Pimp My Ride - Xbox 360 Review

Customer Ratings:

When I saw this game, I thought to myself "Dang, this game be straight trippin', yo!" but after playing it I'm of the opposite opinion. This game done pimped my life, son! Man, when I bought that 6,000 dollar pool to go in the back of this guy's 1987 Gremlin, it really spoke to me about the nature of the universe. Also, I'm pretty sure it cured my diabetes.

If you enjoy seeing Xzibit, the finest Thespian of our generation, pimpin' somebody's hooptie like it's National Pimpin' day, you need to buy this game right now! Buy it twice! Put a copy in your car next to the theater-sized projector!

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My son really loves creating new vehicles. He is 12 and finds this game very enjoyable.

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I've gotta say this game is awesome. I installed it in my car.

My favorite part is when XtotheZ says "Yo dawg!" Man, that is awesome. My other favorite thing is when he goes "I put a (insert completely rediculous object here) in your (place something like that would normally not go) and then I (something about neon tubing)"

All in all, a great game.

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My son loves this game. I'm very impressed with it too. He normally loses interest in games after an hour or so but certain games will keep him interested and this one is one of them. I didn't want to do a review but there was only one review so I wanted to let you all know this is a great game for kids. They get to pimp cars, drive them and even break dance! Cool.

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I bought this game because it is old and voted as one of the worst games ever. I swear that you will find something to laugh at with this game though. Few games are this bad but I don't know. If it makes me laugh is it really that bad?

Best NHL Hitz 20-02 Deals

Customer Ratings:

Quite simply, this is one of the best games I've ever encountered in my twenty-plus years of gaming. I've never liked sports games before, but from the moment I started this game I was hooked. I've always loved hocky, but found that most games were either too dull, too complicated or just didn't have the graphics that make this game light up the way it does on the Game Cube. If you don't own this game, buy it!

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I was going to the video store one weekend (actually, my dad went for me), and I wanted to rent a game. Our video store has a large selection of GCN games. I couldn't seem to make up my mind (but I'm sure that you have probably already igured out what game I rented). So I picked NHL Hitz 20-02.

I was a bit skeptical about the game at first. I mean, I've got the 'awsome, eyecandy' of a hockey game called NHL 2002 by EA Sports for my computer, so I didn't really know if I was gonna like this. I tried it out a little...and...GUESS WHAT!?!?!? I fell in love with this game. It's NHL hockey as it was MEAN'T to be; Big Hits (and I mean BIG HITS!!!), dramatic goals, HUGE FIGHTS, and CHEAT CODES! ;)

This game is the NHL version of the Midway classic known as NFL Blitz (which also had sequels each year for roster updates, graphics improvment, and more features). You start the game off with 3 gameplay modes: Exhibition, Season, and Franchise. And there is also some extras like: the Hockey Store, and Create-a-Team feature.

Exhibition is the basic mode of the game if you want some classic fun (and you can also play this mode multiplayer with up to 3 other people). You pick your team from a colection of ALL the NHL teams in the league (but I am sorry to say: NO international teams). You can also buy more teams at the hockey shop. Once your done picking your teams, you pick three players (from a list of six) for your team to have as your line for the first period. After that you will procede to the section where you have 5 seconds to type in cheat codes (like bigger hits, huge heads, tennis ball puck, ect.) Once your done picking your hockey dudes and doing cheats, you will go to a cool, and somethimes comical, Pre-game show.

There are NO penalties in this game; the only way for your player to be kicked out of a game is...LOSE a FIGHT!!! If you lose a fight, the player that lost the fight is out of the game. The fights are awsome: VERY DRAMATIC.

In season mode, it is basically that same as most hockey games: you go through the season and try to win the STANLEY CUP.

In franchise mode, you try to make your created team better (as you get more points to improve created players with each franchise win). You try to win the MIDWAY CUP.

At the Hockey Shop, you can buy various nostalgic jerseys, new arenas, new teams, and special heads for created players. You earn points for playing exhibition games and season games, and you use these points for the hockey shop.

It create-a-team mode, you can create a team by customizing your jersey logo, jersey color scheme, and team name. You can create six players and one goalie for your team. You start out with a limited amount of points to make your player attributes. BUT that is what franchise mode is for: yo earn points to make your players better. You can chose different faces for your player. You also custumize your player's body size and stuff: the players can look any way you want.

There are also alot of options to customize like game speed and music style. The Graphics are a bit on the weak side (as they could have been better). The sound is awesome. The commentator is pretty funny. Also, the controls are pretty easy to learn.

If you are looking for adrenaline pumping hockey action, NHL Hitz is for you. It's no were near a hockey sim, but that's WHY it's fun. If you want a hockey sim, I suggest buying NHL 2002 by EA Sports for PS2, X-Box, or computer...or you can wait till fall of 2002 till the SEGA NHL 2K3 comes out for the GCN. But if you want a FUN, arcade style hockey game, this game is for you.

I also have one more thing to say: GO WINGS!!!!!!! ;)

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Hey Lets Face it if you like hockey at all you like nhl hitz 2002. Its the best hockey game ever yeah so maybe there is only three guys on the ice, but how often do you get to smash a guy thru the glass or knock the helmet off Mario Lemieux(example not that i hate lemieux i love him.)The best part about this game isthe killer graphics on the winnable arenas the one arena i have saved at my house you play on apond and if you go to replay you see under the ice little fish swimming around. This Game rules in every and any aspect.

Go Buy It Or Sit At Home and Sulk With Regret!!!

Honest reviews on NHL Hitz 20-02

As a die hard hockey fan, I eagerly awaited this game. I was not disappointed. Midway has kept true to its style of pro sports games. Having the GameCube as a system to work with, Midway excelled in all areas! The graphics are excellent for a hockey game(only NHL2K for Dreamcast is better). Game play is intense! Fast, furious and nonstop! Although you can control the speed of the game in the options screen and slow things down, but why would you? Control of the skaters is a bit awkward and difficult at first, but is easily overcome with practice. Smooth player movements and precise commentary add to the game. Options, and many of them!! Choose your favorite NHL team, one of Midway's "special teams" or create your own. Choose your teams colors, jerseys, logos, your teams stadium and yes, even nicknames that the announcers will say during the game! And plenty more options to choose from! Trade players, fights, and even trivia questions that can earn you points to increase your players skills. There is even a "Skills" game that helps you increase your hockey skills to be a better opponent for the computer! This game has more features and options than I have mentioned here. Bottom line is this, NHL Hitz is the best 3 on 3 hockey game for any game system! This is a MUST for any video game player, even if are not a hockey fan! Go Avalanche!!

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I bought NHL HITZ for my son, Mark, who just turned 18.

Since he is now on Christmas Break from school, he plays

it every night before bed...so, I can safely say, he loves

the game!

Rock Band 3 PRO-Cymbals Expansion Kit Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $28.47
Today's Bonus: 29% Off

For everyone on here who can't figure out how to assemble these (which is understandable, because the directions are terrible):

Each clamp comes in two pieces, with a slight space between them. Take them and SQUEEZE THEM TOGETHER as hard as you can until you hear two loud pops, one on each end. Don't worry, you didn't break it. You're just putting it together. If you don't do this, the tightening nuts won't work, no matter how much you try to turn them. Now they don't slide down when you hit them! No tape necessary!

Now. Speaking as an actual drummer, these are the best accessory for Rock Band ever. Quieter and more responsive than the RB2 cymbals. As for the hi-hat clamp length issue, here's what I do. To set up like an actual drummer, you need to connect your crash and your hat on the LEFT side of the kit. Put the green crash on the tall tube. Connect it to the set with a short clamp. Now connect the hat to that tube with the long clamp, putting the hi hat on a short tube to the left of your snare. Now put your ride on the right side. There. May take some adjustment, but you're playing like an actual drummer. HAVE FUN!

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I purchased this RB3 Cymbal kit to go along with my RB2 drum kit to use in Pro Mode in Rock Band 3. Out of the box these cymbals are WAY too sensitive to be even remotely fun to play. I was extremely frustrated at double-hit notes coming through constantly. I searched around online for an answer and found a partial solution. If you look for the "Penny" mod it will clear up a lot, but not all of the issues (although it will void your factory warranty). I added some extra foam padding above the actual sensor and now the cymbals work perfectly. So, as an out-of-the-box item these cymbals are pretty much useless for the precision needed for RB3. With a couple of simple mods, though, these puppies work great. Granted they should have worked great straight from the factory but they are so much fun now I'm willing to overlook the simple mods I had to do to make them work properly. A worthwhile investment if you don't mind doing a little work to get them to function properly. Hopefully Madcatz will clear this issue up with future releases of the cymbals.

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I was a little skeptical to buy the cymbal expansion kit. I read reviews where there had been problems with stability and the cymbals generally not working correctly. I've been using these for the past couple of months now, and they work wonderfully! They are completely sturdy when attached the CORRECT way, and add a whole new dimension to an already great game! I am very, VERY pleased that I went with my instincts to buy the expansion kit over getting a whole new set. I am not disappointed at all! Highly recommend!

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UPDATE: After I posted this scathing review of the new Rock Band 3 cymbals, someone mentioned that the slipping problem a lot of people (including myself) have been suffering from might be related to the quick-snap part of the clamp. Sure enough, when I tried snapping the quick-snap part together again, this time using a wrench instead of my bare hands, it seems to have worked. Therefore, if the manual would have noted that you should use a wrench to snap the quick-snap parts together, it would have saved me and a lot of other people a lot of grief and removed the impression you need to tape the metal pole up for the cymbal to stay put. The quick-snaps are not something you should be snapping together with your hands unless you happen to be a gorilla.

This single oversight in the manual caused me a ton of hassle, as you can see from my original review below, so I'll remove one star for that. Otherwise, this seems to be a decent product. I'd give the game Rock Band 3 itself 5 stars, but these cymbals get 5 stars minus 2 for the pain and aggravation caused by this oversight in the manual. Maybe in a month after I forget how much the installation experience sucked, I'll want to increase the rating for the cymbals to 4 stars or so...we shall see...

