Discount MTV Celebrity Deathmatch

Customer Ratings:

I finally broke down and bought this game because it was only 2.99 and I'm glad I didn't pay a penny more for it. It's mildy entertaining, at best, because there are very few fighting moves and other options. Also the action is very slow as opposed to other great fighting games like Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter. As in most games, I find the announcers annoying and time consuming, however the one good thing about it is the celebrity personalities. The idea of the game has great potential, but the makers have fallen short of my standards.

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At first, I was on the fence about buying this game because it got mixed bag reviews, but then I decided to pick it up and I'm glad I did because it's gory, it's funny, and it's highly entertaining.

WHAT THE GAME IS: Technically, it's a fighting game based on an old MTV show of clay celebrities who fight each other. This game features fifteen celebrities, six episodes with three matches each, unlockable characters, and you can customize your own celebrity.

GRAPHICS: Old and not great, I would like it to look a little better with its textures and animation.

MUSIC: Rock music like you'd expect from this kind of things.

SOUND: Punching, kicking, slashing, use of chainsaws, guns, dogs barking, the announcers spouting dirty sexual innuendos (Like one incident in which one of them fantasized about Carmen Electra and Cindy Margolis "doing it"), taunting from the celebrities, and more.

GAMEPLAY: Most people can breeze through this game with ease and unlock everything. Some may not like the selection of fighting moves, but others will (Like when I was Frankenstein and I was facing the Wolfman and he peed on me as one of his attacks, or dismembering your opponent in a number of ways). It's really quite satisfying to pull off these moves, and it's not hard to figure out how to finish someone, and when you do it's a glorious sight that will make you laugh your a-off for how funny they are.

OVERALL: Well, it depends, do you really like fighting games? Are you a fan of the old show? Or are you just looking for some gory fun? I can't say if you'll like it or not because of how short the game is, and you might not like to fighting moves. But, you might find quite a lot of fun in this underrated game if you give it a chance.

THE GOOD: Cool dismembering moves, funny attacks and dialogue, great selection of celebrities, easy to use, and it's got an endless replay value.

THE BAD: Game is a bit too short, you can complete it in one sitting.

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This game was played a lot during my childhood. Since I recently acquired a working Xbox from GameStop's garbage, I had to buy some games for it. Of course this was one of them. The game itself is okay; would be better if it involved some real wrestling moves such as grappling and throwing etc just like the Smackdown/RAW games. However, it is entertaining if you're not an experienced gamer and just want some laughs out of it. I'd recommend the show over the game anytime.

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K THERES ONLY 2 FIGHTING STYLES FOR EACH GENDER WHEN U WANT TO CREATE SOMEONE. PLUS THEY DON'T HAVE ALL THE CELEBERTIES THEY HAD ON TV, ONLY HAVE 6 ATTACKS (NOT INCLUDING WEAPONS), AND THE WEPONS DON'T APEAR AS MUCH AS THEY SHOULD. THIS GAME WAS WAY TOO EASY ALSO PLUS IT ONLY TOOK ME 20 MINS TO UNLOCK EVEY THING.

ONLY 6 ARENAS, LIKE 17 DUDES HALF OF THEM ARE CELEBERTIES. SHOULD HAVE TONS OF FIGHTING STYLES LIKE MARTIAL ARTS, STREET FIGHTNG, WRESTLING, AND PRO WRESTLING. GOOD THING I DIDN'T BUY THIS, MY GRAND MA DID =)

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I've been eyeing up Celebrity Deathmatch the game for a year or so now. I finally decided to pick it up, and boy am I glad I did. The game is extremely simple, taking me about 30 mins to beat the "Story" if you will and unlock all the characters. The graphics for the Xbox version look very nice, and the clay qualities really stand out. It has good celebrities to play as, though I would of liked to see some bigger names that were on the show, like Arnold Schwartzenegger, X-Files (David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson), Madonna, etc. The celebrities provided are awesome though, and some pretty funny match ups can be created. Nick and Johnny's commentary really shines, they have some great lines that literally made me laugh out loud, and that usually never happens when I play a video game. Another complaint I see alot: All the moves are the same for every fighter. That's not true except for the N*Sync members, and there's even some variety there too. But, I'll go with the group for Create-A-Fighter, it sucks. There's two fight style templates to pick from, and you cant even choose your own moves. On top of that, you really even can't make your creation look like a celebrity. I tried to make Bruce Campbell for some fun beating up the other celebrities with a Chainsaw, but I had a lot of trouble even trying to make someone look like him. WARNING: This is not a game for anyone under the age of 15. There are many potent and strong sexual jokes, and even though it's clay, the violence is very graphic, in fact one of the goriest games I've played in a while. I mean, it's not Gears of War or Madworld bad, but it is definitely up there with Mortal Kombat and some other gory fighters. Now, go out and get this, especially if you're a fan of the show, and enjoy!

Arctic Thunder Review

Customer Ratings:

If you have played Rush or Rush 2 for the Nintendo 64 then this you have an idea of the feel of this game. Gameplay focuses on fast pace and quick decisions. Learning the tracks is a must and there is a training mode designed to help do that very thing.

The thing that makes this game different from Rush, other than the fact it is snowmobiles, is the addition of weapons. The weapons add interest and frustration at the same time. It is fun to knock other players off there rides, but not as fun as it seems like it would be. Also, the computer is always better at knocking you off at the critical moment than you are.

PROS:

1. The tracks are different, interesting, and fun.

2. Unlocking new tracks and characters, modifying your sled, and upgrading your racer are all fun features that add endurance to the gameplay.

3. The variety of things you can do (Race, Shoot, do Tricks) means that there is always something different to try.

4. Shortcuts are great!

5. 4 player multiplayer race or battle.

6. Sound is pretty good.

CONS:

1. The graphics leave something to be desired. They aren't awful, but they are not the high point of the game.

2. The weapons lack the punch that you want them to have. Shooting someone with a rocket is not even as satisfying as a turtle shell in Mariio Kart. (I think they toned it down to get a "Teen" rating)

3. It would be nice to be able to just race with no weapons or bonuses. There might be a code that would allow you to do that, but I don't have it yet. (They give you codes when you get a gold medal on a race)

OVERALL, I have not been disappointed in this game, but I did not have high expectations. This is a good game for what it is. It is not an exceptional game; it doesn't break the rules or raise the bar, but it is fun.

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I was looking for an Xbox game that my 6 year old niece and 7 year old nephew might like when they came to visit me and I picked this one up. We had a great time with it, playing it over and over. The game play is easy enough for youngsters, though I'm not really sure my niece ever knew exactly what she was doing, and collecting points to upgrade the sleds and unlock new tracks and characters was a lot of fun. When they all left, I kept playing until I had it all unlocked. The game play does get repetitive and it is a bit limited--you can only replay the same courses so many times before you get tired of them. But it was a great choice for that weekend when they all came to visit and I'd recommend it!

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Arctic Thunder is an arcade gameplain and simple. It can be a lot of fun if you are playing with 2 or 3 others. Aim for the green turbo icons at all costs or you probably will never win. It is a blast when you hit these because your snowmobile takes off like a rocket.

Gameplay (7.0):

Easy controls, fun multiplayer, and stuff to unlock.

Graphics (6.5):

It is arcade-style all the way, so they are not that bad when you consider that. Could have been better.

Replay (7.5):

Very fun when playing with others and can be fun for a single player if you are into unlocking stuff. Will bore you after you have completed everything.

Overall (7.0):

I would love to give this one 3.5 stars, but since I cannot, I chose to round up because of the multiplayer fun.

Honest reviews on Arctic Thunder

This is not a simulation game by any means. But the action is fast and smooth, there are tons of bells and whistles and the feedback in the controller is great! It's not particularly challenging in racing mode, but it's still fun!

For those put off by framerate concerns with the PS2 this game runs as smooth as silk on XBox.

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This is the game that i have been waiting for. It features all of the characters from the arcade version. Thank you midway.

Buy Skylanders Giants Single Character Pack Core Series 2 Cynder

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List Price: $9.99
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This review is to counteract the first one. Whomever wrote the first review was misinformed and did very little research before purchasing. No where on this page does it say that this is a Glow In the Dark Cynder. The picture isn't even of GITD Cynder. GITD Cynder is only available from Walmart Skylanders Giants Starter Packs. She is not available as a single figurine (as of 1/18/13).

Now, I believe this figure is really well done and the symmetry is painstakingly beautiful. Cynder isn't my favorite character, but it is my niece's favorite. She loves the purple and the lightning.

All in all, good character, great figurine, not Glow in the Dark.

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This Cynder is the re-released series 2, redesigned & upgraded version of the original Cynder from the Spyro's Adventures game. She is an Undead element character and one of only a few female skylanders in the series. She is a pretty powerful character with very cool powers, everything from shooting lightning from her mouth, flying around, shadow dashing which allows her to quickly run past bad guys, to leaving ghost trails behind her for her enemies to walk through and she can be leveled up to 15 now and you have a choice of more than 1 upgrade path! She is my niece's favorite character not just for her powers she has but loves her purple color and personality with the phrases she comes out with on the game. Since this is a series 2 re-released version of the Skylanders Spyro's Adventures version of her, she now has a WOW POW power and she can be played in the original Sypro's Adventures game and the new Skylanders Giants game. Very very fun character!

