Skinit New York Giants Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Controller Skin Review

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My kids really wanted a NY giant and a Raven's controller but did not want to steer away from the original xbox controller so this was a great alternative! They love the new skins and it's easy to know who's controller is who's!!!

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Def Jam Icon - Xbox 360 Review

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This game is retarded. Sorry that I have to start my review like that but seriously, this is one of those games where I try to explain it to people and the words fail me every time.

I'm not saying it's the worst game I've ever played. For one, the graphics are really impressive and the way the levels are affected by the music is pretty interesting. Looking at the character models, you can tell exactly who you're looking at, i.e. The Game looks like the Game, Big Boi looks exactly like Big Boi, etc. The fighting engine is okay, if limited and not overly responsive. The music is okay as far as today's hip-hop goes (sorry to say it but rap music these days is in a sorry state... that's a whole other conversation though) but luckily you can upload your own music to play with and this feature works well.

The premise of this game is what makes me scratch my head. I mean, a typical scenario in the game would go something like this:

The record label exec you work for needs you to sign an artist, but Ghostface Killah might be there to stop you, so you two have to duke it out.

As ridiculous as it sounds, that's pretty much what the game is and it also has a lot of fighting which gets repetitive fairly quickly. The game has a weak frame around it which attempts to incorporate a kind of lifestyle management aspect like what to wear, how much to spend on your girlfriends, how much to spend on artists and their records.... but it all gets boring pretty quickly, especially when you're really just having the same fights over and over.

I've played online and like with most fighting games, I found the lag times to be a bit of a pain. Sometimes I'd have a clean match and other times, my opponent would be teleporting all over the level.

I'd have to suggest a rental on this one first or at least try the demo out. Seriously, this game is just really weird in too many ways to count to make any kind of recommendation.

There's one other thing that I should mention. I find it kind of sad that this game promotes the exact same kind of violence that gets the rap industry into so much trouble all the time. While it's all handled in a tongue in cheek way (I mean, fighting Sean Paul for whatever reason is just plain silly, no matter what), the fact that this is an officially licensed product from a well known record label makes me wonder what the intended message is.

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1) Take out everything that made the first two games cool

2) Add new crap that doesn't work and makes you want to punch the developer in the face.

3) Come up with the most god awful plot and unbelievable events to ever grace the 360 to date.

Controls are a nightmare. I could go in the bathroom with a notebook and take a crap and come out with a better control scheme than this. I also now have the god-like ability of making a door swing open to hit my opponent by merely making a gesture with my hand. This is crap. But worst of all, AND I MEAN WORST OF ALL, is that the cool finishing/blazing moves that I loved from the first two are nowhere to be found.

I guess it wouldn't be THAT bad of a game if I wasn't comparing it to the first two but this is retarded when a franchise of this calibur switches to better graphics on a next-gen system and comes out being not even close to the equivalent of the other two. I can smell Electronic Arts from here. And they smell like garbage.

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The game has defenetly improved in graphics since its last tittle, fight for NY. The controls are easy to master but the counters are a bit tricky to use. One of the major options in this game is the ability to use your own sound track in the fighting scenes. In general you donthave to be a hip hop fan to enjoy this game, you can fight to punk, rock, metal or if you like.....classical. The enviroment will come alive with whatever music you choose. The only down fall to the game is that you can finish it in one day, if your really devoted to it. It has a medium replay value and the mini game of managing your rappers sales is a good way to earn money to buy bling. Overall, i beleive the game is worth buying, its fun and what better way than to releive strees than kicking the crap out of your friends.

Honest reviews on Def Jam Icon - Xbox 360

Compared to any other Def Jam game his one should not exist!!! Its been out for quite a few years longer but DJ Fight for New York is leaps and bounds past this title.

My biggest peve is theres no power meter to judge how much life each opponent has but instead the screen gets really red....thats just one nag among the 15 others on the top of my head.

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It completely breaks away from the previous versions with control style. It takes a second to learn, but when you do it is a lot of fun. If your the kind that gives up easy if you dont understand something as soon as you pick it up this isnt for you. But if you dont mind about 10-15 min of learning the game is great. It also has great replay value. A great buy

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I was pretty excited about this game when I heard it was being developed as I am a fan of the series. Upon reading several reviews such as IGN, GamesRadar and GameSpy I almost passed on getting it. It seemed that yet again something I liked had a poor game made based on it. I bought Afro Samurai anyway and man am I glad I did, here's why. First off let me start by correcting a few erroneous errors in some of the reviews I read that lead to their scores.

GamesRadar claimed that the instruction manual listed the wrong command for dashing. The manual lists clicking the left stick to dash. This is correct. While moving Afro in any direction clicking the left stick results in...guess what....a dash. Clicking it while stationary does nothing. Like many other action games with a run button you have to click it in conjunction with a directional input.

Gamespy noted a "game-stopping bug" that prevent ropes from being cut in the game. There is no bug. The ropes in question can only be cut by using the focus mode and executing the perfect slice maneuvers...along with aiming the slice to cut properly with the analog stick. It can't be done by button mashing. It's a precise cut that requires you to use the perfect slice system.

The IGN review bugged the daylights out of me as it was really off base (and I usually understand IGN's reviews) IGN claimed to be able to get through the entire game by "alternating attacks and mashing buttons". This same review claims an overly frustrating and cheap Brother 6 boss battle. Well it shouldn't be frustrating if the game can simply be beat with mindless button mashing I thought. If it's frustrating it really can't be so simple, right? Read on. This battle I did 3 times to test. The 1st time it took me 10 minutes after I died during phase 3 on my first attempt (I was not using the two bears they give you to restore your health during the battle). I then proceeded to kill him in 3 minutes both of the next two times without using the bears. How? Using a dash attack (An attack that can't be done by mashing buttons). I dash attacked Brother 6 and then proceeded with a simple combo of XXXX until brother 6 knocked me away. As soon as I hit the ground and roll recovered I dashed right back in with a dash attack and interrupted his attack animation. This dash hit stuns him and then I use XXXX again. I repeated this pattern for ALL of the three phases. 3 minutes using one dash attack, one combo and no bears to recover life. Hardly frustrating or worth mentioning as "cheap". If anything, I was cheap by abusing one move and one combo.

Several reviews said there is no way to track XP as you progress or what moves you'll unlock. False. When checking your moves list (something many reviewers openly admit not doing) there will be moves with white slashes through them. These are locked. There will also be moves with blue slashes through them. These moves are the ones you're gaining experience on. When the slash fills completely blue you'll gain that move when the screen next flashes "level up".

Another review mentioned that you have to click R3 (nearly an industry standard) to re-center your camera. The complaint was that doing so removes your fingers from the buttons rendering you defenseless. This would hold true if the block/parry button (defense right?) was a face button...but it's not. It's the R-trigger which can be held while pressing the re-center camera button if that is an issue for someone. So you're not defenseless. Also the inverted X-axis is listed as a major issue in some reviews. To anyone who has been gaming long enough or who has played titles from regions other than the US an inverted X-axis on the camera is not new. It's not prevalent here in the states, but it's been around for a while in a few titles here and abroad. It should be old hat and easy to adapt to. And it's not game breaking either. Like learning any other controls in any other game it should be factored into the learning curve....not listed as something to drop the score or the opinion of the game...unless you're a gamer that has issues learning new controls. If that's the case then be fore warned the camera is inverted and cannot be changed.

So now that the air is cleared of some incorrect stuff let's get to the review.

Presentation, graphics and sound are great with some minor issues. The game has a definite anime/comic look to it with comic paneling and cutaways to coincide with the cel-shaded looks. The menus are simple and easy to navigate and the load screens are animated instead of static. The music really gets you pumped to play. There are very minor instances of slow down and clipping is very noticeable when it happens. But oddly enough the slow down blends into the game since you have a slow down mechanic of your own. So it often ends up appearing stylistic even though it is a technical concern with too many body parts and too much blood animating on the screen. The moves list is very well done as it demonstrates the commands needed for each move and even includes a video demo of it so that you can see the timing involved and know what the move should look like when done properly. The game is over flowing with violence, blood, gore and nudity just like the series. It is very much an adult atmosphere. Parents, you have been warned.

The gameplay is very good, almost textbook. Actually it's not almost textbook it IS textbook with pages borrowed (read: STOLEN) from other textbooks.

You have the near endless array of combos in the vein of games such as God of War, Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden. You have an upgrade system that adds new moves to your repertoire based on experience...which is gained by killing enemies. These upgrades include moves such as reflecting bullets, fragmenting bullets, the ability to execute multiple precision cuts in a row, the ability to cut through more enemies with each strike, etc. You have your standard attacking combos, throw moves, combos that link into a throw animation, dodging moves, blocks/parries/counters, etc. You can instantly link many of the games combos together to make near infinite combos, you can launch and juggle enemies and pressing block cancels your attack animations to put you in a blocking stances or to parry instantly....well most attacks. Some of the higher powered moves can't be interrupted. Bigger damage, bigger risk.

