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not bad game for the time it came out, i'm a big fan of the might&magic games, i think they should make more games like that
Showing posts with label pre owned xbox 360 console. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pre owned xbox 360 console. Show all posts
Monday, January 12, 2015
Cheap Warriors of Might and Magic PS1 DISC ONLY
First of all they flat out lied. 12 hours of intense gameplay my but! I beat it in two and a half. A whole arsenal of intense spells. How about 7 or 8 spells. The story made little sense. and the battle was weird. The first of three bosses you fight is harder than the last. and a enemy who you caN't hurt fears him? Don't buy this game. Pitty those at 3DO who spent good time making it
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Army of Two: The 40th Day - Playstation 3 Reviews
List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $15.95
Today's Bonus: 47% Off
I was having a hard time choosing between this game, Darksiders and Bayonetta and I think I made the right choice. For starters this game is alot of fun. The graphics are really good, picture perfect. The gameplay is good also lots of duck,cover,and fire. The AI seems way more responsive and better than the last game with different commands you issue your partner,Also you can switch from a right angle OTS to left angle OTS witch is really helpfull for those enemies who are hard to see on either side of the screen. One thing I have a problem about this game just like any other action game that has come out for the ps3 and xbox 360 is the lenght of the single player campaign. I've played the game for 3 hours now and I'm already on the 3rd chapter, I checked my trophie menu on my ps3 and counted only 5 chapters in the game. This is the reason I play rpg's because you actually get your $60 dollars worth. Videogame companies spend too much time trying to make the online gaming experience so great that they make the regular playthrough so short. Not alot of people can play online so they can only hope that the game is long enough to make it worth there while and money.I have not played online yet so I can't tell you if it is good or not, from what I've read it is alot of fun. Oh yeah I didn't mention the weapon upgrades, there are plenty of awsome weapons witch can be upgraded with different components that you either find throughout the game or you get depending on some situation choices that you make during your game. So besides my one complaint about the game beng short, it is a really fun game and probably even better if you play with a friend.
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Although, I haven't had this very long but, from what I've played is extremely satisfying this game rocks. I love the weaponry and cutscenes and dialogue already in this game. The storymode so far in this is interesting, that gives it great single and co-op play, the AGGRO system in here very sharp and pleasing, you should love faking surrenders and faking death in a hard place,the graphicss are good but not as good as MW2. This game does however bring back something I love which is BDA (bullet damage action) if you're using the right weapon and give someone a headshot you blow their head off, which really makes a shooter worthy of M ratings. I played all of the online multiplayer modes and they're all great, they strongly enforce teamwork which is what this type of game is all about. Oh yeah cannot forget about the weapon and mask and armor customization I designed my mask and armor and they're just what I expected them to be you should be pleased too. Now for my ratings STORYMODE 5stars, GAMEPLAY 5stars, GRAPHICS 4STARS, MULTIPLAYER 3stars and CO-OP 5stars. This one kick-ass game you won't regret. ARMY OF TWO: THE 40th DAY 5starsBest Deals for Army of Two: The 40th Day - Playstation 3
Never played the original so this was a new experience for me and won't be able to comment on comparisons to the first one. AoT: 40th Day is 3rd person shooter specifically designed for co-op play, online or split-screen. The premise of the game is to traverse through Shanghai killing bad guys while making moral decisions along the way that will affect the outcome of the game and the relationship with your partner. The game focuses on drastic customization of your weapons (e.g., adding a AK-47 barrel to an M4, or a screw driver bayonet to the end of your shotgun) and the ability to draw fire from the enemy in order to get your partner to tacticlly flank them. There some other features like feigning your death, mock surrenders and syncronized sniper shots.Overall the game is okay, but it seems the bad leveled out the good. The game does NOT save after you customize a weapon only after checkpoints; if you waste 4-5 minutes toying with your weapons and die...you have to do it over again. Speaking of dying (which will happen a lot), if you die in a fight that required a cut scene you have to watch the cut scene everytime you restart CANNOT BE SKIPPED. Pretty annoying. The bosses are cliched; armored gatling gunner...flame thower guy with weak point in the back. The customization is cool, but some of the stuff is so ridiculous it seems pointless they added it: bubbled camoflauge? soda can silencer? Depsite the stats of some weapons, they basically seemed the same to me. Lastly, this is the only game for the PS3 that ever frozen.
As mentioned this game is decent, but there are way too many other games out there like MW2 and Uncharted 2 that just seem to make this game feel like a waste of time. Will not be conducting a second playthrough.
Pros:
Extremely detailed; added a cool scope to your AK?...it's in the cutscenes.
Nice cut scenes on outcome of moral decisions moments.
Some nice weapon customizations.
Fun co-op, takes some tactical decisions to be made as opposed to rushing a situation.
Cons:
No auto-save feature after weapon customization. Annoying.
Cannot skip cut-scenes. Even more annoying, especially if your stuck on a boss.
Some dumb weapon customizations; who wants a flowered painted RPG?
Weak focus on melee combat.
May freeze on you; could be faulty copy though.
Only 3 pistols? WTF.
Honest reviews on Army of Two: The 40th Day - Playstation 3
I was one of the few who enjoyed the first one. I really loved the co-op play. The second one is much improved. The basic game play is the same but the AI is really improved. Playing with a friend online is great and playing with the AI is still pretty good. The storyline is a lot of fun, although fairly short. There are 7 levels and each one only takes about 30 minutes. I played the online multi player a bit but was not a big fan. It just cannot compete with good multi players like Modern Warfare 2 so I quickly lost interest.Overall, a good game and a lot of fun to play. Also, it has fairly easy trophies if you are into trophies.
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The first Army of two (Ao2) game concluded with our heroes Elliot Salem and Tyson Rios deciding to form their own private military company together known as Trans World Operations (T.W.O.). The sequel takes place a couple of years after this. While on a routine mission in Shanghai, China Rios and Salem find themselves trapped in a city underseige. Their initial reaction is to locate their mission coordinator Alice Murray and to leave the city; however things aren't quite so simple. They'll have to use their wits, skills, and teamwork to fight for every inch of ground in this city. Along the way they'll have to make life or death decisions that'll test the strength of their bond.The sequel makes many improvements over the original game while still managing to maintain the best parts of the previous game. This time around if you're playing in solo campaign mode your AI partner is much more intelligent. If you're wounded your partner will not drag you right in to the enemies' line fire so that you can both die. Also it doesn't matter what part of the game you're in you can command your partner to take the lead versus the original game where even if you wanted them to go first at certain points they wouldn't.
Other improvements to the game play include the use of the shield. Instead of always sharing a shield now both people can take a shield and split up to take on the enemy. Both characters' can also sprint at any time, which is really useful in some areas. Now you can customize your weapons at any point during the game when you're not in battle instead of going shopping before and at the end of missions like in the first game. There are now new options in how you engage the enemies. You don't have to kill them all the time, you can tie them up, or you or your partner can do a mock surrender while the other person takes the enemies out. When you're wounded instead of lying out in the open waiting to be shot now you can drag yourself someplace safe until your partner arrives to heal you. The environment is now destructible which presents a new level of fun. Also depending on the type of gun you use you can blow enemies' heads clean off *weg*. Another noteworthy improvement for the sequel is the visuals. Shanghai is stunning to behold especially the zoo level. Once you beat the game you can unlock different outfits for both Rios and Salem including the original Ao2 gear.
Great things from the 1st game that have returned include the aggro meter. The aggro meter is a gauge that indicates which player is the focus of the enemy's attention. Whichever player has the highest Aggro rating will attract all the enemies towards them. This allows the other player to become virtually invisible and thus sneak up to enemy positions. You can still go back to back at certain points, engage in blind fire, perform step jumps, do the fake death, and the emote factor has returned. The sequel features some new emotes both positive and negative that I'm sure anyone can appreciate.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
X-COM: UFO Defense - PlayStation Review
I can and can't recommend this game. It takes hours of dedication, but once you really get into it you will surely dedicate thousands of hours of your life to it.
You fight about 6 different hostile alien races: the famous Zeta Reticuli race is here (called "Sectoids" in the game); there are reptilian aliens ("Snakemen"); creepy death look-alikes with awesome mental powers ("Ethereals"); and tough jock-types ("Mutons").
You have armored vehicles at your disposal (but--so do the aliens), and even though you start with puny Earth-weapons; as you shoot down, recover, and research alien technology your engineers will be able to build base facilities, aircraft, tanks, weapons, body armor, grenades, EXTREMELY high-explosive missile launchers--and even equipment for MIND CONTROL--based on alien technology.
At the end of each month, you're given a progress report. Nations decide if they should increase your funding, decrease it, leave it the same, or pull out of the alliance all together and try to strike a deal with the alien races.
The ground battles themselves are played in a chess-like state. However, you can only see the areas of the map your troops have explored. Everything else is shrouded black. During the computer's turn, the screen only shows the blinking words "Hidden Movement," unless a soldier spots an alien or is fired upon. The "board" is divided into (I think) 124x124 squares; each one square taking 4 "Time Units" to cross.
Each group of 25(?) squares is given it's own unique attributes such as barnhouses, hills, cropfields, etc., so you'll NEVER--I, in 6 years of playing, have not--come across the exact same map twice. The aliens are also positioned randomly through the map, so check your flanks!
The average soldier starts with 50 TU's. However, shooting takes between 15 & 45 TU's (depending on weapons used & type of shot--aimed, auto, snap etc.). Basically, everything--reloading, throwing stuff, turning your soldier's head--takes TU's. But, as your soldiers see more combat, they can get as many as 81 TU's, which is quite helpful. They also gain health units, stamina, strength, bravery, etc--BUT keeping a soldier from the first mission to the final assault on the main ET base where the alien's collective mind, "the Brain," is kept (in the Cydonia region of Mars) is pretty much impossible. You're fighting a well-trained opponent!
What's more, you battle not only alien occupants of ships you have shot down, but aliens that land in major cities to terrorise the population, alien bases scattered around Earth, and even aliens that locate & attack YOUR base. It's not all fought on farm land in Idaho!
The musical score is a well-crafter combination of military marches and techno-beats; the creepy musical score playing while you fight ground missions is by far the most fitting for such a scenario.
There are a few videos in this game. The two outstanding ones are when you win the game and when you lose. When you win, no indication is given of Earth's future state. Do we acheive peace on Earth? Do we forget all that we've been through & return to our old ways? Unknown. You are shown the Mars base exploding, and your brave soldiers flying back to Earth cheering. Then you are returned to the main menu. Did the designers intend to create such a profound "happy" ending?
