Reviews of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (Collector's Edition)

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Had a lot of fun playing this game back in the day, remember getting really mad at how much I sucked at it though. So years later I still find myself wanting to get the collector's edition and try again and its so much better.

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I'm new to the whole XBox scene so my current definition of difficult may change with playing experience, but I'll say this is a hard game to play. While you may be able to run through some parts without doing anything, when you play it out, it's intense. The graphics are incredible, the action intense and the story is okay. My major disappointment is the lack of coorperative play in the campaign. My daughter bought this for my birthday and when we went to play in co-op, like Halo 3, found it non-exisitent. This was a real downer.

I would like to see more XBox 360 games designed with co-op play against good AI and not just for the XBox Live arena.

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Having waited for this game as long as a year and a half I can honestly say it is by itself a decent game. I put decent instead of great simply because after waiting for something for so long you (IE:myself) start to think that WOW this game is gonna be the best thing since sliced bread. Basically what I am saying is Lost Planet is a good game. I just expected and assumed it was gonna be SOOO much more. So in the end I let myself get too overhyped. The online is sweet though!! (WARNING for newbies! Link up with people you play with first because the online community is pretty tough on noobs) The main game is very scenic if snowny wastelands can be counted as scenic. LOST PLANET gets a soild 7.5 in my book. Thanks for reading!!

Honest reviews on Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (Collector's Edition)

Lost Planet has great graphics, and has a good story. The story is that Earth died, so all the survivors abandoned Earth to go to this other planet which has extremely colder climates than Earth. The people have survived there for a little while, and discovered all sorts of creatures. The biggest, is Green Eye. You play the game as Wayne, a stubborn, young survivor who is working with his dad. In the beginning, you meet Green Eye, who doesn't give a very nice welcome. You run to the right, take the stairs and keep following the other people until you find a suit. Jump in the suit, and attempt to kill the giant lobster. Of course, you don't kill him, but your dad (Wayne's dad) gives up his life for you, by taking a hit from Green Eye. Horrified, you become a popsicle in your suit. Later, a group of people find you and let join their group. Oh, and don't worry! You'll meet up with Green Eye again, and this time, you have to kill him. This game is really fun, the creatures are extraordinary, but it is extremely hard. However, the last boss to the game is super easy, I beat the boss on the first try. It's probaly a really good idea to get the official gamer's guide. It'll help A LOT!!

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This game is awsome to look at but as far as game play look somewhere else. you can run through the stages to the boss and not fight anything inbetween. it gets old realy REAlY fast. Again Graphicaly this game is one of the best there is on xbox 360 (It realy is). but the game itself sucks. so if you are looking for eye candy boy this is the game for you. if you are looking for a good game (like me) pass on it.

Cheap Grand Theft Auto Double Pack: Grand Theft Auto III / Grand Theft

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Ok first off, for those who don't know, this is a double pack. It contains two games, Grand Theft Auto 3 and Grand Theft Auto : Vice City. Secondly, they are absolute classics. They have changed the face of gaming and have cause enough controversy to put Eminem to shame, although half of the controversy is blown up by ignorant people who have never played the game. Now the reason I have an un-biased opinion is because I own both, a PS2, and an XBOX. I also had both of these games. The other day though, I traded both of them to a friend because I was so impressed with this version of the game I had to buy it. I thought the XBOX version was going to be exactly the same. Little did I know, it is not. There is a HUGE difference in the graphics. I didn't think I would care, but it really just brings the experience to a whole other level. The characters are just SO much detailed. The graphics on the buildings look alot more realistic and the cars actualy shine. One big complain people had with the PS2 version was that when you were driving down the road, cars would suddenly appear out of nowhere and you would crash. This has definetly been fixed for the XBOX. You can see way down the road, with no problems. The graphical differences are amazing. Another exclusive feature is the custom soundtrack. You can burn your CD's to the XBOX harddrive and play them on the radio in the cars. Just imagine cruising down the streets of Liberty City (aKa NYC), blazing Dr. Dre's "Still DRE". Or speeding down Vice City's (aKa Miami) beaches, blaring Rage Against The Machine's "Calm Like A Bomb". This also makes it a completely different, and better, experience. There are no other extra features besides these, no extra missions,levels,cars,weapons... but there shouldn't be. These are amazing, classic games that every gamer should own. But if you have the choice, buy this version. The improvements really make the difference. As Time magazine says, "Grand Theft Auto 3 is a national obsession, its sequel borders on something more...art."

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I've played GTAIII on the PS2, the PC, and now on the XBOX, and the XBOX has much better graphics than even my PC version. It's like they've added a layer of texture. Sports cars shimmer, and the old Jalopy's in Vice City have a flat, weathered look. When it rains, the drops run down the "lens" of the camera that follows you. I haven't fully acclimated to the games yet; I still miss my mouse, but the control interface is one of the best I've seen on a consol system. Rockstar Games not only ported GTAIII and Vice City over to the XBOX, they have significantly improved what were already incredible titles. The fact that you can now buy two full games for the price of one is just icing on the cake. Remember this time people, for we may not see another release like this for a very, very long time.

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Two of the best games ever on ps2 have finally come to the xbox. For those of you who have never played either of these games (shame on you) here's the lowdown. Both games are basically about a person rising through the ranks of the local crime organizations. in GTA 3, you fight your way to the top of NY city lookalike, by taking cars and occasionally shooting fools. in Vice City, its basically the samething, but with a fresh 80's coat of paint. you set up a huge crime organization in a fake Miami, much like in Scarface. Both games have there violent moments, but the controversey is blown way out of proportion. The XBOX version is a million times prettier than the ps2 version, with sharper graphics, shiny cars, and the ability to customize your own sound tracks, awsome. It may not be for everyone, but i recomend it to anyone who can get there hands on it.

Honest reviews on Grand Theft Auto Double Pack: Grand Theft Auto III / Grand Theft

This is actually 2 great games in one. You get Grand Theft Auto 3 and its sequel Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. I will review them individually. Grand Theft Auto 3 starts off great. You just got busted out of prison. What do you do, steal a car natuarraly. You race across the streets (hitting innocent bystanders)trying to get to your garage. This is like your base. Once their you can go out into the streets and beat up innocents for cash like a small thug. However you can also find work for bigtime crooks. As you complete their small jobs they will begin to respect you and the challenge of your jobs grows. This ia an outline of gameplay of Grand Theft Auto 3. Now for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. This game is a good sequel. It keeps the good points of its predecessor while improving in many ways. You can now own property. The challenges are original, fun, and challenging. The weapons selections ranges from bats to rocket launchers. The graphics on the Xbox version are improved over their PS2 counterparts.If you own the PS2 version of the game this game is not different anough for you to purchase. However for us Xbox owners this is an absolute must buy. Having these games along with Halo on the same system is Awesome.

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Sound:4/5: Both of the games in this pack have great music and sound fx. While you are in a car or on a bike you can choose between many different radio stations. The radio stations have a variety of songs and advertisments. My only complaint about the sound fx are when you can here people on the street talking. They say the same things over and over again and can get on your nerves.

Graphics:5/5: The graphics of these games need no work. The car models and detail of the people and objects are about as good as it gets. Definately not plain or boring at all.

Gameplay:5/5: I have played vice city and gta 3 both on ps2 and xbox. To me, the xbox versions have much better gameplay. It is simple and easy to learn but at the same time, there are many different actions to take.

Features:5/5: There are many things to do in this game. First off, there are about 70 or 80 missions to do which are all very fun. Even after you beat the game there are more things to do such as purchase properties and do side missions or even just screw around and kill people for fun.

Overall: Xbox definately deserves this game because they are gonna sell alot of copies and go big. For only 50 bucks you get 2 of the best games ever made. This double pack can keep you busy for months(or at least weeks). So if you dont have it already, get your @$$ to wherever you buy games and pick it up.

Discount Jade Empire - Xbox

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List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $17.99
Today's Bonus: 10% Off

From the people who brought us Knights of the Old Republic comes another genre-blending game with a fabulously twisting plot. If you own an Xbox, you should own this game. It is not only the best Action RPG on the Xbox but one of the best RPGs played in recent memory.

For those who have played KOTOR, this game will be instantly familiar. At the offset, you pick a character and are thrust into a world of moralities. Unlike KOTOR, the morality system is a little more complex for the most part. Instead of focusing on good and evil, your character has the choice of being endlessly helpful, understanding and tolerant of everyone (in other words believes in the power of the human spirit) or someone who reveres strength. As an example of this strength concept, there is a decision early on about a dam that is open and has caused problems for a town because the sailors are land locked. A wine merchant wants the dam to remain open so he can make a killing off of the sailors. If you follow the Way of the Open Palm you would probably close the dam so that the town can prosper in what is should be doing. If you follow the Way of the Closed Fist, on the other hand, would decide that if the town were strong they will survive this current hurdle and that it is only that, a hurdle. It gets a little more tricky than that and does open some areas for roleplaying your character and deciding what you would really do in that situation. Bioware is also wonderful at making you think about your decision as they give you new information just as soon as you make a decision that might change how you feel about the situation.

