to get the last PS3 edition that has backwards compatibility 2 weeks ago (Metal Gear bundle), instead of another 360. Feel much better not having to worry about RROD. And with the way things are now going, be sure to weigh all your options. See article below. Still have to think twice before you consider a 360: A crumbling tower: Sony lays siege to the 360's weak spots By Ben Kuchera \| Published: August 17, 2008 - 09:00PM CT It wouldn't be accurate to say that the sky is falling for Microsoft's one and only gaming console, the 360, but it may be time to look at what the company is doing right... and where it's going wrong. The Sony PlayStation 3 is beginning to chip away at the 360's lead in both software and hardware sales in the US, and that system only seems to be picking up steam. In contrast, the 360 doesn't seem to have much real momentum these days. While it's hard to find ways for Microsoft to get its mojo back, we can easily identify a few problem areas that are becoming clear as the 360 ages. These are the weaknesses in Microsoft's strategy that have to be addressed before the system can hope to get its groove back. Let's take a look. You have to find your voice When the PS3 launched, the 360 was the system with more, better games, and the better online strategy. Microsoft also did a wonderful job in poaching some of gaming's largest franchises. Microsoft even brought this up at its press conference at E3: We have Grand Theft Auto, Devil May Cry, and now Final Fantasy! Look at how we've caught up to Sony! The problem is, these games are still on the PlayStation 3, and Microsoft isn't offering much in the way of improvements to these titles. In fact, given that Microsoft bet on the wrong optical format, we don't know how many discs Final Fantasy XIII will take up when the title arrives on the 360. What else does Microsoft have in the way of exclusives? Halo is a system-seller, sure, but Metal Gear Solid IV is still a PS3 exclusive. Microsoft has many solid racing franchises, but nothing like the power that Gran Turismo brings to the system. Xbox Live is a great service, but it's not clear that all of its features are needed. While the hardcore complain about Nintendo's friend codes, most mainstream gamers are more than willing to put up with them. And Microsoft's competitors aren't standing still; Home could be the silver bullet that finally gives Sony the edge in online play. The PS3 has one of the most anticipated casual games ever with LittleBigPlanet, and the branding of Sackboy is already amazingly strong. Add idiosyncratic games, such as Flower, that are coming to the PS3 and Nintendo's absolute dominance of the casual market, and you have a gaming world where cherry-picking old franchises is no longer enough. Gears of War 2 looks great, but Resistance 2 and Killzone 2 look just as good in terms of scale, graphics, and online play. Microsoft needs to step up efforts to keep its brand strong. The new Viva Pinata game looks good, but that was a game that didn't set the world on fire with its first iteration. Lips looks okay, but with Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour coming up, a voice-only game might not find a home in the collection of most gamers. Microsoft has spent so much time trying to match Sony's past glory in terms of game selection that it finds itself somewhat at a loss now that Sony has managed to keep some games as exclusives, at the same time it's developing all news ones. The new firmware update that will refresh the UI of the 360 looks strong, but the press gave it a scarily icy reception at E3; the full-scale plagiarism of the concept and design of the Nintendo Mii had many onlookers audibly laughing. It was not a comfortable moment. Will Halo be enough in the future? With Bungie now independent, that's a very large, very open question. It's time for Microsoft to find its own voice and give itself a unique feel in the market. Its old tricks and the "first to launch" advantage isn't enough anymore. Find a home in the world We tend to focus on US sales, because we live in the US. But gaming is an international business, and Microsoft has seen almost all of its success in the US. Both Nintendo and Sony do very good business in Japan and Europe, while Microsoft has always struggled in those markets. Heck, in Japan, the big story is the sales of Sony's PSP. Microsoft depends on US sales, and while the system sees spikes in other territories when there is a launch of specific, big-name titles, it tends to flounder otherwise. It's hard to think of a way for Microsoft to make in-roads in Japan, but Europe has to be seen as a major battleground. Both Nintendo and Sony have multiple systems that are doing bang-up business across the globe. Microsoft has one system that does well in one market. It might be too late for Microsoft to grab a piece of the portable business, and the Zune is hardly an opportunity in that area, so Redmond is left with one option: the 360 simply has to step it up outside of the US. Take the PS3's advantages seriously Whether or not Microsoft has fixed its Red Ring of Death problem, the fact remains that most gamers think the hardware is untrustworthy. You hear about it in the forums, in the game stores, from even casual gamers... everyone either has had systems go bad or they know someone who has. The PlayStation, on the other hand, is damn near rock-solid. Microsoft has to start getting the word out that it has fixed the reliability problems; pretending like this issue never happened is not the solution. Microsoft also has to pay attention to the hard drive of the PS3. The drives are large, getting larger with the standard systems, and anyone can swap out their drive for a roomier one. Heck, Sony suggests it and gets the word out about DIY tutorials on the upgrade. Microsoft, on the other hand, is sticking with expensive, proprietary drives. It's a situation made more frustrating by the fact that, without large, standard drives, Microsoft can't begin to match Sony's efforts at releasing full games through its online portal. There is also the fact that Sony's online offerings are free. Yes, Xbox Live is better. But how much better? There are large numbers of gamers out there who simply will not pay money for online play and are more than happy with Sony's offerings. So what if you can't send a voice message across games? Sony's newly-launched in-game XMB adds a ton of functionality, and the Trophies it brings seem to be gaining popularity; I know many people personally who are revisiting old games to tackle the new challenges. Frank and I argued about making Xbox Live free, but it may not matter; the more powerful Sony gets with the PS3, the less Microsoft can count on Live as a profit base. There is also the fact that Sony has the Blu-ray drive, provides strong multimedia functions on its system in general, and its video rentals and sales work seamlessly with your PSP if you want to take your content on the road. The PSP-PS3 connection gives you so much cool functionality that it makes consumers want to own both for a great media experience. Microsoft has no competition for that at the moment. We're not offering solutions, just problems How should Microsoft fix these issues? That's a huge question, and it can be argued for days. Whatever your preferred answer, these problems are real, getting worse, and starting to show up in the sales numbers. Microsoft doesn't have the wiggle-room it did in the market even a year ago, and it's past time to step up to the competition. Does the company have a viable plan to do that? We'll see as we move into the holiday season. What's clear is that the competition is now much stronger across the board, and that's a good thing for gamers. [...]	video-games_xbox
Same ol' s**t, but on different system. This review is not only late, but it's also pointless-and both for the same reason. Rockstar did not submit advance copies of the Grand Theft Auto Double Pack so that a review could come out at the same time as the game. The company knows, as gamers do, that if you've been waiting for GTA III and GTA: Vice City to come out for the Xbox-especially after months of rumor-mongering and poorly kept secrets-you're gonna buy them regardless of what anybody else says. You want them, and Rockstar wants you to want them. So maybe the GTA Double Pack wasn't worth the fuss, but for Xbox owners, it's certainly worth the money. Grand Theft Auto III gave Rockstar's franchise new life with a seedy 3D celebration of New Yo...um, Liberty City's crime underworld; its follow-up, Vice City, threw in motorcycles, a chainsaw, and a 1980s nostalgia trip, complete with pastel suits and Florida drug lords, but plays more or less like an expansion pack. Both games offer mission-based scenarios within an autonomous, "living" environment, where pedestrians fight back, police try to run you off the road, and numerous hidden challenges and surprises await any explorer curious enough to seek them out. More than the violent content (yes, you can light cops on fire and hit prostitutes with baseball bats), those free-roaming elements are what make both GTA games such addictive (and historically important) games. Besides the two-for-one price, what do Xbox owners get for waiting? Shinier cars. The games also support hi-res 480p displays and custom soundtracks (almost a shame as the radio stations are a large part of the games' personality and atmosphere-for the true experience, stick with the original soundtracks), but the rest is more or less unchanged. Actors like Joe Pantoliano and Ray Liotta lend their voices, and sharp controls are nearly identical to those in the PS2 edition (triggers are used for gas and brake). The original gameplay has been preserved, but you'd think Rockstar would have enhanced the games further-or at least fixed the infamous pop-up, which still plagues every high-speed cruise through the city. There's also some choppy animation at times, such as on Vice City's RC beach track. In other words, aside from visual upgrades, it's the same great gameplay that PS2 and PC owners have already enjoyed-and it's still must-own material. If you're an Xbox owner who waited, here's the reward for your patience. But you probably already bought it, so...	video-games_xbox
Not as good as it could have been. I read a review of "Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon" on IGN.com minutes after I purchased the game. They trashed it to death, and I was worried the game would suffer a fate similar to "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story"... But being the huge Lee fan I am, I popped it in the XBOX, and prepared myself for a terrible game. They didn't just trash the gameplay, they trashed the graphics(saying it was something out of N64, which is hogwash, obviously), the sound, and everything else involved with video games. Well, the begining cinema showed up, and showed a digitized Bruce Lee in action. I was immediately blown away, and began the game as quickly as possible. Now, if you've ever played "Final Fight", you get the idea for this particular game, only with Bruce Lee, a human God. The sounds, the look, and the movements of Bruce Lee in the game are all quite strikingly similar to the man himself. That gets an immediate kudos, I mean, this is the next best thing, aside from Bruce himself. Although, the gameplay is a little iffy. The controls take a lot of getting used to, but when you do, you'll be kicking names and taking ass. The only REAL complaints I do have are that the camera gets stuck in certain places, and that pesky "Lock-On" attack thing. So, basically, when you're fighting 3 different people, you're focused on one person; if you knock him down, then you are still focused on him... Although that has a remedy as well, just click "R", but it still gets tiresome after a while. While this game certainly has it's flaws(which games don't?), it's got a lot of cool features as well. If you're a Bruce Lee fan, this is more than a must-have. I've loved Bruce Lee since I was 6, and I'm glad that a game has finally captured just a fraction of his character and charisma. Other gamers, however, might want to steer clear. Unless said gamer is familiar with Hong Kong action flicks, they won't enjoy the paper-thin plot. So, all in all, Bruce Lee fans, go for it. Others, go for the rental first. I'm not sure that you'll LOVE this game, but at least it's not "Dragon" all over again. Now, wait for a potential sequel, and maybe they'll fix those flaws...	video-games_xbox
A Review From a Former PS4 Owner. I recently purchased the Xbox One 1TB Halo Master Chief Collection even though I already had a PS4 that I really enjoyed. The deal on the Xbox One was far too good to pass up. I was one of those people who thought X1 was inferior and PS4 was the better of the two next gen consoles. After owning both consoles, below are my thoughts: Pros for Xbox One vs PS4: -1tb is necessary on either console. 500gb on PS4 was far too small and PS4 does not allow for external HD. Xbox One allows external HD. Today PS4 does not offer 1tb and upgrading the HD to 1tb is costly compared to just buying X1. -The Xbox One controller feels significantly better in my hands. The thumb sticks are in a more natural position. -Home layout/OS interface is significantly better than PS4. X1 allows for more customization and is easier to navigate. -X1 has better app selection and streams content from Amazon better. -I have played every PS4 exclusive and did not enjoy most, even the most hyped ones. X1 exclusives thus far feel like quality over quantity. -I prefer the upcoming X1 lineup of games. -Rumors of X1 being under powered (I believed it) are greatly exaggerated. Games look amazing on both consoles and shading is better on X1 for some games. Cons against Xbox One vs PS4: -The only con I can think of is that games take significantly longer to install on X1 vs PS4. Seriously MS this has to be fixed. There is no excuse for a 35 minute install time vs PS4s 1 minute install time from disc. I hope this can be fixed via software update. Overall, I am very happy with my X1. When I purchased I didn't think that I would keep it. I thought I would play Halo and resell on ebay. However, after owning, I instead put my PS4 on ebay to sell. The X1 is a better console for me. If you are trying to decide between the two consoles, I would recommend X1 over PS4 but you should look at the game lineup and upcoming games, the controller and the overall value to make your decision.	video-games_xbox
EA Needs To Lose The Harry Potter Video Game License. Hello, need reader canary talented really. The above mess is a Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince video game experience. And I know despite what I write, if you're here you will end up playing the game anyway, hoping I'm mistaken. I will continue if only to persuade you to rent the game at best or wait for the inevitable, monstrous price drop. To Begin - The Story, Characters, and Sound: If you needed to write a report on the Half-Blood Prince film, this video game wouldn't even be acceptable as cliff notes. Scenes cut in and out, not caring about anything silly like making sense. The video game starts with a random brush up with Quidditch at the Burrow and then bipolars you straight to the scene in Diagon Alley with Draco Malfoy. Why? That question should be read as a scream. And from there you jump from moment to moment like a mental patient, who isn't improving. As far as the characters in this cliff note of cliff notes, everyone is at least acceptable or great. Great, as in the case of when the film actors lend their voice (the focus being on Rupert Grint-Ron). The acceptable being characters like Snape and generally the look of everyone. There is one huge exception: Hermione. The actress who lends her voice is fine, but the rendered character looks nothing like Emma Watson. She looks more like Mema Witson, and while she's a great girl and all, Mema isn't in Harry Potter. The real problem is that Harry and Ron look reasonably similar to Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint (having gone through the work in the previous game, whereas Emma Watson did not, to my knowledge) so Hermione, aka Mema Witson, stands out. The music of the games is always either nice or fantastic. This game favors more toward simply nice, but whoever thought that adding a record scratch to highlight an awkward moment between Harry and Ginny was a good idea; way to stand out, my man. That was truly A+ dumb. Well, I'd love to continue with my review, but I need to have a duel. The Middle, Gameplay?: The Order of the Phoenix game had 3 things going for it: a beautiful Hogwarts, most of the film actors participated, and the painting that loved Chops and Gravy. Yum yum yum yum, gravy. This game? Duel, quidditch (by which I mean flying through stars), and potions. Potions, duel, quidditch, punch making? Duel, potions, duel, quidditch. That is the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince game. And while dueling is far more refined here than in previous games, it pops up everywhere, and all you need to do is knock your opponent down once with Expelliarmus (yes, I looked up how to spell a lot of things in this review) and it's game over. And while potions can be fun, these are side games and side games do not a video game make. I get the feeling that, oh hold on. I need to duel again. As I was saying, if EA would just put itself in a timeout and make a game based on several movies, we'd actually get an inspired gift of a game as opposed to these socks we keep getting. Or even if they, oh, I don't know, gave a damn? EA has done a Quidditch game before, so why isn't there at least a full on game here instead of Harry going through stars? Why can't we control other characters in actual mission, versus doing the same things Harry does (how fun would a thought out Luna side-mission be?). And whereas Order of the Phoenix was nothing but a list of chores to do, Half-Blood Prince is the same only with your mom running out of patience with you. GO PRACTICE QUIDDITCH NOW!!!!. The only beauty comes from a very beautiful source, the character of Luna Lovegood. As you're lighting fireworks, and trying very hard but unsuccessfully to get a great look at Hogwarts lit by the exploding color wheel, Luna pleads "I wish fireworks didn't have an end." The End: This game was supposed to be released in November '08, as was the film (damn you Warner Brothers). But stock market greed from Warner's pushed the due date to June '09. And what did EA do with that extra time? Worked on Madden 11? But that's irrelevant. To EA, this game was never meant to be anything but a cash grab, and all the extra time + 1 would never have made it any better. Ever since the Prisoner of Azkaban game, EA's effort with Harry Potter has equaled my effort in personal grooming when I was 12. Let's say, not so great. But the films and the books have been about love and bravery and effort. Where is any of that in these games? Where is it? I really want better things to say, but ..... I solemnly swear this game is no good.	video-games_xbox
Various Options Less Boredom. Shibley Smiles thoughts... There are some pro's and some con's but for the most part I feel the pro's out weigh the con's. The game itself is a workout from the portions I have tried so far. I started out just learning a few exercise moves, well I knew the moves but wanted to see how the Kinect re-acted and read me. I started with some lunges, back kicks, sit-ups, push-ups, etc. Once I got a feel for where it wanted me to stand (pretty far back) I moved on to the first option "The Circuit". Pro: When it comes to the exercises as a circuit you have two options. You can chose one of the many circuits that have been provided, or you can customize your own. I think it is a brilliant option to give you the ability to create your own routine, especially if there are certain exercises you are unable to do for medical or other reasons. I found the list of programed circuits to be bountiful and in vary in intensity. When you select a circuit you will see which exercises it includes. This along with the name of the circuit will give you an idea of how high or low the intensity will be for that program. Also the number of different programs gives you a variety of routines so that you do not get bored day to day. Con: I found while both learning the exercise as well as participating in my first circuit that the Kinect had a harder time recognizing me when I was doing floor exercises such as crunches, push-ups, etc. I tried moving forward and back as well as re-positioning how I was facing the television but was not able to find the sweet spot. With that said the good part is despite the fact the Kinect did not recognize my moves it did not pause the game, so I still got the work out. The draw back was that my reps were not counted, the good part was the game continued to allow me to work out even though it could not recognize my participation. (Note: There is a little box in the right hand corner where you see yourself doing the exercise, I could see myself doing them, the Kinect just didn't recognize as them being done correctly.) The second option is the adventure mode. Pro: I found this mode to be entertaining and a pretty good cardio workout. As with the circuit training there are various courses/options you can take so the game play is not the same each day. I decided to go with one, figuring it was the easier of the adventures. I ran in place while extending my arms to the right, left, and up to catch medallions. If you catch them while they are green it decreases your time, while red will increase it. I found that if you run quicker you can catch them green, if you start to slow down they start turning red. So the point is to keep up a good pace while running. During your run you will stop to do reps of various exercises such as lunges, squats, etc. These exercises on the screen initiate an action such as jumping over logs, raising a bridge, etc. In this mode if the Kinect does not read you, or you do it sloppy you will have to continue until you finish the reps and get past the obstacle. I had no problems with the Kinect reading me in this mode, when it didn't it was because I was getting tired. Con: I didn't really find any con's with this mode, it did have a hard time recognizing my daughter when she tried this mode and she became frustrated, however I feel this game is made for people older then six and the reason she was having a hard time is she wasn't doing the exercises in the proper form or she was too short for the Kinect to recognize her action as correct. Before you start the game you select your gamer profile so the information is saved for you. You will be given a screen where you can fill in your information: weight, height, age, etc. This my friends is the BIGGEST issue with the game, and I ENCOURAGE PR reps and the developers to please read this and take note. CON: With a capital C the method of selecting your mode options and changing your information is the most infuriating method I have seen on the Kinect. So much so that my husband if this was his game would probably refuse to play. When selecting your option you have to move your hand up or down to first select the option, while you are doing this there is no hand or pointer on the screen to give you a sense of where you are in relation to what you are trying to select. In addition once you are able to finally get your hand to hover over the option you must then swipe your hand to the left across your body to select it. Not only does this not always work but often while you are swiping your hand moves up or down and you select the option above or below the option you are trying to chose. When trying to increase my age and weight I found it almost impossible to find the spot I needed to do so. Also the lettering and coloring used during this phase is not easy to read. Yellow is the primary color used and many times I had to get closer to the screen to read it, this was not due to eyesight but the light yellow against the light background. It would be great if in a future version they made the contract between the words and the background much more noticeable so the words stand out. In the case with my daughters information we simply had to give up as we could not find the spot to decrease her age no matter how hard we tried. My Recommended Changes: Please use contrasting colors wherever there is a need to read Please include an on screen indicator of where your hand is during the selection process, so that you can easily select the correct option Please change from a swiping action to a hover action These are minor changes that we feel are needed to improve the enjoyment of the game overall. These actions don't really have anything to do with the game play or intensity of the work out however they can become very frustrating before you even start and can cause a person to give up before they start. Despite these few changes my overall impression of the game is good. I feel the workout I can receive is excellent, at least in the shape I am currently in, and plan on utilizing this on a weekly basis to have fun while being active.	video-games_xbox
