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

Customer Ratings:

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

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

Discount NBA 2K10 Anniversary Edition -Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:

This review is not about the game, it is about the Tenth Anniversary box set.

Pro's:

The Box is massive, stands about 2ft tall.

Packaging is top notch, outer packaging alone makes for a great display piece

Locker itself is really cool, each locker is individually numbered out of 30,000

Locker construction is solid, and made really well

Access to the 2k10 Live Gold Room (haven't accessed it yet so I don't know how cool it is)

Cool poster from Shepard Fairey's Studio No.1 (made on a high quality stock paper)

Cons:

The Box is massive so it might be tough for you to display.

I was disappointed with the Mcfarlane figure, I thought it would be a full size figure (should have read more, "it stands at 6" tall, not the figure is 6" tall)

Overall I was really happy with this purchase. Now that I look back I am not sure if I can justify paying $40 extra for this set. If they would have given you a normal size Mcfarlane figure this would have been well worth it.

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I have to order this from the USA, because I live in Italy. Everything is fine and the cabinet idea is awesome.

Best Deals for NBA 2K10 Anniversary Edition -Xbox 360

Excellent game! Different gameplay modes including the "My Player" mode that is funny and complex, it is very realistic and you can customize the difficulty of the game with sliders and adjust it to your liking.

The locker is very useful and well made, all my friends have seen it and fallen in love with it.

Honest reviews on NBA 2K10 Anniversary Edition -Xbox 360

The game is the truth, and I had my minor problems with it at first in the beginning but since then, the game has been nothing other than the perfect simulation of real life counterpart to the real game of Basketball. One of the best modes this game has is the "My Player" mode. It's so addictive and gives you a lot to do and aim for. I have yet to play the normal game as much simply because I am enjoying living the life of a NBA rookie trying to make a name for myself and become an All~Star. The game is worth checking out, even if you're not a basketball fan. Give it a shot, you will not be disappointed. Also, they have 24/7 Roster updates which is a great addition as well.

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The box (which is the size of a hobbits wardrobe) is just the first suprising thing about the 2K10 special anniversary edition. The thought that has gone into assembling a package worthy of celebrating 10 yrs of this game franchise is superb. The well made metal locker, along with the ltd edition print of kobe and all the other bits and pieces make for some real eye candy. The addition of the 'gold room' entry pass is a wonderful idea that gives the feeling of exclusivity you want when you buy somthing that is in limited supply. The game itself is as you would expect,packed with smooth graphics, kick ass soundtrack, and realistic gameplay, with really atmospheric arenas and crowd reaction during the matches themselves. The rendering on the player in game graphics is enough to make you weep tears of joy as you control Lebron, koby, and all the other NBA superstars and legends. a highly recommended package well worth the extra bucks. And Amazon.com were one of the only people prepared to supply it to us mere mortals in the UK. Well done ESPN and many thanks Amazon.

Best PlayStation 3 3D Glasses Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $69.99
Sale Price: $22.10
Today's Bonus: 68% Off

I recently bought a Sony Bravia KDL-55NX720 which is 3d capable but comes without glasses. The 3d factor was of interest to me and being a bit of an electronics geek. I had to get 3d glasses and check it out. Rather than getting just one type of 3D glasses I decided to get 3 different compatible glasses and check them out. The three glasses I got are:

Xpand X103

Sony TDG-BR250

PlayStation 3 3D Glasses

I wear rimless bifocal lenses that are 32 mm tall. For comfort I would rank the glasses as follows:

1. Sony TDG-BR250

3. PlayStation 3D glasses

3. Xpand X103

All of the glasses worked over my prescription glasses but I found the Sony TDG-BR250 to fit over my glasses best and to be the most comfortable. I found the Xpand X103 the least comfortable though they are OK and I don't really have an issue sitting through a movie. Based on other reviews, the comfort level varies quite a lot from viewer to viewer. Both the PlayStation glasses and the Xpand were a little more awkward to get adjusted over the glasses. So for me, that was probably the biggest comfort factor. None of the nose pieces that came with the Xpand gave me a great fit. The PlayStation glasses had an adjustable nose piece that worked better for me.

For 3d performance I would rank them in the following order:

1. PlayStation 3D glasses

2. Xpand X103

3. Sony TDG-BR250

The PlayStation 3D and the Sony TDG-BR250 resulted is similar colors and brightness. I think I got the most flickering with the BR250s but hard to say on that count, none were bad. The TDG-BR250 looked good as long as you kept your head level, if you tilted it even slightly to the left or right, the picture got lighter and there was abundant crosstalk. The PlayStation glasses have a polarization filter that reduces the crosstalk and it definitely works. The Xpand 103 glasses were similar to the PlayStation glasses with crosstalk performance. You could tilt your head left or right and the picture didn't change much. However; the picture was a touch darker with the Xpand glasses and the colors were a touch different. I liked the brighter picture and the color rendition of the Sony glasses better. You could probably adjust your picture so that the Xpand glasses would give you a similar color/brightness profile if you were just using Xpand glasses. The color and brightness wasn't so different that watching programing with the different brands would be a big deal.

I know the Xpand 103 glasses work for brands other than Sony. They were easy to synch with my Sony Bravia TV. I believe the SonyPlaystion glass are also universal for infrared (but not the newer Bluetooth) systems. They are listed as compatible with Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Toshiba, and Sharp Active Shutter 3D. At least for the Sony system, they synced automatically. The TDG-BR250 are meant for Sony systems.

Both sets of Sony glasses are rechargeable. The Xpand uses an easy to get inexpensive battery. I haven't had the the system long enough to know which I prefer. It is really going to depend on how long the battery lasts on the Xpands versus how often the Sony's need to be charged and how well they hold their charge if unused for a period of time. Since I use the Xpand battery type for a locator system I use to find my cats when they go outside, I always have a ready supply of the batteries. I'm guessing I would actually prefer the battery system, which I assume will not need batteries very often, to recharging. The Sony's are supposed to only need 3 minutes of charging for an hour of viewing so they charge fast. Still, stuff that recharges tends to not stay charged if it sits around unused for a period of time. I can see it being a pain if someone comes over and wants to check out the 3d but the glasses need charging. Same goes if we get more content on TV. Batteries tend to not run down for a long time when idle and can be changed immediately (IF you have the batteries on hand) if they are dead.

Here's my final rank

1. SonyPlaystation 3D glasses

2. Xpand 103 3d glasses

3. Sony TDG-BR250

There are polarizing filters available from Sony for the TDG-BR250 that are supposed to correct the crosstalk issue. I ordered a pair from Sony a couple of weeks ago but still haven't received them. If they work, I might raise the Sony TDG-BR250 to the top of the list since, for me, they are the most comfortable. Without the filters, the Playstion glasses definitely outperform the other sets. I gave them 4 star rating because they don't really fit perfectly. Also, if you have lights on behind the viewing area you get a fair amount of reflection in the glasses.

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This glasses is also marketed as a "universal active shutter 3D glasses" that works with Panasonic TVs. However it uses IR receiver with sync up with the TV. All Panasonic TV that produced after 2012 has switched from IR emitter to RF (Bluetooth) emitter for their 3D glasses. In other words, it will NOT WORK with your Panasonic TV if it's a newer model. There are very little information about this. I spend an entire night searching on the web to find out why it wouldn't work with my TV (TC-P55UT50). Many vendors even market this glasses along side with my TV even though they don't work together.

Best Deals for PlayStation 3 3D Glasses

These glasses are rechargeable and work with the Epson 3010 projector, for those of you looking for a half-price alternative to Epson's $100 glasses.

Honest reviews on PlayStation 3 3D Glasses

I was one of the first to join the 3D 'party' back in late 2010, and refused to be upset by all the issues that came with it. Being a techno-geek I pretty much sucked-it-up when I found annoyances like ghosting/crosstalk of images when I moved my head watching the TV, and was just grateful that it worked at all.

Who knew the glasses should be such a big differentiator between 'ok' technology and 'amazing'.

I originally purchased my Sony Bravia with the external 3D transmitter, and 2 pairs of the Sony TDG-BR100 Adult Size 3D Active Glasses, Black As I described in my review for those glasses, they're pretty good but unless you go to the trouble of getting additional filters from Sony , you do get some pretty bad image crosstalk if you so slightly move your head.

Enter the new Playstation 3D glasses with a feature to 'reduce crosstalk'. Well, who am I to turn down an apparent technology step-up. I purchased these during the black friday sale, and quite frankly have been blown away by them.