Here's the original review for your um, edification:

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Unfortunately, the Rock Band 3 version of these cymbals still retains a fatal design flaw that existed in the previous version whereby the yellow cymbal's clamp fails to perform the very basic function of clamping. The yellow cymbal starts to slide down immediately when you start playing, and no amount of turning the screw (even with a wrench) provides enough tension to hold the cymbal up for more than a few hits. It would be bad enough if this type of design flaw existed in the first iteration of the product, but this is the second iteration, and the manufacturer has obviously known about this problem for over a year, yet arrogantly decided that its customers would, I don't know, not notice? Only use two out of three cymbals? I have no idea what they were thinking when they let this product escape the quality assurance process. There really is no excuse.

Although customers can jury-rig a fix with tape, this is by no means acceptable. Such failures in basic functionality should never be allowed in a finished product.

Epic fail. Shame on Harmonix for allowing this headache-inducing product to sully the Rock Band name, much like the original drum pedal. Customers deserve products that at the very least *work*.

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I would have gave it 5 if worked for rock band 1 but got my money back for a friend who wanted them. They were in excellent condition.

Discount The Karate Kid

Customer Ratings:

This stinks to high heaven.The gameplay is absolutley terrible.All you do in this pixelated platform 8-bit mess,is jump around kicking bad guys,dodging opstacles and playing stupid little mini games,like chopping little blocks of ice,or catching flies with chop sticks.This game is a HUGE WASTE OF TIME.Play a different game,go read a book,watch a movie.Do ANYTHING except play this BS.

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Ah yes...LJN. That company is notorious for making bunch of the worst NES games ever in history. I do not believe a single game from them has been a good one. And The Karate Kid is no exception. The first reason is the controls. They are pretty bad. If you had played Double Dragon and made a transition to The Karate Kid, you'll find it a weird one. The Up button is for jump, and doing that makes the gaming experience during stage 3 very annoying. The second reason is that there is no variation nor creativity during all of the stages. And third reason, a lot of times, you had no idea what to do. Now, let's go to each stage of The Karate Kid:

Stage 1: The tournament. Believe it or not, I beat everybody without getting hurt by simply kicking. As a matter of fact, I do not believe that I ever punched in the entire game. It's been kick...kick...kick...kick...and kick. Don't waste the Crane Kicks in this one. All you have to do is push Forward + B to conserve the Cs.

Stage 2: Same thing as before. Kick, kick, kick, kick, and more kick. Every time I go to a bonus room, I feel like LJN has a fetish for swinging hammers. A lot of times, I don't even bother going into the bonus rooms. Now, this is the point where you can make the game easy or hard on you, and I will tell you how to beat the game so painlessly. Find a spot where you can do back and forth without a problem. Now, stay there for a while without advancing to the next screen scroll-wise. Keep killing all the enemies that come to you. Grab the C every 4 kills. Continue until you got like at least 60 of them. It can be boring...yeah, but it's a surefire way to win the game. Also, it helps you to gain lives (what the hell with the chances??) per 20,000 points. The best part of the Cs is that they boost the health by a couple of points. When you get bored of farming for Cs, continue to the right and kick your way out of the *blows raspberries* final boss.

Stage 3: This stage is the hardest of the game because it's a lot of work. Same tactics as before: find a spot and work for more Cs. Then, go forward. Every time you see a gap, I recommend not drive forward as you can because as soon as you do that, the enemy tends to jump from right side and kick you, being forced to fall about 10 feet away into the gap. So, time the movements well and jump over the gaps without being interfered with. There is a series of gaps in the middle of the game which can be mastered. As soon as you get to the bottom and you clear the enemies out, start going forward as fast as you can. Eventually, you will finally get out of it. This stage is a lot of work, but with some simple adjustments, you will find this part not so bad at all. Finally, you will meet the final boss, but forget him...just jump up the tree and reach for the girl. Stage over, no fight, easy peasy.

Stage 4: Now, you will finally understand why I said that you need to farm for many Cs and accumulate them as much as you can without spending them in the past three stages. The enemies are much harder to take out with simple kicks; however, by landing a crane kick on them, they disappear right away. Keep doing that all the way to the right; forget the bonus rooms. Just keep moving forward to the right as fast as you can. Finally, the final boss, if you have some Cs left, waste them on him, and the game is over. You won!

Despite what people think, The Karate Kid is an ultra easy game. All in all, The Karate Kid is a terrible game with no replayability value, and I actually hated the movie more.

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LJN,I hate you. Take the best movies of all time (Back to the Future,Friday the 13th,Jaws) and make them into the worst NES games. This is a good example. YOU PRESS UP TO JUMP,WAY TOO DIFFICULT, AND VERY,VERY,REPEDITIVE AND STUPID!

FIRST STAGE:Karate Tornament.JUST MASH THE B BUTTON AND YOU WILL NEVER GET HARMED.Pathetic.

SECOND STAGE: Moves from fighter to platforming beat um up. REPETITIVE. BOSS: Again,mash B.

THIRD STAGE: Gets very hard. Never passed. MANY PITS,AND ENIMIES,BIRDS,FLYING TWIGS AND THE WIND ITSELF KNOCKS YOU INTO THEM.

There are also 3 minigames and a Vs.mode.

CATCH THE FLIES:BORING

HAMMER SWING:EXTREMELY HARD

ICE BLOCK BREAK: EXTREMLY EASY

VS. MODE:ALSO BORING AND REPEDITIVE

DO NOT BUY, EVEN FOR 2.99,LIKE ME. HATE IT DUE TO UNFUN DIFFICULTY AND EASINESS,POOR MUSIC, BELOW AVRAGE GRAPHICS,BORINGNESS,AND CAUSES CANCER,BRAIN TRAUMA, AND MORE DUE TO OVERALL AWEFULNESS. That is my review,goodbye.

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I got this for a buddy of mine. Yes its one of the worst NES games out there but its the Karate Kid!!! You buy this when you just cant get enough Ralph!

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This game takes a while to master, especially the side-scrolling sequences. For a Nintendo game, this wasn't bad, it just took some patience because in the side-scrolling game, you had to earn power-ups to be able to perform special moves, but if you moved through the levels patiently (enemies could jump out) the game was easy enough to beat. This game is about the second Karate Kid film, not the first, and you fight Chozen in here.

Reviews of Mediabridge FLEX Series HDMI Cable (1 Foot) - High-Speed Supports

Customer Ratings:

I purchased one of these to enable 3D functionality (HDMI 1.4 required). Since they were inexpensive and advertised as "Ultra Thin", I added two more to the order for my other connections so that I wouldn't have to worry which were 1.3 and which were 1.4. Note that this isn't the first Mediabridge product I've used. All my other cables have been the Mediabridge sleeved versions (8.5mm thick). Since I was very pleased with those, I had high hopes for these.

The cables did not disappoint. They were as thin and flexible as I expected. They have performed flawlessly for me with no apparent noise or drop-outs apparent under direct connect 480i, 1080i, and 1080p 3D sources. I don't have a receiver to use as a source switcher and since the cables are advertised support the Audio Return Channel (ARC), I'll probably use the plasma for source switching and feed the ARC out to an amp instead.

The cables came in the standard Mediabridge packaging a small thin heavy duty cardboard box with the item name/size on the outside. I appreciate the packaging so that I can keep the spares stacked away and not have to wade through a box of tangled cables to get what I need (ESPECIALLY length). The cables were coiled inside and loosely held that shape. Running my hand down the lenght (to make it warm) got rid of most of the coil as expected. Cable connectors and molding were ideal.

I was concerned about functionality based upon the original negative 1-star review, but for the price and my prior experience with Mediabridge products I figured it was worth the risk. I'm glad I did as the cables have worked out great for me and an exception value at the price compared to other name brands.

My only complaint is that it's currently only available in 6-foot lengths. I'll be on the lookout for thier 3-foot and hopefully 10-foot versions (if they end up manufacturing them).

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I was looking for HDMI cables for my brand new TV, and ordered 3 different brand cables from Amazon. The 'Ultra-flex' was one of them and i was pleasantly surprised by how THIN & flexible these cables were.

The TV is connected to my PS3 using this cable, and it was cool to see the TV turn on to the proper HDMI channel and switch to 3D mode when the PS3 turned on (and automatically switch into 3D mode since the HD Fury game was in 3D).

I am sure the other 2 types of cables i ordered were also fine in terms of picture quality, BUT their connectors were thick and the cables were unwieldy. So I returned those (paid the restocking fee) and got 2 more of these Ultra-Flex cables.

It would be great if mediabridge made 3-ft and 12-ft lengths also in the ultra-flex series and perhaps different color connectors/cables so that one could differentiate the cables at the back of the TV. That would be a real winner.

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Now, I have seven HDMI cables:

1.] The first one was a Belkin High Speed (speed wasn't mentioned) 6 ft. HDMI cable. Purchased in Bangalore.

2.] Second one was Profigold PROV1002, 48 bit color, 2m HDMI cable. Purchased in Bangalore.

3.] AudioQuest Forest HDMI 2m. Purchased in Bangalore.

4.] The cable that came with my Satellite box. I am based in Bangalore.

5.] Belkin 10.2 Gbps high speed, 48 bit deep color, 3D support, 6ft cable. Purchased around 10 months after my first Belkin HDMI and the labels changed. After buying this, I found that the product number written in the cable was the same. Felt little cheated at that point. Purchased in Bangalore.

6.] Mediabridge FLEX Series 10.2 Gbps, 48 bit deep color. This is the one I am writing this review for Mediabridge FLEX Series High Speed HDMI Cable With Ethernet (6 Feet) Category 2 Certified [Supports ETHERNET, 3D & Audio Return Channel]. I purchased this from Amazon.