Multi-player sidescroller fun. Solid side scroller video game, can play up to 4 people. Its an arcade game, in true spirit of arcade fun. If looking for depth, move along. Want split second action with multiplayer fun, this is a great buy. 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
A Quality System. This is a quality system. I have all 3 next-gen consoles and I find them to be very equal. They all have their pros and cons. Here are the pros and cons for the xbox followed by a list of quality titles with brief descriptions: PROS: -Best Graphics out of all 3 consoles -Its streamlined online interface known as Xbox Live, which makes it easy to communicate with friends, arrange games, and download new content. -Fun multiplayer action -If a game comes out for all 3 consoles, it's graphics will probably be best on this system -4 controller ports -Can hook up to 3 other xboxs, which I have done, for a fun multiplayer showdown. -DVD playability CONS: -Xbox Live costs money -Very big and heavy -Occasional game freezings and disc read errors -The original controller is very large Games you should buy for xbox: Halo - THE killer app for xbox. Anyone who knows anything about video games knows this is a great game. It recently became ported to PC but it was sloppy and it ran slower. Very fun multiplayer. Splinter Cell (available on other consoles as well) - A great and fun stealth action game. Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow (available on other consoles): The sequel to Splinter Cell. This game revolutionized multiplayer gaming with it's take on multiplayer stealth gaming. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Also on PC): A very fun Star Wars roleplaying game. The story is very well written and the voice acting is top notch. Project Gotham Racing 2: I actually haven't gotten to play this yet, but some call it the definitive racing game. It is supposed to be very fun online. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (All other consoles): A very fun action game based on the Prince of Persia franchise where you can turn back time. Although not a platform game it contains many platform elements. Ninja Gaiden: I have not played this game either but my friend said it was "amazing". This is another fun ninja-based action game based on the NES classic. Panzer Dragoon Orta: A sequel to the Saturn Panzer Dragoon franchise where you ride around on a Dragon. Games to look forward too: Halo 2: This game is recieving its fair share of hype and i can see why. The 2003 E3 demo left many awestruck, and I have no doubt that this will be a groundbreaking game. The story takes place in the future when the Covenant Armada (an alien race) invades Earth. Fable: An RPG brought to you by the gaming guru Peter Molyneux (Black & White, Dungeon Keeper) where you take on the role of some guy in a fantasy world where your character will age and can become either good or evil. Looking good. Advent Rising: Following a very complex story, GlyphX games puts you in the role of Gideon where you fight off an alien race secretely hell bent on world domination. It is shaping up very nicely and I'm sure it will be a hit. If you had to choose between one of the 3 systems to buy, I'd say they're all pretty equal. I would base your decision on which pros and cons you care more about.	video-games_xbox
Major disappointment in the multiplayer. With the former Halo development studio (Bungie) moving to a brand new project, there was a lot of hype about Destiny, but they absolutely botched the multi-player aspect of this game, which is what many people were excited about. I'll cut to the chase - you have to invest a significant amount of time to level up in the game and get more advanced weapons - which is nothing new in video games. However, they made the terrible decision to allow players to bring their far more powerful weapons into the multi-player vs. the standard weapons that most games use. There is no level playing field, so you will be killed easily and constantly by dorks who do nothing other than play Destiny all day. The adage of bringing a knife to a gunfight is the best thing I can say here. There is absolutely no balance in the design of this game, from the multiplayer aspect. It's far to easy for players to get killed and many of the levels are too small for a ten player match when most of the players have all these exotic, powerful weapons. I've invested hours in this game and have reached level 23 and still am not even close to being able to purchase the types of advanced weapons that people in the multiplayer have. You will be thrown into matches where everyone is at least a level 30 and what this means is that your experience in multiplayer Destiny is to spawn, run about ten steps and then be killed instantly before you even know what happened. Respawn, repeat. FUN!!! It's telling that when I join online matches that it tends to be mostly players around level 30 any myself or maybe one other person below that - many people have given up trying to play this game anymore because it's just not an enjoyable experience. Attempting to play the multiplayer matches reminds me of a movie trailer for one of those terrible "Transformers" movies. There are split seconds of fast things running around, and flashes and loud noises, but you have no idea what the hell is happening. That's what multiplayer is here. You have no idea what killed you, or why when you shoot another player a few times they are fine but if a level 30 guys looks at you sideways you are killed in a split second as soon as you round a corner...but you can enjoy the pretty flashes of exotic weapons someone else used on you when you wait to respawn! The single player missions are ok, but are not breaking any new ground. It's a beautiful game in terms of the graphics, but just seems kind of soulless. Peter Dinklage from "Game of Thrones" does some of the voice work, but they synthesize his voice to the point that they might as well have hired anyone. With the multiplayer so frustrating, it's difficult to feel overly positive about this game, especially with the reputation that Bungie had and all the hype and marketing around the game. Playing multiplayer Halo was a lot of fun. Playing multiplayer Destiny is just frustrating. Sorry Bungie, but if you want me to fork out my money for Destiny 2 or your next project, you will need to design a game that is fun to play for people who have a job or other things to do occasionally. If you are going to tailor your games only to people with countless free time, good luck recouping your multi-million dollar development costs and marketing campaign.	video-games_xbox
Not for the fragile. The game is the sequal to fatal frame 1, yet you do not need to play it to understand what is going on. Crimson Butterfly is a different story that takes a different approach than the first. The game is about twin girls, Mio and Mayu. When they were little Mayu fell down a steep hill in the woods. She was trying to keep up with Mio and tripped. Now she is crippled. This can be a little annoying sometimes. You are Mio, your sister Mayu follows you during parts of the game, she can't keep up with you if you go to fast. Although the game is a little scary so you might not want to go fast anyways... The game begins with Mio and Mayu in the woods. Mayu sees a crimson butterfly and follows it. When Mio notices she goes after her. As she passes some strange stones everything goes in black and white. She chases her sister only to have a strange vision type thing and Mayu disappears. You will notice that she does that a lot Mio follows a path to the "lost village" that was said to have disappeared after a strange ceremony. Now you have to figure out how to get you and your sister out. There are a few problems of course... One you don't really know where you are There are violent ghosts or spirits all over the place and your sister, Mayu, seems to be slowly going insane During the game you will find the camera obscura with it you can take pictures of ghosts this is how you fight in this game They got the whole idea of the camera fighing from a story in japan. There was a girl that was scared because she kept seeing ghosts. Her dad told her to take pictures of them to get them to go away. So she did, and there was actual ghosts in the pictures. After the girl would take a picture the ghost would go away. So they believed that they could capture them in the picture. Anyways you have to use the camera to get the ghosts. Its unique I like it. I thought the game was great. I had to play it everyday until i beat it. I wouldnt suggest playing it alone in the dark though. It was kind of sad that I started to like when my sister, Mayu, was around since I wasn't alone. She just tended to become a little creepy after awhile... Be prepared for some gruesome settings, ghosts that are scary as hell, and a crazy story.	video-games_xbox
I'm glad I waited a year and got this limited edition . I purchased this Xbox 1 bundle a few weeks ago and what can I say...I'm impressed. I'm glad I waited a year and got this limited edition bundle. The matte black and gray color scheme and sentinel task force emblems on the console and controller look fantastic. The brass trim on the disk drive is a nice touch too. The Cod AW sound effects when you power up the system or insert/ eject a disk are Ok but nothing to brag about. All of the connection inputs/ outputs are located at the rear of the console with the exception of a USB port for connecting an external hard drive located on the side of the console near the disk drive tray. The console is slightly larger and heavier that the Xbox 360. No big deal. It has large cooling vents on the top, rear and sides. Im hoping this will eliminate the overheating problems the XB 360 had. The built in hard drive is 1 terabyte in size although its actually around 780 GB with all of software pre-installed. The fact that the games now have to be installed before you can play them justifies having a hard drive this size. The games can range anywhere from 20 to 50 GB each. Once you power up the console, it starts up very quickly and takes you to the login/ home screen right away. I was told that this occurs by default on the normal power up setting. There is apparently an energy saving feature that you can activate instead but the system startup will be slower. I haven't tried this setting out yet. You'll know you're on the normal power setting because the AC power brick's cooling fan and white LED light will stay on even after you turn off the console. (Yes, thats right. The AC power brick has a cooling fan.) On the energy saving setting, the fan is off and the LED light is amber. In addition, you'll notice how quiet the consoles cooling fan is compared to the XB 360. You can barely hear the thing. The home screen/ Xbox live menu is different from what the XB 360 has in that this one closely resembles Windows 8. Im familiar with Windows 8 but this one still took some getting used too after having used the XB 360s for some time. There are quite a number of apps that are available as well as various settings for user profiles and the system. Some are easier to find than others. With the XB1 you can have several tasks on simultaneously and switch back and forth between them without completely exiting either one of them. In other words, while playing a game you can press the home button and then go view broadcasts on the Twitch app or watch a movie and then go back to the game. I don't have my DVR connected to this so I cant comment on the XB1s operation and functionality with this setup. Call of Duty AW is a welcomed change of scenery in the Call of Duty franchise. Though it doesnt break new ground its something different for COD. It doesnt feel as redundant as the previous games. If you're a fan of its predecessors, its safe to say youll probably enjoy this installment. If you're new to COD, its a great introduction. The new futuristic weapons and abilities are fantastic and the single player campaign has an interesting story and cast of characters. I don't have much experience on multiplayer, but its about as chaotic and fast-paced as in the previous games. FYI. The COD AW game is download only and its a huge file. Depending on your network speed it will take several hours to install. (It took about 6 hours for me.) This bundle includes the Digital Content card that has the code to download the game as well as the codes for other limited edition items for the multiplayer game. This bundle pack is definitely one that I recommend. If you can justify the expense, the limited edition design, 1 TB hard drive and COD AW game make it worthwhile. It truly stands out from the rest. The XB1 is a feature rich and state of the art console that will be around for years to come.	video-games_xbox
Balanced to death and has design issues. Well call me crazy but I thought this game was going to be good, well until I played it that is. My first impressions were of disappointment of the wanting of a different style of game play for the single player. It tries to pull off the original star wars battlefront thing and doesn't do it very good. There is a story but it is slightly ruined by the game play which could have been better. Though the game does bring some new aspects which are pretty good and which I wouldn't mind seeing in a another game, just not a sequel of this one. First you have burn in which pretty much works by dropping you from an extremely high altitude and have you impact onto the ground and this is about the high point of the game. Another new thing is that when you run for long enough, which is done by holding down the left Joystick you enter a super fast run, which if you run into something (note this would have been a good time to add a damage thing to the game where you could take someone out by running into them at high speeds or at least deal some heavy damage to the person but they decided not to do something awesome) it gives off a good bump, making you feel like you had some good velocity. This helps you cross vast distances pretty fast and lets you get to the action faster which is good, but there is a problem. This problem is stopping, the mechanic is clumsy and annoying at close distances which kills the running mechanic and you will find that you will sometimes stop short or over shoot what you wanted making killing your opponent all the more difficult. Multiplayer is half way suck. What does that mean well basically it is good in a sense but pretty much sucks. You see balance is about finding a state of co-existence of all the parts which if done correctly makes a game fun and a person's life great. If done in the sense of Section 8 it will just frankly suck. What the developers failed to get or maybe it was South Peaks intervention who knows, is that making everything the same literally is not fun. I expect a sniper to have some kick to it, a shotgun to well not suck as this one did. It is the future and the shotgun has a slow shooting time and piss poor impact. That's right they screwed up the shotgun. The assault rifle good at close range and performs just like every other weapon, and then you have the machine gun which is a good weapon for it dishes out bullets fast. If only the game didn't screw up aiming. This is one of the few if not only occasions I have had to turn up the sensitivity to be able to aim well from the default setting. The game play for multiplayer is well passable and bland, which is kind of sad considering that it appears to be the main selling point. That's right; the games main selling point which is made obvious by the fact that multiplayer goes first in the manual, which to the games credit is pretty good, and in the game menu. The game uses a system where you can tweak your abilities called passive modules. The problem is they balanced these to death. Where they could have made a very unique experience they come out being, well bland. They make some difference in the game, but that is to be expected or it would eliminate the whole point of them. The game uses and boast a buy system where you can drop turrets, sensors, vehicles and supply stations anywhere there isn't anti air when you have accumulated enough money (should have used tactical command points or something else as money on a future battlefield where you are not a merc just seems rather ridiculous and unrealistic). The good news is that you can actually get enough money to drop things and again Mr. Balancing comes in to kill the fun. Anti Personal turrets shoot to slow and don't make a much of a difference in small numbers but in larger numbers I have seen them hold checkpoints. They can't pierce your armor very faster or shields which is good but come on with that slow a reaction time and damage rate for future crap none the less is unfun. Sure they aren't over strong but now they are under achieving, same goes for the Rocket turrets. I was dancing around those things taking my time to take them out which was easy to do even at point blank range. They don't have killing power or staying power. Though what I finally found to be enough was when a tank which is the most expencive thing you can buy mind you, shield was taken out in literally seconds by a rifle. The tank drover poorly, but it had one hell of a killing potential. If you can get four people in that thing it would be unstoppable even if it is one of the worst driving experiences I ever had. Seriously that thing is a pain in the arse to turn. The walker unit was weak and crap. I opened fire on some people with it and you would think it would have given me the upper hand but no, It would have been more pointful if I would have just used a pistol which in this game has one hell of a lot of killing power. This is kind of funny considering that the shotgun sucks. The only thing the walker is good for is extra health. It was balanced to pointlessness. In the end the game is over balanced and has major design issues, but there is some fun to be had. Okay I personally don't care much for the game as I kept uttering this game is crap but if you have friends and they will play with you can have some fun with this, but for 60 dollars it is overpriced for what it delivers. Find a good deal on it or buy it used. And who knows maybe they will patch the game and make it fun. That is my opinion. I give the game a 3 out of 5. [...]	video-games_xbox
We are people who like playing for fun. Ok I normally don't write reviews but I got on here and I was confused by the lower than expected rating for this game. My whole family LOVES this game, though I am a girl with a household of boys. Does the game have issues? Yes. And from what I can see, those issues are BIG to the hard-core gamers. We are not hard-core. We are people who like playing for fun. Together. I will list my family's opinions on this game so you get a wide range of ages and what appeals to them and what doesn't. I will start with me: 34 year old female- I really enjoy playing the story and missions as long as I am playing with someone else in my household. I don't enjoy the game as much when playing alone. I have played over 300 hours since release. This game is VERY repetitive and I do wish they had new missions and maybe really unique missions like kill 3 enemies at once with a grenade or kill someone while on your sparrow. Just a little more difference. But when I am playing with someone I don't too much care about that. It's just fun to play together especially strikes. The younger people in the household are hilarious when they play. Like yelling at the tv when certain things happen. I will admit to watching them play even when I am not playing. We have 3 tvs in our livingroom so there are at least 2 of them being used for gaming pretty much all the time. Overall the game is fun as long as you are playing to have fun. If you are really serious about your gaming then maybe you should find something else to do because this game is too fun for you. 38 year old male- I think the game is amazing. Probably the best game since Skyrim. The multi-player part is fun. It needs to be more fair that playstation has more to offer than xbox. Needs more variation and missions. It would be awesome if there was more mystery to what is coming up like maybe different enemies or more/less enemies when doing missions. Like instead of knowing what is coming up. Needs more multi-player things to do also other than PvP (crucible). Also wish you could turn OFF matchmaking and try playing strikes solo or with just one friend. The maps and graphics are awesome. Matchmaking should match according to stats- like if you go through and have the most kills they should match you to other people who usually have the most kills so its more even. 22 year old male- Awesome game. It's addicting. Dislikes: Loading screens, stupid people, not being able to boot people who aren't helping, engrams are almost always shards, doing the best and other people not doing much but then they get the better rewards. Likes: Variety of weapons, Raids, multi-player, layout of the maps, elemental damage. 11 year old male- Dislikes: Loading screens, unhelpful people. Likes: Crucible, playing with other people, everything really. It's super fun. 8 year old male- Dislikes: when I get in trouble and am not allowed to play, or when low level people kill me in the crucible. Likes: I love everything about it. So basically younger people don't care about any technical things that may be wrong with it, they just think it is fun. If you are a hard-core gamer- I think this is not the game for you. I hear there is a new COD out you might wanna try ;) But if you like just playing for fun with people you know- then you will love this game. Even if there are things you don't particularly care for or that may irk you a little- you will still play this game.	video-games_xbox
One of the best games of summer '13 You never played. Brothers is one of the best story driven games in the last 10 years it's so perfect in every way but, very few gamers even know of it It was released during The Games of Summer Promotions a few years back Got massive high scores with all/every critic but, most gamers avoided this little Arcade title which is truly a shame and very telling how consumerism works It's Not COD, Battlefield or Destiny so avoid it like Bill Cosby in a sex anonymous meeting! I'm shocked it even got a second chance with a remastering it deserves it and even a physical disc copy at retailers Don't be fooled this ain't no $1.99 IOS Indie game This is a Triple A Arcade title There is a massive difference between Indies and Arcade titles It's a strong story driven game with heart and soul 505 Games did a stand up job making this game all the detail and quality If you like real games with lots of depth to them Brothers is for you It's this odd Legend of Zelda Homage the more you play it the more you'll see different things The Controls: Are odd at first once you get the hang of how you must play the game it's not bad at all you control both brothers there's a patterns and movement do different things If you do like this title go out of your way to play Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams and Contrast (Two other titles that got lost in the shuffle on the 360 but, were re-released in HD at 60fps on Next Gen Hardware) Brothers gets a solid 9.4/10 It also has 1000 achievements unlike the 360 version that only has 400 My Microsoft Gamer Tag since I've been called out as a shill for various companies really?!?!?! Duckman 1979 UPDATE: 12-6-2015 Finally got around to playing this version on XBOne I still stand by this title for everything i said during the original review It's a stand out tile graphically it looks stunning the original 360 version looked really good This version looks 5x better The controls playing mechanics are a bit rough at first (This will turn some gamers off quick) It'll take a good 15-20 minutes to grasp the gameplay but, once you get the hang of it it does become second nature also this version (XBOne) has bonus content Art Gallery, Sound Gallery, and Director's Commentary walk through (which is pretty cool) Not nearly enough studios do this Valve is known for doing this it's a cool extra It's a solid story driven game but, i can see people getting mad with the controls if they don't put a little time in with it	video-games_xbox