My only complaint with the system is that while they say that the two paths are different from looking at things as good and evil, there are still some instances where there is a "good" and an "evil" way of doing things. I might have rationalized why I would be doing something that way, yet I would get points from the side I didn't want because it was clearly delineated as "good and evil choice." So, that's a bit frustrating given that their system isn't supposed to be good and evil. But, overall the system works well and really makes you think.

I didn't really care for KOTOR because of the battle system and that is probably the reason I'm enjoying Jade Empire much more. The fighting system is simple yet deep. As you progress you will learn different martial arts style that you can map to the D-pad for quick and easy access. And you will be constantly changing your styles as the techniques to defeat enemies will constantly evolve. Some monsters are immune to certain attacks so you will have to experiment and find the best ways of devastating your foes.

On the simple side, the combat is really about rock, paper scissors. You have a quick attack and a time-consuming attack (and a knock back attack that really only helps when you are surrounded and need some space). When someone blocks you use your time consuming attack, otherwise you mostly use your quick attacks to offset their own long attacks. It's pretty simple and easy to used to. However, some battles can become a button masher either way you look at it. But it's still exhilarating and fast with many ways of deciding how you want to play. Do you want to focus on using weapons, martial arts, magic, transformations? A little of the above? It's all up to you.

The game is beautiful most of the time. The art style is impeccable and really helps create a full-flesh universe. Since it's based on oriental myth, it doesn't take place in the Orient as we know it but a mythical world that incorporates themes from oriental culture. Because of this, the desiginers are free to create whatever their imagination can make. And it's beautiful. There are some places that I stood for awhile and just looked because it was so surreally beautiful and soothing. It made me wish that sometimes our world wasn't so industrialized and that we could go back to what was a more simple beauty. It was that affecting. However, sometimes, the backgrounds look painted on. Some of the hills and areas that act as blockades for where you can't go aren't that well designed. Also my character's body type makes me laugh because his pecs are super large and his abs are indented in his body that I laugh whenever I see it.

The game moves impeccably fast as well. Your character runs and I mean runs through the areas. The framerate is great. But, like KOTOR before it, the game stutters sometimes when you are running and turning the camera. When the camera pans, the game flutters sometimes as it tries to take in everything that happens. In battles, the game hardly ever stutters. And the battles can end up having a good dozen or so enemies fighting you and your partner so they can get pretty hectic and the graphics engine does a great job keeping the motion moving.

Aurally, the game is a treat. You will find some cameo voice actors that are immediately familiar (look for John Cleese in a hysterical role). The music is well done and has a wonderful oriental bent to it (of course). Also, Bioware hired a real linguist to help create the fictional language used in the game. It is very familiar to oriental language but isn't real. It was created solely for this game. And that's amazing.

Unfortunately, my problem with the dialogue in the game is the same problem I had with KOTOR. It's great and all but all too often the plot developments and dialogue becomes a "talking head" type situation where anyone who has something important to say gets a close up of their face while their lips move and the dialogue is heard. This is unfortunate for me because I get impatient sometimes and will just read the subtitles and skip through most of their dialogue. It's never "dynamic" in cutscenes like in some RPGs I've played (hands down the best use of dialogue in an RPG goes to FFX that used dialogue to move the plot but it wasn't a novel dialogue, it was like movie dialogue). The dialogue in Jade Empire is sometimes like a novel. So, for those who aren't interested in talking heads delivering dialogue this might get annoying after a time. But the dialogue is genuinely well voiced and excellent.

My only other complaint is the load times. While not as annoying constant as Fable where each and every small zone no matter how small had to be loaded for a good 5-10+ seconds, it still is a pain when you have to go through zones for a quest. For instance, in the beginning of the game you have to go through the town to the school (a load screen) to get a quest, go back to town (load screen) to talk to someone, then back to the school (load screen). And it's unfortunate because the actual quest takes maybe a minute, but a good 20 seconds of the time is spent in load screens. That's a uncharacteristic load time though as generally the areas are big and don't usually require many loads. Although another incident where it is very noticeable is in an arena combat situation where before and after each arena battle it has to load for a good 5-10 seconds. The kicker is, some of the arena battles are over in about a minute or much much less and yet you have to deal with two load screens comprising a good 10-20 seconds. So, in some areas it can be annoying and definitely pulls you out of the game when you should be pulled further in. And, it becomes especially annoying considering that games like Halo 2 are seamless after the original load.

Overall, though, this game is gold. It's perfectly plotted and paced and has Bioware's trademark in excellence stamped all over it. It ranks as one of my favorite games this year so far along with God of War and Psychonauts. I would definitely recommend buying this game. There are some problems that I have noted but you know regardless of the problems, this is an excellent game with an excellent story. And, at 22+ hours, this adventure is worth taking.

**NOTE: You should definitely pick up the Limited Edition of it if you can still find it. For the initial run they are all Limited Edition and after they are gone, you will only be able to get this, the standard game. The Limited edition has a new character and weapon style and a making of as well as some other fun things. Same price, so definitely check out the limited edition over this version if you want the game.

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I've loved most of the Bioware games over the last several years. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Neverwinter Nights, the Baldur's Gate series and all the spin offs based on that same engine by Black Isle. So while I hadn't really tracked the development or feature set of Jade Empire, and I haven't been playing many games at all the last year or so I decided to pick it up.

So I got it home, tried it out, and got into the old pattern of a week-long, late-night playing spree until I reached the end.

It was good.

The characters and writing were pretty decent. The quests were pretty varied (although I got really sick of ghosts and spirits by the end). The dialog was funny at times. You had choices about whether to be good or evil throughout the game. It definitely had an Eastern flavor and philosophy throughout. There were some really original segments and nice cinematic sequences and some fairly well-done plot twists. But overall I'd say the story and characters were just decent not as good as an average novel. Not quite as good as Knights of the Old Republic. And not innovative still plagued by the same issues that have affected previous games in the genre (e.g. no real freedom to make choices to avoid big plot quests or go in your own direction, not much subtlety in the good/evil choices and rewards given for being either as good or as evil as possible, smashing barrels and boxes and urns around towns and houses to find loot without any consequences).

Where the game really shined was in combat. Your character is skilled in Kung Fu, and starts with 2 fighting "styles" that he or she can switch between at any time. Each style is relatively simple in it's own right. There's a basic attack. You can sequence 2 or 3 attacks in succession before needing to pause a second. You can block. You can "power attack" which takes a second to warm up and leaves you open to regular attack but can break through an enemy's block. And there's an area attack that knocks foes down but doesn't really hurt them. And you can roll and flip around to evade enemies. That's it. So basic strategy is "rock, paper, scissors." Block beats regular attack power attack beats block regular attack beats power attack (during warm up).

So in the beginning of the game you get used to this strategy against one opponent or a few at a time. But before long you start learning new styles. There are new "martial" styles (different forms of kung fu), there are support styles which tend to hinder opponents and set them up for finishing combinations, there are magic styles that usually let you blast enemies at range, there are weapon styles, and there are transformation styles (which let you become a big baddie of some sort for a short while to kick some butt).

Each of these styles has the same categories of moves described above... but very different versions. E.g. with the dire flame magic style, the basic attack fires a small flaming projectile at your enemy, the power attack fires a large flaming projectile that immolates the enemy for a time and makes it impossible for him to attack back, and the area attack summons a dragon to breath flame in the area.

So the core mechanic of the game stays fresh throughout, since you're continually collecting new styles, trying them out, learning their strengths and weaknesses, and investing your limited pool of points into improving the ones you like best. Then at some point you start to really experiment with the "hamonic combinations" in which you have to use a support or magic style, get someone with the slow power attack, then quickly switch to a martial style and hit them with another power attack to finish them off and produce a power up. This can be fun, and it very efficient when fighting large groups of enemies at once.

I have to admit at times I really felt like a bad-ass kung fu master during the game. Start with my "Flawless" staff style, then switch to "Spirit Thief" to suck up some of their spiritual energy, then flip over their back and use "Thousand Cuts" for some quick punches, then finally to "Stone Immortal" to encase my enemies in rock. The switching between styles is very fast and natural and before too long I became very familiar with many of the styles, and I could recognize and name the styles that foes were using against me. This really brought scenes of kung fu movies to mind such as "Ha you don't think you can beat me using "Leaping Tiger" style do you?" or "Ahh, Tempest style. You must be a master who follows the way of the closed fist and I must take care to avoid your vortex area attacks."

And in the end that's what makes a game memorable. The way it made you feel when you were playing it. This game made me feel like a Kung Fu master in a way that straight fighting games with never could.

-Mike Arcuri

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I brought this game for my sister for Christmas. I called her on her day off from work and was told "Can't talk now, I am playing." I was surprised by her reaction. She doesn't normally sit down and play a game and then finish it so quickly. So when she brought it over for me to play, I was looking forward to it. Needless to say, I was not let down. I spent all my free time immersed in a wonderful story that had me in a trance. The beauty, the story, the adventure. I highly recommend this game for all, it was a truly spectular pleasure to play.

