Discount Two Worlds Epic Edition

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(I have not tried any of the online play, so this review is essentially for the base game with the included patches that are otherwise downloadable.)

I am a HUGE fan of single-player PC action/adventure RPGs, especially the Elder Scrolls and Gothic titles. Although I have yet to dig into Oblivion's Shivering Isles expansion, I have since tried to find a few "bargain bin" games to play in between Lord of the Rings Online sessions. The Witcher was fantastic, Fable too short and too buggy. I stumbled upon Two Worlds by accident, but I'm glad I did. As another game coming out of Europe, it isn't exactly a household name, and it's certainly not the most original game you'll ever play, but it is quite entertaining . . . if you can tolerate some of its shortcomings.

For starters, Two Worlds might not be quite what you'd expect from the box description or installation process, which is sometimes funny and sometimes frustrating. During the installation, there is a splash screen with a busty young woman. If you've played The Witcher or Fable, you might think that to be a hint of in-game "conquests" to look forward to, but it's your SISTER. It's also (after 50 hours of gameplay, anyway) the most revealing display you'll ever see. More on that later. There is a reference to four character classes, but unlike traditional RPGs where you pick a class and stick with it, Two Worlds doesn't adhere to strict character design limitations. For that matter, don't expect much guidance as to what path you take; after a lot of time spent playing, I have yet to find any advantage to straying far from the hack-and-slash route. Magic certainly has its place, and you can of course follow a more archery-heavy ranger approach, but sooner or later you're going to find yourself in the thick of a dungeon brawl where a sword and heavy armor are your best resources. Fans of a rogue/thief/assassin approach will probably be disappointed, as stealth and backstabbing are not viable for getting through most encounters.

Much has been said about the use of horses for travel and combat in Two Worlds, mostly negative. While a horse understandably can't scale a sheer cliff or jump over a castle wall, there are situations where your horse will abruptly stop in its tracks or change direction rather than continue where the path slopes a bit or a small obstacle blocks it. This is also true in combat, as your steed will charge headlong through a squad of orcs without hesitation, and then slam on the breaks as you ride past a single opponent. You might have the best armor in the game, but a couple of orc arrows or swipes from a dragon will kill your horse quickly. I also found myself being pursued by guards after my horse apparently trampled innocent bystanders. This wouldn't be so frustrating if the horse wasn't so bloody useful. Pathing issues aside, a horse will greatly reduce travel time, and the damage bonus available when fighting from the saddle can be quite significant. Carving your way through a pack of wolves or slaughtering a band of outlaws is very satisfying if you don't get hung up halfway through. Different types of horses (including orc lizard-mounts and armored skeletal horses) have varying cargo capacity, and are pretty much a must-have for any dungeon adventurer.

Other interesting features are alchemy and equipment enhancement. Alchemical ingredients can be found all through the land, generally fare less scarce than in Gothic. Gems can be found to upgrade weapon damage, and armor and weapons of the same type can (usually) be "stacked" numerous times to increase stats. Unfortunately, some of the gems used in alchemy have misleading stats, because they don't mix to create potions or enhancements, but rather traps and bombs that may not be of particular use to you. Even with your strength boosted by potions and level-ups, carrying capacity is limited, so it's often best to find a safe storage place (abandoned buildings are great for this) and place a portable teleport stone there for easy access. It won't take long for you to accumulate some serious wealth, but some items are best held onto for future upgrades.

In terms of story, look and feel, Two Worlds could just as well have the Gothic logo on the front. Seriously, someone unfamiliar with either game could read the plot synopsis from the first Gothic game and play Two Worlds all the way through without realizing they are different games. Orcs are poised to invade human lands, while rival human factions do battle in forests, mountains and villages. The orcs' god is imprisoned, necromancers are up to their usual business, and now an anonymous newcomer has arrived on the scene to do everyone else's dirty work while pursuing some noble plot. There are wolves, lizards, dragons and various other critters cluttering up the Euro-styled landscape, which is liberally stocked with healing shrines, magical monuments and teleport rings. All the standards are here.

Unoriginality aside, Two Worlds is fun. There are many, many quests in the villages and cities, and even in the wilderness, all in addition to the main storyline. I found myself engaging mostly in side quests, coming back to the main plot when it looked as though a particular mission might drastically affect faction standing or travel options. Although far more of the game world is dedicated to wilderness and wildlife than to villages, cities and dungeons, there are roads and trails crossing the landscape, with ruins, bandit camps and houses here and there. Even with a very modest hardware configuration and scaled-back visual settings, you can see for incredible distances, often being able to see a route from your current location to a fortress or city that appears to be miles away on the map. Caves, tombs and graveyards are often tucked away off the beaten path, so exploration is key if you want to see your stats and equipment improve without spending your hard-earned coin at the town vendors. The various dungeons are loaded with monsters who carry all sorts of loot, and treasure chests often contain some of the best spoils. This does require some skill with the lockpicks, which can be hard to come by early on.

There are few blatant bugs, although nothing as severe as was found in Gothic 3. Stability has been quite good I've only had one crash in over 50 hours of play. The main problem is that corners were cut here and there. The dialog is atrocious, and the characters' mouths don't even move in a lot of the cut scenes. The character models look quite good in third-person mode, but not so good close-up during the cut scenes. Remember when I mentioned the woman during the initial installation? This far into the game, she's the only female who isn't wrapped up head-to-toe in some overzealous attempt at modesty. This isn't a game that needs to rely on T&A to make it interesting, but in a world where male characters are encased in staggering suits of armor, the females are extremely uninspired. What's worse is that almost none of the female denizens will talk to you, which is something right out of the original Gothic. Your sister? She communicates you mostly as a ghostly greyish apparition via cut scenes. I wasn't expecting The Witcher's level of interaction, but every woman in every town need not threaten to call the guards when I approach. Because of the way the inventory screen is arranged poorly, as is typical of the genre dealing with vendors can be a huge hassle. The save-game menu isn't very intuitive either, when it comes to overwriting or deleting old saves. Definitely don't skimp on the saves, as the autosave function works on a timer rather than when you enter new areas.

If you're still reading this, you are probably very patient, which is a good thing if you're going to get the most out of Two Worlds. It really is a good game if you don't mind the generic world and plot, but it takes some time to get used to the quirks and move past them to the good stuff. I like games where I can wander freely, and still get many hours out of the quests. This is definitely more open-ended than The Witcher or Fable, more on the scale of Gothic or Elder Scrolls, and there is more room for replaying due to the reputation system and its bearing on faction and quests. Basically, buy this if you have the time to dedicate to a huge game and are willing to work around the problems.

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I'm a gamer. This is a well made game. It's a bit linear as you have to do certain story parts to open up new areas. It does have replayability however, as you will pick one path and then try another path the second, third time. It's great to be a caster and attack a horde of orcs or a dragon with 8 conjured minions. I have primarily played a mage in this game up to a pretty high level. I did fighter for quite some time as well, but it gets repetitive and is actually tougher than the mage. Thief is useless. The game doesn't force you into one of these archetypes, you are free to mix / match skills, but a hybrid in this game is weaker than a pure character. The game is good enough that I bother to write a review so that others will try this game. At $5 it's a steal. Skip the $5 cappuccino and buy this game instead.

Flaws: I ding this 1/2 star start for the magic card system, and 1/2 star for the flawed sneaking/thief system.

1) Magic card system is weak. During combat, a caster is opening the magic window every few seconds to swap spell cards or enhancement cards. That said, the magic in this game is well thought out and looks great. I love firewalls!

2) Item collection becomes tedious and at higher levels you just give up on it. Early in the game you almost obsess over it. Later, you ignore all but the most intriguing items.

3) AI is weak. Mostly get bushwacked and charged. But, combat is interesting and looks great.

4) Sneaking is useless. Take it from someone who primarily plays thief/rogues in games like PnP D&D, D&D Online, Everquest, Neverwinter Nights, Oblivion, Morrowind, Daggerfall, you name it. I gave up on thief here after 1 hour.

Best Deals for Two Worlds Epic Edition

Let me clear the air right off. I do not own this edition of the game. I own the first PC edition. The only difference between the two is the addition of a few more multiplayer maps and options and the improvements in the 1.7 patch which can be downloaded for free if you own the previous version. For that reason, I will not be discussing the mutiplayer beyond what I have experienced in the original.

This game got a pretty bad rap when it first came out for PC and 360 in August of '07. It was buggy, rough, and very prone to crashing. The multiplayer was an empty wasteland due to the poor connection issues and aimless gameplay.

Fast forward to a year later. Is Two Worlds any good? Well, it's not a bad game. It's a surprisingly fun (but mindless) romp through thick euro-fantasy tropes and hack & slash gameplay.

Your character wakes up after being attacked and having his sister kidnapped by ne'er-do-wells. You gird yourself in a gravelly voice and oversized armor and head out to chop your way through the countryside. That's about it for the story. It suffers from the normal complaints in the European low fantasy genre, namely that the VO work is stilted and hammy and the plotline makes little sense. But you didn't really pick this game up for the stirring script did you?

The game shines in the implementation of a completely open world similar to Oblivion with simplistic action RPG combat. As you level up in your quest to rescue your sister and defeat the overdramatic Evil Force, you'll ramble over the landscape and trounce enemies using either magic or weaponry and your upgradeable skills.

The skill system isn't quite as advanced as the one in Oblivion, but it's deeper than many other action RPGs. You'll definitely not be able to max out all the skills in a playthrough, so you'll have to allocate points wisely with each level.

The loot is widely varied and very cool. You can upgrade your weapons and armor by imbuing them with gems that add various effects. In a very innovative move, you may keep adding the same type of gem to a previously upgraded item, so you can keep improving the stats on a low level piece of kit beyond the point at which you normally would trash it. You can also "meld" the same type of item to improve the base stats if you pick up a repeat of something you already have. This is something I wish more loot heavy games would do.