To be honest the build quality is 'average' at best sort of like a pair of plastic sunglasses, but what they lack in tactile quality they make up for by being so lightweight you can wear them for extended periods. The nose piece does rub slightly at first, but that wears off as the rubber softens with time. Some other reviewers comment they were tight on the head but these fit me comfortably.

More importantly , the 3D image is unsurpassed. Whatever Sony did with the polarization filters in these glasses, they got it 110% correct. With no change to my other equipment, these glasses allow me to fully enjoy the 3D picture, without the frequent need to adjust my head position (honestly they even work at extreme angles).

If you're looking for any replacement or 3D glasses, dont be put off by the Playstation logo these truly are the glasses to beat above any other that Sony produces at the moment.

[Additional] Only one small annoyance is that all the PS3 peripherals use a mini-usb connector, yet randomly these glasses have now moved to the micro-usb interface. Granted the glasses ship with a USB->micro USB adapter for charging, but its just another connection to keep track of and another USB port that gets used up they are in short supply on most TV's and PS3's. My next Amazon purchase will be for one of these cables which lets me do mini & micro USB from a single cable StarTech.com USBHAUBMB3 3 Feet USB to Micro USB and Mini USB Combo Cable A to B

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I discovered two simple adjustments to make these glasses 100% more comfortable. First of all the nose pad is bendable so that you can form it to fit your nose. Secondly, you can loosen the temples (arms) of the glasses by bringing some water to a near boil, pouring it into a glass, and then sticking each temple into the hot water for 20-30 seconds. After that, you need to apply pressure to the plastic for 20-30 seconds in order to bend it, then immediately stick it into a glass of cold water to flash cool it, before it goes back. You need to use a fair amount of force when bending it so that the temple is straightened out because it will automatically spring most of the way back into a curve shape. It's easiest to do them one at a time. Also, it helps to use a ruler to measure the distance between the temples before and after the adjustment is made so you can determine a good size. If the glasses are still too tight, you can repeat the process using more bending pressure. If they become too loose then just use the hot water with little to no bending and then flash cool them and they will tighten up. For me this was the end-all to the issues that I had with these glasses and I hope that other people can benefit from it as well.

Xbox 360 Repair Kit XCLAMP Replacement 3 Red Light Fix X-Clamp Fix Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $14.99
Today's Bonus: 25% Off

In the end, I fixed my 360's red ring problem with 2 things the opening tool in this kit and the cleaner/thermal paste. I didn't bother with a different clamp or pads for the RAM, and it's been working fine. I guess what would be useful is is a cheaper kit with just those essentials but I can't complain too much. One thing the included slip of paper with a web address for a manual didn't work and I had to find it via Google.

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I used this kit to repair my original xbox 360 worked like a charm. I didn't think the process was that hard but this is not for everyone be sure you are comfortable before attempting this. The hardest thing was getting the old thermal paste off the components.

Best Deals for Xbox 360 Repair Kit XCLAMP Replacement 3 Red Light Fix X-Clamp Fix

Well, I just received this part kit yesterday, went to their website (xbrdepot.com) listed on the neat little orange card they enclose with the kit and get this in return (Looking for something? We're sorry. The Web address you entered is not a functioning page on our site). I suppose I could probably find another website with instructions, but I'm disappointed in this product. Out of the dozens of other kits out there, I went with this one. So if you don't mind working blind when you get the parts then by all means get this kit from this seller. But if your like me, and would rather not take any chances repairing your xbox360 RROD, please use another seller.

Honest reviews on Xbox 360 Repair Kit XCLAMP Replacement 3 Red Light Fix X-Clamp Fix

This kit worked great and was easy to use.xbox now plays like it was brand new.It was a fantastic buy.

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Easy fix for RROD , fixed and sold one system then purchased the 12 kit package deal with the south bridge kits fixed two more RROD and 1 E74 error system. Easy to follow online instruction guide

Buy Intelligent Qube - PlayStation

Customer Ratings:

Intelligent Qube is one of those rare gems for the Playstation, and it is interesting to know that one can find humble and challenging games among the giants of flashy graphics.

The game is one big and bad puzzle floor where crushing cubes come falling your way and you need to avoid them by making use of explosives you place in the floor. The more cubes you destroy, the more points you get, and as you advance further the speed the cubes come your way increases by dangerous margins.

I do not know if this game can still be found, I really doubt it, but if you come to find it, by all means buy it!!

M.I.

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I have been looking for this game since I got the demo with my Playstation almost 10 years ago. When I finally spotted it sitting behind the glass at a local game store, I screamed like a little girl and pounced on it the way a falcon catches a hare. I had to have it.

What's different from the demo? There's music now, which seems a little bit out of place but has its own cathartic kind of quality. There are eight increasingly ridiculous stages and then the Final Stage, which consists of four devious puzzles. My chops were still fairly fresh, and I was able to beat the game in one sitting, but it took 3 hours and I had to continue twelve times, and I wound up with a final IQ of 12 since the game resets your score when you continue. I plan on replaying it nonstop until I beat it without continuing.

This game is still every bit as much fun as the demo was in 1997. The controls remain responsive, the puzzles are still fresh, and the game is still unlike anything before or since (including the rather lousy PQ). This game is my most prized possession.

Best Deals for Intelligent Qube - PlayStation

This was the first (and only) puzzle game I've ever bought for a video game console, and it hooked me from the first five minutes of starting it up.

The concept here is really simiple. You're a tiny guy (or gal) on a big platform of blocks suspended in a world of darkness. You're sitting there, minding your own buisness, when suddenly huge smashy blocks appear at the end of the platform, coming right towards you. There's nowhere to hide, nowhere to run to. Your only chance is to set explosive devices and destroy the blocks before they reach you. If you fail...well, lets just say it won't be pretty.

So you run around, frantically destroying the blocks before they reach and crush you. It's very simple gameplay, but add in the fact that things go faster and faster, and the challenge gets harder and harder as the game goes on, and you've got a challenging game that's easy to learn, almost impossible to master.

So we've got fun and challenging gameplay, but absoloutly terrible graphics. By todays standards, Intelligent Qube is a visual mess. The charachters are terrilbly ugly and everything has a first generation playstation look to it. The game also gets impossibly hard as it goes on. I never got past the fourth level, which says a lot about how hard this puzzle is.

But the graphics and difficulty can be easily forgiven, considering how addictive and compelling the gameplay is. In it's finest form, Intelligent Qube is a perfect example of superior gameplay over superior graphics. This is one puzzler that stands the test of time quite well.

Honest reviews on Intelligent Qube - PlayStation

This game has its origins in the Japanese game market. It was produced only for 6 months for the us market by Sony. Why for only 6 months i don't know. It is easier to find in the NTSC/J format along with it's sequil. The premis of this game is a fast paced puzzle environment. It really tests your wits. In a way it could be described as a scrolling rubix cube game for your playstation. It even gives your mock I.Q. at the end. Hence the name Intelligent *Q*ube not Cube. Look for this game on Amazon zshops or auctions and be prepared to pay at least some money. You won't want to let this game go once you have a copy.

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It was a great game because it was so addicting and challenging --yet simplistic and in the realm of its own in terms of the game world.

However, please. I was looking at the prices listed for this product and if one is hunting for a good deal, the ones you'll find on Amazon is your best bet because there are some interesting sellers on E-Bay that really think you'll pay nearly 100.00 for a PS-1 game. I mean really folks. A PS-1 game? The PS-1 system doesn't even sell as much as this game is trying to be sold for! Yeah... I mean...true it was a good game but then so is Monopoly and Battleship but you don't see people shelling out 80.00 to 100.00 for em!

Wow. Talk about gouging.

Best Crysis 2 Full Game Download Deals

Customer Ratings:

Great game, and the Download card came in great condition. I was able to download the game and start playing it right away. The game is great highly recommend it. If you enjoyed Crysis then you'll surely enjoy Crysis 2.

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First Crysis was epic , and so was this one. I downloaded this and it had a lot of glitches though. Lots of freezing sounds and annoying glitches. But it was worth it overall.

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This game simple looks amazing, I always catch myself just staring at the screen. If your a FPS fan do yourself a favor and pick this title up for the price you can not go wrong and will get many hours of gameplay.

Buy Dragon Age: Origins - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:

So I purchased the Xbox 360 version of Dragon Age: Origins yesterday and have spent WAY too many hours in Ferelden when I should be doing far more constructive things.

Is it too much of a stretch to think that someone who names their blog after semi-mystical airships might enjoy a roleplaying game or two?

The game is not perfect. The graphics are decidedly sub-par, audio glitches occur far too frequently, and on a regular basis I notice tiny white specs, which are the "seams" showing between some images that display environmental graphics. Screen tearing, I think it's called. The latter wouldn't be so bad, if I didn't also have to look for a similarly white-ish graphic that indicates a chest or box or crate or body requires ransacking for the requisite reward. I'm always rotating the camera back for a quick second to be sure I'm not missing out on some loot.