Honest reviews on Jade Empire - Xbox

I thought this was an overall great game. Great storyline, though a bit confusing and disappointing/sad in the end. The Only thing I really criticize was the fighting and the number of styles and how they are earned. The Buttons for fighting have been seen a million times. You press one or two buttons (mostly one) and thats how you defeat everyone. The other thing is that when they said you would learn transform skills by fighting many of a creatures, I assumed you'd be fighting more than one or two before the game activates it at a planned moment. I expected to be able to into a wilderness and find many many creatures that respawn and attack again. Also, there were too few weapon styles. You end up using only 1 or 2 kinds of weapons. My last criticism is the lack of things you could buy. More armor, more weapons, less gems. I know I've made the game sound terrible by now but truely, great storyline, excellent graphics and sound, average stats system, good variety of styles and ememies, etc. If you like RPG's, buy it, you'll like it.

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Here's an example of how good this game is. I bought an xbobx for this game. Its just that worth it.

once the menu screen shows up on your screen, I promise, you will be immediatly anchanted. The music is so deep and overwhelming, sorrowful and yet noble. And the visuals, although choppy at very rare times, are heavenly.

When you start out, you will of course pick which character you want to use for your adventure. There are plenty to choose from, ranging from fast-fisted warriors to huge barbarians. This just begins one of the greates aspects of the game character customization. True, it may seem simplistic at first, but through the game you can gain so many styles and techniques that for one moment your character will be beating the heck out of his opponents with brute force, and then seamlessly meld into movments as graceful yet deadly as Crane.

Magic aspect aside, the martial arts are fairly true-to-life. For example, if you are using a longsword, the stance has you holding it above your head (note that not all styles have you doing this, just the one in Jade Empire). Now, when fighting someone with a spear, you might want to switch to either hand-to-hand or a weapon with a longer range. This is because the way that you hold your sword, its takes an extra 1/10 of a second (which in martial arts is precious time). The enemies spear can take advantage of that, and then your dead.

You start off in your martial arts school. When I saw this, i couldn't believe how beautiful it was. It was so peacful and enchanting. Even subtle details were payed attention to, such as the students going through REAL forms and excersises from Tai-Chi Chuan and the Lohan system.

The names are great. Furious Ming. Wu the Lotus Blossom. Gao the Greater (and lesser). Segacious Zu. I mean c'mon thats just classic.

And perhaps most importantly the story. Thats right people, there IS something MORE important than graphics (although Jade Empire's are phenomanal). This is an RPG after all. At first, it seems pretty formulated. I was a little dissapointed. But, don't lose heart. Very soon some amazingly creative and origional writing comes into play. The story is great.

Sadly, there is one thing that I just really do not like about this game at all. For starters, there is the Airship transportation. Its just a remake of Space invaders with a Chinese twist. Very big letdown there.

Secondly, all of the close-ups can get tiresome. I mean, with envoirnments so beautiful, I want to see more than just some warriors face, no matter how cool he/she looks.

But, despite these factors, I still give this game a 5 out of 5. And here is why.

Bad things about the game 2

Good things about the game 100+

Bottom line; If you have an XBOX, then there is no excuse not to have Jade Empire.

GameCube Console - Indigo Reviews

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I haven't owned a Nintendo product since the Super Nintendo many years ago, when Sony introduced the original PlayStation they won me because of the CD-ROM media format, excellent graphics (at the time) and the support for well known third-party developers. But the second time around Sony hasn't made the splash with me they did years ago, don't misunderstand, the PlayStation 2 and the XBox have some incredible titles, but these systems are bulky and cost a lot more than I'm willing to pay. Also, I have small children and I want a system that's kid friendly, but also has a game catalog to support my taste. Gamecube was the only one that fit that bill.

To me Gamecube has the most compelling exclusive titles, trademark games like: Metroid, Mario, Zelda, etc.. are being done justice on the new platform, the GameCube Metriod game is the most outstanding console game I've ever played. In addition to Nintendo's exclusive's Sega is porting more exlcusive titles to Gamecube than any other system they develop for. True it doesn't have a DVD drive, but the truth is, DVD doesn't do much for games, it just provides more storage space (mostly wasted on prerendered movie scenes). The inclusion of the DVD drives on XBox and PS2 are keeping their prices up and their systems bulky. Consider Gamecube.

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With great frustration, I find the overabundance of misguided preconception and unsubstantiated opinion surrounding Nintendo's Gamecube too much to keep quiet any longer. First and foremost I would like to concede to the fact that I am 22 year old, multi-platform gamer. Since my very early introduction to gaming with my first console, the Atari XE, I have since been privy enough to have experienced nearly every other console that subsequently followed. Included in this list are the NES, Sega Master System, Turbo Graphics 16, Game Boy, Genesis, Sega CD, Sega 32X, Super NES, 3DO, Jaguar, Lynx, Gamegear, Virtual Boy, Saturn, PS, N64, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, PS2, XBox, Gamecube and Game Boy Advanced. In addition to all that, I have a background in PC gaming that began all too clearly with the likes of ID's original Wolfenstein 3D and Lucas Arts' original X-Wing. Now for the breakdown:

HARDWARE:

The first somewhat obvious advantage of the Gamecube is it's sheer processing power. The hardware architectural scheme is simply unparalleled when compared to the likes of the PS2 and Xbox. With the help of hardware development giants like IBM, NEC and ATI, Nintendo was able to assemble a very powerful machine that is cost effective and easy to code for. The beauty of the Gamecube's hardware design is in it's high emphasis on multi-processor resource sharing. With a CPU developed by IBM, a main graphics processor developed by ATI and a slew of other hardware components dedicated to such environmental effects as dynamic light sourcing, bump mapping, tri-linear vector shading, DLPII surround sound support to name a few. Given that all of these components work in tandem and are (for the most part) independent of each other, it is easy to see how resource burden is effectively reduced. Couple this with super-high-speed DRAM (best showcased in the loading-time-free Metroid Prime), and you've got the potential for more performance than you could ask for. Keeping all of this in mind, let us first take a look at PS2 when making comparison. The PS2's general processing scheme is dependant on 3 separate processors: the CPU and two "Emotion-Engine" co-processors. At first glance one may look at this layout and think, "that's not so bad, sounds like Nintendo's design." The truth is, although the intention of the 3 processors was to share processing burden, only but a handful of software titles for the PS2 have effectively been able to pull this off. In my research, I've found that the common, major complaint stemming from production houses was the inefficiency to which it takes in order to couple the processors. Rather than being an automatic component of the hardware (e.g. one processor starts to lag so it automatically routes data crunching to the next processor), whether or not the co-processors go to work is dependant on whether or not that instruction is explicitly stated in the software engine architecture (source code). In most cases, software development houses (especially those who specialize in making cross-platform software) will simply limit processor utilization to the CPU. Take a second to consider how much needs to be processed by the CPU: polygon draw, dynamic light sourcing, shadows, environmental mapping, reflections... this list goes on. Point being, the PS2 is really only barely hanging on in the hardware development. Now, to something a little harder to see is the Xbox architecture. Being the fair an honest critic that I am, I have been quite impressed by the visual and audio processing of the Xbox. Coupled with the fact that it has a built-in hard drive and ethernet card, I must say it is a good design in general. What turns me off about the Xbox is its incredibly striking resemblance to a PC (e.g. CPU, graphics card, sound card, hard drive setup). For God's sake, the thing supports Direct X. What turns me off to this set up is the sheer redundancy of it all. Why not just buy a computer? It does more, and is easily upgraded to last into the future. Granted I have enjoyed Halo, but I've enjoyed UT 2003 on my Pentium 4 1.4Ghz / Nvidia GeForce 4 Ti a heck of a lot more... especially with my mouse and keyboard.

SOFTWARE:

This is where the debate can truly get ugly. I'll be forthright, Nintendo's Gamecube has hands-down the best and most diverse software catalogue among all three next-gen platforms. First and foremost, when considering this statement you've got to look at console-specific games. Sure, the PS2 may have a ridiculous slew of games over both Xbox and Gamecube, but consider the fact that you can attribute this to PS2's earlier launch. Generally speaking, the majority of PS2's console specific games were developed from launch through to the first year of release. Given this fact coupled with the knowledge of PS2 being a less powerful system altogether, who wants these games anyway? If there is credit to be had on the PS2 side of things, it's that of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, the Gran Turismo Franchise, and a couple of good RPGs like Suikoden and Zenosaga... that's it. Both Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy are coming to the Gamecube, so both of those Franchises can no longer be used as bargaining chips. Also, consider that Grand Theft Auto exclusivity expires in 2004. Many experts are weary to assume that exclusivity will continue. You wanna talk Xbox now? Only one word: Halo. That's it. Other than Halo, all you have are other multi-platform games that you'll find on both PS2 and Gamecube anyway. Oh, and don't be so naïve as to effetely fall victim to the whole "Only on Xbox" campaign. Given the financial backing of a corporate giant such as Microsoft, how much more obvious is the fact that they pay out big bucks for limited (insome cases 1 to 2 weeks of) exclusivity. Don't be a fool, open your eyes... honestly what else is there for Xbox? Nothing. Now, lets look at Ninetendo's more notable exclusive franchises: Metroid, Zelda, Mario, F-Zero, Starfox, Resident Evil, to name only a few. Couple that with every other multi-platform game that is being published for Gamecube anyway, and you have the strongest software line-up. That's, it. Simple.

