Best Turtle Beach Ear Force XL1 Amplified Wired Headset with Mic (White) Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $39.95
Sale Price: $35.96
Today's Bonus: 10% Off

Bought this headset a week ago to play with Modern Warfare 3. Always heard people talking about listening for footsteps and how it helped so I wanted to try it out but I wanted a cheap set. These are great! The sound is excellent, with the right perks in MW3 you can hear everything, footsteps, bullet casings hit the ground, everything sounds so amazing with these headphones!

They're light and comfy enough too that you can wear them for a while and not notice it. Played for about 4 hours the other night (oops) and never once did I feel uncomfortable or have to take them off for a break! So glad I bought these, definitely worth the price and then some!

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I decided to go ahead and take the plunge and order this after reading all the positive reviews, which seem to outweigh the negative ones... a few things you should be aware of:

if your xbox is connected to the tv via an hdmi cable ...which more than likely it is since most people nowadays have a high definition TV and want to take advantage of those crisp, sharp hdmi graphics.... then you WILL need what is referred to as a "xbox 360 audio adapter cable" from some third party seller in order to make use of this product.. I have an xbox 360 "slim" or "S" version, no idea if the audio adapter cables designed for the older (non slim, white not black colored) xbox 360's will work for the xbox 360 slim but I THINK they might... these adapters are relatively cheap, can be found for under five dollars including shipping and handling on ebay (or around the same price on amazon if you order twenty five or more dollars total to qualify for the whole free shipping and handling deal)

the packaging the TV comes in says you can use the "tv audio out jacks found on most tv's" to use the turtle headset without the need for an audio adapter... what makes me nervous is I purchased the Panasonic VIERA TC-P54VT25 high definition television which won various awards and was considered to be THE tv of the year and it had no audio out jacks just audio in jacks... if a TV that distinguished didn't have audio out jacks it makes me wonder if the TV's that didn't get any awards would really have audio out jacks?

reading through the complaints listed for such audio adapter cables leaves me a bit nervous ... there seem to be a fair number of complaints about them not working though the number of "I'm happy with this" comments seem to outweigh the negative ones.

a google search for " AV Adapter Hack Optical and HDMI Output on Xbox 360 Simultaneously youtube" may be of interest to you... I had absolutely no interest in mucking around with my own xbox equipment in the way the video described so a friend got a hold of an old microsoft brand device like the one the person describes in his video and did the modification mentioned in the video... I found that that connecting this to the turtle headset's red and white jacks then plugging it into the "component audio in" holes on the TV made the headset work... for some reason the "video" ports refused to cooperate even though they are also red and white colored like the component ones. Make sure you set your tv's audio option to "component" in the TV menu (which you should be able to access via your tv remote) if you go this route

I found the sound pumped through the headset to be , as other reviewers have described, fantastic, you do indeed hear little details you don't through the tv speakers as far as the mike when she first used it my daughter complained that her voice "echoes" when she hears it and other persons gaming with her on the various xbox live games also reported that her voice echoed... later on as the game went on the echoes faded and both she and friends online reported that her voice sounded "normal" this is the first time she's using the headset so could be just something as simple as the wireless internet connection in our house possibly giving issues...

read the instructions that come with the headset carefully it's very easy to get the wire that connects the headset to the xbox controller (so you can use the microphone part of the headset) reversed or plugged in "upside down" in such a way that it won't work... pay close attention to the "xbox 360 chat setup" diagram on page 5 of the instructions "connect the talkback cable" .. pay very close attention to the ends of the cable, note that oene has an "L" shape that plugs directly into the xbox controller, the other "straight" one connects into the white box thing on the headset

on the same page 5, the "configure xbox 360 settings"... it's not available to me when I access xbox, doesn't show up as an option.... not sure if the latest update to the xbox 360 interface (which automatically downloads if you have your xbox connected to the internet) involved microsoft getting rid of this menu... if so that's rather disturbing I would have liked to see the voice menu options remain such as "voice output play through headset" ... perhaps this is why my daughter's voice echoes when she uses the mike?

the part of the headset that connects via usb to xbox provides electrical power to the headset so it can function.... not sure but I don't think it "carries" your voice into the microphone (which is what I was thinking it would do since other xbox devices work that way)

the cables for the headset are satisfyingly long... my daughter is able to sit on a couch in the living room with the xbox all the way across from her next to the TV and the cables are still long enough to not present a problem.

Overall it seems to be an okay headset for the money spent ... I do wonder if it's worth the entire purchase price especially given the hassle you have to go through as far as the initial setup though for all I know perhaps all xbox headset/microphone combo's give this sort of headache? Or are there better ones out there that are totally usb plug and play into the xbox, no need to worry about red or white audio jacks and away you go.. but if you go that route does the usb mean the sound quality is worse? People more well versed than I in xbox hardware and audio equipment will have to figure this one out...

Best Deals for Turtle Beach Ear Force XL1 Amplified Wired Headset with Mic (White)

I bought this Ear Force XL1 headset a month or two ago. It's good for sound quality, it's durable, and the cords are very long (useful if you sit far away from your Xbox). I had a pair of wireless Turtle Beaches a few years ago, and while they were good, there was often feedback from the transmitter and they lost connection fairly regularly. So, I was not exactly ready to drop any money on another wireless headset. The XL1 is a low-price headset, and the features are good for the price. The sound isn't going to blow you away, but it's a nice solution for late-night gaming. I'd give this headset a higher rating, but there's one HUGE problem with them.

The built-in microphone is incredibly noisy and my Xbox Live friends refuse to play with me if I'm using it. They complain that all they can hear is feedback from the game I'm playing, and my voice comes out garbled and muddy. I tested it with people out of my friends list, and same thing: very annoying feedback. I've given up on using the mic altogether, so I really only use the headset now for offline and solo gaming. Perhaps this is only an issue with my pair, because I've not seen much on other sites describing the same problem. Maybe I'm unlucky, but I can't give this a great review because of this issue.

Honest reviews on Turtle Beach Ear Force XL1 Amplified Wired Headset with Mic (White)

Bought for my son for Christmas. He has not stop talking about how great they are when playing a game!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Turtle Beach Ear Force XL1 Amplified Wired Headset with Mic (White)

I was skeptical about these because they look like they might not be that good, but they are great. The sound quality is so good I would easily compare these with the turtle Beach X12's. Great headset for the price by far.

Review of Turtlebeach X1/X11/X31/X41/PX21/PX5/XP400/XP500 Xbox Live Talkback

Customer Ratings:

These cables for turtle beach headset are not worth the money you pay for them.. They last about 2 months and quit working... 20.00 every few monthes gets quite expensive. getting reading to switch over to a wired headset..

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

First off,love the color love it all looks like the original but my original was white and my original broke because i sat and laid on it and it would make crackling sounds and echo this one does not and thank you guys for this amazing replacement.

Best Deals for Turtlebeach X1/X11/X31/X41/PX21/PX5/XP400/XP500 Xbox Live Talkback

When my chat cable for my X41s starting shorting out, I went on the hunt for a replacement. I originally purchased a cheesy one on the cheap, but within 3 months I needed another. My buddy recommended these to me. It's actually better than the original chat cable. You will not be disappointed in this cable. If your Turtle Beach chat cable took a dump on you, this is the replacement to get!

Honest reviews on Turtlebeach X1/X11/X31/X41/PX21/PX5/XP400/XP500 Xbox Live Talkback

looks good on my xp500s and finally something to help me so people are not shouting in my ear can finally control their loudness

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Turtlebeach X1/X11/X31/X41/PX21/PX5/XP400/XP500 Xbox Live Talkback

Come on people, Google "Turtle Beach" and go directly to their website. I just bought an OEM replacement cable for $5.95 + tax and shipping. A whole $12 after all is said and done, but you want to pay $20 + shipping from a RESELLER?

Don't buy into the BS about this being "better than the original," because this is the original. This the same OEM replacement that you can find on Turtle Beach's website

Best Nobunaga's Ambition: Iron Triangle - PlayStation 2 Deals

Customer Ratings:

Overview :

It is Sengoku aka Warring States periods in Japan. The land is in turmoil and it is up to you to unite it.

I suggest going over the tutorial to grasp some basic command of the game. It should took around 45 min to 1 hour depending on how quick you complete it.

Now to the fun part:

There are 3 different mode to play on .

Unification basically, you can choose any daimyo and conquered the whole land, the best and time consuming of all mode.

Local same as unification but concentrate on local level like conquered Northern Japan, Southern Japan, and others.

Challege Complete a certain objective in a given time . There are 2 challenge at the beginning but there should be more challenge unlock once you complete those.

On Unification and Local mode, they have same scenarios but once you complete those, they would unlock more scenario for later period.

Gameplay :

It is insanely hard on hardest mode, even normal mode already hard. Don't expect yourself to go out and capture an enemy castle right away like in ROTK 11(romance of the three kingdoms) which have 3D map and real time battle much like this one. You will lose terribly and once you do, expect bad thing to happen.

Building, so many building and land to build but you must build a district (core building) then you can build sub building. Like if you build a farm, you can build rice paddy, fishery and barrack around it. And yes, you do need lots of rice paddy for provision , also gold is important too.