A special feature of Afro Samurai is the innovative...ok I mean overdone focus mode that allows you to slow the game down. What Afro does different with this old mechanic is give you manual control of where to attack when in this mode. Focus mode slows the game down and gives access to other moves most notable of which are the perfect slices. These moves allow you to sever enemy body parts precisely by aiming the slices with the left analog stick and choosing horizontal or vertical slices based on the button you press. When Afro's focus meter is full you can press a button which puts Afro into overfocus mode. For those familiar with the old Punisher game this will sound VERY familiar. The screen turns black and white and everything slows down. All of Afro's attacks are now one hit kills on most enemies. It's essentially a manual smart bomb.

Speaking of Afro's focus meter an observant gamer will notice that there are no meters displayed in-game. Afro Samurai joins the legions of recent games opting to use a HUDless system. Thankfully it works well. Afro's life is displayed on his body and this also applies to opponents. As characters near death a red aura starts to show on the body. The closer to death they are the darker and more apparent the red glow becomes. Attached to the hilt of Afro's sword is a medallion. This is his focus meter. When the medallion has a black aura around it Afro's meter is empty and he needs to score some combos to increase it. As the meter fills up the medallion begins to flash with a pulsating white aura. When the medallion has a constant solid white aura the focus meter is full and the aforementioned overfocus mode is available.

The platforming in Afro Samurai is passable and only so because of one key issue. It's inconsistent. In games like Ninja Gaiden and Devil May Cry the platforming moves such as running on walls can be done at any time. In Afro Samurai these moves can only be done in certain places and at first you can't tell where. There are subtle clues like level geometry and flashing ledges to give hints but even these are more questionable than they should be.

Replay value depends. For fans of the series, you'll be playing this a lot as it feels like a good representation of the source material. For those who like a hyper violent action game with slick visuals and responsive controls...you'll be loving this. For those who can't get passed the camera inversion, avoid this game. For those that have problems with pattern recognition and timing, avoid this game as that's what the boss battles consist of mostly and to a lesser extent the battles with the weaker enemies.

Overall I give the game a solid 8 out of 10. It's not pushing the envelope in any given area, its best features are ripped from or inspired by other games and it has enough minor issues that prevent it from achieving A status. I'd rank it as an 8 even if it wasn't an Afro Samurai game, but I also won't rank it higher just because it is based on a series I like.

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Afro Samurai is an action game based on the anime that aired on Spike TV in 2006. Both the game and anime chronicle Afro Samurai's ultra violent quest to avenge his father's death. Lots of effort was focused on the style of the game and it really paid off. The writing, art, acting, combat, music, all flow together to create a fun experience... but the game has some serious flaws.

Story / Dialogue 8/10

The story is well told and voice acted by Samuel L. Jackson, Kelly Hu, Ron Pearlman... The dialogue is entertaining, humorous, and deeply poetic at times. However, unless you've watched the anime, the story will be hard to follow and may seem like a hip hop ronin acid trip with a large dose of Samuel L. Jackson. The relationships between the characters and the events in the story aren't fully explained in the game, but it still manages to entertain. If you've seen the anime, you'll be fine.

Graphics 9/10

The game does the best job ever at creating a game that looks like playable art. The stylized look is amazing. The screen shots and movies don't do the game justice. If you're an anime fan, you'll really appreciate the look of the game. If you strive for a more realistic/traditional game look, like Gears of War, the look may not appeal to you. But if you like anime, you'll love the art!

Combat 9/10

The combat system of Afro is great. Afro and his enemies are well animated and very responsive with a large arsenal of attacks. What truly sets the game apart is the SLICING system. The player can slow time, and dynamically slice enemies. Chop off arms, legs, torsos, heads, parts of heads, feet, hands, cut them in half... etc. Wherever the sword passes through the enemies, they get cut. It's incredibly satisfying and never gets old. There's never been an action game that's captured the feeling of wielding a katana and hacking through hordes of enemies quite like this one.

Sound 9/10

The sound effects and music set the mood really well. The music blends hip-hop, feudal eastern, and classic western tracks. I'm not a hip hop fan, but I really enjoyed the epic feel of the soundtrack. The music is great!

Style 9/10

The art, combat, acting, music are all top notch. Very few games have as much style as Afro Samurai. I really wish I could stop writing here... but here comes the part where the lice ruin the fro.

Camera 4/10

The Camera is awkward to say the least. The camera is not inverted. (95% of games use an inverted camera system pushing right, moves view to the left.) You can go into the Options Screen and set the horizontal axis to inverted, but you can't adjust the vertical axis. The camera feels like it is drifting at times. I finished the game and never got used to this. It felt like I was watching a samurai movie shot by a perverted camera man when there were cheerleader tryouts happening just offscreen.

Levels 5/10

The Levels look great, but some of the designs are very confusing. It's pretty easy to get lost, but you can press Down on the D-Pad and Samuel L. Jackson appears as Ninja Ninja, telling you where to go. If you use him too much, he starts insulting you... Unfortunately, this is when you need him the most. The combat parts of levels are great, but there are platforming sections of the game. The platforming areas do a great job at showcasing how bad this game is at jumping and acrobatics. They're horrible. Afro is much too floaty, and the camera is too unreliable, for a player to consistently jump from platform to platform. Most checkpoints are generous, but for some reason, some checkpoints send you back 6 checkpoints if you fall. This game needs platform jumping like the Superbowl needs a halftime show.

Bosses 5/10

The bosses in this game are hit or miss. Some boss fights are really fun, while others are very frustrating. There's an amazing fight with Afro-Droid, but for the most part, the bosses take really cheap shots at you and do a disproportionate amount of damage. Some bosses can insta-kill Afro with a single hit while others feel like they're attacking with a fly swatter. Most of the time, you won't be sure if you are winning or not and the fight will be interrupted by a victory cut scene. If this happens, it means that you've won.

Leveling Up 3/10

Sometimes, an icon appears that says Level Up while you are playing. However, the game never tells you how you just improved! Did you get more Hit Points, Do More Damage, Get More Moves, Get Sexy Pictures of Kelly Hu? This is never clear. You can pause the game and look at a moves list for Afro, but the new moves are not highlighted. The only thing I can say for certain is that you don't get Sexy Pictures of Kelly Hu, so you're never really excited about leveling up.

Replay Value 4/10

There really isn't much. You can play on a Hard difficulty level and completionists can search levels for collectibles to unlock character models and concept art. That's it. Playing the game over again to experience the combat is the best reason to replay the game. The game ranges from 6-7 hours long, depending on how much you search for collectibles.

The game is rated M for Mature for every reason a game could be rated M. Gallons of blood, dismemberment, gore, language, breasts, etc... Spike TV would be proud.

Overall, this could have been a great game, but the flaws start to add up. Buy it if you are a hard core fan of Afro Samurai and can overlook flaws... like if you don't mind if your girlfriend has herpes.

Rent it if you liked Afro Samurai, want slice through hordes of enemies like Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, love Sam Jackson, know what an Otaku is, know the difference between a katana and a wakizashi, or love action games.

Avoid it if you hate hip-hop, Sam Jackson, anachronistic samurai stories, flawed games, violence, or gore.

Personally, I feel that Afro Samurai could have been great... The team at Namco managed to do all of the hard stuff right, but messed up on the easy stuff like Leveling Up, Camera, and Straight-forward Level Design. It's a cool game with fun moments, but it's not a great game.

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Because being a fun, ultraviolent anime blast wasn't enough, Afro Samurai makes the splash into the video game world courtesy of Namco Bandai. Samuel L. Jackson returns to lend his voice to the revenge-driven Afro as well as his foul-mouthed sidekick Ninja Ninja, in a storyline that more or less follows the plot of the first Afro Samurai flick, as you take on hordes of enemies and dish out bloody punishment. The fighting is mostly fun, as are the boss battles which are orchestrated wonderfully, but the best part of the game is undoubtedly the graphics and art design. Afro Samurai looks and moves fluidly and beautifully, and the game's soundtrack and voice acting are excellent as well. What really hurts the game however lie mostly in its controls and platforming. You can't really string together attacks, and the game's platforming elements are disappointingly clumsy. The game's schizy camera doesn't help matters either, and the fact that you can adjust the Y-axis but not the X-axis is mind-boggling. Still, there's a lot to admire with what you get here in Afro Samurai, but it's just a shame that a little more polish wasn't put on here, otherwise we could have had something really great. Still, the game is worth a look despite its flaws, and if you're a fan of the anime, you'll definitely want to check this out.

Honest reviews on Afro Samurai - Xbox 360

This game is pretty sweet but i've found i really need to have a guide open the entire time i'm playing as there's often few cues as to what exactly your supposed to do. i'm finding my self asking "now what?" WAY more than i should. This is a big negative for me personally.

when your actually on the right path however this game is pretty sweet, for a button mashing platformer its got a lot of style and neat things with the battle system added in to keep it fresh. The soundtrack shines in this game as it was prepared by the RZA from the wutang clan.