7.] Monster Ultimate High Speed HDMI 8ft, 17.5 Gbps+ Monster Cable Ultimate High Speed Hdmi 1000 HDX 8ft THX Certified. I purchased this from Amazon.

Few comments before the comparison starts:

Other than Profigold, each of the cables mentioned are made in China. The Monster, the AudioQuest, the Mediabridge and of course, the Belkin, are all made in China. The Profigold is made in The Netherlands. However, I am not sure about the country of manufacture of the cable that came with my Satellite Box.

I am NOT sure how being an "ELECTRICAL ENGINEER" and "From MIT" would help put more importance on giving opinion about quality of a product when one actually did not perform a verification of signal processing at Gbps rate, did not analyze the involved network protocols, transmission loss, etc. Simply saying "0" and "1" is very naive way of understanding.

I am surprised that there are such BIG wars going on over HDMI cables and no agency or organisation did a comprehensive study or testing involving cinema quality streaming data transmission through various HDMI cables with the transmitted data captured in a memory device and comparing them. Everything is left to the viewers and buyer's eyes, ears and confusion. Even the HDMI standard agency is MUM on that!!!

Many (huge number of) reviews or comments made in amazon, shows that the reviewer did not purchase that item (either from amazon or anywhere else) but they are so sure about how signal processing is done at Gbps speed and hence attempt to comment that any HDMI cable would perform same.

So, every thing I say here is my perception and my own perception might change in a fourth testing. But I did my own testing three times, each time spending at least one plus hours.

Now the comparison part:

The breaking news There are differences in picture quality and sound quality in each of the cables involved!!!

I have made four sets. In set I, the members are the Monster and Mediabridge cable. In set II, the members are Belkin and the one came with the Satellite Box. In set III, the members are AudioQuest. Set IV comprises of Profigold PROV1002. Given a true high definition movie, I will be able to tell which set the HDMI cable belongs to!!!

The worst is cables from Set II, i.e. the Belkin High Speed ones and the one came with the Satellite Box. There are wither color loss or unnatural coloring in the images.

Set III Pictures coming out of AudioQuest are excellent but cables belonging to Set IV (Profigold) and Set I (Monster, Mediabridge), are better than AudioQuest.

Set IV and Set I has a tough competition, i.e. Mediabridge, Monster Ultimate High Speed and Profigold PROV1002 are all capable of producing superb, ultimate quality pictures.

Between Mediabridge and Monster, I think the Monster would be marginally better in picture quality and better in sound quality. But this is a perception that I would not bank on next time, if I know that I can buy this Mediabridge cable for around $10.

Finally, according to me, the Profigold PROV1002 is better than any HDMI cable that I have. And hence, I have connected this cable to my 50 inch Panasonic TH-P50VT20D Telivision from my Yamaha AV receiver RX-A800 Yamaha RX-A800 7.1-Channel Audio/Video Receiver (Black), purchased this November 2011, during Black Friday. And for my main Blu-Ray player, which I plan to use for most audio visual experiences, I have connected it through the Monster Ultimate High Speed HDMI cable into the Yamaha RX-A800.

I am using this Mediabridge FLEX series High Speed HDMI cable to connect my Satellite Box to AV Receiver (RX-A800).

For a third media player, I will use AudioQuest. By the way, I checked that Profigold does not have a distributor in the North America and hence, probably all HDMI cables in US or Canada might be "Made in China", as this Mediabridge HDMI cable is also. But while thinking what could have differentiated the better ones even if they were "Made in China", I feel that testing is a very important part of the manufacturing. I purchased this Mediabridge product mostly by seeing the testing certificate that Mediabridge has obtained or earned from certain agency in Sunnyvale (did not check if that agency is fake or real, but cable's performance is real and there for me to see all through out). Equally, Monster also has two major industry agencies, testing and certifying their product and no doubt produce very high quality HDMI cables. However, for Profigold, I did not see any testing or certification, though works best for me.

At the end, I would like to emphasize the extremely high value for money for this Mediabridge HDMI cable.

Honest reviews on Mediabridge FLEX Series HDMI Cable (1 Foot) - High-Speed Supports

I wanted to buy a 10 feet HDMI cable to interface my samsung LED TV using its HDMI port with my laptop.I was surprised to see the cable in a small pack when i received it.

The pros are:

1. Ultra Flexible: This is an excellent feature which will enable you in routing the HDMI cable especially when the TV is mounted to the wall closely.

2. Loss less Picture Quality: I explicitly tested this cable by first loading the Bluray songs(1080p) on a USB stick and played in my TV and then i played the same song through the 10Feet Mediabridge cable connected to my laptop.In both the casees i could not find any loss in the picture quality.I do tested with a cheap HDMI cable(6 feet) which i already had and that showed the real difference in picture quality.Thus the picture quality is undistributed even with a length of 10feet.

3.The connectors are gold plated and appear sturdy.

I would strongly recommend this cable

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Mediabridge FLEX Series High Speed HDMI Cable With Ethernet (3 Feet) Category 2 Certified [Supports ETHERNET, 3D & Audio Return Channel]

I have never written a review before but after the mess I had with HDMI cables I wanted to speak up.

I just purchased a new flat screen and home entertainment system I wanted to make sure I got some good HDMI cables. I started looking on Amazon and there are a so many that it got real confusing. I ended up buying several different brands but when they arrived the Mediabridge FLEX really stood out above the rest. This cable will handle more speed that is being produced right now and it is the best quality I have seen. It's also very small and flexible which made a world of difference do to one of HDMI outlets having a strange angle and a tight fit. One brand was so stiff and heavy that I was worried about it bending the HDMI outlet in my flat screen and none of them made the tight fit in my entertainment system except for the Mediabridge.

I know I do not have to stress anymore because I have found the best high speed HDMI cable out there , so thank you Medaibridge !

Discount Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Customer Ratings:

I had the pleasure of play-testing this game in its final weeks of development.

For starters, the game is based on the book and not on the New Line movie. As a consequence, you will find a number of story elements in the game that were not in the movie, such as the Old Forest, Tom Bombadil, and the Barrow Downs. The novel has been expertly translated into a 3rd-person action adventure, and there is a lot more action in the game than actually occurs in the book.

In this game, Middle Earth has been faithfully rendered (under the watchful eye of Tolkien's estate) by the talented 3D modelers, graphic designers, animators, game designers, and developers at The Whole Experience. The first thing that really struck me was the sheer beauty of the game -the score, the environmental details (run through a pile of leaves just for fun), the textures, the fluid character animation. Some of the more interesting elements of the book also shine in the game. For example, the sense of foreboding, fear, and deadly seriousness constrasted with the light-hearted nature of the hobbits. The Black Riders are quite intimidating, especially at first. And there are climactic moments in the Barrow Downs that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. The One Ring, of course, plays a large role in the game. When used, the world changes, becoming shadowy and revealing secret areas of the game. The tension between the advantages and cost of using the ring creates interesting tradeoffs.

The gameplay is 3rd-person, similar to the Tomb Raider series. When you are targeting something with a ranged weapon (like a rock or a bow and arrow), it switches temporarily to first person. In each section of the game, you play as either Frodo, Aragorn, or Gandolf. The three characters are substantially different in their capabilities. Frodo is presented as an agile hobbit with plenty of jumping, leaping, climbing, etc. He's not great in melee combat, but excels at thrown projectiles. Aragorn is an impressive warrior, as well he should be. Playing Aragorn is empowering, with a thrilling and deadly sequence of sword strokes that makes him the best at melee combat. Gandolf can also fight well with a sword, but his primary weapon is magic, and he's got a cool set of spells he can cast to vanquish his enemies.

Of course, the game is not only (or even primarily) combat. In addition to general exploration and adversaries, there are a number of well-designed puzzles to be solved. Some of them are potential stumpers, I suspect.

In short, there is nothing earth-shatteringly new from a gameplay perspective. Nevertheless, the game excels as a wonderful and emotive adaptation of a much beloved book.

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JRR Tolkiens "Lord of the Rings Book 1 'The Fellowship of the Ring' storyline is closely followed in this Xbox adaptation (allows some Xbox magic with great sound track, music & above average graphics). The animation sequences between scenario runs are delightful with audio dialogue. The whimsical artwork used was nice, aimed at the younger audiences to reduce the blood/gore, slash/gash & the frightening darken minions of the Dark Lord.

That ends this great attempt to make a great game from the greatest fantasy trilogy of all time. Peter Jackson's movie trio lives up to JRR Tolkiens work with a few film adaptations to make each film a stand alone art form.

Summary; This game is best reviewed in the PROS vs CONS format to best describe the game players expectations of this XBOX game.

PROS The background music is awesome. The animation sequences of the characters is quite good (great transition between scenarios). The characters voices & dialoque are very effective to the story being told. The games storyline is true to the author. You can SAVE OFTEN (and you must!!!!).

CONS LONG & FREQUENT Game BOOT (loading) between scenarios. NO Middle Earth Maps to be used. NO mapping or auto mapping features (as in MORROWIND) (you must memorize quickly or die). This means NO REFERENCING for location. NO GOING BACK or EXPLORING. Limited Inventory features. THIS IS ONLY A CONTINUOUS SLASH/GASH GAME. You only play FRODO, STRIDER & GANDALF at specific check points (NO OPTIONS). (for example; Frodo from start to BREE. STRIDER from BREE to RIVENDELL etc. no other choices) LIMITED path advance (NO ROAMING as in MORROWIND). ONLY FRODO USES STEALTH. STRIDER & GANDALF MUST FIGHT or RUN or be KILL by EVERYONE (this is NON-STOP). Almost everything is resolved by killing, destroying or dying. (again only FRODO can use stealth). You must move quickly or die!! You must CONSTANTLY search for food, health & magic potions (this distracts the game player from reaching specific scenario goals). VERY FEW rest points to enjoy the game. CANNOT STOP or GO BACK AND EXPLORE MIDDLE EARTH!!