War, the fun part and also the bad part, you don't carry your own resource when waging war, instead your provision (rice) is in the clan. You wandering around too long, you lose morale = unit destroy once morale reach 0. You also lose provision like crazy, these troops eat rice like a maniac, so make sure you have provision in triple digit instead of double digit like in the start.

Technology, this is the tricky part that doesn't explain really well. You need someone in the clan that have the require attribute from C to S for Archery, Calvary, Siege, Civil ... etc. You would want someone who have S in one and at least B in all so you can build higher tech, otherwise you stuck with your outdated tech. Research higher tech let you gain fame if you are the first to get it and you can request other tech from your ally, however, those allies are stingy about giving up their tech.

Diplomacy, you can negotiate tech, threaten enemy into vassals, alliance, and request reinforcement. Threaten enemy is also impossible so you may as well go conquered them unless your force are overpower them.

And remember, you can never have enough gold, your officer seem to like more gold than being loyal. You don't give them enough, they will be displease and loyal could drop. This isn't like ROTK where you just give them gold or item and shut them up for good. I always ran out of gold after couple years in the game which is quite short compare to ROTK.

This isn't a perfect review nor listing all of its contents, it is just so much compare to the previous installment Rise to Power. The AI here is much smarter than in RTP. Also, real time and turn base is in one big cluster, you just enter O to switch between the two and everything will move smoothly.

It isn't 5 stars game but should be 4.5/5 for fun . If you are a hardcore strategy gamer like me, you may like it but for beginner, it can get really frustrating.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

This game is digital crack for strategy gamers. I picture myself beating old ladies up in the street to take their money so I don't have to work and can play this game longer and longer. It is by far the best strategy game I have ever played. It is simply amazing, especially if you plan the unification mode. It a very difficult game and the AI is very smart and challenging. But be warned you will become hooked. Still buy it!!

Best Deals for Nobunaga's Ambition: Iron Triangle - PlayStation 2

Its hip to be RTS, apparently. Or so at least is the treatment this game gets. Rather than just another Nobunaga's Ambition, this one gets a clock that allows you to play it in real time. Finally, no more waiting on other peoples turns between months.

The Graphics and soundThe graphics work but everything is about 4 pixels big. I played this on 52 inch tv and I still had to squint to see things at times. At the very least, they are functional. The map is HUGE so I can see where some graphics and processing limitations would take place. The sound is serviceable but nothing worthy of a grammy. I think there are like 4 tracks; 1 Demo intro, 2 normal peacetime, 3 War, 4 dialogue static cut text.

Game play and controlWhen you aren't besieging a castle, you are running your province. You set zones for agriculture, commerce, culture, science, trade and so on. You also research sceince and have research pacts with allies. Thats a new dimension on the series. It feels like this game is trying realy hard to be Age of Empires or Civilization but in a good way. You can also build defensive sturctues that turn your simjapan into a tower defense game. this is also cool. As you play, you will get a feeling for what province should do what and which ones should be manufacturing guns or horses while, which ones should be maxing out their commerce. Therein lies the fun of these games, Micromanagement!

Recruiting new samurai has always felt like HR busy work in NA but you need to keep an eye out for who is good at what strategies and technologies. You want your think tank guys to be spearheading your research and you almost as smarty guys constructing new zones for newly conquered cities. You want your tough guys recruiting and training and your baddest of the baddest dudes on the front lines. Oh yeah, and people die regularly of old age and sickness in this unless you turn that mode off. Gosh, that kind of makes you wonder what kind of world would this be if people only died in battle. Patton and Geronimo would have lived forever.

You also learn specific technologies or strategies based on which group you use. For instance, Nobunaga gets the ultimate Musket repeat fire technique that destroys almost everyone. If you aren't being him, I recommend you take him out ASAP. Also, if someone starts beseiging you with cannons, its time to start over.

OverallThis title is a great game to pass the time between jobs and girlfriends. If you are one of those who was always affraid to get their feet wet with this series and you aren't out playing other stuff like the "Total War" series, fire up the old PS2 and say good bye to your social life because this is the place to start.

Honest reviews on Nobunaga's Ambition: Iron Triangle - PlayStation 2

Nobunaga's Ambition: Iron Triangle takes place in feudal Japan, where you strive as a local daimyo to unite the land under one banner. It is strategy game that takes place completely in real time, except when you freeze time (which you can do at will) to give or change your orders to your subordinates. I highly recommend you watch a gameplay sample on youtube before you but it, as it has a unique feel that I can imagine would be very frustrating to some. Basically, everything is happening all at once and you can get flustered. If you take things slow the surrounding clans don't see you as a threat and thus leave you alone, but you fall behind everyone in terms of technology and strength. If you take things quickly, the surrounding clans become threatened and attack you all the time, but your strength and technology excel. Play how you want, but keep in mind that the AI does notice what you do and will react. Leave an area undefended and it won't be yours for very long. Put too many troops in an area and it may actually threaten your neighbors to the point of amassing troops and ganging up on you.

Overall, I would say this game has the graphics, sound and smooth gameplay that you would expect a modern game to have, but it has many mechanics that make it unique from all other modern strategy games I have played. It is definitely different, which means that some will love it and others will hate it. I love it.

The game was shipped very early and came in excellent condition.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Nobunaga's Ambition: Iron Triangle - PlayStation 2

If you're familiar with the title, you should enjoy this game. It's something that you'll have to play for hours and hours and hours... (which is great!). Like all the reviews (gamespot, game trailers etc) already say, the graphics don't stand out as bad or anything, but really aren't the strong point of this game (read: they're a bit weak). But sho ga nai, that's not really what you are buying this game for anyways. Since the NES 8-bit version, it's always been heavy text turned based strategy game. I played the NES 8-bit version, then I've jumped to this one. I'm happy with it and, will be spending many hours learning the ins and outs and strategy and what not. Recommended!

Project Runway - Nintendo Wii Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $9.99
Sale Price: $9.80
Today's Bonus: 2% Off

Yep, save your money. I love fashion, Project Runway, Games and a combination of them sounds like a dream. It didn't work.

1)First of all, the game looks horrible. The images of the models and the garmets look like they're from a PC game that came out 10 years ago. There are no fine details whatsoever. Everything has sharp jagged edges and the jewlery looks like globs of pixels.

2)There is no creativity involved. You have hardly any imput, the game tells you exactly what to do. The premise of the game follows the show, each challenge is considered an episode and you "work" with a Project Runway alumni. Basically, they just tell you what to do, if you don't do it, you don't score any points. I'd hardly call that customization. The only thing you can customize is the tint of the color for your garmet. Everything else...the color, pattern, length, makeup, hairstyle, ect. is given to you and required to win the challenge. For example, there is one challenge where you have to make a cheerleading outfit. Sounds fun right? Well...with three or four clicks you're done. There are only 3 or 4 choices total but you have to do specifically what is on the list. It hurts sometimes to put together such ugly outfits, but you have to do it or you won't win.

3) After you follow directions and produce some HIDEOUS looking design (that would NEVER be on the show), you do the most boring runway walk ever. Basically you can use the balance board and walk, or you can move the wii remote and nunchuck left and right. That's all there is to it. Just keep in rythm with the music that never changes. Left, Right, Left, Right, Up. EXCITING!! You're supposed to "pose" but really you can just flick your wrist, which in fact works better. You dont even have to stand up to do it, but even if you did, half of the movements don't register anyway. "Make it work". I dare you.

4) The judges say one of two things every round no matter what you do. They say one of two things if they like it and one of two things if they dont.For example, you could be doing pants and sweater and Michael Kors will tell you that "Your dress is chic". Oh really? Because it's not a dress. Thanks for noticing, Mikey.

5) The load times are LONG. Like...over a minute kind of long, and they occur after every move you make. So, each challenge you do ends up being 2 minutes of following simple directions and 5 minutes of waiting for the boredum to continue.

The game sucks. Period. It's obvious someone was trying to make a quick, cheaply made game for a certain target audience of Project Runway...let's say... 6-12 year old girls. Those are the only people who could possibly give this a positive rating. If you're above that age and actually into fashion and design, FORGET IT. I was so bored. Sure after you unlock all of the clothing you can customize your own nasty a** outfit, but why? I'd just LOVE to design a t-shirt with a seashell decal, wouldn't you? Yawn.

I could continue but you get the picture. I know, I know...I'm just as sad as you are. But, take it from me, save your money. Oh! I can't forget the exciting extras! Which include...still pictures from the show!!! YAY!!! Really? That's it?

In closing I'd like to add that this game is actually a total ripoff of a much better game, "Imagine Fashion Designer". That game has the same premise but is much more challenging, WAY more fun and provides a lot more choices. Oh, and oddly enough, despite being about 6 years older than this game...it has better graphics.

Heidi, give me my money back. Seriously.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

My niece and I love Project Runway (the show) but after my niece tried out the game, she told me it was extremly BORING! It is a rip-off of the much better Wii game Imagine Fashion Party which allows you to be much more creative unlike the Project Runway game. This game could be 100 times better than it really is. We were both very disappointed with this game. DO NOT waste your money on this game, there are so many other things (i.e., graphics, outfits, challenges) that could have been done to make this game better.