But so what?

The game is deep, the voice-acting well done over all, and this may be the best WRITTEN roleplaying game of the current generation, even if the story itself seems safely (perhaps too safely) rooted in standard RPG conventions. Not even Mass Effect has dialogue options that are as "realistic" and rewarding to hear as what can be found in Dragon Age.

But, just to meet my "geek" and "nerd" quota for the day, I read some reviews. I've never seen so many one-star "reviews" based on just one or two aspects of what is otherwise a fantastic game -one-star bashing based on (you guessed it) the graphics or the heavy (oh so time-consuming) dialogue.

My take is that this phenomenon exposes a fundamental shortcoming of this particular generation of games -there simply aren't enough good RPGs that elevate story and dialogue as THE fundamental pillar of the game's success.

In just one short decade, gamers have forgotten how story-heavy games like Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale, KOTOR, and other RPGS really were.

In just one short decade, everything is about graphics.

What a tragedy.

Gaming has gone from a hobby filled with gaming enthusiasts with imagination and open-mindedness (in terms of what can be considered a successful kind of game), to a hobby filled with mindless addicts seeking the nearest, the quickest possible thumb-twitch to get their needed dose of adrenaline.

And the internet is such a "perfect" forum for them to express their distaste. Twitchers with short attention spans "write" quick, twitch-like reviews that say GRAPHICS SUCK and FAIL and give one star reviews, as if that's all that matters in a game.

Hardly.

Rather than pay attention to either the mostly positive or mostly negative reviews, rather than pay attention to the polarization that can occur in the review sections of buy-sites, be sure to check out Metacritic or GameStats or other sites that organize and collate reviews from ACTUAL CRITICS.

There's a concept.

Dragon Age is a fantastic game. Deep characterization and playing fundamentals/strategy (on higher difficulty levels), lots of looting and blood and gore, romance with a pretty guy or girl, long-term support from Bioware (hopefully) as evidenced by the downloadable content available on the day of release, and huge "bang for your buck."

Even at 60 dollars retail, that averages to at the very least a dollar an hour in terms of value, for anyone who completes the game. And this isn't 60 dollars of sandbox. Dragon Age doesn't appear to be as much of a "sandbox" game as Morrowind or Oblivion. While great games themselves, they left some players feeling a little left out in the cold, wandering around without enough of story-driven momentum to sustain interest. One can only loot so many caves, kill so many monsters, close so many gates, that don't have significant impact on finishing the game.

And did I say dragons, arch demons, and dark fantasy elements?

Anyone who enjoys RPGs should buy this game. Now.

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I am astounded at the backlash against the game, mostly due to the graphics. So it's not incredible detailed and brilliant as people want, so what? KOTOR wasn't exactly top-notch in graphics either but it didn't matter. It was the story and gameplay that counted and that's the same here. From what I've seen, the PC version isn't massively different, a bit sharper but not by that much.

What counts is the story and gameplay and man, BioWare have outdone themselves on this. The brilliance is how it overturns the classic cliches of fantasy adventures. Elves aren't superior beings but divided, the city elves second-class citizens in slums while wood elves are wild and considered myth. Dwarves aren't drinking comic relief but hold to ideas of honor while in truth holding to an ultra-rigid class system that keeps the commoners down. And magic is considered something to be feared rather than used. Twists like that give the entire genere a nice kick.

As for complaints about how it starts slow, that's tradition for BioWare. Hell, it took KOTOR four or five hours on one planet before things got kicking and same with Jade Empire and Mass Effect. After you get through the origins and to the main story, things take off huge and the game is amazing to play. Each origin is fantastic to see and leads to different experiences and the combat is good too. I admit the PC may have an edge with the birds-eye view thing but this is still a great way to make it work.

So ignore those hung up too much on how it doesn't look utter perfection. If you want a game with PLENTY of replaybility, epic story, great characters, good combat and a rewarding play experience, this is it. Bravo to all involved creating it, you've made a true classic.

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The PS3 version is 17.3% better than the 360 version for 4.2 reasons.

The 360 version is 13.7% better than the PS3 version for 2.4 reasons.

Which version is better for you will be determined by your saving throw.

NO SPOILERS

I picked up both versions. I have two identical TVs, one bedroom, one den, both 50" 1080p Panasonic G10s. For this review I put them side by side in the den, PS3 hooked up to one, 360 to the other, and choose the same origin story. I played the PS3, my wife played the 360, we both took the day off of work, a "Bioware Holiday."

BIOWARE

The Bioware RPG is one of my favorite video game genres. KOTOR 1 is still my favorite story. I played through Mass Effect 7 times. If you like Bioware, you will like Dragon Age.

KOTOR 2 GRAPHICS

Bioware didn't make KOTOR 2. Until now. Dragon Age's graphics in general look like a last generation game, upconverted to HD. And why should they not? This game was 5 years in the making. Personally, if I could wave a magic wigglestick, I would magically wish the graphics into the year 2069, to play in my PS9 in my flying car. Unfortunately, I live in a condo that doesn't allow wigglesticking. So the choice is (A) Play the Bioware game. (B) Don't play the Bioware game. (C) Eat a cup cake. No one plays Bioware games for the graphics. You play for the CYOA storytelling.

6 COMPLETE CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE NOVELS

Dragon Age is 10 Novels long. With 6 unique hero journeys. That can be twisted good or naughty. Warrior. Magic. Thief. Hybrid-Hybrid. Bioware is the only developer on the planet that makes this kind of beautiful uniqueness. This kind of awesomeness only comes around once every few years. Is this flavor of awesomeness perfect? No. Is amateur pornography perfect? No. Sometimes the pacing is off, or the dialogue excessive, but it gets the job done. The job is to experience a genuine human story--even if you're a lesbian elf. Dragon Age is fantastic video game storytelling. And better written than most fantasy novels.

BLOOD SPLATTER OR POTPOURRI?

I'm going to give Bioware the benefit of the doubt and believe that after battles my characters are splattered with blood and not potpourri. It's hard to tell visually, but I don't think they would censor themselves because this game is, like, totally Mature.

GAY SEX NO NUDITY

My wife likes lesbian threesomes. In books. In movies. In video games. In our kids' crayon drawings. She had never played a Bioware game before, but she likes role playing, and I told her Dragon Age has lesbian threesomes. Now, like with most video games, the depiction of sex isn't much more sophisticated visually than taking two barbie dolls and slapping them together. And there's no nudity. Because Bioware understands the genuine human condition--that people make the special love with their cloths on-even if you're a bi-sexual dwarf. So if you like realisticly-sized breasts well-covered with beige felt bikinis, then you, my friend, are in for a PG-13 flavored treat.

CASUAL VS HARDCORE

My wife played on easy, I played on normal. If you're an uber-genius, like me, who enjoys micromanagement, obscure RPG tactics, and general strategery... Then prepare to spend a lot of time, with the game paused, in clunky interface menus, because that's how real men play. That's how my grandpappy played his Bioware games, and his grandpappy before him, back when Bioware wasn't even Canadian, when they were still French, and the TVs had 11" screens and were powered by fire--usually dry hickory. So if you want that kind of authentic gaming experiece, you can have it. But if you just want to enjoy the story, crank that menu to easy, slump back in the couch, and unbuckle your pants for a good time.

PS3 VS 360

Like with all games, it's a choice between graphics vs framerate. The PS3 has slightly better textures, color saturation, contrast level, resolution. The 360 is less pretty but smoother. The PS3 is the supermodel with arthritis. The 360 is a Ukrainian gymnast. You get to choose who you want to take to bed. But since all you're going to do in bed is talk... It's not such a big deal. Unless you put two 50" plasmas right next to each other, you're not going to see the difference. I'm going to keep the PS3 version (because I like the controller better) and give my 360 copy to my favorite charity FVGFBO that provides fantastic video games for blind orphans.

BUY IT, PLAY IT, LOVE IT

* UPDATE

I have played 115 hours, beaten the game twice, tried three of the six origin stories, watched every sex scene, won every topless hottie boss battle, and found "teh secret nipplz." Personally, I feel this is the best Bioware game to date, the best written video game of all time, and a genuine evolution of the Bioware formula. For those of you fleeing in terror from Adult Content, know that, like in real life, bi-sexual dwarf sex is awkward, optional, and over in less than a minute. You can get through the whole game without "going hairy."