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Happy to find another skylander in the mad hunt for them. Never disappointed with amazon. Purchased for a birthday present.

Honest reviews on Skylanders Giants Single Character Pack Core Series 2 Cynder

what she wanted

it is just what my daughter wanted they seem to be all the rage at school now

glad I got them

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My son recently received the game Skylanders Spyro Adventures and of course is needing characters. Love finding them on Amazon cause they seem to run a little cheaper then some stores.

Fallout: New Vegas - Playstation 3 Review

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List Price: $19.99
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As of September 2011, the game is fully playable and patched. I have played the main campaign twice and completed most of the side quests while exploring the entire map. Allow me to say that during the 60+ hours, the game never froze. There was one issue when I got stuck in a window and could not move, but apart from that I have not experienced a single glitch whatsoever.

The game is definitely worth buying at this point. The map is huge, the weapon selection is considerably larger than Fallout 3, the characters have great voice actors, and the side quests are filled with solid detail. Whatever bugs may have plagued the game when it launched are totally gone and what's left is a gaming experience I give my full faith to. I encourage and ensure you that this game is worth the money now.

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The intricate storyline, interesting quests, and endearing side-kicks (Lily the grandmother super mutant is, quite possibly one of the best characters I've ever encountered in a video game, despite her limited role and interactions...) are not enough to save this pitiful excuse for a game. For the life of me I do not understand how game companies can release games in these states, without ANY repercussions. 40 hours into the game, I couldn't exit a casino, and had to replay 13 hours (good thing I had the save filesit could have been worse). The games locks CONSTANTLY, requiring hard resents. Certain key areas I can't even enter because of the locking.

We aren't talking a few annoying graphics glitches here we are talking game ***unplayability***

I'm running a new 120Gb PS3 Slim with only a few other saved game files from Dragon's Age and Fallout 3.

A look on the Bethesda forums reveals innumerable gamers with the exact same (as well as many many more) complaints.

Before you buy this game I suggest reading the Bethesda Forums to get an idea what state the game is in.

And they have the gall to announce new DLC while the game is not fixed.

What other industry would be allowed to charge consumers for a product that doesn't work? It just boggles the mind.

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Well, I loved Fallout 3 on the PS3 so much I preordered New Vegas. But I would advise people not to buy it, at least until after the price drops to $29 or so. Now that I think of it, I bought Fallout 3 when it had dropped to $29 so it had massive patches by then. There is absolutely no excuse for selling an unfinished game like this at $60. This is a slap in the face and an insult to game buying consumers. Obviously Obsidian and Bethesda are kicking back laughing their way to the bank at how gullible gamers are and intend to keep pushing the envelope of just how unfinished and defective of a product people will buy. As long as people keep buying garbage like this, they will keep pushing out even more unfinished games, these are big, greedy corporations after all.

Good: pretty much just like Fallout 3

Bad: too much like Fallout 3 right down to the same textures and colored building interiors, same npc baddies, etc.

A lot of worthless items to get and hold onto in order to craft relatively low value items from them. Adds more RPG aspect I guess but its pretty useless if you ask me.

Lots and lots of bugs and glitches. Lots of characters stuck halfway in the ground and walls. Lots of characters just getting stuck walking up against stuff and never moving away. Lots of black holes where suddenly everything is black until you get passed the area. Lots of invisible barriers in weird places to keep you from going past. Lots of game freezes. Lots of auto saves being corrupt. Lots of other glitches as well.

My suggestion to Obsidian and Bethesda: try a beta release or two or three and then, after you get a completely functioning game sell it. I feel like I should be paid as a debugger for having even tried out this refried potato.

Consensus: It smells like yesterdays lunch with Garlic added. Unfortunately the microwave is on the fritz so you best wait til they at least heat it up for you.

Honest reviews on Fallout: New Vegas - Playstation 3

BROKEN! You're better off playing Fallout 3 again. The same issues that plagued Fallout 3 only worse.

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This is a great game. It's fun, innovative, improves upon many things from Fallout 3, I couldn't ask for anything more.

Except for it to work.

I've had it crash numerous times. Sometimes little crashes where I just need to restart my PS3. Sometimes larger crashes where the power button won't turn the machine off, so I need to switch it off from the back. And then when it goes back on, it won't recognize the disc until I remove the disk, power cycle it again, and put the disc back in. And then, typically, it won't load.

Issue has happened both pre and post 1.01 patch. I gave the developer time to patch before going on a warpath.

Trying to return this game to Amazon as a defective product, which it is. If they're half as good as people claim they are for customer service, they'll honor that, because this product is absolute garbage. And it may be the game of the year if it worked. But that's like giving me an Aston Martin that has a 4 cylinder engine. It doesn't work, so there's no point.

Bethesda needs to worry more about the developers and less about getting Chandler to do annoying faux greaser voiceacting.

/rage

Best Need for Speed: Shift - Playstation 3 Deals

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I can't for the life of me figure out why someone who (in general) likes driving games would not like this game!

Pros:

The graphics are eye popping and run smoothly throughout on both my PS3s (80GB fat and a 120GB slim).

The sound is top notch, especially on 5.1 (or better?) systems.

Driving can be challenging or easy and is highly configurable to let you decide which is best for you.

There are a ton of different cars to master that all drive differently (as it should be).

You can upgrade each car with engine, suspension, braking and other technical improvements.

You can customize the visual aspects of each car if you're into that kind of thing.

You can be either a precision or aggression style of driver and you earn points for both along the way

There are many different racing styles represented (standard, manufacturer events, drift for example)

Cons:

At release, there were some bugs but they have been addressed now as far as I can tell.

This game melds elements of arcade and simulation racing which may put off hard core fans these genres.

The Need for Speed series is a tale of two franchises really and that is why the widely differing reviews I think. If you are a fan of NFS: Hot Pursuit and other "cops and robbers" racing games, then you will likely not like this game because there isn't a cop in sight. You are racing on tracks and other closed courses and not in city streets with other civilian cars running around. If you need to see flashing red lights in your rear view mirror, or just have to run down a mother and her baby carriage then look elsewhere.

What this game is a pretty simple I think. It provides you with all the best elements of actually racing in environments designed for racing, plus the ability to tweak your ride to a reasonable level. This is where simulation meets arcade to me because while games like Gran Turismo allow you to tinker until your knuckles bleed, NFS: Shift dumbs all that down a bit so you can just concentrate on driving and having fun.

Bottom line is this; If you want an all out utterly realistic simulation, this ain't it. If you want chase epic scenes, running from the cops and driving crazy fast amongst the general population, this ain't it. But if you want to just have fun while driving nice cars on actual race courses with limited tweaking -then this is the ticket. If you can accept what this game brings to bear, you will enjoy it.

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I purchased the game after going off the IGN review (9.0 out of 10). I would not rate it that high personally. The game takes getting used to. I admit to liking the NFSU games, but knew this one was different and closer to a GT racing sim than the earlier titles. Anyway, I think that the game performs well in some areas, not so in others. The load times are ridiculous. The same questions come up on each time you start the game. With the HD in place there should not be such long load times between races and saving. There is no menu option that I see to quit mid-race. Hopefully the cars will be more stable and easier to control at high speeds as you advance through the tiers. The BMW M3 on tier 2 is way too loose even after all upgrades. I probably need to do more tuning but it's hard to keep on the courses. I suppose this is to lend to the more realistic simulation but it's frustrating at times. Drift mode is an adventure; I've never been great at drift racing but the initial impression here is that it's almost prohibitive in it's difficulty. I haven't found the right balance of throttle and brake yet. It seems overly sensitive compared to the previous titles. While it shouldn't be totally easy, it takes a lot of getting used to and I find it annoying at times.

The courses are pretty awesome although many have already been done in the GT series. The graphics are very good. I have not noticed the high speed blurring as mentioned in other reviews, maybe because my car tops out at 150 or so. We'll see when we get into the high end cars if it is noticable.

I typically don't do the online racing because of the issues with rewarding aggressive/dirty tactics in all online play so I can't speak to that experience yet.

I think it is a disservice to gamers that EA did not make it compatible with the racing wheels out there. How does anybody make a driving sim that doesn't work with a wheel controller?

In spite of it's flaws (maybe they are my flaws, not the game?), I am enjoying the game so far. I am giving it a 7.5 after limited game play. Maybe when my skills improve I will look at it differently. Not a bad effort.

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Ok where should I begin? This game fancies itself as some kind of a perfect cross between a sim and an arcade racer, but the truth is that it totally fails to accomplish this goal. It seems that being stuck in the middle ground isn't doing this new NFS installment any favors and let me explain why. Individuals who like arcadish racing games will find this title a bit too difficult for their taste, since some sort of driving physics, albeit exaggerated and inaccurate, still exists and the car is not exactly easy to control. Hardcore sim fans will be thoroughly disappointed as this game is just really not much of a driving simulator at all; physics does not feel realistic, speed feels artificially exaggerated to" enhance the action experience", finally, besides top speed and acceleration, cars do not feel all that much different from one another. Overall, the physics of this game does not even come close in comparison to something like GT5 prologue.

