Review of Armored Core 2

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When we got a Playstation 2, the first PS2 game we put into it was Armored Core 2, by Agetec. This game style is definitely one we enjoy a great deal. Unfortunately, it appears they rushed this game out the door a bit too quickly.

The game design is really neat. Like most mech games, you start out slowly, getting money to customize your mech as you go. There are 50 'ranked' robots for you to fight your way through, as well as 35 missions to undertake to earn fame and fortune. There are hundreds of parts to choose from to customize your bot.

You can also go head-to-head by linking your PS2 to a friend's with the cable. Unfortunately the PS2 doesn't currently support modem play, so someone has to carry the unit to someone else's house to do this.

The plots are interesting with three factions trying to get control of Mars, the missions you choose help influence the fate of these companies. The customization is almost overwhelming. You can custom-design your own logo with their built in paint program, buy parts for a huge variety of systems on your mech, and then test it out in various arenas against various foes.

Why the disappointment, then? The learning curve on this is VERY steep the screens and layout could have been done much more intuitively. The game also runs extremely slowly. Sounds lock up, visuals will stick on the screen, etc. If you've spent hours and hours (if not weeks and weeks) working on designing the perfect mech, the last thing you want is for system failures to cause you to lose missions and die in battles.

A true mech fan might overlook these problems and enjoy the game, but those out to test the true power of their PS2 might want to look at other options.

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I bought this game because I was looking for a non-sports title for my PS2 and wanted something with a little more combat than SSX (excellent game see reviews). I'm glad I read reviews of it before I bought it! Armored Core 2 is a very good game, but it does have its flaws, and there is a learning curve involved. Some people may not want to take the time to get past the initial phase of the game.

The premise is simple you're on Mars and own a mech, a remote-controlled, armed robot. Mars is controlled by several corporations, each with their own agenda, and they're looking for hired help to help them get what they want. That means you. You provide help by way of accepting missions. From time to time, corporations will contact your advisor with opportunities. You can review the mission, see how much it pays (sometimes you get an advance), and choose to accept or decline. Upon completion of the mission, you'll get whatever portion of the reward you're owed, as well as any bonuses you may have earned, but you have to pay to repair any damage to your mech and you have to pay for ammunition that you've used.

You can also earn credits (money) and parts by beating other mechs in head-to-head combat in the Arena. The Arena is a ladder-based challenge system as you beat each opponent, you move up one rung and receive a correspondingly larger bonus. You don't have to pay for damage or ammunition in the Arena.

Here's where the work comes in. At first, you've got a very basic mech. Especially if you're not familiar with mech combat, as I wasn't, you'll get beat in the Arena or fail to complete missions. The expense of failing a mission is usually enough to set you back too far to continue, so you'll want to restart the mission. Easy enough? Think again.

The game doesn't lend itself well to this kind of progress (intentionally so, I think). If you want to redo a mission, you have to load a saved game (save after EVERY mission!), accept the mission, and start over again. It's not a quick process. Then again, it can still be done. In Arena mode, you can simply choose to fight the battle again, and can do so over and over until you win, although the losses are kept in your record.

As you progress through the missions, you get more offers, your ranking improves (you have a completion percentage based on how far you've gone), and you learn more about Mars, the corporations, and other things that are happening. Eventually, you'll have a well-armed mech and will be more able to do what you want. Corporations will also make more parts available to you, especially if you've been working for them, so don't think you're limited to the weapons, legs, and other parts you see when you start.

After each mission and Arena battle, you can take your credits and spend them in the Shop. Here's where Agetec makes up for the missions you sell parts back for 100% of the purchase price, so you can experiment to your heart's content (well, maybe your wallet's) when you upgrade your mech. However, you can't get everything you want. Your mech has an energy limit and weight limits for the legs and the core, and you can't spend more money than you have. If you're too heavy or can't afford required parts, you can't go into battle.

The control scheme is typical for mech games, which means if you were expecting to use the analog sticks for movement, you'll be disappointed. In their defense, this system is more realistic. After all, if your mech has legs, it's not going to be able to spin around very easily! It takes a bit of getting used to (and you need to know that the L3 and R3 buttons are the analog sticks push in to use), but once you've got the controls down, you'll be ready for battle. You can even use a USB mouse to design your emblem (the logo for your mech), and if you've got skills, you can design a really cool emblem.

The gameplay itself is good, although if there are many missiles on the screen, you'll definitely see some slowdown. Aside from that, it's nice once you've become accustomed to the controls, and there's something satisfying about taking out a plane or a chopper with one well-aimed missile. It's not all brute force, though. You'd love to be able to lay waste to a facility, but when you finish the mission and get your bill for the ammo, you'll wish you were a little more conservative.

You can play head-to-head against a friend, either in split-screen mode if you've got one PS2, or if you have two PS2s, two TVs, you each have the game, and you have one i.Link cable, you can play on your own systems.

There are many different types of mechs you can build, and the missions that you accept, in theory, steer your progress through the game (I've not played more than one game, so I can't verify that). I think the replay value of the game is pretty good, if you're a mech player, and I'm looking forward to going back and replaying some missions.

I've had a lot of fun with this game, but I've also had to be patient with it. If you've got the time, and if you like mech combat, this is a good game for you. If you're considering this for a younger person, or if you're new to the mech arena, you may want to look for something else.

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First off, this game is very hard. You have 32 difficult missions to complete, all the while trying to advance through around 50 other challengers in the Arena. The graphics are smooth and are beautifully rendered using the PlayStation 2's great processor. You didn't need to play this game's predecessors, because the storyline in this game kicks off from the beginning. It is an intertwining plot about heroism, sacrifice, betrayal, and mysteries of another race, particularly, the Martians.

Another great thing is that there are over 200 parts you can earn and find in missions, the shop, and the Arena. Customizing your mech is one of the great aspects of this game. There are thousands of combinations, insuring you that your mech is unique.

For all of you parents out there, this game has only robot violence, no "blood and guts" as in most other video games. For the kids, this game insures a challenge, so don't be afraid to lose.

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Dont let the title of this review turn you away from the game. But belive me, it is completely true. I loved AC 1 and PS2 I knew would deliver. It did thankfully. The graphics are smooth and there is absolutely no clipping. No pixels when your up close and only minor slow down in mission levels (this happens very seldom, usually when 10 missles are flying at you with 20 MTs shooting at you, which is only like 2 levels.) AThe game is fun, but only once you break through the begining of the game because I couldnt tell you how many times I got the ... kicked out of me and had to dig myself out of debt. Some of the first couple levels are [very] hard, as are some of the later missions. As the title reads, once you play the 4-5 mission you will hurl your Dual Shock 2 controller through your window and sit there meticulously thinkin of how you can get your self out of a -30k debt. Once you get a chance to build up your mech, this game shines through the darkness. You can create a really personalized mech, changing color, parts, weapons, speed. Everything is customizable. I am now begining to truely enjoy this game because if you have patience you will get to the point of this game which makes this a must have. Piloting your AC through Arena mode is a definite plus to get your mind off of frustrating mission battles. The story even progress fluidly with "Mail" that you get after certain missions or arena battles. The graphics are awesome, story is awesome, and after some broken controllers, gameplay is awesome and definitly warrants this a purchase.

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Apples versus oranges some might shout, but to me there are several parallels between this mech-warfare game and the highly structured race game, Gran Turismo.

In both games, you begin with a basic "vehicle" (the first and Armored Core or AC, the latter a race car). Both vehicles are customizeable and upgradeable, and both require money to make your vehicles better. Both involve competitions (the former in the Arena against other ACs or on missions for assorted corporations that, upon success, pay for services rendered the latter in races) to raise money to pay for your upgrades. Both require practice to master your machines. And, in my opinion, both are great games. In other words, if you like the features of Gran Turismo the building and bettering of a vehicles the challenge of mastering its operation the thrill of victory over difficult opponents and want a break from race games, give AC2 a try!

The play control isn't too tricky, I feel, once you learn the basic important movements. However, as you upgrade and switch your AC around, factors such as defense, mobility, energy, and the like, are all affected in different ways. This leads to countless combinations that, in my opinion, add to the fun.

The graphics are beautiful and the explosions are spectacular. There are so many different types of weapons from rocket launchers to machine guns, shotguns to missle launchers to bombs all featuring differing strengths and weaknesses (and ways to blow up your enemies!) that create yet more eye candy for the MechWar fiend.

The sound is nothing special, but once again, the explosions are quite exhilerating. I don't think the sound is bad, just typical of action based games, easily left to the background. For those of you who prefer female or male computer voices for your ACs, depending on how you upgrade, this sound can change.

Artisans have the option of customizing the colors of your mechs. There are many preset colors for impatient folks like myself to change the look of your AC with one click, or you can create your own combinations of colors out of scratch. ACs can also feature emblems which can be customized or created.