It appears SouthPeak wisely took the picture of the protaganist astride the warhorse off the front of the game. Mounted travel and combat was a feature marketed in the prerelease of the game, which turned out to have all the attraction and practicality of building your own Model T Ford. Stay away from the horseback riding. You'll save yourself a lot of stress.

The bugs have been ironed out for the most part. there are still a few quest glitches and random graphical bugs, but there's nothing too upsetting at this point. I haven't crashed yet since upgrading to the latest patch.

If you play this game as a simple action RPG rather than some kind of epic roleplaying story, you'll have a blast.

Honest reviews on Two Worlds Epic Edition

Let me start by saying that I am an RPG fanatic, having fallen in love with such titles as "Gothic" (all 3 titles), "The Witcher," "Baldur's Gate I & II," "Morrowind," "Drakensang," "Soulbringer," "Planescape: Torment," etc. I also am in love with mods, and love to mod the heck out whatever game I can.

That being said, I like Two Worlds. It is a fun romp through a cliched world, and the plot threads are enough for anyone to get tangled up in.

GRAPHICS

The graphics match anything "Oblivion" can throw at you, and not only that, but the stone structures in this game actually outdo "Oblivion's" buildings. And the graphics equal or outstrip "Oblivion" without the ridiculous minimum system requirements. Reflective water was a bitch to get working in "Oblivion," with several mods being downloaded to try and remedy what was default in "Morrowind." Two Worlds pulls it off without a hitch. Not only that, standing on the shores of the oceans, you can see the tides come rolling in. Everyone looks fuggly, but that's okay. Your character (for some reason) reminds me of Arnold Schwartzeneggar, facially.

SOUND

Well, the sound is pretty standard. Swoosh! Splat! etc. The voice acting ranges from okay to bad, but at least it doesn't sound as hideous as some others ("Crusaders of Might & Magic" comes to mind). I don't expect Oscar work from a video game, so I guess I'm more forgiving there. Your character's voice isn't too bad -there are a few lines that didn't stack up but that was due to poor direction and lack of experience more than anything else.

The musical choices were interesting, at the very least. There's folk-rock vocal work in the soundtrack as well, which is a change from the usual strict symphonic scores that have been the standard since "Baldur's Gate." At least it kept things slightly interesting. The ambient music was better than some ("Drakensang," "Hard to be a God").

GAMEPLAY

Once I customized the controls to the configuration I always use I was really never lost. It plays a lot like "Morrowind," "Gothic II," or any other game of its ilk. It does suffer the RPG curse when it comes to horses. "Oblivion" and "Hard to be a God" have similar issues when it comes to controlling your horse. I have some tips: Try and move your mouse to face the direction your horse is facing. I've used a horse quite a bit in Two Worlds to great effect.

Hitting someone is just a matter of hitting the left mouse button. The RMB is left for the selected hotbar item (usually a spell of some kind). Movement uses the mouse for facing and the keyboard for actually moving. You can attack anyone in this game -just don't expect to be able to beat many of them.

Getting bad @$$ is a combination of finding loot and improving your abilities. You constantly get experience as you whack bad guys and complete quests. When you gain a level, you gain stat points (to pour into Strength and such) and skill points (to place in Pick Locks, or Alchemy, etc). Every skill has a place, and a use. Some skills (like Alchemy, Necromancy, and Stoneskin) need to be "unlocked," by talking to the right person and doing what they want you to. The skill points can be placed wherever you like. You could be an archer, an alchemist, a warrior, a mage, a thief, or some hybrid. The only restriction is that the skills can only go so high each level.

The bad guys don't scale to your level. Even on Easy, expect everything to get medieval on your buttocks. The nice thing is, you can't die. You auto-respawn at the nearest "shrine." Shrines also regenerate your hit points, making a battle somewhat one-sided if you can lure an enemy near one and constantly regenerate while smacking your foe silly.

I haven't seen any show-stopping bugs in this yet, and I'm running this on a Vista rig.

Why does this get bad reviews? I've read what others have written, and I don't really have the problems everyone else does. It's a solid, well-conceived game. The side quests are usually more novel than "find the foozle." The world is HUGE -and you can run all over the place. There are teleporters, for those who don't want to walk everywhere. I could use more variety for the monsters, but I suppose that's okay.

Haven't tried multiplayer, and I don't intend to. Haven't found anything to compare to LAN gaming in "Neverwinter Nights," "Dungeon Siege," or "Dungeon Lords" yet. Probably won't for a long time, either.

As for activation, yes -it's a headache. But you can activate by phone, or email support (by now, someone, somewhere has an internet connection, go the library or a university computer lab, for heaven's sake. E-mail response was very prompt).

It's not perfect, but nothing is. It's still the same kind of fun I had running around in "Baldur's Gate" with 2-D sprites. Only now it's 3-D, and the role-playing system is a heckuva lot better than Dungeons & Dragons in any incarnation. I'm definitely looking forward to Two Worlds II: The Temptation.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Two Worlds Epic Edition

Thanks to something like 30 updates. Two Worlds is now a perfectly playable game for the PC. Epic Edition takes care of most of these updates. When it was first released on the PC and 360 world. Two Worlds was a barely playable stuttering flaw riddled mess. It got hammered pretty bad by reviewers and rightfully so. The 360 version is still quite flawed, even with all its updates. Essentially this was made for the PC and ported to the 360. It was rushed and done poorly. But since it was made for the PC, the developers were virtually able to eliminate the most offensive problems with the PC game and turn this game into what it should have been on day one. The 360 to this day still fares worse because it was a problem riddled game, ported onto a system that gave it even more problems. So the best they could do with the 360 version was make it run a little smoother, try to prevent crashes from occuring as often as they did. Not to mention, control wise, this game is just meant for a keyboard and mouse.

So what is this game here, Two Worlds. Its Oblivion but with lesser graphics and gameplay. Thats still pretty good though. You get a huge open world environment. Side quests, main quests. You can teleport. Fight all sorts of beasts, thieves, warriors, golems, dragons. Action/RPG, you know the drill. The game only really supports third person, the first person gameplay doesn't allow for fighting, not much use in it really. They don't try and reinvent anything, they just try and throw as much "RPG" as they possibly can into this game. I tell ya, I love that Necromancy. Nothing like conjuring up the dead to help you. Thats my favorite part of the game, the spell casting is really fun. Unlike most RPG's, casting spells doesn't really require much learning or skill. You can still be a "Warrior" and do a wicked spell. You also get two added multiplayer dlc in the Epic Edition. Don't expect to find many people playing these though.

It's sad really, a $5 game thats basically got all the stuff you'd see in a Grand Theft Auto IV, Oblivion or Fallout 3. All the nearly limitless possibilities like those games have. Had it not been for the terrible initial release of this game, maybe it would still be a well liked game. Instead its a bad joke amongst many video game fans. Sure its great now, some 30 updates later, but the damage is done. To many people remember this as that unplayable mess.

But if your willing to look past all those horrible reviews, get a fully updated version such as the "Epic Edition" and accept the fact that this is an Oblivion clone...You may really enjoy this game and for just $5.

Best Manhunt 2 - PlayStation 2 Deals

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When I played the first Manhunt (way back when), I thoroughly enjoyed it. That game, much like its successor, received lots of negative exposure because of its "subject matter content" and overall violence. I, like most others who waited patiently for the sequel, plowed through yet more negative publicity; watched RockStar cancel its original release date for the game, and waded through all sorts of internet gossip about what had been done to the content of the game.

Manhunt (the original) is a far better game than Manhunt 2--and not becaue its gore factor was untouched. It was a better game, guys, because it had "soul." The characters were way more interesting, the writing was better and more creative, and the last stages were absolutely some of the creepiest I've ever encountered! My personal favorites were the Smileys (a tongue-in-cheek answer to Insane Clown Posse). I got killed so many times because I was laughing my butt off at some of the lines, e.g. "passing out before the main course...REALLY;" "well, I look divine? Why, thank you so much; it was just something I threw together;" and "My God; they're dropping like flies!"

In Manhunt 2, you get NO interesting characters. Instead, you get caricatures. It seems two people are involved in some sort of mind-altering experiment; the inmates riot, people escape, others are killed, and you try to retrace your footsteps to see what it all means. Along the way, you are urinated on, have feces thrown on you, you puke a lot, and you kill a lot. And that's about it. The big difference in Manhunt 2, is that even though the killings are much more grotesque than in the first game, you can't see any of them because of what RockStar had to do in order to get the game released. A "filter" has been installed and all you really get in the ability to HEAR what is happening to your victims. The controls are used differently, which I also didn't care for.

I do not blame RockStar for what it did; it simply did what it had to do in order to sell its product. I would suggest, however, that if there is a Manhunt 3, you see if you can't create characters that are more memorable; a storyline that is more than just killing; and have a main character your playing audience can feel something for.

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I loved the original manhunt, I have to admit it, I loved it. I though it was a sick and delightfully twisted game...no...art! It was spooky, gruesome, smart, intense, and totally enjoyable for someone like me. This one, like most sequels....sucks. It looks like the first, it plays like the first, it's in the same vein as the first, but it's the details where it falls apart, and I mean bad!

In the original, the levels were layed out where you were mostly stealth killing or getting into cover-based shootouts and sometimes a blend of the two, and the levels and AI were set up for that type of experience. This game has no clue what it wants to be! I tried to do mostly stealth kills, but sorry to say, you wind up just shooting most of em'. Speaking of AI though, the AI in this one is really bad!!! In the first one a hunter would inspect a brick, hitting a wall, or finding his dead buddy, but in Manhunt 2, they usually don't care, spoiling any opportunity to lure a hunter away from his friends to disfigure and break him. Thus, you will find it wayyy easier and much less frustrating to just snipe a guy from the shadows, turning a once great stealth platform into...a really lame shooter.