If all this wasn't enough, there is the graphics, which really does not seem all that sharp, as it appears to have been tuned down to prevent frame rate issues. Furthermore, the gameplay was not very impressive at all, as it is an extremely linear progression, which does not allow much freedom whatsoever. Last, but certainly not least, there are compatibility problems with Logitech G25 steering wheel. The wheel feels off-center with a huge center deadzone (I tried playing with the options and didn't help) and finally the force feedback is all messed up all this adding up to a pretty terrible driving experience with otherwise the best steering wheel on the market.

Overall, this game is stuck in a non-sim/non-arcade land, which really makes it hard to be appealing for fans of either genre. In certain ways it is similar to GRID, but does not have the same impressive graphics, innovative features and crash sequences and so in other words, it brings nothing new to the table. The final nail in the coffin is delivered through its sloppy integration with the Logitech G25 steering wheel, which turns a pretty crappy racing experience into a truly horrid one.

Honest reviews on Need for Speed: Shift - Playstation 3

Setup:

PlayStation 3 120 GB

Logitech G27 Racing Wheel for PC and PS3

I have yet to wreck my car so bad that I couldn't drive it any longer on NFS:Shift. It is a much better sim than any previous NFS game. The arcade mode is still there in that you can use any car ahead of you to slow down into a corner. Get behind? Drive like a maniac and then slam into the cars ahead, sure the hood will crumple but you will blast them off the track and if your good you can then run ahead on to the next set and slam into them. Its like a mix of a demolition derby and a racing sim.

There are a ton of redeeming qualities in this game though, so dont think its all bad;

Cockpit:

The cockpits of these cars look very authentic. I am a fan of Top Gear and have seen every car in this game on that show several times (except the Camaro) and the cockpits here look identical. When you drive a car it tallies up the miles you have driven it which is cool to say you have driven a few thousand miles in car X. It makes you want to keep a car longer just so you can become more proficient.

AI:

Not bad, many of them want to kill you and they will try to run you off the road. Which can help you get ready for online races because they will do the exact same thing.

Cars:

Very accurate but indestructible. Drive a Zonda or Veyron into a wall at 200 MPH and it will only dent the hood slighlty and may break the lenses.

I can only compare this to another driving sim even though its an off road rally game. Comparing this to Dirt 2 and you will see some glaring issues. First off in Dirt if you hit a wall or even a hay bale at speed you may risk ripping a body panel off or even the wheel; ending your race. In Shift you can slam into anything you want and it will keep on going.

Issue 2: the gravel is impossible to turn on. I realize hitting gravel at high speed means you can not turn as sharply but in Shift you hit it at anything over 20 and you will hit the wall.

Issue 3: The car customizing is really difficult to do. Want to do ralley stripes on your car, it can take 30 minutes or more to get them all in place, hit a wrong button and all that work is gone.

Pros:

>> Wonderful car models

>> Drive some of the rarest cars on the planet

>> Accurate cockpits

>> Cool animations when you hit things

Cons:

you have maxed out your upgrades.

The controls are similar to GTA, which is a good thing as the controls are fairly logical. One nice thing is that you don't have any annoying "checkpoints" of earlier racing games.

The game does a great job of providing variety in races. You can race "manufacturers challenge" where every driver gets the exact same car (that way nobody has an advantage w/their vehicle). You can do head-to-head challenges between two different cars. There are also lap eliminator & time eliminator races that are thrown in as well.

Almost all of the major car manufacturers are on the game; Nissan, Toyota, Aston Martin, Chervolet, Ford, Lamborgini, Audi, Mercedes, etc. The only major brand that is omitted is Ferrari. That's too bad as I'm a huge fan of Ferrari! Ostensibly, the licensing didn't work out as I can't see the makers of the game simply forgetting about such a major manufacturer of exotic automobiles.

If you like racing games, then more than likely you will like this one. Sure, the laws of physics are toned down in the game, but to have more realistic physics would be to degrade the playability of the game. This is at once one of the most frustrating games I've ever played, and at the same time it's one of the funnest games I've ever played. You can drive with the precision of Mario Andretti, or you can be so aggressive that you make NASCAR drivers look like downright courteous operators. In short, it's everything a racing game should be!

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First, let me say that this game has its share of technical problems. So why do I give it 5 stars? I'll get to that in a moment. Let's get the bad stuff out of the way first. Load times are rather long, and as you get farther into the game, they can get really long. There's a bit of frame rate slowdown occasionally, but it's not at all common. However if there are 10 cars ahead of you and 5 of them are having a massive collision, the frame rate can drop to 0 for a second, and next thing you know you're 100 yards farther down the track than you were before. The sound can cut out on occasion, requiring you to quit the game and restart it. Again, this is rare. There's also a problem with the replays if you're using a steering wheel, the replays cause the wheel to turn, which in turn causes the on-screen menu to start cycling through its options, creating an annoying clicking sound. In the past, a couple of tracks had terrible slowdown problems, causing the game to run in slow motion. However, they've fixed this with a patch which you can download for free.

So now the good stuff. Technical problems aside, this game is an absolute blast to play. They start you off with a race in which your driving abilities are analyzed. The game then sets the difficulty level to suit your experience level. You can also manually choose whatever difficulty you want, from casual to professional. And you can set the AI opponents to easy, medium or hard. With casual difficulty, the cars almost drive themselves, you don't even need to use the brakes. With professional difficulty, it's a very good driving simulator, and quite realistic. And you can choose anything in between. So it appeals to just about any race fan, from beginner to expert.

As far as the cars and tracks, there's an excellent selection. Other games may have more cars, but this game has about as many as I could want. A very nice selection of American, European and Japanese cars, from low powered ones like you might actually own, to the most exotic and expensive stuff made in the world. I believe there are about 68 total. There are also two DLC packs, the "Team Racing" pack which is free includes some nice classic American muscle cars. The "Exotic" pack which is not free includes a nice selection of 7 exotic sports cars, along with a new track and a whole pile of extra events to race in. The selection of tracks in the game is about as good as anything on the market. Seriously, you will never get bored with the selection of tracks because there are just so many of them. And it's even got the Nurburgring!

The game is arranged into 4 tiers. You start on tier 1, with the lower powered cars. After you've gained enough experience, you move to tier 2, with more cars and a wider variety of tracks, and then to tier 3 and 4. The 5th group of races is the Need for Speed World Championship, which is a series of about 10 races. There's also a "star" system you earn stars for various things: 3 stars for a 1st place finish, 2 for 2nd, 1 for third. You can also get a star for completing a lap within the specified time, running a clean lap, earning enough points for precision driving or aggressive driving, etc. There are 50 levels total, and each time you make it to a new level you get a prize of some sort. It might be cash, or access to more features. So all throughout the game there are a myriad of incentives to keep you working towards getting better and achieving a higher level.

The best part though is the driving. It's just so fun and immersive. The force feedback you get if you use a steering wheel is awesome you can feel every bump and ripple in the track, and feel the tires losing traction and then gaining it back again. It really feels like you're driving a race car. The sound is also excellent, with directional sounds coming from all sides if you've got a surround sound system. Hit a wall on your left? You'll get a big crashing sound to your left. Collisions also cause your vision to momentarily go blurry and the color disappears, which goes even further to immerse you in the experience. And the cars are an absolute blast to drive. They all have their own unique handling and acceleration. There's no such thing as two cars that feel the same to drive. The physics are very realistic if you set it on professional or even experienced difficulty level. By the end of a long endurance race, I notice I'm sweaty, my arms are a bit tired, and my nerves are frayed. In other words, it provides that visceral and emotional experience that few others can match.

Overall, a great game. My favorite racing game of all time, hands down. I think I've got over 200 hours into it so far, and still having a blast.

Cheap Canvas Console Messenger Bag for Xbox 360TM

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I purchased this bag for my son in-law for Christmas. He is very happy with the bag. Thank you for making it so easy to order and it came exactly when stated.

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The console bag is great. I use it for my 15" laptop and it's magnificent.

However, I'm not sure how one would fit an xbox 360 in this bad boy.

Discount Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930 with 7.1 Surround Sound

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program

Here I demonstrate the Logitech G930 and it's usefulness and features with demonstrations of voice morphing capabilities.

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***UPDATE 5/3/2013***

Okay, so I've had this set for almost 3 years now. About a month ago I did have to replace the charger (my own fault, cord got damaged) and while I was doing so I replaced the battery for the first time as, with all rechargeables, it had degraded a bit. Going through logitech's website I was able to get the battery kit for 5 and the charger for 10. I'm hoping to get another 3 years out of this set.

Some updated impressions: After 3 years the faux leather covering over the ear pads has worn off a bit. I wear glasses and I've noticed that most of the wear is where my glasses rub them. I can't fault logitech for this really, and I don't notice it when I wear them.