Having X-Files withdrawals? Alan Wake just might be the Remedy. Your running through the forest, barely able to see, tripping over yourself trying to escape. You can hear them nearby, taunting you in the distance. Suddenly out of nowhere, a dark figure bursts out of the trees beside you. You point your flashlight at him, watching him dissolve into the night. But now theres more of them, circling you as they close in for the kill. You see a light in the distance, and dash for it, knowing it's your only hope. Diving into it's protective ray, your pursuers fall back, as you finally stop to catch your breath. But then you see it, on the ground before you, waiting to be read. It's another page of the manuscript. The one you can't remember writing. The one who's words are coming to life around you in a horrifying reality. You are Alan Wake, trapped in a story of your own making. And this is no fairy tale. I'm a huge fan of classic shows like The X Files and Twilight Zone. There was just something about the supernatural mysteries, the horror of what could be, and the questions left open in the end that really struck a chord with me. Alan Wake follows in this tradition, mixing the mundane realities of it's characters with a story literally ripped from the pages of a horror novel. It also manages this without having to result to a completely serious tone, leaving room for some much needed laughs. The developer, Remedy, had a great idea for this game. It's a pity it doesn't all pan out in the end. Story The eponymous protagonist, Alan Wake, is a famous horror novelist suffering from a serious case of writers block. He hasn't written a word for the last two years. But famous authors don't just get to retire, move to a secluded island, and live out the rest of there days in peace. People want more. His fans want more, his agent want more, he himself wants more, but he just can't get himself to write. He's just about had enough of the poking and prodding, of the questions on how his next book is coming, when he and his wife Alice decide to take a trip to the quiet little town of Bright Falls. But just about as soon as they arrive things begin to go horribly, horribly wrong. Alan wakes up in a crashed car, a week of his life completely absent from his memory. Alice has been kidnapped, he's is having hallucinations, and he's finding pages to a manuscript he doesn't remember writing. The world is turning upside down, and the pages seems to be the only thing that have any answers. So he resolves to follow them down the rabbit hole, to save his wife, and find out the truth about a town that's anything but ordinary. The story in Alan Wake is one-hundred percent the driving force of the game, so it's a good thing it's actually pretty interesting. The setup is very clever, and presents a lot of questions you'll long to know the answer too. These answers, true to form, aren't always as incredible as you'd expect, and might leave you a bit disappointed, but I still found it unique and enjoyable. One thing I can give it credit for is that it doesn't take itself to seriously. A lot of horror games try (and usually fail) at accomplishing a completely serious tone, instead become a cheesy mess that is often unintentionally hilarious. But Alan Wake revels in this, devouring the cheese of the before mentioned shows, and coming back for seconds. There's plenty of ridiculous scenarios, be it a spontaneous rock concert, or any of great lines of your agent Barry, that help lighten the mood and make the game more enjoyable. This game could have potentially been one of my favorites, if it wasn't for the gameplay. Gameplay The game could best be described as a third person shooter, but it not a very good one. As your essentially battling the Darkness that has possessed the townsfolk, light plays a huge role in combat. You use your flashlight, flares, and flashbangs to lower what could be considered a shield, and then use whatever firearm you might be carrying to dispose of the now vulnerable enemy. Sounds good on paper, and I thought it would be, but the truth is it's just not very much fun. Trying to lower an enemy's shield requires you to boost your flashlight, that makes you zoom in and lose your peripheral vision. This means time and time again you'll be shining your light on one enemy, only to be attacked from behind by another. Also, trying to juggle which enemy is open and which isn't is very frustrating. The fact that headshot don't help at all, compiled with the extremely slow reload speed, and a very hit and miss dodge ability, means you'll spend most of your time trying to just avoid enemies. This really isn't possible though, as more seem to swarm you every couple minutes. With such frequent spawning, Alan Wake falls into the same trap as many horror games before it: there is no suspense building. The first time a hunter appears out of nowhere, ax held high, with nothing on it's mind but smashing in yours, it's truly scary. After that, the game resorts to basic jump scares. This all results in the combat become very dull by the end. This is my biggest problem with the game, and one that's hard to dismiss. Presentation It's impossible to say that Remedy hasn't crafted a beautiful game, when it's dark at least. The forest you'll spend most of your time in looks incredible, with some of the most impressive particle effects I've seen on 360. Like Remedy's previous game, Max Payne, there is ample slow motion and motion blur, which really helps create a chilling environment. It's not uncommon to have your eyes play tricks on you, confusing shadows for a stalker, or vice verses. It's a real shame that this mostly falls apart in the games few daytime levels. When you can see everything more clearly, the environments and characters look much less realistic, and sometimes downright bad. The blur effect that looks great at night makes it seem like your TV has a really bad ghosting problem, and I wish they would have just removed it from the daytime spots. Voice acting is really good for just about everyone, but there are one or two characters that were just off for some reason. It's not a big deal, but it does stand out. The sound design is also really good, but I grew tired of the "here's some monsters" sound that played so many times. What I absolutely loved, and is possibly my favorite part of the whole thing, was the songs that played between levels. The soundtrack is great, and I wish they would have included them in the actually game play segments. If Remedy does make a sequel, more music is at the top of my wish list. Verdict I've been looking forward to Alan Wake for a long time, and in the end I did enjoy it, but not nearly as much as I expected to. The story, the presentation, the characters all seemed like they fit together so well, but the gameplay just didn't do it for me. The repetitive enemy encounters and annoying combat mechanics left me feeling frustrated and wishing I was playing something else. In the end I'd recommend Alan Wake to those that like the type of story it tells. If you were never a fan of The X Files or Twin Peaks, it's probably safe to say you'll find little to like here as well. I'm interested to see what Remedy does with what will probably become a franchise, but if they can't change up the gameplay then it's unlikely I'll be returning to Bright Falls any time soon. Final Opinion: 6/10 Hit or Miss	video-games_xbox
Good buy. The following review is something I actually wrote and submitted for a PS3 system, but since I was comparing and contrasting the PS3 to the Xbox, I felt like it might be useful for potential Xbox consumers as well. the bottom line for the Xbox is that if it had a BluRay player, it would get 5 stars. I have been an Xbox user for years. The PS3 is a system that has always intrigued me, though. It is always louded as the higher level technology especially with the BluRay. It had integrated wi-fi before Xbox, and the online interactions don't cost money (you don't have to pay to play online). And so, for these reasons, I bought a PS3 250GB system. Here are my thoughts on it. Pros: As I've already mentioned, the PS3 is a BluRay player as well as game consol. You can watch movies and play games in 3D (which sometimes can make an okay game epic, or other times make you sick to your stomach - those with vertigo be warned). You can surf the internet right on your TV. And you can play online multiplayer games for no additional cost. Cons: Now, I want to point out the issues that I have. The aesthetics - even though your main home screen isn't exactly ugly, I don't feel like I was just warped into a game universe like I do when I turn on my Xbox. the menus on the PS3 are bland and unexciting. They are easy to use, but unexciting with their and 2D format. There is no "wow" factor there. Also, the PSN isn't anywhere near as socially friendly (that I can see) or interactive. So, even though online gameplay is free it can be cumbersome. There hasn't been an online game that I've tried on the PS3 yet that hasn't taken at least twice as long to log into the lobbies and the actual games themselves as the Xbox. The games seem to be glitchier on the PS3 than Xbox - e.x. Mass Effect 2: I've played ME2 more times than I can recall off the top of my head on the Xbox and I decided to see if there were any differences between the Xbox version and the PS3 version. I have noticed some differences. For one, the PS3 version can get glitchy - almost as if you are playing online and you are starting to time out or your internet connection is dieing out. The difficulty level on the PS3 also seems to be a bit more challenging (which is not necessarily a bad thing). To be honest, I haven't even enjoyed the games I have played on my PS3 enough to be motivated to finish them. Oh - and this is a big one for me - you can't just stick a game into your PS3 and start playing it. EVERY SINGLE GAME I have put into my PS3 has taken between 10 minutes and 4 hours to install game data onto your hard drive and then install that data onto your hard drive. And then if there have been updates to the game since it was released, then there is another 5 or 10 minutes of downloading and then waiting before you can play your game. With the Xbox, there are updates to the games, but I have never had to download and install game data directly from the game disc. Unless there has been an update pushed out for that game, I've always just popped the game in and started playing...3 minutes or less every time. And, I won't really talk about the different controller too much because that is just a matter of opinion - I do prefer the Xbox controller because the PS3 controller gives me left thumb cramps. But, that is probably just because I got accustomed to the Xbox controller first. They do make Xbox-style controllers for the PS3 but the reviews I've read on those are very mixed. Bottom Line: I bought myself a glorified BluRay player that has potential to be awesome, but has yet to "wow" me. The only reason I don't regret the purchase is because I am simply trying to decrease my overall long-term expenses with regard to gaming and free online play was one of a few things I am doing to do that. Plus, I have a BluRay player. If it wasn't for that financial fact or the the PS3's peripheral BluRay capability, I would not recommend this over an Xbox.	video-games_xbox
Better than it seems at first. I picked up this game because I'm a big fan of the first 3 games. That may have been part of the problem in why I know some fans- self included- didn't like it at first. I think the biggest thing that kept me from enjoying the game initially is that I felt the need to constantly compare the last series with this one. The fighting is different, the Prince is different, basically everything is different- and if you spend the game comparing the two- you won't enjoy the game. Some of the really big differences of course are that you don't have your time control powers and no collecting sands aka- no dagger of time. In this game instead you have a female companion (Elika) who helps you along your way in both fighting and reaching your goal or in case you fall instead of reversing time she will simply save you instead. Reaching your disired destination is another area in which the game differs so much. Whereas I felt a major part of the gameplay with the past Prince of Persia games was how linear they were (with the exception maybe of the second one which was a little more open) this game is open a lot more for exploration and you can pick to go through the game in however order you please. Whether or not this is a good thing again is really more personal taste. It was another feature of the game I found irritating at first but grew on me. A big problem was the change in graphics to cel shading and again it all comes down to personal taste. I didn't mind the graphics at all and felt it gave the game a very distictive feel from the other Prince of Persias. For the overall gameplay though I felt that in essence they stayed true to what Prince of Persia was- basically a gigantic jungle gym like puzzle based around a castle. I felt for this Prince they used different methods than some of the past games but like every Prince of Persia game I will give them credit for trying to change each of the four games each time so that the gameplay doesn't feel stale yet still doesn't isolate all of the fans of the prior games. That being said there were some changes with this game that were not as excusable to personal taste that really deterred from the game. The two most noticable were the fighting system and the controls. After playing all of the past games some of this prince's movements are very different. One thing that really bothered me at first was that while jumping from wall to wall the prince will add an extra little hop after he lands and propel himself further up the wall which throws you off A LOT -especially in the beginning because the original prince didn't do this- thus making you double jump sometimes and falling backwards or doing an unintentional wall bounce. The changes in the wall running could be said took some adjustments as well as the overall changes in buttons. The fighting style though was probably my least favorite part of the game. Whereas in the prior games you would expect to be surrounded by enemies and then fight them off, in this game you only fight one creature at a time- but the catch is that the fighting style is much less free flowing and much more forced. The enemy will enter into modes where you can only use sword attacks, only used gauntlet attacks, or use Elika's magic attacks. The problem being that although there are ways around it I felt the game tries to force you to block even when the blocking system kinda sucks. For anyone out there has played Shenmue- the blocking is like QTE. Really the fights get very repetitive and just really annoying. They are not hard really but can get very irritating. Overall I felt that the Prince of Persia games as a whole have all done a good job at keeping pretty true to the original gameplay but adding in new elements as the games progress and although this gameplay featured some very different elements than the last three it was mostly very enjoyable and some of the changes weren't as much of a change really as just a slightly different packaging to some of the old gameplay. My biggest advice would be to keep and open mind and get used to the gameplay before you decide to pass on this game.	video-games_xbox
Review from a Normal Player. I am not a die-hard Madden fan. Reason being they make stupid changes every year just for the sake of change and being able to release a new game every year. Specifically, kickoffs suck in this game. Sure, it only takes a couple of games to get good at them, but that doesn't mean the system is absolutely stupid and different again for the sake of being different. For reference, you hit "a" twice, first being power, second being accuracy, but the slider speed varies while doing it (the same each time so you learn how to time it perfectly). They should just go back to the hit the right stick down then up again. The graphics are actually NOT VERY GOOD. The crowd looks the same as it did in N64 days...with better resolution. 3D CROWDS WOULD BE NICE in 2011, don't you think? The AI is DUMB. As with all EA sports games, the difficulty levels are terrible. It can either be way too easy or too hard, no in between. The way it gets "hard" is your players get worse, ESPECIALLY at blocking ad catching... It can be quite frustrating. Changing player on defense is terribly done, if you do so it will only change to the player you think it will about 50% of the time, meaning when you change player mid-play you'll often screw up and give up extra yards. Also, the new kickoff and field goal views suck, but thankfully you can switch to the classic camera (which also seems to have better graphics) by hitting the right trigger. As many have said, the audio commentary is TERRIBLE. Worst quality of ANY game EVER made. Putting the coordinator commentary into your headset helps drone it out, and silence is boring, so there really isn't much you can do besides listen to the same INCORRECT and LONG comments they make all the time. This is the only football game on the market, so buy it if you have to (as I felt I needed to), but to be honest the NHL series has surpassed this in quality. Not that that series doesn't have it's flaws, but in terms of capturing the realism of the sport I feel it does a much better job. This game is mainly a $60 roster update. On modern systems I played Madden '06, '09, and now this -- and this is BY FAR the worst one. How does that make any sense, besides EA being greedy pigs? Honestly, don't support this game. It's a downgrade and at this point they don't need a new game every year, just a FREE ROSTER UPDATE and MAYBE a new game every two years. Stop supporting this BS annual release schedule and paying $60 for new rosters. That's the only way the crap will stop!	video-games_xbox
Worth the price! Beautiful Mitsubishi 2000 Eclipses. I bought this game because I thought it looked neat, a concept I haven't seen in a racing game. Creating your own car company and manufacturing your own cars to race. The basic plot of the game is to build cars and race them to gain exposure to sale as many as you can. This is called the Dream Mode. When you sale a certain amount of cars it unlocks the right to create other cars and expand your business. You start off with a roadster car, and work your way up to creating a sportscar, super sportscar and eventually a dreamcar. The only catch with the creating aspect of the game is that you don't really create, you just choose a design you like and some guy that works for you in the game builds it for you. Also, your company grows as the game progresses. Your office gets bigger, you hire more people to help out, and of course your garage gets bigger and better. As you progress through the game you also unlock licensed vehicles as well as concept vehicles you can race in single race and two-player mode. Not many games allow you to race third generation Mitsubishi Eclipses. However this game has the 2000 Eclipse in the RS, GT, and GT racing models. The racing Eclipses are very nicely designed, and armed to the teeth! A big positive for me was the actual racing of the game. The cars always stay together through the entire race, instead of spreading out, which makes the entire race a battle to the end. It is very easy to lose the lead, but also very easy to regain the lead. You always feel like it is a close race every time, but a race you always have a chance to win. I hate those frustrating racing games that make you run a perfect race to win, this game is not like that. Although I was a bit disappointed with not being able to have more "hands on" with designing of the cars, and only being able to race the Eclipses in the single race and two-player mode, it was still a neat concept and fun to play. I think this game is definately an under-rated game.	video-games_xbox
ArcaniA: Gothic IV - An Epic and Fun Role-Playing Game. ArcaniA: Gothic IV is the newest entry in the Gothic franchise, however unlike previous entries in the franchise, this one wasn't developed by Piranha Bytes, it was developed by franchise newcomers Spellbound. Many have written this game off because it's different, because it's not developed by Piranha Bytes, or many other various reasons, and while I don't agree with that, they do have a point, though. However, I must admit that I enjoyed ArcaniA: Gothic IV from beginning to end. After being disappointed by Gothic III, especially after the amazing titles that were Gothic and Gothic II, ArcaniA: Gothic IV gave me a bit of hope for the future of the franchise. Than again, that future looks quite cloudy with JoWooD's recent financial mess. I was never a big fan of JoWooD, though I do like both Piranha Bytes and Spellbound. Ok, so what did I think of ArcaniA: Gothic IV? Positives: - Very Strong Gameplay - The combat is very well done, with a variety of nice weapons, evasive moves like rolling away from enemy attacks, etc. - Graphics - ArcaniA: Gothic IV is a pretty game, especially the environments. Some things look a bit off, but most of it is a treat to the eyes. There's some great looking foliage here. - Story - While generic, I found the fantasy story to be pretty enjoyable. Some chracters are pretty funny, as well. - The Perfect Length - I'd say that ArcaniA: Gothic IV took me about 25 hours to complete. While not long for an RPG, I found it to be a good thing since it seems to have ended at the right time. Negatives: - About 20 Frames Per Second - The framerate in ArcaniA: Gothic IV isn't great. I wouldn't put it on par with something as bad as the first Two Worlds, but it's not good. - Character Models And Animations - The one downer in the presentation would be the poor character models and how they animate when you talk to them. It's very stiff and rigid. - The Ending - Without spoiling it, I'll just say that the ending leaves a lot to be desired. - Voice Acting - A hit-or-miss affair, the voice acting can sometimes be decent, sometimes pretty funny, but often hilariously bad. Sure, ArcaniA: Gothic IV has a lot of faults, but it's pretty enjoyable throughout. I recommend giving it a go if you're a fan of RPG titles in general.	video-games_xbox
Armed, Dangerous, Hilarious. "Armed and Dangerous" is an immensely quirky and amusing game that fuses 3rd person action and uproarious comedy into one entertaining, if imperfect, package. The game casts you as Roman, a handkerchief-wearing bandit who is absorbed by the world's struggle against a tyrannical king when he would rather just steal expensive things. He is joined by a tea-fueled droid called "Q," a surly Scottish mole named Jonesy, and a blind seer named Rexus. The storyline itself isn't anything to write home about, but the characters are great. The cinematics are usually so funny that they're worth watching several times, and they even have a kind of claymation quality that feels entirely appropriate. Unfortunately, the gags do become generally less amusing as the game progresses, but not by a significant margin. Jonesy and "Q" are not characters restricted to the cinematics, though. They are featured prominently during gameplay as well. They provide support and covering fire for Roman, and Roman can even issue them a few basic orders, but the two often feel like set dressing that moves. They do not serve any strategic or tactical purpose, and even if they are killed in battle they magically reappear in the next mission. Even so, their inclusion is appreciated, as they banter and offer some pretty good one-liners, and occasionally do help out when things are rough. The game's action is visceral and entertaining - and as this one's an action title that's certainly saying something. Aiming is a snap on the Xbox version, and you'll never feel restricted by the controller response time. Shooters do not usually shine on console systems, but this one does. On top of that, "Armed and Dangerous" provides some of the most inventive, original, and downright satisfying weapons ever seen in a game of this type. Its tone allows for weapons that can literally launch sharks at your enemies (that then burst from the ground and snap up the unwary opposition), create small black holes, and even turn the entire world upside down for a few seconds at a time. Jet packs also come into play, and allow Roman to leap and glide through the air while causing all sorts of mayhem. The game's action is undermined a bit by its bland and repetitive mission objectives, though. Too often you will find yourself rescuing peasants or demolishing a set number of buildings. What's more, you'll find yourself gunning down the same dog-faced enemies over and over again, with few exceptions. While all of this is fun in small or medium-sized doses, lengthy sessions become very monotonous. To top it off, "Armed and Dangerous" just isn't very challenging. The so-called Flemming machinegun hardly ever runs out of ammunition, and enemies are of the run-and-gun variety. Only one of the game's missions ups the ante, and it goes too far in the other direction - it's downright frustrating. "Armed and Dangerous" provides some gorgeous terrain graphics, and its characters are likewise good-looking. There are clipping issues, but it's not something that detracts from the overall experience. Sound effects are likewise inspiring, and the voice talent assembled for the game is excellent as well. The score effectively conveys a comedic world that is a sort of interplanetary stand-in for rural England, and it provides a good, quirky backdrop to the action (though glitches can sometimes cause it to loop). All in all, "Armed and Dangerous" is quite satisfying. It has some serious flaws that keep it from achieving a classic status, but it's a good solid game that I recommend with few reservations. Cheers! Final Score: B	video-games_xbox