This game is cool but not without its problems. If you really wanna know if you want it check out the demo on xbox live, after playing it i really wanted it.

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great game it can get a little hard to get use to at times over all its great

Buy Gioteck TX2 Throat Mic (Xbox 360)

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As an international man of mystery, I depend on my equipment being the best. And I'm not sure this thing is.

All hail Amazon From whom All internet blessings flow. AMAZON

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I figured this would be really cool. I was wrong. I received a lot of feed back about how horrible the mic quality was. I used it for about a month before giving up on it and going back to the original headset.

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This mic is pretty good, my friends could hear me good but it was a little hard for me to hear them if they were talking lower, but for the price its pretty good. it came as described by seller and even came a day or two early. I would recommend this to anyone.

Honest reviews on Gioteck TX2 Throat Mic (Xbox 360)

I can say from the last three days of gaming from COD to RE this headset does it all. The fact that gunfire and other noise does not affect communication is amazing, would not use any other except for Turtle Beach. Now one drawback is you get no back ground sounds so anyone sneaking up on you is a disadvantage to this mic set. Over all this mic is boss its light and comfortable and has no wires to worry about so convenience is A+. I would recommend for gamers who love the free style headsets and love combat style communications to help the team win the game.

Discount Halo Reach

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Halo: Reach Circa 2010

GOOD:

Tried and true (Halo) FPS experience that many other games have copied over the years.

Great Co-op Gameplay allows up to four players to go through the entire game from start to end.

Great graphics which look way better than that of Halo 3 and ODST; also there are a lots of new animations for the characters as well as tons of new unique enemy voice work to boot.

Vehicle and turret shooting are the same as ever (for a Halo game); which is good; but the nice addition here is the new helicopter type of vehicle and even a small section of the game where you can control a space fighter.

Armor Abilities really help out and give you a new edge in combat. Also you have a night vision mode which works and looks like the one from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

Intense multiplayer versus action either by yourself on a team; the mode has plenty of different options to choose from. This is a pretty good upgraded version of the famed Halo 3 multiplayer that now has new maps, modes, abilities, and graphics for you to enjoy.

Fire Fight mode allows up to four players to fight waves of enemies on unique maps (based on those in the campaign) using team work and skill.

BAD:

Some slight lag and slight blurring at the more intensive moments in the game (with lots of things happening all at once).

Can't play Forge maps in Fire Fight mode.

IF IT FITS YOUR TASTE:

A Sci-Fi First Person Shooter with quick pacing and intense fire fights. Note: that unlike Call of Duty: Modern Warfare this is a sci-fi First Person Shooter and as such your guns must first break an enemy's energy shield before you can really hurt them also everyone is wearing battle armor so you'll still need lots of shots to kill an opponent. The thing to do here is make your shots count more so you will need to do overall less of them to an opponent; example use energy type guns to break an enemy's energy shield and always try to do head shots to your enemy for extra damage. Coming at an enemy guns blazing and either not using the right guns and/or not aiming well will only get you killed pretty quickly.

Gameplay wise this plays pretty much like Halo 3 but with the life bar from Halo 3: ODST. The missions themselves are pretty fun and take the best bits from Halo 3 and ODST into new experiences.

The campaign levels can be played by either yourself or with up to four other players cooperatively at one time on any stage.

The Story is an overall a combat story going from mission to mission with nothing really tying into the overall Halo lore until the last chapter.

Intense multiplayer action online through Xbox Live with matches as small as one on one and as big as 16 players (and even offline without using Xbox Live using either spilt screen, or system link). Halo Reach is set up similar to that of Halo 3 but with some new modes and all new maps. But much like Halo 3 in the sense that you're given a rank when you play multiplayer (this rank can go up or down at any time) this rank is representative of your skill and your matched with others of your skill type, that way new unskilled players and hardcore veterans will not often play against one another, unless they make a special match themselves that ignores rank.

An all new Fire Fight mode (Fire Fight was originally in Halo 3: ODST), Fire Fight which plays similar to Hoard Mode in Gears of War 2 is a mode where either by yourself or with up to four other players cooperatively can play a stage about the size of a multiplayer stage and you fight against enemies that are found in the games story campaign levels in waves. You get points and an overall score on your performance for these stages.

There is no Master Chief in the game as well (the famed character from Halo's 1 through 3). Instead you play an assortment of different SPARTANS who were on the planet Reach when it was attacked. As far as the overall Halo story goes, your team is made up of SPARTAN IIIs (with one SPARTAN II). SPARTAN IIIs are cheaper to produce and have a bit less overall combat ability then the famed SPARTAN IIs (Master Chief is a SPARTAN II). Luckily for your team they have been given all sorts of prototype armor and weapons normally left only for the SPARTAN II's to have (note not even the Master Chief had a chance to get this stuff yet).

NO FLOOD, it should be noted this Halo title has no FLOOD aliens within it (if you've played Halo's 1 through 3 you'll know what I am talking about).

Forge World works like a much upgraded version of Halo 3's Forge mode is a mode that lets you make and edit your own map and build your very own maps from the ground up but adding/placing walls, ramps, towers, ect you can add or take away any and all of the objects, weapons, vehicles, spawning points and flag zones. This is all done in real time in one huge worlds (and not separate maps like in Halo 3) and you can even invite your friends into this mode while you're making the map(s) or just goofing off.

Theater Mode works just like in Halo 3 it is a video editor that lets you record and play back any and all matches from Campaign, Multiplayer, and Fire Fight, and even Forge World from the point of view of any player that was there in either first person or third person (you can even swap to a in a orbit-cam where the camera circles around the player) all of this in real time. You can also pause the video/action at anytime and still look around as a camera as well as well as fast forward and rewind the events as they unfold. BUT don't forget you must save your videos before you turn off the game or you will lose the ability to save those matches. Also note that while viewing these "videos" you can take a picture or record a snippet of footage at any time and save it to your Xbox 360 and have your friends check them out later on your profile.

GAME IT'S MOST ASSOCATED TOO:

Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360)

Halo 3 (Xbox 360)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

There is three small cameos from characters from previous halo games, honestly the cameos are very small and are not earth shattering to the games over all story.

Don't put down that controller once you beat the game as there is a surprise post credits.

People who pre-ordered this game either at Amazon.com or Gamestop got a preorder code for some extra armor parts for their characters.

The Limited edition comes with a download code for more extra armor parts for your character as well as a Halo Reach patch and a mini book with some back story on the game from the point of view of one of the stories characters.

The Legendary edition comes with everything found in the limited edition plus even more download codes for more extra armor parts for your character (like giving you a avatar a flaming helmet much like the Bungie staff had in Halo 3's multiplayer) as well as a small figure set of the games main characters design by Todd Mcfarlane of Spawn fame.

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Skipping out on this game is doing yourself a disservice if you were a former HALO fan. I hadn't played Halo 3 in months because I was bored with it. There's a lot of content here and I'm glad to say this game is worth every penny of $60 and I've been very entertained. Yes, it's still Halo and "more of the same", but they've changed enough about it to make a new Halo experience, not just another rehash. ODST was a joke of a game compared to Reach and having owned it almost made me skip out on Reach.

The campaign spoilers will go at the bottom of the review.

I'll put in some of the major stuff I've noticed but I'm sure I'll miss a lot.

There's a new graphics engine and the graphics in the game are superior to any other 4 player split screen game I've played, and I make a special effort to purchase as many of them as I can. The graphics are certainly not Killzone 2 level, but very high quality. MUCH better than Halo 3. I was very pleased when I played the BETA that the new engine still plays in HD when doing split-screen and that it's split horizontally. The blood and shield effects are very well done. You have a night vision mode instead of a flashlight now, similar to ODST. The sound effects are pretty darn good. They finally made the sound of a grenade somewhat deafening. The music, as usual, is very well done and adds a lot to the experience.

The new engineering packs have really added to the game and are what really makes Reach a different experience. Your options that you'll find in the campaign are sprint, hologram, bubble shield(that also heals you), cloaking that doesn't work well if you're moving quickly, what I'd call an ostrich or turtle shield that turns you invincible but immobile and unable to attack and a jetpack. My personal favorites are the bubble shield and the hologram. The Covenant have a roll instead of a sprint in multiplayer.

The enemies are much more mobile and capable of dodging than they were in the past. I beat it on heroic and found the game to be more difficult than the past games, but certainly manageable. The Covenant have engineering packs too. They use the roll very well. There are a couple of new enemies/variations that make the game a little more diverse, but for the most part you've encountered most of them before.