These are only the most frequent perks & annoyances while playing this game. It is to bad so much effort went in, the basic game is there, but the features are to limited to make this a [current price] must have Xbox library game. If you want detail, free roaming, the ability to be cunning, a great investment would be "MORROWIND".

I am truly disappointed in this Xbox games attempt to tell the "CLASSIC" JRR Tolkien "Fellowship of the Ring" story. See the movie, skip or rent the game. ENJOY.

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To begin, this game is not for those who cannot problemsolve, by themselves. This is not a puzzle game, but you do need to explore in order to get to the next level. Unlike the second two movie-like games, this isn't a rambo style 'kill'em all game' but a true hobbit's game.

If you can get to this point in the review, you will probably like this game. It sticks to through the original chapters of the story, such as the Old forest, Tom Bombadil, Barrow Wights, and many othe small intricasies of the original Tolkien novel.

The warning, I say once again, is you need to figure things out on your own. Watch out for the shadow of the black riders!

Honest reviews on Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

This is the most miserable excuse for a video game I have ever played in my life. If you expect it to be anything like the movie your going to be let down terribly. Saying it follows the movie at all is a bit of a stretch. I beat the game in about 6 hours time. The loading time is too long and too frequent the only thing I found even slightly entertaining about this game was plugging a bad adaptation of the Cave Troll with arrows. The graphics were acceptable but with so many great games out it's not about the graphics as much anymore. The game play is slow and the character control is clumsy and annoying. There are no cool features or great weapons just a ton of mushrooms (life restoration) that you don't even need. I read some of the other reviews on this game and I swear those people must be getting paid hype it up because I laughed through there reviews. This is truely a testament to why you should always rent a game before buying it... I'm out to try Two Towers next but anything would be better than this game.

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I recently had a chance to see the Xbox version of this game next to the PS2 and PC versions. All I can say is -the Xbox Fellowship of the Ring blows the other ones away. The environments are huge and on the Xbox there is no fog to prevent you from seeing all the way to the horizon. The graphics are sharper, the effects are more dazzling, even the in-game sound effects work in full Dolby Digital surround sound.

As for the gameplay, the Xbox version seems to have all the action of the PS2 and PC versions, but also adds some additional quest and puzzle-solving elements. This breaks up the gameplay and really fits the mood of the books.

For example, as Gandalf you will go from blasting Orcs with your powerful spells to deciphering a clever puzzle involving beams of light and rotating crystals.

Frodo can also fight, but has more of a platform style of gameplay -you can jump, push, pull, lift, carry, hang, shimmy, etc. Playing Frodo feels a lot like the Zelda games on the Nintendo 64.

And of course, with Aragorn it's all about kicking ... His devastating sword attacks combined with ranged bow attacks (with multiple arrow types -even flaming arrows!) make him the most satisfying character to play.

Definitely a good purchase for fans of the original books, as this version of the game has material that is not in the movie-licensed game from EA, including several levels in the Old Forest that include Old Man Willow and Tom Bombadil!

Best Limited Edition Chrome Silver Modded Xbox 360 Rapid Fire Controller Deals

Customer Ratings:

All I can say about this seller and product is that they're absolutely GREAT! The shipping is so damn fast. I ordered it on Friday and it was here Monday. The controller itself is exactly as described. It is pretty cool to use with the FN FAL on Black Ops and all other semi auto guns. All I can say is if you're looking for a modded controller BUY FROM LIGHTNING MODZ!!!!!!!

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This is a great product, a little confusing to use at first even with the instructions, but eventually i figured it out by playing Xbox. This is a cool controller, it had blue leds and has a rapid fire mod. Although the edge it gives in online gaming is slight, its still cool to use in solo missions vs. the non modded AI. I played online with this controller and i think its gonna be awhile for me to get used to the fact that the controller does the work now, all i have to do is find ammo and point, fire and bam kills seem to be easier. Not sure if it helped in Halo Reach but it sure felt like it did, although i usually get a good amount of kills, using this thing made me get less lol I do know its because I'm not used to it yet and after i do, i'm sure its gonna be killer. Great controller combo and style, can't beat the price. Rapid Fire is expensive depending on the version of it, Version 2 i believe runs the same amount as a new controller, 50-60.00 and this product seems to hit two birds with one stone. Thanks again, ps shipping is AWESOME!!!:)

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This mod controller is great for mw2 and black ops. it has a nice ROF (rate of fire) its really cool that you can change the speed of the rof. this controller sucks for halo, i tried it once and it didn't do anything. this mod controller really improved my gaming, in mw2 and black ops i ended up being top of the list for every round, i advise you to get this controller. its a blast

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First, I want to state that I almost exclusively play Halo Reach and truth told, I'm not very good. However, I really enjoy the game and was looking to find something to help my 40yr old self compete better against the legions of highly lethal teens and young adults. Enter the above modded controller. Before I go any further, I must first state that this controller does NOT make you an immediate WMD in Halo Reach. Primarily,because Bungie eliminated the potential advantage of all modded controllers in Halo Reach with their "capped max fire rate." So, for those who don't know, there are highly skilled persons that can, and often will still pwn you,even with one of these awesome controllers.

So what's the advantage you might ask? Simple, Accuracy. As any Halo Reach player will account, the tool of trade in Reach is the DMR. If you're like me, reflexes not quite what they used to be, it's very frustrating trying to strafe and aim,all while having to continously pull the trigger button over and over. For me, that extra trigger twitch always seemed to make my shots more erratic. Now, with this modded controller, all you have to do in short to mid range combat is hold the trigger button down and use what "talent" you have simply concentrating on the strafe and subsequent placement of your shots.

Why you might ask, do i state only short to mid range combat? Well, because the mod setting for Halo Reach isn't set to fire at the precise moment of reticle bloom closure. It's "almost" set at the noob "trigger spamming" speed. Now bear in mind, that isn't a bad thing on most slayer map's. I've won many a dmr duels because i simply shot my opponet 5 times faster than he was able to shoot me. Thanks to the strafe and mod. However, for the longer shot, you must forgo the mod and rely on your own shot placemet abilities. Which is still easily accomplished by pulling the trigger as you normaly would without the mod. Now, having covered that, it is possible to reprogram your controller, as explained in the instructions shipped with it, andconfigure it to fire the dmr at the precise moment of reticle closure. For those interested, I believe it to be exactly 2sps. Anyway, set at this speed your dmr will be as precise as a surgeons scapel. You can simply hold down the trigger and the mod will shoot for you perfectly. During tests on forge, I could shoot all the way across any map and never leave but one impact hole. The trade off however, is that is fires considerably slower than what most trigger spammers fire on all close to mid range combat. So even though your shots are more precise, everyone knows that the first 4 shots of a dmr does the same damage whether you're hit in the head or the foot. It's the last head shot that counts, and unfortunately at close range, the spammer will win over most precision mods.

However, this precise mode i programmed is absolutely perfect for BTB. With a DMR set at this firing speed on a huge map, you are almost the above mentioned WMD. Simply zoom, aim and let the mod work for you and you will be amazed at the amount of kills you accumulate. Simply put, almost every 5 shots and you put another one down. However, I do spend90% of my time in regular "vanilla Slayer," not BTB.

I waited exactly one month to write this review, so i could give a few statistics with the controller. As stated earlier I know I am just an average player and I don't claim to be great or even good, so please consider this as I list my poor stats and subsequent improvements in one month below:

1. KD 1.02 to 1.11

2. kills a game 10.43 to 11.01

3. deaths a game 10.23 to 09.95

4. went from a postive 4500 overall kd to over 7000 positive kd in one month

5. in one month alone i have accumulated almost 3000 dmr kills alone, making my DMR kd 18,476 kills and 14,146 deaths.

So, there's my review. Hope it helps some of you who play halo who are on the fence about a controller such as this. It really helped me and I'm not ashamed to use it. If you're already a halo master, well this controller probably isn't for you. If however, you're like me and need a little boost to help you compete, this thing will really work well for you. It does take a few days to get used to playing with this controller though, so plese keep that in mind as well. Also, as a closing note, as with any mod, they are designed for semi auto weapons. Automatic weapons are basicaly useless with this or any other mod on the market. The assualt rifle is adequate, but you will certainly not notice a succinct advantage over anyone else. If you're a hated and often detested Needler spammer, this mod will certainly not be for you. With this mod on, the needler will only fire one needle at a time hehe. Also, on that same token, while the mod is on, you cannot use the beam rifle or overcharge the plasma pistol. However, if/when you get a hold of the concussion rifle you will be a death dealing mofo! That weapon is beast with this mod, trust me!

In closing, i highly recommend this controller to all my "halo buds". This is a high quality product that delivers everything it promised. When i next have money to burn, i will be purchasing myself another one as well.

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Great controller, it has a good finish to it, silver with the blue LED the controller modes are a bit confusing at first but with the intructions and after getting familiar with it your pretty much set. Highly recomend this product 5/5

Review of Silver-Plated HDTV High-Definition TV Component Cable for Xbox

Customer Ratings:

First, the quality of this cable really is superb. The contacts all look gold-plated and the construction is solid. There are only two problems which prevented this from getting 5 stars:

1) The shrink tubing that is supposed to keep the audio cables separated from the video cable was not heated and shrunk. This can be fixed if you have a heat gun but come on pretty sad it was missed. This might have been an isolated incident, however.

2) More important: This cable is NOT designed to fit into a first-generation Xbox. I have two different Xboxes, one a first-release and the other a later version. The later revision model's AV port has a plastic top and a metal bar along the bottom and this cable fits and works fine. The earlier model's AV port is entirely plastic and this cable is a VERY tight fit. It took some (very careful) effort to plug it in, and once in it does not go all the way into the slot. However, if you manage to plug it in, it does work and the quality is fine. (Note I am not talking about the original Xbox versus the Xbox 360. I am talking about release versions of the original Xbox.)