Honest reviews on Dragon Age: Origins - Xbox 360

I am giving this game 5 stars; incredible story, engaging game play and tactics, great voice acting,and characters you grow to care about not withstanding, what sets this game apart, what sets most Bioware games apart, most notably Mass Effect and now Dragon Age, is its approach to morality.

The difference between Dragon Age and other notable RPG's is subtle; I invite you to think back to previous offering in this genre.

JRPG's such as Final Fantasy series, Tales of Vesperia or even the classic Chronotrigger lacked any real morality decisions, or "Role Playing". The story plays out for you, whether you want it to or not. Almost like content in between cut-scenes. Moving from there, you have games with morality choices that are gaged on a meter with a clear line between good and bad: Bioware's KOTOR is an excellent example. However, with the coming of Mass Effect, and now Dragon Age, Role Playing has evolved to a more natural level.

No longer forced to chose between good and evil, it has become possible with these games to actually Role Play a complex character, and in no other game has this been more possible then in Dragon Age. The dialog choices are almost agonizing. My character is anything but black and white. Decisions are not without consequences, whether it be the changing opinion of party members, or the uncovered quests, or even missed opportunities (for example, I killed some one who could have been a party member, I did not know it until I spoke to a friend who played the game differently) Often, the consequences can be brutal; knives in the back cold blooded brutal. This is a true Role Playing Game, that begins to approach a level of engagement never seen before. When I make choices, I do not think,"is this a good, or bad action". I think, "how would "I" handle tis situation?"

You are never forced down a path, or forced to join a faction. This game allows one to play in the truly grey area of human nature. For this reason, I give this it 5 stars.

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Note: This review is primarily but not entirely based off of a complete play through as a Human Blood Mage on the Hard difficulty. On a 10 scale system I would rate this a 9 of 10 (4.5/5).

Bioware's new offering is a role playing tour de force but at the same time is also the premier presentation of that development studio's technical handicap.

Dragon Age: Origins is a solid RPG for the 360 that more than justifies the investment of a retail purchase for the RPG genre fan. The game provides a rich single player experience with a cohesive and engaging storyline in J.R.R. Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring and George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones tradition within approximately 60 hours of unique playtime. Working out at more or less a (US) dollar an hour price this is an unbeatable deal for the RPG fan but maybe not be so for the non-genre fan. Those that place a premier value on cutting edge graphical presentation, action packed style or an expansive, durable and free multi-player experience will probably find Dragon Age to be tiresome, boring or limited in scope, respectively. BioWare has (barring the yet seen release of the new Star Wars RPG) played to death their current engine's style. The engine used in Dragon Age is BioWare's Eclipse. Those familiar with the Odyssey and then Aurora engines used in their previous titles such as Knights of the Old Republic will be familiar with the format. Unfortunately the bar has already been raised technically with Bethesda's Fallout series and narratively by BioWare's own Mass Effect series.

Dragon Age's most immediately apparent shortcoming is its obviously lacking graphical presentation. While, as an RPG fan, I can say that the graphics were never a point of overt disruption to the actual experience of playing the game they were often a source of disappointment for an otherwise superb experience. The textures were painfully off in that materials that should have had a shine were dull and those that should have carried a flat color were heavily reflective. It is unpleasant to see men running around in boringly uniform and oddly shiny leathers while knights were entombed within heavy, dull plate metal. Many of the textures of the equipable items were reminiscent of PlayStation II or original XBox textures, robbing the player of the aesthetic pleasure of customizing their character's equipment. This issue was aggravated by plainly awful terrain textures. The ground, sky, roofs, floors and hillsides are best left ignored, to pay too much attention only detracts from the immersion into the game.

With the most obvious visual shortcomings of BioWare's engine put aside the remaining faults are non-technical. The format that the designers chose to relay the story to the player is an audio presentation navigated by an in-engine dialogue tree. This goes a long way of keeping the player immersed in the game by never removing them, graphically speaking, from the game but after a long period of time serves to lend a tired quality. The first third of my game was played with rapt attention to the dialogue and in-engine cut scenes. The remaining majority of the the game I turned on the subtitles and skipped through it as fast as I could read. By hour 30 or so the I felt as though I were trapped in a nightmare realm of a B grade "choose your own adventure" audio book. While the actual voice over work is excellent the stiff animations and limited graphical variety offered to the player greatly detracts from the ability of the game's characters to relay the otherwise impressively written storyline. The fact that the array of options in the dialogue tree falls short of BioWare's previous Mass Effect title only rubs raw during the initial stages of play. By the end I found myself inclined to forgo conversation entirely and simply simply skip ahead, desperate for more action and less stiff, unstimulating talk.

Regardless I feel obliged to point out these failings not because they break the game but because this is a tremendous fountain of entertainment that more than justifies its retail price but still carries significant blemishes. If you were to play Dragon Age everyday for four hours straight it would take you about two weeks to get through a complete single player campaign. There are six unique starting stories to choose from, each with its own flavor of play through (but without uniquely different experiences). This is not an exercise in filler but instead a meticulously designed story that received an obvious level of care from the design team. A certain system of tolerance is required by the older gamer who is already very well experienced with the traditional concepts of Tolkien and Dungeons & Dragons style story telling but the subtle attention to detail will reward most players. The last major fault with the game is the bizarre decision by the design team to attach a "skin" of gore to any character recently engaged in melee combat. It is very hard to take a character seriously when they calmly discuss Fereldian politics while looking like they just fell into a tank of tomatoes and suffered an epileptic fit. Note that this can be turned off.

The gameplay mechanics are solid with the only exceptions being that the combat is not as easily paused and therefor tactical as in prior BioWare titles and the difficulty level is wildly varied. At times the player will find themselves cutting though vast swaths of disposable enemies and moving through the story with little true opposition until they are presented with a seemingly impossible task or boss battle. These startling interrupts to the flow of play at times can require the ejection from the level to the world map in order to purchase more potions so one could "potion spam" their way out of that stage of play. This is a recurring theme that is barely justified by the fact that the game allows for on the fly difficulty adjustments.

Bottomline: This game is not a rental, it has enough gameplay hours to not simply justify a purchase but actually demand it. RPG fans will not have a complete library without this game but those who find extensive dialogue and substandard graphics to be tiresome should look elsewhere. If you want immediate action, consistent stimulation and endless hours of free online play for your gaming dollar then you are better served by pursuing on Modern Warfare 2. On the other hand if you desire an immersive, paced story and extensive narrative then Dragon Age is a great deal.

Major Pros:

*Immersive and structured storyline

*Full array of classes and skills

*Personal feel to character development

*"Just one more quest" gameplay

*Fulfilling moral decisions

*Branching story

*Excellent voice overs

*Non-linear world map

Subjective qualities and food for thought:

*Not an action game

*Zero free online play but pay-per-play downloadable quests

*J.R.R. Tolkien-esque storyline and Steve Jackson-esque aesthetic

*Demanding narrative

Major Cons:

*Simply awful terrain textures and equipment skins

*Stiff character animations

*Dated engine

*Overwhelming codex/inventory management system

*Often frustrating, ambiguous dialogue tree

*Silly gore effects

Review of Future Tactics: The Uprising

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I remember reading reviews when this came out and it seemed like it was horrible. got it one day in a bargain bin and i can honestly say that i had a lot of fun with this title. absolutely worth the -$5 you would spend on it

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future tactics is a great rpg/srategy game the other review covers the game im just giving you my opinion great game highly reccomended

Turtle Beach Audio Advantage Amigo II USB Sound Card & Headset Reviews

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List Price: $24.95
Sale Price: $24.73
Today's Bonus: 1% Off

May 2010 Update:

Just an update to say the sound card is still working fine. I've moved over to Fedora Linux now and this beast installed without a hitch (no restart required of course, unlike Windows!). All in all happy with the Turtle Beach amigo. If I had to do it all over again I'd probably go with the Micro II since that seems to be offered in the real black color I was looking for (don't need the mic input that badly), but this is still a good product!

INTRODUCTION:

My 1 year old Star Tech USB Sound Card (Model # ICUSBAUDIO) decided to break literally two days before Turtle Beach released their updated Amigo and Micro cards. The reason it broke was a phsyical design that I wasn't happy about with nearly all USB sound card adapters, including Turtle Beach's previous Micro iteration.

I can't explain it well, but they have the metal connector fused right into the card. My Star Tech literally had the metal connector eventually come apart. Just really cheap, but for the price you can't complain.

So, rather than ordering another cheap USB sound card that will probably give out in another few months I put in a pre-order for this Amigo II refresh that was slated to be out March 16 2010.

MINUSES:

First, let me get the bad out of the way and list why I don't think it's deserving of a perfect 5 stars.