There are new weapons. There is no dual wielding. Both factions have weapons that are very similar now, I suppose it made balancing the game easy. All the weapons seem more effective than they were in the past (probably explains why there is no dual-wielding). The particle beam gun is pretty neat as is the covenant grenade launcher. The rocket launcher can lock onto vehicles. There are some of the old goodies, but there's a new covenant needler battle rifle, a covenant multi-lock plasma/rocket launcher and a couple of other new guns. The battle rifle is single fire instead of burst. There's the awesome pistol from the original Halo. There are two animations in how you melee something when you're holding a weapon. You can also backstab/knife someone now and it shows a little cinematic of you letting them have it instead of them just dying in with an ordinary hit.

There's a health-bar under your shields like HALO 1. There's no red screen when you're injured either, just a red bar. This is a huge plus for me. It's the perfect system.

Customizable characters are a great addition. You get credits for every kill you make, and you can use those credits to make your character look different. New helmets, new kneepads, new add-ons etc. It's a great way to make people feel like they have a real in-game Avatar. As far as I know there are no benefits combat-wise to having new armor, it's just visual. This is how I like it. In Call of Duty games you have to play the game for quite a while to unlock all the weapons and upgrades and it gives experienced players an unfair advantage online. In Reach you should always have a level playing field, you'll just look spiffy if you play a lot. Your customized appearance is in the campaign and multi-player, even the cutscense as they're rendered.

Vehicles. The ghost has been nerfed. It was my favorite vehicle. I got a 27 kill spree on one in Halo 3 so I'm disappointed. The invincibility power ruins running people over. The guns on it are not all that effective either. There's a mini wraith vehicle that is pretty awesome, it can carry other people too. There's a missile launcher mounted to a Warthog also. The humans have the VTOL aircraft with side gunners again.

Multiplayer is where this game really shines. No games does online split screen shooter as well has HALO. The engineering packs/loadouts add a new dimension to the game. Sprint and roll makes the game much faster than it used to be. Not every game mode makes use of the loadouts so if you're a purist you've still got options. Some of the packs don't seem too effective on some game types but sometimes it's fun to just mess around. There's an invasion mode where you play Covenant VS NSDF and try and capture objectives. It's a lot of fun and a great new challenge. There are 3 more classes available with different engineering packs. I also played some firefight (like ODST, but with some new modes) and it was great fun. You can put a human player on the covenant side to make it even more challenging.

HUGE NEGATIVE: No 4 player split screen in Big Team Battle, the Campaign, or Firefight. I expected this for the last two, but Big Team Battle has always had this option. 3 or 4 players split-screen Big Team Battle was what I'd do 90% of the time I've ever played Halo. It probably didn't run very well with the new engine, and that's unfortunate. Taking this away from the game took away A LOT of value for me. I should remove a star but there are still a variety of other options for you to play. I still think the game deserves 5 stars but the loss of 4 player split screen Big Team Battle really hurts the game's playability as a "party game".

Negative: DLC. I was a fan of DLC until Bungie/MSFT disabled some game modes on my original copy of Halo 3 because I didn't want to buy their overpriced map packs. That's shameful. Charging $5+ for 3 maps is shameful. This game might be great now but once they release a couple of map packs the price of playing the full game goes up and up and up. If I lose game modes I'm dropping this review to 1 star. Matchmaking doesn't have much variety. There are more maps than what the playlist is using over and over. Of course the game could use some more maps but I'm not willing to pay much for more of them considering how easy it is for them to make a map with the included editor. Many of the multiplayer maps are in the campaign anyways.

Negative: The double punch in multiplayer, it's not as easy as it was in the beta but it's still how you'll die about half the time. I actually like it but I know it'll annoy a lot of people as sometimes not firing your gun at all is the best strategy.

Negative: Matchmaking still doesn't work perfectly, but the option to vote for different game types/modes makes it a lot more enjoyable.

Negative: In invasion mode the humans seem to win the majority of the time. This may or may not be because of their weapons loadout. The assault rifle is easier to use as the shots hit instantaneously and you don't have to lead your target like you would with the plasma gun.

Negative: You can spawn off of your teammates now which seems like a cool idea but I don't like it. One guy will make it past your defenses and then suddenly it's 3 guys. Spawning in mid-air and falling to your death seems to be a big problem now too. If someone is flying around they shouldn't be an option for spawning.

A few SPOILERS

The campaign is awesome and has a good storyline. There's a Spartan 2 (like master chief) on your squad. I liked that there are some indigenous creatures on Reach. It makes it seem more like a real planet. I didn't have to fight any flood in the game and for that I'm grateful, they're pretty lame. There's no Courtana interrupting you every 2 minutes either like in Halo 3. There is a space flight-sim which is actually really well done. It made me miss playing Wing Commander. The only mission I thought was kind of boring was one where you're flying around from rooftop to rooftop on a VTOL. 8/9 on the missions is pretty darn good. It was pretty interesting that some of the tough enemies could dual wield but it's not an option for you.

The voice acting is OK. Your squad is pretty cool and the cut-scenes are fun to watch and easy to skip. If you've read the books (I haven't) you'll know the ending to the game, eventually everyone has to die at some point. You'll probably like the commander and the Spartan 2. It's great getting to know your squad and then watching them bite the dust. It gives you a feeling of urgency and resolve to complete your mission no matter the cost. There were a few surprises at the end for me. I thought you were just trying to defend the planet. Apparently there's a greater cause. I appreciated that you don't have to put up with the Covenant storyline at all. You don't play the `other side'. The Covenant in Reach remain a powerful and mysterious enemy.

Best Deals for Halo Reach

I'll try to keep this brief:

1) I've been playing FPSes since before Wolfenstein 3D and Doom kicked off the contemporary genre as we know it. (I've been playing video games in one form or another since the early 1970s.)

2) The only aspect that interests me is the single player campaign. The last time I enjoyed multiplayer was Quake III on PC, around 10 years ago. None of my friends still game, and I soon learned the hard way that playing online w/ anonymous strangers is a pit of snakes that I have no desire to subject myself to.

3) Halo 1 has been one of my all time favorite games since I first played it in June 2002. (My review from around that time is still there, if you care to dig for it...) For the record, my Bungie fandom began in 1995, when a co-worker gifted me with a copy of Marathon.

4) I have enjoyed each of the Halo sequels, but felt that they all fell short of the greatness of Halo 1 in various ways.

5) Halo 1 is still my favorite in the series and probably always will be, but of all of the subsequent entries, Reach comes the closest to matching its awesome radness. My expectations were sky high, and yet it managed to somehow exceed them. I've already played through the campaign at least four times and will play it many more times in years to come. Buy with confidence, even if you have no interest in multiplayer.

Honest reviews on Halo Reach

This is a very enjoyable video game. Keeps your mind alert and active. Makes you think before each move you take.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Halo Reach

In short, this is a fantastic game and I would recommend this to any gamer, FPS fan or not. The campaign is epic, multiplayer is just darn addicting, and the other modes are simply the icing on the cake.

CAMPAIGN: (no spoilers)

Halo Reach's campaign takes place just before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved. You are put into the shoes of Noble 6, a member of a Spartan squad called Noble Team. During the campaign, you help out Noble Team in their defense of Reach against the Covenant, a courageous effort against impossible odds. The campaign is reasonably long, logging in at about 7-10 hours on your first playthrough, increasing or decreasing with difficulty or skulls activated. The campaign is very epic and entertaining, featuring a wide array of enemies, vehicles, and locations to discover. The graphics are excellent, though not ground-breaking. And on top of all that, the masterful music of Marty O'Donnell is put in, adding even more emotion to the story. Though the overall campaign is not as good as some of the past titles, it is still excellent and is highly recommended.

MULTIPLAYER:

In a nutshell, the multiplayer of Halo Reach is awesome, providing many new changes (i.e. armor abilities, new gametypes, maps), but still being the tried-and-true Halo multiplayer that we've grown accustomed to over the years. Some new weapons and vehicles have been added in, which are all very cool. Finding and joining a match is easy as pie, and you will find hosting a game with many friends has been made a lot easier. There is some occasional host migration, but not enough to detract from the overall experience. A cool new feature of this game is the sheer level of customization that you can put on your character, like armor pieces, helmets, coloring schemes, emblems, clan tags that you can use. You get most of these by earning credits from playing campaign, multiplayer, and firefight, but some are unlocked by default. These changed apply to multiplayer, firefight, and even campaign, appearing in the cutscenes as well. Offering new game modes like Invasion and returning classic old ones like Infection, Slayer, Big Team Battle, Grifball, and Assault, the multiplayer of Halo Reach is grand.

FIREFIGHT:

Returning from Halo 3: ODST, Firefight is Halo's version of Horde or Survival mode from many other games, adding in many new and interesting features. You can go it alone, invite some friends, or find a match (finally) with up to 4 people. You can adjust so many aspects of Firefight, including ammo, player traits like shielding and movement speed, enemy type, how many spawn, difficulty level, etc., and this makes an already great experience even greater.

FORGE:

Forge has returned from Halo 3, and is Halo's level editor. While you cannot change the level design itself, you can put in and delete weapons, structures, scenery, vehicles, and much, much more while in Monitor mode, easily switched to and from with the D-Pad. And the best part is that this is all done in real time, meaning that you and a bunch of friends can both work on the map or just fool around, as you can switch to a normal player easily. This makes for some hilarious mayhem and awesome finished products, so it is top-notch.