Another real problem, is the story. In place of a meager, bare bones type of plot, (Kill for sick director's pleasure and survival, then revenge) with a simple plot that has been made far too rushed and scattered. Gone is the simple and enjoyable kill from point A to point B plot, now, it's all twisted with "gotta find this guy, gotta find this chick, gotta figure this out....who am I, what happened" This doesn't directly affect the action, but somehow it makes for a very rushed and detached experience, hardly any of it worth remembering. Essentially they made a mountain out of a mole-hill, and it really just annoys more than anything. I had a hard time of following why I was at a place and found it much simpler in the original to just know I was on my way through to fight another type of gang for the director's joy, but now it's all finding out about a character I care nothing for in a story I care nothing for. Coupled with useless flashbacks and twists in the plot, I don't care enough to remember any of this game.

Even when the director in Manhunt bacame impatient, you were scolded by the talented Brian Cox, now an annoying nobody screeches at you which really disrupts the type of flow the first had. No velvety voice of a known and great actor, now your just getting bitched by some guy that kinda sounds like a cross between a bitchy girlfriend and Ray Liotta, but not nearly as cool as Ray Liotta, and almost as irritating as your ex-girlfriend.

Thinking about it, I doubt even if the stealth kill weren't blurred, this still wouldn't be anything nearly as fun as the first. When a you execute a hunter, at the point where you strike or shoot or stab or slash a guy, a fast and artsy blur jolts everything and the shade of everything goes negative for a bit. About 60% of the kill is plainly visible, but 40% is blurred. These kills are actually pretty good, and I especially like the firearm executions, but coupled with the filters and obstructions they had to program in, it really doesn't matter. Some of the environment kills are entertaining, but hardly worth the addition if they were at the cost of everything else I disliked.

In short people, everything in this game reminded me of Manhunt, it reminded me of how it's NOT...manhunt and certainly of how it's not as good as Manhunt. I will now sell this game, and fire up the original for the experience that this game failed miserably to acheive, and no doubt I will crack a sinister smile and bathe in the joy of hearing Brian Cox direct me to massacre a bunch of scumbags.

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So, Rockstar finally got to release the sequel the controversial cult classic "Manhunt", now part of the Sony`s "Greastest Hits" roster. In this game, there is no continuity involving the first title, this is a brand new story. You play the role of Daniel Lamb, science guy turned mental patient at the Dixmoore Asylum for the Criminaly insane.

Right away, I noticed a few glaring problems. One would be the unmappable controls. This is stupid, since these controls are acutally completely different from the ones used in the orginal Manhunt. Why change the controls when the gameplay is still the same? (I read somewhere that the PSP and PS2 versions share the same setup. Lazy) So what should have been familiar territory is now forcing me to relearn how to play the game all over again. Strike 1.

Another flaw that became apparent was the complete lack of charisma involving your enemies, or "gangs". The only gang that comes close would be the Bloodhounds, who seem like an offshoot of the Wardogs from Manhunt 1, what with their thick Southern accents and spouting the usual stereotypes you would expect from a group of Deep South hardcore hunting enthusiasts ("I been huntin` since I was wee high! Animals, humans, don`t mean nuthin!). The Watchdogs and the Project Militia, two of your most common foes in the game, just so happen to be the least interesting, never approaching the intimidation factor of Manhunt 1`s Smileys, Skinz, or even the Carcer City police. There`s a street gang known as the Kings, as well as the police,but who cares? They have nothing to do Daniel`s quest, are just there to be butchered for no reason other than the fact that they are in the way. Strike 2

Another thing I hated about this game. TOO MANY GUN BATTLES. in the first Manhunt, they were wisely introduced at point when the developers felt the player would have grown weary of a the ol` "hide and kill" routine, and gave you a chance to take the fight to your aggressors head-on. In Manhunt 2, they are numerous, and they are repetitive, and they are tiresome. Without the stealth elements, this game turns into a sub-standard 3rd person shooter, whuch is not the reason I bought this game. This is mostly during those awful flashback routines involving Daniels partner in crime, Leo Kasper. In fact, even the gunplay is not as tight as it was in the first Manhunt. In the original, lock-on was instantaneous, whilst here, in the sequel there`s a slight, but noticeable delay in having to wait for the target recticle to line up with your victim. Just long enough to catch a slug in your chest.

Take cover. Wait for the bad guys to to break cover and take a shot at you. Fire. Duck. Like a violent game of whack-a-mole. Strike 3

And finally, my biggest gripe with the game, the complete lack of any meaningful bonus content or alternate gameplay modes! They took the scoring system, claiming it didnt "fit in" with the game. Again, lazy! There`s no incentive to beat the game again, no reason to even abide by the rules of stealth, since there`s no kind of penalty for being spotted, nor is there any reward being beating a level quickly or getting a lot of gruesome kills. No concept art, no behind the scenes, no merchandise, NOTHING. Even the strategy guide features zero in-depth information on the game itself, nor the gangs. Strike 4

I guess you can`t talk about Manhunt without bringing up the executions, but I`m pleased to announce this is the ONE thing the game did right. Ignore all the poorly written reviews from 15-year old rebels who honestly think they`re making a statement about freedom of speech by playing a slapped together, violent cheap cash-in. For the PS2/PSP, the "censoring" is NOWHERE near as bad as anyone makes it out to be. Unless you have crappy eyesight or a crappy tv, you can still make out whether Daniel is beating someone in the back of the head with a sledgehammer or applying a scythe to someone`s family jewels. The screen takes on a red hue with random chromatic distortions along with a brief flash of inverted black and white during the physical blows. (NOTE: The Wii version is even more heavily censored, probably to compensate for having perform physical motions with the controller to perform executions). if anything, this makes it MORE violent, since the distortion leads to a bigger focus on the sound effects, what with all the bones popping, skulls crushed, power tools sawing through flesh, blood-curdled gasps of agony, need I go on?

The concept behind executions remain the same. Sneak up on the would-be assailant, hold down a button to generate to go from white (quick kill), yellow (violent kill) to red (gruesome kill). But, since there is no score system, there`s really no incentive to go for the higher level kills outside of personal amusement. Rockstar also ups the ante by allowing gun exectutions, something which not possible in the first Manhunt. Gun executions only have one animation per weapon as opposed to three, but rest assured, they`re just as vicious as the melee weapons. There are also enviromental executions, where Daniel can use special points on the map to lure his enemies into, and the don`t require a weapon. Most of them are a one-time-only deal, but yield some of the best executions (personal favs being the manhole and the liquid nitrogen).

So there you have. For all fuss about children not being exposed to game is ironic since they are the ones who will get the most mileage out of what is strictly a rental. This is the "Hostel" of video games: Torture porn a violent titillation with no actual substance to back any of it up. Buy the original Manhunt instead, and if there is a third in the series, lets hope Rockstar actually manages some content and new gameplay elements, instead of re-wrapping the same thing in a slightly shinier package.

Honest reviews on Manhunt 2 - PlayStation 2

Maybe I'm sick, but I was really looking forward to this sequel; The first game, however violent and twisted it was(and it WAS!), it was also one of the most intense, heart-in-your-throat, challenging games I had played; There was dread around every corner; There was a feeling that your very own life was on the line; Plus, you actually cared about the story and fairly straight-forward premise: Escape w/your life and get the guy that did this to you. And you wanted to get him, too!!

Even though I had heard part 2 was unrelated character-wise, I put my faith in Rockstar; They rarely put out a bad title in my experience. The storyline sounded interesting and the settings/level ideas had some potential promise. I was excited to play, hoping for a game that was thrilling and tough. Instead it seems like a half-baked retread that is missing more than the violence it had to take out.

The lack of violence wasn't the troubling factor here; It was gruesome enough, although it's hard to believe anything could surpass the 1st one, which is still out there uncensored(as it should be...). It was more the horrible control scheme and poor camera angles that appeared during the most critical of times, like fights or flight. I died due more to not being able to tell where I was or which direction the punches were coming from than by lack of skill(not the best player, but not the worst either...). The story had some nice moments, some great cut scenes, and the interactive deaths were a nice touch. But too short and uninspired to me. I really didn't care about my character, what my goals were, the twist you see coming from a mile away, and the fact that I never really felt like I had to be fighting for my life. And w/so many great games out there to play, nowadays I have little patience for games that control poorly, esp. one from Rockstar. That just makes me sad.

They should have delayed this longer and made it right. I just expect more from them.

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The executions, 90% of what made the original great, are completely censored. They put a heavy red and blue blur over the screen whenever you perform an execution and move the camera repeatedly. The end result is you can only see the outline of your character and victim, and not what he's doing. This game is pointless now. Thanks a lot to the ESRB, censorship advocates, and gutless retailers who won't sell AO rated games for making sure this 31 year old couldn't play a gory video game. You've saved the world, and cheated me out of $30. This is the worst gutting of a game since the original Mortal Kombat on the SNES where there were no fatalities. BTW, the graphics are awful by modern standards. Not even worth a rental.

Cheap 250GB Hard Drive HDD for Xbox 360 - Fast Speed 7200RPM

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Ok, so I had recently left a bad review. I had worked with the seller to get my item and now it works quite well. The customer service was amazing although when I had sent back the drive they shipped a xbox360 slim drive to me instead of the original 360 drive I had ordered. Through the time I bought it and the time I had finally been able to use it was about 2-3 weeks. The drive works fine and is quite quiet. I haven't noticed a BIG difference in load times but I feel downloading your 360 games to your hard drive is a bit faster now. I would like to say that this is a good company and will work with you if you have any problems with a product. My experience with them has led me to change my bad review to a better one and I hope to see this company improve.