Thanks to all the combinations you can formulate when it comes to machinery, and all the missions and competitions, I feel this game will keep me entertained for quite awhile. If you like strategy, customization, competition, and just blowing things up, give AC2 a try. I think you, too, will find entertainment value in this for months to come.

Reviews of Creative Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Fury Gaming Headset

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Great headset! Fits very comfortably for long periods of time. Sounds quality is amazing, as always! The amount of pre-set profiles, especially those from pro and former pro players is a great feature. The build quality is sold and for the price you cannot beat this headset if you're a gamer!

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Best gaming headset I've found in a long time. Comfortable for extended periods of gaming. Very durable, yet light enough to feel like I'm not wearing anything.

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There's a lot of junky gaming headsets around but overall these are excellent. Sound stage is great and these are definitely awesome for gaming. Excellent value too!

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I am a long time Sound Blaster fan and this is the best gaming headset they have come out with in a while. It is great for either PC or my console gaming,

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It took a little time getting used to using a headset, but now, I find it to be comfortable. The sounds coming through the headset, particularly gaming sounds, are really great. The only problem I've had with it is the microphone keeps coming loose and sometimes falls out. Thus, only 4 stars.

Reviews of Test Drive

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This game is fun and entertaing, for a while that is.. Its graphics to start, arent the best, but they arent the worst. The car models are pretty good. But where in the hell is the car damage, XBOX should have car damage. The towns you drive through look pretty good, and the story behind is not as bad as i thought. But the races are good, but after a while, it gets repetitive, you drive through the same city 10 times, its just in diferant parts, and its not that hard to win. It goes along good, you get differant kinds of races like pink slips and linear and circut. The Bad thing is in pink slip is, if you lose, your outa the job, NO, pink slip meens u lose your car, you should just lose your car and not your carreer.

so hear are the pros and cons.

Pros-1.Not bad graphics

2. Very enternaing for a while.

3. Lots to do.

4. Awesome cars, for muscle car lovers.

5. Good underground story.

6. Love the charachters u race with in the underground.

Cons-1. No car damage

2.Gets repetitive.

3. Pink slips-take the car-not the career

4. In underground u race through the same city, its annoying.

5. NOt enough corses in cop chase.

6. Could be alot better

So, to conclusion, this game is a deffinant rent...

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Test Drive is a very exilarating game. All of the sorroundings can be interacted with. The only downfall with this game is that when you crash the cars that you hit go flying and you may aswell but the appearence to the car has not changed. The cars don't actually get damaged.

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When i bought this game i thought it would be like gotham racing but with more of a variety, but i was wrong, it has less variety. No damage on the cars and the lighting sucks. Almost every level i have been to(which is as far as the 4th level on underground mode because i just gave up cause it was to damn long and hard.) is in the night which is anouying. Also you cant get a lead on the computer they are always right there. The cops are also anouying especailly when they pull you over right near the end of the level. Also the computer can knock you into oblivion but you cant even knock them off course, and characters are anouying, they say the same thing every time. This game isnt even worth renting and definantly do not! i repeat, do not buy test drive! Its an exspensive frisbee. In fact i am turning it into funco land.

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In ways this game can be fun but in other ways in can be as frustrating as hell!.

First, in underground mode you can only race as two cars?!.

Drag races get pretty boring after a while.

Cop chases are great but why do you always have play as the cop,

why not be able to run from cops?!!.

Most of the music is good but some [disappoints].

And finally graphics are great, as usual with XBOX.

So rent it before you buy it.

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The things you love about Test Drive and hate about Test Drive run in a dead heat. The action is fast and furious, the streets flashing by in a 100 mph plus blur is a bit of a rush but ultimately there really isn't much to look at, no check that, there's a lot to look at but there really isn't much to see that we haven't already seen in say... Crazy Taxi. Frame rates are solid but the landscapes are anemic and flat, the cars don't fare much better, feeling a tad on the jagged side with muted paint jobs and reflections. The sound is horrible, with some effects missing altogether, when you pile into a lamp post at break neck speed, there is no sound of crumpled steel, just an odd silence. Which brings us to a another major disappointment, car damage, like the sounds of destruction, there is none, not so much as a scratch or paint chip, no twisted fenders or one single dented bumper, which in the end makes Test Drive feel unfinished to say the least. On the up side however Test Drives levels are large and teaming with traffic and peds, the sense of speed is very nice and the controls are comfortable and easy to acclimate yourself to and the Cop Chase mode is a hoot but in the end there are better and much prettier examples of driving games out there, simulation; Project Gothem, arcade; see Wreckless and for a little of both we'll just have to wait and see how Midtown Madness 3 fares. You wont love test drive but you wont hate it so if you're looking for something different to drive around on your X Box this weekend (that's arcade style crash 'em up fun) rent it and save your money for something useful... like say, a cute poster of a kitty.

Review of Karaoke Revolution - Xbox

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This is just plain fun! It's one of the few XBox titles that is made for any age, and not complicated to learn and enjoy.

Graphics are good, as are the tunes. If you score high enough, you will unlock new outfits for your performers and advance to new venues with songs increasing in difficulty.

I recommend checking out the tutorial before you try performing, as your performances are rated by the crowd and will determine your advancement through the game. Start on the easiest level until you get your confidence up! Note that if you are using the microphone, you need to have it close to your mouth to register on the game. (*You need either an XBox live headset or XBox microphone (plugs into the standard controller; front side) to play.)

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This is a fun game even if you can't sing. And I think it can help your singing as you get into it. The game is similar to the dance revolution game. On the bottom of the screen there will be the words you need to sing and a visual guide with an arrow pointing up or down to let you know that you're flat or sharp. If you're just right, you get the crowd excited and cheering. It's a great party game. My only complaint is that there aren't enough songs on it. You can go on Xbox live and download other songs, but they're $5 for 5 or 6 songs. In addition, the songs available appear to be the same songs that are on the Playstation 2 version of this game (like Jessie's Girl, I Believe in a Thing Called Love, Sweet Home Alabama). Having said that, though, it's definitely worth getting.

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Love it! Its for every person who loves to sing, but won't get up in public. I received it as a Christmas gift, and its great you can have the fun of performing in front of a crowd without ever leaving the house. My family came for Christmas and they wouldn't sing at first, when they realized how fun it was we played for 2 hours. My nieces 13, 11, 9 went out the next week and bought it for PS2 and fight over the mike. Lots of fun

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Love the series. I was never someone who hit the karaoke bar's on Friday night, but every party we have, we bring it out and its always a hit. Even the people who don't compete will usually sing along as they watch. Be careful, its addictive.

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For anyone who has only tried the Singstar karaoke games for PS2, if you really enjoy singing and doing karaoke, you have GOT to try the Karaoke Revolution games... so many more options for playing and much easier to follow the lyrics and try to stay in tune... In my opinion, ALL of the Karaoke Revolution games are a BLAST!!

Cheap Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction CE

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SC Conviction is a nice game, the graphics are terrific, the playability is different from any predecessor Splinter Cell games. You spend more time on combat than stealth mode, that no was a problem for me because I like the both styles.

I didn't play the multiplayer because nobody on my list has the game yet, So I can't talk about it.

My sad part, is that I already have the $69.99 price on CE since I put my pre-order on last Black Friday, so the Ubisoft discount was not a big deal for me.

My USB unfortunately arrived defective, if you want get that game, just go for the standard version, I think the additional content will be open for everybody at .

Standard Version is the best choice! The game still sweet, is very well designed, the Sam is a bad guy and I like it, I hope the multiplayer will be good, if you will buy only for single player, you will fell your money a little bit worthless, because the campaign is very short, so is better you wait price drops.

Sorry my English, I Live in Brazil :)

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Conviction is a great title. The gameplay does a great job of balancing the ability to take things more combat focused. It will still rampant things up more but it won't be instantly game over (minus one area) but the inclusion of mark and execute forces you at times to want to stay stealthy. Mark and Execute is like targeting enemies in Rainbow Six: Vegas but in this case you pull the moves off which makes for a fast paced Jason Bourne still cinematic as you do it. It looks incredibly cool. TO get mark and execute you have to take out enemies secretly.

Beyond that, the graphics are good and the soundtrack does a great job of pumping up certain moments. The game though is a bit short but the story is pretty cool and the narrative is well spoken with great voice overs. Now the single player game is short but there is other modes as well and co-op is a great addition that allows you to tackle a whole different story without Sam Fisher. You will both have to work together to sneak around and do the same as you do in the single player game (of course with different objectives).

As you progress you will gain, points as you take out enemies in certain ways and by doing other things. This allows you to upgrade many of the available weapons, special gadgets, and even your costumes (used in certain modes). It is a great game. I have had issues with co-op at times but you can end with a good connection. Its that when you disconnect, you lose all your progress from the checkpoint so will have to start over.