The video when you lose is more straight-forward, but still goose-bumpy: Three alien battle-ships hover over the UN building. Inside, the floor is bare of representatives except for a few humans sitting at a table across from two "Ethereals" and a "Sectoid" commander. There is no talking, but the message is chillingly beautiful in it's clarity: most of the world has given in, and it looks like the last fighting nation is following. As the humans & aliens communicate telepathically, several aliens burst through the door, place a plasma rifle to the head of the human leader, and pull the trigger. The "Sectoid" across from him is next seen splattered in the man's blood. Proof that the aliens do not make deals--deals in the sense that we know them--and a taste of what the aliens have always had in store for us: extermination.
This game is no longer in print, apparently because most people saw it as "too intelligent." If you happen to find a copy online...CONSIDER buying it. _I make no promises that you'll like it_. It's called a boring & tedious game by the few critics it has. I consider it an highly challenging work of art; one that shaped my teen years. You won't look at the world the same way after playing this enough hours. I would be another person were it not for the day my best friend John was playing X-Com on Playstation, I looked over, and said "Hey, that game looks kinda cool. What is it?"
The game, even when played today still shows it's greatness. I've logged probably more then 1000 hours of gametime playing X-Com and it's many sequels over the years since it first released and the gameplay still amazes me.
If you love strategy games and for some reason haven't tried X-Com find a copy of it. (The PC version is WAY easier to get a hold of then the PS1 version and is a better port of the game anyway) If you loved games like Final Fantasy Tactics, C&C, Warcraft or less recognizable classics such as Dune 2 and the more recent Disgaea Hour of Darkness then you owe it to yourself to see what you've been missing.
As with the details the other reviews do a great job so i'll just leave you with this I've played just nearly every tactical combat/rpg ever made and X-Com is by far the best.
I'm not a fan of strategy games. I've never been into Populous, Civilization, Command & Conquer, or anything resembling. However, I can't stop playing this game. Every year I pick it up and start playing it again.
You are at the helm of a multinationally funded UFO defense team. Your goal is simple, protect earth from the oncoming insurgency, and ultimately seek and destroy the source of the invasion. Aside from the strategic turn-based combat sequences, you will control all aspects of the administrative efforts. Sink your fingers into the purchasing of supplies, design of bases, hiring and firing of personel, the armament of your aircraft (for shooting down UFO's) and MOST IMPORTANTLY, which alien technologies to research and incorporate into your arsenal.
Combat sequences boast a fully destructible environment, a rarity in classic gaming! Need to get down to a lower floor? Blast a hole and drop down! If there's a tree blocking your view, turn it into kindling with a well placed shot then take aim at your newly exposed enemies. You can even level a hill if you have the firepower! The designers should be proud, they thought of everything.
If you try this game you will discover a new love.
You fight about 6 different hostile alien races: the famous Zeta Reticuli race is here (called "Sectoids" in the game); there are reptilian aliens ("Snakemen"); creepy death look-alikes with awesome mental powers ("Ethereals"); and tough jock-types ("Mutons").
You have armored vehicles at your disposal (but--so do the aliens), and even though you start with puny Earth-weapons; as you shoot down, recover, and research alien technology your engineers will be able to build base facilities, aircraft, tanks, weapons, body armor, grenades, EXTREMELY high-explosive missile launchers--and even equipment for MIND CONTROL--based on alien technology.
At the end of each month, you're given a progress report. Nations decide if they should increase your funding, decrease it, leave it the same, or pull out of the alliance all together and try to strike a deal with the alien races.
The ground battles themselves are played in a chess-like state. However, you can only see the areas of the map your troops have explored. Everything else is shrouded black. During the computer's turn, the screen only shows the blinking words "Hidden Movement," unless a soldier spots an alien or is fired upon. The "board" is divided into (I think) 124x124 squares; each one square taking 4 "Time Units" to cross.
Each group of 25(?) squares is given it's own unique attributes such as barnhouses, hills, cropfields, etc., so you'll NEVER--I, in 6 years of playing, have not--come across the exact same map twice. The aliens are also positioned randomly through the map, so check your flanks!
The average soldier starts with 50 TU's. However, shooting takes between 15 & 45 TU's (depending on weapons used & type of shot--aimed, auto, snap etc.). Basically, everything--reloading, throwing stuff, turning your soldier's head--takes TU's. But, as your soldiers see more combat, they can get as many as 81 TU's, which is quite helpful. They also gain health units, stamina, strength, bravery, etc--BUT keeping a soldier from the first mission to the final assault on the main ET base where the alien's collective mind, "the Brain," is kept (in the Cydonia region of Mars) is pretty much impossible. You're fighting a well-trained opponent!
What's more, you battle not only alien occupants of ships you have shot down, but aliens that land in major cities to terrorise the population, alien bases scattered around Earth, and even aliens that locate & attack YOUR base. It's not all fought on farm land in Idaho!
The musical score is a well-crafter combination of military marches and techno-beats; the creepy musical score playing while you fight ground missions is by far the most fitting for such a scenario.
There are a few videos in this game. The two outstanding ones are when you win the game and when you lose. When you win, no indication is given of Earth's future state. Do we acheive peace on Earth? Do we forget all that we've been through & return to our old ways? Unknown. You are shown the Mars base exploding, and your brave soldiers flying back to Earth cheering. Then you are returned to the main menu. Did the designers intend to create such a profound "happy" ending?
The video when you lose is more straight-forward, but still goose-bumpy: Three alien battle-ships hover over the UN building. Inside, the floor is bare of representatives except for a few humans sitting at a table across from two "Ethereals" and a "Sectoid" commander. There is no talking, but the message is chillingly beautiful in it's clarity: most of the world has given in, and it looks like the last fighting nation is following. As the humans & aliens communicate telepathically, several aliens burst through the door, place a plasma rifle to the head of the human leader, and pull the trigger. The "Sectoid" across from him is next seen splattered in the man's blood. Proof that the aliens do not make deals--deals in the sense that we know them--and a taste of what the aliens have always had in store for us: extermination.
This game is no longer in print, apparently because most people saw it as "too intelligent." If you happen to find a copy online...CONSIDER buying it. _I make no promises that you'll like it_. It's called a boring & tedious game by the few critics it has. I consider it an highly challenging work of art; one that shaped my teen years. You won't look at the world the same way after playing this enough hours. I would be another person were it not for the day my best friend John was playing X-Com on Playstation, I looked over, and said "Hey, that game looks kinda cool. What is it?"
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RTS games did not exist when X-COM was released (or least I have never heard of one from that era) and good stratagey games were even harder to find (I could be corrected by a MOOR fan). When it was released, X-COM became the reason I invested so much in video gamming. The computer AI was nothing special, but the other little touches like surprise fire from windows and "Fog of War" (to name only a few) overcame the AI's weakness and forced you think about who to put with who and where on every mission. Fire teams, fire teams, fire teams. If you want to live through a mission, deploy in fire teams of no less than two with mixed weapons and always have someone under good cover, ready replace fallen members. If you just can't get out of the 80's and 90's when it comes to video games, and you long for those old, great strategey games, then this one for you.Best Deals for X-COM: UFO Defense - PlayStation
A few years ago PCGAMER made a list of the greatest PC games of all time and suprise, suprise guess what game topped the list? X-Com UFO Defense, and it well deserved it.The game, even when played today still shows it's greatness. I've logged probably more then 1000 hours of gametime playing X-Com and it's many sequels over the years since it first released and the gameplay still amazes me.
If you love strategy games and for some reason haven't tried X-Com find a copy of it. (The PC version is WAY easier to get a hold of then the PS1 version and is a better port of the game anyway) If you loved games like Final Fantasy Tactics, C&C, Warcraft or less recognizable classics such as Dune 2 and the more recent Disgaea Hour of Darkness then you owe it to yourself to see what you've been missing.
As with the details the other reviews do a great job so i'll just leave you with this I've played just nearly every tactical combat/rpg ever made and X-Com is by far the best.
Honest reviews on X-COM: UFO Defense - PlayStation
Buy this game! You won't regret it.I'm not a fan of strategy games. I've never been into Populous, Civilization, Command & Conquer, or anything resembling. However, I can't stop playing this game. Every year I pick it up and start playing it again.
You are at the helm of a multinationally funded UFO defense team. Your goal is simple, protect earth from the oncoming insurgency, and ultimately seek and destroy the source of the invasion. Aside from the strategic turn-based combat sequences, you will control all aspects of the administrative efforts. Sink your fingers into the purchasing of supplies, design of bases, hiring and firing of personel, the armament of your aircraft (for shooting down UFO's) and MOST IMPORTANTLY, which alien technologies to research and incorporate into your arsenal.
Combat sequences boast a fully destructible environment, a rarity in classic gaming! Need to get down to a lower floor? Blast a hole and drop down! If there's a tree blocking your view, turn it into kindling with a well placed shot then take aim at your newly exposed enemies. You can even level a hill if you have the firepower! The designers should be proud, they thought of everything.
If you try this game you will discover a new love.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for X-COM: UFO Defense - PlayStation
Everywhere you look people are enjoying taking out little green men with a pistol. Oh well. X-Com has been proven to provide great entertainment for this who enjoy being a MIB. Control bsaes and protect them from attack. Monitor the world and keep major cities safe from the scum of the universe. Control up to 12 soldiers in a turn-based combat mission where every move your people make my be their last. Research new and startling technologies in your biology and physics labs and put them to use in your manufacturing plants. Be careful that you don't spend too much time researching and not enough time in combat. The countries of the world are footing the bill for your little operation and should they fall under alien control kiss your much needed funding good-bye. Vast array of weapons, terrain maps, enemy aliens, vechiles and UFOs will keep you busy for a good 50 hours or more. If you liked this game then get the sequels for them made for your IBM PC.Friday, October 24, 2014
Xbox 360 Slim - Kinect Stand + Wall Mount - Black - Kinect Mount Review
I only payed $20 for this thing and I thought for the most part it was gonna be a rickety piece of plastic with screw holes in it. This was not the case at all.
The reason I bought this was to be able to mount it to either my TV or my wall when I need too (I move houses/change my room around a lot). This was one of the only products that did this within my price range.
Before I get any further, I'd like to make a note as far as the finish on the product goes. In the picture it looks like more of a flat black color. It is actually the chrome-black color that the new xbox 360s come in. It also matches my TV perfectlyBonus.
Anyways, What I thought was going to be a piece of cardboard-plastic actually was a very high quality and well-engineered piece of plastic. It seems as though everything fits together so nicely and with very little gap and this thing was pretty well designed too.