THEATER:

Theater from Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST has returned, which is pretty self-explanatory-a place where you can record, rewatch, and edit your recent game sessions. While I have not used the feature much, it is very cool when I want to record some gameplay where I did really well, highlight the best parts, and put it in my file share so that my friends and the world can see.

CUSTOM GAMES:

In custom games, you can create your own game modes and game types that can be played with your friends. There's lots of room for creativity here, whether you want Superman-like, fast-moving, high-jumping Spartans facing off against each other, or slow, lumbering soldiers struggling to race to the other side of the map. It is a very fun mode to use, and what you do with it is completely up to your imagination.

OVERVIEW:

Overall, this is a fantastic game and sets a new standard for what modern FPS games should be. You definitely get a lot of bang for your buck, and time spent playing this game is certainly time well spent. And for you parents out there considering getting this for your kid(s), I would only recommend it for youngsters 11 or older. There's a surprisingly low level of violence, blood, and profanity in this game, a level of which I consider a "T" rating. It's at your discretion which ages you let play this, but again, it's not that violent compared to most other games. So if you haven't already, do yourself a favor and buy this game now. It's a steal for $25 (writing this in October 2012), and it's even more fun if you have lots of friends to game with. I hope this review helped, and Remember Reach!

Dark Souls Collector's Edition -Xbox 360 Reviews

Customer Ratings:

When I was younger I remember games that took dedication and countless deaths. Anybody remember the Contra Code? Those extra lives made the game feel like "normal mode" more than a cheat. Gone have been the days of 100+ hour dedication to an RPG or even most Main Stream RPGs in general, which for the fans of us out there is a real let down. Then came Demon's Souls. Demon's souls was brutally uncaring about your little "easy mode" common place playstyle that has made gaming a subplot to cinematography. I remember how frustrating it was dying over and over elarning how to fight every enemy I encountered and what playstle worked best for me.

That feeling is back. The sequel is everything the first game was and takes that a step further. Granted, there's not as much outright surprise since we know it's a direct sequel but by making the world one open expanse it has upped the feeling of dessolation 3 fold. Instead of going onto a new section and feeling like I "beat an area" I just go further into the realm they've built and feel my nerves fry. My wife watches me looking like a little nervous kid and gets quite a kick out of just what this is able to do. In 3 words; I am Impressed.

This game is not for the faint through. Its difficulty surpasses almost anything thats come out within the last decade and if you are one of the folks who just loses it when you die then perhaps you should go back to Elderscrolls on Easy Mode. Provided you are willing to laugh at the ruthless unfliching combat and tricky set ups of traps or sneaky shots by a boss this just might remind you of what got you started into "punching buttons" in the first place.

Graphically it is beautiful with minimum issues and the occasional hit detection with surfaces (sometimes a wall shouldnt let a sword go through it) but there isnt much else to complain about. Its as grim as it is pretty and the visuals will make you feel uncomfortable with every step.

In closing, if youre willing to watch your character be mangled, destroyed, maimed and can laugh about it you will find a visceral emotional connection with Dark Souls you wont find in many games to date, but it will require your patience, intelligence, skill, and temperment to be as honed as the game itself or you wont make it out alive.

4.9/5

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For the sake of brevity I will only discuss the extras that make this the Collector's Edition.

This limited edition which I received probably because I ordered the 'standard' version the day it became available at Amazon adds the following:

IN THE BOX

The regular, shrink-wrapped game comes inside a nice tin box. I say 'nice' because... a tin is tin box. Good graphics on the outside.

You will also find an art book. The actual art is beyond gorgeous. Leaf through the pages and you'll be dreaming even more about the game you're playing. However, I wish the all-color pages were put together in a spiral binding or anything that would make possible opening the book at an angle larger than 90 degrees without cracking the spine.

There is also a card with a code you use to download the extra content. More about that later. The code didn't work but, after my son emailed Bandai, they sent us a download link that did work and allow us three days to get the content.

DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT SUMMARY

The files are large but I'm glad we were able to get the extra content. This is what's available.

* Mini Strategy Guide in English, German, French, Spanish and Italian 23 MB each.

* Bonus Map 1 MB

* Behind the Scenes Video Pt. 1 229 MB

* Behind the Scenes Video Pt. 2 286 MB

* Behind the Scenes Video Pt. 3 257 MB

* Dark Souls Official Soundtrack, Pt. 1 207 MB

MINI STRATEGY GUIDE

A 45-page (PDF) sample of the full 400-page guide. The idea is that if you like what you see, and I do, then you order the full guide. After browsing through the PDF I decided to order a full copy.

THE MAP

A small .pdf. It doesn't have a lot of detail and it would be impossible given the multi-level structures plus underground but it will help you understand approximately where you are in reference to everything else at any given time during your game. Worth printing.

BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO

Actually titled 'Behind the Game', it's a set of 3 QuickTime 720p videos, 4-6 minutes each where producer Nei Hirono gets as acquainted with the father/author of Dark Souls and Demon's Souls, Hidetaka Miuzaki and the game's major themes. We learn that Hidetaka dreamed Dark Souls ever since his childhood, having been inspired by such books as 'Sorcery'.

The game's three major themes are:

High fantasy (Kings and Knights)

Death and Darkness (we knew that)

Purgatory and Flames (we are aware of this)

Overall, good clips, worth watching.

SOUND TRACK

This is a full album. 23 tracks of hauntingly beautiful, incredibly depressing music. Not for everyone but... beautiful.

Prologue 1

Shrine

Demon

Gargoyle

Dragon

M06_Pinwheel

Quelaag

Chaos

Golem

Priscilla

Sif

Dragon

Discharge

Smough

Sunlight

Gwyndolin

Kings

Demon

Chaos

Nito

Scaleless

Cinder

Nameless Song 1

IS IT WORTH IT?

Speaking for myself, I would probably pay a little (but not a lot) more for the art book and the music. The tin box could be a collector item for anyone collecting these things. The videos are nice but shorter than I expected. The map or something like it should become available online soon if it's not there already. I am pleased with my copy. My experience with other collector's editions is that the prices drop, eventually but you never know.

--

>> Brush your teeth, it's the law!

Reviews of Red Dead Redemption: Game of the Year Edition - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $29.99
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When Red Dead Redemption came out I wasn't very interested, it looked like GTA in western times to me. Well that was an incredible mistake but one I am glad I made, why? Well you see, I do not have Xbox LIVE and therefore I can not get any DLC for any game I own and since the Game of the Year Edition comes with all the DLC already there it just made it that more great for me! The reason I finally bought the game was because it came with Undead Nightmare and I LOVE zombies, I could have bought the DLC alone but I decided the actual game wouldn't hurt since the DLC might be pretty short.

The Story:

The story for Red Dead Redemption blew me away John Marston (The main character) is an excellent and well made character who seems to always be in the middle of the right or wrong path. He is sent to hunt down his old gang members from when he was an outlaw in exchange for his family that the government has kidnapped. While it may sound simple at first you will soon see that it is nothing close to being easy. I expected the story to bore me, believing that the game would be more focused about sandbox environment and free roam rather than the story, boy was I wrong! This is now my favorite game, John Marston is a wonderful character that I absolutely love, I know I didn't touch much on the story but I am trying to be as spoiler free as possible.

Gameplay:

The gameplay is awesome, I also had a "meh" expectation for the gameplay because it takes place in the west so I thought I'd be using a gun or two but once again I was wrong. There are so many different weapons they all feel different in their own way, the options of weaponry let you have the option of choosing how to approach certain situations for example, you may go into an area with your guns blazing and just take an all out offensive on your enemy or you can lasso them and bring them back to the town to face what they have done. There is also some knives and throwing weapons that can be used for stealth attacks, though I didn't really seem to go into that part of the gameplay much since your usually out in the open and the general enemy would be a tad difficult to stealth kill.

Visuals/Audio:

The game looks amazing, each area has it's own unique look and there isn't a sudden abrupt change, as you move from one area to the next you'll notice the land slowly becoming more similar to the next area, the animals in the game (that you have the option of hunting and skinning so you can make a few bucks) are so much fun and there are so many animals to see and/or hunt. Some may be docile and flee while others may be aggressive and attack you, some animals will even pretend to flee and return when you have your back turned or with a group and attack you. Lets get to sound, now.. Usually I don't pay much mind to the sound, it's there but there is never anything that pops out to me personally. But this game has an amazing soundtrack, and even the sound effects of certain actions are awesome! The voice actors are incredible, the animals are realistic and the music just pulls it all together in a beautiful looking game.