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All the time I've owned my xbox 360, I've been underwhelmed by both the load times AND rpms. The stock rpms were completely unacceptable to say the least, and for years I cursed microsoft for sticking me and countless other users with such an inadequate platter speed >:(. Fortunately with the new Fastspeed hdd, i can have MAXIMUM rpms for slightly more than the cost of a decent gaming pc, so my (and our) rpm-related woes are over forever. Be careful though. If you aren't used to high rpms, your xbox can get out of control pretty quick.

HDE Power Supply Cable for Kinect Reviews

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List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $7.49
Today's Bonus: 75% Off

I recently purchased a used Kinect bar to use with my old (white) Xbox 360. Unfortunately, I did not realize that the accessory does not work without an additional power cord/USB plug. As I said, I bought the Kinect used, and the seller originally had it as part of the Xbox 360 Kinect bundle which does not include the power cord. (The stand-alone Kinect has it, the bundle package doesn't)

Quick fix to the problem: Purchase this cable through Amazon (+free Prime shipping).

As you can see in the picture, the power cable splits into a female plug (for the Kinect cord) and a USB end (to plug into the Xbox).

Everything runs great and does exactly what it is supposed to.

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Product arrived quickly due to Amazon Prime and came in a labeled plastic bag as packaging.

It works perfectly for my purpose of 3D motion capture on the PC after I got my drivers working properly.

In order for the Kinnect to work on the PC it require additional power that adapters like this provide. Cable was much longer than expected but that suited my needs fine.

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I bought it to connect my Kinect to laptop. Got it in 5 days. Works as described. Cable is pretty long. Much cheaper than one sold by XBox store. Highly recommended.

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I'm surprised by the previous review stating that it failed to work with his older 360. My 360 is from launch day and is somehow still running but I had a power surge that apparently damaged the Kinect power supply as it would no longer boot up (orange light and error message stating not enough power). I replaced the original cable with this one and everything is back up and running. No complaints

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We have three 360's in the house, two of the new Slim/Black Kinect bundles and an older Falcon HDMI (White) 360. I bought this cable so that we can use the 2nd Kinect in the room where the older 360 is being played. Unfortunately even with the wall wart plugged directly into an outlet and the USB plugged into the back of my 360, I still am getting a "Not enough power" message.

I tried this cable with both of our Kinect sensors, one with the twin USB block and the other model that just has a flat jack, neither of them worked with my older 360. Both of them worked on either new Slim 360.

Cheap Turtle Beach Call of Duty: Ghosts Ear Force Spectre Limited Edition

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Ever since my son got his first Turtle Beach headset several years ago, it is the only brand he really wants to use. We've tried some cheaper models in the meantime but he always returns to this brand for the following reasons:

Sound: The sound on this headset is exceptional.

Microphone: Wireless chat is easy.

Accessories: Comes with everything you need.

Comfort: It is lightweight and fits comfortably over the ears

While not the cheapest headset out there, it is true that "you get what you pay for". For a serious gamer, this is a great headset with the versatility to be able to be used on different gaming systems as well as with iPod or phone.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program These are pretty good headphones that I'll break down in a minute. But here's the 'executive summary' for those short on attention spans. These headphones excel at flexibility and I really love that about them. It's incredible to have a set of quality gaming headphones that can pipe in your phone, mix in your own music, and work pretty flawlessly across anything you can think of (phone, PS3, XBox, Mac, PC). If you plan on using them heavily for things outside of gaming, you'll probably find them a bit too unbalanced in the lows, but that's completely alright. They should be; games (and voices) sound incredible through them. Think of them more as gaming headphones you can use if you want, not all-around mavericks. And now, details!

BUILD: 3/5

This is the one letdown of the area. For this high of a price, I was expecting higher quality components. The actual build quality is high, but the cans remain fraught with plastic and faux leather. It's really my only sticking point. The 'ears' (?) rotate so they can lay flat, but it would be nice if they had came with a case. I haven't tried to remove the cool-looking Spectre things on the side since I manage to destroy everything I try to take apart.

SOUND: 5/5 for gaming, 4/5 for music

The inline amplifier is pretty slick. It's nice to be able to adjust a bunch of stuff (volume, bass, treble, you hearing yourself, mic volume) easily on the fly. I plugged them into my Macbook to see if I still had the same adjustment while rockin' out and I couldn't. Ahhhh well, looks like they'll remain purpose-driven. Again, a bit disappointing in the lows categories when listening to music, but AWESOME for hearing small things in games. It really makes them come to life!

COMFORT: 4/5

I found them a bit tight. Not so tight that they're uncomfortable, just tight enough to always let you know they're present. The padded headband's a really nice touch.

MIC: 5/5

YES! THANK YOU TURTLE BEACH! I'm tired of terrible boom mics that act like springs and are garbage. Not only is this thing crystal clear for listeners, it's essentially a wire that you can bend and adjust every which way. You should be pitching THIS!

SETUP: 5/5

I added this as a category because I had an older set of Thrustmaster PS3 headphones that you needed an advanced engineering degree from MIT to get up and running. A little 'quick start' guide is included (as well as more wires than you can imagine, though conveniently labeled) to tell you how to wire these beasts to everything. REALLY simple -something not too easy to accomplish for some reason on systems these days, especially the PS3.

In all, I'm pretty happy with them! I'm also hoping that -since they're wired -they'll have an easier time working with the PS4 (yet to be determined), too. If you're a serious gamer that cares about their headphones (and I assume you are or you wouldn't be eyeing a set of $200 gaming 'phones), these should do the trick for quite some time and leave you pretty dag gone happy!

*UPDATE* -This thing rocks so well at voice that I've begun using it for video conferencing/work as well. It really is that good.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program While I typically prefer Turtle Beach's excellent wireless headsets, I elected to give this wired headset a try. In most respects, I'm happy I did.

Setup is a breeze on a PC and a Mac. This is becoming more common, but it's still a huge plus. The challenge is that to get to the point where you can enjoy this simplicity, you nearly become engulfed in a spaghetti monster of wires. Granted that's how wired headsets work, but there are so many wires included it ceases to be a benefit and becomes a real pain.

The sound quality and comfort are where they need to be, but the quality of materials continue a declining trend Turtle Beach has been on. Remember, this is a $200 product. $200 gets you a lot these days, and well, this isn't really it.

Execution is generally solid with lengthy breakaway cords, removable mics, etc, but the mess of these same cords makes a mess of everything. Get the wireless. The sound quality and comfort are on par with this, and if you shop around (look for older models with 5ghz radios, even refurbs) the price is no more--maybe even less.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program As a DJ and avid gamer I'm always in the market for new and decent quality headphones. I've owned and used many headsets over the years (a few Turtle Beach) and there always seems to be something new for PC, gaming consoles, mobile devices and DJing. As I always enjoy testing out new headphones here are my thoughts on the Turtle Beach Call of Duty: Ghosts Ear Force Spectre Limited Edition Gaming Headset;

Pros

+ Earcups fit firmly and comfortably over your ears.

+ Multi-platform use (XBox 360, PS3, PC, Mac and mobile devices).

+ All volume, treble, bass and mic controls are adjustable via the control box on the cable.

+ Dynamic Chat Boost is extremely helpful when playing multiplayer/co-op FPS games where there are a lot of explosions. Being able to hear an enemy approaching or a teammate warning you in tense combat situations is invaluable.

+ Microphone is detachable which allows use with all of your portable devices.

+ Comfortably padded and easy to wear for long periods, even with glasses.

+ Excellent sound and mic quality.

+ Decent noise isolation.

+ Lightweight and sturdy construction.

+ Lengthy main USB cord.

+ Sleek and nicely designed packaging.

Cons

Build quality of plastic and leather synthetic is a bit disappointing considering the price tag. I would have at least liked to have seen some metal components similar to the V-MODA Crossfade M-100 Over-Ear Noise-Isolating Metal Headphone (Matte Black Metal).

Control remote on the cable is a bit larger than it needs to be. It's always falling off of my computer tower at the slightest pull even with it clipped to something.

I found the actual arch of the headset to be a bit too tight after a while which is odd considering I have a smaller head. I can't imagine this being very comfortable for extended periods of time for someone with a larger head.

Steep price point of $199.99.

At the $199 range, the Turtle Beach Call of Duty: Ghosts Ear Force Spectre Limited Edition Gaming Headset for the most part justifies the asking price. The audio quality is excellent and the adjustable controls allow you to find just the right balance to fit your gameplay or listening style. Every video game I've played so far has had crisp and clear highs, mids and lows without ever sounding dull, distant or hollow. I've been playing multiple games (Borderlands 2, Outlast, Bioshock Infinite, Dead Island Riptide) with all resulting in quality sound. I've also used the headset with multiple tablets, mobile phones and portable gaming devices to listen to music and play games with equally respectable sound quality. Finally I thought I'd put them to the ultimate test in sound quality. Good old fashion vinyl on the Technics 1200 turntables. The headset shined here also combined with the ability to adjust the bass, mid and treble on the mixer in addition to the individual headset controls. Using the headset for phone calls was nice and clear so they're easy to recommend for that purpose. I feel that the current asking price for the Turtle Beach Call of Duty: Ghosts Ear Force Spectre Limited Edition Gaming Headset is a slightly high at the moment but justifiable for the sound quality you're getting. Personally I feel that this headset would be a well worthy investment for all your gaming and music needs.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program

Turtle Beach Ear Force Spectre will make sure you do not miss a sound during those crucial moments. This video is a short comparison of Spectre Vs Turtle Beach Call of Duty: Ghosts Ear Force Shadow Limited Edition Gaming Headset -Microsoft Xbox 360

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines - Xbox Review

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Ummm, this game is ok to play but just.

I mean you go around and shoot things from one level to another skipping between the future and the past.The game play DOES become tedious and you should lose any enagaement with it after the first say 3 to 5 levels. Its not a particulary hard game, basically all get is swarms of AI coming for yah over and over and over AND OVER again with the occasional punch up.

The story begins with a prelude to the T3 film it is based on and then becomes involved with the events within the movie itself.