Fans of Splinter Cell games should enjoy this games and people who don't like Splinter Cell should find this game a welcome change for the series. It does little nice things by displaying the objective within the environment, has a new ability to use a shadow image of yourself that signals where the enemy has last seen you against themselves, and there is a cool little interrogation you can do in the game. I recommend this game.

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It's finally here, a new Splinter Cell, or is it? This new game has some of the same names and faces, and even design choices of previous games, but seems to not fit the old style as much as it used to, but that's okay in many ways. While this new Splinter Cell is not quite like others, it's still good. As for the game itself, it is amazing, the gameplay is rich and fun, story interesting yet not overdone.

Needless to say, while the game by itself is amazing, it doesn't feel exactly like Splinter Cell, but in many ways that's okay, while this game could have been a remake of the Bourne game, it still plays well and is fun, and if you ever like stealth action at all, this is a must pick up for anyone.

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I had purchased Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction on launch and enjoyed the game. I had only played through the campaign on normal and beat it the next day. I didn't bother to try out any of the other game modes so I sold it back in April 2010 and forgot about it. After searching through amazon for cheap games I came upon the Collectors Edition of Splinter Cell Conviction. Being that the price was the same as the standard edition, It was an instant purchase.

I'm so glad I picked up this game again because playing through it a second time and exploring the other game modes make me wish I never got rid of it! Splinter Cell Conviction is an amazing game. The combination of stealth and action was perfectly blended in the gameplay and made it a blast to play through. Deniable Ops is fun to play repeatedly and with the Insurgency DLC out makes for hours of fun.

The collectors edition was a great package overall, the Fifth Freedom art book was a nice touch and was nostalgic for me to look back on the old splinter cell games from the first xbox. I was disappointed in the USB credit card being defective. But however after a brief google search I found the content was on the website. The steel book looks great with the iconic night vision goggles in bullet holes on the cover. I am glad a re purchased Splinter Cell Conviction and am looking at buying more collectors editions for older games here on amazon.

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In Conviction, Sam has left Third Echelon following the death his daughter and of his friend Lambert. While he is gone, the new Director, Tom Reed, has completely changed how the agency operates, making connections with less than savory people. Fisher is suddenly brought back into the game by Anna Grimsdotter when a mercenary tries to have him killed, but explains that its part of a conspiracy involving his daughter that goes all the way to the top of Third Echelon. Great storyline, excellent gameplay. The new style and addition of Last Known Position and Mark and Execute make this more fun than ever, and the Realistic difficulty is (with a few execeptions) realistic. Enemies respond to your actions, call for backup, and make smart movements. Multiplayer is good, with an independent storyline. Also, actions and achievements earn you points which allow you to unlock new weapons and gadgets to keep you playing.

Reviews of World in Conflict - Complete Edition

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As other reviews have mentioned, the Soviet Assault add-on adds six Soviet missions interspersed within the original World in Conflict singleplayer campaign. This particular package includes the original World in Conflict, plus the new Soviet missions. For those who missed this excellent strategy game when it was first released in 2007, this is the perfect package for you! The new missions add in new characters, cutscenes, and some very intense fights. It's great to see the Soviet side of the war fleshed out more, the campaign definitely feels much more complete now.

For those who already have the original game, you can find the six new singleplayer missions from Soviet Assault separately for $14.99-$19.99. If you liked the singleplayer, these missions are even better, and in my opinion, well worth it.

If you already have the original World in Conflict, and you don't care about singleplayer, Massive Entertainment released all of the multiplayer additions from Soviet Assault (two new maps, tweaks, etc) COMPLETELY FREE, all you have to do is download Patch #10.

Even you enjoy strategy games, and you haven't tried World in Conflict before, now is your chance!

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This is not the kind of strategy game where you can sit back and plot away. You have to move quickly. I quickly learned this fact from this intense game. The graphics and story line are very good. If you liked "Red Dawn" you'll like the game. I've only played a couple of missions, but there seems to be a lot of variability to the missions. I like the use of control points.

I didn't give it all 5 stars because it is so fast paced it can be frustrating to manage your units, your fire support, your resupply options all while trying to hold one point that is being attacked while trying to take another.

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I recently purchased a new computer, and after seeing some trailers and noticing that this was only $20 I decided to throw it in my Amazon cart. I was anxiously awaiting this game, but when I received it I must admit I was a bit disappointed.

Graphics and audio in this game are, quite frankly, awesome. Units are modeled in extreme detail and the environment is amazing. Cutscenes are done excellently and the story-line is actually believable. I've also heard of CTDs and other performance issues, but for me it has run smooth as butter.

Gameplay, on the other hand, is completely not what I had anticipated. Whereas I expected a Close Combat style game, I got a Command & Conquer. They call it a Real-Time Strategy, but there is no strategy involved in this game. It's basically throwing your units into combat as fast as you can replace them and ordering air and artillery strikes and...well, that's it.

It's fun for a little while, but any serious war-gamer will be bored after an hour or two.

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Hello Folks,

I agree with 3D Viking's statements, with a slight tweak.

I would say that if you have the original game, getting this complete edition is really not worth it. But, if you are new to the game, this complete package is well worth it!

This game has a very simple/slick interface, fantastic graphics and sound. Don't expect this to be the COH series, where you have to base build, and take many little control points (circles). This is more of a real time tactical game. The SP campaigns are fun, but MP, especially where you communicate with your teammates, makes the game very fun. Do not look to this game for using the deep reaches of your intellect, or to have your micromanagement needs met. For that go to Men of War, and its clunky interface.

This game is really a "keep it simple stupid" in its interface and gameplay. Simple is not dumb, it is fun when you talk to your teammates, or are SPing, and want to relax a bit

Regards,

John

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For those struggling to play World of Conflict on Windows 7. I found if I installed it normally then it would not function correctly. However I found it worked correctly if I installed it in a non-system directory such as c:worldinconflict (choose custom when you install). This may also apply to Vista because they are fundamentally the same operating systems.

As for the game, it is excellent and full of atmosphere plus easy to get into to. The Complete Edition has all the campaigns from the original World in Conflict plus all 6 campaigns from the Soviet Assault Expansion. It plays out as one whole game which you mainly play as the US forces but also gives you the chance to see the game from the Russian point of view and also play it as the Russians. This adds even more atmosphere and gives a whole new depth to the game.

If you haven't played this game then go ahead and give it a try!

Reviews of Xbox 360 Rock Band Wireless Fender Telecaster Player's Edition

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I'm an avid RB player with literally 90% of the DLC, and got every official instrument so far, including all three Beatles guitars.

I WAS hoping to get the butterscotch for $100, but since amazon canceled my order due to unavailability, I just went for the sunburst.

The whole body has a matte finish, which is fingerprint-less, which is a nice touch compared to my dust-magnet Beatles guitars.

The buttons are awesome. Almost no click and no fret between buttons. I thought it would throw me off but my muscle memory knew where the buttons were. Might be harder for beginners. Anyway, these things are unbelievable in HOPOs. I was doing Stevie Ray Vaughn songs and crazy solos with ease. Chord changes were also a cinch. Definitely worthwhile if you feel your fingers tripping on a regular controller.

The touch pad works great. any slight touch will trigger it but it's placed just right so your strumming doesn't accidentally touch it. The problem now is whether to tap or wail during alt-strumming parts.

The strum bar is clicky, and it seems to register at the end of the strum instead of the beginning. Not too big a problem unless you strum really lightly. I also found myself breaking combo when wailing during alt-strumming parts. Then again I haven't played Everlong in a while. The alternating O-B while you're holding G part felt smooth though. If you start losing your focus or get lazy it will punish you.

The whammy bar is slick. You have to use your whole hand though, so you can't sneak extra points on every hold. There's a felt piece attached to the bottom so it doesn't scratch your pickguard.

The knob only goes one way for start, which made me think, 'why is there no back button?'

I was ticked that there was no back button, then I realized back was overdrive, so ergo the touch pad was the back button. pretty cool.

Overall, a better body, much better buttons, a more authentic whammy bar, and another useful way to hit overdrive. If you haven't wasted all your money on the Beatles yet, this is a worthy investment in your pursuit of rocking out. I won't recommend this to beginners or casuals. This controller puts your skills to the test, and will reward you if you can handle it.

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I was looking for a bass guitar, but saw this new one by Mad Catz and the sunburst, 'used' look was a selling point for me. The controller has a nice weight to it and fret keys a good feel. The strum bar seem's a bit loose and although a good idea, the 'overdrive' bar is way to sensitive for my liking. It initiates overdrive automatically way to often for my likes (especially when I'm trying to co-ordinate length of it between fellow players). The whammy bar is pretty stiff, but I like it actually. That and I'm starting to detect a squeaking noise with it. But it could be that it's just new and needs to 'settle in'. Overall I like it, but the sensitive overdrive bar is an issue that at times makes me switch to another guitar.