DLC:

The reason I bought the game.. Well, I will admit that the DLC is very fun but I am very glad I didn't purchase it alone because I would have missed out on such an amazing story in the main game and the DLC did in fact feel very short (To me anyway) There are also DLC costume and weapon packs that are already in the game, so that was fun too but I'll focus more on Undead Nightmare here. The zombies are.. Well.. Zombies! I was so pleased to find out that only fire or a head shot could kill them, shooting them in the arm, chest, leg, or anywhere besides the head will not kill them! Isn't that awesome?! I actually found myself not really using guns because it was so much fun to get close up and smack them on the side of the head with a tomahawk. The story is good, not as good as the main one. What sticks out in this is definitely the gameplay, not only do you get to fight zombies but you also get new weapons that you can't get in the main game! Also the animals can become undead which I found to be a nice touch, an added bonus to having animals becoming undead is that your horse can become undead also! My horse was killed by a small horde of zombies and once I whistled it returned to me looking like it had been dead and chewed on. The Undead horse has unlimited stamina but is also a bit more difficult to control as it sometimes will try to steer in its own direction rather than yours. There are also a few mythical creatures in the game that I will let you find out about for yourself.

Pros:

Gameplay, story, visuals and audio is great!

DLC comes free already in the game so you don't need Xbox LIVE

Free Roam + Sandbox environment, what's not to love?

Cons:

Minor bugs and glitches

There is a Multiplayer aspect of the game but I wasn't able to even play it because it requires Xbox LIVE, so keep that in mind.

Now I don't want to scare anyone from this product, it is indeed awesome but personally I had a game freeze a few times, they were NOT often and only happened about three or four times and my game or console was not harmed by it in anyway.

Overall:

If you like westerns, free roam, huge areas for gameplay or anything like that, BUY THIS NOW. It is a great game and in my opinion it is well worth the price since you don't need internet access to get the DLC.

P.S. This is my first review, I apologize if I wasn't very good, I tried my best and just wanted to let everyone know how much I LOVE this game! Have fun!

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I will do my best to give this game the credit it deserves and probably more.

Note: I have just gotten the game of the year version, I have already played through and beat the original version without the DLC. As of right now my review is just for that part of the game, though with how absolutely wonderful it is There is no way it cannot get better with the Zombie DLC addition.

First: I will not ruin the story for anyone, so this review will be about game-play, graphics, add ons and overall fun. This game does not disappoint in any of those categories.I have read many comments from different sites that say something along the lines of, "I was expecting grand theft auto basically in the old west but it was something completely different"( OK THINKING )..... Yes and no is what I have to say to those which means that this game is so unlike any other game, of any kind of genre. it's hard to compare it with any other game. If I were to compare it to anything it would have to be GTA, unfortunately There is no other way around that. If you have ever played GTA and have loved the series and the The open play. Did you enjoy The ability to do as you please, whether on a mission or not? Then you will get the same experience here but in a way that has never been done before...

Do you love westerns? Have you always craved a game that would truly give you the feel that you were really in the old west? A game that gave you the ability to make yourself as you see fit? A game you were able to choose if you wanted to follow the path of law or the path of an outlaw? Look no further, you have arrived and get ready for the most fun you will ever have playing a video-game. This game is produced by rock star, the same producers of GTA and in the same GTA tradition, it delivers with complete open world play. It contains a breathtaking vast expanse of untamed wilderness and border towns.. The graphics are pristine and it just gets better as you unlock more of the open territories, eventually being able to unlock and go to Mexico freely. The landscape scenery is amazing while you watch the sun rise and fall with brilliance

The game-play is simply sweet and it builds off of the same system used in gta, which is the regular storyline that you need to follow to complete the game but also an entire world of side quests. It also has side missions (to gain money), also items,including horses. You also have the option of buying a campsite so that you may save your. You may choose to steal horses to use, which like in gta produces the same result as stealing a car. You will be chased and if your wanted level is high enough, you will be relentlessly chased. The beauty part of this is that you may choose to pay off your bounty anytime you wish, as long as you can make it to town without getting caught first. What is so much better though, is the fact that they have towns that are actually outlaw friendly(1 so if your on the other side of the map then it wouldn't do you much good) so you may choose to pursue a game experience as an outlaw, though you may find the experience lacking. After being shot at and chased constantly, The process gets rather repetitive. You also get less options when it comes to people asking for help. If they are scared of you they wont ask for your help on anything and buying ammo becomes more expensive to you outside of thieves landing..Being an outlaw has it's many perks but it is, in the end, rather exhausting and more fun to play through as a good guy. Also when you are the least honorable you will be treated as a drifter and a mean one, a desperado, You will get a unique black horse with a white face, only awarded to the meanest of mean :)...

The thing I love the most in this game is actually, probably not really stated much, that is you can just decide to enjoy the experience of hunting(For those of you who love this sport) at which point this game gives you so many different animals to hunt in different areas, ranging from a small armadillo, to big game hunts where you may decide you want to bag a nice Mountain lion or wild boar. After hitting your prey with a variety of firearms, from a nice schofield revolver, to weapons ranging from a Springfield model 1892, including a Winchester and Evans repeater.You also can get a really nice sharps model 1874 buffalo rifle which will put down the biggest game or for that matter the best of men! Afterwards feel free to skin and bag your pelts for trade in any one of the different towns, depending on how rare the animal is in that specific area, will vary in how much you will get for it..You also take, sell, boar tusks and snake skins to bird feathers..."Now that's some good stuff" Just to unload your six shooter at some birds in the sky!!!

I cannot state enough how fun this game is and just how much repeat game time there is especially with the zombie DLC, The original game, multilayer and all extra content from Xbox or PlayStation. This puts any elder scrolls or fallout to shame! The other thing that you may enjoy "you cannot have a western game like this without it!!" A good ole fashion gunfight in the street, where the game uses a specific system to quick draw on an enemy, whom starts a gunfight in the street or at cards with you. This will happen more often than not in any outlaw town you enter..

'

All of these things I mentioned also give you the ability to open new missions and unlock new abilities. Depending on whether you are completing a hunting challenge, a treasure hunt, or a sharpshooter challenge. The game uses a slow mow, dead eye mode, a system where you may target up to 15 targets "depending on your ammo capabilities" on a specific weapon in quick succession. If you get good enough, you may not miss one.. It's pretty nice when you can ride your horse up to a gang of thieves, down all six enemies, then ride off without a shot on you Now tell me that's not pretty cool!? Hey if you wanted to, you could rope an enemy with your lasso and drag him behind your horse, just to be mean He may die in the process but so what, this is the beauty of this game and the option of doing what you please..

Ladys and gentlemen, I cannot praise this game enough!!! It's the best game of this type ever made if not (some may not consider it that but you have to love the old west)the best period!!! It's a category all it's own to be truthful, a true great american masterpiece

ENJOY!!!

Update:I would have to advise to get the game book to accompany this, as it is endless in the amount of things to do. In some cases, the maps and tidbits will be of utmost importance to achieve 100 percent completion. Achieving 100 percent completion will give you a pinkerton outfit, which allows you to have the authority of being the highest law enforcement agent in the game. This allowing you to have free will, to do what you please, almost anywhere with no consequences. The game of the year edition companion book has a decently thorough review by me also

UPDATE:2 Undead nightmare is even better than I thought ;)...Also see below for a detailed description of benefits and challenges

Another Important aspect of the game is the ambient challenges, treasures and outfit objectives. You may consider doing these all first and the Reason I say that is because certain outfits will help you immensely. The deadly assassin outfit for instance, will refill your dead eye twice as fast..When fighting constantly it will make a big difference.

Master Hunter: When you unlock the Master hunter outfit. It will reward you with you twice the pelts, meat and other items when hunting(While wearing it)..Achieving master hunter will give you viddles to refill health out of your hunted prey, or achieving level 5 gives you the buffalo rifle.

Survivalist: This is tedious, rather they all are in each their own way but purchase a survivalist map to use at the general store, use it once in the area of which your map states that herb or flower will be in. Once at level 5 these maps last longer, then at level 10 you have the ability to harvest plants to make a consumable items to refill your deadeye.

Sharpshooter: At level 5 mastery you will have more ammo within the chests/drawers in your save area, or waking at your campsite. At level 10 mastery you are rewarded with dead eye that replenishes while shooting targets.