My signal range seems to have degraded just a little, and I'm considering replacing the wireless dongle as well (which can be done directly through logitech for 10 bucks).

I won't deny the photo evidence regarding the plastic ear cup joints that people have posted in the comments on this review, but I will say that I've had this headset for almost 3 years, I'm a bit of a clumsy drunk at times (especially when gaming), and while I definitely haven't abused the headset it has been dropped from time to time. Other than the ear pad coverings and a few scuffs, you'd never know it wasn't brand new. Maybe I'm just lucky, I don't know, but the three headsets I bought before this one (all in the 50-100 dollar range) each lasted less than a year. Under the same treatment, this headset has outlasted all 3 of them. Honestly, if they broke right now I would probably buy the same set again. I haven't found much else that provides the same functionality in the same price range.

My long term impression of sound quality--audiophiles prolly wouldn't be satisfied, you can't crank them obscenely loud with strong bass without hearing some distortion. However, they definitely more hold their own in terms of gaming oriented headsets. At reasonable volume levels they're crisp and clear with good bass. I have grown addicted to the 7.1. I often tell people in first person shooters that 70% of my aiming is through sound at this point. It's hard to play without it.

My only real complaint is that the software is a bit buggy. Sometimes you have to relaunch it for the headset to be recognized properly and to get proper 7.1 playback. It's not much of a problem...but it can be annoying.

_______________

First, off, I've only had this headset for a day. I can't really go into detail about sound quality, how good the surround sound is, etc. However, I feel like I need to clarify a couple of things.

There are two major issues that people have been complaining about with this headset: the "flimsy plastic" joints holding the ear cups on, and the lack of a graphic equalizer. Please disregard anyone who mentions either of these two "problems," because it is completely false.

If you look closely at the ear cup joints, yes, there is plastic there. However, if you pay attention, the plastic isn't actually the part that's moving. It's merely a covering for the actual joint. On the back of the box, under "Durability," it clearly states that the joints are made from an aircraft grade aluminum alloy. This is a very well made product guys, I get no sense that, if treated properly (take your game rage out on something that costs a bit less, children) it will ever break on me.

Now, I'm not quite sure why people are saying there's no graphic equalizer, and that they are limited to bass and treble adjustments. Directly below the bass/treble bars, there's a big button that looks like a graphic equalizer. If you click it, guess what happens. Yep, a 10 band EQ pops right up, complete with preamp volume adjustment. If you have this turned on, it grays out and overrides the bass/treble adjustments.

Now that I've cleared that up, I'll give my one day impressions on the product.

Super comfortable. I have a fairly large head, and yes, the headset does squeeze a little tighter than what you might be used to, but that's because the headband is made of metal and not cheap plastic. It's the squeeze of quality, learn to love it. It's not a bad thing at all, you just might not be used to it. After a few days of breaking it in, I doubt I'll even notice.

The sound quality seems fantastic so far. I'm still working on getting it to sound just right with my game of choice, TF2. With movies, music, tv shows, etc, it's just amazing. Crystal clear, rich, amazing sound.

I initially had problems with the mic, people in Team Fortress 2 were telling me that it was cutting out, and screwing up sound for everyone (if you've ever played the game, you know what I'm talking about). This was fixed by turning the mic gain way way down. I've been so used to mics that are super quiet, so I had windows set to max out and boost mic input, and maxed out mic input through the game as well. Turned the levels down quite a bit and presto, clear as a bell.

One thing I don't like, the mic level resets itself every time I unplug the headset (rather, the usb dongle) then plug it back up. It remembers every other setting, just not mic gain. I've solved this by setting one of the G keys to reduce mic gain, so if I ever launch a game and accidentally leave it set too high, I can easily fix it on the fly.

Speaking of the G keys, I was kind of disappointed that they work with ventrilo, but not teamspeak. No big deal though. Still, I was hoping to be able to sit on my porch and chill in our TS channel and be able to chat with people. (I have to go outside to smoke here...ahem >.>...you know what I mean.)

The wireless range and battery life really seem to be just as good as advertised, which was a very nice surprise. I can go anywhere in my house and still have completely clear audio. The majority of my front porch gets signal as well, and that's going between three walls. Last night I went in game with only a partial charge, the software said 7 hours of battery life left. I played a little over two hours, left game, and it said I still had five hours left. Good stuff.

I love this headset. Completely. After years of frustration over broken wires ruining headsets, I could not be happier with this product. If you've got a nice, functioning headset already, like a g35 or whatever, I couldn't justify telling you to purchase this. However, if you've got a cheap POS, or if you're in the market to buy a new headset because you rolled over your current pair's wires one too many times with your chair, I couldn't recommend this enough. I've never spent this much money on one before, I've always been in the 50-70 dollar range. Dropping 160 wasn't easy for me to do, money is tight these days. I don't regret the purchase at all.

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11/26/11 Update: Ventrilo PTT key now works very nicely. You can set up a standard keyboard key to PTT from the keyboard, and a G-Key to PTT from the headset when you are AFK. I have used the headset for more than 1 year now, a minimum of 3x3hr sessions per week on Ventrilo and a few hours a week on Skype. The headset has performed perfectly. Upgraded the rating to 5-stars which applies if you are purchasing these to game and use Ventrilo.

7/5/12 Update: I've used this headset now for nearly two years, same usage pattern, and it still feels and functions as new. Normally I'd have concerns about the life of built-in rechargeable batteries, but this headset just plain continues to work. Even if/when the battery ultimately fails, it can still be used as a corded headset. This is a good one :)

[original review follows, edited to show PTT now works.]

First off, the G930 is physically a nice headset. Adjustable, comfortable, not too heavy compared to other full-sized, circumaural headphones. I'll leave full judgement on the quality of sound to others, since these older ears are no longer qualified to critique. But I *can* say you get clear, soft or loud sound from them :)

Ventrilo 3.0.5 Push to Talk (PTT)

=================================

The only reason I'm writing a "Day 1" review (which is normally not worth much lol) is to note a key advertised feature that does not work. The reason I bought these headphones vs several others was the three G-Keys, and their ability to send commands to my PC while I am physically away from the keyboard. Specifically, the advertisement that Ventrilo "Push to Talk" was supported. It is not. [as of 3rd quarter 2011, this feature works very well].

The G-Keys work with a drop-down, limited LIST of applications, ie., Windows Media Player, iTunes, Winamp, PowerDVD, WinDVD, and the G930 software itself. Ventrilo 3.0.5 (app & version number) is also listed, and a listed action for this app is "Push to Talk". I checked all those things before I bought, but after an otherwise pleasant hour with Logitech support in the Philippines, the function does not work, it is a known issue, and "they will get back to me when there's further information". [It's meaningful to note that Logitech support *did* get back to me several months later to notify me that the PTT feature now worked.]

Logitech G-Keys What is Expected from a Brandmark

===================================================

The other thing you should know is this: When Logitech mentions "G-Keys", that word invokes the functionality of EVERY other Logitech product that has "G-Keys". PC gamers know the term. G-Keys can be programmed to send any key, key combination, or string with one key-press as if it were typed, very quickly, via the keyboard. The "G"930's G-Keys do NOT work that way. Each of the few listed apps has only a short list of pre-determined command choices. This important difference is obscured, no doubt intentionally, in Logitech's limited literature.

Other Observations

==================

Range: 40' seems a fair estimate of range vs the advertised range of other products. So I get a little more range than bluetooth, and arguably half what I get from, say, Sennheiser RF Headphones (100' "open air" advertised). At the edge of signal loss, the headset becomes slightly directional, ie, you can at times re-acquire or lose the signal. This is pretty much standard in my experience.

Environment: My G930 needs to operate in a "radio-noisy" and highly metallic environment (lots of gear, transmitters, metal in/on exterior walls), and it performs as well as any RF devices I have used here.

Ergonomics: Pretty good, with some "buts". All the keys placed on one ear piece is a good decision, but crowding can lead to indvertant button presses when picking up and donning the headset. Choosing the left ear piece was a good choice, but left-handed mousers will have some adjustments. OTOH, the G-Keys don't have much er, any practical gaming function, so this isn't an issue.

The "Power On" key implementation is unusual, and very poorly defined. The best I can tell, to turn the device off, hold the button in for 3 seconds (not 5), and if it changes to blinking green when you release it, you have successfully shut it off. If it doesn't, hold the key a little longer next time lol.

I'll be back with updates when I have used the device long enough to know it. Yes, I'm keeping it, yes I like Logitech products, and I'm hopeful eventually the G-Keys will eventually be real G-Keys. (As of 11/11 they are not.)

10/20/10 Update:

================

I originally posted these two as workarounds for PTT. While they are no longer required, they may still prove useful:

1) Very Cumbersome: When going AFK, switch Ventrilo to "open microphone", and rotate the headset microphone up to mute, down to talk.

2) Highly workable: G930 software supports "plug-ins". Fortunately, a User has created one that works not only with Ventrilo (I tested it), but should work with other voicechats. The sole drawback is you push the Gkey once to "talk", and once to "stop talking". The download, description, and cause of this drawback is in this Logitech forum thread (Page 2 at this writing).