Going from composite video (just the yellow cable) to this component cable really is a huge jump in quality. The image is sharper and there is none of that annoying dot-crawl so common with composite video. As should be obvious from the picture, the sound is NOT HD, but just the standard left/right audio. I've noticed no problems with noise or lines as other reviews have claimed to have.

Overall it's a great cable when considering the price. Just be careful if you have an older Xbox when plugging the cable in. You may have to wiggle it in and out several times before getting it in place.

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I am very pleased with the product I bought. I looked into this a week ago and saw that some people had one experience and others had another. Maybe it has something to do with which store your item comes from, but I don't know. I ordered the one from Classic Game Source for about $7. It was the one people are talking about that has both the regular composite (yellow) output as well as the hd component (r,b,g). It also has an optional optical hookup for a higher quality audio, although the regular (red and white) cables work great. I didn't have any lines in the picture or anything. On my 32" 720p tv it makes a huge difference. Now bear in mind that you have to go to the video settings on your xbox (found in the msdashboard) and change your settings to widescreen and enable each of the HD resolutions that your tv supports. And even then few of the games are up to 1080i, although there are a good number that are 720p and even the ones that are just standard STILL look a lot better through this cable. Not every game is made for widescreen so you'll have to switch your tv between 16:9 and 4:3 for whichever game your playing but even then the picture is still great. So maybe some of the other buyers just plugged it in and didn't realize you have to change your settings. I don't know about them, but I am very happy with mine.

Best Deals for Silver-Plated HDTV High-Definition TV Component Cable for Xbox

What needs to be said? These are component cables for the xbox 1/ original xbox (not the xbox 360). They allow your system to be viewed accurately on an HDTV. They are cheap, and they work great! No complaints here!

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After buying a more expensive XBOX HDTV kit with horrible results, I was very relieve that this cheap cable produce an incredible image on a HDTV.

My other XBOX HDTV kit has 5.1 sound, but this cable does not. I don't use 5.1 sound, especially for games, to even notice.

This cable produces a great image in high defination. It is a huge improvement over the composite cable included with the XBOX.

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I found that this cord will show diagonal lines that move. They aren't extremely visible, but on a larger hdtv can be distracting especially if you are watching a movie.

the lines appear in 480p, 720p, and 1080i mode

Review of Logitech NASCAR Racing Wheel

Customer Ratings:

I recently bought this wheel at a local Game Crazy in anticipation of the upcoming release of Gran Turismo 4 and so far despite a few problems i've been satisfied with my purchase.

The Good

1. Great compatibility with PS2 racing titles it works with basically all PS1 and PS2 racing games not just Nascar games (I've been using it primarily with Gran Turismo 3)

2. Easy control customization.

3. Feels good in your hands

4. Well made

The Bad

1. I wish the adjustable lap rest could lock into place (sometimes it slips back in when your taking a tough corner)

2. While the pedals are well made do not use them on a carpeted surface they slip. (Customize the wheel like i did, setting the gas and brake to L1 and R1 and dont even bother with the pedels unless you have a better surface for them)

3. The wheel allows customization of it's sensitivity but i wish it could get a little more sensitive then it can (more life like)

Overall it's a good solid purchase if you can't afford to drop a 150 bucks on something top of the line. It's definately alot better then using a controller on a racing game.

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My 8 year old son got this for Christmas and he loves it...actually so does my husband. It makes racing a lot more like the racing games in the arcades. It works great with the 3 racing games we have, Gran Turismo is one of them and Need For Speed. We put it on a card table in front of the TV and they sit in a chair....works good for them.

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I purchased this wheel for the Nascar 06 game. Right out of the box I had problems. First, Play station 2 does not recognize this wheel when you try to configure it. You have to change the Game controller configuration to # 2 for it to work properly.

Second, The vibration in the wheel when you hit the wall or crash is minimal. Almost not noticable.

Third, even on the high sensativity level for the wheel it still does not keep up with the steering wheel on the screen.

At best this is just a toy, If you're serious about your driving games spend the extra money for a good wheel.

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This product was both good and bad..My husband will spend more time playing the Nascar race game than he does anything else! Thank you for sending it so fast and being such a reliable website.

Best UFC 2010 Undisputed Game Deals

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List Price: $59.99
Sale Price: $26.89
Today's Bonus: 55% Off

This game is pretty awesome. Build a fighter, become more experienced and make your way to the top ranks. Also, there is online mode and other offline moss and versus. It's a good game, very fun too.

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Grand Theft Auto - Vice City Reviews

Customer Ratings:

After purchasing this and doing the download, I made some sort of error with installation of this or another program, and my computer did a restore point, removing it. I was worried that I lost it and would have to repay or the activation key wouldn't work again, but it was no issue to redownload from my games library.

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I dumped the PS2 I had ten years ago and never finished Vice City. I am warming back up to gaming and decided to try this on the older laptop I keep plugged into the TV. Its a Win 7-64 Pentium Dual CPU T3200 @ 2 GHz with 4GB RAM and an Intel 4 Series Express Chipset. I know, I'm lucky I can play anything. That said, the game plays fine... just in case you have a POS of your own and you're thinking of trying to play.

I tried to use the keyboard at first, but broke down and got a wireless 360 controller (with Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows and Xpadder to translate the keystrokes since Vice City doesn't recognize Xbox controllers). I still use the mouse for targeting though.

What's to say about the game? Same great game. Maybe I'll get a gaming rig built with a real video card before GTA V is ported to PC in six months or whenever...

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I have Lenovo Windows 8 G585 and if that is what you have, this game works well, probably on all Lenovo models! Best game ever, the graphics are AMAZING for a game that was made in 2003! I love it.

Honest reviews on Grand Theft Auto - Vice City

cannot stop playing it. I love using the cheats and going through the games. I wish I never lost the original game.

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Purchased and dowloaded this game on two different computers running XP. It performed well on both, however when I rebooted them, both gave a "missing NTLDR" error message preventing the machines from booting up. I was able to reinstall the missing files on the laptop via an XP disc but had to take the desktop to a technician who was able to boot the machine and reinstall the missing files. Just to assure that this was caused by GTA Vice City I reinstalled the game on the laptop with the same result. So, I won't be installing or playing this game on machines running XP.

Sid Meier's Civilization V: Gods and Kings - PC Review

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List Price: $29.99
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Today's Bonus: 41% Off

As of the date of this review, the base Civilization V game has an overall rating of 2.5 on Amazon. This, perhaps more than everything else, goes to show the wide divergence of opinions directed towards the latest Civilization installment.

While the complaints directed towards Civ V by its critics are diverse, the one heard the most often is that the game has been simplified too much. "Dumbed down" is the colloquial expression heard most often about the game by its detractors. I myself am very fond of Civ V, but in my review of the base game on Amazon, I pointed out several items detracting from the game, including the lack of espionage and unintuitive diplomacy options.

With the release of the Civilization V: Gods & Kings expansion, those concerns have been addressed splendidly.

First, religion has been restored to Civilization V. Many have criticized the lack of religion from Civ 5, after having it be a major part of Civ IV. Not only is religion back in Civ V with the Gods & Kings expansion, but it is now better than ever. Specifically, when you start a religion early in the game, you are not only given the choice of which religion to begin but also allowed to choose the enhancements/perks your religion provides to the cities following that religion. In addition, you are periodically given the Great Prophet unit, which can do a number of interesting functions: spreading your religion to other cities, giving your religion further enhancements, etc.

Religion was fun in Civ IV, but could also be ignored fairly easily. Civ V makes religion more important, more intuitive, and more fun. You will not want to ignore it because of how enjoyable it is to manage.

Second, the other major addition (or restoration, depending on your point of view) is espionage. Espionage has been addressed in previous Civilization games (notably, the Sid Meiers Civilization IV Beyond the Sword expansion), but I feel it is implemented in a more enjoyable way in the Civ V: Gods & Kings expansion. Instead of bogging you down in micromanagement, the espionage feature in Gods & Kings allows you to pick where to spend your spies, and then after a few turns you begin to get some feedback from your spies and options on how to proceed. Options range from stealing technology from another nation (for which your spy may get caught, resulting in negative diplomatic repercussions), trying to stage a coup in a City State, instituting counter-intelligence measures in your own cities, etc.

However, perhaps the coolest part of espionage is when your spy informs you that a nation is planning a sneak attack on another nation. You can then inform the third-party nation to warn them of the impending attack (improving your diplomatic standing with that nation) or do nothing and take advantage of the situation.

Third, Civ V, when originally released, featured some bizarre actions by the AI. Nations that were friendly towards you on one turn could very well denounce you three turns laterfor no apparent reasonand then refuse to trade with you. Compounding these unusual actions was the fact that Civ V provided no feedback or rationale as to why a given leader liked or disliked you.

With Civ V: Gods & Kings, you will notice significantly improved AI; it is not perfect, but it is a lot better than it was in the base game. For one thing, the interface now tells you exactly the reasons for why a leader is friendly or hostile towards you (a la Civ IV). In general, the AI is more consistent now; I have not seen any instances of schizophrenic behavior that sometimes plagued the original Civ V.

What this means is that you will see much more realistic and more predictable behavior by AI nations. Now, as you get in the middle and later parts of the game, you will see natural alliances begin to develop between you and the nations you are friendly with, and you will even see nations that are hostile towards you begin to form alliances among themselves.

There are some other enhancements in the Gods & Kings expansion worth mentioning. Beyond giving us new units, new buildings, and new wonders, the City State mechanic has also been improved. You can still give City States gold to influence them, but now they frequently give diverse "quests" to improve your standing.