I'll start with the packaging it came in from the mail and the box the product its self comes in:
The box came in one of those yellow envelopes that is lined inside with bubble wrapehh... When I opened it, The box had a bit of crinkle in it, but nothing that would harm the contents of it. The box even seemed thought out pretty well too. Everything inside was wrapped in bubble wrap and the mount comes with a 2 year warranty. all of the tools, plastic pieces, and screws are in separate plastic bags inside. It comes with 3 thick, square, plastic washers that have teeth on one side to lock the support in place on the mount. (It only uses 1 washer to screw in) The support arms (Comes with 2: One low profile one for small monitors and LED TVs and one for LCD/Plasma TVs) have brass nuts built into them where the screw will hold it on to the bracket. I currently have it mounted on my TV which is about EXACTLY 6 feet off the ground and it has been working wonderfully. The wall mount is also a very solid build quality though I have not yet used it. It even has a clip on the back the guides The wire for the Kinect sensor down to your console. The mount itself has good quality pads on it along with the supports. It is VERY adjustable and the support won't slide thanks to the interlocking washer with the teeth on the mount. It also has clips that hold the Kinect sensor in place.
Oh yea! it even comes with a mini screw driver. The only thing I would complain about is the length of the screws it comes with that hold on the support arm. They are very short. They work, but it would also be easy to over-tighten and strip the brass nuts or the screw itself. The mount is very sturdy.
I am REALLY impressed with the quality of this product. I would expect to pay $30-$40 for it.
The name of the company that makes it is "Kamikaze Gear". You know when you open up an instruction manual that is in different languages and English is usually the first page? Well the first language in this highly-detailed instruction manual is, I believe, GermanThrew me off quite a bit. But the manual has 4 languages in it: German, English, French, and Spanish.
I highly recommend buying this! You can't go wrong! It shipped to my house in 2 days on standard shipping. and I live in a rural area.This is not a game it is a mount but it works great, came to us as expected. It goes on easily.
The reason I bought this was to be able to mount it to either my TV or my wall when I need too (I move houses/change my room around a lot). This was one of the only products that did this within my price range.
Before I get any further, I'd like to make a note as far as the finish on the product goes. In the picture it looks like more of a flat black color. It is actually the chrome-black color that the new xbox 360s come in. It also matches my TV perfectlyBonus.
Anyways, What I thought was going to be a piece of cardboard-plastic actually was a very high quality and well-engineered piece of plastic. It seems as though everything fits together so nicely and with very little gap and this thing was pretty well designed too.
I'll start with the packaging it came in from the mail and the box the product its self comes in:
The box came in one of those yellow envelopes that is lined inside with bubble wrapehh... When I opened it, The box had a bit of crinkle in it, but nothing that would harm the contents of it. The box even seemed thought out pretty well too. Everything inside was wrapped in bubble wrap and the mount comes with a 2 year warranty. all of the tools, plastic pieces, and screws are in separate plastic bags inside. It comes with 3 thick, square, plastic washers that have teeth on one side to lock the support in place on the mount. (It only uses 1 washer to screw in) The support arms (Comes with 2: One low profile one for small monitors and LED TVs and one for LCD/Plasma TVs) have brass nuts built into them where the screw will hold it on to the bracket. I currently have it mounted on my TV which is about EXACTLY 6 feet off the ground and it has been working wonderfully. The wall mount is also a very solid build quality though I have not yet used it. It even has a clip on the back the guides The wire for the Kinect sensor down to your console. The mount itself has good quality pads on it along with the supports. It is VERY adjustable and the support won't slide thanks to the interlocking washer with the teeth on the mount. It also has clips that hold the Kinect sensor in place.
Oh yea! it even comes with a mini screw driver. The only thing I would complain about is the length of the screws it comes with that hold on the support arm. They are very short. They work, but it would also be easy to over-tighten and strip the brass nuts or the screw itself. The mount is very sturdy.
I am REALLY impressed with the quality of this product. I would expect to pay $30-$40 for it.
The name of the company that makes it is "Kamikaze Gear". You know when you open up an instruction manual that is in different languages and English is usually the first page? Well the first language in this highly-detailed instruction manual is, I believe, GermanThrew me off quite a bit. But the manual has 4 languages in it: German, English, French, and Spanish.
I highly recommend buying this! You can't go wrong! It shipped to my house in 2 days on standard shipping. and I live in a rural area.This is not a game it is a mount but it works great, came to us as expected. It goes on easily.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Monster Cable GGLS 100 SV/R-6 GameLink Standard Composite/S-Video Review
These cables may be a little pricey but I feel like they are worth the cost because they definitely improve the graphics and sound. They look and feel very durable and well-made. I don't know how big the difference is between the regular A/V cables and these with the added S-video but going from the plain gray antenna cable to the Monster cables was a big upgrade. I was playing Resident Evil 4 (which has great graphics to begin with) with these cables and a friend of mine thought I was playing XBOX based on the video quality. I have not yet tried, but these cables are supposed to be compatible with Nintendo 64 as well. It would be interesting to see how much of an improvement it makes on such an old system. I would give them 5 stars if it weren't for the price but they are still a steal compared to the component cables for the newest game consoles.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Astro Boy: The Video Game - Nintendo Wii Review
List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $22.88
Today's Bonus: 43% Off
What a waste of a game for an awesome movie. I bought it b/c it was only 14.99. Within the first 10 seconds of playing it I realized why. The game play is only side to side and the graphics and story line are terrible. My 7 year old enjoys it, but she would not be able to advance on to the next levels unless I played with her. It's very difficult for that age range. Very disappointing overall compared to other cartoon movie games and the lego games.
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I bought this game for my 6 y.o. son who loves the American movie and books of Astro Boy and the original comic stories from Japan. It is rated E 10+ which I didn't realize, thought it was just E, and was unhappily surprised w/the level of violence. I still don't want my kids, even 10 and over to play violent video games. **The game is challenging though at least, the graphics are neat, and my son loves to play it. For my purposes though, I wouldn't have gotten it had I seen the game ahead of time, just because of the "fantasy violence."Best Deals for Astro Boy: The Video Game - Nintendo Wii
My kids love this game!Pros: Easy setting gives you infinite lives. This game also has two player anytime you just jump in. It offers hours of fun for any player.
Cons: A little repetitive, and not exactly like the movie.
Honest reviews on Astro Boy: The Video Game - Nintendo Wii
Quite simply, one of the worst Movie-tie ins I have ever played. It harkens back to the old school side scrolling shoot-em up/beat-em ups from the original Nintendo. Yes, the graphics are better, but the gameplay is worse, and the story is all but non-existent and boring. Got this as a gift for my 5 year-old, and he would rather play Super Mario Bros (SMB) 3 or New SMB Wii. We have a few Wii games, and this one has seen the least screen time b/c all the rest are so much more fun.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Astro Boy: The Video Game - Nintendo Wii
This was purchased for my grandson and this is what he told me to say. He took it to his dad's and he is hooked.Thank you
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Cheap Killzone 3: Helghast Edition
List Price: $89.99
Sale Price: $44.99
Today's Bonus: 50% Off
I've beat this game and I can say that it takes quite a bit of departure from Killzone 2. Killzone 3 contains more cutscenes, better graphics, and more options to take down the Helghast. The story line is top notch and I can say it is going to be my favorite game for quite a while!
Everything included in the Helghast Edition is of great quality and attention to detail (especially in the Helghast helmet) is what makes this edition worth it in the end. I really enjoyed the soundtrack but I feel like it is incomplete in regards to the best music from the game. I've always considered the Killzone series to have some of the best music so I was a little disappointed.
All in all I recommend any Killzone fan to pick up the Helghast edition, although as long as you get the game you'll have tons of fun!
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The game is awesome. The multiplayer is good, although could be amazing if they included the ability to create custom matches from day 1 (a patch is said to be on the way to allow for that, like KZ2), and if they gave us back the ability to create multiple spawn points, including being able to spawn off the squad leader. They made the multiplayer more like COD, which isn't bad, but is a huge step down from KZ2 experience.The helmet, while plastic, is very detailed and I think is pretty sweet.
The art book is put together wonderfully. There are concepts of pretty much everything you could want. And the background of the pages has like a glossy holographic effect to them with a design. Pretty cool.
The figure is one of a kind. Very detailed as well.
The Super Voucher is awesome. It is included inside the case with the manual and SOCOM 4 Beta Code. I got online at noon on release day, used my double xp with voucher, and played until 4am the next morning! I ranked all the way to Colonel 1. You could probably get further than me, as I'm not the best FPS player. I have over 50 career unlocks to use after the xp and access to all weapons expires. The double xp is the best part of the voucher, without a doubt. It says the super voucher retails for $60, so it's like getting the book, helmet, and figure for free. If you look at it that way. The dynamic theme is a killzone 3 helghast theme really. Thought it would be more animated, but its cool. No way to really describe it. I might post a video, if it dosn't infringe on copyright or something.
If you are a killzone fanatic, no doubt you will love this.
If you are a casual fan, you will love it too.
It really is a great package. And with the voucher, makes it worth every penny. My psn is steelerguy24 if anyone wants to play killzone 3.
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The following review will only cover the Collector's Edition (or Helghast Edition) content of Killzone 3 and not the game itself. It will also be brief since the video shows off most of the content for the Collector's Edition.
The first item of the Helghast Edition that should be mentioned is the helmet itself. The helmet is fairly decent in size and as others have mentioned before, is not big enough to be worn. You will also instantly notice how it does not weigh very much which in all fairness is not a terrible thing. The paint job on the helmet is also very good, although it does look perhaps a little less darker than I was expecting (do not get me wrong it is not bright or anything). Opening or removing the helmet is very easy, just lift it up and you can easily get to the art book and game case that can be housed inside.
The art book itself is pretty good although not as detailed as other art books on the market. Don't get me wrong it does cover everything you expect from a videogame art book such as characters, environments, weapons, vehicles, and so on. Unfortunately however, there are no comments or introductions to the sections by the artist who worked on the game. This is somewhat disappointing since many art books tend to have commentaries by people who worked on the game, which adds to the art book and the appreciation for the game itself. Regardless, the book itself covers everything fairly well and is big enough that it should satisfy most Killzone 3 fans.
Next up is the Cloaking Helgahst Marksman figure, which is one of the better figures I have seen in a Collector's Edition. Just about every body part on the figure can be moved, from the head, arms, legs and so on. Being able to pose a figure however you want is always nice and this figure lets you do that very well. I also like how the paint job was done on the figure with it being half cloaked and half visible, a very cool touch.