Best Deals for Xbox 360 Rock Band Wireless Fender Telecaster Player's Edition

In contrary to a prior review, my son and I actually love this peripheral. Yes the strum bar clicks a bit, but it's in no way obtrusive during game play. People complaining about this would likely also complain about the subtle "whirring" noise heard inside the newer rock band 2 guitars from the accelerometer...again something that is unnoticeable during gameplay. And, to clarify further, the whammy bar rotates out of the way just like all other rock band guitars. The spring is more firm, however I wouldn't down grade my review based on this as individual preferences in regard to feel are highly variable I am sure. The half frets are really nice and very responsive. I actually find it easier to move up in difficulty levels using this guitar. The touch sensitive star power/beatlemania activation bar is a nice addition. A simple light brush of the finger is all it takes to activate. You can still tip the guitar or use the plug in overdrive pedal as well. And finally, the aesthetics of this thing are amazing. Its priced a bit higher than original equipment RB2 guitars, but comparable to RB Beatles gear if you were considering those. Of note, Harrison played a real Fender Telecaster as well.

Honest reviews on Xbox 360 Rock Band Wireless Fender Telecaster Player's Edition

I play bass 99% of the time. I have worn out the wired Rock Band guitar that came with Rock Band. I can't get the hang of fingering the back button on the Rock Band wireless. The sunburst telecaster is almost the perfect replacement.

The whammy is not the flimsy, adjustable lever on the Rock Band guitars. You won't be using a rubber band to keep tension (like both of my other guitars).

The strum bar clicks, but since the fret buttons are quiet, you aren't making any more noise strumming than you are fretting on a Rock Band guitar. I do notice I miss occasional notes when quick upstrumming long fast sequences that I didn't miss on the old guitar. This surely has to do with the strum not registering until completely deflected. It should get better as I get used to it.

You can tip or touch the silver bar to overdrive. I have accidentally triggered overdrive several times by inadvertantly touching the bar. I assume I'll get better at it the more I use it.

I never use the solo frets on the old guitar except for the big rock endings. I used to run my fingernails back and forth quickly across all the solo frets to rack up as much as I could. These solo frets, not so much. The hinging makes center pressure on the key ineffective.

The fret keys are the same hinged design as the solo keys. Since I normally finger those, it's not bad like trying to slide back and forth across the solo frets. They will take a little getting used to. It's easier to hammer-on than the old style buttons, but it's harder for me to slide between green and red (index finger position). This probably has to do with the center pressure thing. Once I get used to fingering the edge of the frets as opposed to as far as I can wrap my fingers around the neck, it should get better.

I only rated it 4 stars because I am scoring lower than I used to with the old guitar. In a few weeks, when I've gotten more accustomed to the differences. I will probably feel it's worth the extra star.

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I've been looking for a new guitar controller for awhile now, and thought this one would be perfect. Mad Catz has been making some great accessories for Rock Band lately, so I was very excited to hear about this Fender Replica. Boy...what a HUGE disappointment! First, maybe I'm just used to RB2 guitar's "silent" strum bar, but this one seems extremely hard to press up and down...causing a TON of missed notes. It is NOT silent like the RB2 version...it "clicks" on all notes. But it just doesn't seem responsive at all. Maybe that's the price you pay for getting 3 million "cycles," or whatever it is they claim...but it drove me nuts! Perhaps once you "break it in" it would be better, but $100 is a lot to spend on a controller you have to "break in."

The most glaring design flaw is the Bigsby® whammy tailpiece. This huge contraption extends almost all the way to the strum bar...which means you have rest your palm right on an uncomfortable piece of metal the whole time you're playing. It actually gets painful after awhile. Plus, the whammy bar itself is also extremely hard to push down...it's loaded with some "super spring" that once again just seems unresponsive while you're whammying notes.

The guitar itself looks great...but that's not really the purpose is it? Actually...let me clarify...it looks great WITHOUT the guady "Fender" guitar strap on. This is actually a real strap...but the annyoing white "Fender" printed every 3 inches is horrible. It looks like imitation zebra or something.

Overall, not worth the money in my opinion. The only reason I didn't give it one star is that some people may actually like the "clicking" strum bar, and some may not have issues with the whammy tailpiece, either. The fret buttons are actually excellent...but it doesn't really matter when you can't hit the notes with the strum bar...lol.

Buy Sonic Mega Collection Plus - PC

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $16.00
Today's Bonus: 20% Off

I ordered mine from another retailer online yesterday with 1 day shipping. I got it in this evening and I must say this is one fantastic collection on the PC that never gets boring. There are a few buyer beware points that need to be made before you purchase this:

1. The game is a DVD-ROM version for the North American Release, not a CD-ROM as shown on the box and disc label. Sega did not change the packaging and this may lead to many unhappy people that this game does not work in their machine.

2. The localization for this version of the game seems to be the European Localization and not the North American Localization found on the XBOX and Playstation 2. Sonic 3D Blast is known as Flickies Island in this compilation. Shows MegaDrive Icons too next to each game.

3. The roms they use in this compilation seem to be the PAL versions , as shown in the file folder directories.

4. The XBOX 360 Controller for Windows, and any controller that does not have dual analog sticks will not function properly in Sonic Mega Collection Plus and will exhibit behavior as if the DPAD is stuck in one direction. A controller such as the Logitech Dual Action or Rumblepad 2 will work just fine. There may be other dual analog ones that work fine too.

On the plus side, you can save an unlimited amount of save games for the classic games something that had a limitation in the XBOX and PS2 versions of these games.

Overall I am satisfied with my purchase and reccomend this to anyone who has wanted to play this game before but do not own a PS2 or XBOX and could not play it before....

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Finally, the games that established SEGA in the home console market are available for the PC. Included are Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic 3-D, Sonic Spinball, along with various Game Gear games. There are unlockable extra games as well.

The graphics look rather out of date on today's HD monitors, but the colours still look vibrant. The sound is exactly the same, although it pails in comparison to the surround sound available on many modern games.

Bonus features include comic book covers and character designs as well as all the original game manuals.

Overall a decent collection for any Sonic fan or anyone harking back to a simpler time.

Best Deals for Sonic Mega Collection Plus - PC

Ah, Sonic. How well so many of us remember that little blue blur. How many of us are gamers becuase of Sonic, and other stars of the 16 bit era? In this terrific value bundle, you get an excellent assortment of classic Genesis, and Game Gear Sonic games. Included are: Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic Spinball, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, plus 6 of the original 12 Game Gear Sonic games (Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Labyrinth, Sonic Drift, Sonic Chaos, Sonic Blast, and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine). There are also unlockable games, but I won't spoil it for anyone. For the record, Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut contains all 12 Game Gear titles as unlockable mini-games, and remains readily available for PC, PS2, and Gamecube.

In general, the games are visibly dated, and simplistic comparatively speaking to modern games, but have been nicely re-mastered, and look sharp and vibrant. The sound can't compare to modern games either of course, but is just as you remember it, and even sounds good with surround speakers. Native gamepad support is included (but no rumblepad support), and the button layout is customizable. Keyboard controls are customizable (the mouse is not used), but I don't use them, and can't speak to how intuitive, or well implemented they are. I use, and strongly recommend a dual analog gamepad since this game prefers, and plays best with one. Also, please be aware that this game will require an older type, DirectInput gamepad (like the Logitech Dual Action, or Rumblepad 2 for example) for full, and proper gamepad support. Even if the game will recognize an X-Box 360 controller for Windows, there is a good chance it will not behave correctly since the game pre-dates, and therefore does not support Xinput. The game's system specs are modest, and it seems stable and well behaved. On the down side, there are a few bizarre omissions like Sonic CD, Sonic R, Sonic and Tails 2, and Knuckles Chaotix. Perhaps most significantly for hardcore fans, it does not contain Sonic CD, or Sonic 3 and Knuckles, the classic Genesis two cartridge lock-on game. Their absence is disappointing since they were fan favorites, but in the case of Sonic 3 and Knuckles, the lock-on feature enabled certain features like exclusive cutscenes, and Super Emeralds which are probably difficult or impossible to replicate through emulation, so that could offer a partial explanation for it's absence. Unless it was an issue of inadequate space on the DVD, I can see no good reason for Sonic CD's exclusion, but I guess this is forgivable given that the old Expert Software PC version (which avid Sonic fans will most likely have anyway) is still readily available, and runs fine on Win Vista/Win 7 with a user-created compatibility fix which is just as readily available on numerous fan/tribute sites and forums.