Graphically the CG scenes are quite good but still quite average and the actual gaming graphics is, at times horrid, but always never above average.

Game play is ok with you just knocking things off and there is an auto aim by pressing yah left trigger which can either help of hinder yah shooting depending on what yah trying to aim at, (auto aim will only lock on to one thing at a time). The flying AI will drive yah a bit insane.

Immersion is pretty bad for the average player but for fans of the films you make get a kick from being the Terminator and shooting other models of terminators, but i think this will be average and eventually dull gameplay for even the most die hard fan.

The extras are a bonus but are certainly not worth the full price of this game (maybe a cheap second hand copy would be a good purchase for fans).

Arnold's voice is a good addition to the game but becomes repeative and even though the Terminator is meant to be quite dry in tone and response, this Terminator tone sounds plained bored and its quite clear that Arnold was given a list of responses and quoted them quickly, picked up his pay cheque and left the sound recording thinking " Hasta La Vista Baby". There is just no enthusaim in this game.

The controls are just ok and its not hard to adjust to with about a 5 to 20 min learning time depending on yah experience and ability. For the most you will be shooting but occasionally you get a punch up and though the creators have justified the combot moving like a tank as these are Terminators not Kung-foo heros, it still just doesn't feel right and looks terrible. I don't expect them to do high, slow mode kicks and punches but i do expect some sort of fluidity with the controls. The fighting in this game is blocky, heavy and tank-like with you feeling your moving a 2 ton mach truck and moving it badly. I mean remeber the fight in the passage way of the shopping mall between Arnold and the T-1000. The one where John Connor realises he is in some serious doggy doo. Well this was heavy handed fighting, but was fluid. The way they oushed each other into the walls and through them. Each move moved into another gracefully but forcefully. Thats what this game should have adapted to . More combos might have helped this situation and tighter controls. Basically more care with the game and more creative ways of combat would have helped.

Overall the game is just poorly average and is one to buy at full price ONLY for those that have the cash to waste or consider themselfs to be die hard fans that simply must have everything Terminator. Personally id rather watch the movies but i may pick this up when its in a bargin bin somewhere so i have the extras.

Rent this game lads Don't buy buy the movies instead !!!!

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Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is bar none the worst game tied to a movie license that I've ever played. The graphics are drab and lifeless, the controls are clunky, and the missions are boring and tedious. The game's only saving grace is the plethora of unlockables (CG in-game movies, theatrical clips, behind the scenes clips, stills, etc.) available to you as you progress through the game as well as a playable demo of a much better, currently unannounced, terminator game called T3: Redemption. There were times when I found myself playing the demo rather than the actual game itself. In it, you play as Arnold from a third person perspective as you blast away cyborgs and HK's on foot or on vehicle through a nuclear-scorched Los Angeles. This was the game that I should have been playing, not the rushed hack job I got instead. For die-hard fans, save you money till T3: Redemption comes out. Rise of the Machines by itself, is just an expensive demo.

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Well, what can one say about this game.

I guess your here wanting to know whether this game is any good or not ?

Answer : By far it is a sub average game with VERY tedious gameplay and poorly exucuted story fragments and cutscenes. The whole game is a bit of a mish mash of CGI footage and actual movie footage which really makes the game feel like it is cut and pasted.

The CGI is pretty good though a bit foggy looking like the beginning of Resident Evil Remake for Nintendo ( meaning there is a slight blur to it all). The movie scenes are good but just seemed un-nesccary and really didn't add anything to the game (if i wanted to see the film id get that).

The controls are relatively easy and don't take much time to pick up. Probabely because you will be doing the same thing over and over again. The AI in the game respawn in certain areas and you will be contiunally shooting those damn flying machines forever thinking " im getting bored of this". The developers just throws AI at you with the occasional mission directive (like find Sarah Connors coffin)and think they have this new sensational game. No they don't !!!!!!

Don't be fooled either by there campaign that they have the REAL man himself and that this makes the game better than any other. Arnold really doesn't have alot to do with this game. Basically all Arnold had to do for this game was go in a sound booth for a minute say 10 words like " excellent" " reloaded" and so forth and here we have the result. A game that really is repeative in every way and has no real distinction over other Terminators games for having the big fella involved.

The environments are mostly from the future setting with black charcol skys and burnt building and out of 22 levels about 18 of these are all like this. Boring, Dull and just too similar for anyone to care.

And this whole first person shooter cross bred with fist fighting ????? Yer, it works and i didn't mind the bouts with the T-X. I even get the lack of fluidity with the controls as these are machines fighting not kung-fu max payne rip offs. But still, it nuthin revoultionary or really adds a great deal for the game play. Though this was my favourite part of the game and trust me thats not saying much.

I played the whole thing through even though i got bored after the first 4 levels. The whole thing is a un-insipring mess that is not the NEXT big thing in gaming nor a decent add on to the Terminator mythos.

Conclusion: A big commerical mess that does not deliver on any of it's promises. RENT DONT BUY even if your a fan !!!!

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This game is very good. You get to play as Arnold and play in the future and in the present and fight the t-x along the way.It does justice to T3 and if you enjoyed the movie, any of the movies, or you just like first person shooters than youll like this. Its not as good as Halo, but what is? you wont be dissapointed.

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its pretty good game but myn locked up in the middle and wouldnt play again so i never finished this game but from what i played was good

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Review

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List Price: $29.99
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With the recent announcement of the PS4, you might think that the era of the PS3 is over. But it isn't yet. I hadn't owned a gaming console for several years when I found out about Ni no Kuni. Now, I played my fair share of games back in the day, but the video game market in recent years has just seemed... dull. In large part that's because I don't care for first-person shooters or fantasy sports games. I don't begrudge anyone who does, but I play games for the same reason I read books: to escape into a story. Online shootouts with trigger-happy 14-year olds just doesn't do it for me.

Of course, the gaming studios mainly make games for those 14-year olds, not me. So instead of original content and new stories, we get Call of Duty sequels. So when I found out Studio Ghibli was involved in production of a video game, I was only cautiously optimistic. It seemed too good to be true, and it was hard to imagine that their first video game collaboration would be a resounding success. Then I saw the screenshots... and that was when I started poking around eBay for a second-hand PS3.

Because, you see, the game art is astounding. It's really a step above any video game world you've ever seen. Ni no Kuni is simply a Studio Ghibli anime rendered as an entire walk-through world. As you play, you'll come across a scene and think it's the best-looking shot in the game. And then, a few minutes later, you'll come across something better. One of my favorite visuals comes late in the game: a character's backstory told with haunting, comic book-style sketches. It should go without saying that this isn't a game you want to play on an old CRT TV: an HD screen is the way to go, the larger the better (mine is a 100-inch projection system I was worried about quality, but the game looks great.) Also, turn up the volume: I'd be denying the skill of Joe Hisaishi if I didn't mention the music. In my opinion, it's the best score he's done since Spirited Away.

Now, if the game just looked and sounded great, it would still be worth playing. But the other half of the game's development was done by Level 5. Level 5 has been building critically-acclaimed JRPG's for over a decade. And they've been getting better at it. The story builds throughout the game, is clever and amusing, and seems to make an effort to avoid cliches while also making fun of them (your first major objective in the game is to find the king's red herring). As a resident of southeast Michigan, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that this is certainly the first time Detroit (or a throwback to a 50's era Detroit suburb, rather) has been featured in a JRPG! There's even a "To I-75 North" sign on one of the streets in the neighborhood.

The battle system in Ni no Kuni is the best and most fun I've ever used a clever hybrid of live-action and turn-based attacks. Basically, most actions have a time-out period after you use them, but you're still free to move around the arena, or cancel an in-progress attack if you suddenly need to cast a spell instead. But that's not all like most games involving physical battle, there are defensive moves (usually overlooked in favor of repeatedly pressing the attack button!) In Ni no Kuni, you must learn when to defend, when to attack, and when to use provisions/spells if you're going to beat the game.

I played the game all the way through and completed all the side-quests. In the end, it took me just over 100 hours spread across January to April, but you could certainly do it in less, and I could have easily spent more. A big factor in this game is how many familiars you want to collect and battle with I only had about 30 total. There's also an entire in-game book (the Wizard's Companion), of which I've read only bits-and-pieces. If you think the game is expensive, think of it this way: if you buy the game at full price and a used PS3 for, say, $200 total, you're paying $2/hour for entertainment for a few months. My only real complaints are the click-through dialog text, which gets to be repetitive, and that most of the side-quests weren't very hard. But really, these are small complaints in a masterpiece game. Quite frankly, if you're on the edge about playing the game, you should go do it. You won't regret it.

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I am a fan of Studio Ghibli. More of a fan of Hayao Miyazaki (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Howl's Moving Castle) but he has had a hand in selecting animators for Studio Ghibli over the years and is himself an exceptional animator. So for that reason alone I have been anxiously awaiting to see the great animation cut scenes for this game. Not to mention music by Joe Hisaishi, composer for Howl's Moving Castle and Ponyo.

I am by no means a fan of RPG's or JRPG's. I am just a fan of art and video games are one medium I really enjoy. Mainly because a big team of people make an entire world for us to explore and play in. LEVEL 5 is a master at this. This is the closest I have seen a game come to looking like an animated film. Although I do have to note that the Namco's game Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm blew my mind with its cell shading and anime look, as well as Rayman Origins with it's wonderful 2D side scrolling animations. This LEVEL 5 production takes playing in the world of animation to a whole other level. Side note, like Naruto you can choose to have the English dubbed track or the Japanese audio with English subtitles which I think is great.

I am not very far into this game and will update as I venture further into it. As of now, I have had no glitches or problems, load times are as expected. The controls are tight and responsive, the visuals are stunning of course.