Now the last item to mention is the "Super Voucher." I should probably get the bad news out of the way first. If you buy the Helghast Edition at this moment, you will no longer be able to download any of the content it provides since it expired on September 1, 2011. This is a real shame since so much content was on the "Super Voucher" including "making of" features, a soundtrack, double XP for the first 24 hours while playing multiplayer, and so on. It is hard to understand why the voucher had such a quick expiration date but that is the case. So be warned if your biggest reason for picking up this edition is the "Super Voucher" and not the other content.
All in all, the the Killzone 3 Helghast Edition is a good Collector's Edition. It would have been nice if the art book had some comments from the artist who worked on the game, and perhaps a longer amount of time for claiming the content on the "Super Voucher," but these two issues do not hurt this set too much. If you can find a good price for this Collector's Edition, I say give it a chance.
Note: (Updated 01/11/12) There are more than a few people who are reporting that despite the expiration date for the "Super Voucher" being September 2011, you can still claim the content that comes with it. I am not able to verify if this is true, but if you happen to buy the Helghast Edition of Killzone 3, it is worth checking out if the voucher still works. Regardless, I am keeping the original rating that I gave this Collector's Edition as I believe it is still a fair score for the set.
Additional Note: (08/30/13) Recently a customer in the comment section asked where they could find the "Super Voucher" in the package. I figured I would add the response here since it might be helpful to someone else. The voucher can be found in the actual game case along with the game disc and manual. Mine was right on top of the game manual. If for some reason it is not there, you may have to contact the seller or Sony directly about this to hopefully get some help.
Honest reviews on Killzone 3: Helghast Edition
What can I say that others have not. You have the specs:*Super Voucher Soundtrack, Theme, 2 maps (Retro), Behind the scenes video, and all the 24hour unlocks (All digital in 1 code) Also note that the 24hour bonuses expire to the exact moment you entered the code. Enter it at 1pm today it expires 1pm tomorrow. Do not waste it.
*Killzone 3 Artbook (Hardcover)
*Killzone 3 Cloaking Marksmen (Covered only in plastic with no bubble wrap/Killzone 3 display box for you Mint Collectors)
*Killzone 3 Helghast Helmet (Can hold at best 2 PS3 games like Killzone 2 and 3) No the eyes DO NOT light up
If you don't have a good online connection I can not recommend this edition. This is a great collection don't get me wrong, but without a stable connection you cant download half of the goodies and cant access half of this game. The game is a longer and improved Single Player game with Co-Op options but you are fooling yourself if you convince yourself that the online portion is nothing special; on the contrary.
The game has 3 game modes and several objectives in almost every game mode, excluding Guerrilla Warfare which is a simple game of kill all that stands. Capturing points, accumulating kills, transporting items, surviving and mastering your class are the main key elements of the online multiplayer. Find what you are good at and stick with it; most likely you will have a good time when you play with what you are most comfortable with.
Do not be afraid to die. Newbies always die when they get used to a game. Ride it out for about an hour, and when you understand everything you will find yourself enjoying the online portion of the game more than the Single Player portion.
This game does have a nice story that continues 6 months into the future and flashbacks right to the point of the KillZone 2 ending bridging what happened between then and now (Almost. Minus the 6 months in between surviving).
At the end it is known that the story will continue, so if you are hoping for this to be the last of the series to make this Edition have more meaning, then I have to break it to you; it isn't.
This edition is for the fans that want some great display pieces, a well done artbook and a bunch of digital content and a 24hour edge. Is it a worth your money? Absolutely if you intend to use everything in it (like most things, why pay for more if you wont use most of it). This edition was for me because the Helmet was sizable and a great display piece, the Sniper is also another display piece of mine, and the Soundtrack I ported and burned onto a CD for a hardcopy just in case my PS3 died, and to listen to in my CD Player versus the PS3. I liked the artbook but I like it better on the computer and as a hardcopy since I like tinkering with concepts. The maps and 24hour bonuses were something that just sweetened the deal and made my 1st day of playtime very easy; the maps added replayablity (but what new maps dont?).
Figure it this way, the game at its lowest price is half of what a new game costs; fine. The Helmet and Figure are both sizable, unique, and it can not be obtained separately. The look of the Helmet and Figure is also detailed and is a fine display; and like other display items you get them because they look great and they have a long shelf life.
For the price, what I have to say is what should be remembered for all purchases (As it is for all my purchases); Its only a waste of money if I buy it and never use it.
Most people buy the stand alone because they have no desire for the rest of the extra goodies in this edition. For a collector its something that has a lot of substance to it. Its not a cheap looking edition, and the price reflects it.
If you are still on the fence about it, my only other advice is look up unboxing's on youtube.com for an idea of what it is. Made me want it more. If youtube is not your thing then maybe you need to look for pictures. This edition was put together very well, and is third only to the European Edition which got a Steel Game Case versus the Standard Case in North America, or the Limited Collector's Edition which can not be bought; with the only difference being the outer box art and the Helghast Helmet having LED glowing eyes.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Killzone 3: Helghast Edition
The game is ok,The graphics are good,
The extras that the Helghast edition comes with are cool.
be warned... for the late killzone 3 buyers the extra digital content is expired... : (
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Cheap Halo: Combat Evolved
Back in the fall of 2001, I didn't want to play the XBox. I thought that Bill Gates was trying to monopolize my beloved pastime, the holy hobby of video games. So I didn't play it, that is, until my friend made me play Halo in the Spring of 2002.
My mind was instantly changed.
Halo is not just another video game, it's more of an experience that on higher difficulty levels, you don't just play, you survive. The story is well-planned and well-paced, the weapons are oh-so-cool, the digital surround sound helps to hear behind you (online challengers don't stand a chance), the music is stirring and epic, and the graphics are simply jaw-dropping. Nothing I've played in the past year has put these essential components together quite like Bungie Studios has with Halo. Single player missions are a blast, and you actually feel like you are a super-soldier fighting an alien menace on a strange artificial ring-world in the middle of who-knows-where. But playing by yourself misses the thrill of this game completely.
Anyone with broadband access can use GameSpy Arcade, download the necessary components, cheaply purchase extra equipment, and go online to show the world what you are made of. Multiplayer separates the kids from the adults more than any other console game I have EVER played. To survive, you must be strategic, yet ruthless. You must know the levels, know how to hide, know how to shoot accurately, and know how to move effectively. Once you take some time to master these skills, you feel like you've accomplished something great...
Oh, and if you have friends with copies of Halo, use the biggest room you have to link up 4 XBoxes for 16-player deathmatches (the one catch, every 'Box has to have its own TV). Trust me, nothing brings friends together like 8-on-8 Team Combat. You run to the shotgun room to take care of the weapons cache, Friend #1 runs to the Rocket Launcher for heavy artillery, Friend #2 takes up a sniper position with Active Camouflage (think Predator), Friend #3 waits at the end of the bridge with Fragmentation Grenades, Friend #4 packs a Plasma Rifle to slow down enemies and destroy their shields, Friends #5 and #6 secure medical packs for the squad, while #7 and #8 go freelance and be bait/avengers. And that's just an example of the Slayer mode, where the most kills wins. You've got King of the Hill modes, Capture the Flag, Oddball (he/team that holds the ball for the longest amount of time wins), Races and more. And it's not just mindless killing, all these modes require team strategy and underatanding of the playing field terrain. The more you know about where you are, the better off you'll be when the scores are final.
The only way this can get any better is when Halo 2 comes out in 2003. By then, XBox Live (Microsoft's online game service) will be up to full steam, and who knows what the future could hold (besides the super-cool headset microphones that let you talk to squad members)...
If you own an XBox and don't own this game, shame on you. If you don't own a 'Box, buy one for THIS GAME. You'll thank me later.
Onto the graphics... Evil Empire or not, Microsoft delivered on the graphics in Halo. Halo is a sunny world with bright blue skies complete with drifting clouds. Jutting steel towers hiding vast underground complexes are set against a background of curved landscapes (another words, Halo's engine does curved surfaces and they are not afraid to show it off). All the character models look and move organically and the vehicles, though somewhat derivative of Star Wars, are very cool. I heard some complaints about frame rate from a guy on the losing team of our little competition, but I thought it played smoothly throughout.
Because of the noise at the party, I can't judge the audio, but I can tell you that the game would be worth it with no sound at all. Halo is packed with features, including, I'm told, new multiplayer game types and all the networking software needed to make hooking up your Xbox to a LAN, or directly to a cable modem, a snap. And last but not least, lets not forget that the fun factor is high, after all you even get to jump into vehicles and mow down everything in your path. Basically, I am willing to go out on a limb and say Halo looks like it will live up to, and maybe exceed, all the hype. Buy an Xbox so you can play this game.
In respect to audio, Halo outshines the competition. The sound effects are spectacular and the soundtrack is killer. In-game voice acting has never been so good. You can hear your allied marines chatter about the enemy, when they have been hit, where the enemy may be, etc etc. In addition, you can hear the frantic cries of the running enemy when you and your shotgun sneak up on them. Playing this game in Dolby Digital will give the gamer an unsurpassed gaming experience.
In actual gameplay, this is where Halo redefines first person shooters. No other console game has gone where Halo goes. Halo is comprised of 10 well-designed, surprisingly large levels, mixing indoor and outdoor environments, to give the gamer an experience which will not soon be forgotten. And this is no normal shooter either. You can play campaign mode single player or with a friend. This is the first game to have a great "co-op" mode. If you can't beat a level, call a friend and work together. Playing the 'single-player' mode with a friend makes the game a far more enjoyable experience.
The developers of Halo knew what they were doing when they included vehicles in the game. Throughout the game, you will use a variety of vehicles to help you defeat the enemy. Some are slow but powerful tanks, while others are quick hovercraft. Several of the vehicles allow more than 1 player to get in, thus letting 1 person drive while the other blast the enemy away.
However, where Halo really shines is in its multiplayer. With 4 players, 2v2 deathmatches are just a blast. However, with a Cable or DSL connection you will be able to play Halo online! You can play with up to sixteen players in pure madness. Of all the time I spend playing Halo, 90% of it is online. It is just incredible. It takes everything positive about console gaming and pulls the online gaming from traditional PC games to make Halo one of the most enjoyable games ever made.
Should you buy Halo? Absolutely! And don't worry about getting bored anytime soon. With friends and online play, you will be playing this one for months.