This comes in a clam shell type packaging so it's an inconvenience to have to go find some scissors just to get it out.

The color of the adapter is not a dark gray/light black as the stock picture might lead you to believe. It is actually a very light to medium gray color. Kind of disappointing to me because I wanted it to match the black laptop it was being used with.

There is this really annoying blue indicator light that just keeps flashing on and off every second (unfortunately, it's on the side where you will have it be facing up in clear view to you).

It still makes that little pop sound when you put it in your computer like the older USB sound cards, but not as annoying.

POSITIVES:

New design should have this last for years. This comes as a little cable attached to the card. Now the USB metal connector part is no longer "fused" into the card itself, rather there is a short little cable that is attached to it, making a distinct separation between card and connector. This should make the product last a long time (I hope). I have never had a USB cable go out on me, and this looks like that, so it should be ok. Of course, I have only just got the Amigo II today so I can't say for sure if this will be the case...

When driving the volume up, it's not like the other USB sound cards you might have used where it's really, really loud even at the lower volume settings (I think I had my old Star Tech only at one or two volume bars out of like 20!). It looks to me like Turtle Beach toned it down where you really can up your computer sound a bit more bars/notches and not have to worry about it being too loud. Even at the loudest possible setting on my laptop, I find plausible to listen to (just like using my native sound card built into my laptop -but definitely louder of course!).

Sound quality wise, it's pretty good to me. I wouldn't say it's a noticeable improvement to my old sound card. I'm not much of an audiophile, but I know there's products that sell for way more than this that will probably give you better sound quality if you are really willing to pay for it. I honestly don't notice much background static noise even on the highest volume, so I think this is reasonably good. My old sound card had a lot of static noise at those type of volume levels...

I haven't used the microphone input. Most people will most likely get the Amigo II over the Micro II because the Micro does not have a mic input. If you need the Digital Audio Out feature though, you should get the Micro. Since I am going to be using headphones with this only and not connect it to another sound system, there was no real advantage to get the Micro for me personally, as I assume both products would give you the same analog sound quality.

Also, this is just plug in, let your OS do its thing, and play. Although I did have to restart Windows 7 after it installed the drivers (automatically). But no software or additional processes taking memory away needed to make this work.

CONCLUSION:

Overall I recommend this because I think it will last a longer time than the other conventional sound cards. I will try to remember to update this review in case this sound card ever breaks down in the near future. If it breaks within a year, you should be covered because Turtle Beach has a 1 year warranty.

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I was primarily wanting to have a 2nd output device for my headphones, so I didn't constantly have to fiddle with cords to answer calls when switching from my desktop speakers. I wanted my 3.5mm Razer headset to just work independently, and this accomplishes that very well.

Unfortunately, the mic input port is absolutely useless. It plays the input back directly to the audio out port (headset speakers)! This isn't utilizing the Windows option, either. It happens directly in the hardware, making it impossible to disable.

This makes that feature of the product absolutely useless. I don't need to hear myself, I do that just fine already.

I ended up plugging the mic directly into the computer, since it doesn't need to be isolated.

It's astonishing to me how stupid of an engineering decision there must have been to decide to play back input through the output. It makes absolutely no sense, and this is NOT what most people want.

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Others have reviewed this product (thank you!). From the many USB sound devices available at Amazon, I chose this one because it requires no software drivers, because the soundcard is not rigidly attached to the USB, and because of the of the reviews here at Amazon.

No software required. Using with linux is easy. Plug it in and Ubuntu identifies it. In Preferences / Sound, tell it which audio hardware to use. That's it. It is just as easy to use with Fedora and Sabayon Linux. I have not checked it with other versions of linux yet. It can't do 5.1 audio without the 'Windows-only' driver. If Turtle did not mention 5.1 audio, then I would not feel disapointed that I can't get 5.1 on linux. The bad reviews I have seen for this product are from users of the optional 5.1 drivers. I have decided to be happy without 5.1 audio.

The short bit of cable between the USB plug and the soundcard allows it to plug in any USB without blocking adjacent USP connectors. This also adds some flex so that accidental bumps and tugs do not damage the connectors. This has the benefits of a USB extension cable without the extra cost and extra clutter.

I got this product to replace a broken headphone jack on a laptop. It works very well for that. Sound is louder and clearer, a big improvement over the original audio. Also, the audio jack on this product has a very firm grip on the headphone plug so there is no 'loose conector' audio noise.

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Having an older generation Macbook Pro running Windows XP, I find that I've got a good sound card that works in both OS's and delivers good quality sound and microphone. The crop of Macbook Pros that mine are a part of don't have mic in ports (only line in), so I've been bouncing back and forth between a usb headset and AKG k-44's for video editing (I'm a film major). It was supremely annoying to have to switch the audio drivers every time and also annoying to know I was packing two headsets for no good reason. Enter the Amigo II, which works with both os's no questions asked.

The mic comes through nice and loud, and the audio is good (no discernable pops or humming, clicking or other artifacts). I'm no audiophile, but I need decent audio to do film editing, and I don't think I'll have any problems with this.

The only reason I didn't give this a five is because I've had it for all of four hours and there's no driver, which means no equalizer. Not a big deal, but a little annoying. Also, with the mic plugged in, it always transmits into the headphones. This can get a bit annoying, but isn't a big problem.

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Good product, meets my expectations. Have been using it for a month

now without any problems. The sound is clear without any interference

or noise, thus really good.

Reviews of Captain America: Super Soldier - Xbox 360

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Batman: Arkham Asylum is one of the best if not the best super hero game ever made so its only logical that developers would attempt to copy it and that is exactly what the devs of Captain America: Super Soldier have done, the question then is did they succeed? Well, yes and no.

Let me start by saying that I am absolutley loving Super Soldier! When it comes to combat the developers have done a fantastic job, anyone that has played Arkham Asylum will feel right at home. Cap controls great, combat is fast and brutal, it uses the exact same counter attacking that was found in AA as well as the slow motion zoom in for that final bone breaking punch or kick. Cap of course does not have all of Batman's gadgets he does have his trusty shield which can be thrown, block enemy bullets right back at them and used to melee the enemy into submisson. It's so satisfing to be surounded by 10 enemies and to effortlessly dispatch them without a scratch on you. Boss fights have been a lot of fun, i'm really enjoying the story which is all contained within one giant compound and the voice acting is solid with Chris Evans and several other actors from the film providing their voices.

Now Super Soldier is a movie tie in which means a shorter development time because they have to have it out in time for the film which is a shame because with a little more time and polish Captain America could have been a truly great game rather than just a really solid one. Obviously it is a little rough around the edges graphics wise. Cap himself looks really good and is really well animated but environments don't fare quite so well, however I don't have as much of a problem with this as others, you actually visit several distinct locations throughout the game, large open courtyards, a prison, hedge maze, Barron Zemo's mansion, underground labs, a sewer system for accessing every area of the game, ect. it isn't just the same looking place over and over again the problem is that they just lack detail. Platforming can be a pain, its pretty much automated by just taping the A button at the right time Cap will fly through the platforming and gain large amounts of focus for pulling off special moves however the problem is that the timing can be really hard to get down, there is no penalty for messing up your timing though, you can't fail, Cap just traverses the invironment a little slower.

With all that said Captain America: Super Soldier is still awesome! There are tons of collectibles to collect my favorite being Zemo's diary entries, lots of off the beaten paths to explore in order to complete side objectives like taking out AA guns and even some challenge rooms to complete. So if you are a Cap fan or an Arkham Asylum fan then Captain America: Super Soldier should make you very happy.

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Apparently I'm one of the few people who are actually enjoying this game. While Captain America: Super Soldier falls short of the mark set by Arkham Asylum I don't think it's near as bad as people have been making it out to be. Just because it's not the best doesn't mean it's terrible.

Sure, the environmental details could have been better, but they aren't bad enough to actually ruin your experience...not anywhere close. And as for the fighting, I actually quite enjoy it. The shield adds a welcome change to what I feel was a little monotonous in Arkham Asylum. For my "run & gun" style playing, having a shield to reflect bullets works quite well. My only complaint about the combat would be that it is not as fluid changing between targets during combat.

As for game length, for not being an RPG, it's really about standard length.

Is it the best game out there? No...but it's a lot better than it's being given credit for.

And let's not forget it RELEASED at under $40!!!

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I have no idea why some people are complaining so bad. One person marked the game lower because they said it ripped off the fighting style from Arkham Asylum. First off, even if they did--so what. That was an awesome game. That is the way this industry works. If you're going to mark every game down because they rip something off, you may as well stop writing reviews.