Lacking a jewel case, presentation quality isn't anything to brag about either, but that isn't uncommon for a low budget value title these days, so you can't smack it around too much for that. However, in-game presentation is much better, and you get plenty of extras like original concept art, character designs, and comic book clips, along with a PDF containing each game's original user manual. The game does include a user manual (for once), and in it, the games are laid out chronologically, and each game is pictured with it's original box cover, a brief plot summary, date of launch, and a couple of screenshots. The game has also been spruced up a bit with a save function, modernized front end menu, and in-game interface. Another aspect of this bundle's appeal is that even though there are user-created compatibility fixes available for most of them, older Sonic PC ports are often incompatible with newer operating systems; whereas these are XP/Vista/Win 7 compatible, and don't fuss when you try to play them, or demand scouring the internet for a compatibility fix. There have been some reports of Vista and Win 7 users having trouble running this game even in compatibility mode, but I haven't personally encountered these problems. At worst, I've only had to run the game's installer in compatibility mode to get it to install correctly, and use Vista compatibility mode for the game to run. The headline here though is that PC Sonic fans have never had a better chance to rack up on so many old school Sonic games all at once. Make no mistake: this is the best Sonic value bundle the PC has seen in years, and PC Sonic fans won't want to miss this. All said and done, I'm satisfied with my purchase, and am going to give Sonic Mega Collection Plus a good grade with minor dings for the low production values.

UPDATED EDIT: Sonic Mega Collection Plus is Windows Vista/Windows 7 compatible.

Honest reviews on Sonic Mega Collection Plus - PC

Playing these games for hours on the Genesis is one of my fondest memories, and playing them again is good indeed. This collection comes with Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, and Sonic and Knuckles. It does NOT contain Sonic 3 and Knuckles, the classic two cartridge lock-on game. This means that you do not gain the advantages of having the lock-on ability, like certain cutscenes and the ability to get the Super Emeralds. You can still obtain regular chaos emeralds twice however, in Sonic 3 and then Sonic and Knuckles.

One advantage of getting this collection is that it is an emulator that has a save function, so you can stop and continue at any time, and play those Chaos emerald missions over and over if necessary. This collection does seem to have a Sonic running speed problem though, he seems to accelerate and run about 4/5 of normal, but everything else is the same (I double checked with online videos). According to other reviews there is a patch available, but I was unable to find in on Sega's website, probably due to the age of this game.

If you want to play your favorite Sonic games again, then this collection will let you do that.

Compatibility: On Windows 7 64-bit I was able to get this game to run in compatibility mode for Vista Service Pack 2.

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I've always loved the old school Sonic games. I've played and beat them countless times and never really get tired of doing so. That's why it's so nice to have them all compiled on a single disc. This collection also includes the Sega Game Gear games, debug cheats, and some bonus character and comic artwork and video clips. My only real problem with Sonic Mega Collection Plus is the required hours of game play needed to unlock certain games. Seems a bit much and can be a little frustrating. Other than that, it's totally worth the buy!

.hack: G.U., Vol. 1: Rebirth Review

Customer Ratings:

I fell in love with the original Dot Hack series of games (Infection, Mutation, Outbreak and Quarantine) and when I heard they were coming out with a new series, I was very happy! I went out and bought the game the day it came out, and I have to say, I'm greatly impressed.

First off, the graphics are good. They're not the best, as Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria and Final Fantasy 12 are slightly newer with better graphics, but they don't completely suck.

Sound is pretty good too, but it gets very repetetive after a few hours of gameplay. The combat sounds are exciting and "pop", but the background music gets on your nerves. Especially the background music when you're in the first town, "Mac Anu", gets stale so fast.

The controls are easy to pick up. The R1 button can now be assigned different skills so, unlike in the first games, you don't have to open several menus just to use an attack skill. Sadly enough, though, you cannot assign healing spells to the R1 button. The camera control is somewhat better than the last game, but I feel it still needs work.

The voice acting is decent at best. Most of the characters show little emotion, or over-react their emotion to the point of making it rediculous. Just wait till you meet Gaspard, and you'll know what I'm talking about... The main hero is also rediculously one sided, getting frustrated at each and every event trigger in the game, and often for stupid reasons. If its supposed to portray how gamers react in an MMORPG, its completely off the ball, at least as far as I've seen (been playing Guild Wars and World of Warcraft for about two years.)

There are TONS of stuff to do in this game too. You can become part of a number of guilds, which opens various options to you as a player, such as special shops that allow you to make creative items, access to a faster mode of transportation, etc. You can also do a number of fun and interesting, if not repetetive, quests. The designers definetely tried to capture the MMORPG feel, but I don't think they accurately got it. Close but no cigar. For example, the towns are bustling with people, but oftentimes you'll see one person, turn a corner, and they'll be there again when they were running the opposite direction a few minutes prior. The town recycles the inhabitants over and over, so no matter how far away you get from a "player", they'll be right there when you go to a different district in town.

The story is o.k. as far as I've been. A lot of it feels forced, like the hero has to do this because the programmers made it that way, not because the hero "wants" to. It started out that way, but quickly took a dive.

I'm not impressed with the grading system after you complete dungeons and fields. You get graded on how many things you kill, sneak up on, boxes or other destructable items you destroy, how many items you collect etc. There is almost no explanation of that system that I've encountered, and I feel its useless. All you can unlock is extra words to create new dungeons and fields and useless items. Literally, I've had 50 health drinks, which is like a potion in other RPGs, since the first couple hours of playtime. I never use them, cause I don't take that much damage ever.

Thats another thing. The game's battles are entirely too easy! No one battle provides any sort of challenge. If you go to an area three levels higher than you, it gets harder, but the difficulty is masked in more hitpoints and damage capability, not true improved AI or anything.

All in all, however, the game is a vast improvement over the previous games. There are tons of unlockable stuff, tons of places to go, and you'll be entertained for hours on end. I would definetely pick this game up if you get the chance!

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If you've played the original .hack games, then you won't be disappointed in this one. If you haven't played the original .hack games and like MMORPG games without the MMO part, then you'll like this game. The OS interface is familiar, yet improved from the first set of games. You still get e-mails and still respond to a few, getting responses back and so on. However, now you have greeting cards and "affection levels" of characters you can call on. The higher their affection level, the better they will fight with you in battle. There are still "message boards" but now there are more of them, both on and off "The World" that can unlock certain events and levels within the game by either reading or responding to them. There's even a section of boards where fans post art that you can download to use as wallpaper on your OS. There's also still a News section, but now it has clickable links to short movies and even sometimes ads, making it seem more like an actual Internet connection.

You play as Haseo, who has conveniently been attacked by "Tri-Edge" which resulted in him being leveled down to 1 and having everything reset so you get to begin with starting equipment. Just as if you were starting a new game! One big addition to this game is the ability to kill other players. Those who do are called "Player Killers" or PKers. Now, you can't just rush out and start hacking away at your own party, but if you come across a glowing blue area, that means that someone is fighting inside. If you enter, you can't leave unless you have a smoke bomb or defeat the enemy. Often times it will be a player being attacked by a PKer and your party has the chance to save them. If you do, you get an item from them as thanks. Haseo's character is an "Adept Rogue" which can eventually use multiple weapons and magic, but never to the mastery of the job classes of the ones who ONLY use those weapons. Sort of like the Red Mage of the game. Don't worry though, it doesn't slow you down. Haseo pushes right along, starting off with the familiar twin blades and eventually learns others. It can be difficult at first, but just pay attention to what the other characters are telling you, take breaks from the story to level up every so often, and you'll do fine. Its a great game with interesting character development and unique game play. Plus, when you're done, your saved game data can carry over to the next game, GU Vol. 2. All of your weapons, abilities, e-mails, everything. There are three volumes in all, but no word yet as to when they will all be released in the US. Good luck gaming!

Best Deals for .hack: G.U., Vol. 1: Rebirth

There were many people who enjoyed the original, 4-game dothack series. I was not one of them. After a good opening, the game immediately fell into dull repetition. The story was so-so (what? a virtual world can feel real, it's inhabitants feeling the effects of game elements in their real lives? How novel!), the graphics were so-so, and the whole experience was incredibly easy (and short I finished the 2nd game in a mere 9 hours). The best part of the original game were the sidequests, often opened after the main game ended (and one of which, the item collection quest, I'm STILL not finished with).

Bandai learned. Sidequests are fun? Then let's put a lot of them into the next outing! Graphics are only so-so? Let's spruce them up! Gameplay is a bit repetitive? Let's add a few more dungeon models! (OK, they could have done a lot more with the last one, but still...)

Add it all up, and you get the sold outing, ".hack//G.U.". The original world has been destroyed, the computers which generated it having been lost in an inexplicable fire. CC Corp releases, "The World 2", which has many elements of the original game, but also included the option to "PK", or "Player Kill". Some people love it, some people abhor it. Your character is PK'ed in his first outing, and decides to devote his RPG experience to PKK'ing (I think you can figure this one out yourself). He is an incredibly powerful character ("Haseo, the Terror of Death"), whose motives are obscured. However, while searching for a PK'er by the name of "Tri-Edge", his character is wiped out, and he is forced to start from the beginning.