Best Deals for Project Runway - Nintendo Wii

Got this game for my girlfriend, who likes the show, as a joke. However, I ended up playing it more, as she was too embarrassed. The bad reviews prepared me for a less than perfect experience.

Well, I didn't think it was that bad. The music and graphics are pretty good. The game plays like the show were you compete in an elimination fashion design contest. The game features some still pictures of the TV host and judges, as well as some very short audio comments. The biggest problem with this game is that it lacks creativity, which is the opposite of fashion design. You are given a style and the game only gives you points if you follow its stringent design plan. I still found the game fun (or funny), but I can see how many people were disappointed. If your thinking about buying, don't pay too much. You will have a better experience, knowing you didn't pay too much.

Controls: 3.5 stars out of 5

graphics: 3.5 stars

gameplay: 3 stars

re-playability: 3.5 stars

Sound/Music: 4 stars

Honest reviews on Project Runway - Nintendo Wii

I got this game for my 13 year old daughter for Christmas. She wants to become a fahion designer and loves the show. She has only played it once. The biggest let down of the game is that it tells you EXACTLY what clothes to pick out (not make) and styling choices to make. It presents the challenge but then gives you a checklist of what to have. It's like taking a test with the answer sheet. How much fun is that? The only upside is that when styling, there are lots of details to choose from.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Project Runway - Nintendo Wii

I don't realize how long I am playing this. You change the models, outfits & the more you modify the outfit for that certain challenge the better your points. BUT don't go all crazy or you loose points it is so much fun to play.

Neverwinter Nights - PC Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $29.95
Sale Price: $13.99
Today's Bonus: 53% Off

Having followed the development of Neverwinter Nights for almost two years now, I think I have a feel for what this game will mean to Computer Role-Playing Games.

Neverwinter Nights (NWN) is not a Massively Multiplayer Game, it wasn't designed to be such. It is not a single-player Game although it will ship with a single-player campaign. NWN was designed for a small group of players (up to 64 currently) to play through 4-5 hour modules (adventures) very similar to the way Pen and Paper Role-Playing campaigns are structured.

One person controls one character either totally independently or under the supervision of a live DM that can control the playing environment (for instance scaling back an encounter that is too tough for the players).

To PnP roleplayers this game will be a dream come true, a chance to move into the computer game world and create modules without having to learn complicated graphic arts and computer programming techniques. It will also be attractive to the MMORPG player who is tired of the endless pointless series of combats who craves a Roleplaying experience. It will challenge Mod Designers who have up-to-now had their own private playgrounds due to the steep learning curve cost of entering the world of Module Design.

Will this lead to a plethora of modules being produced (most of them bad)? I personally hope so, because as with PnP roleplaying it was typically never the bought modules that yielded the memorable experiences.

Neverwinter Nights will not be Baldur's Gate and it will not be EverQuest. It will be something different, its own game.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Perhaps the best that can be said about Neverwinter Nights is that it comes very close to fulfilling all the hype that lead up to its release. It isn't, however, going to put Wizards of the Coast out of business. Here is why.

The Aurora toolset is powerfulvery powerful. Probably too powerful, as it is difficult to learn and slow to use. I'm a computer programmer that has also acted as a pen and paper Dungeon Master, yet I still haven't quite worked up the urge to delve into all those tutorials and menus. The main problem with building your own modules is that you have to pick and place everything, which takes literally forever. Also, the editor has some odd quirks and limitations, and if you use hacks or scripts can screw up the game very easily. You are well advised to backup everything before you do anything.

The single play campaign is very long and quite challenging. The plot is good, and the characters have more than one dimension. Unfortunately, it shares some of the elements of the only other 3rd edition D&D CRPGPool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor. That is to say, there are way too many dumb 'Fed Ex quests,' and the graphics seem squarish and get very repetitive. It is still a good deal better than that game, however, as combat is actually fun and the NPCs do more than just tell you to go somewhere and find something.

As for stability issues, if you don't hack there probably won't be too many. However, once in a while you might encounter inexplicable and often serious bugs. For example, sometimes items vanish or stop working for no apparent reason. I've also seen savegames get corrupted, which is bad but not impossibly so, since you can export and restart a chapter. It's advisable you keep several saves and update them at intervals in case something breaks.

Aside from its flaws, NWN has a great look and 3rd Edition feel. The rules aren't nearly as faked as they are in Pool of Radiance, though some spells and feats are modified to be workable with the real-time system. That said, not all of the rules are implemented, but quite a few are. I have to admit I was astonished at how thorough a job BioWare did... although my opinion might be skewed due to having played through the entire Pool of Radiance game (still can't believe I did that). As is to be expected, the spells look fantastic, and combat is generally exciting and fun. You'll encounter scores of different monsters, and they each look unique and well done.

The interface is easy to learn, especially for veterans of Baldur's Gate or similar games. As with its 2-D predecessor, you can pause the game to issue commands. You do not control a party any longer, however, and can have at most three followers (a henchman, familiar/animal companion, and summoned creature). The followers' artificial intelligence is passing, but not too great. Perhaps the community or BioWare will improve on it with future patches. If there's one thing at all that hasn't changed in the makeover from Infinity engine to Aurora, it has to be the path-finding. It's still horrible, and despite the fact that I like NWN in general, I can't think of an excuse for this. It's as if BioWare has been deaf to player's comments for the last few years... I hope they remedy it somehow.

Despite its pitfalls, Neverwinter Nights goes a long way to addressing the need for a customizable computer D&D experience. It is definitely a revolutionary step up from Baldur's Gate in terms of this aspect, and it has a great deal of potential. I am looking forward to seeing what BioWare is going to do with this proprietary engine in the future. For now, all those who enjoyed the Infinity engine games or wish to try out a D&D CRPG are heartily encouraged to get a copy of Neverwinter Nights.

Best Deals for Neverwinter Nights - PC

Neverwinter Nights is a great single-player game. Neverwinter Nights is a great multiplayer game. Neverwinter Nights is a great all-around game. 1,2,3, the cat ran up the tree.

Really, though, it is a great game. I have a sort of souped-up computer now (3 Ghz processor, 1 GB RAM, ATI Radeon 128 MB graphics card) so the graphics run smoothly no matter how high the settings are. On my older computer, though (1.8 Ghz processor, 256 MB RAM, cheap Intel graphics card) it didn't work as well, so if your computer isn't great it might not runn so well. Overall, the gameplay is great; it isn't too hack-and-slash, the single-player campaign is superb, and I think it does a pretty good job of porting the D&D 3rd Edition rules (though I, being too young to have played the original pencil-and-paper D&D, wouldn't really know). Still, there are a couple minor flaws you should know about when deciding whether or not to buy the game:

1. Henchman (i.e. any companion you may have). There a few issues here. The first, and most glaring, is that you can only have one (excluding any people you are leading somewhere as part of a quest and familiars [animals or whatever that you summon via magic]). Still, when you play the game, you might be glad of this, because the pathfinding for henchmen is really inexcusably abysmal. Lots of times rounding a corner is enough to make your henchman freeze in his/her tracks and stay where he/she is until you come back and "bait" him/her out by inching along. Also, you can't control your henchman's inventory (although you can in the expansion). This, I suppose, is only a pain if you are a shady player who likes to take all he can from his henchman and sell it. But it can be troublesome if they have a good weapon that they aren't using and that you want.

2. Pathing in general. Pretty self-explanatory. The camera is rather awkward, which makes it even harder. Combine this with henchman pathing and you have a real pain.

3. The instruction manual. This is the biggest, baddest problem. Like I said, I have no clue how the original D&D was played; when it was in vogue, I was an embryo. I don't know what character class is. The term "skill modifier" is a mystery to me. And what is a "saving throw?" Here's a real gem, straight from the manual: "Only rogues may disarm traps with a DC over 35 or greater. With 5 or more ranks in Set Traps a character gains a +2 synergy bonus on Disable Trap checks." and there's more: "Standing still provides a +5 bonus to a Listen Check. A character with the Alertness feat gains a +2 synergy bonus on listen checks." And also, it was only after much ponderings that I realized that the often-referred to "2d6" meant a 6-sided die rolled twice, and "1d8" is an 8-sided die rolled once. And why does a "Greatsword +1" cost about 50,000 times more that a regular Greatsword? The list goes on and on.

4. Turn-based combat. For "turn-based" read "dumb, pointless and frustrating." For no real reason, there is a 5 or 6 second delay between each combat action. A zombie will swing a fist; the character will duck. A HUGE pause. You will swing your sword. The zombie may or may not duck. Why the pause? It conveys no sense of "my turn, your turn." Is it to make all the necessary "skill checks," "saving throws," and "dice rolls?" Come on, folks. This is a computer. It can do 20 times that amount of simple math in a millisecond.

Well, anyway. It's a great game, just these minor details. Get it.

Honest reviews on Neverwinter Nights - PC

Let me preface by saying that I followed NWN's development almost from the moment it was announced. I waited with great anticipation for its release and paid full price for it the day it came out. I was ready to overlook some minor flaws because I had seen the game and read the hype and I just knew it was right up my alley.