The game is a blast. Im about halfway finished and I think it is much better than some of these folks are giving it credit for. The fighting is great, the challenges are fun and frankly I'm glad I bought it. Well worth the 40 bucks, period.

Honest reviews on Captain America: Super Soldier - Xbox 360

After playing through Sega's Thor movie game, which was on the verge of embarrassingly bad, I had extremely low expectations for this. To my delighted surprise, CA: Super Soldier was actually a very enjoyable play-through. The combat is definitely the highlight here, and very much like Batman: Arkham Asylum--fluid, a big variety of moves and attacks, weighty, and fun to watch. The graphics stand head and shoulders (several times over) above Sega's Thor, and are on par with what's expected in a 2011 release. Sure, there are things that could have been improved (platforming seems undeveloped, and the game isn't incredibly long), but this is a good, solid third-person action/adventure game with a good story (nothing fancy), and a fair amount of replayability with the "challenge" modes. I think this game has been getting a bad rap simply due to the fact that it's a movie game and it was released by Sega--two characteristics that have rarely resulted in anything worth purchasing. While it's not game of the year by any means, if you can pick this up for under $40 like I did, I think it's a good buy, especially for Marvel fans who've been looking for a solo adventure with the good Captain. If a sequel materializes for the same studio, after this solid first go-around, I think they have a chance at developing something that can compete with Rocksteady's Batman franchise.

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Didn't even know they made a game for this movie. Saw the movie and thought they should make one. It could make a good game. Turns out, they shouldn't have. I pictured a Captain America game as a cross between Batman (city or asylum) with Assassin's creed (any but the first). There are parts in the game where you get to jump around, but it's extremely linear. The ironic thing is, half the time I don't realize which ledge the intend for me to jump on. I haven't finished the game yet, mostly cause I can't get into it. The voice acting is ok, but the characters don't always move their mouths the way they should. I thought we solved this problem like two years ago? The combat is easy until you need to press a specific button to finish of a 'boss'. they give you only a second or two to do this and usually it's a repeated button press. Sometimes my finger slips and I press the wrong button. I get knocked down, lose hp and the 'boss' regains about 15% back of his. This is what I've found most frustrating. Overall not a great game, but if you buy it for $13 like I did and you like Gamer Score, then maybe it's for you.

Reviews of Mass Effect Trilogy - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:

I own all the Mass Effect games, and proudly bought them as they came out, and keep up to date on DLC. So why am I reviewing a set I have no reason to own? Because I know a rip off when I see one! And if the Mass Effect trilogy was going to have a boxset it needed to be DEFINITIVE!

NONE of the franchise's large collection of DLC is included in this pack.

Sure, DLC in the first Mass Effect isn't anything special, but for Mass Effect 2 there's bonus levels which directly bridge the gap between it and Mass Effect 3!

When games like Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion released new editions they included all the DLC expansion packs on bonus discs (if you played on Xbox360). At this point I expect that when a big RPG like this are re-released they will include all the DLC as a bonus.

Here's the real kicker. Say you just want the basic Mass Effect experience without the DLC. This set still won't meet your needs because you can buy all three of these games individually for less than $60. Heck, get the Platinum Edition of the first game and you'll at least get one of the DLC missions!

So this set fails on two counts:

1) If you're a new gamer wanting to tackle the Mass Effect trilogy for the first time your wallet would be better off buying the games individually.

2) If you're someone who wanted the definitive Mass Effect experience this set fails to include anything worth warranting a double dip.

So either buy the games individually, hold off until this set is in the $40 range, or wait for BioWare to release the inevitable "Definitive/Collector's/whatever" special edition with all the DLC included.

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What DLC is included in the Mass Effect Trilogy?

"On Xbox 360, Bring Down the Sky and Pinnacle Station are not included with Mass Effect, however they are available as stand-alone downloads through Xbox LIVE. For Mass Effect 2, Cerberus Network will be included and Online Pass will be included for Mass Effect 3."

That basically says it all. Forget about the DLC being on-disk, they don't even give you download codes. The current MSRP ($60) is already more than the cost of the sum of the 3 games separately (shop around). On top of that, to get all of the DLC, you'd need to pay an additional $65 through XBOX Live:

Bringing Down the Sky 400

Pinnacle Station 400

Shadow Broker 800

Kasumi 560

Arrival 560

Genesis 320

Overlord 560

Leviathan 800

From Ashes 800

Total 5200 points = $65

This 'Trilogy' isn't a definitive collection in any sense of the word. This compilation is a blatant, lazy money grab. Insulting. Anti-consumer. If they're this desperate to exploit their audience, they could at least put everything on-disk and charge $120. At least then I'd respect them for being upfront about it and I'd be able to have everything in one neat package.

I'll close by saying that this is all doubly infuriating because EA and Bioware have done this right in the past! Dragon Age Origins: Ultimate Edition, for example, was everything a Dragon Age fan could've hoped for in one beautiful package!

Note: This review is specifically for the 360 Trilogy SKU and is not meant to be a review of the individual games therein. I'm reviewing the package.

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One of the best games ever produced at one of the worst prices ever. You can pick up Mass Effect 1 and 2 for less than 10 bucks used, and mass effect 3 for 15. This comes with nothing extra and the DLC content isn't even included which is a complete joke. Don't fall for this and let EA choke on their own greed.

Was at a game stop last night and looked up the prices of the games.

Mass Effect 1, $7

Mass Effect 2 $8

New Mass Effect 3 $14

Do the math and weep if you bought this.

This doesn't include the promotion buy two get one free.

Honest reviews on Mass Effect Trilogy - Xbox 360

This game comes with no DLC, for the full trilogy, youll have to spend another 65$ on xbox live marketplace. Game dosent even come with extended "real" ending, you have to download that for free. Not exactly sure why they made this package, but its pretty lame.

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Now, I had heard a few things about the Mass Effect series, mainly the controversy surrounding the ending, so when I saw the trilogy for around $30, I decided to pick it up.

For the first game, the combat gameplay is a bit simplistic. The weapons use a heating system as opposed to ammo. At first, I preferred this type of gameplay, but in the later two games, the ammo generally feels better than having an unlimited supply of firepower. The cover system is a bit rough, because it's hard to get in and out of cover smoothly, not to mention you have to crouch to get into low cover. Where the combat gets most advanced is in the mods and customizations. You get heaps of stuff you can give to yourself or your squad mates, and you can get sick of it after a while. One more feature in (and out of) combat is the leveling system. You can level up your skills in different weapons like your pistol or sniper, along with combat powers such as shield boost. You are also able to level up passive health and melee damage upgrades. One final ability you can level up is speech choice. This is probably what you should focus on, as the dialogue is where the game shines. You have two types of special speech options. These usually help you out more than the normal dialogue choices. They are split into the more friendly, nice options (charm/paragon), and the more tough, angry options (intimidate/renegade). You can't really try to go in the middle with a mix of both, as this just leaves you weak in both options. Mass Effect presents you with a lot of choices you can make throughout the game. At times, certain squad members can live or die based on your actions, and many other choices involving other characters you meet exist as well. Many of these choices carry on to the next two games, adding a feeling of your playthrough being unique. In conversations with characters, you are presented with several things you can say to characters, which really makes your experience with the game your own, and shaping Shepard into the character you want. The characters in the game feel like real people, and you will come to treat them as your friends. If they ever die, you feel genuine loss, especially since they may or may not have made an effect on the future years later in the story. By the third game, anybody in your squad in the first game could be dead. You can also pursue romantic relationships with characters of the opposite gender, if you want to. Regardless of the choices you make, the story of all three games is fascinating and enjoyable throughout the 100+ hour experience. One thing that greatly adds to this experience is the brilliant and well-developed information that you find about the galaxy and it's history. All of the information you learn goes into your codex, and all of the technology and species contribute to the world in so many different ways. In the second and third games, the item system is streamlined to where you don't have tons of mods and ammo types. The sound and feel of weapons feels more crisp than the first game, and the cover is more flowing. You and your squad mates have special combat abilities that can slow down time, make an enemy go flying, or destroy a shield. The later games keep all of the things that make the dialogue of Mass Effect great. You feel like your experience is truly unique. One great addition to the second game is that every squad member has a loyalty mission, which goes deeper into the characters lives where you help them with a personal problem. Squad members that are loyal to you also are more likely to survive into the third game. The one big problem about this game is the ending. At the end, nothing you did throughout the rest of the three games matters, and you get three choices (that don't effect the ending much anyways). I recommend downloading the extended cut DLC, which majorly improves the ending, and covers more things that happened in depth, which also includes more dialogue and an extra scene with your partner if you chose to romance anybody.