These are the most tedious things to do in the game, they take the longest, and some cannot be done till certain areas are unlocked. Though once your whole map is unlocked, like mexico and tall trees then get these done as they will make the game more fun to play through, with the special abilities. If you wait to get them, you will have to go through all this after story mode which may deter you from 100% completion. After the story missions are done, there are no more, so better to use the special things during story mode(It makes it more fun)

One personal piece of important hinting from me(out of experience in the game) is that hunting will allow you to reap the most money benefits in the game. Hunt as much big game as possible, "I spend days just hunting grizzly in tall trees"(tall trees is the most abundant and dangerous hunting ground). "I hunt till I literally have 50-100 grizzly, big cat, boar(Boar will be available to you sooner than grizzly as tall trees is locked at first) pelts. After, I travel to mexico and sell them. The Reasons for this are, they pay the most because they are the farthest from tall trees. Once you sell them, you will have a seemingly inexhaustible supply of money for consumables, guns and ammo..The Lemat revolver and buffalo rifle are themselves hundreds of dollars! In my biggest trip I raked in 13,000 dollars from pelts,meat, and also other sellable parts from the carcass, so it is worth it..Be careful as hunting is as dangerous as it is profitable, more than once I was attacked by two to four grizzlys or 5 wolves. As A matter of fact it will happen often..After such money gains it is just easier not having to worry about grabbing ammo from the dead, or when you save, either way it wont be that much..This also will give you the ability to buy consumables as you please, like moonshine (refills deadeye) or medicine(IMPORTANT! will heal you in the middle of a fight) or horse pills/apples (Also very important as when you need to get somewhere by horse fast or are being chased it refills stamina so your horse doesn't throw you as he will tire easily) very important in the U.S Marshall outfit challenge! SAVE SAVE SAVE! When you have enough pelts while hunting, or Items that you do NOT want to lose if you die, then I suggest you save as much as possible using your campsite because when you die ANYTHING unsaved will be gone! It is really annoying, I forget sometimes...

All above are the hardest thing to do in the game as they also take the most time. When possible, make your game experience more rewarding, it is better to do them early. They may be the most difficult to understand within the book which is why I'm going into such detail, these are the things I wished I knew before starting also

This is my final review and tips, Please Vote helpful if you enjoyed it...Thanks again

Best Deals for Red Dead Redemption: Game of the Year Edition - Xbox 360

A man is forced by the government to accept a difficult task . A powerful man, who was formerly a popular leader but is now considered a criminal, must be eliminated. Getting close to the target will require a long, arduous expedition to a highly fortified compound. The government must not be connected in any way to the mission. Sound familiar?

No, the target's name is not Kurtz in Red Dead Redemption. But it might as well be. Rockstar has once again taken inspiration from a masterpiece of cinema. In the same way that the Grand Theft Auto series is strongly linked to works by Singleton, Scorsese, De Palma, and Kurosawa, Red Dead Redemption pays homage to Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now.

On the surface, RDR appears to be based on classic Westerns. The game is set in the American frontier at the beginning of the 20th century. There are plenty of references to films directed by John Ford, Sergio Leone, Clint Eastwood, and Sam Peckinpah. The driving forces behind the game's narrative, however, are questions about duty versus honor, confrontations with enemies who may not truly be opposed to what your character represents, and most importantly, the achievement of spiritual redemption by completing a psychologically harrowing journey. Western films often address these themes as well, of course, but without any ambiguity or ambivalence. It's always crystal clear who is good, who is evil, and what is right and what is wrong in these films. In contrast, RDR and AN deliberately obscure their moral viewpoint on the actions of their characters.

Anybody familiar with Apocalypse Now will recognize that many aspects of RDR's story are directly analogous to events in AN. While the characters and motivations of John Marston and Final Boss (no spoilers here) are never as fully developed as those of Captain Willard and Colonel Kurtz--due to both Rockstar's avoidance of Metal Gear Solid-length cutscenes and the limitations of the videogame medium--all of AN's key plot points are present in the game. There's even a minor reference to the sniper execution scene in Full Metal Jacket that helps reinforce RDR's connections to AN. All of this adds up to a rich and compelling story arc, especially considering RDR is a videogame.

Story and influences aside, the bigger question is whether or not Red Dead Redemption is fun to play. The answer is YES. The graphics, especially the environmental effects, are outstanding. There's a good chance you will find yourself just sitting on a horse admiring a spectacular sunset or taking in the dramatic view from a mesa or hilltop and not doing anything else. The controls are easy to learn and quickly become intuitive. Finally, as is the norm with Rockstar, the game's world is gigantic and full of missions, mini-games, and random encounters. A few minor things feel a bit unfinished, such as some missions that involve long journeys without characters saying anything, or unrefined (it's left to the player to figure out how the inventory management system works while playing) but there aren't any glaring flaws overall.

The highlight of the DLC in the Game of the Year Edition is Undead Nightmare. Imagine Resident Evil set in the RDR universe...but with the trademark Rockstar mix of violence, gore, and humor. Make sure you play the main game first; many of the characters make, er, *interesting* reappearances.

Well worth picking up, especially with all the DLC now included on disc.

Honest reviews on Red Dead Redemption: Game of the Year Edition - Xbox 360

I know I'm a little late to the party, seeing as how the game came almost two years ago, but this game is so much fun. Gameplay is similar to GTA4, so fans of that game will enjoy this one. Great story that keeps you interested, tons of story missions and side missions and activities to do. Anyone who hasn't played this game yet, should definitely get the game of the year edition, because you get all the DLC and Undead Nightmare expansion along with the regular game. That's like another $60 or so worth of content if you buy it all separately!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Red Dead Redemption: Game of the Year Edition - Xbox 360

This particular iteration of Red Dead Redemption is the best value because it includes the add-ons/DLC as well.

Red Dead Redemption is a shooter that blends in elements typically featured in other genres and/or overlooked by shooters. If you're into grinding out achievements, stop reading reviews and buy this game you'll love it. If you're not into grinding, that's cool too because there's plenty of story to keep you fully engaged without having to farm kills. There's a ton of mini-games within the game (including Texas Hold'em and BlackJack) that are pretty fun and the characters are surprisingly well developed. And as is the case with most games these days, you get to choose whether you play a good guy or a bad guy, and your choices impact the way the game plays.

Overall I give this game a 9/10.

Discount Playstation 2 Console - Black

Customer Ratings:

First off let me start by saying, this is NOT going to be a PS2 bashing. Though we all have our opinions on the three systems, the fact is that they are all great systems in their own right. That is to say you won't go wrong no matter which one you choose.

Let me reiterate, this is not a bad system. It has several great games (Final Fantasy X & X2, Grand Theft Auto, WWE Smackdown Series and several others). Though it must be noted that Gamecube and XBox both have great exclusive titles. The graphics are outstanding and they may not even be the best of the three, but they are great, certainly better than anything we had just a few short years ago. They definitely have more benefits than everybody else (free online gaming, the Eyetoy, and more games. As far as controllers go, I like Gamecube's a bit better, but this controller works wonderfully well too and is well laid out. (You won't be searching for the buttons like you do on XBox controllers, that is my one true complaint with that system) Anyway Playstation 2's biggest downfall is in the fragility of the system itself and though I have experienced no problems personally, I have heard of a few from close friends.

1. Disc Reading Error (You've seen this many times, I will comment no further.)

2. Malfunctioning Disc Door (It just stops opening when the button is pressed. You then have to pull it out and push it in manually which can cause it ultimately to break.)

3. The power cords tend to wear out faster than average. (Not a big deal, the cords are fairly cheap, but it could present a fire hazard.)

None of these things would be a huge deal except that the PS2 comes with a measly 90 day warranty (Do I hear 1 year anyone?)

I'm not trying to say this system is junk. It does have durability issues more than anything. I personally prefer Gamecube but only by a small margin. All of you who immaturely spout "PS2 rules, Gamecube & XBox suck" are not only lying to yourselves, you're doing a great disservice to the readers who depend on these reviews to make an important decision.

The bottom line is the Playstation 2 is a great system and definitely worth the money, but it is not gaming perfection as some make it out to be. Try Gamecube & XBox as well. All three are extremely fun!!!

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The Playstation 2 is, without a doubt, one of the best video game systems of all time. It has such a diverse library of games that you are bound to find something to apease everybody. So why am I giving it 4 stars instead of 5?

There are two factors about the current PS2 design that you won't find anywhere on the box. The first is reliability/quality of design. My first PS2 broke 2 weeks after I bought it. It started making a quiet rattling noise while the games were playing, so I would check the games when I heard the noise and they would be fine... well one day they weren't fine. In fact, Blockbuster wasn't amused when I told them my PS2 lacerated the bottom of their disc like a Cat from Pet Cemetary. That's one experience right?

My friend is on her 3rd PS2 (keep in mind the PS2 has only been out for about 4 to 5 years). Another couple I know is experiencing their first problem with their PS2 2 years after they bought it. It won't play any discs that are black on the back (Almost all PSone discs, and a lot of early PS2 discs).

A lot of people will tell you that the PS2 only has problems if you stand it upright (which Sony says is perfectly fine and even sells a stand for). That would be inconsistent with my experience because mine still malfunctioned and it was sitting horizontally. I even have a horizontal stand which is supposed to increse airflow (the horizontal stand made by Sony). Also, the friend I mentioned who is on her third PS2 console has never stood her's upright.

I'm not saying that every PS2 is going to up and die on you, but I think all consumers should be aware that the PS2 has reliability issues, and a quick browse through these reviews will confirm that. It doesn't mean it isn't still an awesome system!