I want to give this game more than 3 stars, I really do, and I don't want anyone to get the impression that this is not a fantastic feat of programming, because it absolutely is, but there are disappointments that must be addressed.

First of all, the game is skewed toward melee classes. I played a monk with a cleric henchman and had no need for a magic user. The appeal of D&D and other RPGs is the fact that different skills are needed and that they enhance one another. In NWN, at least in the included campaign, fighters and healers will do the job. Magic-users are superfluous.

Second, money and treasure are far too easy to acquire. Upon completing the single player game, my monk had several hundred thousand gold pieces and was selling nice enchanted weapons and armor because he couldn't hold them and already had the top of the line. This kills the incentive to continue in a big way.

Third, your character maxes out at level 20. If you play the single player game all the way through, you will get to level 20, period. It is too easy to get there and once you do get there, what next? Why keep playing that character online or elsewhere? Another incentive killer.

Fourth, the pre-release press promised everything the 3rd ed rules had. In anticipation, I purchased the Monster Manual. Well, most of the monsters aren't in the game (not just the single player, but the toolset as well), including some very popular opponents, and there's no way to create your own monsters, so unless BioWare plans to release a monster library, you're stuck with just a few of the monsters. Examples of missing monsters include Kobolds, Gelatinous Cubes, Owlbears, and Manticores, just to name a few.

Fifth, the toolset is very easy if you just want to place monsters and treasure, but if you want to add some complex puzzles, you will have to learn C++ (or a close facsimile). Don't expect to fire it up and whip out a creative module. It will take some time, and be prepared for all of your locations to be rectangular grids.

Having said all this, NWN is a good game, but it is not the ultimate CRPG. I would recommend it for all CRPG fans, but you may want to let the price drop a tad. In the meantime, I'm crossing my fingers for a FREE monster expansion.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Neverwinter Nights - PC

After the release of the Baldur's Gate franchise, players were amazed by the level of depth and scope that could be crammed into one gaming experience. Bioware had successfully captured the D&D tabletop experience, enriching it with superb graphics, a likable cast complete with convincing voice-dialogue, and a fantasy world immersed in epic grandeur. Neverwinter Nights, Bioware's follow-up to the Baldur's Gate series, is a great step forward in developing what players can expect from a role-playing game.

Foregoing the aging Infinity engine, the creators have instead utilized a new fully 3-D Aurora engine to give players a more graphically impressive and technologically current game. Unfortunately, while Aurora is very powerful and 3-D environments is logically the next step in gaming experience, the new engine saps a lot of the vitality found in the Baldur's Gate series. Locations seem constructed by an amateur programmer, with a lot of the buildings, characters, and enemies lacking any sort of inspiration. Even fantastic creatures such as dragons, which should look menacing, are presented as comical by the blocky graphics that Aurora produces. Traversing through environments, especially the dreary city of Neverwinter, is a mundane experience and not particulary captivating.

Gameplay wise, Neverwinter Nights translates faithfully the D&D core rules. Class skills, feats, character kits, and more are all here and much further developed than in the Baldur's Gate series. It's not just decorative either: the skills and feats you choose your character to specialize in can impact how you play the game and how other characters react to you, making Neverwinter Nights a very interactive world. Combat still unfolds the same way, with "to hit" ratio determining your proficiency in battle while your "armor class" determines whether you walk out of a battle with a scratch or in need of serious medical attention. You gain levels much quicker than you would in Baldur's Gate, which can be a good thing until your character becomes near-invincible towards the end of the story and the game becomes less and less of a challenge. But this can all be remedied by cranking up the difficulty factor of the game if you don't want to slaughter through hordes of enemies with relative ease.

The interface of Neverwinter Nights is arguably an improvement over Baldur's Gate. Character Sheets, Inventory Screen, Journal and Map are all one click away and hover transparantly over the game so you can still guide your character as you ransack through your posessions or determine which location to visit next. It's an innovative idea, but it furthers the impression that Neverwinter Nights is more of a Beta version of a greater game rather than a finished product. The interface is too simplistic for its own good, reminding the audience that they're playing a game instead of immersing them in the Dungeon and Dragons experience.

In the end, Neverwinter Nights is a great accomplishment but a rather flawed and forgettable game. The graphic engine for Temple of Elemental Evil is much more elegant and beautiful, and you'll miss the group chattering of your Baldur's Gate party when you can only travel with one other companion in the Neverwinter cycle. Bioware is capable of producing a much more ambitious and rich D&D experience, and if they can strike the right balance between TOEE's graphics and interface, NWN's improvement of the class system especially prestige class, and Baldur Gate's memorable cast, main plot, and subplots, then a truly remarkable game can be concieved. Until then, the company's upcoming "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic" should satisfy fans for now who are still waiting for the perfect D&D game.

Buy Lethal Enforcers

Customer Ratings:

The basic premise of Lethal Enforcers is that you are a police officer whose task is to eliminate terrorists by means of shooting to save the city. The controls work surprisingly well and are never a hassle. This game is a lot of fun of multiplayer or singe-player. It has a high replay value as well because of its wonderful arcade-style shooting. You shoot bad guys you get points or even new weapons, you shoot an innocent person and you lose a life. This game tests your reflexes and how well you pay attention to who you shoot. The graphics look great and the framerate is smooth. There is also the ability to shoot out windows which provides even more fun. This game is not without flaws though. When you play in multiplayer mode sometimes you can get confused as to whose reticle is whose or who is shooting what, and the game does dock points for missing enemies. If you love arcade shooters this game is definite must-have for you.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

this game has it's moments, but it is very short and not as good as it could have been. 2 stars.

Best Deals for Lethal Enforcers

i played this arcade game at a pizza place and it rox

Review of Code Lyoko - Nintendo DS

Customer Ratings:

The game is a hit with my son. This game has all of the innocent action he sees on the Code Lyoko television program.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I ordered Code Lyoko for my grandson and it's no longer functioning after very little use by him. He really liked the game but the longevity gets a NEGATIVE tagged a waste of Nana funds. The delivery time was on the mark, but I think I'll stick to purchasing items such as this locally from a store.

Best Deals for Code Lyoko - Nintendo DS

Nice game. The only thing I don't like is that there is no way to write a walk-through. I get stuck on levels, and its not because I've missed something, its just because I didn't hit that button quite fast enough, and I have to go through and try it again.

Honest reviews on Code Lyoko - Nintendo DS

Bought this for a nephew, who "had to have it" and it was difficult to locate at stores. Aunt loved the Amazon service, nephew loved the game. Thanks Amazon!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Code Lyoko - Nintendo DS

this game was medium hard, and I think the real world was more fun than the virtual one.

Best Midnight Club: Los Angeles - Xbox 360 Deals

Customer Ratings:

GAMEPLAY:

I have only invested a small amount of time in the game so far, I have no more then one car; (1998 Nissan 240SX), but in this short time invested, I can tell you that the handling far exceeded my expectations. The cars have a serious weight to them, and its an excellent balance between an arcade and simulation feel. There are some interesting features within the game as well that really stand out. For starters, you have the ability to purchase "special abilities," these are things like "electro magnetic pulse, or EMP," that allow you to temporarily take down the oppositions cars. Its really quite a neat idea I believe, and even thou I'm far from attaining those abilities, I think it will add a certain element of strategy to the game that we've yet to see in a racing game.

Is the game difficult you ask? I've been reading a lot about people complaining that they find this game a lil difficult... Well I gotta say, it certainly isn't easy by an means. But it sure as heck ain't terribly hard or impossible like some people would have you believe either. Yes you have to know how to drive, if you can't drive in the real world, don't expect to ace this game, its a challenge, you must make sure you pay attention to where your traveling, and also watch for traffic, it's quite the intense experience I must say.

GRAPHICS:

Excellent in this department. I was surprised to find out that the developers used the "RAGE" engine that GTAIV is based off of. It runs very smoothly so far, and everything looks excellent. There's also a great sense of speed in this game, which is a must for any racing game, but especially a street racing game. Each of the games 45 or so cars and bikes are excellently detailed, and they all include INTERIOR VIEWS!!! Heck yes, I expect nothing less anymore, and I really hope the next installment of FORZA Motorsport will include dashboards for EVERY car as well. The interior view is great and it's the view I use the most. I must also point out that its a nicer seating position in the car then the latest installment of Project Gotham Racing. PGR3 had a great seating position in the car where you could clearly see the gauges, as well as where you were heading. But PGR4's quite frankly sucked, at least in my opinion.

The city of Angels looks absolutely incredible in this game, and its; almost like being there. There's a great amount of detail included in the city, and it's just a joy to look at while driving around or racing by at 180MPH! Another interesting feature is the awesome way you transition between the full city map and the game. It's very much like Test Drive Unlimited, and those that have played TDU will know exactly what I mean. Its extreamly smooth in it's transitions between the map of the city and the game, and you get wisked from a real time birds-eye view of LA right back into your car at the touch of a button, magnificent!