Not as good as gold. Being a fan of Grand Theft Auto 4. I had to get Rockstar's latest Western epic; Red Dead Redemption. Rockstar is known for their sand box games, in which they allow the players total freedom in deciding what part they play in the world. Be it villain or hero. So having played GTA4 and enjoying that, i had high expectations for RDR. I already figured out that i was going to play a GTA clone. What i didn't figure out until i played the game, is that the game has all the hallmarks of a rushed product. Being a GTA clone it was too much like a wild west GTA and not unique. The much hyped multiplayer was not worth the price of the game. (Editors note- I played the game after Rockstar patched the servers) In their build up till game launch, Rockstar hyped up the "Free Roam" mode as sort of a wild west MMORPG. Players could form posses, run around villages terrorizing people. Or they could bring justice to the land as lawman. This sounds great on paper, and one could imagine bands of criminals and lawman duking it out in a wild west setting. The problem is this is not what we got! Getting on to Free Roam mode. I was allowed to create a character and get a mount (it's kind of funny cause you start out with donkey lol). Some Modern warfare 2 elements are added to this game as you are allowed to pick titles, weapons, new mounts, and different characters as you advance in experience points. I soon found myself in the massive setting of RDR. It was just like the single player map only not as many NPC's or players others around. I looked around and noticed the ghost town atmosphere and wondered if their were any human players online with me. So i bring up my map and to my surprise their was TWO other human people in my free roam mode. Maybe it was just a fluke, so i tried to play free roam again and again several times in the next few days and every time i was put on a map with only FOUR other people at most. Is this what Rockstar promised us? A ghost town map...with fewer then 10 players maxed? This was not what was advertised. This was not the epic gun battles between warring posses that i expected to encounter. It was a big yet down. Sure, it can be fun playing it with your xbox live friends. And it would probably be best to have a group of friends in order to get the best out of Free Roam. But don't expect much in the way of player vs player posse fights. Im hoping when the Rockstar devs are online with their posse their will be a lot more activity in free roam as everyone wants to kill the Rockstars. Free Roam as it is, is just an polished up game lobby. Of course, that's if you can even get into Free Roam. Several times while trying to log on to free roam, my xbox failed to get a connection, so i was left at the loading screen for more then 10 minutes waiting to play. Most of the times i just give up. Rockstar doesn't have anyway for you to get out of the free roam loading screen. So you have to push the xbox button and reset the game by going to launchpad every time you are unable to load and don't want to wait 10 minutes just to get connected. I believe that i spent more times at the loading screen then actually playing free roam. Quick matches and the assorted gang matches are a little bit better then free roam and for the most part have more people. They usually begin with a shootout which honestly is the most fun part of the multiplayers. The matches range from Gold rush(by far the most fun), to shootout(deathmatch), to a sort of capture the flag only with gold bags. They can either be played as a gang or free for all. Now when i mentioned that RDR was a GTA clone i wasn't kidding. Killing enemies is as easy as pressing the right trigger and allowing yourself to autotarget. The same as it was on GTA's multiplayer. Yep that's right folks, no skill required! Just auto aim and fire. And unless you have a nice weapon, it takes like 5 hits to kill one guy. Your jaw will drop as you blast an opponent 6 times at point blank with a two barrel shotgun and yet he doesn't die, he doesn't even flitched! I had no idea unarmored Cowboys could withstand five shots with a shotgun at close range. The matches pretty much come down to who has the best cover and who has the best weapons. Nothing more. It gets boring after awhile. Though i do like the fact you can call your horse at anytime though. If their is someway to play a game without autotargeting i would like to know! By far the best part of RDR is the single player. Rockstar always had a knack for clever story written and character development and this game doesn't disappoint. You play as John Marston and are tasked with finding an old friend of yours who you use to run with in a gang. Your search will take you all over the west and you will have to work for some interesting characters along the way. The deadeye is probably the coolest aspect of the game. In which you can slow down the pace of the game like a matrix bullet time and place well aim shots at various target(s). And dam will you need it, cause this game is tough! Besides the story, their are a nice assortment of mini games (Poker, horseshoes, five finger) and side quest (such as hunting) to occupy your time. You can become an outlaw of sorts, and at times you will accidentally become a outlaw if you pull a gun out on a citizen (watch out what button you press) but just like GTA you can always evade authorities or pay a bribe. So pretty much it's a fun game. Buy it for the single player if anything else. But if you want a fun mulitplayer experience you're better off with games like MW2 and Battlefield bad company 2 or Steam's Lead and Gold. A shame being that this one of the few wild west games out there.	video-games_xbox
Good Game, Could be Great With Just a Few Changes. The Division is a game that is definitely a work in progress. It's been out for several weeks now, and I still find myself playing it nearly every night...which tells me it's a good game. However, at the same time, almost nightly I find myself discussing with my friends what we think could be changed to improve the game. The core issue with the game seems to stem from the fact that it's almost two games in one. The player versus environment (PvE) section is completely separate from the player vs player (PvP) section. This wouldn't be such a bad thing, other than the fact that the PvE section is basically devoid of anything to do once you've beaten the main story line of the game. Sure, there are daily missions that the game wants you to play, but these are the same missions that you've already played through, just with more difficult enemies. If you want to collect loot and get gear, you need to venture into the Dark Zone, which is the PvP section of the game. This wouldn't be such a bad thing, other than the fact that there are groups of high level Rogue Agents that will come, kill you in a few shots, and then take everything you've collected. My main issue with the game design like this is just one thing: when you get killed by another player in the Dark Zone, you LOSE experience. This means that if I am just going about my business killing NPC characters, and all of the sudden four Rogue Agents descend on me, not only am I going to die and lose the gear that I have collected, but I'm also going to lose experience, cash, and keys which are used for unlocking chests. I understand the reasoning behind having an experience penalty if you're killed by the NPCs, or if you're killed while YOU are a Rogue Agent, but when you are killed BY Rogue Agents I have a hard time feeling that losing experience, cash, and keys is really fair at all. The amount of experience that I lose at my level equates to me needing to kill approximately 20 more NPCs before I get back to where I was before I was killed. I still believe that the mechanics of the game are very fun, and the idea behind the Dark Zone is a good one. I just feel that some tweaks could be made to ultimately improve the experience for everyone. Hopefully as more and more content is released, some of these issues become non-issues. In the mean time, I will probably continue playing nearly every night!!	video-games_xbox
Don't be scared off by the "running out of time" motif; this game can be completed anxiety-free. I hated the original FF XIII. It was a glorified hallway simulator with an incomprehensible plot (wtf are Fal'cie and L'cie and C'ieth etc etc). I forced myself to finish it purely because I've finished every FF game and I didn't want to break the combo. Conversely, I really enjoyed FF XIII-2. That game featured an open world with amazing freedom to move between areas. It was liberating knowing that if I wanted to retry an area, I could literally reset time in that area and try that area again without losing any of my items or stats. There was never any pressure to get things done correctly the first time around, and I LOVED it. So when I heard about the "time is running out" mechanics of Lightning Returns, I instantly hated the idea. Why produce a beautiful world with interesting characters and side stories, but then make the player feel like they don't have time to experience them? I waited until I found Lightning Returns in the bargain bin and fully expected to hate it. But instead, I loved it. I've beat it twice now and I likely will come back and beat it again in the future. First off, let's just be clear: I promise that you can fully complete every side-quest in the game in a single playthrough without running out of time as long as you utilize your "Chronostasis" skill regularly -- basically, you can temporarily stop time at the cost of "EP" (magic points). Game time is also paused any time you're in the menu or looking at the map so you can take as much time as you want to plot out your course. And believe me, there is virtually no limit to your freedom; after you finish the intro/tutorial sequence, the entire world is instantly opened up. You can go anywhere in the game right from the start, explore every area as you see fit, and even complete the major story arcs in any order you want, The world is your oyster. This game has very enjoyable fighting mechanics and an excellent skill system. There are literally dozens of skills and none of them are "better" than any other skill. They all have use cases, such as exploiting enemy weaknesses or doing a lot of damage in a short amount of time. You can equip up to 12 on your character at a time and they can be combo'd together during fights seamlessly. Cast deshell, throw a couple fireballs, then cast deprotect, then smash'em with your giant axe in one combo. Ruthless. The "stagger" mechanics add a nice strategy element that keep the fights from being too monotonous. Like the previous games, the story is still a bit contrived and silly, but it's significantly better than the original FF XIII. Lightning is, unfortunately, still a dull and emotionless character. However, despite being the main protagonist, she doesn't actually talk that much. She's surrounded by characters who are vibrant and interesting (if sometimes annoying), so if you just ignore Lightning herself you can still enjoy the atmosphere. I could go on, but let me just end this review with a quick summary: if you like FF RPGs but have been hesitating because of the time pressure thing like I did, please rest assured that it really isn't a big deal. The fights are strategic, the story is decent, and the open world starkly contrasts the bland hallway dungeons in the original FF XIII. This game is solid.	video-games_xbox
Good Game Not Without Fault. I wouldn't say that this is a bad game by any means. It's a little rough around the edges and has its oddities. I'll start off with the battle system: The battle system is the main selling point of this game. The main issue that I had with the first XIII game is that you're constantly pressing A while fumbling around menus. That's been fixed. Your battle actions are now hotkeyed to four buttons. There's a feeling of having more control over the real-time aspect of battles. There's also an added defense/guard mechanic. Guarding attacks and timing them correctly is very crucial, esp. in boss fights. If you Guard at the right time, you'll drastically lower damage taken or fully nullify it. If you guard too late, the damage reduction isn't as great. Remember Paradigms? That's been replaced with Schemas. Your Schematic includes 3 variations of Lightning (in different costumes) and you can customize them to your hearts content. You can even adjust the colors. Personally, I found that the magic/phys tank, melee, and mage Schemata combo worked the best. Switching between each Schema is instant, therefore makes it possible to combo more (esp. with moves such as Launch). You are also forced to switch b/t each Schema because you have to regenerate ATB (your stamina meter that lets you attack/defend until it runs out). A minor complaint about the system is that l wished Lightning's movement during battle could be faster.. although there's an Evade option. It can make it somewhat difficult to position yourself from an enemy such as the Earth Eater (pain). There's a decent sized learning curve, especially if you're unfamiliar with XIII/XIII-2 FYI: If you start on Normal mode (aka Hard mode), you have to rely on stagger a lot. Stagger pretty much is a guard break / stun and your damage output multiplies. There is no skill tree because you acquire skills by enemy drops and by the garb you wear. Japanese Audio DLC: Yes, this is available as DLC so you can have the audio in Japanese. Minor gripe is that not all of the English subtitles are accurate to what they're saying sometimes. This is probably due to the subtitles being from the English VAs. I'm still kinda amazed at how Square Enix managed to get VAs for nearly every NPC. The voice acting is pretty top notch. Now, let's go to some negatives I have: Questing and Canvas of Prayers / Side Quests: I haven't played XIII-2, but compared with XIII, this requires A LOT of talking to NPCs and acquiring items from battling monsters and/or mingling with yet another NPC. Doing any quest will increase some or all of Lightning's stats. I did not enjoy the first hour of the game after the tutorial because it relied heavily on NPC interaction. Also, Hope ringing in your ear every second early on drove me nuts. Graphical Inconsistencies: The graphics are one of the strongest points and the weakest points of this game. In-game cinematics look great considering LR as a last gen game. However, after talking to the NPCs for a bit, you start to notice that everyone, except you and your good ol' buddies, don't have the same detailed touches done. So NPCs end up looking kinda bland, low res, and somewhat uninteresting.. while Lightning and party look way more detailed and sophisticated. You will definitely see the difference in quality as soon as you enter Luxerion. Also, some environmental textures have certain areas don't look that great. You'd expect something a bit better from Square Enix, but it could just be due to system requirements. Recycled Bits and Pieces: One of my major gripes about this game is that a lot of monsters have been copy and pasted from the old XIII / XIII-2 games. They're exactly the same monster. I'm not sure if this is a trend with XIII and XIII-2, but I wished that they could give us more variety and newer content. One of my favorite things about any new FF game are the monster designs. Story: I don't believe that you have to play XIII/XIII-2 to fully enjoy this game. When you're reunited w/ your old buddies, they might show a pre-rendered cinematic from XIII/XIII-2 so you can see their past history. You might get confused with terminology such as l'Cies, fal'Cies, Cie'ths, and whatnot, but those aren't really that important in this game. However, LR likes to use God and terms with a lot of religious overtones a lot. For those who like lore, you can just read Datalog content. I wouldn't say that LR has that great of a story, but favorite characters of mine (such as Oerba Yun Fang and Sazh) kept me interested. 13 Day Time Limit and Time-Scamming: So one of the limitations that LR immediately places unto you is the fact that you have 13 days to do all the main quests. If you don't, then it's game over. Start a new game. A lot of people make a big deal out of it, but I felt like 13 days was a generous amount. If you're low on time, you can simply abuse Chronostasis. A single use of Chronostasis seems to give you an extra hour of time during the day. It requires 1 EP (energy point), which can be regained by fighting monsters. So on a normal day, you can gain 10+ hours to get everything done. It really defeats the whole purpose of the time limit once you manage to rack in constant EP.	video-games_xbox
Game Of The Year. This game had a lot of hype to live up to, but it has not only lived up to those expectations, it has greatly surpassed them. This game has set the bar for the gaming industry so much higher. One of the most common things you hear about the game is the size of the city. It is smaller then San Andreas, but it feels twice as big. The city is so detailed that you are always finding something new. Every street, building, and person is different. The new social life aspect that you would expect to find in games like The Sims is amazing. I am sure many hardcore gamers will overlook this aspect and just stick with the missions, but this feature adds hours & hours of game play. I hear the number 100 hours of game play tossed around, but I am sure it can easily get more use than that. That is the wonderful thing about the GTA series, the ability to sidetrack from the main missions, but still feel as if you are in the story. There is a reason this game has gotten 10 out of 10's on almost every game review website, because to date, this is easily the best game title out there. Others try to compare it to games like Halo and Metal Gear Solid, but fact of the matter is that the GTA series is in a league of it's own! This isn't to say it is bug free though. The game can suffer awkward camera angles, visible texture loading, and controls that have a fairly steep learning curve (can be changed to classic). With that in mind though, all of the other great things make up for it, still surpassing every other game out there. I have to give Grand Theft Auto 4 a 5 out of 5. Edit #1: I completed the game in its entirety and stick to this review. I loved it so much in fact that I bought the DLC <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Ballad-of-Gay-Tony-and-The-Lost-The-Damned/dp/B002DC8GMM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">'The Ballad of Gay Tony' and 'The Lost & The Damned</a> Edit #2: I've now owned the game for four years, and now also own Grand Theft Auto V along with an Xbox One. I played this game up to the day that GTA V came out, that's how much I truly loved this game. If you own a 360 or PS3, pick this game up! It was a steal at $60, but now that it's $10 brand new, it's truly a no brainer to buy. Don't worry about it not being a next generation game, or the fact that there is now a newer version (GTA V), just buy it. You won't be sorry.	video-games_xbox
Superman The Man Of Steel. This is a really fun game. As superman you fight robots,Metallia, Brainiac 13 and other enemies but it's mostely robots. You also have to meet timelimits and put out fires,rescue civilins, lift up towers and put them back were there suppose to be and chase bank robbers and pick up there car and take it to the police station. Superman has several controls. He can run or walk on the ground,hover in the sky and fly at high speeds. As Superman you also have heat vision,freeze breath and use punches to take out your enemies. The flying and fighting takes some getting use to but once you learn these steps you can go places. The city scapes are very beautiful. There is also levels were you fly in space above earth's orbit and try to save sattelites. You also fly to another planet warworld and fight creatures mostley robots on that planet. Your main objective is to destroy Brainiac 13 which is on the last level. Supermans voice in this kind of sounds like Jimmy Stuarts and he looks a little like him. This is one of the few games that allows you to here either the music that comes with the game or your own music soundtrack. Though the game music is fine I chose to play the Superman Theme from the Superman Movie. I have put the superman theme from Mantovani on my xbox hard drive and it sounds just like John Williams version. You can't tell them apart. Also you unlock bonus materials when you get to different levels but you can unlock everthing with cheats which are available at supermangame.com. There's two bonuses that must be mentioned. When you unlock free mode you can fly on any of the screens Metroplis,earth orbit etc without enemies or time constraints. You just fly for the fun of it. The flying in this game is pretty cool once you learn how. The other bonus is the many costumes that you can pick for superman to fly in. It even has the black one that he used later in the comics. Also I forgot to mention Superman must use telescopic vision(black button)and xray vision(white button)to accomplish some missions. Xray vision helps Superman find bombs in builings in cars. There is two negatives in this game that should be mentioned though. Sometimes the controls for some reason become difficult to use and you sometimes bump into buildings and when you target an enemie you sometimes fly by him and sometimes the control can make putting out fires difficult. The Other negative is you don't get no continues or no health energizers. If your killed or you fail your mission you go back to the beginning of the level you started and you don't get your health restored until you finish the mission. Maybe this will be fixed in the next superman game. I highly recommend this game as well as the companion book superman the man of steel strategy guide.	video-games_xbox