VALUE:

$... plus a free game? Are you kidding? Need I say more? Buy it now, you will not be dissapointed.

Best Deals for GameCube Console - Indigo

I was doing research on game consoles and I felt that the reviews for the Gamecube were very limited in scope. Yes, every system has its pros and cons, but where do they stand and more importantly why.

Of the current game consoles (2003) this is my ranking for them:

1. Nintendo's GameCube

2. Sony's Playstation 2

3. Microsoft's XBOX

**PS2**

The biggest advantage of the PS2 is its library. PERIOD. Due to backward compatibility with the PS1 it has the most games available. Some will tout PS2's ability to play dvds a reason to buy, but it isn't a "dvd player". What does that mean? It means it won't replace any decent dvd player. If you want it for that reason you will sorely be disappointed when you discover it wont play certain dvds to the fact that it doesnt have a real remote.

~Remember... you are in the market for a "gaming console"

**XBox**

The Xbox is by far has the best and fastest hardware. Some people will say it is a pc in a box, and they are pretty much right. Xbox does have some impressive games, but the word that comes to mind when I think Xbox is "limited". Everyone I know who owns an Xbox really isn't getting *excited* about anything anymore. Get an Xbox if you plan to *hack* it. I know people who have done this to create a multi-functioning device that does many-a-things. Very cool... but again I repeat:

~Remember... you are in the market for a "gaming console"

**Gamecube**

Why does the GC come up on top? Quality. It does not have the fastest processor onboard like MS's solution nor does it have a library of games like Sony's, but where Nintendo innovates is in its quality of games. Sound trivial? Look up any Gamecube game on Amazon and read the reviews, compare with any other system. Nintendo is very picky about who they let develop games for their system. And on top of this the Nintendo franchise has alot of VERY promising games coming out from the new Zelda to Soul Caliber II. And now is the time to get a GameCube... Why? because they are offering one of their hot titles for FREE w/ the purchase. This brings the console price drastically!

There are imperfections with every system, but the GameCube holds its ground. The only STRONG reason to not buy the GC right now would be Sega's recent announcement of not supporting its line of Sports Games for the GC (only applies to sega sports). If you primarily play Sports games then you may want to go with a PS2.

Other than that... claims such saying the GC is a "kid's system" really are weak arguments. We all become kids when we play anyhow. And there are alot of games coming out from Nintendo that are not intended for children.

All in all... I prefer the Gamecube and the PS2 over the Xbox. Get the GC if you want a system that will last you 2-3 years w/ quality games before the next generation comes out.

So if you are in the market for a "gaming console"...

Honest reviews on GameCube Console - Indigo

Okay, first off, I'm a girl. I know a lot of people are under the impression that that piece of information excludes me from being a serious gamer, but come on... welcome to the year 2004! That aside, I must say that I have had experience with all three consoles. Here's my comparison.

X-box: by no means can you bash the graphics or the innovation behind this system. The games, while usually featuring unfamiliar characters, are superb. My own personal favorite was the X-box version of Prince of Persia: Sand of time, which I have played for every system available. The disadvantage: for a 20 year old out on their own, the price can be a bit steep for a system rivaled by two others with their own pros and cons. Rating: 3 stars.

Playstation 2: best value for someone looking for options outside of the gamers world. Like other reviewers noted, has the only rights to the GTA series, and in my opinion has a superior controller setup to the other two. Graphics are excellent, but not as good as Gamecube or X-box. Pricing is midrange, and also is compatable with most DVD's, making it space and money efficient. Rating: 4 stars.

Gamecube: easily portable, excellent graphics and game selection (Zelda, Mario, Starfox... the list goes on and on), and lowest priced game system available. While the game selection is not as large as with the other consoles, the selections available are sure to keep you occupied for a while. Overall, pricing and other factors considered, I rate this 5 stars.

While I would have purchased this console solely for The Legend of Zelda: the Windwaker (which was slightly disappointing compared to Ocarina of Time), I find it the best value for what is available.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for GameCube Console - Indigo

I bought my Gamecube a year ago, they were all out of the black ones so I had to settle for indigo. Anyway, this new color is arguably the best and makes the GC look a little more sophisticated and cooler. But that's just on the surface and rather superficial. I'm not writing this to convince you to get a GC based on a color, but rather what the machine has going for it.

Last year, I would've rated the GC only 4 stars at best due to the lack of great games and no built-in cd/dvd player to tide me over till the great games came along. But this year, with all the games available and coming up, to use a game machine for anything other than playing great games is ludicrous. Seriously, if you bought a next-generation game machine to mainly play your music cd's or watch a movie, you basically bought the wrong machine to play games with didn't you? But I'm not here to put down the PS2 or X-Box, just to point out why you'll be too busy playing games to worry about anything else.

Here's why it's essential you pick up a Gamecube this year if you didn't last year:

* There are more games available this holiday season than last, from ports(Tony Hawk, Madden, X-Men, college sports games, etc) to exclusives, the GC will have most of your needs.

* Nintendo carries on the tradition of fun multiplayer games: Godzilla's Destroy All Monsters Melee, Super Smash Brothers Melee, Mario Party 4, Bomberman, etc, not to mention upcoming ones like Mario Kart for GC(you know you want it)

* Powerhouse exclusives like the Zelda, Metroid, Resident Evil franchises not to mention certain specific Star Wars and Sonic games.

* Bigger emphasis on more 'mature' oriented games like Eternal Darkness, Biohazard, Killer 7, etc.

* recent announcement by Capcom that they have 5 exclusive games that seem to be more mature-oriented for the GC(check their web-site out for proof)

* Online rpg's like Sega's PSO(although on-line games are still rare and new to the GC, it is possible), excellent fighters like Soul Calibur 2, racers like 1080 and F-Zero X(Sega's doing this one!), and while Rare says goodbye Namco will take over and make the next Star Fox game, a new Final Fantasy-esque game from Square for GC, plus popular ports of games once thought exclusive to other systems like Capcom vs SNK 2, Medal of Honor, Baldur's Gate, Wreckless, Splinter Cell, Dead to Rights, Blood Omen 2, Red Faction 2, etc.

* The GC has the first major wireless controller(the wavebird) available for any system and works perfectly.

* Certain GC games can be connected to or interact with certain games on your GB Advance(i don't own a GBA so i haven't even enjoyed this aspect yet)

* Also, I've noticed the fan-noise is a little quieter on the GC and the load times are a little shorter on the games(on average, generally speaking). Plus, the durability of a Nintendo built product(one year with my GC, no problems yet; and I'm sure a few of you still have working NES's and Super NES's to back up my claim of Nintendo-made durability).

* recent announcement of a Gameboy adaptor that allows you to play thousands of Gameboy/color/advance games on your GC!!

In closing, if you thought the GC was just a toy, or just for kids, think again. Some great games are here, and some even better ones are around the corner. To be honest, I'm very pleased to see Nintendo trying harder to build up their game library(already more varied than the N64's imo) and working hard with some major companies to get some quality games(Capcom's 5-game deal, Sega's ports of their major franchises, joint effort with Namco on Star Fox, ports of rpg's and fighting games--both genres of which suffered on the N64, and the return of Squaresoft incl. an exclusive rpg). But I bought the GC mainly for their world-class exclusives that only GC owners can play. If you can go one-generation in the gaming world without revisiting Link and Hyrule, holding those hours-long multiplayer sessions of Mario Kart or SSB Melee, or finally getting your hands on the new adventure in Metroid Prime...then you have much more restraint than me. But if you want pure gaming addiction, memories, and fun, do yourself a favor and pick up a great system, at a great price, for great gaming value.

Borderlands 2 - Xbox 360 Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $24.58
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Visuals-90/100(Great art style make for a great looking game)

Story-87/100 (Smartly written, funny, and features a lot of personality)

Sound-88/100 (Great voice acting and moody music compliment the experience)

Game play-94/100(Borderlands 2's RPG elements jell together with a very playable game)

Replay Value-93/100 (A lengthy game, co-op, and much more make for a game you will play over and over again)

When Borderlands was released back in 2009, it surprised everyone with it's unique hybrid of shooting and role playing. Borderlands was definitely unique, and personally, I thought it was the first true RPG/FPS hybrid. Sure, there were games like System Shock 2 beforehand, but SS2 isn't so much a shooter as it is an action role playing survival horror hybrid, and from a FPS standpoint, it's actually horribly repetitive and clunky. But Borderlands combined Diablo-style looting and frantic FPS combat, all the while providing for some of the most intense and satisfying gun play in a shooter. Borderlands was definitely a breath of fresh air in the FPS market, and it's a darn shame we don't have more games in the genre like it. Now, Borderlands is back with this top notch sequel, and the series is better than ever.