From here, I'll let you discover the story on your own. No, it isn't great, but it isn't bad either. But this game lives and dies through sidequests. Bounty hunter, Lucky Animals, Mecha Grunties, arena battles all of these and more can be discovered and conquered as you manoeuvre the game simply known as "The World".

For forty bucks, it's not so bad. Happy hunting...

Honest reviews on .hack: G.U., Vol. 1: Rebirth

This is one of the best games i ever played.Its fun from start to finish.

And when you finally finish the game,you'll be wanting more of it.In my opinion this game was as good as kingdom hearts 2.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for .hack: G.U., Vol. 1: Rebirth

I love this game. The story, the soundtrack, the lost ground areas. Its great all around. If this isnt your type of game the gameplay might get a bit stale but luckily there are job changes to spice it up a bit.

Best Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition - PC Deals

Customer Ratings:

First things first: in the past I have chastised EA a number of times for its release of cookie-cutter games, crippled with atrocious DRM schemes. So, in all fairness, I now have to say this: DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS IS A GAMER's DREAM! It is an excellent game and it comes FREE of any DRM madness. So, thank you EA for listening to your customers (let's only hope this new trend holds...).

This is one of those games that are easy to control, a joy to roam through and fun to play at no end.

I am a huge cRPG fan and cannot remember such a great companion/squad cRPG ever since the Baldur's Gate Saga. And to tell you the truth, this is the game I was dreaming of being able to play one day while playing BG (yeah, by now we all know that NEVERWINTER NIGHTS never delivered).

There are about a dozen gender/race/class/background choices and a great many combinations in forming your party. The armor and the weapons are exceptionally made and everything shows on your characters. And the graphics are truly beautiful! You have to see the rendering of flames to believe them.

Nevertheless, what really stands out is the gameplay. Every battle is a puzzle to be solved, pausing ever so often to reallocate enemies to the best suited party members (a feature I loved in BG!). Of course one can always turn off the autopause feature and let the AI take over the rest of your party and turn the game into an hack&slash action RPG (not exactly my cup of tea but, hey, it's still nice to know it's there).

Finally, this is a game made just like the classics in many ways, including duration. I am now playing the game for over 20 hours and I feel that I barely scraped the surface! DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS is one satisfying RPG!

My only gripe is this: I did not appreciate such short dialogue options. Most fit a single line and more often than not they consist of a couple of words. I like my RPGs to be wordy and challenging to my verbal imagination as well and I want my characters to participate in the humor, not just provoke it or react to it. Remember the long dialogue options in BG? Well, expect to find DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS much more laconic.

I guess 10 years of fast-paced FPS and blitzkrieging RTS do take their toll...

Now this is the COLLECTOR's EDITION which is almost 30% more expensive than the Standard edition. For the extra money you get: a tin case, a cloth map, a bonus DVD (soundtrack, making of documentary, concept art & wallpapers and strategy tips), an in-game quest and character as well as three enchanted items. Is it worth it? You be the judge.

The blood sprays, the swords clang and the spells explode. The animations are beautifully made and add a lot to both enjoyment and immersion. There is a verse in Homer's Iliad I love: "the warrior fell and his armor echoed around him" and I was reminded of it many a times throughout the game.

This game will stay with you. Do not miss on it.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

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Installation

For some reason it took three installs to get the program on my machine. Not sure why, I received no error message or other indication there might be a problem. So getting the game installed took nearly an hour.

Digital Rights Management

-DRM is not present in DAO. A simple CD Key and online registration to get an account with BioWare/EA and you're ready to rock.

Tech Support

Thank goodness the BioWare community is intelligent, helpful and generally proactive. Since EA purchased BioWare official tech support is passed off to EA. EA has no tech support to speak of. So imagine my frustration to find my NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTX had issues running the game. I've got a gaming rig CPU Intel 2 X9000 2.8GHz, 6GB RAM, etc. and I could not run DAO. Big WTF. Thank goodness the BioWare Forums had the answers I sought.

Exclusive Content

The bonus items at start up are nice, having the Stone Prisoner is great (I think as DLC it retails for $15 US) But the Cloth Map is meh. The tin case is nice if you're into that kind of thing I often discard packaging in favor of my giant CD book. The features disk is interesting but if you want to play the game not see the whole shebang it may not be worth it for you. Overall I'd probably get the Collector's Edition again (it was a birthday present from me to me) but if you're on a budget or want plenty of bang for your buck its probably not worth it.

Gameplay

Graphics

Anyone that tells me the game looks outdated or poor isn't paying attention or can't witness DAO in all its glory. When I can see the pores on Morigan's face, the individual teeth on Dog (aka Rabbit) and see stray hairs on Alistair, it is amazing. Not to mention the burning, bleeding, spurting, freezing, effects from damage. Seeing an enemy break because he's been frozen is awesome. If you've got a mediocre rig a PS3 may be the way to go. I haven't seen a 360 in action so check those out but if you've got a machine that can handle the settings check the PC version is way worth it.

Cutscenes

If you've played BioWare games before you know they're big on story. If you've played Elder Scrolls, Fallout 3, Fable, Diablo, Guild Wars, LOTRO, and like the story this has more, and it is good. If you like Demon Souls this is less hack n' slash and more about the entire experience. Heavy dialogue, great and frequent cutscenes, are BioWare hallmarks. If that is not your bag you can hit ESC to skip the scenes.

I do miss the dialogue wheel from Mass Effect, I rather enjoyed hearing my character speak. Selecting dialouge options is akin to KOTOR or Baldur's Gate and at times it seems like your representative in the game is mute. This is not enough to discourage or dissuade me it is merely an annoyance.

Gameplay

Think an updated Baldur's Gate. As your avatar gets better at killin' he or she performs more stylized attacks and finishing moves reminicient of Fallout 3's VATS finishing/killing attacks. The game goes to SloMo and shows you doing X to critter Y. Navigating is easy your compass has a quest arrow when you use the feature.

One of the most interesting things are the "tactics" the more cunning your avatar or the higher the level you get more "if A then B" actions and choices making a very flexible but very effective "script" for combat. I.E. Condition: 'Self health is < 10%' Action: "Use strongest healing potion". The limitations are your ingenuity, imagination, tactical know how and your avatar's intelligence.

Downloadable Content (DLC)

I like the way the have DLC set up, it relay's what you have, what you can buy, and etc. It seems that Electronic Art's buisness model in DAO is to provide a solid and addicting product then have you purchase things to make the story more in depth. As a gamer it is annoying but I'll probably persist. As a stockholder if it would raise the share prices it seems like a good idea.

DAO Creator is awesome. I don't know what the consoles can do with regards to this option but it allows PC players unlimited creativity and ensures amazing replay value.

Overall

I am very happy with the game. If you have any doubts cast them aside, there is enough knowledge to ensure bugs are being fixed (there are few if any) and almost all technical issues I've seen posted on the BioWare forums are resolved.

This is an extremely enjoyable game with a new twist on old genres and the story creates a world that I certainly hope persists in BioWare's repitoire.

Have fun, enjoy.

*UPDATE*

Content

The rating of M is well earned. Gore is aplenty with decapitation and similar fantasy violence. Those concerned about the romance plots should know that you can engage in sexual relationships. The scenes depicting these are similar you would see to day time television, no genetalia or reproductive organs. There is also prostitution though once again no nudity.

Best Deals for Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition - PC

To long time classic CRPG fans, Dragon Age: Origins (DAO) is a nostalgic trip back to the bygone era of CRPG Renaissance amist the blight of dark forces joined with many (certainly not all of them) of generic FPSs that gives you measley 4-7 hours on single player campaign and hybrid RPGs that blur the true quality of classic CRPG. While Bioware has released many games that all found financial success and critical acclaims, Bioware's track record since Black Isle's demise hasn't always been impressive among classic CRPG fans.

Bethesda has successfully reinvigorated non-linear, open-ended, free-formed, real-time CRPG of 'TES: Arena' and 'TES: Daggerfall' with 'Oblivion' and 'Fallout 3'. Now Bioware has done the same to narratively-focused, linear, story-driven, party-based tactical CRPG of 'Baldur's Gate' series with DAO. Both are in lineage of classic 'Dungeons and Dragons', 'Tolkien', 'Ultima' series and 'Wizardry' series. But each camp go for totally different experience.

Now for the fans of classic CRPG fans can finally find great solace in the latest medieval fantasy epic called 'Dragon Age: Origins'. This game really picks up the torch from the late Black Isle and its own 'Baldur's Gate' in terms of gameplay, design, lore, and character development and carries on the impossible task of putting CRPG back on the track. It generally succeeds with DAO but it will surely polarize many others too.