The quality of the games and the online experience make the 360 my console of choice. I have been a gamer all my life, starting with the Atari 2600 and moving on from there, so the question of whether or not I was going to purchase a next-gen console was never an "if", it was a "when" and "what". I started with the Wii and that satisfied some of my needs, but I also wanted a system capable of high definition graphics and more immersive gameplay. After researching the pros and cons of both the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3, I elected to go with the 360 for a variety of reasons. This review will cover my impressions on the Xbox 360 Elite (Red Console with the Jasper Chip) which I purchased in April 2008. Pros: 1. Quality and quantity of games. For all the debating about which system is better in terms of technical specs, it's easy to lose sight of what is most important; the games. I would buy the PS3 for "Killzone 2" and "Metal Gear Solid 4", but games like "Halo 3", "Fable 2", "Gears of War", and "Left 4 Dead" are more appealing to me. With the quality of the exclusive titles plus the wide array of great cross-platform games, the 360 was an easy choice. 2. Best online experience. Sure, you need to pay for a "Gold" account on Xbox Live, but you get what you pay for. I have seen the PSN and it pales in comparison to Xbox Live in terms of customizability, user-friendliness, and the quality of online gaming. I have also found that more of my friends own Xbox 360 consoles and therefore more people are online for me to play with. 3. Xbox Live Arcade. In addition to the retail titles available, there are many great games available for download from the Live Arcade. These range from older Xbox titles to online puzzle games like "Peggle" and "Zuma" (both of which are highly addictive). I was also stoked that they have "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night" available for download. 4. Best value. In terms of the console price compared to the frills, you get better value for your money with the Xbox 360 than you do with the PS3 or the Wii. They is always some kind of package deal being offered, usually with a packed in game as well as other bonuses like a headset or an Xbox Live subscription. Having spoken about the strengths of the console, I cannot deny that there are some cons that should be taken into consideration when buying the Xbox 360. However, none of the below points have made me regret purchasing the console. Cons. 1. Reliability. You can't dance around the fact that the Xbox 360 console is notorious for malfunctioning. Freezes, scratched discs, and the dreaded "Red Ring of Death" made me apprehensive at first. Microsoft has extended their warranty to help cover these issues, but I think you should be able to enjoy your games without worrying about the system dying. I was fairly late in adopting the console, so I have not had any of the problems that seemed to plague the earlier models (Arcade and Pro). 2. Overheating. Playing the system for even a short time causes the console to get very hot. The new Elite models are supposed to be less prone to overheating due to the reduced energy use, but it still gets pretty toasty. My recommendation is to buy a console fan (such as the Intercooler) and make sure the console has plenty of room the breathe. 3. As a result of the system overheating, Microsoft has seen fit to install very loud fans in the back of the console, so loud that they sound like a vacuum being run. This is annoying to say the least. 4. No Wireless Internet. Unlike the Wii and the PS3, the 360 does not come with an integrated wireless card; it must be purchased as an external peripheral. If you use wired internet, you're in luck as there is an Ethernet port on the back. I bought my 360 fairly late in the console's production cycle, therefore I have not experienced any serious issues as of yet. I have not had my system freeze, no "red disco lights of death" have come up, and outside of a few small annoyances, I have been quite happy with my purchase. It has the best games for me and it offers the best online experience, and I would recommend it on those strengths alone.	video-games_xbox
Rockstar has a new winner. Right off the bat, this game is a blast. The single player game has a decent storyline and it is fun to play. They do a good job of easing you into all the skills you will need later on in the game and make it fun. One of the things I enjoy doing a lot that I didn't think I would is hunting. In some areas you can hunt there are animals that can kill you, packs of wolves, Bears, cougars and panthers oh my! Having to keep an eye and an ear out for those animals keeps you from getting complacent in many areas. The Deadeye thing is done very well in my opinion. You slowly ramp up from just slowing things down to being able to mark several targets and then shooting them all. Makes you feel like a badass when you take out 6 bad guys with 6 bullets. Of course if you run out of deadeye when a panther , bear or cougar is coming for you or in the middle of a lot of people shooting at you , it can go very badly for you. Unfortunately Deadeye doesn't really work in Multiplayer which isn't really suprising. (There is a limited form of it when fighting npc's only but not really worth using) There are lots of little minigames in the game as well, you can play poker, liars dice, blackjack, 5 finger fillet, arm wrestling, horseshoes, and I am sure I am leaving some out. The detail in this game is amazing, I don't just mean the graphics either, things like you can identify animals that are nearby by the sounds they make even if you can't see them yet. All kinds of little details that they put in that really up the immersion level. The graphics are amazing, considering how old the xbox platform is I am amazed at the graphics they get into some of these games, although the limited memory does show up in the fact that you see a lot of people who look alike etc... but it is not anything that detracts from the game experience. Multiplayer is fun, you can create a posse (think team), and go after NPC gang hideouts or you can fight other posses or you can play capture the flag type games (you use bags of money instead of a flag). One thing I really would have liked to have seen is the ability to do the single player game cooperatively , there is a coop mission pack coming out but it is not there yet and I don't think you will be able to do the single player game in coop mode. I could go on and on about all the little things you can do (going after bounties, lassoing them from your horse and then hogtying them and racing back to the dropoff for them) The bottom line is this game is very well done and more importantly it is a lot of fun to play. Most of us have seen our share of games with great graphics that are not fun to play. This is not one of those games. I highly recommend this game, even if you have a strict gaming budget.	video-games_xbox
It's good but not great. Well lets start with Multiplayer, which is an online feature for players to play other players from around the world in various game modes. Hardline multiplayer was truly a huge step down from its predecessor. The game launch with less than half the guns that Battlefield 4 launch with. People didn't enjoy the new unlock system, you could just start off the game and have one of the best guns in the game. Also the developers got rid of players spawning in with rockets, and instead went with placing them around the maps as pick-ups or hid them in trunks of cars. But shortly after players discovered how deadly the rockets were, everyone took advantage and spammed rockets whenever they got the chance. Just simply driving to the objective could result in being hit in the face with a rocket. Add in the fact that the server counts started to decrease and it was rare to find a full server in North America, many players begin to flock back to Battlefield 4. I would have to rate the Multiplayer a 5 out of 10. The concept was great, but the execution was poor and not well thought out. Now usually the campaign is always overlook by players. But in this particular game, you really couldn't go a day without trying to the beat the campaign. From crazy car chases to dirty cops, the campaign has the feel of a movie. The developers tried to break out of their military shooter background, and they did this by adding in the arrest feature. This feature allows you to flash your badge to any bad guy and they surrender. This makes the player think before just running in with guns blazing. The game even features a good cop-bad cop meter that goes up and down depending on your actions. But I am still baffled as to why a guy with an AK-47 would just surrender to a cop. Also after escaping prison, the feature can still be used on other cops. But other than that, to go along with the cops feel. They add in cases, which you can solve for rare weapons and patches to use in the campaign. I felt like the developers did a good job transitioning from military shooter to cops and robbers, but again there are still some feature they could have did better on. I rate it 8 out of 10. A big aspects of today multiplayers are their downloadable content (or DLCs). Without good DLCs, a good game will only be good for a while before players get bored and move on. Hardline did a horrible job advertising their DLCs, at one point I didn't even know they had one out. DLCs usually bring along brand new features that players have never seen before, but the only new game mode was basically a Battlefield version of kill confirmed from Call of Duty. Many players didn't like this, as Battlefield was praise for not being Call of Duty. For some remaining players, that was the last straw and they finally gave up on Hardline. The rest of their DLCs have been a hit and miss, but the latest one finally brought something new. The robbery game mode brought fresh life into Hardline. Players finally saw something worth trying out, but unfortunately for Hardline there aren't that many servers playing this new game mode. So players till refuse to make the leap back. I would have to give Hardline a 4 out of 10 for their DLCs. I just think they finally gave up on the game after several months of disappointment. Battlefield Hardline started off with such a big buzz, being the first non-military battlefield game from Dice. But it didn't meet expectations with so many problems that plague the game from launch and the fact that so many players had the option to return to Battlefield 4, sealed Hardline fate and cause the game to disappear into the game world shadow. Ben Skipper has sum up the game perfectly in saying it has great ideas but was undermined by execution. Overall I would rate the game a 3 out of 5, and could possibly make a re-appearance among the great games we have now. But with the release of Battlefront on the horizon, I doubt that Dice will want to put much energy into Hardline.	video-games_xbox
Fraudulent, Visceral Games. I'll be whining and bitching a little bit in this review, if you don't like it, save yourself some time and just read the last paragraph. Some minor spoilers below. I bought the Death Edition of Dante's Inferno, which is supposedly loaded with bonus features, and that's not really the case. There's the game wrapped in a nice lenticular box with Death on the inside cover and all nine circles represented in the background. There's the game itself, the manual, a code for a free Dead Space-costume, and one bonus DVD. There's a very brief making of-featurette on it, another very brief Dante-featurette, a music featurette, 30-second samples of the soundtrack (only playable from the DVD menus), a slideshow of Wayne Barlow's artwork, a short scene from the animated film <a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Dante-s-Inferno-An-Animated-Epic-Blu-ray/dp/B002XMGGHO/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Dante's Inferno: An Animated Epic [Blu-ray</a>], and a link to the EA website where you can read the full poem (which you could also do for free on [...]). Yes, there's nice stuff here, but overall it doesn't hold up to all that it promises. And as for the game, it's maddeningly designed - really infernally annoying at times, as you're given absolutely no clue or hint as to all the many puzzles you have to solve, and you'll often have to do a whole series of elaborate puzzle solving, also doing spectacular jumps (with a risk of plummeting to your death at any given moment) while simultaneously fighting off a hoard of demons. I had to resort to YouTube ten times just to get to the next part of the game, and who wants to have to do that? If you're aiming to complete the game, do it in the easiest difficulty setting, Classic. I spent a few months getting through the thing on the second-easiest one, and I came to find that the final boss is quite literally unbeatable (if you don't have the right upgrades by then at least). I switch over the difficulty, and eureka - game completed from start to finish in two days. There's too much to nitpick to praise this game, especially as it's literally near-impossible on the first time through, and easy as pie the second one. Had it been a little longer and a bit more balanced (with some hints every now and then, and bosses that don't require particular upgrades), it would've been a far better game. The "all in one combo"-challenge is absolutely maddening if you don't have the right upgrades (and possibly difficulty setting). But there are a lot of very good things about this game as well. It's fantastically designed, envisioned and scored. It's atmospheric, brutal as..well, hell, and very fascinating to play. Coming across your first damned soul, Pontius Pilate, and making the choice of either condemning his damned soul or granting him the light of eternal paradise is a tough one. Dante's quest for fair Beatrice is truly epic, and it's easy to marvel at the gorgeous cinematics while you're expecting what comes as you venture deeper and deeper into the next circle. It's definitely resparked an interest in the original poem as well (and even beyond that, Purgatorio and Paradiso). Even though it's revamped and adapted, there's great storytelling here, in a story as old as time itself - but most of all, there's a lot of minion asskicking, and if you're into that kind of thing, this might just be a game for you. And if you find that you're screaming just as loud as Dante does in certain parts, you can always resort to internet guides and (at least) switch the difficulty setting at any given time.	video-games_xbox
mixed bag. I find it fascinating to see how spread the ratings are for this game. Anyway, there are a couple of things to say about myself before proceeding with the review 1) First person shooters (FPS) are my favorite genre of game 2) I am NOT good at first person shooters First the single player. There are going to be obvious comparisons to other FPS's but releasing the game around the same time frame as Call of Duty:Black Ops was just a mistake in my opinion. While I would rate COD:BO 5 stars in both single player and multiplayer, I actually enjoyed the single player more here. I liked the realism, the story line (even though I saw other reviews say there was not one), the graphics and most important, the ease. In reply to the person who completed hard in 2.5 hours and only died 5 times, that is just not me. I'm sure lots of people can do that but for me, I played on easy, took about 5 hours and died too many times to count. But that is fine with me. I prefer easy modes that are "easy". The ending also was somewhat emotional, not like some other games where you are completely detached because of the setting, etc. The multiplayer is a different story. I absolutely hated it with a passion. For a person like me (refer to skill level above), this game is like Modern Warfare (1 & 2) to the 10th power. What that means is spawn > die, spawn > die, spawn > run 1 second > die. In the matchmaking, the teams seem to be balanced but not the players. I've never criticized a game for spawn points before because I'm not an expert in it but it seems to me that if I spawn even back at my base, I should not be taken out by a sniper before I can even take a step. About the only thing I can say about the multiplayer that I liked is that it actually seemed to have a story in a way. I don't mean in a narrative sense but more in that I felt like I was doing more than just running around killing as many people as possible. The achievements for multiplayer also seem pretty easy for multiplayer (play for 2 minutes, play for 2 hours, play each class, rank up, etc.) And there lies the problem with multiplayer. I have a little quirk where I like to get at least 500 gamerscore in a game for me to consider a game complete (that is not to say once I get more than 500, I stop playing). However, in this case, once I got over 500 gamerscore, I immediately put the game away and will never play multiplayer again (I rarely, if ever, play single player campaigns more than once). In summary, I would rate the single player 5 and the multiplayer 1 (thus the 3 overall). Well worth the $39.99 I paid for it though.	video-games_xbox
Just About the Best Single Player Experience EVER. SHORT REVIEW: Far Cry 3 is, without a doubt, the best single player I've ever played. There are endless possibilities with how you play, and I can personally guarantee you that no two people will play it the same way. This is a great example of a First-Person Tactical Shooter, as there is an unlimited amount of possibilities with how you approach a situation. The road to liberating all the outposts, activating all the radio towers, completing the main story (not to mention many side missions), and finding all Letters of the Lost and Relics is a long one indeed, and one which will be fun for the entire time you do it. Multiplayer is decent at best, but definitely nothing special here. If you're buying this strictly for the multiplayer (which I STRONGLY recommend you don't do), then it probably won't be worth it. But for the Story? No questions asked, buy this game now. CAMPAIGN: (no spoilers) This was the first Far Cry game that I had played, and while the transition from shooters like Battlefield and Halo was somewhat weird, I got the hang of it in no time. The story of Far Cry 3 is probably the best-crafted I've played! You are Jason Brody, young college student who went on a skydiving trip with his friends. Unfortunately, they landed on Rook Island, the closest thing to hell that they could get. After a daring escape from the ruthless pirate lord Vaas (essentially the coolest character in Far Cry 3), Jason finds himself caught between trying to save his friends and ascending up the ranks of the native tribe on the island, the Rakyat. As you've probably seen in advertisements for FC3, a big focus of Far Cry 3 is internal conflict and insanity, and there's some pretty dark stuff on Rook Island. There's tons of brutal killing, and some pretty disturbing stuff in here. I won't say any more about the story, but the point is, it's FANTASTIC. The voiice acting and characters are excellently played in this game, especially Vaas. Every character has his/her special traits, and you really begin to relate and become attached to some of them. FC3's campaign does a great job with emotion, and you'll feel many different things as you go along. The Crafting aspect of this game is very interesting, and you'll find that even gathering resources like leaves and animal skins is surprisingly entertaining! You can craft syringes for medical purposes along with enhanced hunting, combat, and exploration skills. You hunt and skin animals to make everything from Weapon Holsters, Ammo Pouches, Arrow Quivers, Wallets, and many more. In a sense, Far Cry 3 is all about upgrading your equipment and weapons, but there's a skill tree as well. After earning x amount of XP points, you can pick a skill from one of the three skill trees: The Heron (for long range takedowns and mobility), The Shark (assault takedowns and healing), and The Spider (stealth takedowns and survival). These all help in different ways, and it's completely up to you what path you choose to take, whether you want to specialize in one field or balance out the three. Along your journey, you also have a handbook, which automatically records what you've found out about people, factions, locations, weapons, animals, and many more! You can also track your progress with how far you've made it into the game, how many Letters of the Lost you've found, etc. The guns in this game are very cool, and there's an extremely wide variety of them to find. You can customize nearly every aspect of your gun, whether it's what sight you want on it, other attachments, or paint jobs. It's sometimes frustrating to accumulate enough to money to buy that gun that you've been eyeballing, but it's rewarding and satisfying every time. During (or before) a fight, you can use your camera to tag enemies, permanently marking them on the map (until they're dead, of course). This helps immensely when you're trying to be stealthy or hunt swift wild animals. 34 outposts are scattered throughout Rook Island, each filled with many enemies. It's up to you to liberate them by killing all the enemies there, which makes the surrounding region safe to travel. Each time you liberate one, you unlock one or two Path of the Hunter or Wanted Dead missions. In the former, you're tasked with hunting down either a very rare animal or eliminating a group of animals at a specified point, only using the weapons that are provided for you. Killing and skinning rare animals only available in Path of the Hunter quests gives you an exclusive skin not found anywhere else, which can be used to improve your equipment to its highest capacity. In Wanted Dead quests, you're tasked with finding and killing a pirate leader and his band nearby. You can do what you please to take out his subordinates, but you have to kill the commander with a knife only. You receive a cash reward upon completion of both of these types of quests. An automated store is also available in the outpost, which can be used to purchase or sell guns, attachments, and whatnot. It also provides another Fast Travel point for you, which can really come in handy later on in the game when you're jumping around the island a lot. 18 radio towers are located around Rook Island, each inactive at the start of the game. After locating and climbing (FPS platforming at its best!) these towers, you can activate them to reveal the surrounding region on the map and making a weapon or two available in stores free to buy. All of these objectives, along with the side missions, Trials of the Rakyat (fun little minigames found throughout the island), and Supply Drop (vehicular quests where you have to drive to a specific point before time runs out), there is a vast number of things to do in FC3's single player. MULTIPLAYER/CO-OP/MAP EDITOR: Although the Campaign is astonishing, Far Cry 3 definitely isn't perfect. Its Multiplayer is pretty bland, not offering many new things to the FPS genre. It uses the same system of rank up, get upgrades, reach max level, unlock some new stuff. The gameplay itself is alright, though, and it can be a fun little amusement sometimes. However, Decoding is a pretty cool aspect of it. Decoding is a system in which after earning a specified amount of Decoding points in multiplayer, you will eventually unlock a memory drive that you can decode. You aren't actively doing it, but you do have to wait until it finishes. It can take 10 minutes up to 8 hours to decode! When completed, you unlock either XP for multiplayer or a free weapon attachment. You can either take these, gift them to a friend, or sell them for extra XP. Co-Op is also available in FC3, and it's a very entertaining side campaign, which takes place a few months before the main story. It can be played with up to 4 friends, and a matchmaking system is accessible as well. This can be a really fun distraction for a few hours, and it really brings the room together at a party. I actually haven't gotten the chance to use the Map Editor yet, but from what I've heard, it's very useful and fun. OVERVIEW: Far Cry 3 is an excellent game. Even if you buy one game a year, then you should definitely consider this one. Campaign is awesome, with its wide variety of things to do and emotion-packed story. Although Multiplayer is somewhat weak, and Co-Op is a short experience, they don't draw back from how good the Story is. 95/100	video-games_xbox