CUSTOMIZATION:

I gave this area of the game its own heading, because there is simply so much of it that you can do and its generally a huge aspect of the game. Everything and anything on your car can be customized, from the body panels, to the doors, to the headlights and taillights, interior features etc, and of course performance mods. Here is a quick list of what can be done:

EXTERIOR:

Body panels, front and rear, as well as side skirts

Wide body kits

Headlights

Taillights

Exhaust tip

Rims

Tires (branding and tread pattern, or tire model)

Neon

Ride Height

Paint (Pearl, Metallic, Sparkle, Gloss, Matte)

Roof and hood

Carbon fibre panels

VINYLS

INTERIOR:

Colour scheme

Seats

Neons

Gauges

Steering wheel

Floor mats

PERFORMANCE: all categories have three stages, and you may choose the brands of the parts you install..

Intake

Exhaust

Suspension

Boosted / NA (Turbocharge or Supercharge)

Engine Internals strengthened

Roll bars

Brakes

Tires

Nitrous

(there are more, I can't remember them all at the moment)

Another nice touch is that if you aren't terribly in to tuning cars, then you may choose to have the game "auto tune" your car for you. It will select the best parts for you automatically if you choose, to take the guess work out of it for you.

CONTROL:

No problem here, like I mentioned in the gameplay section, the cars handle very nicely. You are afforded a modest amount of drift control around corners via the e-brake, or just turning in hard and asjusting the accelerator appropriately. I have remapped the right joystick to allow me freedom of head movement in the cabin, so I can look left, right, up, or down. Thats something else that deserves a mention, we've come to the point in console gaming it seems, after so many years that developers are starting to allow us to customize the control scheme are selves, which is EXCELLENT!

AUDIO:

Another well done department here. The tires sound just right biting the pavement, and the engines pur at idle or scream under hard acceleration. My 240SX sounds bang on to my buddies real 240, and screams and pops like the real deal at all the right times. The music is a nice selection of songs, but I prefer to have the in game race music off so i can hear my car. Sound effects are well don, I can hear the gear changes when I'm in the interior view, little details like that really bring the game alive.

MULTIPLAYER:

I really have no input here, as I have yet to try it, but it seems like it might be awesome, you should be able to go online with some buddies and just drive around LA or race, which ever you choose. You can also race for PINKS!

REPLAY VALUE:

I'd say its probably fairly high, as you ca go back and re-run each race for another attempt at besting your score, and earn more money. Although there may be slightly less incentive to re try the whole career again once completed, which is usually a tend with racing games anyway, so no loss there.

BOTTOM LINE:

U CAN EDIT EVERY THING THAT YOU DID IN THE LAST ONE IS THIS ONE PLUS MORE.

BUY THIS GAME IF YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN RACING AT ALL! Its really well done in my opinion, with subtle touched like interiors in every car, and damage, as well as the amazing selection of car customization options, and just generally good amount of racing, its worth every penny of the asking price.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Well I don't know if anyone's interested, but it would have saved me some time and money knowing which version was better on either the PS3 or the XBOX 360.

HANDS DOWN...XBOX 360...it almost looks like the difference between an original PS"2" game and an XBOX 360 game. I had both systems set to the same HD settings on the console and my television(HDTV 57") channels were identically set as well. The PS3 version just simply looked blurry and bland in color. The XBOX 360 version had much more detail and was crisp. I drove to the exact spot on both systems and my kids and I sat and watched the people walk by and noticed all the texture on the cars and pedestrians. The difference was noticable instantly. I wouldn't have believed it was such a huge difference if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.

However, I would have taken someone elses word for it. I hope this helps

Best Deals for Midnight Club: Los Angeles - Xbox 360

This game is pretty awesome. Took a while to get used to the handling of the cars, but once I got that downI completely dominate.

Never was a fan of the other MC games. My buddy actually put me on this one. I give it a 5 of 5 for graphics. And 5 of 5 for playability.

Honest reviews on Midnight Club: Los Angeles - Xbox 360

ok, the first midnight clubs were cool, but this one brings it to a whole new level. the graphics first off are the best, maybe a little better than gta iv, and i am ashamed of saying that. around the city of L.A. you will see real stores and logos, such as best buy, game stop, pizza hut etc. the cars are awesome, if you just start out playing it will take a little getting used to, because you dont know the controls. this is the best midnight club game

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Midnight Club: Los Angeles - Xbox 360

This is my first time playing a game from the Midnight Club series. It is a fun game that has a lot of similarites in play to the GTA series. My opinion is that if you love GTA and you are looking for a racing game, this is the one for you. I hate how some racing games make it such a pain in the rear to handle the car. You spend more time learning to deal with that than having fun racing. This game does a good job of not doing that. The cars are user friendly but still take skill to weave in and out of traffic and evade the police.

My only con to this game is that I wish there were more variety of vehicles to buy. Other than that it is a fun game.

Best BMX XXX Deals

Customer Ratings:

The controversial BMX XXX shows a lot of skin, but it's the gameplay that isn't fully fleshed out. For the uninitiated, BMX XXX merges the world of freestyle bicycle stunts with potty humor, foul language, and sex-for no apparent reason. While gamers titter over jokes about pimps, diarrhea, and words like "titter," they're also challenged to pull backflips and tailwhips throughout eight levels, including a mall and a launch pad. Since its last BMX game, developer Z-Axis has added flatland tricks, balance meters, some multiplayer modes, and ghost riding; they're all welcome additions. Otherwise, the changes are mostly cosmetic with goals involving hookers and constipation instead of just high scores and trick plateaus. Do well, and you'll unlock bonus stripper videos (edited on the PS2 but not on the Xbox). Like Mirra 2, BMX XXX features frustrating level goals as well as a camera that, in all four settings, makes it hard to line up your re-entry on a vert ramp. Say what you want about big-breasted babes and poo jokes-if tricks aren't enjoyable to pull off, it's not a fun game. Hollywood writers scribbled the script, but you'll hear the same tired lines ("Didn't I see you on World's Worst Bikers?") over and over again. And yes, even the vulgarity gets old. Thankfully, the high-energy licensed soundtrack comes through, even if the sharp visuals are plagued by occasional slowdown and collision problems. Acclaim and Z-Axis set out to create the American Pie of gaming, and they've succeeded on the crude humor front-but with a high frustration factor and graphical glitches, BMX XXX fails to completely satisfy.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

If I hadn't found this for next to nothing I wouldn't have bought it in the first place. That said, this game is a pathetic attempt to take a terrible bmx game and try to salvage it and cash in on the pubescent crowd by putting stripper videos as prizes. The "prizes" are fully censored advertisments for strip clubs. There is no skin shown in this game that you haven't seen at the mall.

The game itself isn't worth the cd it's printed on.

Best Deals for BMX XXX

This game is one of the best I've played in the past couple years. The controls take only about an hour to master. The missions are hard but all can be accomplished with a day of practice. This game is not a thinking game, it's a fun game. I've been playing it for about 2 hours a day for the past 4 days and I just finished the first level. This is not a game you will finish on the first day and never pick up again.

Honest reviews on BMX XXX

Nastalgic... Brings me back to some great times. I even remember the codes. Wish I had the same skills at playing that I had before.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for BMX XXX

I rented this game for my PS2 becuase I was interested to try it. It uses the same formula as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 where you go up to people and they then give you a goal. That is a good feature but you also have a health meter which stinks becuase you could be doing really good but then you fall and lose your health and then your done. The goals are really boring to becuase most of them are find 5 of these or go get 5 or those. Which is really boring. So I say you avoid this game at all costs.

Best Resident Evil: Revelations Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $24.96
Today's Bonus: 38% Off

I'm an resident evil fan in China, I have played resident evil series since the very first game. Or should I call it Biohazard?

I wanna strongly recommend: Resident Evil Revelation to all fans of this series and people who have the Nintendo 3DS. Revelation is a game that both new and old resident evil fan would like, and it is definite one of the best game on 3ds so far.

the key word is: Back to Origin

Shinji Mikami had made the resident evil 1 though 4, hope everyone remember what the game was like. You search all the rooms and find keys so you can open new rooms and find more useful items. Zombies is always your best friend, you can fight them or just walk away.

The resident evil 4 has change the game a lot, it is now a third person shooting game. And Bio5 was trying to keep the quality.

Revelation give me the feeling of a combination of the origin resident evil and the 4th.

You shoot the same way as bio4 and bio 5 except you can so slowly shift move while aiming, and you can now change the aim to a first person view.

The game play will make you feel like the old resident evil, by the end of Champlain you will be familiar with the map. and the Weapon upgrade is fun, too. knife become much more useful compare with bio5, Jill used the knife very fast, and you don't need to aim before you use it finally.

The raid mode is a new game mode, and it is going to take you lot of times with fun.There is levels and exp. in this mode so you can level up and use better weapons and new weapon updates. Play raid mode together with you friends.

The graphic is the highest standerd for what 3DS is capable of. I know that psvita is stronger, I have brought one from Hongkong and I know how awesome the graphic is. But Revelation grapgic can still amaze me when I start playing it. The 3D effect works perfect for this game, and the art design is great.

There is some weakness about this game.

First, the control bother you a little before you get used to it, using left hand to aim is not too bad but still wired. if you have a circle pad pro for 3DS, use it.