Those who began to acquire the taste of RPG through games like 'KOTOR', 'Jade Empire', and 'Mass Effect' must be warned though. DAO is not quite like aforementioned Bioware's titles. DAO is a classic, hard-core PC-centric western CRPG firmly rooted in D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) compared to the past three Bioware titles, which were hybrid western / console RPG geared toward more accessible and broader appeal that could be viewed as shallow to hard-core CRPG gamers. But there are definitely similarities among these titles too.

Those who began to acquire the taste of RPG through games like 'Oblivion' and 'Fallout 3' must be warned also. DAO is not a non-linear, open-ended, free-formed CRPG. You don't do anything anytime anywhere you please, and interaction with items and environment is non-existent. While you are given a fair amount of freedom once you pass the initial origin part and first big prelude, DAO is a linear game where main focus is on narrative focus via plot, dialogues, character dynamics, and of course tactical combat. DAO is the polar opposite to TES series. You don't have such freedom in DAO, but intensely plot-driven, character-driven game just not feasible in TES series. You don't get the visceral, in-your-face hack n' slash here. Combat focuses on character management during each wave of enemies. The action is governed by number-crunching Bioware's own original ruleset, similar to D&D ruleset. DAO gives you much broader scopes of battles with waves of mobs thrown at you alongside your companions, so it's totally different kind of pulse-pounding combat. But I personally love both styles.

And finally this is not a click-fest hack n' slash 'Diablo' clone or various MMORPG either. So if you are looking to get some fix for action RPG, 'Diablo 3' and WOW expansion are on the horizon. You won't get far in this game by just clicking your mouse pointer on your foes.

To some people, it might feel oddly enough it seems Bioware might have taken a step back, Bioware actually has taken a step forward from the games from the golden age of CRPG such as 'Baldur's Gate' series, 'Planescape: Torment' and 'Icewind Dale' series. And those of you who were big fans of 'Baldur's Gate' then were somewhat disappointed with 'Neverwinter Nights', you will be thrilled to finally have the heir to a decade-long empty throne since 'Baldur's Gate' in 'Dragon Age: Origins'.

You get to choose your sex, race, class and background to determine your origin among six different origins. Then you play totally unique origin story / tutorial for a couple of hours. Once you familiarize yourself with control, menu, etc, it leads you to big intro part where you wet your feet with couple of side quests and combat. A good 3-4 hours will be spent to this point. Then you see some exciting cutscenes and you are into the thick of epic battle and more exciting and revealing cutscenes. You get to play a part of the battle. And off you go finally to your main quest after the longest prelude of the video game history. And from hereafter things opens up and give you some freedom.

It still has loading screen between areas like all other Bioware games although it now feels less confined and limited in each area dut to the game's bigger scope created by newly created and much refined 'Eclipse Engine'. I just wish there's an open overworld map where you can actually traverse and level up fighting foes like classic Final Fantasy style instead of clicking on the world map and occassionally running into random combat area.

In terms of graphic, even on high-end PC, things are somewhat bland, blocky and jaggy. While the game doesn't look terrible and CRPG has never been the front-runner graphically, graphic in this game definitely looks dated even by the CRPG standards. By comparison to games like 'Oblivion', 'Fallout 3', and Bioware's own 'Mass Effect', graphic in DAO might even come as a shock. It generally looks more than fine on PC; just don't expect top-notch graphic.

Beside the confined world map, modular nature of the map with loading screen and not quite top-notch graphics, everything else is delivered with depth and grandeur. All the dialogues are voice-acted, except your player character, and there are tons and tons of dialogues in tradition of all previous Bioware's games. The gameworld is littered with lores. Weapons, armours, items, magic, skills, map, quest log, codex, character development / customization, party management and combat tactics are very well handled in robust menu design. DAO is the most PC-centric game since 2002 with 'Morrowind' and 'Neverwinter Nights'. You can handle the combat with either micro-management in 'Baldur's Gate' style using pause function and action queue or more fast-paced with programmable tactics slots for your companions. And the combat mechanics is similar with 'Baldur's Gate'. You have full 3D camera so you can zoom in and out on the fly with mouse wheel and pause with space key. While you have new tactics system, user-programmable command slots that control each and every member of your player characters, thers's only one action queue per character. While tactics slots do generally fine job, multiple action queues are desired.

What seperates DAO from other CRPG is character interaction and dynamic. The world is no longer black and white. Bioware abandons good vs. evil dynamic over much more ambiguity and complex shades of grey. The tone of the game is much darker and bleak. This in turn makes story truly dynamic unlike other Bioware games in the past that only give you the illusion of choice. Besides 6 different origin stories, you now have multiple endings and various permutations depending on your actions. The only thing set in the stone in DAO is the main plot; you are the protagonist who eventually leads the army against the force of evil. How you start, who you start with, who you side with, who you abandon, who you clash with, how you get to the finale, you and your companions' fate are all up in the air.

The story arc is massive, expansive and immensely complex with many different possible outcomes from branching storyline directly stemmed from your choices. It's also very heavy and mature thematically. At the end of my first 70 hour run-through as a human noble, I really felt as if I was truly ladden with the fate of the world as well as people around me. Political intrigues and personal agendas are everywhere. Choices you have to make are genuinely difficult and whatever the consequences you face are irreversible. Each and every single wave of combat feels difficult and exhausted. One wrong move and your party is wiped out. It really felt like a load of heavy burden often too much to bear. This is where DAO truly excels and shines. Not only DAO made me feel like I was actually integral and the most important part of the game, I wanted to embark on a brand new, totally different journey immediately after completing a long, winded and tiresome journey (in a very good way).

'Eclipse Engine' is much better and more powerful than ill-equipped tile-based 'Aurora Engine' and rightful 3D successor of 2D 'Infinity Engine' but still restrictive and modular in nature. I hope Bioware refine the engine in the future to open things up little bit more. It's down right annoying when you get stuck by a tiny pebble on the ground or simple nook and cranny. Loading between each area, both interior and exterior, is still present but each area being much bigger and more detail than ones created by 'Aurora Engine', along with much tighter camera controll, it alleviates a lot of problems. Furthermore, thanks to free 'DAO Toolset', we can expect tons of quality mods from a very active modding community that will probably surpass that of 'Neverwinter Nights' and possibly equal to 'The Elder Scrolls' community. There are already a few official DLCs available for purchase and several mods from 'Dragon Age Nexus', the same site that also host for both 'The Elder Scrolls' and 'Fallout 3'. I guarantee we can expect some terrific mods in the future from the site.

While I had not run into any technical glitches at all throughout my 70 campaign, there's memory leak problems, which cause the game's loading time gets longer and longer during each single continuous session. It's solved by occassionally restart the game but there's some serious loading time problem due to poor memory management.

This game runs surprisingly well on my now ancient P4 HT 3.0Ghz with 2GB RAM and nvidia 7800GS with everything max except AA and resolution, as well as my brand new Intel Core i7 with 6GB RAM and nvidia GTX 295 with everything max.

As for CE package, I solely got this edition because the regular edition comes with really flimsy plastic case, which is a new cheap trend among DVD movies and PC games to save cost. And I am happy they don't stack 2 discs on top of each other with seperate disc divider. As for contents, the cloth map is nothing like the one that came with 'Neverwinter Nights Limited Collector's Edition'. It's very cheap and useless. Extra disc contains about 60 minutes worth of making-of documentaries and promo materials as well as 18 music from the game. It also comes with a few free official DLCs, which are way way over-priced if you decide to purchase seperately.

While I am definitely not happy about the current business trend in the video game industry with DLCs over expansion pack, cheap package with weak manual, over-emphasis on online features, I commend EA for letting Bioware realize its vision with minimum artistic interference and toning down the DRM scheme from the draconian secuROM that forces Internet connection and limited number of installation to much linient version of simple secuROM DVD check. It's definitely step-up from 'Spore' and 'Mass Effect'.

Although it's little too early to tell whether DAO will eclipse 'Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn', DAO is definetely the best game from Bioware since the legendary game on the other side of TES series. DAO is without a doubt one for the age; crowning achievement among the very best of CRPG indeed.

'Morrowind', 'Oblivion', 'Fallout 3', 'Gothic Trilogy', 'Risen', 'The Witcher', 'Two Worlds', and now 'Dragon Age: Origins' closes this decade on a very exciting note for CRPG and joins the handful of elite 3D CRPG collection from this decade that rivals the golden era of 2D CRPG of 'Baldur's Gate' series, 'Icewind Dale' series, 'Planescape: Torment', 'Fallout', 'Fallout 2', 'Divine Divinity', 'Sacred', and 'Arcanum'. DAO will delight CRPG fans for a long long time.