First off, even though this is a console FPS (First Person Shooter) the controls are absolute dynamite. I have heard numerous criticisms of the Xbox controller and I can honestly say that I found it to be not only extremely comfortable but also amazingly precise. This game doesn't make you wish for a keyboard and mouse which is the first console FPS I can really say that about.
Second the polish on this game is absolutely top notch. The enemy AI is the best I have ever seen, the graphics are very detailed and smooth, and the game is just all around a blast to play. The single player mode alone is great, but the real fun is the campaign with a buddy co-op mode. My friend and I played this game for four hours straight together and we couldn't stop playing it was so much fun. The difficulty level is just perfect; challenging but not at all frustrating and because the AI is so good it keeps you coming back since no two encounters are alike.
All in all I can't say enough good things about this game. If you buy and Xbox (and you should) BUY this game.
Needless to say, I picked up the Xbox and Halo a day after it was realeased in the US. I powered on the machine and threw in Halo. To my dismay, the game was alright on a controller. The learning curve was about thirty minutes to an hour for the control via the dual analog sticks, but after that, everything was smooth and precise.
The game itself is a modern console masterpiece. If you are a PC gamer, a console gamer, or both, pick up this game. The story is nice, the control is nice, the graphics are overpowering, the soundtrack kicks in at just the right times. Voice acting is also superb. Alright, so it is nice, that doesn't mean it is a masterpiece. Well, I am moving to that in a minute. AI, artificial intelligence is where the game becomes a masterpiece. AI on both sides, your marines, and the enemies (The Covenant and The Flood) are both amazing. It never feels like you are battling ET, these are full fledged strategic beings with energy weapons. They will strafe, hide behind obstacles, send out decoys, everything that you would do.
On a final note, Halo offers co-op mode. A buddy and yourself can play throughout the entire story together. To put it bluntly, this mode rocks! The game is a five star by itself. Then add a great co-op mode and the scale needs a few stars added to be able to keep up with Halo's gameplay
My mind was instantly changed.
Halo is not just another video game, it's more of an experience that on higher difficulty levels, you don't just play, you survive. The story is well-planned and well-paced, the weapons are oh-so-cool, the digital surround sound helps to hear behind you (online challengers don't stand a chance), the music is stirring and epic, and the graphics are simply jaw-dropping. Nothing I've played in the past year has put these essential components together quite like Bungie Studios has with Halo. Single player missions are a blast, and you actually feel like you are a super-soldier fighting an alien menace on a strange artificial ring-world in the middle of who-knows-where. But playing by yourself misses the thrill of this game completely.
Anyone with broadband access can use GameSpy Arcade, download the necessary components, cheaply purchase extra equipment, and go online to show the world what you are made of. Multiplayer separates the kids from the adults more than any other console game I have EVER played. To survive, you must be strategic, yet ruthless. You must know the levels, know how to hide, know how to shoot accurately, and know how to move effectively. Once you take some time to master these skills, you feel like you've accomplished something great...
Oh, and if you have friends with copies of Halo, use the biggest room you have to link up 4 XBoxes for 16-player deathmatches (the one catch, every 'Box has to have its own TV). Trust me, nothing brings friends together like 8-on-8 Team Combat. You run to the shotgun room to take care of the weapons cache, Friend #1 runs to the Rocket Launcher for heavy artillery, Friend #2 takes up a sniper position with Active Camouflage (think Predator), Friend #3 waits at the end of the bridge with Fragmentation Grenades, Friend #4 packs a Plasma Rifle to slow down enemies and destroy their shields, Friends #5 and #6 secure medical packs for the squad, while #7 and #8 go freelance and be bait/avengers. And that's just an example of the Slayer mode, where the most kills wins. You've got King of the Hill modes, Capture the Flag, Oddball (he/team that holds the ball for the longest amount of time wins), Races and more. And it's not just mindless killing, all these modes require team strategy and underatanding of the playing field terrain. The more you know about where you are, the better off you'll be when the scores are final.
The only way this can get any better is when Halo 2 comes out in 2003. By then, XBox Live (Microsoft's online game service) will be up to full steam, and who knows what the future could hold (besides the super-cool headset microphones that let you talk to squad members)...
If you own an XBox and don't own this game, shame on you. If you don't own a 'Box, buy one for THIS GAME. You'll thank me later.
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I played Halo in a 16-person multiplayer capture the flag competition at one of Microsoft's "Xbox Unleashed" parties. I also got to watch a decent player run through a few levels of the single player mode. The biggest issue with any first person shooter on a console is control. Honestly speaking, Halo's control is just not as good as the classic PC mouse and keyboard setup. And yet, for first person shooters on a console, Halo's control is a breakthrough. I, and many others around me, were surprised by how easy it was to adjust to Halo's control scheme. Furthermore, it is highly customizable, you can even adjust the sensitivity of at least one joy stick. I would not be surprised to see claims in the future that Halo's control is superior to the mouse keyboard combination.Onto the graphics... Evil Empire or not, Microsoft delivered on the graphics in Halo. Halo is a sunny world with bright blue skies complete with drifting clouds. Jutting steel towers hiding vast underground complexes are set against a background of curved landscapes (another words, Halo's engine does curved surfaces and they are not afraid to show it off). All the character models look and move organically and the vehicles, though somewhat derivative of Star Wars, are very cool. I heard some complaints about frame rate from a guy on the losing team of our little competition, but I thought it played smoothly throughout.
Because of the noise at the party, I can't judge the audio, but I can tell you that the game would be worth it with no sound at all. Halo is packed with features, including, I'm told, new multiplayer game types and all the networking software needed to make hooking up your Xbox to a LAN, or directly to a cable modem, a snap. And last but not least, lets not forget that the fun factor is high, after all you even get to jump into vehicles and mow down everything in your path. Basically, I am willing to go out on a limb and say Halo looks like it will live up to, and maybe exceed, all the hype. Buy an Xbox so you can play this game.
Best Deals for Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo is one of the most graphically impressive games released in videogame history. The attention to detail is excellent. For instance, when using an assault rifle, you can see each clip as it is used. Incredible draw distances, outstanding cutscenes, and marvelous camera work contribute significantly.In respect to audio, Halo outshines the competition. The sound effects are spectacular and the soundtrack is killer. In-game voice acting has never been so good. You can hear your allied marines chatter about the enemy, when they have been hit, where the enemy may be, etc etc. In addition, you can hear the frantic cries of the running enemy when you and your shotgun sneak up on them. Playing this game in Dolby Digital will give the gamer an unsurpassed gaming experience.
In actual gameplay, this is where Halo redefines first person shooters. No other console game has gone where Halo goes. Halo is comprised of 10 well-designed, surprisingly large levels, mixing indoor and outdoor environments, to give the gamer an experience which will not soon be forgotten. And this is no normal shooter either. You can play campaign mode single player or with a friend. This is the first game to have a great "co-op" mode. If you can't beat a level, call a friend and work together. Playing the 'single-player' mode with a friend makes the game a far more enjoyable experience.
The developers of Halo knew what they were doing when they included vehicles in the game. Throughout the game, you will use a variety of vehicles to help you defeat the enemy. Some are slow but powerful tanks, while others are quick hovercraft. Several of the vehicles allow more than 1 player to get in, thus letting 1 person drive while the other blast the enemy away.
However, where Halo really shines is in its multiplayer. With 4 players, 2v2 deathmatches are just a blast. However, with a Cable or DSL connection you will be able to play Halo online! You can play with up to sixteen players in pure madness. Of all the time I spend playing Halo, 90% of it is online. It is just incredible. It takes everything positive about console gaming and pulls the online gaming from traditional PC games to make Halo one of the most enjoyable games ever made.
Should you buy Halo? Absolutely! And don't worry about getting bored anytime soon. With friends and online play, you will be playing this one for months.
Honest reviews on Halo: Combat Evolved
All I can say is WOW! Just got my Xbox from preorder this morning and spent most of the day playing Halo. There are so many great things about this game, I hardly know where to begin.First off, even though this is a console FPS (First Person Shooter) the controls are absolute dynamite. I have heard numerous criticisms of the Xbox controller and I can honestly say that I found it to be not only extremely comfortable but also amazingly precise. This game doesn't make you wish for a keyboard and mouse which is the first console FPS I can really say that about.
Second the polish on this game is absolutely top notch. The enemy AI is the best I have ever seen, the graphics are very detailed and smooth, and the game is just all around a blast to play. The single player mode alone is great, but the real fun is the campaign with a buddy co-op mode. My friend and I played this game for four hours straight together and we couldn't stop playing it was so much fun. The difficulty level is just perfect; challenging but not at all frustrating and because the AI is so good it keeps you coming back since no two encounters are alike.
All in all I can't say enough good things about this game. If you buy and Xbox (and you should) BUY this game.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Halo: Combat Evolved
Being an avid PC First Person Shooter advocate of games such as Unreal Tournament, Halo for the Xbox was a gamble to me. I had read numerous reviews, all saying it was nice. It still bothered me, there was no keyboard and mouse, how could it be nice?Needless to say, I picked up the Xbox and Halo a day after it was realeased in the US. I powered on the machine and threw in Halo. To my dismay, the game was alright on a controller. The learning curve was about thirty minutes to an hour for the control via the dual analog sticks, but after that, everything was smooth and precise.
The game itself is a modern console masterpiece. If you are a PC gamer, a console gamer, or both, pick up this game. The story is nice, the control is nice, the graphics are overpowering, the soundtrack kicks in at just the right times. Voice acting is also superb. Alright, so it is nice, that doesn't mean it is a masterpiece. Well, I am moving to that in a minute. AI, artificial intelligence is where the game becomes a masterpiece. AI on both sides, your marines, and the enemies (The Covenant and The Flood) are both amazing. It never feels like you are battling ET, these are full fledged strategic beings with energy weapons. They will strafe, hide behind obstacles, send out decoys, everything that you would do.
On a final note, Halo offers co-op mode. A buddy and yourself can play throughout the entire story together. To put it bluntly, this mode rocks! The game is a five star by itself. Then add a great co-op mode and the scale needs a few stars added to be able to keep up with Halo's gameplay
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
NBA Ballers Phenom - Xbox Review
well i like this game alot and wanted to play it so badly that i bought it here online thinking it would work on my xbox 360 but instead it dosent because it says i need a xbox 360 hard drive for it to work and i dont have 1 of those and dont know how or where i can buy one at so all in all im disappointed that i need to get a 360 hard drive just to play this game when i thought it would work on an xbox 360. and was wondering how can i ship it back and get a refund or can i somehow get a 360 hard drive on this site if there are some available here?