Honest reviews on Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930 with 7.1 Surround Sound

Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program

In my video review here I mostly offered general raves about how much I like the headset. It's true, the headset really amazes me with its quality and ease of use.

Because my nicer desktop crashed not too long ago, I've been without good sound. Yes, I have a 5.1 speaker system and an adapter to make it work with my laptop, but it's not the same.

This headset allows for a significant boost in the quality of audio in games, with music and video, and just about every other way.

I have tried and been disappointed by other products claiming to adapt sound to fit to a 5.1 system. Lots of promises, but the actual result is subpar. With the Logitech G930, the promises really do work out. The sound quality is top notch. Yes, the 5.1 and 7.1 sound is software driven, but the software works great and works great without being needlessly bloated, complicated or distracting. There is a simple panel that shows the level of charge, gives options for volume levels of overall volume, microphone, sidetone (how much you hear yourself in the headset), and basic treble and bass sliders. There is an option to shift these basic adjustments to a more full equalizer. In the bottom right corner, you can control the volume of each of the 7.1 simulated speakers in the headset, allowing you to balance it out as you wish. In the bottom left corner is the G-Key section where you can assign or adjust the three g-key buttons on the headset itself.

All very straightforward. Though, at first I was frustrated because I wasn't getting surround sound. A quick look in the provided manual pointed out the surround sound switch on the headset, right under the power button. When it is down, surround sound is on, and the icon on the screen turns red. Easy answer to the problem.

All in all, this headset delivers what it promises. I compared the quality of it while plugged in and while wireless, and found there was absolutely no difference in sound quality or response, meaning the wireless capability delivers.

So, I'd definitely recommend this for gaming. Indeed, this is where the headset will really be able to shine, as it uses the full 7.1 sound and microphone. But, it goes beyond being useful for gaming. For those with a less than stellar audio setup, this might be a great, relatively cheap alternative to getting a high-end sound card and speakers. This is especially true for most of us who can't exactly boost the sound whenever we want without disturbing other family members. This is a great headset for listening to music, or as I used it yesterday, for language learning software like Rosetta Stone.

This headset blocks a significant amount of noise, and also contains its own noise very nicely. I turned on a song with heavy bass, turned up the volume, sat next to my wife, and she said should couldn't hear it. The microphone also is advanced. While recording the video I had a fan blowing on me, and there was a neighbor using a leafblower outside. The microphone took care of these often very irritating sounds.

So, all in all, I couldn't be more pleased. The Logitech headset meets and exceeds my expectations. Indeed, they perform as promised, something that sadly far too few games or accessories do. These definitely earn five stars, and more if I could give them based on how much my audio experience has been boosted over the last several days.

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So I had this for 3 weeks after being recommended by a friend. I wanted a wireless headset that fit OVER my ears, not touching them since I use them for long periods. These were the perfect match. I loved them.

After a week I noticed a short couple beeps in my headphones, thinking nothing of it I kept using them, after 3 weeks I asked my friend and he said he did not have them. I then noticed the beep was actually the USB dongle disconnecting from the headset, the green light would go out, then flash and come back. It happened every 5 minutes. I tried using the new software from Logitech, it didn't help. I tried using different USB ports, didn't help. I tried using native Windows 7 drivers, it didn't help. I exchanged them with a new set.

That day same issue with the new ones, called Logitech since I found I was not the only one with the problem, on teh Logitech forums many folks had this issue. Called support, they really didn't know, so I decided to RMA them back for a refund.

With the headset disconnecting, it is a useless device. You may get lucky, and then again, you may have them until your return period is up then it starts to fail...so buyer beware. I am now trying to decide if I want the wired version or just another brand assuming I can find one that truly fits over the ear.

EDIT: I went with the G35, the wired version of the G930, and it has yet to fail me. Great headset.

Review of Alan Wake

Customer Ratings:

I went in expecting something similar to a silent hill resident evil clone/mix; what i got however was an excellent game that perfectly melds the craft of writing and video games for something that (to me at least) is a wholly new and unique experience; moreover being a somewhat avid reader I caught tons of allusions to other works (notably Stephen King, and H.P Lovecraft). I can easily say that this is amongst my top 5 favorite games of all time. The graphics are immaculate (though i must say the animation leaves a little to be desired (everyone talks as if they got a little excited with the Botox injections)) but ignoring that small fault the game is In my opinion, perfect.

If you like horror novels, believe me when i say this game is not something you'll regret spending money on.

but be warned, this is not similar to most games, in the sense that most of the story is left up to the player to discover, and if you're not ready to spend time deciphering the clues, then the game (the ending in particular) will only serve to annoy you.

in short 10/10 easily, much more deep compared to other games in the genre, doesn't rely on cheap thrills.

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The Good: Graphical upgrade looks great, memorable story and characters, great pacing, interesting gun play mechanics, included DLC is a bonus

The Bad: Gun play gets repetitive after awhile, can be tough in spots, driving isn't any fun, a little on the short side

Even after 2 years Alan Wake is still an excellent game. With updated visuals for PC, and the inclusion of both DLC, the PC version is worth the buy. Even 360 players should come back for another shot just to see the sweet new looks. Alan Wake was my favorite story of 2010 and is still great today. You play as Alan Wake, a famous New York author who takes a vacation to the Northwest in Bright Falls. He ends up renting a cabin, and before you know it his wife jumps into the lake. He then wakes up from a car accident and so your adventure begins. I can't give away anything except he is writing what is happening to him. The story is very novel like and has a great pace. The narrative is delivered with likeable characters and great voice acting.

You walk around collecting manuscript pages that will tell you kind of what's going to happen in the next scene. You can also find coffee thermoses as collectibles, but I wonder why thermoses? Is this a jab at the hot coffee mod for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, or a little sign that the guys at Remedy were up long nights trying to complete this? Who knows, but it is an interesting thing. There is also a strange phone barcode tag that has a strange stab at Max Payne. I think back when Alan Wake was released it was a hint at Max Payne 3.

The whole game is wrapped around light and dark gameplay, literally. You use your flashlight to burn away darkness from The Taken and then shoot them until they disappear. The gunplay is challenging and can be fun. There are various tools for burning away darkness like the flare gun, which does major area damage, flashbangs, and flares give you distance from enemies. You can also get bigger flashlights later on which burn away darkness faster. Most enemies will throw weapons at you or attack you directly with scythes, axes, and bats. The whole game is set in the countryside so The Taken look like farmers, sheriffs, loggers, and various other occupations in those areas. The Taken are pretty creepy because they spurt out lines about their occupation in mixed normal talk and deep creepy voices.

There are some environmental light sources you can use like giant spotlights, and some smaller ones to help you fight the darkness. The combat overall is fun and challenging, but never changes which means repetition sets in quickly. Thankfully the game is paced nicely so you aren't constantly fighting. A lot of the time you are running from the darkness and it can possess objects and throw them at you. Of course you have to burn it away so that stops. Large vehicles like tractors, bulldozers, and trucks act as bosses. A lot of the fighting is also broken up with cut scenes and in-game dialog.

This is pretty much all there is to it except the lame attempts at puzzles. There are a few spread out, but they really aren't puzzles at all. I think the game could have used some better ones, but what is here works well enough. There are some fun set pieces that are memorable, but there is one issue I don't understand. Why do survival horrors have crappy driving mechanics? First it was Alone in the Dark, then Deadly Premonition, and now Alan Wake. The cars drive like you're on ice, and despite boosting the lights to run Taken over, they damage the car real quick.

Anyways, the game looks gorgeous with nice DirectX 10 effects that are actually noticeable. The lighting is better, the effects are better, and the higher resolution textures are a sight for sore eyes. The Xbox 360 version, even when it was released, didn't look too hot with blurry textures which made it look ugly in spots. If you have the rig to run this game you are in for a visual treat. The nice effects like lens flare from the flares that blind your vision, and overall lighting effects look fantastic here.

Overall, for the $30 Alan Wake is a steal for PC gamers and a nice price for 360 owners so maybe traded in their game long ago and want another go. This game is memorable and so is the story. This is a game you will talk about amongst friends. From the Night Springs mini-shows you can watch, to the radio station commentary, there is a lot of ambiance and atmosphere that horror games need to learn from.

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First I would like to say thank you to who ever made the decision to bring alan wake to the PC in the end.

This was an awesome game and I had a lot of fun playing it. Gameplay was hella fun. Using the light to unmask the creatures of darkness yielding them to gun fire for final obliteration is plain simple fun. Besides the manuscripts the other collectables are pointless and I felt they didn't add anything to the game. I felt the urge to collect the coffee therms when I saw them but dreaded it every time. Must be an OCD thing. Interesting and dark storyline help motivate you to continue the game and adds to the overall gameplay. I found the story to drag a little bit towards the end but overall was still a fun "read". The graphics were very good. I played on high with my PC and only noticed a few slow downs during scenes with companions that also had light sources moving around the environment.

I would highly recommend this game in the $15-$20 price range. I played comfortably through the game (on normal mode) without rushing and had about 12 hours game time.