I won't say too much about the single player experience, but given the amount of missions available, it seems Borderlands 2 will provide a lengthy, satisfying experience. I'm not finished with the game yet, but I can tell that it isn't going to end any time soon. People who have beaten it already have said the game will take around 30 hours to complete, so single player fans will be satisfied. From what I gather, numerous reviewers are saying that you will want to play through the entire game more than once (!) as well, thanks in part to it's diverse skill classes. Even better, Borderlands 2 now let's you play the entire game with all of your stats in tow, so expect some heady replay value for single player.

As we all know, the story for Borderlands was extremely forgettable. That's not to say the single player campaign didn't have merit, it most certainly did. The art design was nice, Pandora was occasionally a vivid location, and some of the encounters you faced made for some memorable gaming moments. That said, the characters were extremely forgettable (aside from the awesome Claptrap), and the plot line was about as memorable as watching a modern artist craft a generic sculpture out of toilet roll tubes. Borderlands 2, on the other hand, actually had me invested with it's sharp writing and quirky sense of humor, and some of the people you meet in the game will have you reeling with startling surprise. It's mission structure is so far interesting, and the encounters so far have all been memorable. I won't spoil too much, but let me just say that the creatures here will provide you with a sense of being; you will see them as creatures of fiction, not cannon fodder.

Perhaps the biggest part of the game's success as a story is the vivid recreation of Pandora. Video Game developers know that building a world is one of the best ways to tell a story, especially in a First Person Game (just look at Half-Life). It's easily one of the video game medium's biggest strengths, and Borderlands 2 knows this. Borderlands 2 is a great space western experience, with a mood that recalls a comic book if it were hijacked by space western writers. Of course, the famous Borderlands 2 art style is back, and it provides for an awesome artistic foundation for Borderlands 2's vivid recreation of Pandora. And Pandora is beautiful! Borderlands 2 won me over with it's cell shaded, mood setting skies (Yes. Skies), glistening tundras, jagged mountains, colorful vivid industrial areas, and other locations. It's better looking than anything such garbage as "photo-realism" ever will be able to achieve. You see, folks (*cough* as well as certain 2K executive *cough*)? This is what happens when you get away from "realism"! An antidote to the lifeless drudgery of puke browns and vapid grays; the overall dreary, narcolepsy inducing experience. Thanks for this, Borderlands 2 is more of a beaut than Battlefield 3 will ever be.

The Sound track is also very beautiful. The soundtrack truly makes the space western mood they were going for. Great sound effects and voice acting follow suit.

Now, to game play. The basic game play concepts remain the same. Choose a skill class, start building your character and then loot n' gain (experience points, that is)! With loot and experience points, you have the potential to help yourself to a seemingly endless number of play styles, equipment and, of course, guns. Loads upon loads of guns. If you are familiar with the original (and you should be), you will know that the basic core intents of the game play remain the same. However, what Borderlands 2 offers new is what we all want to know. Does it offer something new? Is this Borderlands 2 or Borderlands 1.5? This is Borderlands 2. And aside from it's vastly superior story and setting, Borderlands 2 adds great game play additions that pushes the series forward, and leaves the first game in the dust.

The biggest addition to Borderlands 2 is the revamped skill classes. Character builds are deeper than ever, and much more rewarding than before. Since this is one of the biggest pros of Borderlands 2, it's nice to say that the is better than ever. The biggest change here is that each skill tree feels way more diverse, something the original was lacking. As you pick from four different skill classes, you can use each class to your advantage. Each class has it's own unique abilities, such as Zero's invisible stealth, the Salvador's ability to dual-wield anything, the Axion's ability to use turrets, and Maya's ability to freeze. Beyond the leveling up of your special abilities, the skill trees you build are diverse and the skills you invest in add a much better sense of personal, much more satisfying combat that suits you well. You can add all sorts of abilities, from more helpful defensive skills to offensive based powers like a Borderlands 2 has some real depth to your play style, and it's combination of great combat and true RPG elements makes for a truly great RPG and shooting hyrbid. All of this is aided by a much improved interface that makes the game more playable than before.

As you defeat enemies, you can upgrade the powers of the class, which is rewarded through looting and the gaining of experience points. Bad *cool* points make for some great bonuses, as they augment most other powers rather well. Most importantly, Borderlands 2 rewards you with guns and the ability to use an endless number of weapons, and it's addictive and rewarding as ever. You all know the drill, and it's even better than the first game. The ability to customize EVERYTHING (yes, all caps for a reason), from common features like re-load, to giving your own gun acid, makes sure that you can get creative with whatever gun you want to make. I'm not quite there making the ultimate gun that puts the BFG to shame, but according to what I've heard, anything is possible, including such crazy weapons as a pistol with ammo that doubles as a grenade dispenser, and I'm pretty sure that's not as crazy as it gets. Borderlands 2 proves that you can never have enough weapons, and they ensure that you will never feel empty-handed. Superior AI and a diverse range of enemies round out the experience.

All of this translates to the multi-player extremely well. Borderlands 2 offers four-player co-op, and it succeeds thanks in part to the great game mechanics. Using each character class, you can truly uses each one to their strengths to help out each team mate, in a way that sort of reminds me of Team Fortress 2. One can really get creative if you mix things up and assign certain levels, and since enemies get tougher as you play the game, it becomes vital and more challenging as you go along. Aided by it's diverse abilities, each skill class truly can add something unique to every play through, making for some rewarding and challenging combat that has the potential to be unique for every band of four. Like a good RPG should do, you can actually join in anytime, which makes the game even better so you don't have to commit to a whole game together. It makes game play extremely flexible, and it makes for some of the most accessible and playable multi-player experiences I've played in quite a while.

I do have a few, eh, issues, however. There are some minor graphics hitches here and there, but as long as you don't give all bent out of shape over some pop in textures or the occasional weird visual hiccup, you shouldn't have much trouble over looking this, uh, issue? You still can't really change the appearance of your character as much, which isn't that big a loss but definitely can be a tad disappointing if you really enjoy customizing your character. Oh, and car combat is mostly underused, as you won't find either a glut of vehicle based missions, or some fun car combat a la Rage. Thankfully, most of these niggling issues are minor.

Other than that, this game is just terrific. I don't know much else to say here, but if you are a fan of Borderlands, this is not just a mere revision, it's a whole new great game. Personally, I really don't find myself every playing the original Borderlands ever again, and it's definitely a stand out in the cluttered FPS genre that exists today. It's got humor, it's got replay value, it's got role-playing, it's got terrific gun play, and it's got enough things to do to keep you hooked for days. Needless to say, if you like Borderlands, you want this one. Easily. Go get it.

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The first question people will likely ask is, "Does this game live up to the high water mark hit by BL1 and DLC?" and that answer is a resounding "Yes!"

The second question asked, "Is it better than BL1?" and the answer is "Yes...for the most part."

So what's improved?

Better gun mechanics (sound, feel and diversity), more humor, more frequent boss and sub-boss battles, easier to get a co-op game going and see who's online playing, character skill trees are improved (more focused on your play style than there being clearly better skills to pursue), friends can select quests in co-op games rather than having to tell the "party leader" to do it, grenades are much more useful with some nice variety, the new enemies are well designed (not only are there more, but a few can do things like level up or heal other bad guys), you can now dismember baddies, you can now tag items in your inventory as "trash" or "favorite" so you remember what to sell next time at the vending machine, you can now directly trade with people, you automatically pick up money and ammo (but thankfully not loot), combat is more organic (enemies take cover, flank you, dodge attacks), there are tons of missions (took me 40+ hours to finish the game having completed all but a couple side quests) and perhaps my favorite improvement, you can now move around while in "Fight For Your Life" mode meaning you'll no longer die while stuck behind cover. Also of note, single player is much more enjoyable this time around. There's less down time, more dialogue and the enemies/environments allow for better individual strategy.

So what are the negatives?

The new menus are clunky and difficult to parse (everything is on a slight angle making it tough to read and navigate), while missions have more dialogue and humor they still consist of mostly "shoot that" or "find this" objectives, driving mechanics are about the same (though thankfully you don't take damage from hitting enemies as much), while you can set a waypoint on the map your co-op buddies can't see the same waypoint and sometimes there's simply too much dialogue happening simultaneously. For example if you're playing co-op the first big town you get to is a total cluster as multiple characters are introducing themselves at the same time, or enemy dialog and gunfine easily drowns out character/story related dialogue. This is sometimes incredibly frustrating since you feel like you're missing out on a crucial plot detail or funny quip. Also, for about the first 12-15 hours the environments are a little too similar, but that changes as you continue to progress through the game. That said, these are only minor complaints and the additions far outweigh the handful of small issues.