There are so many great things in this trilogy that I didn't cover, and these are definitely my favorite games of all time. You need to buy this trilogy, and you also need to import your characters from game to game for the optimal experience. (Also, you should use the default Shepard, the facial customization doesn't match the voice, and is really a pointless feature)

Reviews of Kinect Sensor TV Mounting Clip - Xbox 360

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I'm surprised it worked well with my Samsung UN40D6400 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz 3D LED HDTV (Black). The clip ratchets into different positions and tightens to the back of the TV with a small lip on the front of the clip that doesn't show on a 0.5" TV frame. There are 2 sets of locking clamps on top of the clip, one for thinner TV's, and one for thicker TV's. Please check out my review to see me shake my expensive TV, while the clip remained firmly attached with the Kinect Sensor.

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I hated having my Kinect sitting in front of my TV, so about a month ago I started looking for supports for it to sit on top. I was surprised to see that there were not many options and none of the ones I found on Amazon had any really good reviews. A lot of the reviews I found said to go buy something for the PS3 and use that. I saw this clip was available for pre-order and figured the price wasn't too bad so I took a shot.

I got it today and was very happy. It matches the color and finish of my Panasonic plasma TV perfectly. It took all of 10 seconds to set it up and attach the Kinect and it's very stable. It adjusts very easily for different thickness televisions so I had no problem getting it to fit my plasma. I wonder how it would fit some of the really thin sets I have been seeing but I don't have one so I can't comment. It would certainly fit a set thicker than the one I have. I shook the TV a little to see if there was a chance I would come home from work one day with the Kinect on the floor and nothing moved at all. Now the cord to the Kinect is hidden from sight (I hate cables) and the Kinect is on top of the television, where games keep telling me it will work better. I would recommend this to anyone.

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This really is perfect for LCD and other thin TVs. I cannot even imagine it working any better than this. It is stable as can be, more stable than my TV itself. It is adjustable but holds firm to adjustments. It uses no adhesives and will not mark up your TV with tape or residue. It makes a very stable platform and the Kinect sensor very easily locks on firmly on and removes easily by holding two buttons. I have used it on both my LG 52" LCD TV and my Vizio 47" LCD TV. It is quite easy to move it and re-adjust it too.

It can expand the main assembly by double its default width by holding the back 2 buttons and it slides out further. The whole back arm rotates down, but ratchets loudly and securely so that it will not release on its own. The back arm has a wide rubber contact to add some grip. The front is just a plastic edge with no adhesive or rubber so it only intends to hold onto the front but not mark up or leave residue on your TV frame. The sensor easily fits and locks firmly by holding the two front buttons and slipping it on, or slipping it off and then releasing.

Before this, there was only that other TV mount with terrible reviews that had arms to reach down the back of your TV and reach mount points which fit few TV sets well if at all. Or you needed a wall mount and anchors and wasn't suited for corner TVs. Or you needed to stand the Kinect below or in front which limits your play space more. Or what lots of people did was buy the Playstation Eye Camera TV clip, and use Velcro and adhesives to attach the Kinect sensor to it. This is exactly what was missing for mounting your Kinect easily and securely.

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This is by far the best mount available for Kinect! It works for TV's of all shapes and sizes, I highly recommend it.

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Doesn't fit tightly to the Kinect sensor.

Had to use additional sticky tape to make sure that the Kinect sensor doesn't fall off this mounting clip !

Even fitting to the TV (Sony Bravia LCD) isn't that great. It doesn't quite 'fit' but it merely 'rests' on the TV with the support.

I think I'll play it a little more safer. I'll use additional transparent sticky tape to stick the Mounting clip to the TV.

Gears of War 2 - Xbox 360 Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $12.85
Today's Bonus: 36% Off

To start off, I played the first Gears for the campaign/co-op campaign. And I purchased this game for the same reason, so if you're looking to know more about multiplayer gameplay, check out another review. That said, this game plays very well, very much like a thrill ride for the most part. Story can use a lot more refining and better integration. This gets a 5-star in its own right. But Halo 3 and BioShock are still better games overall than GoW 2.

GAMEPLAY: A+

This game still plays like the first Gears, except with a wider array of weapons and features (ie, chainsaw battles, different modes of executing a downed enemy). This is a third person shooter, for those who have not played the first one. And also, expect a lot of blood and violence, so if you are parents considering this game for your children, this serves as fair warning.

The campaign takes longer to beat this time around (10-20h I think). The graphics are very beautiful and realistic, and a lot more 'vibrant'. The first Gears was in general a very dark and gloomy game. You see a lot more color in this one. Co-op campaign gameplay continues to be addictive and I think a strength in this game. It is still as immersive an experience for all players involved as the first Gears was.

Further, the creators definitely outdid themselves in design of the levels. You should expect to be pleasantly surprised with every single level that comes up. While you can clearly expect to see yourself running around in the streets battling waves after waves of Locust, you will also see another order of magnitude of fighting, with sometimes even as many as 80-100 Locust rushing through your field of view. To emphasize the creativity of the creators, there was also, at various points later in the game (spoiler warning), a section where you had to traverse a pitch-black tunnel to safely escort a vehicle across, and even a level where your squad somehow ends up inside one of the Locust beasts and had to fight your way out...

Overall, this game has been quite an experience. It deserves an A+ and Game of the Year awards.

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STORY: B

Given that this game promised to have more leads on the storyline of the series than the first one, it does a better job. A lot of the early story is centered around Dom and him trying to find his wife, amidst all the fighting. The voice acting is compelling for the most part, and you can tell a lot more easily that it's a dark time for humanity on this fictional planet. In the first Gears, playing through the story was mostly humorous because of the way all the guys were joking around in between fight scenes and the light talk that went on. In this Gears, those dialogues are still present, but with a lot more of a sense of urgency mixed in here and there. And cutscenes are well made. The script is definitely that of a cheesy scifi as some of my buddies like to call it.

Finally, instead of COG tags for collection, we have bits and pieces of 'collectibles' like newspaper clippings, ads, so on and so forth that in some cases contribute to the backstory a little bit, kind of like the way those terminals worked in Halo 3. All of these, when found, are put in some scrapbook that's accessible from the Main Menu, and arranged in a more or less logical order.

The reason the story only gets a B+: if you think about games like BioShock and Mass Effect and the Halo series with their very immersive storylines, GoW 2 is still not quite there. But it is closer to that state now than it was previously.

I won't reveal any more in this part, but definitely expect a lot more of a plot that serves as a backdrop to all the fighting that's going on. Epic Games did a good job of piquing your interest and making you want to learn more.

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CHARACTERS: B

The characters come across a lot more human in this one. I have mentioned that the mood in this game comes across with a lot more of a sense of urgency to beat the Locust. As you play the game, you begin to feel more and more of a connection with each of the characters and in some cases, almost have to just stop playing when certain characters die... Let's leave it at that.

All that said, the game needs a better scriptwriter if it is to convey a stronger storyline.

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REPLAYABILITY: A

With the first game, I recall beating it my first time around with a friend on Hardcore, and then on Insane, and then going around and helping each of my roommates and a good number of friends beat the game on both difficulty settings. The same will probably hold for this game. I think it's a thrilling enough of a ride that I wouldn't mind going over it over and over and over...

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To sum up, this game is definitely worth the $60.

PROS: This is all about gameplay and the feel of the game. Even on top of all the additional features and improvements, it is still undoubtedly Gears of War. The controls remain very intuitive and easy to learn. It's easily one of the best 3rd person shooters out there, in my opinion.

CONS: I think storyline could have been a lot deeper. I guess they are saving this for Gears of War 3. Violence may be a little too much for the unprepared. Right now, this is all I can think of.

FINAL VERDICT: A. This is a very well-made game. I have the tendency to buy games and sell them back when I'm done. But I think GoW 2 will probably be a mainstay in my library, just as GoW was. For that, plus all the +'s I have mentioned, I think this game deserves an awesome grade. Can I hear Game of the Year?

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There's an unfortunate trend in action games nowadays: dividing content in a game so that it favors either fans of single-player gaming or multiplayer gaming (more so towards the latter in many high-profile franchises), but rarely letting fans of both feel like they're getting the most out of the whole experience. Often, the multiplayer experience is useless to those who are offline, or is just not that enjoyable for those who don't have the time or lack of interruptions to go through a series of matches without being seen as a quitter or bad team-mate. The good news is that Gears of War 2 is not one of those games; in fact, each of the 3 core experiences (Campaign, Multiplayer, and Horde Mode) can be enjoyed to some extent either alone or with other players. Sure, a botmatch will never really have the same level of excitement as an online match against real people, but it still beats not being able to get any enjoyment out of the multiplayer part of the game.