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This game will never get old, its a game that your going to be playing over and over again. it's also fun when you play ageist a friend, 1 on 1, or 2 on 2.Best Deals for NBA Ballers Phenom - Xbox
This game is very fun because you get to do what you want as you freely travel from one part of LA to the next such as venice beach and hollywood. the streetball is definitely not bad, but really, 3-star, however the ability to roam the city doing whatever you want, from buying NBA gear to engaging in a rap battle or participating in a car wash, makes it an overall 4-star.Honest reviews on NBA Ballers Phenom - Xbox
This game is an excat clone of the original ballers its got new players with there new teams like Ricky Davis but what is bad is that you gotta unlock to get all the players thats a horrible decision If you just want to pick up and play and have all the players availble Tony Parker is not a locked character in the original he wasn't. Its also harder to build your house meter I dont know Im playing on the default diffculty called challenging and its hard. I think next time this game comes out they should make some gameplay changes instead of adding new cribs and make everything including cribs unlockable at the start. The game is boring once you get used to it a few games here and there is all its worth nothing spectacular if you bought the orignal ballers keep it because this game has nothing new for you to buy.Friday, May 16, 2014
Reviews of Record of Agarest War Zero - Standard Edition - Playstation 3
List Price: $49.99
Sale Price: $24.99
Today's Bonus: 50% Off
Second in series from Aksys games, this is actually a prequel to 2010's Agarest War, though no knowledge of the first is needed. That game had a rather troubled existence and bungled release depending on which console you used or were willing to pay for imports. This time we're all on the same page at least, and it's good to see that Aksys pieced everything together properly. This 3-star review is from a feeling of being completely underwhelmed, and in no way do I mean to imply that as a fan of things in-genre that I regret my purchase or didn't like it/have fun.
The premise here is, for all intents and purposes, the same as the original-a rather epic (in length) adventuring campaign with a sizable cast of quirky characters and villains that spans generational gaps. This is achieved via the offspring of the original protagonist, and you get some ability to mold through your actions. Good versus evil, light versus dark, all that good stuff. Character offspring is the "hook" to the Agarest series, where decisions made in dialogue raise and lower virtual affection levels of heroines in a way akin to a stereotypical Japanese dating sim. Awkward for some players, certainly, but there are no 'right' or 'wrong' answers. The story progression is mostly the same regardless (see below), so just enjoy.
The other major selling point on the series, for better or worse, is a rather intricate battlefield system that will certainly cause some head-scratching amongst new players. The basic JRPG phase/turn system is mixed up with action points and varying action combinations. Team tactics play a large roll and using combined skills of all types add extra damage that's an absolute must as things get harder. There are ~150 skill combinations in total and over about a hundred abilities to learn, where every character can use a different set. It requires thought, forces the player to think ahead, and unless in a situation where facing very weak foes at high levels there's no one simple way to complete a fight... so no real slacking off allowed.
The learning curve isn't bad on standard difficulty, but that's partially because of the massively high number of total battles. There's the oft-inept "auto" battle mode, which is supposed to give the player a break on the easier stuff, but it's impossible to properly express the stupidity of the AI and it rarely saves any time and/or effort.
Here stands a large point of contention for me at least-even though the hope is for combat to never really be entirely the same and for players to use all sorts of fancy attacks, it all feels so, so familiar as you move ahead. Drone-like, in fact. As you'll be fighting hundreds of times against what are essentially the same 20 types of baddie, it can become very draining. The sensation of "can we get on with the story now?" can become overwhelming at times. For players of the first, the combat system is almost completely unchanged and has only a few minor tweaks. Nothing particularly needed a "fix", so in that regard everything still works fine.
A minor reward from all the combat is that story scenes are fairly lengthy, are all fully-voiced (though in Japanese only), the narrative at least somewhat compelling (by video game standards), and characters develop some actual personality. The overhead world view is a rather nostalgic 2D wandering, and the moving character models in 'cutscenes' are still a major throwback to the 16-bit days and I find it rather endearing, even if astonishingly outdated and limited by the studio's production budget.
Another now-heavily recycled piece of the game is the equipment and upgrade/synthesis type. It's tried and true over several games now, and though there's nothing wrong with the user-friendly upgrading system, some kind of innovation or variation would be desperately welcomed. The interface is bland, items are notoriously hard to find materials for, and names of weapons and armor are a near copy-paste from the past.
Add things up and the end result is almost exactly that of the first Agarest with zero fundamental changes, and only a handful of surface adjustments. The sheer length of the game exasperates this all, though it does make the game a pretty good value assuming at least one play of 40+ hours. I'm not per say disappointed, but I may have hoped for more. Zero is by no means a "bad" game for RPG or strategy buffs, but it lacks a spark of something that would help to call it truly "special".
For anyone that enjoyed the first, there's no specific reason why they should stay away from Zero, at least if they know to expect virtually the same game with new scripts and fonts. For new players, it's a strategy challenge and a game where one full run through the storyline could feel rewarding, but split up your sessions. Going back to the "dating" bit from before-though it's not like you can't finish the game if you choose certain options, just playing on normal mode without much extra thought gives, well, a really lousy ending, and the assumption is that you'll start a NewGame+ on "Extra" (difficult) for the more eventful stuff. This isn't new for JRPGs, but you're left flying blind here most of the time.
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I basically love everything by this developer including any recycled mechanics and the implication that you will need to replay the game to get the true end. I prefer cross edge honestly, but overall this is a solid game. I am dissapointed that they did not add more from the first game, and the battle system gets repetitive if you overlevel. The review below goes into more detail, but it is a solid srpg that focuses on extending attacks by placing party members in certain poximate patterns. If you want, you can subtract a star for admitted fan effect.Best Deals for Record of Agarest War Zero - Standard Edition - Playstation 3
This is a great and very long strategy RPG with turn based combat. The enemies are varied, well, at least their colors look different for the various levels of the same monster, and that is nice. Battles also use different types of enemies, making the battles a little different each time. In combat, the first phase is move and the second is battle. However, characters and monsters will move in the second phase to use their abilities.POINT SYSTEMS
XP = Experience points needed to level up, fight battles to get them based on the monsters
AP = Action points for movement and skills, character specific and can be enhanced with items
EP = Enhancement points used to upgrade equipment, given from battles based on the monster
TP = Tech points needed to purchase items from the Adventurer's Guild, given from battles based on maximum hit count
PP = Party points may be used to train any character's stats, given mainly from events
S-slots = Special slots on armor and enhancement items, convert other items to get these bonuses, examples STR+12, AGI+17. These do not affect level up.
Learning how best to use Extended Areas is crucial as this allows many characters, up to six, to gang up on an enemy. Also important is getting Overkills in order to get the best drops from the enemies. The Tutorials do well to explain these things but it is up to the player to become proficient with them.
Character development is a big part of the game. I like performing character development. I usually train Vitality for about 10 levels on all characters to increase their Health per level. Using Party Points, PP, helps in this regard. I concentrate on about six characters. Eventually all characters need to be levelled, however.
Creating a character is somewhat confusing. You choose five soul cards with two souls per card and a class (Warrior, Battle Mage, Sorcerer). You also choose your attack types. For those, I always go with Power-Power Light-Extra. The last two skills will not become available until level 45 when characters make a class upgrade.
Some people create a really great 1st Generation character only to find their 2nd Generation character is cruddy. Here are some insights on how this works:
Choosing Soul Cards at the beginning of the game will give the character 10 souls. Class choice adds 15 more souls, and special Event choices during the game will add a few more souls. Then, choice of bride will mix things up and give a 2nd Generation character. However, you get what you get, there area no soul card choices for 2nd Generation (or 3rd). If you choose the following cards you will get a great 1st Generation Battle Mage: 5, 24, 2, 19, 8. This will give the following stats and rankings: STR 16-B, VIT 10-A, AGI 16-B, INT 16-A, LUK 20-A, AP 17, MOV 4, weapon Sword. This will create a great 1st Generation character HOWEVER it will make a HORRIBLE 2nd Generation character!!! That is because this character has too many Dagger, Spear, Knuckle and other junky weapons (unless you like knuckle or dagger) and will also give horrible stats and rankings in STR and VIT no matter who you marry for 2nd Generation.
Instead, go with this: Cards 1, 5, 12, 21, 23, stats and rankings = STR 13-A, VIT 13-A, AGI 13-C, INT 11-C, LUK 13-B, AP 17, MOV 3, weapon Sword, as well as lots of Sword souls. The lower AGI can be overcome just by training. If you marry a certain warrior in 1st Generation, your 2nd Generation character will have S-S in STR-VIT and use Sword! The other stat areas are not too bad, either. Picking up another Gun, Dagger or Spear helps AGI, as well. Having a 4 MOV on the main character is a luxury not often needed. The AP is still 17, and that is nice! Also, equipment upgrades make more of an impact on attack, magic attack, and defense. Characters also get AP from equipment upgrades.
Training your stat areas is important in the long run, but in the short run Item Upgrades are far more useful. A warrior should not be training INT, anyway! As for Sorcerer, I was not able to make a 1st Generation Sorcerer that can use Staff, you get Scythe, instead. However, marrying the Mage girl, as a Sorcerer, will give a Mage for 2nd Generation, either with Staff or even Sword & Staff.
The game dialogue is in Japanese, but there are English translation dialogue boxes to read for the events. Frankly, I did not mind the language, I don't know Japanese, but it was no big deal to me.
Save Before Every Event In Case You Want To Re-choose Your Choices!!!
***** SPOILER Hints: *****
Converting Choziramaru = fiberglass.
During the first Vacation Day, go to the Shop when no one is there to get freebie items.
During the first Vacation Day at Night, go to the Adventurer's Guild when no one is there to get free PP and a 10% TP discount!
***** End Spoilers Hints *****
Record of Agarest War Zero is a lot of fun. The game is at least 80% battles. I really liked this game. Oh, and there are LOTS of Items to be had!!! This is a good game.
Honest reviews on Record of Agarest War Zero - Standard Edition - Playstation 3
This is a great game and hard to find.If your a big RPG fan then you should pick this up.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Record of Agarest War Zero - Standard Edition - Playstation 3
While the story kept me to the end I was bored with the fight sequences as I ended up pulling the same moves over and over.Sunday, April 20, 2014
Dragon Age 2 - Xbox 360 Review
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I have mixed feelings about this game after playing it all day. Some of the things that other reviewers didn't like really don't bother me. For example, I don't mind that you can't pick a few different races this time around. That really only changed the first hour or so anyway. The reworked art style seems much better to me. In the original, although I loved the game, there was nothing spectacular or "dark" about the setting, considering they called it dark fantasy. I think they are closer this time around.