The next thing you will want to consider is whether or not you want THIS model of PS2. You may have read lately that the PS2 got a major overhaul unveiled at the Tokyo Game Show. Well, that revised version of the PS2 will be available in the US on Nov. 1st 04 according to Sony. In my opinion, they may be responding to the quality problem with this new system... but that is speculation and really doesn't belong in a review so scratch that from the record books. The difference between the new and old version is sheer mass. In all ways the new design is much smaller. It can also be stood upright. It is some 75% smaller and 50% lighter. You can see it on Playstation.com. It will also be 150 bucks, no price difference. It looks a lot more solid. HOWEVER!!! If you plan on playing Final Fantasy XI get the current design before it is gone. So far the redesigned PS2 doesn't support the HDD Hard Drive necessary to play FFXI and Sony hasn't expressed any plans for that. So, the question becomes do you want the classic design or the updated version that hits in Nov. Me? I can't really wait until Nov. because MK Deception comes out in a few weeks hehehehe.

A word about accessories. As I mentioned before I have a horizontal stand for my PS2. The horizontal stand is supposed to increse airflow. Supposedly, this does good things for the system. The stand is worthless. It doesn't really connect to the system, the system just sits on top of it. It's kinda cool looking... other than that you should be aware that neither the horizontal or vertical stands are necessary because the system is designed so that it can stand or sit without a stand. The vertical stand adds a little extra balance but I recommend you never put your system on carpet or an uneven surface. The carpet causes static issues and, like uneven surfaces, can result in the system falling if shaken too hard (take note parents of energetic kids). The PS2 already has quality issues, don't give it any additional trauma to help the process along.

Third party controllers (Controllers made by a company other than Sony) just aren't as good as factory controllers. Plain and simple. They all have cool little features and they are getting better, but stick to the controllers made by Sony and avoid the headache of unresponsive controls. This is, of course, unless you absolutely need a wireless controller so people aren't tripping when they walk by, or if your hands (or your little gamer's hands) are too small for a standard controller, there are "mini" controllers available.

As far as online game play goes, the PS2 leads the pack for play features while the Xbox leads the pack for... instant messaging and lan party-esque mass multi-player gaming. Sometimes the Xbox is a little more like a computer that I approve of. NOTEif you want to play online you need to make sure the PS2 you are buying comes with the online adapter (or if you wait till Nov. for the redesign it will be intergrated). If you don't have highspeed internet, don't worry! According to Sony 40% of it's online market is tapping online gaming with dial-up. Dial-up is an option if you have an online adapter.

That's about it. Hope this was helpful. PS2 Rocks!

Best Deals for Playstation 2 Console - Black

I have used this for a few years now and have enjoyed my time with it. I have bought the stand to make a vertical system and have some extras like the remote control which I highly recommend if you like to watch DVDs. As a games console the PS2 is the leader and so it has a limitless choice of games, however I will say that for some reason over the past few years there has only really been a handful of solid gaming entries and everything else is mediocre and PC graphics are a way ahead of the PS2 now, so if you are a game player looking for the best gaming experience then the PS2 is not for you. What you need is a new computer and a very good graphics card with an ADSL modem or better. PS2 games can be very expensive (4 top shelf games and you have the price of a PS2 20 top shelf games and you have the price of a computer we where just talking about.) If you own a PS2 then a DVD store rental card is a bonus and really that rental store card is what the PS2 is about for you. If you do not have that card then I hope you have lots of money or friends to trade with.

I find myself using this box for mostly watching DVD movies and renting games. I buy a new game once every two months (usually a top shelf game) and that keeps me going. For the PS2 I think the type of game that suits the console best is a 3rd person survival game or something like Grand Theft Auto. Beat em' ups are good on it as well. However the PC dominates Sims, RPGs and 1st person shooters. Maybe the PS2 has some influence on sports games like SSX and Tony Hawk but everyone knows that the better experience for these games is on the PC. So what games you prefer really has an impact on if you want a PS2 or not. Maybe a PC is really what you need?

I watch lots of DVDs and with the remote control the PS2 plays like a joy including a special region-free disc that you can buy (its dirt cheap) allowing you to watch anything that comes on a DVD. I have found some incompatibility with some movies (2 in 300) but this is mostly the fault of the DVD producers and not Sony. So 99.9% of movies will play on a PS2. That is not bad. The image quality is not the best but pretty darn good all the same. You can also hook up surround sound to the PS2 no problem and play Dolby Digital or DTS. The PS2 does have one drawback in this department though. The internal fan makes a hell of a lot of noise so you need to keep the sound up to send that to the background. It can be annoying at times. As a DVD player the PS2 has really been used to the max and I have only good things to say about that.

I have also used the PS2 to play CD music through my televisions sound system. It has made my hi-fi system now redundant. So as a console it has lots of media options other than just the games console and that is what really makes it worth its while. However as a games console I must say that I have not been let down that much (games like GTA: Vice City, Silent Hill 3, Manhunt, MGS, Devil May Cry, made the console for me) but there could be a lot better first class PS2 games out there by now. I think there are less than 10 really outstanding games on the PS2 and a way more options on a PC for better games.

Anyway what you like in games is up to you. I have had the PS2 now for years and it is a workhorse that still does its job. I have no complaints about this system except maybe to hope that more developers try pushing the limits of what this box can do. I am currently looking forward to the new Resident Evil game.

Pros:

Relatively cheap console.

A wide of variety of games to choose from.

Expandable.

Great DVD player (with remote control improves this vastly).

Reliable and rugged.

A standard that will never phase out.

Cons:

Games are very expensive.

The fan makes a lot of noise.

A PC maybe really what you want.

It has taken ages for some good games to arrive.

Overall this a great evolution for the games console. If you have the money and want a portable media system that plays games, DVDs and CDs then the PS2 is really convenient and manageable.

Honest reviews on Playstation 2 Console - Black

I've owned my PS2 for a couple of years now, and I have used it a lot primarily for sports games but also for DVD playing. I have also played X-Box and Gamecube fairly extensively.

First, unless you need Mario to live, don't waste your money on Game Cube. The controller is aweful and its has no DVD playback. Further, the graphics are good, not great, and the processor is very reliable and fast.

Between X-Box and PS2 there is not a huge difference. X-Box probably has better graphics, a faster processor, and more features, but it freezes way to often. The revised controller (ie the smaller one) is a marked improvement over the original bulky one, but it still does not compare to the perfect controller that Sony has designed. Overall, in terms of games there is not a huge difference, but it seems that X-Box has released a few better ones like Halo but the difference is marignal if at all.

In the end, I chose PS2. It is cheaper and has a better controller for sports games like Madden or TW Golf. Still you can't really go wrong with either and it comes down to personal choice.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Playstation 2 Console - Black

INTRO: Before you change your mind about buying this system, you must understand something about these reviews. Most bad reviews were written by "Fanboys". These are people who usually do not even own this system, but always put it down for no reason. The ps2, along with the Xbox and GCN, are all 5 star products, but were made 3 star ones because of these "fanboys". So, only read the unbiased reviews :).

Now.. for the real review :)

GRAPHICS: 8/10

The graphics of the Playstation 2 are amazing. Here is a misunderstanding. Just because the Xbox and Gamecube are capable of better graphics, it doesn't mean that ps2's graphics are bad. Games like Jak 2, Final Fantasy X, and Final Fantasy X-2 really show what the PS2 is capable of. Overall, they are great.

GAMES: 10/10

The playstation 2 has the biggest and greatest game selection out of the 3 current next generation consoles. Any kind of game you like, you can get. What kind of genre do you like? Fighting? RPG's? Platform? Adventure? Action? Sports? You rule the choices. It doesn't matter what games you are into. You can find anything you want :)

EXTRAS: 10/10

Again, the Playstation 2 has the most extras out of the 3 systems.

PS2 Extras:

-DVD Player

-CD Player

-Backward compability with the Playstation 1.

-Online Capabilities

Good luck choosing a system, and happy gaming :)

Best 20 GB Hard Drive for Xbox 360 Deals

Customer Ratings:

I ordered this hard drive mainly so that I could continue playing original Xbox games. My xbox 360 4GB Slim wouldn't play them. I bought this hard drive and put it in, and all my problems went away. This product works!

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This product did not work in my console. Immediately got the error code E68 (hardware failure). Tried it about 20 times. No luck.

Best Deals for 20 GB Hard Drive for Xbox 360

I was worried about purchasing this at first, but the xbox 120gb is just too damn expensive. Got it in the mail and it fit right in and fired up when I plugged it in my xbox. It works for what you need it for, but it only has about 13gb of usable space rather than 20gb. If you are looking for extra space or need to install a game, or in my case the battlefield 3 graphics pack, it is perfect. Otherwise spend the extra cash and get a larger hard disk.

Honest reviews on 20 GB Hard Drive for Xbox 360

According all the Blog idiots, this is all you need to get your xbox 360 slim to play BC Platinum games. Bunch of BS don't do it.

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This has to be the best damn thing ive bought for my xbox I ould suggest it to everyone! !!!