Finally, it is interesting to note that beyond adding religion and espionage and the new units/buildings/wonders, the designers also tinkered a bit with the basic rules of Civ V. A few brief examplesunits now have more "hit points"; this means that units are rarely defeated in a single round of combat, meaning that they can be rotated in and out of a battle, adding to tactical complexity. Civ V veterans who are used to bringing 2 swordsman and 2 catapults to capture a city are going to have to throw away their old strategies; cities now require a significant number of units to defeat (adding to the game's realism, in my opinion). In general, the designers closed a lot of "loopholes" that existed in the original game, and I think the game is better for it.

In summary, Civ V: Gods & Kings turns Civ V from a very good Civilization game into a great Civilization game. With the expansion, I would rate Civ V as the best Civ game yet. I wholeheartedly recommend it to those who enjoyed the original Civ V, and I hope it leads to at least some of the Civ V critics to give the game a fresh look.

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I wasn't overly impressed with Civ 5 when it first came out. I was so unimpressed, in fact, that for the last year or so I've ignored it and been playing Civ IV. There were a lot of things I didn't like about 5, like the lack of religion and espionage, the no-unit-stacking policy, the limited number of civs, the strangeness of the naval units and, frankly, I didn't get why everyone went so mad over the idea of the hex grid. I always found it rather annoying.

Thankfully while the hex grids and no stacking remain, this expansion adds in more civilizations, more city-states (for them as likes those), more naval units, espionage and religion! And boy, let me tell you about the religion options. They are astounding. First off, you get to adopt a pantheon fairly early in the game, which adds some minor bonuses. But then, once you have a great prophet, you can found an actual religion. There's all the ones from IV, plus ones like Zoroastrianism and Sikhism, as well as Tengriism, which sent me to Wikipedia, since I'd never heard of it before (though my guess on what it might have been was correct. Hooray!).

The diplomacy options have also expanded significantly. Now you can establish embassies in other countries, which gives you the location of their capitol and allows for other diplomatic niceties. You can also, if you are playing the Austrians, buy city-states, which is remarkably useful. There's also a large number of scenarios, including a steampunk one that I look forward to playing.

Now like I said, not all the "problems" I have with the game are fixed. But that said, I find that I enjoy the game much, much more with these features added and it might, finally, be time for me to retire from Civ IV.

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This is as much a reinvention of Civilization V as it is an expansion pack. And that is a very, very good thing.

Let's face it: what is now the base Civ 5 is a mediocre shadow of its predecessors. It's prettier, but on just about every other level it falls short, to the point where I found myself dropping out of games from sheer boredom. As a rabid Civ fan from day one (and I'm talking the 1991 original, on a Commodore Amiga no less) this was downright heartbreaking. Judging from the hundreds of scathing Amazon reviews and who-knows-how-many thousands of fan forum posts, I was not alone in this sentiment.

I am therefore delighted to report that it appears the people at Firaxis and 2K have been listening. In a single stroke, the Gods and Kings expansion pack has made this game interesting and dare I say it? FUN once again.

Good: Gameplay has received a badly-needed overhaul. Without going into excruciating detail (which can be had with a google or two,) many of the features that were dropped from V are back, more sophisticated and useful than ever. In particular, religion and espionage are back, much more an integral part of the game than they were in IV. We have new units, buildings, wonders, technologies, and leaders, and the characteristics and interactions of both old and new items make a LOT more sense than they did before the game now has a gestalt that was completely lacking in the base, making play smoother and more intuitive. The city-states are now worthwhile allies instead of minor annoyances. Naval operations are a whole lot more interesting; island maps are actually fun now. There appear to be some improvements under the hood as well: response seems a little crisper, they've cleaned up the startup somewhat, and the graphics have been tidied up a little. Also, GIANT DEATH ROBOTS!!

Bad: It's still slow. I haven't played on my favored large or huge maps yet, but I don't expect much beyond the marginal playability of the base game with these sizes. If you're not running a high-end gaming PC, expect some serious lag in the late stages of a game. It's still hidebound by the Steam client why oh why did they inflict that on this game!? but the two do seem to be better integrated this time around. I still have to fight the playfield during a turn to scroll to where I want to look instead of where the game thinks I should be looking. There are a few gameplay aspects I don't care for the espionage mechanism is weird, and Great People generally can't fire off Golden Ages anymore but these are near-nitpicks in light of the tremendous gains elsewhere. Plus, the long-promised pitboss server is still missing. It's a pity, because I suspect that multiplayer performance would see a huge boost with Steam out of the way.

Ugly: Having to lay out another $30 to get the game Civ V should have been in the first place.

On the whole, however, it's worth it to have a fun, challenging Civilization game once again. Five stars, barely the ongoing performance shortfall and missing Pitboss almost cost it that 5th.

* UPDATE (7/4/12) * Be sure you have ALL available Windows and Java updates in place before installing G&K. A friend of mine ran into severe multiplayer performance problems on a pre-service pack 1 Windows 7 machine.

Honest reviews on Sid Meier's Civilization V: Gods and Kings - PC

I loved Civilization from the first game. I even tried Call to Power, but couldn't do it.

Civ 5 clearly simplified too much, I must assume they wanted to increase the pontential number of players, but I don't see how the regular Civ 5 could please anyone.

So now the idea is to introduce again Religion and Espionage into the game and (hopefully) some added complexity to the game. It does succeed at that, but at a much smaller level than the previous success of Civilization IV.

Religion was made into an interesting innovation; you basically tailor your religion to your strategy by choosing which benefits it confers. For example you can receive benefits for having the religion spread into different civilizations, or simply by the number of cities (your or others) affected, or the ability to buy building with the new faith points. Pretty neat, and since a particular benefit can be interesting there is a sort of a race if two civilizations want to pursue the same strategy.

The downside is that once the religions are established, there is little gameplay with them. So they change the game from the beginning to say... 500 AD. By them mostly everyone will have a religion picked out. It was a fine addition, but it mostly changed the early game in a relatively minor way.

Espionage is the big let down. It begins in the Renaissance (it is as if the game knew religion would be mostly played out by then) and you get one spy to try to steal tech or influence city-states. Far too little gameplay and involvement, the spy doesn't exist on the map and it all happens in the "Espionage screen". It is a cheap add on that does nothing to the game and is absurdly limited. You get one new spy per age, so you can't move resources into more spies because basically they have very little to actually do.

The greatest success is actually naval combat. Now you have long range and melee ships, and you can attack cities more effectively with a navy. Naval combat was drastically improved with this.

The new civs are irrelevant to me. I don't care about new luxury items. The foreign policy is very mildly different for city states, but the original one was practically broken, so I see this more as a patch than an effective expansion of the game.

So this expansion is ok, but not worth the price. It improves mildly Civ5, but it still is incredibly inferior to Civ4 in every way but graphics.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Sid Meier's Civilization V: Gods and Kings - PC

Here we are at Civilization V's first expansion after only seeing smaller DLC packs since it's launch over a year ago. This expansion actually does what expansion packs are supposed to do, and that is add on content to keep the game fresh, fix bugs and gameplay issues and give you a reason to spend more money on a game you already have. And it does it quite well.

Civilization V Gods and Kings includes the addition of Religion as well as Espionage as we have seen in earlier instalments in the franchise, but does so in a completely new and innovative way that we have not yet seen. These additions included in this way allow you as the player to experience a copious amount of new content through two completely new major gameplay features, and while they seem familiar and are easy to learn they are fundamentally different than the earlier versions thus exciting and fresh. I won't go into anymore detail as they are listed on the page and I don't want to ruin any of the "exciting and fresh" but that is what I found them to be. But these two features dramatically change the game, and personally added a lot of much needed replayability to the "vanilla" version of the game.

There are several new leaders to be played all heads of their respective civilizations and with that all new leader bonuses and special units. This of course adds a lot more variety to the game (I.E. replayability) as well as variety in abilities and units that you or your opponents (or allies technically) have thus in turn possibly changing your strategy around. These new additions simply add base depth to the game, and fortunately allow a lot of players favorite Civ's/Leaders from previous games to make appearances. And of course some of the new leaders special traits involve bonuses in the new Religion/Faith system.

There were several new maps and scenarios added in this expansion pack, these features are also just added depth and variety. New artwork/Units/moves/abilities, ect. As well.

All in all this expansion pack does what it is supposed to do, or atleast what I had hoped it would do and that is expand on the game, adding new features as well as variety and making the game more enjoyable and most importantly more replayable. Civilization V Gods and Kings for its cost adds a lot of content and doesn't seem to break anything or have a downside game wise, so if you are wondering whether it's worth it as a long time Sid Meier fan as well as just a Civilization fan I find this expansion to be a welcome addition.

Original Civ V rating 4/5, a slight dissapointment considering the earlier instalments and not as enjoyable as the fourth game. Though it was pretty good considering other games on the market.

Civilization V with Gods and Kings 5/5, this expansion fills a lot of gameplay holes, adds a lot of variety and makes the game overall a more enjoyable experience. I find myself not simply running out of things to do to stay entertained with these new strategies and ways to go about the game.

If you enjoyed Civilization V, or feel you would have if it had a little more work done with it and had some expanded gameplay features then this product is definitely a recommendation.

Reviews of Saint's Row: The Third - Xbox 360

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The best way to describe the Saint's Row series is if the developer's took a look at GTA: San Andreas and said "okay, that's great, but let's try for 40% more wacky" and each iteration thereafter was just that much more absurd than the last. This is a good thing. GTAIV went the more serious route with a deep, compelling crime drama and a protagonist battling his inner demons... Saint's Row had you go into ragdoll mode to commit insurance fraud. It's a nice duality for this console generation.

Anyway, enough history as I'm sure since you're onto the third edition that you have some idea what the game is about. If you enjoyed Saint's Row 2, you're going to enjoy this game. There are some really, really weird new weapons (anything having to do with Professor Genki really), a new city to wander around, a lot more character customization, and just a lot of silly crap.

The actual gameplay itself is an upgrade to Saint's Row 2. Everything feels pretty tight, the vehicles and targeting systems are good, no complaints there really. The city itself looks great, it's big with a lot of varying areas and a lot of mayhem to be had, that's for sure. The soundtrack is a little over the top, it kind of makes me feel like I'm in an 80's action montage half the time... which is a good thing.