They really dumbed a lot of it down, just like with ME2, and I think that was a mistake in some respects. You can no longer deck out your other party members with the best gear, because the only thing you can do is upgrade their equipment with runes. Want them to use a different weapon or give them better armor? Too bad.
I actually also don't mind the narrative style of the storytelling either, although it does have its drawbacks. The real problems start with the new button-mash style of play. On the one hand the original system did need some fixing. When you'd highlight an opponent to attack, you would have to move into range. Sometimes the target was running towards you at the time, so you'd literally run by him without attacking, then have to chase him down. I think they could have fixed that problem without changing it to a button mash fest. I started with the rogue and after a few hours, frankly, I had to change to an archer. Now I paly a LOT of video games, but when you are hip-deep in darkspawn, having to mash that button hundreds of times will take its toll on your poor hands. And if you've played the rogue set up with dual weapons, you know that means a LOT of button presses. For goodness sakes if its going to be that way just let us hold the attack button in!
The combat is certainly more savage and fun to watch, but when you have to press a button for every single attack, it gets to the point where you can't enjoy it anymore. The original game play let you use strategy and then watch the results of your choices play out. This new system is almost too fast and hectic to be appreciated. They made a similar choice with the path they took after the original KOTOR, which I also loved and still play. When they moved on to Jade Empire they went with the button masher scheme. I was so thrilled when the first DA came out because they switched back to a truly great system, but now they have switched yet again.
Although I think many of the reviewers are being a little harsh in their assessment, I think there is a lot of truth to their comments. I'm enjoying the game, don't get me wrong, but I think they lost focus of the core audience that made the original such a hit. I also really don't like how there is no real connection to the first game. Yes you'll see some of the characters from the original game pop up here and there, but it still seems very disconnected. Its almost like--we know you played the first game, now come play it again--but with a different guy that we will create for you--oh and you have to mash a lot of buttons too.
Surprisingly, some folks are even unhappy with the fact that the main character actually has a voice this time. Frankly I love that. I thought it was REALLY a poor choice the first time around to not give the hero a voice because it really detracted from the epic feeling of the game. So I don't empathize with folks on that point. For what its worth, I also don't like how they stripped down ME2 in terms of skills and leveling, but I still really enjoyed the game.
I'm a little concerned not only about the future of this franchise, but of Bioware in general. When they made a game--I bought it--period. You KNEW it was going to be good. But this is a really shaky installment for the quality that I'm used to expecting from them, and I hope they turn things around if there is another one. I don't feel like the game was "rushed", like many reviewers. I just feel like they stripped it down a bit too much. I think they could have kept the original gameplay mechanics with a couple of fixes and still got the game out just as quickly.
Please, Bioware, think hard about how you move forward. You have never been satisifed making games that are like everyone elses, so please don't start now.
**Update
Now that I've finished the game its time for an update! I've cooled off on some of the criticisms I had early on but gotten a little more irritated with other things, so overall my rating will stay put. But a few things to comment on...
I don't know how some folks can say that the game only lasted 30 hours. The only way you could finish that fast is if you put it on casual difficulty and ignore all the side quests. I put in nearly twice that many hours, so I'm happy with the game length.
Originally I wasn't able to change my other characters' weapons and armor. I had tried initially and it wouldn't let me so I didn't try again until a fellow reviewer told me you could do that a little while into the game, at least as far as the weapons go. You can't change the armor for any of the other characters, aside from buying these stupid little mods for their armor. I thought it was a step in the wrong direction. The cool thing about the first game was that when your main character got a cool new set of armor, you passed on your old set to one of your crew. Not possible here.
The one unforgiveable thing about the game is the repetitive use of maps. You will go back to the same areas over and over and over again. Combined with the whole "stuck in town" feeling of the game, it really detracts from the epic nature of the original game. You were out there exploring the world, seeing new places all the time. Here you're in town and occasionally you go out of town briefly to do something, unfortunately its almost always back to the same three locations.
Another small matter was the lack of the party camp. I really liked that from the first game. All your characters were together in one place and it made you feel like your party was in this terrible mess together. Now you have everyone who has their own house around town--it feels very odd to me for some reason. Why not have them all hang out at Hawke's place?
All in all a very solid game. Takes a while to warm up to some of the changes but for the most part you will. I'd probably give it 3.5 stars if I could, but its definitely not a four star game the way it is. If they had added a little variety in the maps and put a little more work into the plot they could have easily made this better than the first game, even with the changes to the combat system. But now we know how they got the game on the market so fast.
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+1 Month and still no patch.****************************************************************************************************
Review for the XBOX 360 version of the game.
I've loved Bioware's games. Dragon Age Origins is one of my favorite games. My first play through took 60 hours and when I finished, I promptly restarted the game. The story and the conflict were engaging. The characters were unique and likable. All-in-all DA:O was a delightful throwback to games like Baldur's Gate. I can't recall many games in recent memory that hooked me as fast.
However, here I am, debating on whether or not I will ever play through Dragon Age 2 again. This game needed at least another year or two of development. It's either the result of rushed development, tight resources, or laziness.
First the Good: The graphics on the XBOX 360 version are an improvement over DA:O. The animations are improved. The soundtrack is better. The button pressing combat creates a hack-n-slash experience with mixed results. However, it does provide a more interactive experience than DA:O where you tapped a button and then watched as your character began engaging the enemy. Although, I imagine PC users will likely be ticked by this change.
The story has some amazing moments. Whoever wrote the Qunari pieces in the second act should get a raise. Those scenes were all gripping and amazingly done. Also a few of your party members really stand out. The characters "Varric" and "Merill" are great and their dialogue is very well done.
The Bad: Good graphics don't mean anything if you see the same maps and the same textures throughout the entire game. By the end of the first act, I had grown tired of Kirkwall. I had seen everything. Every cave, every mansion, every beach rely on the exact same underlying map. So the cave is always the same. It always looks the same. Bioware changes things up by blocking where you can go on the map, but 1/3 of the way through the game and I found I had seen everything. This just feels lazy. Maybe they ran out of time or resources or perhaps they were constrained by the limits of the DVD format. I don't know and I don't care. This sucks. 30-45 hours of the same thing.. over and over and over.....
The story details a political conflict. It's a political conflict that I don't want any part of because there is obviously no winner. There is no "good" or "bad" decision. Just shades of gray. No blight, just politics. I'm not rushing towards a great conclusion. I'm rushing into a Greek tragedy! Characters behave irrationally. Only thing I knew for certain was whatever decision I made, I'd pay for it later. Beyond that, your choices don't matter. You have the same boss fights regardless of which side you ultimately pick. It doesn't make story sense. I thought my choices would determine who the ultimate baddie would be, but no, you end up fighting both sides regardless of what you do. It feels forced. I played as a mage. The game centers around the conflict between mages and templars, but most templars didn't even seem to notice the fact my character was a mage.
Then there are bugs. One character's quest became bugged. It was a bug that revealed the ending of her quest chain, thus spoiling the story. I went online and found that many other people have experienced the same thing. A problem even more noteworthy if you have engaged in a "romance" with said character.
A few other bugs my friends and I have noticed:
* No achievements for DA2 Exiled Prince DLC. That's 5 achievements for 130 gamer points that currently do not work.
* Final boss fight glitches. Character remains stunned and villain is finished off by NPCs.
* You can't finish quests in the third act. NPCs fail to engage when you approach.
* Targeting problems with mages.
* Monsters in various boss fights fail to appear, but still damage player and NPCS.
* Game crashes when loading an area often resulting in a corrupted save file.
* Game triggers that are supposed to reference decisions from DA:O, Golemns of Amgarak, and Witch Hunt fail to work.
The game allows you to import your save from DA:O. For the most part, it doesn't matter. You get an extra side quest or get a forced cameo. Your choices don't impact much of anything. However, on a few occasions where the game could reference my decisions, I discovered that DA2 got my decisions wrong. I didn't spare the Architect!
On normal difficulty and higher, battles go on too long. My characters always feel woefully underpowered. Monsters will seize on one character (almost always the rogue). At this point you run said character around for a bit waiting for monsters to engage someone else. It's stupid, but one of the only things I've found to work in some of the tougher fights. Party members ignore commands. There's a cool down on potions and an increased cool down on healing spells.
I seriously could go on, but I'll spare you. I'm not alone in my complaints. Several of my friends pre-ordered as well. We've had group chat sessions that have turned into something of a Dragon Age 2 therapy session. Honestly, I'm hurt. I loved DA:O.
I pre-ordered this game and I won't make that mistake again. I'll wait for reviews for Mass Effect 3 and any subsequent DA game.
Best Deals for Dragon Age 2 - Xbox 360
I wish there were half-ratings, because I don't feel this is a baseline 3 star game. More like 3.5. Just not good enough to be a 4.While I only experienced two freezes in the entire game, numerous things about the game bothered me. What stands out the most is the lack of creativity throughout the entire game. It didn't bother me so much that the whole game takes place in a single city, because if done correctly you would forget you're in just one city (and even if you remembered, you'd be amazed it was all one city).
I think the city of Denerim in Origins had just as many locations as this new city setting takes place in. And while a couple of the city locations are fairly large, you will travel every inch of them so many times the city loses its charm pretty quickly. And it's unfortunate, because one of the strengths or getting the player familiarized with an area is that certain locations will inevitably come to be associated with events in the game. There was such an instance while I was playing when I reached an area and I thought "Oh wow, this is where ______ was murdered." I won't reveal who because it would be a spoiler.
However, the failure of the game setting is that underground areas/caves/exterior beach levels all used the exact same design. Literally, they would just re-use the same cave for all caves (except one, I think, which was unique), and they would fill it with different enemies. Drop giant spiders, blood mages or whatever else in the cave and change the quest, problem solved. And then the design of the cave itself was ridiculous. Not only did I feel it was lazy, but it made cave exploration feel like a chore, when in Origins it was one of the most fun parts. What this means for the familiarization of locations is that the personal connection I would have otherwise felt was shattered because the same interior setting existed in multiple places.
And to expound on that point, I also felt a bit cheated in the game. Where in Origins the game took place along a large landmass and quests occurred all over it, the same locations are used over a period of ten years. So I'd take my time and work through nearly all the available quests, and then the game would skip ahead 1-3 years and suddenly I have to clear the same caves, deal with more gang problems, the same old thing. I found it cheap for one main reason. My first character was a "Good" guy. I helped out everyone I could, the best way I could. But then when the game skips ahead I'm supposed to buy that for the past three years my character was just absent from all events and did nothing to prevent the further decay of the city. It ruins the immersion.