Recommendation?

If you loved the first BL you'll love this one! The game does start a little slow, but once you get going its clear this game is superior to BL1 in most regards. If you flat out didn't enjoy the first game I'm not sure you'd enjoy the sequel, but if you've been on the fence there's enough improvement in details, mechanics, humor, enemy diversity and feel to both single & multiplayer modes to warrant a second look.

Best Deals for Borderlands 2 - Xbox 360

If Quentin Tarantino made a Spaguetti Western, post-apocalyptic-esque video game, this would be it. I can't believe how much fun this game actually is. Even if you're like me and didn't play the first Borderlands, don't pass this one up so quickly. Where do I start?

GAMEPLAY: if you aren't familiar with BL, the best way to explain this is to take the addicting looting system of Diablo and combine it with the basic elements of an FPS, throwing in some RPG via an inventory and skill tree. That's essentially the mechanics of the game, and it all slams together so well here. You have four basic classes to choose to play from, and each class has three paths to focus on in a skill tree -this means there's plenty of variation to play. In addition to these basic mechanics, the game is open-world, though it may feel semi-linear as you can only explore on an area-by-area basis (think the opposite of an Elder Scrolls game, where you can walk around the entire map without hitting a loading screen until accessing a dungeon). I have to say, with combining so many of our favorite gaming formulas, this game has so many highlights. Sometimes I felt like I was playing something akin to Skyrim. Other times, the ambiance of a specific area or the design of a specific feature reminded me of BioShock. And sometimes certain things brought me back to my Fallout 3 days. However, I never forgot I was playing a completely new adventure that easily whisked me away for hours in the unique and captivating world of Pandora. Lastly, I can't forget the guns. No joke, there are millions of guns you can find. It is so satisfying to find a ridiculous weapon and destroy enemies for the next three hours with it, only to find another weapon that is even better.

SETTING: Speaking of Pandora, it really is a fascinating world. Having a post-apocalyptic feeling yet retaining a notes of being futuristic, there are so many different areas to access. Sometimes you'll be exploring an underground cave full of chemicals. At other times, you'll be questing in a town that feels like it belongs in the Wild West after a nuclear fallout. It's crazy, and I doubt you'll be bored quickly.

STORY: one thing many BL veterans mentioned is the lack of a good narrative beyond funny one-liners in the original game. Like I said I never played Borderlands 1, but I can tell you that in BL 2 the characters are memorable, the writing is well-thought out and downright hilarious, and the story moves at a great pace with scenes of great emotion and other scenes of great sarcasm. This is all coming from a guy who is used to epic stories from Final Fantasy or Mass Effect. Also, be sure to keep your ears peeled while you fight the various enemies. They say and do some hilarious things themselves. But seriously, the writing is just super clever. I mean, what other game has a quest called, "Rocko's Modern Strife"? Classic!

REPLAYABILITY: with the various classes and varying skill trees, there is already plenty of incentive to reboot a new game or two... Or three. However, in addition to these, once you beat the game you open up more challenging modes that guarantee both tougher enemies and significantly better loot. Also, there are a healthy amount of side quests in here to help you clock in the hours that make AAA games a great bang for your buck. If you're a completionist like me, you'll probably spend 50+ hours on your first playthrough. No joke. Or, you can try a different character, pump through the story to get to the better game modes, then spend all your hours doing the side quests and finding the best loot. There are so many possibilities!

One note -definitely not a game for kids. The gratuitous gore would scar small children, and the extremely crass sense of humor means it's not a good idea to give this to a kid/teen who probably wouldn't understand half the jokes anyway. Just saying, parents, be smart and know what your kids are playing!

In conclusion, this is one heck of a game. I feel that it combines the best of so many game genres into a single FPS while adding in a memorable story that motivates you to find out what happens next. Of course, you'll be laughing your face off the entire way.

Honest reviews on Borderlands 2 - Xbox 360

Short version at the bottom:

I'm sorry to admit that I never played the first part of the series, but I have considered trying it out on the hopes that it's even half as good as Borderlands 2. This game stands pretty solidly on two the most important pillars of game development (that cover just about everything else): strong game play and a great story.

First, the game play. It's exactly what they promised (the hyperbole of "870 Gazillion more guns" not withstanding). I spent a great amount of time just experimenting with the different guns and grenades I found throughout my adventure. Additionally, as you progress, you actually feel like you are learning more about the world around you, either from testing for weak spots in your opponents and the environment or by watching the humorous (yet informative) loading screens. Note: I love when I don't hate the loading screens of game; if I'm forced to sit through tons of them, at least make them good please. An important thing to note, however, is that this is a game meant for multiple people running around and causing havoc, as opposed to a loner (like me). You can still have fun by yourself, but you'll might get a bit more out of it you bring a friend. There were a few minor bugs that can force you to restart (and a few that will make you rich beyond your wildest dreams -in game of course -if you feel like exploiting the game) as well as the annoying caveat that cause you to be referred to as a guy regardless of the gender of your character (only really a problem if you're using one of the two female characters), but I can't think of any real game play reasons not to play the game. 5/5

Second, the story. I like Anthony Burch (and not because we almost have the same name). His term as the lead writer on this project only secures my interest in Gearbox and his own work all the more. By the end of each chapter, you may find that your view of the antagonist changes a bit (or a lot) or it may not change at all, but if you like a good story and more than a few good surprises, you'll like this game. I don't want to spoil too much though, since I want others to experience this great story first hand. The game was very story driven, which is good, but if all you care about is the guns you may miss out on some good humor, so keep your eyes and ears open. Also: "References!" 5/5

Overall, I would recommended this game to all who are old enough to buy it themselves (17+ only please; no kids and immature people allowed due to the immature humor at times that should ironically be kept away from the immature). There were some things I found personally offensive due to my beliefs, but it's a fictional world anyways, so I can get over it for the most part. Between the game play and the story, one of them will draw you in and the other one will keep you there. Make sure you pace yourself though; there's plenty of great stuff you might miss if you rush yourself and even with the DLC coming out in the future (some of which is already out), your definitely going to want to something to do until Borderlands 3. 5/5

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Short Version:

The Good-

Tons of fun, tons of guns, tons of humor, tons of learning, tons of great story

The Bad-

Some annoying game play bugs and the things that make the game great can be overwhelming (and annoying) to people who don't care about them; also, keep away from people who can't handle it (you know who you are...)

The Overall-

Great buy, give it a try. 5/5

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Borderlands 2 - Xbox 360

I played BL1 and all its expansions. BL2 improves the franchise making small tweeks. This may be the #1 game that I have played on Xbox. Just finished up 150+ hours of Skyrim and I think BL2 blows it away in terms of shear fun and enjoyment.

Positives:

Better Story

Small tweeks like Baddass Points

More varied enemies

Negatives:

Mini map could be better

Inventory/menu interface takes a few hours to get used to, but never becomes easy and intuitive.

Buy Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City Special Edition -Xbox 360

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This game I had high hopes after seeing it revealed, seeing it as a combination of resident evil and ghost recon game play mechanics but when I played this game it was easily topping one of the worst games I have ever played. Choppy animations, graphics being on par with the PS2, story almost completely lacking, characters with the personality of a rock, entirely to dark environments, complete linear paths, some of the worse AI ever utilized in a game for both enemies and allies. And the list can go on and on but I'm starting to feel like I'm playing this game again which is now collecting dust in my closet and now I'm feeling suicidal tendencies, now I must go and find a local priest to perform a exorcism on this game in hopes of getting the demon out of it that causes me such misery. You have been warned...

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This game should have been the Home Ec. of video games: an incredibly easy A; something you had to try exceptionally hard to get wrong. Congratulations, gentleman. If your goal was to fail a gimme, success.

The bottom line: the game play mechanics are broken. It's not even the incredibly bad AI people have pointed out in other reviews, the game simply doesn't work. It's a bunch of pieces mashed together that make little sense.

Not a game even worth borrowing. Do yourself a favor and don't ruin the series for you. Consider this comparable to the disappointing sadness that we all felt from the Mario Bros. live action movie.

I am seriously considering banning a household ban of purchases of any game made by anyone directly involved in the design of this game.

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Seems like Capcom put little if at all any effort into RC. Doesn't keep up with modern zombie shooters or even that of the other RE games. If you want to mindlessly run through levels bludgeoning through zombies with underpowered weapons to a point that it gets tedious beyond the second mission this is the game for you.

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If you want a straight Resident Evil game than you should not get this. This is a team based shooter that takes place in the Resident Evil universe and it's not even a great shooter. The one redeeming quality this game has is it is still fun. That is I poured plenty of hours into this game playing through the missions and got a lot of simple enjoyment from it. So if you can get this game for 20 bucks or less and aren't looking for a serious game than I recommend it as a decent buy. If you can't than don't waste your money. I bought it at launch and don't regret buying it. I had a lot of fun playing it but wish I hadn't spent so much money on it.