For those who aren't familiar with the Gears of War franchise, the first Gears of War was a different take on the kind of testosterone-laced, big-budget action gaming genre dominated by the likes of Halo, Call of Duty, and other such shooters. Coming out in 2006, it was in effect the big unveiling of Epic Games' Unreal 3 engine. As opposed to most other shooters, Gears of War eliminated the ability to jump, and instead placed an emphasis on taking cover and third-person gunplay. You followed a group of ridiculously steroid-enhanced, armor-clad soldiers on a planet where humanity is beseiged by a mutated army (the Locust) rising up from the underground as they try to locate a high-tech bomb over the course of a couple of days, and deploy it against the Locust forces. While Gears of War wasn't the first game to use the cover and shoot mechanic (see Killswitch or 007: Everything or Nothing), it did popularize it greatly, and attached glossy production values to the gameplay. The problem was that the game felt more like a tech demo at times, and didn't have the scope of say, the original Halo: Combat Evolved. The game felt somewhat abbreviated, and attempts to provide variety, such as a lone nighttime vehicular section, or avoiding darkened areas where light-sensitive flying swarms attack, felt somewhat undercooked.

Gears of War 2's campaign, on the other hand, feels like a game first, and tech showcase second. Taking a page from the Call of Duty franchise, GOW 2 moves the player through what seems to be a constantly changing series of events, while still keeping the core gameplay concepts intact. To this player, the shifts away from the 3rd person, cover-based firefights are much more smoothly integrated into the game, whether they involve riding shotgun on a huge, mobile drill as it advances through mountainous terrain, driving a tank across an ice-covered lake, or flying a monstrous creature in a surprisingly entertaining rail-shooter segment. Whether fighting it out through delapidated city streets, exploring a snow-covered village, advancing through enormous underground citadels, or attempting to make it out of a creepy, weed-overgrown, Resident Evil-inspired abandoned facility in the middle of a metallic hailstorm, the situations you're placed seem to neither last too short a time, nor overstay their welcome. In fact, only the very ending battle is a letdown, in that it is too easily won. While the somewhat clunky speed you move at takes some getting used to, the game is otherwise smoothly executed, with one notable improvement being the ability to grab still-living enemies and use them as shields. As before, the campaign can be played co-operatively, although this time co-op is more smoothly executed. While the game is as linear as it gets, there's nothing wrong with that here. It's an over-the-top, ridiculous thrill ride, that's not meant to wax poetic on the nature of humanity (although there's one surprisingly effective scene that I won't spoil which stands out from the rest of the overly macho gruntfest that characterizes the story).

A new addition to the franchise is Horde mode, which lets either a lone player (in Training Ground mode) or a team of players try to survive as long as possible against an onslaught of enemies, while racking up points. In many ways, this is like a modern, 3D take on Smash TV, but with more organic settings. The mode was influential enough for Bungie to take notice, and add a similar "Firefight" mode to Halo Reach and Halo 3: ODST. The multiplayer modes, which can be played offline with bots by a single player within the Training Grounds menu, are team-oriented, and include modes such as King of the Hill and Submission (aka "Meatflag").

If there's a negative about the game, it's that it popularized the use of "Day 1" downloadable content; in other words, content that was taken out of the game (in this case, 5 multiplayer/horde maps), and has to be downloaded using a 1-time use code linked to your gamertag. Ostensibly, this is to create an incentive to buy the game new, which is understandable. However, as we've seen, this idea has snowballed out of control once other developers started abusing it. (This overreliance on digital distribution also afflicted the Game of the Year edition, which, unlike the Fallout 3 GOTY edition, doesn't contain the additional content on a disc, but rather requires downloading the new content (around 19 extra maps, also available as the downloadable All Fronts package) using a code.)

That being said, Gears of War 2 epitomizes what a linear game sequel should strive for: provide a fuller, longer campaign, add new gameplay mechanics, refine what works, add new modes, and make all aspects of the game worthwhile and playable for both solo and multiplayer oriented gamers. Sure, it might be laughably gory, and far too "manly" for its own good, but it's a damn good time, and you'll get your money's worth.

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The prototypical third-person cover shooter, "Gears of War 2" is a solid rush of now-standard gameplay conventions and action movie dialogue. It has its charms, and is a pretty solid game, but isn't without its problems.

GoW2 operates under the same basic principles as the first game: you play as a bulky space marine, using cover-shooter mechanics to carve through waves of enemy monsters. Most shooting is either done "blind" (shooting from behind cover) or popping out and shooting. Like in the first game, there are a few things that separate it from other cover shooters. The first of these is the "active reload" system, where timing your reload properly allows you to do it faster or even improve the damage of your next magazine. The second is melee combat, most famously the "chainsaw bayonets" mounted on the standard assault rifle. However, for the most part GoW2's combat is formulaic, like the first.

There are a few new weapons to spice things up, though. These include a gatling gun (that must be mounted on cover and cranked to fire) and a mortar launcher (good at distances, but less so at close range). The action is intense and fast-paced, but the main issue is that even with varying weapons, you're still basically doing the same cover routine over and over and over. There are a few sequences to break up the monotony, but they don't disguise the fact that the main game is kind of simplistic.

Multiplayer is one of the game's strongest points. There are basically three kinds: cooperative, competitive, and horde mode. Cooperative refers to the ability to play through the campaign with multiple players. It's simplistic, but fun. Competitive refers to the standard set of multiplayer modes deathmatch, capture-the-flag, etc. Horde mode is an expansion of cooperative mode that allows up to five players to try to survive against waves of enemies. It's probably the most interesting mode, and allows for the most strategic options (figuring out where to hole up, setting traps and killzones, etc).

The game's production values are good. It's visually exciting, if a bit repetitive. The guns sound neat, and there's certainly nothing more ominous than the revving of the aforementioned chainsaw-bayonets. Gears of War 2 is most fun as a multiplayer game it's the kind of game where you can get some friends together and play all afternoon. As mentioned, it gets kind of repetitive, but the multiplayer experience is enough to overcome that.

Rating: 8/10.

We purchased this game with our own funds from a game store.

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Gears of War 2 Circa 2008

GOOD:

Intuitive cover system, the cover systems (called Stop-n-Pop) works well and is easy to pick up it also makes for a fun realistic gameplay experience.

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

Multiplayer Hoard mode allows up to five players to fight up to 50 waves of enemies on the multiplayer-maps using team work.

Intense multiplayer versus action with plenty of different modes to choose from.

Gorgeous graphics which look even better then the first title, and the animation looks better too.

BAD:

The plot is trite and too over the top at times, as well as being confusing.

Vehicle and turret shooting sections are not very fun and can be tedious.

IF IT FITS YOUR TASTE:

A Sci-Fi First third Person Shooter (Camera behind the player) with quick pacing (Although slower gameplay then lets say Halo 3) that has an emphasis on shooting from behind cover and big explosions.

Cover Play's a big role in this game much like it did in the last, similar to that of Mass Effect and

A Team orientated game especially in the multiplayer sections like Hoard mode

This game is not meant for children or the immature; this game is gory/bloody/violent and has many foul words, although you can turn off some of these features.

Co-op, online versus and Hoard mode will keep you playing this game long after you beaten it.

GAME IT'S MOST ASSOCATED TOO:

Gears of War (Xbox 360/PC)

Halo 3 (Xbox 360)

Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360/PS3)

Dead Space (Xbox 360/PS3)

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ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Some limited collector's editions of this game (that can be found on Amazon) will give you a real to life replica of the Lancer Assault Rifle for home use.

In the limited collector's edition you can get a download for a Golden Lancer Assault Rifle for use in multiplayer only.

Downloading the `All Fonts' (A.K.A. Dark Corners) collection package from Xbox Live Marketplace gives you a ton of new multiplayer maps (which can also be used in Hoard mode as well) and a cut single player/co-op story chapter called `Road to Ruin', which can be played either stealth or "guns blazing".

By beating the original Gears of War on Hardcore mode you can unlock characters (like Kim and Carmine) for use in multiplayer for Gears of War 2.

By beating the game on hardcore mode you can unlock even more characters for use in multiplayer as well as a new difficulty `Insane'.

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When I played the first Gears of War I was a little in awe because of how different it was, how great it looked and how well it played. Gears of War 2 is still different than other games, still looks great and still plays well. However, I noticed that there was one thing missing: fun. I just wasn't having any fun playing this game. All the things that wowed me in the first game were still there, but they didn't make the game fun. I'm sure for many people this will be an awesome game and they will love every minute of it, but for me it was pretty to look at, but not something I will re-visit multiple times.