The inner kid in me wishes that they had released a game this massive and epic and cartoony when I was a kid. The main character Oliver and his guide Mr. Drippy are very classic Studio Ghibli styled characters and the animation cut scenes have been most impressive so far. The learning curve is pretty nice for this style of RPG. As my only familiarity with RPG's are Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VII, and Eternal Sonata, and in that order, I can't really compare this to many other RPG's. I have read some things online comparing this game to Pokemon for the Gameboy (mainly because you capture creatures or "familiars" who help you in your battles), I can't speak to that. What I really like about the battle system is that it is not just button mashing or the regular RPG style pick and choose how to attack and then watch it happen, but being in real time and an open battleground, it is to your advantage to stay moving when attacking the enemy. So far I haven't found the errands (side quests) to be repetitive. Compared to the aforementioned games however, this will undoubtedly go down as a classic among them. I have heard this game can be beaten in about 40 hours if you don't do any errands and just stick to the story. Something tells me you can squeeze a good 65 hours out of this at least.

Any fan of Studio Ghibli films, classic RPG's like Chrono Trigger and any fan of solid game design need to get this. Highly Recommended. If you are a huge nerd like me, you should try and get your hands on the Wizard Edition, it comes with a physical copy of the Wizard's companion that you use in the game.

*UPDATE*

I am a big fan of what they have done with the familiars in this game. There are a lot, 14 different genuses and each genuses (Arcana, Dracones, and Vermes to name a few) has countless different familiars within their respective class. Each with their own unique abilites which makes gameplay very deep when doing battle with enemies who's weakness may be exploited with a particular familiar.

Like other reviewers have said, the world map is stellar and detailed and harkens back to old school RPG's. This game does take a while to get going, but if you played Assassins Creed III, then this game in comparison seems like it gets going immediately. So far I have not had to use the Prima Guide I ordered for this game. The in game Wizard companion book is very helpful. I can't wait to get my Wizard Edition to have the physical copy that will make it much easier to reference. The more I play the more I love this game. Unfortunately I am stuck at work, otherwise I probably would have played all night and would still be playing now.

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Ever since I saw My Neighbor Totoro as a kid back in the early 1990's, I had wanted to see what would happen when Studio Ghibli combines their efforts with another developer to create a video game. Now that we have the end result, I couldn't be more satisfied. P.S., this is going to be one heck of a bias review.

Ni No Kuni is one of the best JRPG'S I have ever played. Combining Studio Ghibli's incredible imagination with Level 5's polished and fun gameplay mechanics, Ni No Kuni feels like the JRPG'S of old while revitalizing a dying genre. It feels like Dragon Quest VIII (a personal favorite), mixing elements of Tales, Star Ocean, and Pokemon into one pot of pure bliss. And man, how I've missed an overworld!

The story and world sucks you in right quick, creating a sense of charm and wonder right from the get go. The opening is a tear-jerker, creating a sense of desperation and sympathy for our hero, Oliver. More than anything, Studio Ghibli's incredible ability to create such unique and real emotion in such with their animation is one of their strengths, and combining that with Level 5's sincere approach to the story, it works like magic. Right away, you meet Drippy, one of the most incredibly charismatic and lovable characters to ever grace a video game. The writing and script is top notch, filled with hilarious dialogue and wonderful characters (that feature some of the best English Dubs of any JRPG translation that I've played).

Battles play out like a synthesis of Tales meets Pokemon. You gain control of familiars, small creates that have attributes (sword and shield, tank, fire, etc.) that do your fighting in battles. You can also take control of Oliver to command him to use various tools such as the ability to use items, heal, and run. Battles begin fairly simple with you fighting one to two monsters, but the progression exponentially increases and by no time battles become chaotic affairs that will test your wit and reflexes. The combat is incredibly addicting, rewarding constant interaction and movement on the battlefield. One of the best features is the real time aspect of the battle system. If you command your familiars to attack, defend, and use tricks (or special abilities) at the right time HP and MP orbs fall from your enemies, offering a quick heal. It sounds like a simple mechanic, but it keeps you constantly engaged while in combat, offering a fun, fast paced and exciting tug of war against your enemies.

Story telling is, to put it simply, reminiscent of Studio Ghibli. A hero going on an epic adventure to save his kingdom, healing the people of the land of their broken-heartedness, all while trying to save your mother sounds, walks, and talks just a Ghibli presentation shoud. NNK can be enjoyed by a younger audience, but the elements here are consistently dark and mature, which comes as a major relief. Keeping it spoiler free, the game engages you quite well. It's a simple yet emotionally effective story that grabs you right away.

Also of note is Joe Hisaishi's majestic, sweeping, and beautiful original score. Frequent collaborator with Studio Ghibli, Joe was (gladly) offered to compose the score, and man is it incredible. The overworld theme is still reverberating in my head as I write this. It captures the moods with gorgeous melodies and memorable themes. It allows you to explore and enjoy an already tremendous achievement all the more. They seriously need to release the PS3 soundtrack, because this is as good as JRPG and video game scores get.

And speaking of outside influence, Studio Ghibli made a significant contribution in the art department. There are original animated cut scenes produced by Ghibli themselves (namely Momose)which are wonderful (especially in HD!), the monsters are original and cute, and the gorgeous colors used in the backdrops provoke the imagination. Everything is here, and it feels like Ghibli production combined with Level 5's JRPG mastery in full force.

If there are any complaints (and these are minor grievances) it's that the draw distance is nothing to write home about. On the world map you'll see mountains "peel" in in the distance, and foliage in more graphically intensive areas obviously pops in as you walk through the areas. This is such a minor complaint though, honestly, as it comes from years of playing games and eventually noticing technical "tricks" that developers use to cut corners.

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is sincere, wholesome, and most importantly FUN entertainment that might just be the last push the JRPG genre needs to get its legs again in a predominantly "bald-space-dude-marine-bro" controlled market. Some may ask "why is the title stupid?" or say "it looks like a game for ten year olds!," which at that point I would say that Ni No Kuni game isn't appropriate for them. If you aren't willing to give the game a shot, you'll be missing out. Ni No Kuni takes skill, dedication, and maturity to play and enjoy this long and challenging adventure; it dares to be different from just about every JRPG out there, straying from the spiky-hair-big-sword cliches that have plagued the genre for years, and succeeds so incredibly well at doing so.

And in case you just looked to the end to see the score or closing comments, here they are: Ni No Kuni Wrath of the White Witch is one of the best JRPG's ever made, and it rightfully deserves the praise it is receiving. Part homage to JRPG's and part fan service for Studio Ghibli lovers, it's hard not to like Ni No Kuni. If you love RPG's/JRPG's, this is a no brainer. If you love Studio Ghibli, this is a no brainer. If you've been looking to jump into the genre, you won't get a better chance. Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is a steroid shot to the imagination, giving players freedom to explore one of the best adventures this console generation. It's a masterpiece that won't soon be forgotten.

It's not every day we are given such an incredible gem. Just leaving here with one comment: Thank you Level-5 for the incredible adventure and Studio Ghibli for continuing to create entertainment that is both wholesome and enjoyable.

So what are you waiting for? Go play Ni No Kuni for flippen sake!

Afterthoughts: Just completed the game! My opinions from the beginning couple hours have not changed. I love Ni No Kuni even more now. The ending tied up and explained all of the mysteries and loose ends (without being stupid, farfetched, or cliche), the characters came full circle and were developed so well, and Oliver really grows up into a hero, and a quite likable one at that. There seems to be plenty of post game challenges left, so consider me excited to continue exploring this world.

Total play time for story run: 51:14:06.

Final score: 10/10

Honest reviews on Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

I am not an RPG fan like most reviewers here. I was drawn in by my love for Studio Gibli, and the breathless universal enthusiasm for the game. Indeed the game looks like a Studio Gibli epic, and everything about it is top-notch in terms or quality. The art is stunning. The story tugs at heart strings (even if having mom keel over and die is a little un-subtle way to tug them).

However several hours in and I am struggling to maintain interest. The battle system may be great for this type of game, but I find it tedious and repetitive. Walk walk walk, fight, walk walk walk, fight, walk, fight, die, back up and repeat. The enemies are cute, but repetitive and flat. Fighting involves a ton of selecting this character and that spell that takes a while to deal with, pulling me out if the action. I'm sure this gets more intuitive after a while, but often I wish I could just slash away and be done with it.

It is like playing a movie, except for the fact that most of the dialog is just subtitles, and there are boring stretches of Pokemon style battles every 30 seconds as you go on some errand to find some thing to enable some other thing. I do love the fact that the gameplay is indistinguishable (almost) from the cut scenes. But the fact is the characters are 2D cartoons, so that shouldn't be such a feat. Having just played Skyrim for a million hours, I am no stranger to walking and fighting and running errands, but this feels more like a chore. I felt much more immersed in Skyrim. In Ni No Kuni I feel much more bogged down by menus and stuck on the tracks of the story.

That said, the more interactive story engagement sections of the game are wonderful, if a little corny and childlike.

I have a feeling if I were 14 this would have me riveted for weeks. But as a an adult non RPG gamer, I'm struggling to get into this. I realize I may not be the target audience, but for others who were attracted by the Studio Gibli association, I think an outsider perspective may be useful to temper the hype surrounding this game.

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I have not had this much fun playing a game since I first bought the original Playstation and Final Fantasy VII and hooked it up.The game looks like it was made for kids when you first see the animation but don't let that fool you. This game is deep. The story line is inviting and the battle system is challenging and down right fun!! I have to drag myself away from it to do important life things like work! I am a fifty something old man who has been playing video games since Pong. And this game may just very well be the best I have ever played. To me it is that good !!

Cheap Crysis - PC

Customer Ratings:

This game is the long awaited follow up to 'Farcry' (one of the best FPSs of 2004). We now finally get a look at this newest offering.

Here are some of the things that I've liked in the single player mode...