Second, the story line. I do not want to talk about it too much before people actually play it, so I don't blow this fun. But, I will say that I am disappointed when I realize that the story have almost nothing related with the series. Maybe resident evil 6? haha

My English is poor and I apologize fot it, if you read all my reviews. I have to say that I'm appreciate. And hope you guys enjoy this new resident evil.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

The 3DS had a bit of a rough start, no matter how you look at it. The majority of 2011 didn't give gamers much hope either, with only a handful of must-plays, and another majority of those being enhanced ports. I still held out hope for the system, however, due to the fact that Nintendo has never let down handheld gamers with the exception of the Virtual Boy. And now, with Capcom's positively flawless new entry in the Resident Evil franchise, a new year of productivity has been ushered in, it being the first of several high-profile entries on the powerhouse portable. And what a first it is. Even taking away from the hype of it being one of the best 3DS games out there, "Resident Evil Revelations" stands on it's own as an excellent title.

Fans of the franchise like myself will be instantly dragged into the intricate narrative, which bridges the gap between RE 4&5 in one fell, seamless swoop. Players take on the dual roles of series standbys Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield. Jill is exploring a decrepit ship with scarce supplies and suspenseful encounters with bloodthirsty, parasitic monsters, while Chris' missions consist of surviving in the mountains while blasting through legions of enemies. Along the way, they both learn things about the mysterious BSAA organization from the fifth entry, while simultaneously getting more information about the Los Plagas virus taken from Leon at the end of Resident Evil 4. It's an entertaining and stimulating journey, told with some of the best voice acting in the series and plenty of cutscenes.

The game is split into episodic chunks, with Jill's outings billed more as a series of cliffhangers that lead into Chris' shoot-'em-up types of missions. At the beginning of each chapter we see a "previously in RE Revelations" sequence, a la "Alan Wake" and "Deadly Premonition." It's quite clear that Capcom was aiming for a console experience split up into handheld gaming bites, and it comes off without a hitch.

As mentioned above, gameplay with Jill and Chris differ greatly. Let's start with Jill. The steady progression and emphasis on investigation, along with the struggle of surviving the assault of only a few enemies at a time. Jill barely starts with any ammo to speak of, and the supplies on the ship only throw her a real bone every now and again. Ammo conservation is key, as is keeping a close watch on your health restore items and your HUD map. This type of playing style hearkens back to the earlier RE entries, and old-school survival horror games as a whole.

Chris' portions are the complete opposite. The lovable steroid poster boy starts off with an abundance of ammo in his pistol, along with a high power shotgun. His first mission gives players two types of explosives to work with, as well as plenty of health. This seems like overkill at first until you realize that dealing with foes is nothing like the Jill missions. Enemies that you encounter attack in waves, and one of the later encounters in the first of his missions involves blasting through a whole pack of infected wolves. These encounters become commonplace when playing a Chris mission, and it starts to feel more like RE5, or a lot of other third-person shooter games.

I applaud Capcom for the stroke of brilliance they've displayed at these two different types of gameplay styles. The evolution of the RE franchise has been a major source of contention among fans for quite some time now. Some love the faster and more a gameplay, and others say that it's an unnecessary Westernization of a Japanese franchise. I fall somewhere in the middle with this debate, and it's nice to see the developers addressing both parties in Revelations. It's really the best of both worlds with this title; there's no losing for either party.

A lot of people looking at screenshots have doubted that the "game looks that good." Put those thoughts to bed, because yes, it DOES look that good. The 3DS is getting it's graphics card pumped to the max, because what's on display here far outpaces many higher quality Wii games. The textures are convincingly realistic, especially on the beautiful player and enemy models. Ditto for the accurately rendered weapons and cutscenes. The only complain I might muster would be that some of the outdoor textures look a little murky, especially in some of the cave missions with Chris. It doesn't detract from the overall experience, though, and the 3D effects certainly don't hurt the game at all either. The options menu gives players three different options of depth layering, and the highest setting shows just how three-dimensional games can be on the handheld if devs put forth a little effort. As far as showing off the 3DS' graphics go, this game fits the bill with appropriately grotesque and suspenseful imagery.

Suspenseful is the best word to describe Revelations. It's something that the fifth entry, as much as I adored it, just never was. Capcom obviously took players' complaints to heart and created the best RE game since the classic RE4. Everything works the way it should, never limiting the player with annoying key fetching and cheap deaths, instead placing a heavy emphasis on survival that never feels unbalanced and investigating the small details of an intriguing story. If this is even a tiny taste of the upcoming sixth entry in the main continuity, then my faith in Capcom has been restored with this phenomenal game. This is the game to own a 3DS for, no matter what type of game you typically play.

Plot: A(Bridges the gap between RE4&5 for fans, but is accessible for everyone.)

Gameplay: A+ (Balances cutthroat, terse survival and blazing action without any effort.)

Graphics: A(Pushes the 3DS to it's very limit with grotesque, scary and thrilling imagery.)

Sound: B+ (Good voice acting for an RE game, and plenty of eerie sound effects and music.)

Overall: A(Not just a fantastic handheld game, but a fantastic game overall.)

Best Deals for Resident Evil: Revelations

I'm going to make this short and sweet. Never in my life did I think I would put 30 hours into a portable game. Especially one that is not an RPG of some sorts. This is the first portable game that makes me feel like I am somehow playing a current gen console game where I please. The multiplayer is a blast as well, and it's consumed 16 hours of my 30 hours played so far. It is just an addicting blast. The story as always is over the top, but it's expected and part of the entertainment.

One thing I need to point out is nearly every review will say you can't aim and move without the add on. That is false. You can hold "L" and strafe while aiming and shooting, or move forward and backwards. It works great, and I use it all the time. I went into the options and made the aiming view identical to RE4 & RE5 and it looks and plays like a dream. This is one of those rare games like Mario Land 3D and Zelda where the 3D is done extremely well. Usually I turn it off and forget, but for much of the single player I was trying to keep it on at all times. It really adds to the experience over being just a gimmick.

Pick this game up and support the mass of content and effort the developers poured into this gem!

Honest reviews on Resident Evil: Revelations

The Good:

+A highly engrossing story filled with twists, turns and intrigue

+A fantastic atmosphere

+A lengthy campaign mode

+Fantastic visuals

+Very good use of sound

+Makes VERY good use of the hardware and shows that the 3DS isn't just another DS but is capable of quite a bit when developers really put their all into it

The Bad:

-Your AI controlled partner is useless

-Slight dips in framerate (but never in very dangerous situations)

When most of us think of the Resident Evil games on the handheld, they're not always fond memories. First there was the deservedly underplayed "Resident Evil: Gaiden," on the Gameboy Color. Then we got our hands on a remake of the original game on the Nintendo DS with some slightly enhanced mechanics. Last year we got a chance to play Resident Evil Mercenaries 3D. The three games listed above weren't exactly games that the fanbase was raving about (in fact Gaiden was considered so bad CAPCOM decided it wasn't canon and they've swept it quietly under the rug). So, of course, when Resident Evil Revelations was announced it was a wonder what CAPCOM had in store for their prime series now. As it turns out, Resident Evil Revelations is a fantastic experience. There are no gimmicks at play here. It's a more traditional Resident Evil game filled with scares, eerie music and suspense. Simply put, Resident Evil Revelations isn't just one of the best 3DS games you could buy at the moment... it's easily one of the best Resident Evil games you could buy.

Set before the events of Resident Evil 5, Revelations focuses on the BSAA. A counter Bio-Terrorism group started by Chris and Jill. Our game begins when Jill and her partner Parker, sail out to the Mediterranean. They've lost contact with Chris and his partner Jessica and their last known coordinates were there. When they arrive they find a cruise ship, the Queen Zenobia, strangely abandoned. And soon it becomes apparent why. There are Bio Organic Weapons (B.O.W.s) running around all over the ship. One of the things that made some of the earliest Resident Evil games amusing was that there was a mystery at play. A sort of, "What's going on?" feeling to the game. Resident Evil Revelations has this in strides as the plot is actually extremely engrossing. There's a lot of mystery and suspense. And the stories are intertwined as we're introduced to new characters and situations that can, at times, take surprising turns. The story is just all around amazing, and it'll keep you glued to your 3DS. It also helps that the campaign itself is lengthy and even challenging at parts. There isn't anything quite like it on the 3DS.

As you go exploring the various environments you find yourself in, you'll come face to face with several enemies that are usually dispensed with your trusty weapon. Aiming and shooting is similar to Resident Evil 4. You can take aim at various parts of the body, and when your enemies stagger you can go in for a quick melee attack. If you've kept up with the series since the fourth installment then this will be familiar to you. You can aim either in first person or go for an over the shoulder view. You can also strife while aiming, but chances are you'll find it much better to pop an enemy a couple of times, retreat and then pop them again. There are, however a few things added to the game itself that keep it interesting. You'll do a lot of running and gunning, but one of the most unique items your given is an item only known as Genesis, which you can use to scan several areas for hidden items or data on your enemies. It's hard not to go into a room and use it. The rewards are usually finding more ammo or precious herbs to heal your wounds.