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Pros:

It's fun to play

Not 100% scripted. You will still be able to make one choice later in the game (BUT only for U.S.S campaign)

2 campaigns (Delta and Spec Ops) that are very much different. It includes one or few mutants that didn't make it to Delta campaign.

The game looks good.

Interesting looking characters. Some are even likable.

A new vision on Resident Evil story. I liked it.

Cons:

bugs,

bad menu,

not easy to learn interface,

dumb AI,

Special equipment that you get with pre-orders and special edition is not awesome. Only one weapon in there is powerful if you take a look at stats. But here comes the bad part. It is slow and other ''deluxe'' weapons are not powerful and even worse than other standard weapons. So far I used only anti-material rifle as weapon of choice. Grenade launcher is meh and other weapons are ok. Nothing too special.

Lack of the character introduction. We have a story, but the game is more like run and shoot type.

I am glad that I have the game. I enjoyed it, but there is still a lot of things that can be improved.

God of War III - Playstation 3 Review

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Thanks for reading my first review here on Amazon. I normally don't review stuff like this online but I can't get this game out of my head. I've had my jaw hit the floor more times in the first couple hours than I've ever had in an entire game before. When people describe this game as epic, they are not just using some cliche word everyone on the internet throws around. The cover of God of War 3 should be in the dictionary next to the word.

First, I highly suggest anyone new to the series to go ahead and pick up the God of War Collection. It is some of the best the PS2 has to offer for only $30. It will bring you up to date on the story and help you get aquainted with the combat system so you can jump right into part 3 no problem. This brings me to my next point, difficulty. I'm hearing the term "button-masher" thrown around quite a lot in regards to this game and while this might be true for the easy and normal difficulties, it couldn't be further from the truth on Titan (hard) mode. Having beaten the two previous games recently, I started GoW3 on Titan difficutly. There is no way you can spam the same combos and expect to make it anywhere. For those familiar with the previous instances of God of War, or for you hack-n-slash pros out there, I highly suggest starting off on Titan mode. This will provide a much greater challenge and get you ready to play on Chaos mode after you've unlocked it.

For the most part, the gameplay remains unchanged from the previous titles. If it ain't broke don't fix it right? However, there are a few differences that greatly enhance the experiece. For starters, the QTEs now put the button prompts in relation to their location on the controller (triangle appears at the top of the screen, X on the bottom ect.). This allows the player to view whatever violent act Kratos is performing at the time without having the button prompt cover it all. Another great change is the ability to switch weapons on the fly, mid combo. This allows for a lot of creativiy to be used in how you dispatch each enemy. Lastly, one of my favorite additions to the combat system is the combat grapple. Kratos will fling both blades into an enemy and pull himself towards them. This greatly increases combo variety and makes it easier to string together lots and lots of hits.

When it comes to presentation in video games, God of War 3 takes the cake. You can tell a lot of work was put into making the game look amazing. I must have spent the first 10 minutes just staring at how detailed Kratos looks. The boss battles and level design redefine what scale is in games today. Some people might be put off by the fixed camera, but this allows the directors of the game to give you breathtaking views and truly show off all the hard work they put into making this one of the most visually pleasing experiences you will ever have. All the trailers and screens you could watch won't hold a candle to how this game looks live on a nice 1080p TV set.

In closing, God of War 3 is one of most amazing experiences you can find in gaming today. Other games might have a little more depth to their combat systems, but none of them put together the entire package of gameplay, graphics, sound, story, and overall fun. If you've been on the edge about picking up a PS3, let Kratos make that decision for you. Do yourself a favor and BUY this game!!!

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If you don't then you will be missing out on, easily, one of GREATEST games of all time! I thought I was blown away by Uncharted 2. I was but I am even more so with God Of War 3. Unbelievably, God Of War 3 floored me from the 30 minute opening sequence to the mind blowing finale. How did Sony Santa Monica pull this off? The SCALE of this game will boggle the mind and make your jaw hit the floor! When I first played the demo some 3 months ago I was in awe. After having played through every luscious drop of GOW 3 I am spellbound beyond belief. If I could only use one word to describe this game: EPIC! Remember the old home arcade system Neo Geo and SNK's motto for it "Bigger, Badder, Better"? This applies to GOW 3 in spades.

Upon first sight of GOW 3 you'll notice that the high def graphics are probably the best, on any system anywhere, computer gaming rigs included. Sony really tapped into the "true" power of the PS3 with this one. Some of the things I saw in this game is making me think it was all a dream because it just isn't possible in games, right? Wrong. Seeing the gigantic titans filling up the whole screen in perfect graphical splendor, on a 50 in. plasma, all the while Kratos is scaling it, and fighting a boss(Poseidon) on it, is completely amazing. Gamers, this is what we live for! The detail of not just the titans, the environments, and the Ghost of Sparta himself, but the minor enemies, such as the skeleton warriors, is astonishing. And seeing 15 or so of these skeleton warriors pile on Kratos and then seeing him violently power them off is unbelievably cool and empowering. It almost makes you feel like a god! The sheer power you feel controlling Kratos and watching him annihilate everything in his path in the name of vengeance will cast a spell over you.

The combat control is much the same as before, if not better. In other words, the control is flawless and if ain't broke don't fix it philosphy applies here. There are timed button presses for the boss battles(quick timed events). And bosses there will be. Some of them are absolutely enormous, such as Hades. Dealing death to the bosses is quite a sight. Impale them. Check! Rip off body parts. Check! Let blood and guts flow like a river. Check! This is one of the goriest and most violently graphic games I've seen. EVER! Kratos can still have sex in GOW 3! Always a welcome addition. Even one scene with a goddess! I think what might impress me most besides the scale of the game, is the number of enemies that can be on screen at one time. At times, there had to be close to 50 or more on screen. That is incredible considering it's running at 60 FPS the entire time with no slowdown. All of that even when there are cyclopses and minotaurs on the same screen, along with a titan in the background. Ridiculously amazing!

The story, sadly, was the most disappointing part of the game. It seemed a bit convoluted; like too much was going on with too many different characters. The story is not bad mind you and it`s easy to follow, it just feels like it's taking a major backseat to everything else. Still, it takes nothing away from the greatness of GOW 3. The puzzles in the game are challenging without being overly so and some of them very clever and ingenious. More than a few I was a bit stumped by. All in all it took me about 10 to 12 hours to roll through this masterpiece. I don't really remember how long it took me to go through each of the first two, so I can't compare length. While a bit short, for my taste, it was still one hell of a magnificent ride! The camera still can't be controlled by the player, but that has never bothered me and I think it was put to even better use this time around. It seems the angles and various shots are Hollywoodesque, if that makes any sense.

Weapons! The Cestus easily steals the show of the several new ones that you'll earn. The Cestus is completely WICKED! The combo moves are spectacular and more so than ever before and you can now swap weapons on the D-pad in the middle of one. When surrounded by a bunch of baddies and knowing you have different button options to pound the pulp out of them is especially gratifying. The use of the bow and arrow is easy and very useful. Very cool shooting the harpies with it and grabbing on to them to further your progress across chasms or to the top of places well out of your reach. I like the fact that now the bow quickly recharges after each use. I love being able to pick up enemies and charge with them, using them as a battering ram on other baddies. Completely awesome! Controlling the cyclops is amazing as well; swinging him around and pulping your enemies is gleefully sadistic. It must be experienced! You level up your health and magic much the same way as the two previous GOW's via feathers, stones, and now, minotaur horns.

The music is excellent! But hasn't the music always been excellent in the series? The voice acting IMHO is top notch. Seems even better than before. The action and pace of the game are relentless. Something new(and amazing) and unique is always happening to keep you glued to the screen; even if it happens only once. There is so much more I could go on talking about with this stunning, amazing, and breathtaking game known as God Of War 3, but I`d be here for a while and then you`d be bored;)

I don't care what genre of games you like or whether or not you even like GOW 3 type games, this is a game that absolutely MUST be experienced. I won't say this is my favorite game of all time, but it's right there at the top with Uncharted 2, Modern Warfare 2, Metal Gear 4, and Resident Evil 4. I don't care if you have to get an extra job(gulp), rob a convenient store(gasp) or steal if off your friend(yeah!) you have got to get this SOON! I've been playing games for 30+ years(since the days of Colecovision) and I've never been this AMAZED by a game! There is so much diversity, so much to see, so much so tightly packed in such a spectacular game that it will make you wonder how they pulled it oof. Folks, the next generation of gaming has arrived and I am stunned, blown away, mesmerized and spellbound by what Sony Santa Monica created. My hat goes off to them for they are a TRULY talented team! Kudos of accolades go to Stig Asmussen for his brilliant direction of this game and for making it so much more than I thought possible.

This seems to be the end of this GOW saga and I hope we'll see more of Kratos in the future, because this is only a scratch on the video game surface of the great things the future could hold for the Ghost of Sparta. I am truly moved!