And that's the main thing really killed the game for me. That even though "rushed" isn't really the word I would use to describe what was wrong with the game, it was sorely lacking in the creativity department.
The game still earns a 3.5 rating though, because especially the second half of the game, the story really picks up and gets really damn good. In the interest of keeping this review as short as possible, this is where I'll end my review. Dragon Age 2 was a game that had so much potential to be great, the ingredients were all there. But as with Mass Effect 2, I felt this sequel kind of moved sideways. It did some things better and some things worse than the original, and ultimately I was left feeling unsatisfied.
Honest reviews on Dragon Age 2 - Xbox 360
It's difficult to know what to say about Bioware's newest offering in the Dragon Age series. The style of the game has shifted drastically, and it's entirely possible that a lot of that will just come down to personal preference. One thing is certainly true though: this game is far-removed from it's predecessor.The first game received a large quantity of DLC post-release. I mention this mostly because of a common criticism of content such as Awakenings, Witch Hunt, and so on -that they seemed short or rushed. This could often be explained away as they weren't full-length releases, and some issues in dialog or character development are to be expected. Origins itself had many bugs and issues. In fact, if you're playing the 360 version as of now (shortly after the release of DA:2), there are STILL broken elements in the ending which were never patched and don't accurately reflect your character's actions. Therefore, it perhaps bears mentioning that Bioware was seemingly in the habit of continuing to release (rushed?) content while failing to patch the original game.
That aside, Origins was monumental achievement in world creation. The amount of lore poured into the game was nothing short of astounding. One of the better elements is that every weapon/item you found had a nice paragraph type description. The titular origins personalized your character, and described your place in the world (whether elf, human mage, dwarf noble, etc.). Conversations took place through a dialog tree, where you selected a sentence spelling out your characters response (with the option to attempt skill-based options like persuade/intimidate interspersed). The extent of choice was not always what it could've been (in-world choices were almost always dichotomies) and your character origin often didn't have the impact it probably should have. The original game's combat emulated combat from Baldur's Gate series in attempt at real time tactical play, but that interface worked poorly for consoles, which resulted in what "appeared" to be a third person action type game. Of course, it wasn't an action game, and combat seemed slow comparatively and suffered from pathing issues and the like.
Dragon Age 2 had a lot to live up to. A giant world of potential had been created, but there were issues too. I think most players hoped that bugs in the original wouldn't be present this time around at release (things like glitched weapon damage, pathing issues, occasionally broken or poorly balanced combat) and that the promises of the first game would bear more fruit this time around (better integrated origin stories, more choices, etc.).
What we have received is a mixed bag.
The combat no longer has the same pathing issues, as you can manually run up and whack someone, a la . However, the tactical element has gotten worse, if anything. Most of the larger battles in DA2 seem to consist of endless streams of opponents appearing out of nowhere till the encounter is over. Gone is the aspect of setting traps or sizing the numbers of your opponents (because reinforcements will literally fall from the sky). Everything is sped up, but this seems to do little but make managing multiple characters more difficult. The combat animations have become comically ridiculous. A warrior with a two-handed blade leaps across the field like one of the jedi in Knights of the Old Republic, he wields a comically-over-sized sword in the vein of Final Fantasy, he swings it like it's weight-less, and can do this repeatedly to the same enemy giving the appearance of rapid wiffle-bat style attacks. Mages handle their staves like pole-dancers/band-leaders twirling back and forth as they fire blasts. The result is that the supposedly physically weak mages come off as half-acrobat. This is a gigantic style shift. Both the animations and graphics follow a comic sort of aesthetic devoid of the realism championed in the first game. The resulting characters seem less real, more like comics. The combat is now a less thoughtful and more button mashing sort of affair, and even on the higher difficulties the combat fails to have the tactical requirements of even a game like Devil May Cry (on a low difficult).
The origins were announced to be out earlier on. Instead, the only playable option is a human noble (who starts out without any current claim to wealth). It seems painful that the nuanced variety from the earlier title has been replaced by the oldest possible cliche a human from a noble family in a bad place. The story is less about impending doom, and more of a character study than the previous game.
The dialog system has shifted to a more simplistic one, instead of actually telling you what your character will be saying a large symbol representing the nature of the response (halo, red fist, laughing mask, etc.) is shown on a wheel. The wheel format is fine; the dumbing down of the selections is somewhat insulting though.
The locations are generally pretty, but are repeated constantly. It's difficult to state this strongly enough. You will revisit the exact same areas time and time again. I don't mean you'll visit Al's Bar many times, but rather that if there was a map/area called Al's Bar, the exact same map would be seen again but called a smuggler's hideout, friend's house, etc. but maybe with different rooms closed off (but not altered) for the different areas. Oddly, the game's mini-map will always be the same for these locations, so you'll recognize the map easily, but the map gives no indication that a certain area is closed off this time. Basically, the area re-use and selective portion cut-off renders the mini-map pointless and misleading.
Your ability to customize your characters is more limited this time around. You can equip them with whatever sort of accessories you like, but their armor is fixed. You can find "upgrades" to their armor (which are added with no visible change). This has an interest side-effect. All the armor-type loot you find is only usable by your character; so any armor not made for your class or wearable by you is utterly useless. Armor in this game has been given two ability requirements (as opposed to what was the prior game's single requirement), and they're largely class dependent. Mages use willpower/magic, rogues use dexterity/cunning, and warriors use strength/constitution.
As an aside: The former title armor was occasionally class-restricted, but usually there was only a strength requirement. So, rogues didn't wear heavy armor, because it was heavy and their strength was probably too low. Heavy armor could also restrict ability use. An interested character in the first game could probably divert the statistics to raise strength to equip armor though, regardless of the wisdom of such a move. The second game effectively prevents characters from that sort of experimentation. By requiring TWO stats for equipment, the game effectively tells the player: "your stats need to go here". A mage attempting to wear warrior armor for example, would have great difficulty diverting points from magic (Even ignoring willpower) to both strength AND constitution.
The story generally seems less deep, and more like a collection of side-stories. The recycled nature of the environments don't help when it comes to pulling you into unique locations. Most of the party members are likable, though they suffer in some ways from the new art-style in my opinion (compare the relatively modest females in Dragon Age Origins with the ludicrously over-sized breasts of a character like Isabella (or Bethany in the intro)).
So, what are we left with? The game isn't the RPG it's predecessor was. The design seems to have focused on a younger and perhaps more mainstream audience. Much of stat/customization elements have been pared down. The dialog is more basic and represented by large pictures. The art/combat/graphic style has received a comic-book makeover. The game plays more like a action RPG with less tactics. The story is less engaging, more fragmented, the reality and gravity seems to have been kicked down a notch (if only by the art-style, the incongruity of the combat with "reality", and the considerably more cliche story). In short, this is a game that seems more like a side-story/spin-off produced by another studio as a quick cash-in than an actual sequel. It's worth mentioning perhaps, that yes, this one has plenty of bugs too.
However, this game was actually made by Bioware. The changes are incredibly perplexing. The first game was a huge success, why did they change the formula so much? Perhaps these were decisions that had to be made to get the game out in a rush (writing all those origins might've been hard? Making different areas is hard? Allowing you to customize more than one character is hard? Giving you more choices is hard?). The result is a thoroughly average game, made worse by the fact that it's so clearly rushed, and that it's made by one of the largest names in the RPG world/published by one of the wealthiest publishers out there. I could see people that didn't play the first one, that like more mindless games, and don't really care about story getting some enjoyment out of this game. It's not for me.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Dragon Age 2 - Xbox 360
Dragon Age: Origins was never a perfect game; but it had character, which is of epic import for any RPG game. DA2 is nothing like the original and only bears similarity in name and basic storyline.This game is disappointing from the start; it's slow to build, leaving you initially with random and pathetic sidequests of no importance, building then to a short "adventure" (I use the term so very lightly), and then only leading to more stupid sidequests. The quests have no real impact though the style of the game and constant bludgeoning of silly tasks that have you running back and forth for no apparent purpose would make you think that somewhere---maybe---there is a payoff.
There is not.
The game ending culminates in no progression. Nothing. That is almost impossible for an RPG---to end in nothing happening. What do I mean? Well,after completing all these side quests and only mildly building potential villians, DA2 screws itself by simply....killing them off. Meaning, nothing you did mattered. At all. No point in choosing sides. The game then ends without saying what happens next except some vague talk about you leaving the city maybe kinda sorta I dunno.....
The story just doesn't have any punch. It will attempt to hold your interest and then it will go cold just as soon. This game is mostly grind quests, little more.
The characters? Somewhat lifeless by comparison to DAO. The original had lots of info and interaction that could take place at any time with the characters, this game gives you limited conversations where in you learn nothing about the characters in the game and these conversations can only happen three or four times in the course of the game. The characters themselves could have been made better, there was the potential, but no one seized it.
Combat? Stellar. Its fun, and there is tactical potential---you always have to watch your mages, etc. The combat is the only real solid thing about this game. Its quite good.
The quests: empty, lifeless, simple. This game is like WoW on console but with no online play. Constant senesless quests, on maps and dungeons that are repeated. In fact, there is only really three dungeon maps that are slightly altered and repeated for all the quests. No creativity. And the characters had a tendency to not be explained nor what they were doing be explained, so you often had no clue what was going on.
A lot of smaller things really made me feel glad I only paid $35 for this game (gift certificate and pre-order special on the signature edition...thought it was a great deal). Things like the equipment, which you can only customize your own armor though you can customize the weapons of your allies, as well as the accessories. But characters weapon choices are limited, in fact some cant change weapons. Its pathetic, one of the great strengths of an RPG is the complexity of character equipment. This is just another slap in the face.
In closing, I felt like I had to trudge through the game to get the end story, the actual mainstream of the game is mildly entertaining at best. The ending was....maddening, and left me angry and unsatisfied. Confused even. The quests were pointless, though they gave the impression that they meant something in the long run, there is no long run in the game so such is not possible.
Its possible this is a setup for DA3, and I think that this is an EA idea: create a short and hopefully sweet interim game at full price, then release another one that finishes that one at full price as well. Its pathetic, and I doubt EA gave Bioware much time to make the game either; Bioware makes gold, but since EA bought them out they have made continually lower quality RPG titles. EA is the cause of this games total failure.
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