Which way was this supposed to work again? (Updated October 2016. I think it's awesome, how PC gamers act more and more like console gamers. I'll start with my personal experience: 1) Heard about product, maybe a year ago 2) Did Research 3) Pre-ordered it from the store 4) Picked up when they called me and said it arrived 5) Plugged it in to Windows10 Gaming Grade PC 6) Played All kinds of games, and made adjustments to best suit new configuration I guess we can look at the negative experiences next: 1) Did absolutely no research 2) Used incompatible OS or Hardware configuration 3) Got a refund 4) Went back to console gaming (If you haven't reached this step yet, go back to console now before you hurt yourself or a loved one) Lastly I'd like to cover Ulterior Motives: 1) Discovered that the PC Master-race was under threat of being polluted by "Casuals" 2) Bought product to enable Verified Purchase 3) Posted 1-star rating with frivolous review 4) Never used product, but will retain at bottom of junk drawer to prevent it from reaching the hands of a "Casual" October 26th 2016 Update: A star had to be deducted, though not necessarily fault of the device, actually the problem is all the way back to a flaw in design choice. So the I know I'm not the only one, because the main fix is actually on the Xbox Support page, and it explains: other Wifi and wireless devices will cause the paired controller to disconnect. I've only seen this happen once before, when the Amazon Fire TV Stick was flooding the bluetooth signal environment. But my neighbor's AppleTV (& they have 2) seems to stomp on the WiFi, making my Xbox Wireless adapter currently Useless. It is a sad, sad ordeal when Microsoft had the asinine idea to use the same exact signal frequency as every single piece of equipment that Xbox and PC gamers use. When compared to Logitech devices or Valve's Steam Controller, The Xbox Wireless adapter seems defective. If you're just crowded out of the WiFi signal band, either use your xbox controller in wired mode, or get a different wireless controller	video-games_xbox
Not fun for... anyone. I am a big Lost fan, and was so pumped when this came out. I'll keep this as concise as possible... whether you are a Lost fan or not, don't buy this game for any more than $5. I can honestly say if I were not a Lost fan and just looking for an adventure game, or even thinking I am interested in getting into Lost, it does not possess the quality to stand on its own (or even with the Lost title boosting it) as a good game. The gameplay was choppy, linear and convoluted. Any time you traveled into the forest you CONSTANTLY had to hide in the banyan trees to avoid the smoke monster. This happened ALL THE TIME and also make you lose track of where you were, making any trip through the trees an extremely frustrating journey. And how much fun is being on an island without really exploring the beach, the jungle, the various landmarks around the island at free will? It's like you're put in a lush, enormous castle with 150 rooms, but you are only allowed to walk down the hallways, and once in a while, glance into a couple rooms along the way and wish you could go in there. As far as the plot, I thought it was as original as they could make it, given the situation. How do you introduce a new character on an island full of people all on the same plane? At least it was somewhat convincing. Add to that some Lost-worthy flashback action, and you almost have a game going here. And just as it starts to come together (which is frustratingly quickly), the game ends. With, I might add, an interesting and very Lost-like twist, but nothing makes up for how boring the game is. Scenery and graphics, and (at least the attempt at) an original plot line, Lost: Via Domus gets a 5/5. I do give props on the effort to replicate the scenery, again, something that was done splendidly and just added to my intense disappointment of failure in almost every OTHER aspect of the game. But this game needed a LOT more to it, and if I were a part of the Lost team, I'd be embarrassed to have my name on this title.	video-games_xbox
Finally, an FPS that doesn't pretend to be something its not. Guns, bullets, and explosions. The barebones essentials to make almost any FPS great. I have grown extremely tired of the Call of Duty/ battlefield/ Halo debates. Gamers have become quite cruel to each other when it comes to these games and they seem to worship these games like they are their holy grail of shooters. I myself miss the days when a new FPS was coming out and EVERYONE was excited about it. There were no flame wars about which game was better or whose graphics were just a bit better, people just wanted to have a good time. Isn't that what games are supposed to be about? I guess I am just a wishful thinker, I better get to the point here. Bodycount throws everything about modern day shooters out the window and I am 100% ok with that idea. This game is all about pure arcade action! Think about the game as a modern day Metal Slug and you will understand what the guys at Codemasters were trying to achieve. Even the ammo and intel pickups you recieve from killing baddies make arcade-like sounds when you pick them up. The game has next to no story, but thats fine with me, in fact im GLAD there isn't a shoddy attempt at a "story" because the most popular FPS games these days have poor excuses for stories anyway. At least codemasters had the dignity to just focus mainly on the gunplay and not waste their time on a story that no one would care about, I play most FPS games for the gameplay only ( except for a few good ones like bioshock, half-life,etc. ) The graphics are good, they are no Crysis 2, but they get the job done and the game is still very enjoyable. Guns looks great and sound great too. There are plenty of explosions and it will be hard for you to run out of ammo. When you kill baddies they drop orbs that fill your ammo and your special skill slots. Skills include, explosive bullets and even an airstrike! Just know that this game was not aiming for much realism and you will have a great time! Here is where people are gonna whine about this game, when you "aim down the sites" of your gun, the camera jusy zooms in on your target reticule...just like the old days of shooters! Remember when "iron sites" didn't exist? Games like Timesplitters 2 and Black were fantastic games, and they didn't have iron sights. It may take awhile to get used to, but this aiming system is still awesome. Which brings me to point #2. When you pull the left trigger all the way, you can't move your character withthe left stick anymore. You go into a manual cover mode where you can dodge in any direction, which is quite awesome and inventive. Do not fret though, you can still aim and move if you only pull the left trigger half way down. Its a new control scheme and its nice to see something new. Basically, there is not much more to this game that I can tell you about. There isn't much of a story and the gameplay is solid. The guns look and feel great, and the action never stops. If you are looking for a game that embraces the FPS style of yesteryear, then do not overlook Bodycount! New: I see the big time reviewers already bashing this game for lack of story and simple multiplayer. Even Official Xbox Magazine said that you can only strafe while aiming down the sites, obviously they didn't take the time to even play the game because you can move around with the trigger half pulled. Do not let the big time reviewers persuade you, play this game for yourself.	video-games_xbox
It is okay, if you are looking for some hack n slash and not much else. While this game is lacking in the combat area.. you basically hold in a button and stand there and use potions The unique leveling system where you can choose abilities from a large list of something like 30 abilities starting with only 1 available to you and going up to 10 I believe.. and you can enhance them with ability points like.. Ranged weapons specialization or Dodging or being able to detect hidden traps or stealthed enemies... which is almost D&D style of skill ranks... it does however fall way short on the user interface which is often confusing and cluttered and most of the time you just aren't sure what the hell you are doing.. you DO however get used to it and figure things out.. it just could have been made much easier to use. Ranged attackers seem to be at a huge advantage in this game as you can just spam attacks at enemies barely on the map to you while you do not always hit by the time the AI notices you attacking they are usually already dead.. Sometimes you can manage to Kite enemies and run and gun.. but it will come down to a time when you must tank and hold your button as running will prove useless when you have 20+ enemies in a confined area.. potions however make this easy as hell. The graphics in this game are terrible.. they look like original Xbox graphics and this could have been done way better.. sometimes it is hard to see enemies and the dirty and bland textures all seem to blend together. Overall this game is kindof interesting.. theres Blind Guardian, you can level like crazy and feel like some kind of crazy immortal slayer of everything.. because it really is that easy.. Some of the melee classes have it rough at the beginning but choose the right divine favor and you will find yourself having a very easy game. Oh I forgot to mention how cool is it that you can summon a giant demon at level 1 that will kill anything? Just be careful though because he will get pissed and turn on you next! hahahaha! what a mistake that was when i first played.	video-games_xbox
We're all mad here. And it doesn't disappoint. I will start this review by prefacing it with the following: It has been a very long time since I have played the first Alice game. I remember very little about it. This review is basing it on those that, like me, don't remember the first one or have never played the first one. There is a lot I can say about this game, so I am going to break it up so as to try to organize my thoughts as best as I can. Graphics: 8/10 To be blunt, the graphics in this game are impressive. That's not to say they are perfect, they are far from the most amazing graphics to date and they aren't really doing much to push the envelope in the way of the graphical power of the system. However, they are amazing for what the game is offering. The locations are vastly different and colorful in their own way. From mechanical towers to houses of cards, the locations are dazzling and really do a lot to bring Alice's Wonderland to life. The graphical scales are equally impressive. For as small and generally linear as Wonderland is, you feel that it is an incredibly large place. You can often see your destination off in the distance and you really feel as though you are making this long trek towards some of these buildings. This is especially true as you're running around the Mad Hatter's mechanical factory. The only real drawback is that Wonderland is so colorful and interesting that the stark and drab streets of London feel almost out of place. And yes, I realize that is the point of the contrast between the two, but it still feels out of place going from this colorful and interesting world to London. Luckily, these are short stints in London. There are a lot of little things that really stand out to me. The way Alice's hair floats in the wind and her dress moves as the vents support her in mid air. Also, Alice's dress changes based on her location. And each dress is more than just a color swap. Each is designed to fit with the theme of the current area. And each dress is varied and amazing. Really, the only issue with the graphics comes in that some of the character models in game almost seem dated. Not that they are hard to look at, they just don't always seem to have the care and brilliance that the landscapes and Alice have. Also, the lip syncing, while not bad, definitely seems off especially after playing games such as L.A. Noire. While the mouths try their best to match what the characters are saying, they don't always match up. Really, more of a minor gripe than anything. It still really doesn't detract from the overall brilliance. Controls/Gameplay: 7/10 The controls for the game pretty basic. But that's not a bad thing at all. Each weapon is assigned to a different button and switching between them is pretty easy. Combos generally flow well enough, though switching between weapons definitely could be more fluid. The weapon combos don't really change, though, which can be a disappointment for those that enjoy various different combos and unlocking new ones. It also doesn't leave much in the way of variety. In the end, you have a few options of combos and it boils down to mashing buttons until the enemies are dead. Though, I would like to see more combos, I can't fault the game for sticking to a simple formula. It just works. There haven't been many points where I found myself getting bored with the game even without much variety in the way of attacks. The game kind of tosses a lot of different elements into it all at once. The fighting system revolves around a hack and slash system with X generally being your light and quick attacks and the Y button being a more heavy handed and powerful attack used for guard breaking. The right trigger is your long range weapon. In the end, though, a majority of the fighting comes down to slashing at the enemies until they are dead. Though, the amount of enemies can sometimes overwhelm you, the game never really feels cheap. The controls are fairly responsive and fluid, though sometimes during platforming sequences they can feel a little loose and sometimes that can lead to unwarranted deaths. Though, luckily falling into the abyss doesn't set you back too much. Story: 8/10 Honestly, I like the story. And even without knowing all the details of the first game, you don't ever really feel lost. It is a unique twist on the story of Alice and her Wonderland. As you explore Wonderland, Alice makes mention when she comes in contact with certain characters about how much they have changed. And that Wonderland has changed. You feel like her actions from the previous games had some hand in shaping the current Wonderland. The main story is focused on Alice trying to figure out the tragic events from the first game surrounding the mysterious circumstances that lead to her families death as she tries to piece together her fragmented mind. The story is solid and interesting and will keep you entertained enough to play through to the end. It is told well through various cutscenes, in game dialogue, and through the use of memories found in the world itself. You rarely feel lost as the game's story starts to tie into itself. I suppose the only real thing that could have made the story better was a little more backstory to fill in certain events from the first one. You do get a short recap at the start of the story and it does a decent job of filling you in enough so you aren't completely lost as to the events of this one. Overall and Final Thoughts: Overall Alice: Madness Returns is a solid title. The story is solid, the game is fun to play, and the graphics are decent to look at. And, should you buy the game new, it comes complete with a code to download the original title. So, in the end, you get two games for the price of one. The game gets a solid 8 out of 10. What it does, it does well. The game can use some fine tuning in the platforming areas, but once you've gotten the hang of the controls, it becomes less and less of an issue. The story is paced well and the game isn't so long that it overstays its welcome. The combat can get repetitive, but that argument can extend to any game. I suppose one of the biggest draw backs to this one is the lack of any sort of true boss fight until the end of the game. There are plenty of challenging enemies and situations that should make anyone sweat on Nightmare difficulty, but the lack of any real boss fight is somewhat disappointing. Alice: Madness Returns is a gem for any collection, especially with the inclusion of the download for the first game. I look forward to seeing if Spicy Horse will support it with DLC in the near future. The replay value will vary from person to person. There is a new game + option which is great and I think every game should have. But it is mostly collecting things you missed in the original playthrough. Regardless, it is still one of my favorite games of this year and highly worth buying.	video-games_xbox
Talk about nostalgia. Okay, I'll start by saying this is the first wrestling game I've played since Smackdown Here Comes the Pain for PS2. My expectations were low for this and I didn't expect much but I was pleasantly surprised. This game was great! From the graphics, to character movement/ finishers/ entrances, and the different modes... everything was very well done. I'll start with 30 Years of Wrestlemania as this was my favorite part of the game. This takes you through every single Wrestlemania and you get to play through all the big main event matches (46 matches total I think). During each match you'll be given objectives to complete which might lead to an event happening that actually happened at that Wrestlemania which is really cool. It was divided up into 5 different parts. Part one "Hulkamania runs wild", part two "The New Generation" which showcases Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, part three "Attitude Era" (my favorite and it was the shortest), part four "Ruthless Aggression" and part five "Universe Era". Also in 30 Years of Wrestlemania was a section dedicated solely to The Undertaker called 'The Streak Mode'. In this you get to play as the Undertaker and defend the streak against a seemingly never ending waves of WWE superstars. And you also get to attempt to defeat the streak and can play as anyone against Undertaker (he is very tough in this mode). Exhibition Mode includes pretty much any type of match you can think of. From Hell in a Cell to a 2 versus 3 handicap tornado tag team match. If it's been in the WWE you can play it here, local and online. WWE Universe Mode, I didn't get too into this but it seemed like basically a season mode where you get to play through every single show, event and PPV. You can switch out wrestlers wherever you want and you can play which ever match you want. The season/ year ends on Wrestlemania and you can also play through this with your created character. As far as creating your own stuff you can create a WWE superstar (there's also preset builds like Roddy Piper), finishers, events (ring color, the background, the entrance ramp, everything), entrances, and championships. Also, there is 'OMG moments' which are all really awesome. My favorite was Ryback throwing two guys into the turnbuckle then picking both up on his shoulders and slamming them... not sure if that was done in real life or not but it was definitely an 'OMG moment'! This game was a lot of fun especially playing through the pre 2000's matches in 30 Years of Wrestlemania. I'm not exactly a fan of any of the new WWE superstars as John Cena is the newest one I recognized; the rest of the 'Universe Era' wrestlers seem pretty lame in my opinion. None of them are iconic like Stone Cold, The Rock, Undertaker, Hulk Hogan etc. And anyone who has watched WWE in the past will instantly think of awesome moments from Stone Cold when they hear that famous shattering of glass. But a solid 5/5 rating from me on this and I would definitely recommend it to any fan of WWE or someone who used to be a fan and wants to relive some good moments from their childhood.	video-games_xbox
Like Playing Your Own Episode. I don't think I've ever played a TV or movie game adaptation that is as true to the source material as this game is. From the very beginning, you feel like you're making your very own episode of South Park. Everything from the animation to the voices to the sense of humor is incredibly authentic and delivers an experience that any South Park fan is sure to love. Without rehashing the plot too much, you start the game out as a new kid in town out to make friends, and end up getting involved in the kids' fantasy game where they try to capture the Stick of Truth from each other. This being South Park, things in town go crazy pretty quickly, and end up with the world in peril. The main storyline manages to capture the feeling of being a kid playing a game while also showing off the absurdity of the quiet mountain town and the stupidity of its inhabitants. It was a fun and engaging storyline that, while out there, isn't nearly as bizarre as some other video game plots! There are also plenty of side quests for you to do, ranging from simple item retrieval up to clearing a tower of enemies. Each quest is unique and provides another fun way to explore South Park and beyond. Gameplay is pretty simple, with the game providing instruction at every turn, even when you've used a move over and over again. I do wish that you could have more than one friend in your party at a time, or that there was some more variety in terms of special moves, but, overall, I found combat and exploring to be pretty enjoyable. While the gameplay is great, I have to go back to the game's sense of humor and feel. Clearly Matt and Trey were looking to make the ultimate South Park episode and they succeeded. There's a ton of inside jokes for loyal fans of the show, and, while a lot of the gags are way over the top (particularly the battle against one of the underpants gnomes that takes place while your parents are in, ahem, several compromising positions), I can't think of one joke that feels like it wouldn't belong in an episode of the show. Just be warned that the humor can be very crude and that some humor-challenged people might find it offensive. I would also not recommend letting your kids play this game or playing this game in front of them unless you want to answer some very awkward questions from them and, possibly, their school. Overall, I highly recommend this game for any South Park fan or anyone who appreciates a game that has a great sense of humor and will keep you entertained for the brief time you have together.	video-games_xbox
Nothing special. I used to play a lot of All Pro 2k8 for xbox. I'll compare Madden to APF 2k8 since that's the closest competitor. Passing Game: Madden - Easy. I was surprised how easy it is to hit receivers. Sometimes the receivers don't seem to follow their routes very well. For example, if your receiver is running a slant and you throw it before the receiver "slants", the route becomes a straight route. This is a little frustrating because I want to hit the receiver right when he's making a move. APF 2k8 - Realistic. I really had to learn proper QB technique with this game. Making sure your feet are set. Stepping into the throw. Timing the pass so you thread the needle between the linebackers to connect to your receivers. Also, the coverage is better and the linebackers will swat it down if you throw it near them. Then there's properly sitting in the pocket (unless you have a scrambling QB). Running game: Madden - Easy. The controls have really been stripped down whenever running with the ball. The simplicity is nice and brings back memories of madden on Sega when it was just dive, spin move, hurdle, and stiff arm. The running and the contact feel "weightless" though as you seem to make cuts on a dime. Also, yards after contact feel unrealistic. It all seems like preprogrammed animations. The spin move is ridiculous. I didn't think a spin move would be faster than actually sprinting down the field. APF 2k8 - Realistic. I learned how to follow my blockers in this game. 1-on-1 moves aren't as effective as following your blocks. Also, the contact feels more realistic and if you have a powerful enough running back you can break a few tackles (although it will slow you down significantly). The spin move is a little more realistic and feels realistic if you time it right. Defense: Madden - Nothing to complain about. Again, the controls have been simplified to just dives and jumping with your arms raised. It's decent. My only gripe is how players seem to "stick" to other players when being blocked. APF 2k8 - You gotta be smart in this game. I noticed that if you blitz, the opposing QB hits the empty part of your field. You won't get the same high number of sacks as Madden, but when you do its very satisfying. There are spin moves, swim moves, etc. There aren't as many "sticky" blocks as I've mentioned above. Special Teams: Madden - Kicking is easy and there's nothing to complain about in terms of punt returns or kick returns. APF 2k8 - Punt returning is non-existent in this game, which is my only major complaint. The kicking game is different though since you have to flick the control stick in time with the kick. Takes a while to get used to but it makes things much more involved. Physics: Madden - Terrible. Considering that there was ESPN 2k5 and Backbreaker, its disappointing that the Madden franchise has not improved the physics engine. Considering the modern technology, I feel that Madden does not live up to the potential of the available hardware. Players feel weightless and contact feels soft and the tackle animations are vanilla. APF 2k8 - Awesome. Hands down, this is one thing APF has an advantage over Madden. The hits feel gritty and tackles "feel" like tackles. Breaking tackles looks and feels realistic and the gang tackles overall look better. I had a friend who always played Madden and he noticed how much better the physics are in APF. Presentation Madden - Boring. The announcers sound bored and the crowd seems like it could care less. APF 2k8 - The players walk around and talk with attitude. Really captures the macho-nature of the sport. Also, the crowd erupts into loud cheers and boos making the game feel intense. Also, if the game is close and it comes down to a last second field goal, you can hear heart beating and the background noise drops off and it feels real intense -- a very nice touch. The halftime/final highlights are nice too. The players also yell at each other, which is nice although repetitive "Let's go out there and crack some heads!" Summary Madden - An easy game to pick up, especially if you got your buddies over. The simplified controls are nice when you want your casual friends to pick up and play the game. Also, Madden has the NFL license so you can play with real teams and players. Not bad if you're looking for a casual football experience. APF 2k8 - When you're ready to step up to the big leagues, pick this game up. You can probably find it for $5. When you get good at this game, Madden becomes easy as pie. No NFL license, but it is fun drafting veterans and building the team with only a limited number of picks.	video-games_xbox