Honest reviews on Alan Wake

I have a new HP envy dv6, which if I recall is perfectly capable to handle this game. I installed it which took over 10 hours total wirelessly and the game image and cut scenes were distorted. Sorta of like a black and white display. I would not recommend due to that fact that it did not work on my laptop which could preform this game. On the bright side though I emailed Amazon, show some pictures of what I am experiencing, and was able to get a refund. Just wish the game could've worked, oh well... money saved right?

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I liked the game, it has interesting story, but ending was a little bit weak, and the main problem that it was short. I wouldn't recommend paying more than 20$ for this game

Playstation 3 Super Slim 500GB Console Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $479.99
Sale Price: $256.95
Today's Bonus: 46% Off

I bought a white PS3 console from EZCorp which included the console, cords, and a wireless controller. The product is great. Nice, sleek, and quick at responding. I have been thinking of getting one for ages. I'm always one console behind, so with the PS4 coming out soon I figured it was a good time!

One thing I didn't realize with the PS3 is the fact that it downloads via the Wi-Fi. Well, I knew it, but it didn't occur to me how good that Wi-Fi needed to be. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE SUPER HIGH SPEED INTERNET THEN BUY THE GAME DISCS, don't buy from the Playstation Store. It can take an extremely long time for them to download. I do have high speed, but apparently it's not fast enough. That's not the PS3's fault though that's my internet provider. And downloading while it's wired works better. But if you buy the disc, it does fine since it doesn't have to deal with a full download.

As for the PS3 itself, it's great. A nice step up from the PS2 (though I still LOVE that console!).

My seller was amazing. I got the PS3 in two days without paying for two day shipping because my total (with shipping) came out to be $200.70. It was perfect and well packed. I recommend buying from EZCorp if you can it's worth it for a decent used item.

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I bought this PS3 to replace an old one that broke down. Considering my old PS3 broke due to the BD not being able to "suck in" my disc,this was a great change. I love the amount of space in the hard drive and the quickness of the reader not changing. It is a smaller system, but it feels the same. It's a sexy little Playstation 3!

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This is a rating for the consoles sold by EZCORP not the console itself.

I bought a 500GB console from EZCORP. I paid for 2 day shipping. It took 12 days to arrive. I came with all the cords and a controller. Controller has a broken analog stick. Went to format the drive and turns out the HDD in my 500GB CONSOLE is only 250GB. Kinda sucks that the 'like new' system that arrived is not what I had thought I ordered.

This is the first major thing I've bought used from amazon but the experience will make me thing twice about doing it again.

Moral of the story: BUY NEW.

Honest reviews on Playstation 3 Super Slim 500GB Console

500gb of space is just Amazing, there is so much room for a large variety of games I am beyond pleased with my ps3. It is as the seller described.

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I know the PS4 just came out but I still like the PS3 and might even end up buying more games... The only thing I hate now is the fact that I do not have as much time to play as I thought I would lol

Buy Madden NFL 25 Anniversary Edition with NFL Sunday Ticket

Customer Ratings:

While there seems to be a fair amount of consternation or confusion over the ability to access the ONLINE ONLY NFL Sunday Ticket over 17 weeks as part of the price, there is little doubt that this is one of the best package deals for NFL lovers out this year. Last year I purchased the PS3 Sunday Ticket package for $300, and that allowed for streaming of the entire season in the same way this offer does. Did I have occasional hiccups and freezes in game streams? Yes I did. However, streaming video quality is going to vary GREATLY from one person to another based on all the links in the signal chain from DirectTVs servers to your screen. That being said I was annoyed at missing some plays considering I paid $300 while my brother, who had the TV based package, paid the same amount and had little to no problems all season with signal.

So what you need to consider here is the amazing value proposition you have here. You are getting 17 weeks of ONLINE ONLY Sunday Ticket football for just $40 more than the base price of the Madden 25 game. That's a savings to me of over $260 over last year. Is the potential for those same minor streaming annoyances worth the risk of $40? I feel it is ABSOLUTELY worth it even if I have the exact same experiences as last year. To be fair to DirectTV, my issues were largely in the first two weeks of the season and the rest of the season went with nary a skip in video quality. Think about it for a moment compared to signing up for a 2-year satellite contract and throwing an additional $300 on top of that JUST because you love football. The $40 for online viewing is simply an outright steal.

Those saying in reviews that it doesn't work online have likely gone further than they needed to go after authentication at this time. If you want to be successful with the included code, here is what I suggest you do.

1. First authenticate the provided username and password on the slip in the game on a PC or MAC in your web browser. Avoid starting this process on your tablet or phone if possible.

2. The dedicated site page will tell you that you Now Have Access to NFL Sunday Ticket Online. It will also have a link on that page. DO NOT CLICK THAT LINK UNTIL THE SUNDAY TICKET SEASON STARTS on September 8th, 2013. (Thursday, Monday, and Sunday NIGHT games are not accessible as they are national feeds in prime time and not market specific).

3. On your tablet, download the NFL Sunday Ticket app if your device supports it. (I believe that only iPhone, iPad, and Android is currently available).

4. On game day, online access to Sunday Ticket starts approximately 30 minutes before the first kickoffs of the day. Enter the provided username and password in the device app at that time, OR return to the login page on your PC or MAC browser. The Red Zone channel may be the only channel with actual live footage until about 15 minutes before the game.

5. ENJOY! Some channels may be blacked out based on your ISP location if it considers you "local" to that area. For instance, if you are able to watch the Chicago Bears on your TV set and your ISP is based in that area, the app may "blackout" Sunday Ticket access for that local game.

Airplay mirroring If you are on an Apple iDevice of some kind and you have AppleTV, there is no in app icon to send the stream to AppleTV. However, you an try this workaround. Once you have the video stream working on your device, double click the home button and thumb the tray icons to the right as far as you can go and you will see the media controls. The Airplay control will be visible there. In Airplay options, enable mirroring to your TV and then select Apple TV as the output device. Apple TV should now display ANYTHING you are looking at on your iDevice, including video and audio from the app. You may have to maximize video on your device for it to look best on the screen. Good luck!

Finally, the Madden 25 game itself is largely what we have seen in other years, with the return of the beloved Franchise Mode. While that is nice, the game itself does not stand alone as a special edition with cool new features. It still has some of the same pros and cons of the last three releases, and is not a great deal as a game alone. The package with Sunday Ticket, however, is just awesome!

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I bought it for NFL Sunday Ticket. Yes, the codes do actually work. Make sure you enter the email and the password on a PC/Laptop with full browser first before trying to access it on mobile devices. Make sure you also enter the email address and password exactly as it is written on your sheet. It does give you the option to change your password and email address in account settings as well (I would be cautious on changing the email as some people have been locked out of their accounts once they did.) If you have a PC/Laptop with HDMI output, or a mobile device that supports streaming output, thats great.

This is bar none the best collectors edition deal in video game history since Sunday Ticket by itself cost over $200

As for the game......I didnt even play it, LOL

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I haven't played Madden for a few years but picked up the game this year because of the Sunday Ticket offer. After 2-3 weeks of playing Madden, my honest assessment of this game is that its horrible. The menus are super slow, there's long loading times, and gameplay is only passable. What really bothers me about this game is the presentation, all the pre-game and half time animations are stale and repetitive and the announcers are horrible. Jim Nantz and Phil Sims say random things throughout the game that make no sense (e.g. I'll sack the QB and then on the next play Phil Sims will start talking about how strong the O-line play has been). This game is so bad, I traded it in for some credit and will not be purchasing future editions.

Honest reviews on Madden NFL 25 Anniversary Edition with NFL Sunday Ticket

Menus freeze, game freezes the directv promotion is broken and EA and Directv have me going back and forth with the other one pointing fingers, 40 minute hold times..... this whole experience was a joke EA is a joke the Madden franchise is done,dead,kaput, GIVE UP THE LICENCE!!!!!! If you have any self respect for yourself NEVER buy another Madden game! This game is being returned Amazon can shove this worthless disk right up Mr. Madden's @$$!

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Same flaws year after year. This modifier control scam is to trying to bandaid the usual problems. Bought it because I love football. This is the last year I support this garbage game.

Reviews of Xbox 360 Official NFL NY Jets Controller Faceplate

Customer Ratings:

I had to get this cause i had just bougth madden when it came out and i was looking for a face plate for my controller. This was perfect cause it was my favorite team and i had liked how it can just snap on and snap off when u need it off. Perfect for those NY Jets Madden gamers!

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It just snaps on right over the controller easily. It's just as comfortable as the regular controller and doesn't feel too bulky. Snaps on and off with ease, and protects against stains. That's if you're as stupid and clumsy as myself and spill soda on it... Grape soda...

Forza Horizon - Xbox 360 Review

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Ill start out the review by saying they did a great mix of simulation and arcade racing to get a nice balance. You can purchase upgrades for your vehicle and the vehicle class system from the previous Forzas makes a return, but they removed the ability to fine tune the parts like the transmission, psi of tires etc. (unless Im just totally missing something, someone correct me if Im wrong)

There are less vehicles than in the previous Forzas and car damage seems to be lower and this time only cosmetic, but theres still a fair amount to choose from including Ferrari and Lamborghini.