1.)This is a FPS in which your nano armor gives you special 'skills"; these 'skills' include enhanced speed, strength, armor and invisibility; and you'll need them all to survive.

2.)Graphics that are smooth and flowing...plus excellent audio; both add a spooky, creepy ambiance to this jungle based horror game.

3.)The ability to use and control vehicles (on land, at sea and in the air), as well as the mounted weapons on these units.

4.)Generally good (but not great) enemy AI! Although some will just stand out in the open, there are some that will sneak up on you or hide behind cover; also they must reload empty weapons. Due to their larger numbers and the fact they're usually spread out, will necessitate your using your special 'skills' and the surrounding environment to defeat them. This is the basic, reoccurring challenge for this game.

5.)Easy, anytime save/loads with F5/F9 respectively, as well as game generated checkpoint saves.

6.)If your taking a beating (or find it too easy), you can change the degree of game difficulty anytime, as you play; you don't have to start a new game. This is a nice feature!

Cons:

1.)I've had a couple freeze ups, requiring reboot; also some minor video fragmentation (after extended periods of play).

2.)I found the controls on flying the VTOL (vertical take-off & landing) craft were difficult to operate (the plane just didn't seem to respond to commands quickly) with the result of frequent crashes.

3.)There was one extended section where you were floating (in either space or water), that I found confusing, tedious and boring. I was lucky it was very linear, or I might never have gotten out of there.

4.)A high end system is preferable. Although playable on XP, Vista can use Dx10, and combined with good hardware and a high end video card, it does make a difference in being able to run a lot of the 'extra' graphic details.

Conclusion:

All the pre-release hype made it sound as if this game would easily qualify for Game of the Year honors; I don't think so. Graphically it is beautiful and it is a good game, but it's not a great game! If you liked 'Farcry' then you'll probably like 'Crysis'. Was it worth the wait...probably, but somehow I was expecting something more. Over all, I liked 'Farcry' and its gameplay a little more. However, still worth a 4 1/2-5 Star rating.

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System: Dell XPS 410

Duel Core E6600

2gb RAM

Nvidia 640 mb 8800 GTS

I was actually somewhat disappointed in this game, I hate to say. I looked forward to this for over a year.

First the good. Graphics are very good even with the low to medium settings I was required to use because of my system. Audio, for the most part, was excellent. AI was a slight step up from other games in the genre, but not as much as I had expected. The game-play was engaging at least for most of the game.

The only negative aspect in the graphics and sound department was the tremendous amount of computer power that must be needed to run higher settings. Although I have a mid to high computer system, I was required to run the game at a low resolution with advanced settings set to either low or medium. I couldn't come anywhere close to my monitor's native resolution of 1920 x 1200, even with all settings on the lowest setting.

What was odd is that if I let the game detect and set "optimal" settings, it would select a a medium resolution and high advanced settings. But playing at that, I could only get maybe 12-15 fps. So, the detection system was useless. I had to tweak manually to get the framerate to acceptable levels.

I finally was able to get the framerate at an average of 35-40 fps which is very acceptable, however, every few minutes, I would hit a "bump" and my framerate would briefly drop to 0 and then bounce back up to the 35-40. Because this was happening so often, I had to take another step back in the graphics department and play on DX9 mode instead of DX10.

It was disappointing to have upgraded my computer to a duel core, 2gb or RAM and a 640mb Nvidia 8800 GTS DX10 graphics card only to run a game on DX9 with low settings and a low resolution. And this was after reading tweak guides, turning off background programs, downloading the latest drivers from Nvidia, etc. Very odd, and I suspect Crysis was rushed out and not optimized correctly.

The story and the characterization were weak in my opinion characterization more so than the story. This is a fairly straightforward FPS with not a lot happening with character development.

Levels early in the game were much more interesting with more openness and options. As the game progressed, it became more and more linear to the point of being very limiting.

There were a lot of glitches in the game items floating around, things spinning. There was a lot of clipping. Some problems became quite a nuisance. For example, getting an objective to clear an area and after doing so just standing there for additional directions. None came and I spent the next ten minutes searching around until I found a hostile in a boxcar just spinning around. He wouldn't die by gunshot, so I had to grab him and throw him to the side. Once he died, it triggered the next script and I got an updated objective.

The last few levels were excruciatingly glitchy. On the ship, I kept falling through the floor to the point that it was extremely hard to complete the objectives. The boss battles were lame. It appeared to me that the game was rushed toward the end and they just threw some things together. The ending was a let down. And the thing is, the game itself was very short maybe 9 hours or so, I would guess. You'd think they could develop something a little better in a few year's time.

I enjoyed the game, but it just wasn't as good as I had expected. High expectation can do that. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give Crysis a solid 8. If it were optimized to run better and without the glitches (which could be possible with some patches in the future) I would up that score to 8.5.

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In spite of having to run the game on med-low resolution settings I found the game to be excellent. The story flows very well and you never get bored with it. The graphics are excellent, characters are well played for the most part, and the final battle is epic. Even the escort mission (the achillies heal of most games) felt realistic and worked well.

So why 3 stars? I'm taking off .5 because for some reason it won't allow me to map the flight functions to my joystick (wingman extreme). Not that big of a deal since the mouse keyboard does actually work in the game but not very well.

Now for the big hit. I'm taking off 1.5 stars because of the length. I just don't get games these days. They make them with flashy graphics, hopefully a good story, and if it's a really good game it feels epic. However, they make them so short that it just leaves you feeling empty. After the final battle in Crysis I was sitting there waiting for the next section to load when the credits came up. I sat looking confused for a few minutes before I turned the monitor off in disgust.

It's like if they had released Deus Ex and it ended the game after you retrieved the virus or System Shock after you got to the second level of the station or Far Cry after find out about trigens. I brought the game home Friday, played from about 7pm-11pm. Got up the next morning and played from about noon-11PM. I finished the game just after 11PM and I was playing on the hardest difficulty level, took breaks for meals, and ran out to the store to pick up snacks.

It used to be that when you bought a game, you expected to get at least a week of play out of it. Are we now reduced to less than 24 hours? Personally, I'd give up the years worth of work on graphics flash that they spend, for more game time in the story. The multi-player doesn't make up for this either as that's a common excuse.

I loved the game (what little of it there was), but I can't go any higher than 3 stars.

Honest reviews on Crysis - PC

I love this game, and mostly I agree with the high rating that the game has received. The other reviews have pretty much touched on all of the things I love about it and normally I wouldn't think of chiming in just to pile on more of the same, but I feel there are a few points that were missed . . . points that I think others should know before buying this game.

I have a dual boot computer that runs both Windows XP and Windows Vista Home Premium. (2 SLI linked Nvidia 8800 Ultras, 4GBs of RAM and an AMD Athlon 64 FX-62) I have run the game on both OS's and have found that, all things being equal--using the exact same settings on the same computer with only the OS being different--that the game runs significantly better on XP. I've tried this comparison with quite a few recent titles--titles that run both DX 9 and DX 10--and Crysis shows, by far, the biggest slow down when switching between the two OS's. (I've checked around and it seems that I'm not alone in this discovery) This seems a shame. I kind of expect some problems with Vista--that's the reason I kept XP on my system . . . But I guess I'm willing to cut Crysis a little slack because it IS such an ambitious game.

But then there's another bit of hanky-panky that isn't so forgivable: This is the fact that the game won't let you turn the video settings to "Very High" on XP. At first everyone thought, quite naturally, that this was due to some difference between the relative abilities of DirectX 9 on XP and DirectX 10 on Vista. But it turns out that the limitation is purely artificial. (For those who want to circumvent this, it's an easy fix; simply cutting and pasting a few lines in some config files allows those higher settings on XP. Look around on Google, it's out there . . . ) This isn't to say that there IS no difference between DX 9 and DX 10, only that someone tried to make the difference seem even greater than it really is by inserting an artificial limitation.

All is not lost, the Crysis people are coming out with their first patch in a week or so and I have no doubt that they'll have the game running well on Vista in no time. Maybe they'll even give up on the artificial limit in XP . . . but I wouldn't hold my breath on that one. Still, I give it four stars.

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This game feels more like a long demo rather than a complete title. Just when you think the game is going to move onto the next chapter, the soundtrack builds to a crescendo and the credits start rolling. The game abruptly ends after a few hours of gameplay. It seems to me that this game was more of an experiment with the new CryEngine 2 and DirectX 10 support rather than an actual game. As in "The Empire Strikes Back", the storyline in Crysis leaves you hanging. It does not end when the game does! The game ends with your squad leader going AWOL and you have to find him. You know they're going to charge you more money later on to find out what happens when you meet up with him. If people pay the full retail price for a game, shouldn't they get the full game all at once up front? Pay $50 now and wait a year to spend another $40 on an "expansion pack" just to finish the game. What kind of underhanded garbage is that? That should have happened in the first place! If it's not finished, don't sell it!

The audio is atrocious. It's just bad. I mean, the audio in this game is so unsynchronized with the rest of the game that during an in-game movie, the computer *appeared* to freeze, but was just trying to sync the game up with the dialogue. It took about 30 long seconds of waiting to see if the problem was with my computer or not. This is a recurring problem on many other peoples' computers, even with the latest Sound Blaster cards. There have been many times during an intense battle where the sound of the guns has dropped out altogether, and the dialogue is extremely choppy. EA needs to work on a patch for this audio problem. I ran the game with the -DX9 command line parameter to play the game in DirectX 9 mode, and the audio was *STILL* choppy and full of delays.

Please, please wait until the price on this game has gone down. I know you want to see how the game looks with DirectX 10 graphics, but there is a demo of this game available for free online. Crysis is yet another expensive big-name game you can complete over the weekend on the most difficult setting without any cheating (which I did unless you consider using the quicksave and quickload feature cheating).

*************************************************************************

[Now onto the good stuff yes, there are good things about this game....]