It's a 10/10 experience!

ARE YOU GOING TO JOIN THE SPARTAN ARMY NOW?

SIDE NOTE(or bottom note) I'm not sure why this game was released earlier than it's scheduled March 16th release date. I had originally preordered GOW 3 on Amazon, but after I found I could get it nearly a week earlier on eBay I cancelled my Amazon pre-order. Not that I'm complaining about any of that. The same thing happened with Modern Warfare 2. I'd like to know how people are getting these games so early. The guy I bought my copy from on eBay said he'd had his copies since March 6th,. He wouldn't elaborate as to where he got them. I received mine on March 11th. I had to pay and arm and a leg for it, but it was worth every dime.

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I have seen my share of games throughout my life. I'm almost 30 years old and video games have been one of my life's greatest hobbies. I have enjoyed playing video games more than anything else. But never did I dreamed more than 15 yrs ago when playing in an Game Gear from Sega that I would experience such a thing.

God of War 3 is simply breathtaking. It is as epic as any movie. It has no equal in the video game world.

The graphics, the music, the superb gameplay everything combines into a massive juggernaut that will rock you to the core. GOW3 deserves its place among the all time greats like Tetris, Super Mario, etc.

In the hack-n-slash genre, it reigns supreme. In the all-time great, it can be debated if it takes the top spot, but no one will leave this game feeling the same.

We live in a truly amazing World where a treasure such as this can be purchased for such a paltry sum.

Honest reviews on God of War III - Playstation 3

I got a PS3 for this game, great investment; reality i am just starting the game, but man in the first chapter is bar none the best graphics i have ever seen in a video game, yes even Uncharted 2 and Mass Effect2 ; and the gameplay is godly smooth, well i will update the review later on , but until now is incredible and awesome, i never thought i will see this types of greatness in my time. Buy it guys , if you dont own a PS3 is about time you get it , you are missing one unique experience.

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+ 5 Bonus Stars For The Blood-Spalttered RAGE Simulator!

BEST GOD OF WAR GAME / BEST PS3 GAME

SONY, we who are about to play, Salute You. For taking a legendary amount of badassedness, and cramming it all in one game. No one else in the market is giving us naked 1080p nipples, just because it's sexy funny. Another game maker would have taken the Greek Mythology idea and given us a PG-13 experience with casual puzzles and no blood. But GOD OF WAR became HARDCORE. You could have dumbed it down like Halo to get super mass market sales... But you stayed true to your Ambition. Because you made this game with your balls, I'm buying it NEW, at LAUNCH, with MONEY. Please accept my cold hard cash, and my thanks. GOD3 is another reason why I'm a Playstation fan-for-life.

HARDCORE FANTASTIC ONE-OF-A-KIND EXPERIENCE!

Review of Darksiders II: Collectors Edition -Xbox 360

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If you're a Darksiders fan, you've already got this game. If not, get the first one, then get this one. They are amazing. It's Zelda for current consoles with great voice acting.

The collectors mask is detailed, and well made.

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If you liked the first one then this one is more of that, but just way more refined. It would have been nice to have the first one be like this one and this one be a bit more dynamic but then again the grounds are def there for part three to improve upon!

Awesome action adventure game with a bit of puzzles and rpg elements to complement but the graphics need a bit more stylized definition other then that def a must own especially if you finished playing the first one.

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Mask is pretty cool, game play is great. would recommend to anyone who played zelda as a kid on nintendo.

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The product arrived promptly, and was expertly packaged.

I liked that I could easily register this item using the original packaging.

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Though it has some technical glitches (i was stuck in the environment and a few times, and as reviewers have stated, there is some screen tearing going from one large area to another, but those things aside (which never stopped a full-on good time) the game is fun. It is all about the loot, the hunt for those items just outside your field of vision and figuring out how to get them. Death is nimble but still able to take a beating (if you level him up enough). His skill trees are varied enough without becoming a burden and the game warps up nicely. I clocked in about 39 hours without finding everything, but found a lot. It was definitely better than the first, which I really liked, but could honestly stand on its own without the first one.

It is a constant homage to every great game before it (God of War, Portal, Prince of Persia) but it is well done and when it invokes those titles, it does so in a way that makes sense.

Great game, great voice acting. Pick up the novel Darksiders: The abomination Vault, really got me into it before the game came out and gives you some good perspective on characters you will meet in the game

Review of 2x CHARGER + BATTERY FOR XBOX 360 WIRELESS CONTROLLER

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i always have to swap my rechargeable batteries when it comes to playing madden 12, but i always forget to charge them through my wall charger that they come with, but some, any, or all consequences stack up in game, per se, a interception, sack, miss fg, tackle, fumble in that game, and other games that have any consequences you should know by now.

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Reviews of Test Drive Eve of Destruction

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Test Drive Eve of Destruction is a strange title for a game all about 'contact racing' (demolition derby, figure-8 racing, etc).

There are 3 modes of gameplay: Action, Career, and Dare. All three modes accumulate points to unlock goodies.

Action mode has most of the cars unlocked and a handful of tracks and lets you jump right in and drive whatever car you want in whatever event you want. Pick the school bus, head to the trailer races, and you'll be a school bus with trailer racing a bunch of cars with trailers (how fun is that?).

In dare mode you race in a set of races with a predefined car. You must to finish first in each race to move on to the next 'dare'. There are multiple dare levels with 5 races per level.

Career mode is what you'd expect. You start out with the worst car, little cash, and no reputation. Within career mode you have different ways to race as well. You can race at the various tracks, go to the diner to race the local boys for money, and run time trials at places like the local gravel pit. There is also a junkyard where you can buy new cars, and a garage where you can purchase upgrades and paint your car.

Painting your car is pretty funny. When you paint, it's with spray paint and it looks real...and real bad...just like real spray-painted cars at the derby.

Any given race night is called an 'eve' and there are a number of events per eve. The events are fairly comprehensive and include: Figure-8 Jump (where the cars have to cross an intersection with jumps at high speed), trailer races (trailers attached to the cars), chain races (cars chained togethor), king of the hill, car soccer, flag-pole races (circle a flagpole while racing), the gauntlet (you drive a hearse and try to elude the chase cars), and of course the demolition derby. There are quite a few more race types besides these.

As far as gameplay goes, it's fun but this isn't a driving sim. It isn't PGR2. It's an Atari title and they don't seem to be putting out the top-shelf games these days. The various cars do handle differently and the upgrades to make the cars better. You just have to get the hang of how each car drives and not unlike PG2, the action mode is the way to get used to the various cars.

This is also one of those games that is super fun to play with your friends. You better have a big TV screen though since there's no Live and no system link. The game does support 480p video and Dolby 5.1 audio.

To parents, the only reason I can figure that this title got a T (teen) ESRB rating is because of two fairly common four-letter words (one starts with an H and the other starts with a D) that you certainly don't want your little kids repeating. That inclusion is unfortunate because the announcer is so lame that you tend to ignore him anyway and the context in which those two words are used doesn't add much to the game.

All in all this game is really fun and does a pretty good job at recreating the fun and spectacle of race night at your local full contact speedway. If you've never been (shame on you, you're missing out) the in-game video clips will give you a taste of what you are missing.

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This game is the most entertaining original xbox game that I've ever played. (I own around 135 original xbox games.) Up to 4 players can play at a time on the same console and the game is backwards-compatible on the xbox 360. The only improvements that could have been made are better graphics and more realistic physics. The soundtrack is great, though there are only ten or so songs. There are many, many gameplay modes, tracks, cars, unlockables, etc. This game is a blast! MUST BUY!!!! Also, tremendous replay value. I originally beat the game on the first xbox and then beat it on each of my 3 xbox 360 consoles. Great multiplayer game for friends and family.

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I got this game after my husband and son played it at a friend's house. They play this almost every night. You can play 2 players at a time, so they are able to go against each other. There are many different races you can play. A lot of fun for them to play together and fun for just one as well.

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The game is what the description says full of variety of races like figure eights, forward and backward, last man standing and more. One of the better if not the best racing game for the Xbox. Graphics are fairly good for the game and it works just fine for an Xbox 360. There is a career mode where you can race against other drivers, compete in night eves, customize your car with upgrades and spray paint jobs, and the salvage yard where you can buy and trade in your cars for better ones. Career mode is full of 25 events that you can play or skip but you must take first in each eve to advance. The dare mode is full of challenges that in order to unlock the next you have to beat the previous one. Multi-player is a lot of fun where you can play up to four people. You are able to reset your vehicle at almost anytime in the game in case you flip over or are stuck. The game can be saved throughout the game and anyone who enjoys racing or action games should definitely buy this. It's one of those games where you're able to play for hours and hours and still have a hard time putting the controller down

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I was looking for this game for a while. I remember playing it when I was younger. There's nothing better then mashing your car into another and putting them into the wall. Its a great game to kill time or to get some stress out. If you have an orignal xbox or a PS2, I recommened this game in your library