An astounding system with top notch games. I'm what I consider a pretty hardcore gamer. I own all three major systems and have gone without a few meals due to spending too much on games. I like each one of my systems for different reasons, which is why I own all three of them. Gamecube has the Nintendo titles, which are almost all great, and they have the Resident Evil series, especially the incredible RE4, and the great wireless controller the wavebird. PS2 has a dream library of games and quite a few exclusives, including Grand Theft Auto, Devil May Cry, Metal Gear Solid and so on. Backwards compatibility is great too and free online gaming. The Xbox is my favorite system though. It has some awesome games, a built in 8GB harddrive, awesome proscesor, four control ports, Xbox Live, the best graphics out there and the ability to rip songs onto your hardrive. The Xbox has some awesome exclusive titles including Halo and Halo 2 as well as Knights of the Old Republic, Fable, Brute Force, Ninja Gaiden and Kung Fu Chaos. Xbox also gets all of those awesome FPS PC ports. Doom 3 Return to Castle WOlfenstein and soon Half Life 2 are only on Xbox. I also buy all of my third party games for the Xbox because they look and play the best on this system. You want Splinter Cell to look the best that it can, play it on Xbox. I'm also a big fan of FPS, and this system has a lot of them, including the best, Halo. The harddrive on this thing rocks. It plays the games better, makes them look incredible and cuts way back on loading times. The harddrive also gives you the ability to download to burn songs onto your Xbox, allowing you to create all kinds of playlists and play the music in random order. I've got almost 300 songs ripped and my memory still shows the same amount and that includes all of the saved games to. You can also play the songs during many of the games too. There's nothing like racing through Need for Speed II blasting Lincoln Park. I also use the playlists for parties, which means never having to change CD's. I love the four controller ports and still don't understand why Sony didn't put them on the PS2. Its obviously something people really want. I didn't even bother buying a 35$ or however much it costs multi-tap for my PS2. The Xbox Live online gaming network that Microsoft has created is incredible too. It gives you the feeling of being in an online community and a bunch of Xbox games make use of it. Plus, downloading new maps and MODS for your games is well worth it. It costs 50 bucks a year but so what, its worth it for what you get. The controller is my favorite when it comes to FPS. I'm glad they redesigned it too, because the first one was crap. I also like the long cords and how they breakaway if you run into them. All in all an incredible system that is my favorite out of the three like I said. My only major complaint is that the game library isn't a little bit larger. I can't wait to see what Xbox 2 will be like, since I heard they're going to unveil it in May on MTV and at E3	video-games_xbox
But saying that the game will get old is like saying chess will just get old. TL;DR It's a very e-sports oriented game. It's a sport. It's not a storyline game. There are 4 types of characters to play and working out the right composition to work with your team is key. Killing people is very tertiary. The objective of the game is key. I see a lot of people complaining that the game is repetitive and that the playability is low. One might say this game might not be worth the price; that's an argument against the current game industry. But saying that the game will get old is like saying chess will just get old. Or maybe football will just get old. Both of those are very repetitive past times that will never stop being played. A better critique will simply say you won't find it interesting after a while and why... but repetitive is not a good reason. Take the game that everyone compares this one to, Team Fortress. TF is totally linear and always the same and it was a big hit and is still played today. Counter Strike has been played consistently for almost 2 decades. And CS has nothing but the same maps and lots of running and gunning. This is a rather fun game. I got it today and played it for 4 hours straight. Actually, the linear and consistent gameplay is what is making this game so popular for e-sports right now. That's also why CS is still big in e-sports. A consistent game is what makes for good competition. I can plan around that. I can train around that. I can develop strategies around that. And that's interesting. Competitive shooters are all repetitive. And that's good. If you want a story game buy one. If you want an RPG buy one. But if you want a competitive shooter this is a great game. I like the graphics. I like the camaraderie. And that's one thing you should know, you will always play a game with other people; even against bots. And that's kind of cool. Let me contrast this against The Division, the other current multiplayer shooter. First, Division isn't really a shooter per se. It's a cover-based shooter. That makes it very different. It isn't as dependent upon twitch skills... sorta. But Division tries to maintain some idea that it's a story. It isn't. It's an extremely repetitive combat game. But Division gives you the ability to team up with friends against bots and/or go against other users. But they convolute it with almost randomly adding in gear that may or may not be useful. The thing is, you will spend more time trying to figure out how to determine a good strategy to play. And that strategy will change with every update as they add gear and nerf or buff current gear. This is just crap. It feels like I'm still playing a beta. The Division will never make it as an e-sport for these reasons. In summary, if you want an RPG this is not the game. If you want a realistic shooter this is not the game. If you want something competitive and pretty easy to get on, shoot people, and get off, then this is the game. And that's exactly what I want. If you want more depth in a competitive shooter you have to go to PC and play Arma. I'll probably play this game as long as there are competitive people online to play against. The reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that I agree that it is a bit overpriced. But I can afford it and I like it. I'm having more fun with it than with The Division and that's what I'm using to judge my value of the game.	video-games_xbox
Excellent sequel to one of the best games. This is an outstanding game. The story is one of the best for a shooter game. Although I think this game is considerably easier than the first, there will still be times where you want to throw the controller through the TV. That's a good thing, if it was too easy it would not feel that you accomplished anything. The first player mode (also playable in co-op!) is fairly long and you will want to play through it again if only to get accomplishments. This game has the same problems the first had with movement. You will unexpectedly get caught up on walls/objects frequently especially when running. This can be frustrating at times and it breaks up your immersion in the game. (Side Note: Another problem I have is you must have a Gold account to play co-op. I know this is fairly common for XBox games but I do not like having to pay a subscription to play online. I do not want to debate XBox vs. PS3, they BOTH have their pros and cons.) Gears 2 also has hoard mode and competitive/versus modes. I have not played any versus modes. Hoard mode is you and up to four others against waves of Locust. Each wave gets progressively harder as you advance. This mode was not as fun as I would have thought. It seems the best way to get to the next wave is to set up a defensive area and wait for them to come to you. I would have preferred to assault the Locust position but the numbers and types of Locust just will not allow that until you have substantially thinned them out. [Edit:] I freaking love Hoard mode now. Me and a friend were able to get through all 50 levels and turned around and started over. If you do private match you can start at any level you've previously reached which is nice for those that can't sit and play for hours on end. If you join a public match you always start at level 1. This works for finding friends but can't imagine getting through all 50 levels with a PUG. [/Edit] I highly recommend this game even with the small issues I talked about above.	video-games_xbox
Big beautiful , hollow and empty game. I have to say I did like NFS Hot Pursuit and the first Most Wanted. The only thing this game had in common with the old one is the races to get the other outlaws cars and the open world. Other then that it should have never claimed to be Most Wanted. Pros 1. Good graphics just a touch below Hot Pursuit. 2. Big nice looking open world. 3. Cool cars 4. Driving is still fun and easy to take fast corners. 5. I played a lot the first few weeks it was out and never felt like I was always seeing the same maps. Cons 1. Games claimed to be a Most Wanted series but in reality it not at all. 2. Game gets boring fast ( Lots of world nothing to do. 3. The only choice to race your friends is stupid little sub races or jumps that are nonsense. 4. During races its hard to follow the directions because its not a defined track they use hard to see white markers to follow. 5. Trying to find your friends on the map is a hassle. 6. No cops to chase you and your friends in multi player. 7. Trying to find your favorite jump locations is a hassle. 8. Very bad choice of sub games to play. Example jump over 8 cars total in a parking lot so I jumped over my friends car in a small lot and small jump 8 times. 9. You need to drive long routes to meet up with friends to the race site. 10. Every time I play it (not much at all anymore) I keep thinking how cool it would be if me and my friends were getting chased by the cops and what a failure it was to leave that out. The problem with the great maps and open world is that this game leads you to think there is so much to do but when you try to figure out how you realize they didn't really follow up on that and its a big open empty game. I think they should have at least made it so you could enter a race mode with defined race tracks or areas. I really don't know what they were thinking this game has so much potential but they dropped the ball and gave us an unfinished game.	video-games_xbox
Worst Madden Ever. I have been playing Madden since it was on the Sega Genesis system, so I know a lot about the madden series and I must say this game has become a joke. The only reason this game continues to sell is becuase they have exclusive NFL rights for gaming, which means no other company has rights to make an NFL game. That being said, the Madden series has taken a huge dive ever since they obtained this exclusive license. Every year I buy this game, and every year I am disappointed. The only reason I continue to buy it is because there are no other game options out here that are available due to the exclusive licensing agreement. Ok, now that I got that rant out the way, I will talk about the game briefly. 1. Gameplay - 7 out of 10 : Players still run out of bounds trying to catch simple out routes. That never happens in real life. There is still "suction" blocking meaning defensive guys actually run to the offensive guys to get blocked. After offensive guys disengage their blocks they run up the field to block the air. Its insanity. QB still throws like a mindless drone. Besides that, the game looks great and there is still a lot to like about the gameplay. 2. Computer AI - 3 of to 10. All madden mode is ridiculous. Since I have played this game for 10+ years, All-Madden is the only mode I play on as the other modes are way too easy for me. This year, instead of making the AI smarter on All-Madden, EA just chose to make your guys worse and make the AI better in order to make the game harder. For example, they lower your block ratings, qb accuracy, broken tackles etc and just increase the AI's ability to do all of those things and voila - All-Madden difficulty. How about making the AI smarter EA? How about making it more about offensive and defensive schemes? Despite this shortcoming, I still dominate the All-Madden setting, but some games are competitive. 3. Commentary - 0 out of 10. Commentary is atrocious. Most of the time they are wrong about their assesment and 10 years into the franchise mode, they still refer to some players as "up and coming" rookies. Add to this the fact that they same the same things over, and over, and over and you will be ready to kill yourself in no-time. FAIL 4. Online play - 2 out 10. I don't play this mode very much because it is glitchy and slow. By the way I have a 7M speed connection that runs Netflix streaming flawlessly at 5 bars, so don't give me the "check your connection" gripe. Overall 5 out of 10. Despite these setback's, it is still fun to play, but you will eventually turn off the commentary and pull your hair out when your qb throws the ball 10 yards out of bounds on a simple 10 yard out when the guy is uncovered on 3rd down.	video-games_xbox
Crackdown scores high in that hard to define fun factor category. Crackdown came to prominence due to Microsoft's decision to package the Halo 3 multiplayer trial with the game. To everyone's surprise the actual Crackdown game turned out to be a very fun (if somewhat flawed) open world action game. In Crackdown one plays a genetically enhanced super solider called The Agent for an organization called The Agency run by a disembodied voice known as The Director. Through both your actions and the collection of orbs you increase your powers to the point that you are a true bad ass jumping around the city (surprisingly not called The City, naming things not being Realtime Worlds' strong suit). The game's city consisting of three islands each controlled by a different gang with your headquarters on a forth smaller island in the middle. The gangs are Los Muertos (Your standard South American Drug Cartel), The Volk (Your standard Russian Mafia), and The Shai-Gen Corporation ( which represents Sony). The graphics are a colorful cell-shaded affair that fits surprisingly well with the chaos and the ever more outrageous powers you will achieve. The sound (with one notable exception detailed below) is also quite good with the hum of the agility orbs almost being hypnotic (and yes you will see agility orbs in your daily life and hear the hum in your sleep.) There are a couple of bits of genius in Crackdown. The first and most obvious is the combining of item collection and powers. The powers are more than mere stat boosts as there are both visible (You crackle with electricity when you level up a core power ) and quite fun (You can roundhouse kick a mack truck and leap from skyscraper to skyscraper). The other brilliant move is the structure. In the game you are tasked with taking out the three gangs as you see fit. Each gang consists of a boss and various sub-bosses that specialize in various tasks for their boss (Such as training bodyguards or providing weapons). By taking out the sub-bosses you weaken a certain part of the bosses defenses therefore making him an easier target. It's a brilliant structure that gives a real sense of accomplishment in a open world environment. The game also doesn't skimp on weapons with the harpoon gun and the five shot at a time homing grenade launcher being particular favorites. It is a good thing that Crackdown is such well structured and fun game, because the game certainly has a bunch of flaws that easily would be game-breakers in almost any other adventure. For starters there is combat. There is a reason my Agent maxed out his punch people in the face ability first. Now hand to hand combat has its own set of issues. (Mainly facing the wrong way and missing enemies outright while jamming the B button.) Compared however to the auto-aim on guns, hand to hand combat is of a Street Fighter II Turbo caliber. Auto-aim has two favorite targets: civilian vehicles and dead guys. Crackdown loves shooting dead guys, perhaps as a forerunner to the zombies in Crackdown 2 one might muse. Getting your targeting off the dead guy and onto the guy with a rocket launcher is surprisingly challenging. In addition Crackdown allows you to target specific parts of a person or vehicle. The game in theory allows one to blow up a car with a well aimed shot to the gas tank. Getting the cursor to the gas tank part of the car however seems to be a case of random hit or miss. Often the game simply won't let you target that part of the vehicle even if you a clearly facing it. Fortunately the above mentioned homing grenade launcher renders many of these problems somewhat mute towards the end of the game. Though they still seem to pop up every once in a while. Part of the games challenge is making seemingly impossible jumps to grab onto a distant ledge. Unfortunately sometimes a ledge looks like a ledge, quacks like a ledge and yet your agent proceeds to plummet eighty stories to his demise. While the parkour in Crackdown is fun, and one of the games selling points, it isn't what I would call fine tuned. Speaking of both out of tune and poorly tuned we have the vehicles. Driving is one of your abilities in Crackdown and in theory when one reaches the highest level ones car becomes a super powered monster. I say in theory because there is actually no need to power this up to defeat the game. In fact once your all important agility power has a few stars under its belt, cars are simply superfluous since you can now jump from rooftop to rooftop. And thank God for that. For such a relatively small map Crackdown's streets are a confusing labyrinth. To add to the mess the in-game map has no custom waypoints. Strangely, The Agency claims they want you to capture enemy vehicles and bring them back to headquarters. However the entrance to headquarters is unmarked on your map, almost impossible to find and is disguised on top of that like the Bat-Cave entrance from the caped crusader's sixties TV show. In addition the way you increase your driving skill is by winning races (easier said than done and hardly a fun pastime in this particular game) or running over gang members. Gang members however seem to metamorphosis into Cirque du Soleil performers the minute one points a car in their general direction. The final nail in the driving coffin is the in game radio. One of the joys of open world games is simply cruising around the city listening to the radio. I would purchase a downloadable version of GTA Vice City right now (Hint hint Rockstar) just to cruise the streets of faux Miami in a red convertible listening to the tunes. Per Wikipedia: Music supervisor Peter Davenport was in charge of selecting the music for the game, over 100 tracks of electronica and sample-based music by a number of independent and video game musicians, a task that took three years to complete. Per Videogame Musings: it is the worst collection of "music" I simply have ever heard. Each song is worse than the last and if I would have to guess Peter Davenport's IPod is currently the torture device of choice at various CIA black prisons around the world. Thankfully, despite the control problems, some features either missing or broken, and a soundtrack from the depths of hell, Crackdown scores high in that hard to define fun factor category and when it comes to games that is always the deciding factor.	video-games_xbox
Advanced Warfare Is a Pleasant Surprise. Call of Duty, the most polarizing game release of the year. While my review is late, we all know the typical feedback to the new CoD release, there is the typical CoD sucks comments and it is just the same thing over and over again, the people who give a fair review, and the trolls who just are hear to hate. Today, I will give IMO a fair review. For some reason, certain gamers like to hate on CoD, and yes I will hate on it too sometimes, but no matter what I always end up buying the newest CoD game sometime down the line. Look, CoD will never be just like COD4 or MW2 or World at War again. However, have played every CoD since COD4 I must say I pleasantly surprised by Advanced Warfare. Ghosts was a disappointment. The MP was bad, and the story was ok and it's ending really ruined it for me, but Extinction was a nice add on. However, AW is a different beast than previous COD entries. Story/Single-player: AW has one of my favorite campaigns in CoD. Without a doubt my favorite since Black Ops 1. The story follows Jack Mitchell. A former marine who lost his arm in a battle in Korea. He later gets a new advanced prosthetic arm, given to him by his deceased friends father, Jonathan Irons (played by Kevin Spacey). Mitchell is then hired by Irons to be a part of his Atlas Corporation which is a PMC. Well it turns out Irons/Space is the bad guy and exploited/allowed certain catastrophic events to happen. It allowed Atlas to swoop and Irons basically becomes the pimp of the world. Then it is up to Mitchell to stop Irons and saved the day. I really enjoyed this story for it offered any interesting take on PMC's sort of like the Metal Gear Solid games. It even offered interesting political commentary about the United State's methods of instilling democracy and such on other countries and those failures. When you dive deeper into the story, it is something I feel a more college level gamer would understand the true context of. Kevin Spacey delivers a great job, and of course the protagonist Mitchell is done well with the likes Troy Baker the king of video game acting taking the helm. When it comes to gameplay the campaign offers a fun and action packed story. The exo-suits add some different things like abilities, and I like how they have challenges that gives you points to upgrade your exo-suit which makes playing on veteran almost a cake walk now. Overall a solid campaign and is my favorite part of Advanced Warfare. The MULTIPLAYER: This was a different change of pace. Advanced Warfare introduced new features to the game such as jump boost, and all sorts of abilities with your exo-suits. Only problem is that I feel certain abilities with suits just aren't executed well enough. Now the online is actually challenging, and honestly is more skill based than previous CoDs. I feel like you really can't just camp anymore. Everyone is constantly moving around now. It is way more fast-paced and aggressive. The game features a wide selection of weapons to choose from with your custom classes, but it is different now. In AW you receive these supply drops that give you things like double exp I think, gear to customize your soldier and weapons. What is different is that now you receive unique versions of weapons that have certain stat boosts. Which alters the competition. I remember playing with friends and just absolutely sucking. Then I got my first solid elite weapon and started doing much better. Your weapon makes such a huge difference in this game, and I really like that. You gotta get the best weapons to really be good. While it takes a way some skill, it is a nice change. Now I really like the customization of your little soldier dude. You make your person just really awesome looking, and I have seen some pretty cool ones in my play time. AW is a decent multiplayer and it is way better than Ghosts and MW3 which are my least favorites, and I enjoy it more than Black Ops. All in all I was pleasantly surprised by Advanced Warfare. My expectations were rather low, but Sledgehammer did a solid job IMO. I really look forward to the next CoD coming this year now.	video-games_xbox