There aren't many puzzles in Resident Evil Revelations at all. There are moments where you'll have to use the touch screen and move a few things around, but they're hardly mind-bending moments. It's much more about the gunplay here and there's an emphasis put on that. You'll not only find weapons but also custom parts for those weapons that will make them more powerful, or fire faster or perhaps might help them do a better job of stunning your enemies. You can mix and match all you like and apply them to any type of weapon you want.

After running through so many Resident Evil games, it's a wonder if Resident Evil can actually be scary anymore. Well, not really. But Revelations has various ways of trying to be scary. The first and most obvious is the atmosphere. Especially on the Queen Zenobia. Hallways are suspiciously empty, music hits some really eerie notes, and sometimes you'll find dead bodies or see some enemies pop out as you run by. Resident Evil has been doing these things since the very first installment and it's hard to be creeped out by the billionth enemy popping out at you when you've been exposed to that for sixteen years now. In spite of the atmosphere and the mystery given by various documents you'll find through the game, Resident Evil Revelations isn't going to scare anyone. You have to give credit to the game for trying at least. It does this in other ways as well. You'll find various keys to unlock locked doors, find yourself backtracking through previous rooms only to find them repopulated with new horror, and sometimes you'll find yourself wondering if you'll survive. All this is compounded by some very well done set pieces. Early on, for instance, you'll find yourself unable to stand as a pack of mutated dogs set their sights on you. It's a very tense moment where you, the player, may actually begin to feel just a little frightened you won't survive. Moments like this make you feel as though Resident Evil is returning to its roots. So at the very least Revelations tries to be scary and give you a sense of fear. It basically tries to take the best of the two styles of Resident Evil and mesh them together. The atmosphere and mystery is inspired by the early installments while the gunplay is drawn from the latter ones. It's a well put together hybrid. Just don't expect it to scare the pants off you.

No matter who the game has you play as, you'll always have a partner, and this is perhaps the most glaring shortcoming that Revelations has. The rest of the game is great and it's other flaws forgivable, but when it comes to your partner, CAPCOM still hasn't made a competent one. They won't spend time wasting your resources like Sheva in Resident Evil 5, but a lot of the time they just stand there doing nothing. They rarely even shoot at your enemies, and most times they just follow you around like a confused puppy. If they did a little more such as point out objectives or even tried to battle a little more it wouldn't be so bad. The only use your AI partner really has is soaking up damage on your behalf.

If there are any doubts about what can be done on the 3DS then let Resident Evil Revelations squash them. This is by far the best looking game you can find on the 3DS at this point. The places you'll run through are extremely detailed. The character models look fantastic and the lighting is great as well. There are a few issues with the presentation but none that stand from the games aesthetic design. Namely that there were moments where the game seemed to buckle under it's own weight. There were slight frame rate dips and moments where the load times are lengthy. The good news is that none of these issues ever creep up when you're in any immediate danger. The frame rate dips I experienced, for example, were while I was in an elevator. But I never experienced them when I was in combat.

Resident Evil Revelations also makes excellent use of the 3DS hardware. The controls are actually tight and responsive and well mapped out. Likewise, your inventory is all comprised to the bottom screen, while the top screen is perfectly clear of anything. This seems like something small, but it actually really helps to draw the player in because there's nothing on the top screen to distract you from what's actually going on. It's perfect. When you take damage the top screen will get more "bloodied," to give you a sense of how close you are to death. But rather than having to into your inventory for an herb to heal, you simply tap a button and it's done. Future 3DS games should take note. Nothing here feels tacked on in terms of how it utilizes the hardware.

The 3D is also very well done, although you won't ever actually need it. It never really enhances the gameplay. There's nothing that'll make you want to keep the 3D on all the time. But it does increase the depth and isn't exactly used to make things "Pop Out." It enhances the presentation even if it doesn't enhance the gameplay. At the very least it draws you into the atmosphere of the game much more. You can also make it stronger in the games option settings. From a visual perspective it is some of the best use of 3D on the system.

One of the best aspects of Resident Evil Revelations is by far the sound. The music is often eerie and builds up tension and suspense at some parts, but the screams from your enemies, or the creaking of the ship or the floor boards or even a shot from your pistol all sound remarkable coming from the 3DS's tiny speakers. The voice acting is also competent, even if the writing isn't always up to standard.

Simply put, in terms of hardware usage and just all around competent game design, Resident Evil Revelations is one of the best titles you could get on the 3DS. It's fun and immersive, but also tells a very good story. It even has moments where it tries to get back to Resident Evil's traditional style. The game won't scare you much at all, but at the very least it's willing to try... and manages to be fun in the process. If you like Resident Evil and own a 3DS then you have to play this game.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Resident Evil: Revelations

I just loved this game. I bought the console as a Christmas present for my son last December so this is my first game for 3ds. I'm a fan of horror survival games and I must say I'm really enjoying this one. 3d technology gives a whole new perspective of the game, you feel you're right there in the middle of the action. The graphics are superb.

Reviews of Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack - Xbox

Customer Ratings:

I've been anticipating this for awhile. There's not a lot to it so I'll jump right into the juicy bits first, it's nice they put the auto-update in the package for those who don't have Live, as the gameplay tweaks have a pretty noticable impact. But it's the maps we're really interested in, right?

CONTAINMENT This map essentially plays like Coagulation; the big differences are the larger bases and the series of tunnels and ditches. The opening and closing base doors breed interesting strategies, and you've gotta love a map that has the Scorpion tank as a default vehicle. The explosives on this map only serve as a hazard for the vehicles, as they are too spread apart to be used as a defensive weapon against intruders on foot. The bright white snow makes active camo VERY effective on this map. It's a great 2 flag CTF map and will probably work just fine for other large team objective games.

WARLOCK an INTENSE slayer map and average lifespans tend to be on the short side because of the small space and lack of things to hide behind. This sucks if you're a camper but I like maps and scenarios that force me to get comfortable with new strategies. There are no "power" weapons save for four shotguns, if they count, forcing you to use strategy to gun down your opponent on a level playing field as opposed to blowing them away with a bazooka from a distance. Visually superior to the sterile scenery of the original it was built from (Wizard in Halo 1.)

TURF I've only played Turf in 1 flag CTF but it was pretty fun. The tight spaces are great for sneaking up on the opposition's base, and equally handy for staging ambushes. My only reservation about objective games on this map is that it is so small with such short distances to run with the flag or bomb, a single slip up on the part of the defensive team will most likely cost them the round... games like this will probably be pretty short. However, that same small size will make it a fantastic slayer map. Sadly, there is no sword perhaps Bungie knew I'd "pwn" this map into the ground if they included it [/joke].

SANCTUARY A circular arena, and a fairly large one at that. This is probably best suited for 4 on 4 team objective or slayer games, leaning more towards assault variants. A visually and atmospherically pleasing map, especially on blue team's side where there is flowing water and a humongous tree. There is a sword but wide open spaces limit its usefulness. Again, a map more situated for medium sized objective or team slayer games, although I wouldn't recommend it for free-for-all slayer.

ELONGATION A remake of Halo 1 map Longest. It is asthetically far superior to its predecessor, being based on the space station level of Halo 2's campaign with dials and knobs and lights and various things I will never, ever understand. Great lighting effects on the steel plated walls and a brilliant window view of the Earth and its moon. Removing the ladders was a smart move on Bungie's part not only does it make climbing to the second level much less risky and awkward (and more realistic looking,) but it offers another tight space for close encounter skirmishes. The crates can be an asset as well as a liability as they offer cover and serve as stepping stones, but also make it more difficult to retreat. Great small team 2 flag CTF/assault and small or medium sized slayer map.

BACKWASH Fantastic atmospheric effects on this one, which is based on the 343 Guilty Spark level of Halo 1. The fog is a tremendously significant element to this map as it hides the location of weapons and breaks up the outline of your opponents (which can also work to your advantage.) The soundtrack is very "lush" sounding, complimented by the amusing if also distracting hum of 2401 Penitent Tangent as it occasionally passes overhead. It's set up with two bases for objective games but lends itself the most to slayer varients, with the hunt-or-be-hunted vibe created by the vision obscurring fog and many trees.

GEMINI Visually one of my favorite new maps, designed after the High Charity level on Halo 2's campaign mode. All the futuristic sliding doors and random noises are there, and the view of High Charity's core from the "back porch" area is some of the best scenery in all of Halo 2's multiplayer maps. Due to the small nature of the map, it probably won't make a great map for assault or CTF variants, but it's perfectly fine for slayer variants as well as oddball, juggernaut, et cetera.

RELIC sort of a "storming the beach" style map designed for single flag CTF and assault. Unlike Zanzibar, the water is actually a hazard as you will 'fall to your death' if you swim out too far (something to think about when screeching around haphazardly in your warthog.) This is a very unique map with a very specific setup the defensive structure is extremely difficult to gain access to as you must travel all the way to the back of it, on the opposite side of the island, to find a ramp, with lots of open space and few obstacles to hide behind inbetween. Also, there is a two way teleporter that can be activated from inside the base (a double-edged sword, as you can imagine.)