The soundtrack is surprisingly not bad either with a lot of decent tracks added in.

The graphics arent bad, though not up to Forza 4 quality. However the environments are large and varied which is nice.

So why the two star review? The big complaint I have about this game is the horrible cash grab this game has turned into.

You pay $60 for the game itself, then they ask $50 additional for a season pack for more cars. The advertising is starting to get a little obnoxious too. Every time you get in game achievements you get a popup with a sponsor like Adidas or Oakley with their logo at the bottom showing your progress. Not only that, they added the token system where if you dont have enough money to buy in game cars, you can use real money to get them instead. You can also spend real money to uncover the map to find secret locations. This is such a horrible idea and a slap in the face to customers. Instead of doing races to build up your money it just makes you feel like youre wasting your time because you can just use real money and get what you wanted much faster.

Maybe you could get away with this garbage if you released this as a $10 Xbox Live Arcade game, but not a $60 release.

Shame on you Microsoft.

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I've got to play almost 3 hours of Forza Horizon so far. Initial thoughts are that it feels like a blend of Dirt and Forza series in one. The menu's resemble Dirt, and the feel of the cars is a blend of both simulation and Dirt-like arcade feel. I love the handling, but it's definitely not 100% realistic. It is very easy to drift cars and that makes it a blast to drive. In real life, it's much more difficult than that. Unless you're drifting AWD in snow, that's easy! I've turned off all assists, and in doing so have doubled my winnings per event from the bonus you get for turning off assists and other difficulty settings.

All the upgrades are still there, the liveries, etc. The open-world is pretty awesome, but not even close to as big as I was expecting it to be. A good 2 hours of my playtime was spent driving around exploring, and I've already covered a little over half the roads in the game. If I hadn't of stopped so frequently for participating in the minor tasks I probably could have driven every road already.

The awesome part of this game is that it doesn't take long to get into some good cars, unlike most racers. You can choose between an '11 STi and an Evo X within the first 20-30 minutes of play. You have to choose one for an offroad race event early on. I chose the STi, as I owned an 08 WRX until recently, and loved it. I left it stock for the first hour of play. It sounds just like a Subie should! I found a golf course fairly quickly and proceeded to 2nd gear drifting all over that place for a couple minutes. Man that was fun! There are key areas all over the map where you can find good spots just to have fun drifting. There's also plenty of dirt-road sections to have fun on. The developers did a great job of making these surfaces believable. You can feel the bumps, and really see how the road surface effects the gas pedal/acceleration of the car.

Before my second hour of exploring, I decided to do some minor upgrades to my STi. I chose exhaust, new fuel injectors/pump, CAI, lowering springs, front & rear swaybars, etc. Everything I chose to upgrade was mimicking how I had my prior WRX set up. I tried to simulate the same estimated power. I'll have to try driving the I-70 interstate in game and seeing what the top speed is. Speaking of speed runs, there are some hidden race tents you can find that unlock and act as fast-travel stations if you wish to use them. Each one, so far, has three events you can opt-in to complete, and in any order. Winning these events gives you a discount for fast-travelling to that station. Win all of them, and you can travel there for free! One of the events let me drive a Bugatti Veyron and I had to achieve a top speed of 235+. I hit 246mph, which I thought was very high. The sensation of speed after you hit 200+mph is simply insane! That's crazy fast, but then I heard on the radio about one of the computer guy's breaking 256. Wow!

Speaking of radio, you have three stations, including an off position. You can switch at any time by pressing right or left on the d-pad. One is an electronic style/dubstep mix. Another is rock, and the third is bass/pop heavy songs. The soundtrack is great! I usually turn off racing music as I hate the soundtracks to most of them and usually only want to hear the engine of the car I'm driving. I initially turned the music down to half, and fairly soon turned it back up to full. You can still hear the roar of your car's engine, but you also get the music. It sounds really good coming through any decent set of speakers, and especially so with the right surround sound and subwoofer. Enjoy it!

The events in the game unlock according to your rank, which I think you start around 265 or something like that. I've already broke the 200 barrier. I think the end goal of the game is to become #1. It really seems like I could blow through this game very fast, as I'm under 200 already with just under 3 hours played. It's not necessarily a bad thing, as the online can always take up way more time. I have only done a handful of events so far, so I'm not sure yet if you are even required to do any events in order to rank up to #1. So far, I've simply been exploring the map, and have gotten most of my rank increases from burnouts, drifts, smashing street signs, close-encounters with traffic, excessive high-speed, etc. You automatically rank up after accruing a set amount of these points.

There are 100 red signs hidden around the map. If you drive through one, you receive +1% off all auto-part upgrade costs. In theory, if you find them all, every upgrade is free for all cars. I'm already up to around 27% off upgrade costs. Also, randomly on the radio there will be an announcement about a hidden car in a garage nearby. I know if you drive to the garage you unlock that car, but I haven't yet found any of these. I think I've found a couple barn locations, but I am thinking that you have to go to the one that is announced specifically at the time it is announced in order to get it. I'll find out as I play more.

I believe all the A.I. cars you see driving around are real-world vehicles. I've seen your standard buses, trucks, rear-ended a Ford, and I think I've seen the new Subaru BRZ driving around a couple times as a random civillian. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that I can get that car eventually. I want one of those bad. All the other A.I. racers in-game are driving their cars around in real-time as well. If you get up behind one of them, you have the option to challenge them. You'll immediately get put into a race 1 on 1 to a random location on the map. The GPS will help guide you there, but it doesn't matter how you get there, as long as you get to the finish first!

The GPS in the game is actually quite good. It's a little annoying listeng to the turn-by-turn directions when a good song is on that you are trying to listen to, but the GPS does a great job if getting you where you need to go. You can open the map at any time and change the location of your GPS tracker, or turn it off. The world-map is great, although I do wish I could zoom in/out just a little more.

So far, I'd give the game an 8/10 in my book. Initially it's been very fun, but only time will tell on how my opinion changes, especially when compared with the upcoming Need for Speed: Most Wanted, another open-world racer due out next week, 10/30. For Forza fans, if you're looking for a realistic, simulation like all the other Forza games, this really isn't it. For fans of the Dirt series, there's plenty to like, and you'll feel more at home with the handling. It's still a good blend of the two. The driving feels fun and that's what's most important for an open-world racer!

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Horizon is alot of fun, but it should have been a $30 downloadable add-on rather than marketed as a full game. It feels far more like a Need for Speed title than anything close to a previous Forza. The game play is quick and easy to get used to, however it's also quick in that only takes about 2-3 days to complete the game. The scenery in the game is the best thing that Horizon brings to the table, it leaves you wanting to build cars just to roam around the map. This would be great if the average car company offered more than 2-4 cars, would have been a HUGE improvement if they integrated the real Forza car catalog but it's more of a demo range of cars.

This would be a really good purchase if you found it in the $10 used bin at your local Gamestop.

Honest reviews on Forza Horizon - Xbox 360

When I first heard about Forza Horizon, I thought the game was taking the wrong direction. The new Need for Speed: Most Wanted is basically Burnout Paradise 2, and I thought Forza Horizon was Turn 10's take on trying to be more Need for Speed to attract people my age (I'm 21), but aren't necessarily gearheads. Little did I know, it's basically a free-roam version of a Forza title, but less simulation. The release of the demo a few weeks before the game's released made me very excited to play the full title. Luckily for me, a local Meijer had copies of the game ready to go at midnight, so a short walk led me to having a copy of the game in my hands.

TL;DR version: I LOVE THIS GAME!!! If you like Need for Speed-ish games, but want something more realistic, grab it. Don't even think twice about it. If you're a die-hard Forza fan, play the demo first. If you're curious, again, play the demo first.

Forza Horizon is based on the fictitious Horizon festival in Colorado. The Horizon festival centers around a rave theme, which is appropriate considering that EDM has taken off in the States. Along with the theme comes the race events, which you'll take part in, with the goal of working your way through the ranks to take down the three-time champion, Darius Flynt. It reminds you of a friendlier version of the original Need for Speed: Most Wanted, since, although you are racing in the streets, the game does not center around illicit street-racing. However, there is an option to engage in illicit street races, and they also carry a hefty pot if you just so happen to win one.

From the beginning of the game, you're introduced to Scott Tyler, one of the three DJ's for Horizon's three radio stations. Scott is the DJ for Horizon Bass Arena, a station for those that like House (it sounds a bit like Acid House to me), Electro, Dubstep, and Drum & Bass. Horizon Pulse is the Indie station, and Horizon Rocks is, obviously, the Rock station. Although it's described as being more of a "Hard Rock" station, it's more of a "Punk Rock/soft Rock" station. If you're expecting to hear something that sounds like Disturbed and Metallica, you're going to be sorely disappointed. If you're not a fan of Skrillex, Modestep, Wolfgang Gartner, Netsky, Nero, Digitalism, or Sigma, you're not going to like Bass Arena. Fortunately, the Xbox 360 allows custom soundtracks for every game, so you're not forced to listen to the stations if you don't want to. Personally, I LOVE Bass Arena because EDM is currently my favorite genre of music.