but I enjoy playing the occasional video game on an occasional weeknight . I am not a "gamer," but I enjoy playing the occasional video game on an occasional weeknight or weekend. I grew up with a PS1 and PS2, and later acquired a Wii. I like MarioKart. :). But, for a button controlled gaming system, I had really only used PS controllers. My then-fiance-now-husband comes from an Xbox family. So...when I was visiting one day, we decided to try to play Halo 3 on the easiest setting, which basically consisted of him excitedly yelling "press X! No! Not A! X! X!! Turn and run! How do you manage to die on 'easy?'" and me being really confused about the controls and wondering why Cortana doesn't have clothing. We tried playing a button-masher, multi-player game he already had, but it wasn't a conducive way for me to learn the controller. Everyone else already knew the game, and, meanwhile, I was reading the screen prompts like "press 'Y'...click...press 'right bumper'...there's more than one of them...Is 'right bumper' like R1 or R2?" Consequently, I spent a few days the week before Christmas to find "girlfriend" games. This one seemed like the most promising for what I like and what I thought my fiance would like. Basically, it is a silly, fun, and slightly challenging game in the style of SuperMario brothers. The characters are goofy. The worlds are interesting. They graphics are fun. The interactiveness is enjoyable. And, if one of your co-players starts annoying you, you can haul off and punch them (in the game, of course)! Best of all--unlimited lives! Yes, you can die, but you come back in bubble and get popped by one of your teammates. We have had fun playing this game, and I really like how my fiance and I could start out playing the game and one or both of his brothers could jump in or out of the game as they desired. We haven't reached the end, but this game definitely met what I was looking for: a fun way to learn how to use an Xbox controller while having a good time playing games and laughing with family.	video-games_xbox
A Step in the Right Direction. First let me say that SFIV is a well crafted game with a lot of nice touches and improvements. While not perfect, I'm sure the downloadable content will increase its value. OK, my stream-of-consciousness and reaction review: The first thing that caught my eye was that you can start the Arcade mode and be challenged in the middle of the game like at a real arcade via Xbox live. The matchmaking is superb as I was never paired with anyone that much lower than my skill nor higher. Every opponent felt just right. I did win more than I lost but I think that's because I'm pretty good with this new Sagat. I felt quite unstoppable with him, his tiger knee is wonderful now, starts low, arcs and hits again on the way down. You can even combo into a super in the middle of a Tiger Knee! The graphics are very neat, a little stiffer looking than I expected them to look, though that is probably due to the fact that they seem to be aiming more for an anime look than real life, but they are gorgeous just the same. I love the little details like characters still breathing hard after being knocked unconscious and that characters aren't mirrored when switching sides. Another cool thing in SFIV is the fact that, since the graphics are polygons, and not drawn, you can download cool alternate costumes that were impossible in any of the old games. In some ways SFIV feels a bit "dumbed" down in the gameplay though. While it includes many new and complex moves (EX, Ultra, Focus), it definitely felt easier to pull off many of the moves and combos. I also have been playing Street Fighter HD Remix and the difference in difficulty and technical skill required is huge. In SFIV the characters are huge and it feels easier to combo. I even pulled some super combos off of fierce attacks you couldn't do before, thus making combos easier on the whole. Also, regular attacks are a lot better and more viable. Even kicks that usually hit very high can be used well to hit standing opponents. All in all the fights feel less contrived than in previous versions, though still retain the SF feel. The roster felt more balanced too, and I didn't feel any one character was that much better or easier to play, though I did lose badly when I tried the new unfamiliar ones. I can't say I tried EVERYONE though. Unfortunately you so end up playing mostly against Guile/Ryu/Chun-Li on Live just like in any other version. I fear perhaps Viper may be that one character that programmers made a bit strong just for being the new main character. But oldies like Honda and Blanka pack a serious punch too. Their moves are adjusted to work better and their specials are more useful than ever. Honda felt quite solid with many nice combo possibilities. In general, under certain circumstances, you can combo off of fierce attacks that normally don't which is fun, without turning into button mashing. You can also see and obtain a lot of cool movies, great intros for every fight and beginning and ending movies. All of these intros, while a bit cheesy, do add to the game experience and I found them a welcome addition as well as all the pre and post fight banter between the characters. I'm yet to figure out how to master the new moves like EX attacks and Ultras but they seem like a great additions and not so "expert" level as the old SFIII Parry. EX attacks are done by pressing two buttons instead of one during a special and they produce stronger versions of these. Ultras are obtained after taking damage and performed by pressing three punches or kicks with the Super Combo motion. It was a joy to see that Ultras can even be paired with Super Combos and Super Combos with Specials, a very different world indeed. Focus attacks are another addition. By pressing two of the same type of attack buttons (kicks/punches) the character does a type of soft parry that can be used to attack or as a combo starter depending on how long you press the buttons. They can also be used to interrupt special moves and thus protecting yourself from a counter attack. Perhaps my only reservations are that I'm not sure whether this is really that much different in essence than playing HD Remix. It's almost like playing the same game with slightly different difficulty and technique settings, and lower graphics of course (though HD Remix looks gorgeous too) but still good ol' SF, and that can either be a good or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. The other is that I ache for the old feeling of mystique in the old SF games. I miss characters having their own private stages where you go and fight them instead of fighting them anywhere, and the well defined theme songs for each character. The songs back then were more varied, using a variety of musical genres and in general were more memorable than the techno drivel we get nowadays in fighting games. Not to say there isn't a great variety of gorgeous stages, but I still miss the simplicity of the old ones. But perhaps I'm being too harsh here. There are many updated versions of old stages that are great eye candy. I highly recommend it, but be warned, this is not Tekken, Soul Calibur , DOA or Virtua Fighter, even if it looks a bit like them, where you mash buttons mindlessly to link attacks. This is still Street Fighter, with the same type of gameplay. You still have to learn combos and how to counter them, timing, and a slew of special and super moves. So while I think it's great and good for new players, if you hated the original SF games, then there's little here for you.	video-games_xbox
Expectations that fell short. I've come to expect a lot with video game developers as a general rule. Especially when you consider the millions upon millions of dollars that are used for marketing, development, and distribution. I remember when gaming was more of a pastime then a cultural phenomena. So needless to say, I was curious to what Halo 3 brought to the table. My introduction didn't start off on the right foot... Disc Not Readable... Lovely. Lucky for me I rented the game and so I just got a replacement disc they had in stock. (Side note: I feel sorry for all of you who shelled out big bucks and got socked by the disc issues...honestly.) At any rate, I finally got to play through the campaign missions and also had some multiplayer time on Xbox Live. Graphically, I was not blown away by the overall presentation. After playing the likes of Gears of War or Bioshock, this was not up to par. I've come to expect more. Especially when we are paying $60 STANDARD price for games. By no means am I hinting that this an ugly game...I just know that the Xbox 360 hardware can handle much more than what is given. I still found some of the character models a bit clumsy and stoic. I also thought some environments had more work put into them than others. One major turn-off of was the sound effects volume...namely the weapons and explosions. Is it me or did it sound dulled out? Turning the volume up made everything else obnoxiously loud (Dialog to be exact) and so I just settled for quiet guns and explosions. I don't know about you, but I love hearing the rattle of my bullets as they hit the ground and the roar of an explosion. However, the soundtrack is very immersing and beautiful throughout the game. A lot of hard work and commitment took place to create such astonishing music. The real treat Halo 3 offers is multiplayer. You can easily spend hours upon hours playing over Xbox Live and honestly this portion alone could be sold separate from the campaign mission and still be a huge success. As a matter of fact, this is the shining star of the whole package. Halo 3 comes to us with probably one of strongest marketing efforts to date...at times intrusive...but still delivers a solid gaming experience. At the same time, I can say without any hesitation that I've seen better looking and more immersing titles on the market. Basically I think this is a definitive example of what promotion can do to boost a title to the point where you think the Heaven's will part and God's angels will sound trumpets. So in closing, happy gaming to all and enjoy the Halo 3 experience for what it's worth. Not a bad game...just not astounding.	video-games_xbox
A word of warning before playing. Before putting 60+ hours into this game, I think I should warn people about what happened to me, so that they don't make the same frustrating mistake that I did. I wouldn't say that it was technically a glitch, and something of the same nature happened to me when I was playing Skyrim, but all the same, it still makes you want to rip your hair out. I'm one of those people that like to explore alot, and I don't usually do that many quests until I've been to almost every major area on the map. To make a long story short, Around level 48, and a substantial amount into the main questline, I came across the Lost kingdom quest (a place that I had already discovered early in the game). This quest required that I activate this pillar inside a dungeon, after defeating some huge flying demon. The problem is that I had already activated it earlier in the game, and this time around, it apparently couldn't be activated again, and the only way to move ahead in the quest was to do something to this pillar, and it wouldn't register because I had already messed with it earlier. So...being that this was the main questline, I had to restart the game after playing for more than 60 hours. It is really irritating when this happens in games (Skyrim as well). If games are going to stiff you like that, then you should only be able to take one quest at a time, or not be able to activate things that are only meant for the story. Anyway..this time around, I am not messing with anything outside of quests, except for chests. My only other complaints is that I wish this game would of offered some kind of monster bestiary. A game with this many different kinds of enemies would be much better with some kind of descriptive lore about each enemy, along with artwork of the enemy or even the way they actually look in the game. Clicking the left stick when your fighting allows for some statistics of the current enemy, but it's kind of hard to look at when your you're getting mobbed by 15 enemies. You can also look at the stats of the last 3 enemies in the menu, but it's not very in depth. A bestiary is a very good idea, especially for people that like to get more involved in the game. For anyone buying this game, I recommend that you read the full tutorial located in the quest menu. That is also where you will find all the books you've collected. For the good things about this game, I could probably talk for an hour straight. I have never played Diablo, but I don't imagine that it's as in depth in character customization as Sacred 2 is, because this game is so massive on the numbers scale that I just don't see many games beating it. The thought that went into the character detailing is just amazing. So many different types of weapons and armor! I can't get over the numbers. I was really starting to get some good loot when I had my chance to find valuables up to 28%. And if you don't die, then you get a survival bonus. Just look on your Overview menu. That can be really frustrating when you look at your bonus, and it's up to around 30 or 40%, and you die not even 5 minutes later. Sometimes when you're getting attacked by 10 enemies at once, your health just goes down in what seems like a split second, so stay away from big mobs if your trying to stay alive. This is the best looting game that I have ever played, and it stomps Elderscrolls into the dust. Weapons and armor have originality in this game, and the graphics are also very original. This is a very good game, and if anyone likes RPG type games where you can kill and get loot and explore hidden areas, then you better not pass this up. And in response to someone saying this is a linear game: No, you can't cut straight across the map, and yes, you are more imbedded into your surroundings, but I think I like that alot more because that means that the map is set up for the player, and when I do get to where I am going, I feel more accomplishment. Linear though: this game is not! If you could cut straight across the map (disregarding mountains and cities), then it would probably still take you longer then it would in Skyrim. I'm not saying you cannot cut across, because there are plenty of places to cut through, where you are not on any specific path, but some trails or mountainsides you have to follow if you want to get to where you are going. There is alot of different places to discover, and even the side islands have expansive dungeons with lava, dragons, fire demons, and a purpose! If you sit there and played through the disgustingly boring (generated) side quests from Skyrim (you know, the Dark brotherhood missions that keep telling you to do the same things over and over again, and then all the sudden stop for no reason) then you don't have to worry, because Sacred 2 seems like it's got pretty much everything planned out, and you will feel more purpose for doing things. I don't know about anyone else, but playing Skyrim gave me no accomplishment or intrigue, and with this game, I get that. Just don't pass this up. This is an awesome game.	video-games_xbox
Disappointing game that should have been better. I can only provide feedback based on my experience and this doesn't reflect everyones' experience. I also play drums majority of the time, it's the instrument I enjoy the most. I also use a rock pedal that I've had since Rock Band 2. Immediately out of the box, the drum kit requires a firmware update for dropped notes. Unfortunately, this doesn't fix the problem entirely. Kick pedal hits were slow to register and drum rolls still drop notes. The latest firmware fixed the pedal slowness, but the kit still drops rolls or any fast hits. I later see that I am experiencing a very noticeable input delay, where my hits register on the screen after I hit the pads. It doesn't happen before or after songs before the note track, just during them. I submitted a ticket to Harmonix. Their first response was to download the firmware. Their second response was to contact Mad Catz. People are talking about issues and someone has mentioned firmware testing on Reddit. However, Harmonix hasn't publicly addressed this and seem to be ignoring it altogether by not addressing the issues. Your DLC from past games is available, which is good. However, downloading the songs from the Xbox Marketplace isn't the same as downloading the songs from the Rock Band store. More than 85% of my songs were not in the game, requiring me to re-download them again through the game itself. Defeated the purpose of downloading the songs prior to release. I'm also seeing my preorder bonus songs can't all be downloaded. You would think those songs would work the moment the game releases. It's the same gameplay as previous editions. I'm glad they brought tour mode back, that's always been my favorite. They also have an option for shows, which is a vote based system. However, tour mode and quick play scores aren't linked, so you essentially have to keep playing your songs again to see the scores in both modes. Character creation is limited, more limited than I thought it would be. You only have a handful of options you can choose. Shoes are now dependent on the pants, which doesn't make sense as they've never been that way in the past. You also can't create characters for stand-ins with your band. This is being fixed in the next update though. Unlike previous rock band games, your singers don't change based on genders. If you have a female singer, they will sing both male and female songs. There's a few questions to ask that I have to be answer honestly: - Would I recommend this game to someone now in the state it's in? No - Would I rather play Rock Band 4 over doing anything else? No - Do I regret my purchase? Yes The other games had features not in this game and the instruments + gameplay issues haven't been this bad either. For a game that is the bare minimum, you would expect it to work as flawless as the last game, if not better. You'd also expect certain aspects of the game to eclipse previous editions. With the issues I've experienced on drums alone and my experience with Harmonix this time around, I can't recommend this game to anyone and wish I could tell myself a month ago to hold off on buying it. Stick with Rock Band 3 for now. Update #1 As seen in the comments, Harmonix has provided additional feedback for resolving my issues. I have since contacted Mad Catz and their response was to re-calibrate the game. I can say I've calibrated this game quite a bit just to be able to play "in time" with the music. My video is 150ms, but I get the same input delay at 200ms and 120ms. At this point, if I want to play the game, I should only play it if I don't care about my scores. I care about having a good time, but I also care that the game accurately reflect my play. Update #2 Mad Catz provided me a new drum kit. Very expedient shipping, received it the very next day. I'm happy to say the drums work better with a smaller input delay. It's now much closer to my actual playing with a few dropped notes during rolls still, which I'll need to calibrate some more with the new kit. Feeling much better playing the game now.	video-games_xbox
Not an ideal joystick. The EX2, when I got it, was the only stick for the 360. The stick, though, shows very little thought in its design. First, the stick's buttons are oddly placed. On the top row, we have B, X, and Y. On the bottom, A, LT, and RT. The bumpers are on the top where you can't really use them. This means that in every game, you must remap the controls; there are no sensible defaults for it. In some games, the stick is completely useless. In Ultimate MK3 on the Xbox Live Arcade, Midway didn't include the option to remap the controls. That leaves the stick completely unusable for the game. Not to pick on Midway, but in MKvDC, the game uses all the buttons. What do you do when two are at the top of your controller and unusable? Well, you have to pick which two your game style simply won't use. Hori, by producing this idiosyncratic button layout, has forced gamers to play their games below par, and with some games, not to play them at all. I can think of no good reason to do this with a joystick. That fact alone drops the review of the stick a star. Then we have the problem that very quickly the stick starts misdetecting your movements. I can't reliably execute my moves on SF2, either the Hyper Fighting I had when I first bought it or the HDRemix that's recently come out. When I use my X-Arcade stick, though, I can execute them right. When I check the feedback in a training mode, I can see that it isn't detecting my diagonals very well. That would be good for Pac-Man, but not for a fighting game (and that is what these sticks are for). Within a few days the stickers also started to come off of the product. This is an aesthetic thing, so it normally wouldn't bother me, but coupled with the preceding, it makes me wonder if Hori really values their customers. I've had this stick for several months now, so I have a good feel for its strengths and weaknesses. However, I am going to buy the SF2 Tournament Stick when it's released. I'm really not in the mood for another Hori stick. In the interim, I'll suffer with it and play on my Xbox, Dreamcast, and emulators with my X-Arcade stick. It's too bad they can't make a 360 adapter.	video-games_xbox
Quite a disappointment. I've been playing all of the COD games since COD 2 and this one is definitely my least favorite. I was a huge fan of the multiplayer for MW2 and Black Ops but this has been terrible. I have not had any fun while playing this game. My major gripes with this game: 1. Just as a lot of people have stated, the maps that were released with the game are terribly small. It has gotten to the point that Activision cannot find a good way to have people spawn. I have found myself spawning next to or behind the person that had just killed me. The maps are also VERY cluttered but not in a good way. You will find yourself having to check behind EVERY SINGLE piece of cover to make sure you don't get killed by a camper. Now, this isn't a complaint about campers as they are just using the cover (Albeit, a little too much) that is given to them. 2. The guns are extremely overpowered/your health is too low. It will only take a couple of shots by almost any gun to kill someone. The Type 95 only takes 1-2 bursts at most ranges and the PP90 takes 2-3 bullets from a medium range to down someone. More than a month after the game's release, Activision has done nothing to change this. 3. Calling in a UAV/throwing a special grenade takes way too long. When your character takes out the remote to call in the UAV, the animation is about a second long, maybe longer. While this sounds like a relatively short amount of time, it is a lifetime in the game. Throwing a flashbang or concussion grenade takes just as long to complete the animation and then to recover from. While there is a perk to combat this, I do not feel that I should have to waste a perk slot just because the developers felt that an unnecessarily long recovery time was needed. 4. There is way too much going on with your display and/or audio while playing. When I'm not shooting or reloading, I find myself being inundated with the guitar riffs and text that accompany a challenge being completed. I understand that these extra points are necessary when the prestige level is set to 80 and it takes to weapon level 31 to get the gold camo, but there should be an option to turn it off. While I'm on the topic, there is no way to turn down the music while playing both single or multiplayer. For those of us who wear headsets, this is a hindrance. Overall, this game is just a rehash of MW2 but that is what I expected. The problem is, Activision made changes to the gameplay and style that only took away from the experience. I STRONGLY recommend that you rent this game first (If that's an option for you) before buying this game.	video-games_xbox

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