I really liked the motion blur, and the shading in DX10 is out of this world. I have not seen a more beautifully rendered computer or video game on the market. Even BioShock, which is supposed to support DirectX 10, doesn't come close to the realism of the graphics in this game. The close-ups with the enemy are breathtaking. If you have all the video settings to "Very High" and are running on DX10, when you go toe-to-toe with a bad guy in the middle of the day while on the beach, and decide to melee attack him, it looks so incredibly real that you might forget you are playing a game. The facial expressions are very detailed and well put together. It's just scary real. There was a time in computer/video gaming where you were doing a great job if you used three triangles to make a nose. This is by far light years ahead of those days (and the rest of the competition, for that matter).

The gameplay is good. I love the quick save/quick load feature. I hate when games don't have it. The different abilities of the character's suit are fun, too. Too many bad guys flanking you? Turn the cloak on and retreat. Can't jump high enough to reach that ledge? Use the maximum strength setting and try it now. Need more info on gameplay? Download the demo.

There is no way to upgrade your suit or your character's attributes. This is not one of those kinds of games. One major beef I have with the AI is that they can see me through the thick vegetation that is all throughout the game, but I can't see them. Yes, there are more of them, but even when I move around, they keep shooting at me perfectly, regardless of how many trees there are between me and them. The only real way to hide in this game when you're close to the enemy is to use the stealth mode. When you so much as throw a grenade at them, the stealth mode is deactivated and you are exposed. I can understand the stealth mode deactivating itself when I open fire, but lobbing a grenade? Shouldn't there be a distinction?

The stealth mode is so incredibly useful when you're floating around in the alien ship. The faster you move, the quicker the stealth mode will expire, so when you remain still, it will last much longer than if you are sprinting. Using the stealth mode, I sneak up to the aliens and get close enough to grab them, then I blast them into smithereens, turn the stealth mode back on and do it again.

All in all, a very good half of a game, but we'll have to wait a while to pick up where this game leaves off. Good gameplay, engaging storyline, outstanding graphics, way too short. It'll be a while before we see a Crysis 2. The big wigs are going to milk Crysis by putting out expansion packs, when they should have just made the complete product and sold it all at once. I guess the days of buying a complete game are over (as are the days of getting gas for 89 cents a gallon).

Reviews of Dead Rising 3 Day One Edition - Xbox One

Customer Ratings:

The Dead Rising 3 you know and love. Don't let the darker graphics fool you, Dead Rising is alive and well on Xbox One. The sillyness is all intact with tons of zombie slaying. Gone is the timer system which has been moved to hard mode called nightmare mode. Weapons can also now be created on the fly and it now has seamless co-op. No more waiting for your friends to get to the door so you can change areas! No loading screens, it is now just one giant sandbox to slay zombies in.

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I'm a verified buyer of the game and both a PS 4 and XBOX One owner so hopefully I can help clear up these reviews a bit. There are a lot of fanboys out here just looking to bash an opposing console.

First a generic note to those who just adopted a new next gen console. Calibrate your televisions people! It can make a world of difference! My reviews are based from viewing on a 60" LG Plasma while sitting 9' away.

As a launch title on a brand new system I wasn't expecting the graphics to blow my mind. That being said I will say that they were well above my expectations. They were crisp and clear and the colors were dead on. I noticed only a few frame rate issues and only when the screen was loaded with heavy action. They were few and far between and didn't take away from the game at all.

There are many reviews out there complaining about the long treks through the game world to accomplish missions. While at the same time commenting on the abundance of vehicles available and due to that there is no fun in creating your own. I shook my head reading these after I'd been playing the game. Let me explain. The game is about fighting hordes of zombies in an open world setting, the excitement is actually in just getting from one place to the other! The vehicle crafting is a blast! Why drive a minivan across town when you can create and ride a motorcycle steamroller hybrid?!

Weapon crafting on the fly is just awesome, there are well over a hundred zombie slaughtering combo weapons just waiting for you to build. The city is huge, there are zombies everywhere and the game gives you missions to ensure you get into the thick of them often! There's a lot to do, some missions may seem pointless until you remember the whole point of them is to keep you moving through the herds. You will read some complaints about aiming problems. The real problem is that these players don't have their modded auto aim controllers anymore to rely on. That's right, some skill is required!

This game can be played as serious or as silly as you desire. I love that aspect. You can play it as a more serious survival horror or throw on a Lego head mask and mini skirt and go have yourself a slaughter fest!

Smartglass: it's a cool addition, it worked flawlessly for me using an Ipad2 with the smartglass app. I'd like to see it used more in this fashion. I think it has a future with the Xbox one.

Kinect: I hated kinect on the 360 but on the One it's amazingly accurate. It really struck me when I sneezed while playing and the horde heard it and it screwed my plans up! I never even thought of that bit of realisim kinect could bring. It adds an entire new level of immersion. I can't wait to try it on a stealth or a serious horror game.

So in a nutshell, this is a killer launch game. If this is what the beginning looks like, I really can't wait to see what happens a few years down the line.

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So many crazy weapon combinations along with some ridiculous outfits while dismembering hundreds of zombies in the devastated city of Los Perdidos results in one incredibly fun game that brings much needed improvements from previous games in the series while still lacking some refinements that would've made it an amazing game. The loading times unexpectedly long but once you get to the game you can start having fun right away.

While the graphics are not any indication of the power of next generation consoles, it does represent a great technical achievement that you'll notice when you smash through hundreds of zombies on the screen riding a steamroller that spits fire (which sometimes lowers the frame rate that makes you wonder about the X1's capabilities). Yeah, it's as amazing as you are imagining right now.

The world is many times larger than Dead Rising's 1 mall and Dead Rising's 2 post-apocalypse Las Vegas but still not as big and beautiful as GTA V's incredible open world.

I've yet to find all the blueprints for the weapon combinations but from what I've played, in addition to all the previews I've seen. We're in for some crazy zombie killing spree. A teddy bear with an automated machine gun, pogo sticks, chainsaws, you name it. Few games that show off all their weapon creation features reach the heights of Dead Rising's possibilities. Even more with the Super Weapons you can get by combining two or more previously crafted weapons.

The controls is where this game falls short. It's all good and fun when you're in the middle of the zombie horde; a swing of your weapon or two can clear a path for you to run to safety. The imprecise controls will end in very frustrating boss fights that require a little more precise fighting controls.

The story is full of clichéd characters and your typical hero trying to escape the city. Nothing groundbreaking in the story that you'll care very little about Nick Ramos' story and focus more on killing and dismembering the undead and every once in a while think "Oh, yeah, there's a story to this game"

Some characters might join you in the fight against the zombies and opposed to previous games were the main focus was to save extra characters to complete the missions. This game is all about your killing spree racking up points and leveling up your character. If you're playing on normal, the frustrating time limits are gone, giving you more freedom to complete missions. Some players might like this, some won't it's up to you. If you're more hardcore and like the sometimes maddening challenge, you can play on Nightmare mode for that.

Overall I think it's one of the better games of the Xbox One launch lineup. It's definitely fun so you won't regret it. As with both consoles, we're gonna have to wait a few months until the good games come out.

Honest reviews on Dead Rising 3 Day One Edition - Xbox One

Everything I wanted in a Dead Rising game.

The graphics are amazing, The open world helps with one of the biggest problems in the old DR games, those constant loading screens. The combo vehicles are fun, the new weapons are awesome. Picking up food and stuff while in mid run is super helpful.

The biggest thing is .. CRAZY AMOUNTS OF ZOMBIES... tons. They constantly pour out of holes in buildings and come dropping down from walls etc... they flow into the game like water.

The only issues I have had so far is you can get annoyed with loading if you die a lot. They probably should have used a death/respawn system like Bioshock or Borderlands to help with that. Getting into co-op matches with a friend should have been more obvious.

The game is legit.

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Look no further for your first game in this next generation. I mean, for exclusives, look at PS4, generic shooter and a meh platformer?

Dead Rising 3 is a no brainer here, no pun intended… This game is a blast! I was hoping for a full 1080p experience, but unfortunately the game does NOT run at 1080p, it upscales to it..

But hey, don't let that take away the fun! The looks and presentation ARE AWESOME nevertheless! Graphics are crispy and clear… (try playing for a couple of hours then go back to your regular GTA V session… which you thought that looked great, it will actually look so blurry, it will hurt your eyes……)

I had no frame rate issues so far, playing on a 47" LED LG with a minimum latency. Just make sure you calibrate your TV screen as your Xbox One tells you to in the settings (NO dynamic contrast, NO pitch blacks, NO non-standard gamma settings, NO 120Mhz --> this will stutter even more, etc).

Everything is amazing, from killing zombies for fun, to missions. It brings you back to the first one. Playing the story mode is like an Easy mode now no timer (although it shows a timer, it has like five days instead of 72 hours or something), you can save anywhere… So easy… Bosses seem easier too. Missions have lots of time to accomplish too.

Nightmare mode is more like it, you can only save at safe houses (which are MORE than one now, scattered across the city) and restrooms. Oh, and timer. Just like good ol'days.

Lots and lots of weapons, vehicles and collectibles… Oh, costumes and clothing are there too! You also have a stash in the safe houses and garages now, which can spawn ANY stuff you want (after you find them of course, meaning any weapons and clothing, and vehicles too), with a cooldown to prevent spamming… (no cheating guys…) But hey, that's awesome, you can load the game and always start with the BEST weapon of your choice in hands!!

Now, be sure to play with your Smart Glass enabled phone, it will make it even more fun! Extra missions will unlock extra stuff as codes to lockers, CALL TO DRONE-BOMBINGS (just like the E3 trailers, YEAH!!!) and to the minimap functions like finding a store with construction materials for instance, that will set a waypoint automatically in-game for you… AWESOME!!

Haven't even finished it yet, but this game is the BEST launch title in a console EVER since Super Mario and Sonic, maybe even better...