A big standout to me is the new upgrade system. You're able to accumulate an empire as you snag properties and can use the cash to buy health upgrades, weapon upgrades, clothes, etc. The initial character model creation has a ton of variation as well. Definitely a good move on the developer's part there.

The story itself is pretty good. It's not longer a three part thing where you go after each gang individually, it's more of a cohesive thing that goes throughout the game. If you feel like ignoring it, of course, go nuts. That's what sandbox games are all about!

I have two gripes though: the character models aren't as crisp as they could be. For the amount of customization available they could have made them look a little better. They're not bad... just not great either. In addition, they took out a few of the more interesting side missions from the last game (Fuzz and the Sanitation Truck one stand out to me) and kept the more mundane ones (Escort. Always with the pimps & hoes).

Regardless, the game is a lot of crazy. It's fun to screw around with for ten minutes or a few hours. If you're a fan of the series, definitely worth picking up.

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This game is a lot of fun, no complicated setup or long hours of training to get good at playing. You'll have fun from the moment the game begins.

Overall Rating : 4 out of 5 Stars

The game, while targeted at "adult" males, is a lot of fun if you don't get bogged down the the details of killing hundreds of law enforcement officers and hookers. The game is meant to just be fun, not commentary on modern society or a discussion on politics. Start blasting everything, exploring the city, and grabbing some cash.

Graphics: 5 out of 5 stars

The graphics are great, with a lot of detail down to litter on the streets, various people walking down the street, and a random selection of vehicles traveling down the roads for you to admire and steal. There is also a great deal of detail allowed on your character, including clothes you can select, tattoo variants, etc.

Missions: 4 out of 5 stars

The missions span a wide range of types, from robbing banks to attacking other gangs scattered throughout the city. There are side missions called in via cell phone, as well as trouble you can get into while you explore the city on foot, in a car, on a motorcycle, in an airplane stolen from the airport, or even via helicopter.

Characters: 4 our of 5 stars

The character is customized by you at the start of the campaign, so almost anything goes. You will also be allowed to change the clothes, add tattoos, change the voice, talk to pedestrians, etc. Very detailed and amusing to listen to the variety and it might even teach you new profanity or insults.

** Warning: this game is truly intended for a mature audience, so do not allow your youngster to plan this game if they can't handle sex, drugs, nudity, violence, explosions, marketing of adult products and services, and other mature themes. This game really pushes the envelope on mature material, so don't think that the other mature games weren't so bad so this one might be OK. It ain't OK, and might scar the little ones. **

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I'd like to start this review stating that I am not a gamer. So if your looking for comparisons to other games this might not be the review for you. That being said. I (beeping) love this game.

Yes, there is cursing, guns, violence, assassinations, theft but it's all in fun. It's a game. It's a game for adults. So if you're thinking about getting this for your kid, make sure it's something you don't mind them seeing and hearing.

I don't play many games because I usually get stuck in places. I have various games where I'm stuck in certain places and can't get passed them. I recently played L.A. Noire and this reminded me of that in the fact that if you can't do a particular "mini game" you can exit out of that particular area and move on to something else.

I've stayed up so late playing this the two times I've turned it on and I feel like there is so much content that it will take a long time to even get through the game. It's open world so I can drive around the streets forever just exploring and checking out different areas. There are hidden objects all around that you can find and explore. For instance, you make money having your photo taken by photographers on the side of the road. You can also search for hidden nude dolls for achievements.

I think because I'm not well versed in games it takes me a few tries to get a challenge done but I'm still having so much fun that I don't mind. It is a little difficult for me in some areas. That's to be expected of my though.

I love this game. As soon as I figured heard I could customize my character I was sold. I love customizations. I love being able to be a chick. I usually look for that in a game. My husband always asks if I'd like a particular game and my first question is always "Can I be a chick?"

For a non-gamer I love this game. I don't know if it's up to par with other types of games that are like this. (Are there other games like this?) I'm having so much fun. Where does the time go when I'm playing this?

Honest reviews on Saint's Row: The Third - Xbox 360

Ok, first off this was originally a post to the official Saints Row website.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Saints Row franchise, but SR:TT left out the little details that made previous Saints Rows games EPIC. I will state 11 reasons I feel 'personally' about what Volition messed up on. Now remember, this is my opinion and don't flame my review with 8 year old comments. Let's keep this post professional please.

Let's start.

Reason number one. Customization was cut back, by alot.

With Saints Row 2 clothing, you could

-layer your clothing

-choose multiple rings

-choose multiple necklaces

-add symbols to your clothing

-change your clothing material

-change the design of your clothing (i.e. striped/plad/checkered)

With Saints Row the third, you have none of those options, and all outfits are preset and premade.

Reason number two. Cars are made of plastic.

When I saw the new car damage, I was excited. It looked a little more realistic.

However, when I got ingame my excitement dropped completely.

Apparently the cars in the game weigh nearly nothing, and the actual crashing leaves alot to be desired.

When you hit a car, it goes flying. Up, forward, backward, it's bound to go way farther than a real car would.

Reason number three. Weapon customization was lazy and very overhyped.

The weapon customization has to be the worst, and most limiting weapon customization i've ever seen.

I hated Fable 3. (Loved the other 2). But I would actually say that Fable 3's idiotic hero weapon customization was better than SRTT.

When you customize a weapon, you have 4 upgrades to it. These upgrades add scopes, stocks, foregrips, etc.

However, they cannot be reversed. In any way.

So once you buy that new shotgun with flaming rounds, you are stuck blowing up everything like a retard for your entire game.

Or if you buy dual wielding pistols, you will never be allowed to return back to single wielding.

What is made even worse, is that the flashlight is out of your control, and the scopes do not even work. (except the AR-55 which is just the default sniper scope)

Volition, if you are going to add weapon customization, at least do it right. Don't do it halfway and just throw it in.

Unlike 70% of other players, I will NOT settle for half-ass. I pay for this game, I pay for DLC's. I, as well as everyone else, deserve better.

Reason number 4. The RC gun is useless.

The RC gun was one of my biggest hypes about the game.

I love playing co-op, and I wanted to have a blast with my friends with the new weapons, ESPECIALLY the RC gun.

Sadly, the RC gun has a range of about 30 yds. And this cannot be upgraded, or affected with a cheat.

It is a pointless and useless weapon, and a huge let down.

Not just the range is terrible. For some reason the button you use to to detonate a controlled car, is also the button that forces you to jump out of a car.

So when my friend is driving me around while I rc a helicopter, I am forced out of his car when i try to detonate mine.

Why was that overlooked?

Reason number 5. Loss of side missions.

There are still some side activities. But for some reason, firefighter missions, and ambulance missions were removed completely.

I don't know about everyone else, but I enjoy replay value. Alot.

When you remove side missions that were fun in the last game, you drop alot of replay value.

Replay value is what sells your DLC's..why you would want to lower it is beyond me.

Reason number 6. Lack of immersion features.

When I say this I mean

-food

-drinks

-blunts

-beer

-props around the world that could be picked up

-for some reason every free roam decides the option to sit on chairs is just too hard to add. (even though the npcs can do it just fine)

Things like this also increase replay value for me.

I play a game to do exactly what I want in a different world.

When you remove things that were enjoyable from the last game, you screw immersion completely.

There is no reason why the grenade slots couldn't ALSO hold food/drinks.

And why exactly was there any reason to remove the option to pick up props around Steelport? The giant mutants can do it.

(Just another example of a game where the NPCS can do more than the player can. Pro.)

Reason number 7. Non multiplayer cheats.

Really? Just really Volition?

Why in the world would you take an amazing cheat like zombies, or bloody mess, and then make it single player?

I could be running around the town in a trench coat with my buddy taking down zombies, but for SOME reason, you decided multiplayer shouldn't have zombies?

I'm sorry, but that is just stupid. Incredibly stupid. Unimaginably stupid.

Tell me why I would purchase a dlc for cheats (yeah they have a paid dlc for some cheats) when i can't be sure they work in multiplayer?

Reason number 8. Loss of usefull phone operations.

Example. Calling a taxi to take you around town.

Who exactly was that option hurting in saints row 2?

No one. I loved it. It could be used in multiplayer, single player, and was wonderful to have around.

But once again, some random reason caused it to be removed.

Great.

Reason number 9. The overexaggeration.

This may be a smaller reason. But it's still one that irritates me.

The stores have gigantic shiny billboards, the police have unrealistic vehicles, and the purple dildo (which was soooo researched when created) is completely useless.

I understand you are trying to stray away from gta realism.

I completely understand that. You are supposed to be what GTA wasn't.

But was a slight bit of realism too much to ask?

This game is so silly and exaggerated it makes me sick sometimes.

Reason number 10. Removal of enterable stores.

Gas stations. Kwiki marts. Removed.

You can purchase these random properties all over the map.

But for some reason all of those gas stations and stores that were enterable, have been removed.

Why? Once again, I just don't know.

Reason number 11. Removal of cutscene/mission replay.

In SRTT especially, I would have loved to replay some of the missions.

Deckers missions would have been a blast to redo.

But for some unnapparant reason that was removed as well.

This, plus the removal of side activities and immersion, brings the replay value much lower.

11 reasons. I believe they were backed up enough to be real reasons this game was a let down.

Volition these can be fixed. With a patch, a dlc, anything.

All i'm asking is that you attempt to fix a few.

You TOOK OUT things from saints row. Something NO game company should ever do.

You half-assed some of this things in this game. Once again something no company should ever do.

Please, fix some of these.

Oh, don't forget to check out Terminator's review. It's another honest opinion from a fan of the franchise.

*UPDATE! Open your wallets guys, look at all this new DLC that should already be in the game:

Co-Op Pack

Sometimes all it takes is a friend at your back to help you through the toughest situations. With the Co-Op Pack you can do just that. Play entirely through Saints Row: The Third with your co-op partner and together help the Saints climb once more to the top.