Once you fire up the game, your thrown in a 2013 SRT Viper, cruising on the streets of Colorado, when Scott Tyler states that the champion is on his way to the festival and he "does not play nice with others". At the same time, Darius's Ferrari 599XX (yes, the race-version) passes you and you're instantly thrown in a race against a car that's much faster than yours. It's not a complete blow-out, and it's possible to pass him, but slip up once and he'll gladly show you what the exhausts look like. There is no reward for reaching the "finish line" before Darius, though it is an exciting experience to be thrown right into a high-speed race with Drum & Bass thumping in the background. The "finish line" is actually a group of racers, with your nameless protagonist among them, listening to the radio and watching as the Viper you were driving and Darius pass them, still in a heated race. You're then informed that there are only ten spots left to participate in the festival, meaning you're thrown in another race in an attempt to earn a spot in the festival. Once you finally reach the festival, you're greeted by the CEO of the whole event, Alice Hart, then introduced to Dak, an elderly gearhead who clearly has a place in the game.

Your very-first car in the game that you get to buy is, surprisingly, either a 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI or a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer EVOLUTION, because your first event is an off-road event. Introducing the first-born child of Forza and Dirt, ladies and gentlemen. Unlike the previous titles, you start off in pretty-decent cars. It's also insanely easy (compared to previous Forza titles) to obtain money and to buy faster cars. I was able to buy the million-credit Koenigsegg CCXR before I was even halfway through the main career. The game rewards you for turning off assists and turning up the AI difficulty. For example, turning off everything, but leaving the transmission on automatic and the AI difficulty on medium doubles your winnings in every race. If I'm not mistaken, the highest bonus you can receive is 120%. That means, for example, if you win 30K in a race, you'll actually walk away with 66,000 credits, because the 120% bonus granted you an extra 36K. It may sound like the game is a walk in the park, but Hard and Insane difficulty settings actually live up to their names. Matter of fact, I don't think the computer makes mistakes on Insane.

Also, from the start, you're introduced to the "Stars" of the Horizon festival. For example, the first Star you must defeat in order to move up in the ranks is Romana Cravache. This is where the similarities between Horizon and Most Wanted come into play. In order to advance in Most Wanted, you needed to complete the challenges set by the Blacklist member you're trying to beat, then race him/her. Beating them gave you a chance to win their car. In Forza Horizon, you must win enough races to earn the amount of points needed to advance to the next wristband. They go from Purple to Gold, with Gold being the last wristband you earn. Once you earn enough to advance to the next wristband, the Star of the previous one will challenge you to a race. If you win, you keep their car. When it comes to the story, you're actually beating the Star drivers to the next wristband, knocking them out of the competition. Them challenging you to a race and putting their pink slips on the line is more of an attempt to get "revenge" due to you eliminating them from the competition.

When it comes to gameplay, Forza Horizon attempts to balance out realism with an arcade-feel. Imagine not worrying about damage like in Need for Speed, but still needing to pay attention to cornering and throttle control like in Forza. Returning from Forza Motorsport 4 is the option to have Manual with a clutch. You can still upgrade your cars, for example, by putting a body kit or the always-present Forza bumper and spoilers to improve your handling, but tuning has been completely eliminated from the game. The only "taste" of tuning you get is you have the option to upgrade a lot of the cars to whatever Performance Index you want. You can take a B-class EVOLUTION an mod it so that it can participate in R1 class, but that doesn't mean it's going to perform very well at the class. I bought a Gallardo Superleggera (a stock S class), had it at R3 class, and tried to upgrade it to R1 class. It's horrible at R1 class, but is amazing to drive at R3 class. To add to the simulation feel, this game still requires you to learn the appropriate line to navigate the track. You're not going to take many corners at 150mph a la Need for Speed, unless you're on the highway in a Koenigsegg. To better explain how the game feels, imagine Forza Motorsport 4, but easier. You don't have to worry about throttle control to prevent oversteer as much (unless you're in a high-powered vehicle), and you don't have to take every corner perfectly in order to win the race. It's more forgiving this time around.

The cars in the game range from your typical "middle-class" vehicles to the toys for the wealthy, to a few full-blown race cars. Some of the cars include the Koenigsegg CCXR, the Pagani Zonda R, Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, Ferrari F50GT, Ferrari 599XX, Toyota Supra, Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 V-SpecII, Nissan GT-R, Shelby GT500, and the Lamborghini Aventador, just to name a few. A full car-list can easily be found online. While the game does have a nice blend of cars, and a lot of cars I actually like, I can't help but feel the race cars are out of place here. The theme is an event that takes place on closed roads (with the occasional illicit street races). You would think all of the cars in the game would be street-legal to match the setting. To balance it out, though, you can't go to many events with the fastest cars in the game, and the ones that DO allow the fastest cars aren't unlocked until the last wristband anyway. It works well with the whole, "Darius only races the best drivers at the festival" story bit, because the best drivers are driving the fastest (sometimes race-built) vehicles.

There are a few things I didn't like about Forza Horizon. For one, whenever you're in a race against one of the Star characters, they tend to repeat their lines and movements. With Ali, this wasn't as big of an issue for me because I actually liked him, but if you didn't like the characters the first time you ran into them, you'll hate them by the time you finish the game. Another thing I didn't like was that the map, as big as it is, doesn't have a lot of road to take up the vast amount of empty space. You'll also find yourself on the same track throughout multiple wristband events. For having 216 roads to discover, you'd think they would be able to have more variety in the tracks. Granted I only remember repeating five of the circuits, but still, that's five too many. The story, while again, featuring characters I do like, is a bit too bland. You start as the new guy without a name, work your way through the ranks, beat Darius, and then........nothing. You just beat him. You win the last festival race, beat him in a street race, win his car, and the credits role. For having such a long build-up to the final race between you & Darius, I was hoping for at least an ending. Instead we get "Well, this car is now yours" and credits. To say the ending is a disappointment is an understatement. Also, the day/night cycle is too short. According to the official forums, it's about 45 minutes. While I appreciate the cycle, I wish it were much longer, especially since night-racing is so much fun.

Overall, Forza Horizon is an amazing game, that actually does a pretty good job trying to capture the modern "young adult" culture in regards to style and music. The game is very-fun to play, has a nice blend of an arcade feel with realistic physics, and successfully blends the two things I love the most, electronic music and cars.

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The Demo didn't really do this game justice. I frankly hated it. But as a loyal Forza fan one thing ran through my mind that forced me to make a purchase: " I have never been burned by a Forza game...ever. Literally...never." And that was the deciding factor. I took the risk, made the jump, etc. It was a leap of faith and it paid off. I bought this game for the same reason I DIDN'T buy Medal of Honor Warfighter: There are studios you can trust to deliver everytime (Turn 10, Rockstar) and there are studios you can trust to chisel you and let you down everytime (Activision, EA). The studio on the box pretty much makes the decision for you.

Horizon is one of the outright funnest video games you will ever play. Its fantastic. The visuals are amazing, the driving mechanics are fun and enjoyable. I opened the box not expecting a whole lot. The idea of the greatest racing sim ever doing an Arcade game turned me off as it did 95% of all forza fans. But the results came out right. I wouldn't really even call Horizon an arcade game per se. I think that would be exceptionally unfair. I would say that it simply "isn't a simulation." There are a lot of rungs on the latter between a racing simulation, and an all out arcade game, and Forza Horizon occupoies the territory that exists somewhere between the two. The open world was a great decision. As was the inclusion of some kind of "narrative" i.e., that you are racing in a giant festival as an amatuer, trying to take on the heavy weights for the title. There are a few cutscenes here and there, as well as a few characters, something that has been tried in other racing games unsucessfully. The story works, and the characters work. They don't get in the way of the action, which is the important part.

Forza Horizon is the ultimate example of why open world games are the only true antidote right now for the stale trend of increasingly linear titles that play themselves. Cars became popular in America in the 1920's because of the freedom they gave to the youth. They gave young people the ability to go anywhere, and to do anything. Funny how this wonderfully joyous impulse has never really been captured in a video game. Vehicles are supposed to take you places, but the only place they ever take you in racing sims is in a circle. Horizon is a great game to get untrapped.

Their are a few stumbles though. The music is great, but as with all in game radio stations, by the second gaming session, you have already heard every song, and want to simply turn the radio off. Being able to download new songs and radio station chatter each week would be great, but it has never been tried by any video game, ever, a missed opportunity for sure.

There are also WAAAY too many loading screens. There is a loading screen when you start a race, a loading screen when you finish a race, when you mod your car, when you navigate the menus while modding your car (loading screens within loading screens!) it can become a bit of a nightmare. If this game has one major flaw it is undoubtedly this. Its hard to be immersed when your constantly being taken out of the game to look at a picture of a car you can't drive. Its the definition of buzzkill gameing and really is kind of inexcusable.

Other than that, Horizon is a must buy.