Honest reviews on Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition - PC

If you love the Epic Fantasy, Dungeons, Castles, and Knights genre of video games this is a great addition to the realm. These games used to be a bit more popular and they don't come out now as often as they used to . The gaming industry is very heavy in a lot of different genres and the military game is very popular right now. Anyway, I am glad this game came out. Some other great games in this genre are The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion: Game of the Year Edition. Gothic 3 Collector's Editionand Dungeon Siege.

About the game

This is a very complex game. It took BioWare five years to develop this game and it shows. There is an awful lot of stuff in it. And most of this stuff is what is expected. There is plenty of battling and plenty of world to explore. And it is a party oriented game so if you have played Dungeon Siege or World of Warcraft you are very familiar with the style of game play. As you adventure through and explore the world you pick up party members that will fight with you. And you have to put together a complimentary set of members. You need a balance. If you are a warrior you are going to need a mage for healing and a rogue for lockpicking etc. It's a nice way to explore a lot of different roles in the game.

Where this game gets different

There are some very interesting things about this game that set it apart from other games in the genre. First off, there are a lot of moral and ethical choices that you have to make during the game. Will you steal from others? Will you make sacrifices for the greater good? And these choices affect what happens in the game. For example: Will you kill the evil king who has been wreaking havoc? If you do then his daughter will not marry you. This ruins your chances to become the new king if that's what you seek. Or how about this: When battling the evil bloodmage you have the choice of making a deal with him. Will you spare his life in order to get a permanant boost to your constitution stat? If you do this then some of your party members will disapprove. Bad Karma! And it has an effect on the game. Party members will get upset with you and leave the party permanently!

Not for kids

This game is definitely not for kids. There is quite a bit of very realistic bloodshed and you have killing blows that will actually decapitate your foes. And, there are lots of cut scenes after battles where you and your party members are spattered with very realistic looking blood. And....You can actually woo and seduce other members of your party through gift-giving, conversations, and good karma actions. It is an interesting concept and if your seductions, which take time to develop, are successful you will be rewarded with an animated cut scene of the actuall nuptials (PG rated).

Some of the minuses of the game

I got the collectors edition with all the extras which include a special character, some special armor, and another realm with quests to explore. But the game doesn't come with a storage chest! Yikes, no place for your party to store all their stuff? Wow, all you can do is carry a limited number of things in your backpack and when it gets full you have to sell the stuff to vendors.

Well, seeing as this game is very quest oriented (There are hundreds of quests) you never know what stuff you are going to need to complete a quest. And, I love to accumulate all kinds of armor, weapons, gems and things. It is a fun part of the game for me. So this is definitely a minus for me. But they do offer a solution. You can buy and download the add-on quest that gives you a whole new area to explore and a party chest to store your goods. This downloadable costs seven dollars but is worth it for the chest and the extra game play. And it's a seamless download. You can get it through the game screen which means no worries about extracting files. You pay for it and click it and the game does the rest. In a few minutes the new game area shows up on your world map.

Crafting is a bit weak Crafting is a big part of many online games and other epic fantasy rpg's. In this game you can do some crafting like make potions and traps but this is definitely weak in the game. There are not a whole lot of options for this and materials tend to be scarce. I really like the crafting aspects of games and usually do a lot of it but there is not a whole lot of it in this game. Definitely a minus for me.

Political intrigue

I am not really sure if this is a negative but in the games I play and the epic fantasy books I read I tend to not be too interested in all the political intrigue. You know, this is where the various houses, lords, and barons are all struggling for power. In this game there is a lot of this and the decisions you make during game play have an effect. As you are trying to conquer the blight that is set upon the land you have to drum up support from the various houses and factions. The moral and ethical decisions you make do matter. And the quests you complete are a factor too.

Extra stuff

There is some real fun stuff about this game. The developers really took a good look at combat and there are lots of great sword and weapon moves that your character makes and there are some great mini animations. Sometimes when you fell a large creature like an ogre your character will actually jump right up on its face and issue the killing blow. The combat is pretty good!

Mechanics of the software

I have a fast computer with Windows Vista and everything has gone smoothly for me. The installation was smooth and game play is smooth, no crashes and no errors.

So, should you buy it?

This genre used to be the norm for video games but these kinds of games don't come out too often anymore. So if you like the genre then you definitely should get it. You won't be disappointed. It delivers what it promises.

This collectors version comes with a cloth map, lots of extra materials, a bonus character and more quests. But it doesn't come with the party chest for storing goods so if you want this you are going to have to spend another 7 dollars for the download -which is worth it.

And, because the game is so very complex I highly recommend you buy yourself a game guide. I bought this one: Dragon Age: Origins: Prima Official Game Guide (Prima Official Game Guides) It is absolutely necessary if you want to find all the secrets and make your way successfully through the complexity of the game.

It is what is expected from the genre; You are set in a medieval world and expected to save it from the forces of evil. Along the way you get lots of political intrigue, battles with monsters and lots of opportunities for adventure.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition - PC

Deluxe edition stuff at the very end.

If you don't want to read my retarded ode to Bioware, please skip ahead to where it says, "Actual Review!".

Ah, Bioware. You're like an old girlfriend. The one who defined love for me (1). Then you hurt me (2). I still loved you, but I didn't understand; why did you have to do that?

You went your way and I went mine. Eventually I learned to forget. I met new people; sometimes I'd fall in love, but it was never quite the same (3).

We'd see each other every couple years, and we'd have a lot of fun for a night or two (4). But other times I thought to myself, "What are you doing with your life? We could be happy together! Why are you doing this? (5). After these ultimately disappointing hookups I'd always dig up our old photos and go through them (6). I'm not ashamed to say I cried a little.

You always told me you were searching for something. Learning who you were, and how to be.

Then, one day in early November, you called me. You said, "I know now; I know who I am. I know where I belong: with you." And then you came back home to me.

Then it all became so clear; you HAD been learning. It was the old you, but a new version! Everything past was prologue to this; the version of you I always knew was there. I just needed to have faith, and you'd see it too, and we could get back what we had, what we'd always known was us.

I love you Bioware. I realize now I've always loved you. Thank you for being in my life.

Answer Key!

1. Baldur's Gate I and II, the infinity engine that led to Icewind Dale, Fallout, and Planescape

2. Neverwinter Nights

3. The Elder Scrolls, Neverwinter Nights 2, FFX, FFXII

4. KOTOR, Mass Effect

5. Jade Empire, Sonic RPG

6. all those replays of BGII

ACTUAL REVIEW!

This is the best cRPG experience I've had in ten years. It becomes very clear within the first few minutes of your Origin story that you're experiencing gaming history. Not the revolutionary, innovative, awesome new mechanic kind of gaming history. This is analogous to a new album from your favorite artist that's been doing experimental side-projects for the last few years, and now comes out with a solid, deep, meaningful effort in a well-established form.

All the old ingredients are here: rich, meaningful character relationships; deep, tactically challenging combat; well written, thought-provoking dialogue trees. In short, everything you knew Bioware was capable of, but hasn't been fully present in any of their games since BGII.

Don't get me wrong; I've liked almost all of their games since then (Jade Empire and the Sonic RPG being the exceptions). It's just that none have fully satisfied me, or they've left me with the nagging feeling that something's just not quite right (re: KOTOR and Mass Effect feel slightly underdone).

This game is an instant classic, from a master of the genre. It's the kind of game that will be added to the roster of eminently replayable games (BGII, Fallout 1+2, Morrowind, Final Fantasy [pick your favorite], etc.). It's as good as or better than all of those.

Now, those of you that have NOT played Baldur's Gate, Fallout, Icewind Dale, NWN2, beware.

As evidenced by the very few negative reviews, the ad campaign for this game is not very representative of the content. This is a true western RPG, especially if you're getting it on the PC. Combat is challenging on every difficulty mode but easy.

IT IS BY NO MEANS a hack-and-slash or action RPG!!!

I still recommend it, but be prepared to open your mind to a new experience.

For those of you trying to decide on which version to get, here are some things:

If you played and loved Baldur's Gate, and got it because you bought into the "spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate" thing, get it for the PC, no question.

On the console, the camera is locked in behind the character in the style of Knights of the Old Republic or Mass Effect. This is fine for those who fell in love with Bioware since their console years began, but not if you want to play it for full tactical enjoyment.

Also, if you have a capable PC, the graphics are far superior to the consoles, which is often the case.

360 vs. PS3?

PS3 looks better, 360 moves smoother. 6 of 1.

Don't hesitate. Buy this game.

Learn it,

Live it,

Love it:

Bioware is Back.

P.S. For those of you getting the Deluxe Edition, the added content is completely worth it. You don't have to feel cheated; they did it right. Worth every last penny.