Bloodsucker Pack

Keep the cash flowin' with the Bloodsucker Pack. You'll earn respect and get cash bonuses but it doesn't stop there! You also get payments, money drop, and the ability to regain health through your human shields with The Dracula skill.

Explosive Combat Pack

Throw on your combat gear and add a weapon to your arsenal with the Explosive Combat Pack. The M2 Grenade Launcher sends a plethora of mass explosions right at your enemy, and the Future Soldier Outfit is perfect for any battle.

Invincible Pack

More cheats than you'll know what to do with. Never worry about dying or running out of ammo! Experience the thrill of Zero Gravity and unlock the Get Down Cheat that makes you ultra limber. Super Saints gives you better guns and better health while Ultimate Clip ensures that you're always ready to fire. Get Infinite Mass for your vehicle plus Super Explosions and you'll be ready for anything!

Season Pass

Get 15% off on future DLCs! And get the ultimate collection of goods for Nyte Blayde fans for free! Look just like a Nyte Blayde star with exact replicas of the Altar Boy and Bloody Cannoness Outfits. Experience the excitement of Nyte Blayde's adventures as you get behind the wheel of the Nyte Blayde Mobile vehicle. The top off your full Nyte Blayde experience by zipping around town on the Bloody Cannoness Bike!

Shark Attack Pack

Add to your wardrobe and weapon cache with the Shark Attack Pack. The Shark-O-Matic shoots out a steady stream of slimy fish guts, attracting whatever may lurk under the streets of Steelport. And if that isn't enough, the Shark Bite Hat allows you to experience the feeling of being caught in the jaws of a great white.

Special Ops Vehicle Pack

A collection of fully equipped military vehicles for your garage. The Saints VTOL features jet and hover modes making airborne attacks easy and stylish. The Saints Tank and Saints MRAP are the ultimate in armored warfare, showing your opponents the Saints aren't to be messed with.

Steelport Gangs Pack

Get some new gangwear for your wardrobe with six new outfits. Disguise yourself as a Morningstar Solider or blend in with the Luchador Specialist crowd. You can even try out the Decker cyberpunk style and get in touch with your inner techno-goth!

Unlockable Pack

The Unlockable Pack gives access to all unlockable items, upgrades and bonuses that weren't chosen during normal gameplay. Now you can have it all!

Warrior Pack

The Warrior Pack adds four combat-ready outfits to your wardrobe. Antiques never go out of style with the Knight of Steelport Armor, or go for something a little more revealing with the Warrior Princess outfit. Bring out your inner samurai with the Kabuki Warrior Outfit or choose the Intergalactic Warrior Outfit for an out of this world look.

Z Style Pack

Live the high life of Zimos himself by adding a weapon to your arsenal and an outfit to your wardrobe with the Z Style Pack. You won't go unnoticed in the bold and pimpalicious outfit good enough to be called The "Z". Arm yourself with the super flashy Bling Shotgun and your bullets won't be the only thing that makes an impact.

****UPDATE OF DLC.

I paid 20 dollars for a so-called season pass. Worst mistake in my video game history. The 3 DLC's are the most half-assed pieces of garbage I've ever played. I don't like calling them DLC's. All of them are literally 4/5 missions long.

I thought Gangsters in Outer Space would have a deep meaningful storyline... nope. It's just a stupid corrupt director, that obsesses over you and ignores the lesser female co-star. The story is NOT about space, in fact it's about you helping the co-star grow a spine. All the alien weapons featured in the DLC, you don't even get! Wow thanks Volition... thanks alot.

The Trouble with Clones is even worse. Johnny is cloned into a mutant creature and the whole DLC you have to chase and find him. Awesome... right? Nope, you get these amazing superhero powers, super sprint, fireball attack and mega jump. Please tell me you get these powers outside the DLC? Not a chance.

I can't remember the name of the other DLC, but it's garbage, it just adds side missions. Not even complete missions!

What happened Volition? Where are all the old amazing games at? Red Faction (a first person masterpiece changed into a 3rd person super hero like shooter) Saints Row (an amazing 3rd person open world game, watered down and crapped on) and what ever happened to destroy all humans? That game was great!

AVOID the DLC, dont make my mistake. It's garbage much like Volition. THQ should be ashamed of publishing this game. I'm terribly pissed at what DLC is these days.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Saint's Row: The Third - Xbox 360

The Saint's Row series has always had a special place in my heart. So many hours of my childhood were wasted taking turns with my best friend acting a fool in the initial entry, and countless nights devoid of rest were spent pimping my character and buying up property in 2008's excellent sequel. Starting off as a Grand Theft Auto clone and soon forming it's own unique voice in the industry, Volition's franchise has morphed into a carnival of everything you've ever wanted to do in a game, but were too afraid to say aloud. With "Saint's Row: The Third", all of these things have crashed to form what may be the craziest game you'll play all year.

Picking up a while after "Saint's Row 2", "The Third" finds the Third Street Saints transformed into a brand, one that is slapped on everything from bobbleheads to energy drinks. Every single one of their exploits is a media circus, and the first mission of the game takes place during a particularly crazy heist. This heist involved breaking into a bank, shooting up droves of SWAT members and gangbangers, getting a vault airlifted from the bank, and riding on said vault while shooting off assailants. This is only the first mission, mind you, and it's a great taste of what's to come later on in the game.

Not to go into specifics, but one thing leads to another, and before you know it, your custom character is in a new city, forced to reboot the Saints from the ground up in a new locale. But as luck would have it, you've happened to royally irritate three very intimidating gangs, and all of them want you and the Saints gone. It's either you or them, and as the protagonist, it's fairly obvious how everything's going to go down.

The game takes off to an exhilarating start, featuring some of the most insane missions you've ever experienced in a game, film, or anything else for that matter. One such mission has you skydiving from an airplane into a penthouse, shooting up waves of gang members, and hurling grenades to dislodge barracades, all while Kanye West's "Power" blasts in the background. It's a rip-roaring good time, and many of the early missions have the same thrilling tone to them.

Which makes perhaps the game's only shortcoming more anger-inducing: the poor pacing of missions after the first act. Volition pulls a very cruel bait-and-switch on players, after packing every mission in the first parts of the game with over-the-top action. Once you've gotten into a groove, though, the game starts throwing on seemingly meaningless side activities on you at such a quick rate that it starts to feel like the formulaic sandbox game the first entry was. While none of these missions are particularly bad (Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax is a brutal reality show that is a blast to play through), many feel like they were best left being optional. I would even go so far as to say that some side-activities from the other entries should have been eliminated altogether, such as the intensely dull Snatch and Trafficking.

Speaking of those last two activities, they are perhaps two of the most demonstrative of the game's rare but frustrating glitches. NPCs that you're supposed to be protecting will often do the most counter-intuitive of things, such as run straight into enemy fire when they're supposed to be escaping, or simply standing around like a statue while you're getting torn apart by enemy fire. These don't happen all the time, but after a while, it starts to become noticeable that allied NPC AI could have used some last-minute fine-tuning. Other notable (but incredibly rare) bugs include enemies that will occasionally disappear into a wall and getting trapped in ragdoll form underneath certain objects. The latter is remedied by an instant respawn, but one would figure that Volition could fix a glitch that has been in the game since it's inception instead of making a quick fix like that.

Which isn't to say that the overall gameplay is bad at all. In fact, it's one of the more standout features this time around. Gunplay has finally been perfected, able to balance the freedom allowed in sandbox games and the precision shooting offered by third-person shooters. Being chased on foot through the streets by a car or helicopter is no problem, as the player seamlessly shifts between vaulting over obstacles while whipping around to pull off quick, precise headshots to their assailants. Other aspects, such as the driving and boating mechanics, work in a similar fashion to their predecessors in Saint's Row 2, with one exception: flying. Vastly improved from the last entry, flying around feels like a fully-fleshed idea instead of an exciting concept. Flight sim-esque controls allow more complex flying maneuvers to be pulled off with ease, which makes flying a more viable way to travel Steelport.

And you'll be doing a lot of travelling, because "The Third" has the most robust and exciting city I've experienced in a game of this type. This is due in no small part to the outrageous amount of customization and overpowered weaponry. Ever wanted to be a skydiving mascot wielding a bat fashioned out of a dildo? How about a punk rocker with duel pistols that shoot infinite explosive ammo, or a streaker with a penchant for jumping into cars "Dukes of Hazzard"-style and propelling your crotch into people's faces while tackling them? In this game, all of these unique possibilities are a few of the hundreds of realities you can make happen. Volition deserves a round of applause for delivering such an insanely fun overworld to explore and/or ravage, with plenty of side-missions to complete and real estate to purchase.

They also deserve praise for the sheer variety story missions pack in. Outside of the utterly disappointing manditory side-mission portions, players will experience virtually every trope from contemporary games in the campaign. I won't be the guy who spoils things, but let's just say that zombies, luchadore gangsters, pimps with autotuned voiceboxes, and trips into a Tron-style motorcycle ride are among the highlights of the game. I cannot think of another game with such sheer variety in it's narrative, with the possible exception of 2008's bland but amusing "Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard." This game will routinely have players in stitches with the zaniness of the situations and the wry humor characters shoot back and forth at each other like verbal gunfights.

"Saint's Row: The Third" is the start of a new direction for Volition's fantastic franchise. While not perfect, it establishes it's identity and severs ties with it's GTA Clone past, which is a hard feat that other open-world crime games have stumbled at and failed to accomplish. Offensive, loud and outrageous, this game is one that will stick with you, for better or worse, and suck you into it's grasp without letting you go. While it certainly is not the best game I've played this year, it may very well be the most consistently entertaining.

Plot: B+

Gameplay:B+

Graphics: B+

Sound: B+

Overall: B+ (9.0)