TERMINAL Probably the busiest/most complicated map in the pack, it can be very disorienting before you learn where everything is. It is based on a train terminal somewhere in New Mombasa and the bullet train itself is a very important aspect of this map. No attack can be launched on the defensive base without taking the train into consideration, which deals out sudden death indescriminately. Your vehicle will not save you. After getting your bearings straight, this is a pretty fun map and a flexible one at that. It's complexity lends itself to large slayer games (at least 8 people because of its size) and the bases are designed in a lopsided fashion that encourages single flag CTF in specific.

And now the bonus content I would not recommend buying this pack based purely on the bonus content. First, the cinematic is novel, and relatively well done, but ultimately isn't about anything. And it's only about 2 or 3 minutes long. The documentary is a lot better and covers each map individually, but in the end it is still too short for comfort I'm sure there is a lot more to tell us and most of this information is available in the booklet as well, if you're patient enough to read it. Overall, the incentive to buy it comes down to permanence of ownership, since now that you have the disc in your hands, you can reload the maps onto your Xbox no matter how many Xboxes you go through or if your Live service goes kaput. A second, morally questionable, incentive is that I'm pretty sure you can use this to load the maps and game upgrades onto friends' Xboxes if you're having a LAN party and discover that one of the rotten b*stards doesn't have any of the new maps you want to play on (I'm pretty sure Microsoft installed a sort of failsafe involving registration similar to Windows XP, so said rotten b*stard probably would not be able to take those maps online.)

Overall, great purchase, great maps Bungie did a fantastic job with these fun, unique maps and asthetically they have outdone the old maps by a LOT. One can only hope we will be blessed with another string of great map add-ons some day in the future, but with the immenant release of the Xbox 360, I'm not holding my breath. Soak 'em in.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

The world's greatest multiplayer game just got better. Take the fight from the streets of the Old Mombasa to the islands of delta halo to the very edges of the galaxy. The nine new maps included in this pack nearly double Halo 2's multiplayer arena. Some battlefields feature tight quartered, intense spaces designed for small scale mayhem. Others are large scale, interactive arenas with explosive vehicle combat perfect for split screen, system link or xbox live.

Nine bran new maps feature a huge variety of locations, from swamp to space station and beyond. Huge landscapes for epic vehicle battles, and dynamic environments for strategic confrontations. New gameplay enhancements intensify weapon, grenade, and melee combat.

BONUS FEATURES: Behind the scenes: Halo 2 Multiplayer pack documentary. "Another day at the beach" Animated halo 2 short side story. Complete game updates, including support for HDTV, improved Xbox live gameplay and cool gameplay enhancements.

MAPS:

RELIC: A battle scarred island rises from the blue waters of the Delta Halo sea. A titanic Forerunner structure juts menacingly from the center like the spine of a beached behemoth. It is outdoor, the vehicles are ghost and warthog. The weapons are: Carbine, Energy Sword, Magnum, Needler, Plasma Pistol, Battle rifle, Beam rifle, Plasma rifle, Sniper rifle, Rocket launcher, shotgun, SMG.

Best for 1-bomb assault, 1-flag capture the flag. There is a two awy teleporter.

TURF: Outdoor, Asymmetrical. Vehicles are warthog. Weapons are: brute shot, magnum, plasma pistol, battle rifle, plasma rifle, brute plasma rifle, sniper rifle, shotgun, SMG.

Best with king of the hill, Oddball, Slayer, Territories.

WARLOCK: Indoor, Symmetrical. No vehicles. Weapons are: magnum, needler, battle rifle, shotgun, SMG.

Best with CTF, Oddball, Slayer. optional turrets. Steam lifts, and active camo.

An ancient ruin forgotten, whether a temple or prison warlock is another key of the forerunners.

Elongation: A cargo cruiser that shuttles weapons and supplies right above earth.

Indoor, symmetrical. No vehicles. Weapons are: Brute shot, magnum, plasma pistol, Battle rifle, plasma rifle, shotgun, SMG

Best with CTF, king of the hill, Oddball, Slayer.

CONTAINMENT: Part fortress, part laboratory. Snowy place.

Outdoor, Symmetrical. Vehicles are: Banshee, scorpion, gauss 'hog.

Weapons are: brute shot, carbine, magnum, needler, plasma pistol, battle rifle, plasma rifle, sniper rifle, rocket launcher, shotgun, SMG.

Best with CTF, Slayer. There are turrets, gates and teleporters and active camo and overshield. This place is huge!

TERMIANL: Once a neighborhood now a place for chaos.

Outdoor, Asymmetrical. Vehicales are: Ghost, warthog, wraith.

Weapons are: Carbine, Energy sword, magnum, plasma pistol, battle rifle, sniper rifle, shotgun, SMG.

Best with Assualt, CTF. There are turrets, trains, and overshields.

BACKWASH: Basically a swamp with many hiding spots with a centerhold that veiws the whole area. Hard to see enemies with dark colors, its freakin foggy. It is outdoor, Symmetrical and has no vehicles. The weapons are brute shot, carbine, energy sword, magnum, plasma pistol, battle rifle, plasma rifle, sentinel beam, shotgun, SMG.

Best in slayer and CTF. There are optional turrets and active camo.

Sanctuary: An ancient place with structures made from brick. The place is identical on both sides and is hard to tell where you are. It is outdoor, Symmetrical and has no vehicles. The weapons are: Carbine, energy sword, magnum, needler, plasma pistol, battle rifle, plasma rifle, shotgun, SMG.

Best with CTF, Slayer, and territories. There are turrets and no devices or power-ups.

GEMINI: The alien ship of prophets. Has a huge model of a prophet in the center. It is indoor, Asymmetrical and no vehicles. The default weapons are: Brute shot, carbine, energy sword, plasma pistol, beam rifle, plasma rifle, shotgun, SMG.

Best with king of the hill, oddball and slayer.

This is a very good map pack and should pick it up if you dont have live, if you have life just downoald them for free. It is rated M for mature for blood and gor and violence. For my opinion this should be rated T for teen, not enough blood and gore to be named mature. So remember if you want to Enhance, Expand, and Engage your Halo then pick this up.

Best Deals for Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack - Xbox

I can not get over how much this disk kicks ass,1st of all you get 9. count em 9 new multiplayer maps, sure we all love zanzibar,coagualtion,ascension...etc, but those maps do tend to get old after many months of playing. luckily bungie has saved us all from becoming bored with halo 2 especially us who are live less.Although their were alot of small to medium maps they were awesome, i love the bonus movies that come with it as well the day at the beach was a great short story about the marines who were shot down in new mombosa.The killtacular video was great as well showing each of the new maps in their prime as well as giving their feelings about them.Although it dosent say it on the package their is actually 2 MORE bonus movies the original halo trailer from 2000 and the 1st halo 2 trailer ever shown from 2002.Now on to my reviews of each of the maps

1.Containment-Oh my God this map is HUGE it is set in the quarintine zone, their are 2 symmetrical bases on each side which each contain a gauss hog and a banshee and on your outside wall you get a scorpion tank blah,blah,blah thats all old newsright? well littered through out this huge map are fusion cores which create mass damage when hit, and out side each of the bases their's a little switch tower which opens the door to the base which allows vehicles in although it closes shortly after.Over all i give this map a (5/5)

2.Warlock-A small map set somewhere on delta halo this map is reminiscent of the halo 1 map wizard it was actually the basis for this map it is totally symmetrical so its fair the only noticable things on this map are the warps on each side, the grav lifts, and the active camo in the center. i give it a (3/5)

3.Turf-Ah Turf the map that had everyone hopes up for big rooftop battles and climbing atop the fallen scarab well give up those dreams because you can't there is VERY few rooftops you can get on this map, it is a lot smaller than i thought it would be this is a medium to small map depends on your view point.although this map really disappointed me it's still really good not as good as i hoped it would be but it is still a great map which was designed for the game territories great for 2 player skirmishes or even more any way i give this map a (4/5)

4.Elongation-A very small map set on a cargo ship,its not hard to see the base of this map it is none other than longest from halo 1, if you are familiar with this map you should be happy to know that the annoying holes and ladders are gone and have been replaced with ramps and slopes, but the greatest feature of this map would have to be the moving crates that go through the level believe it or not these are actually key to getting to the 2nd floor quicker.this is a really nice remake of longest i give it a (3/5)

5.Relic-Relic now this is an awesome level,set on an island in the middle of the sea of delta halo the greatest aspect of this map is the big tower in the center of the map.This map was designed for 1 flag ctf matches this map is more of a snipers haven than turf is supposedly the only complaint i have with this map is that it dosent support tanks it is definately large enough for it over all this is an awesome map a (5/5)

6.Backwash-The suprise map for me i expected this to be another run of the mill slayer map right? WRONG this map is great its set on a swamp on delta halo similar to 343 guilty spark on the halo 1 single player level i personally love this map its so foggy and strange for ONCE having the sword is a disadvantage because players can see you on the whole map normally you can't see anyone less than say 3-10 feet from you theres a tower in the center which contains a active camo and a bruteshot which is great but the center is very well lit and thats not a good thing everyone will come after you one of the greatest aspects of this level is that it actually supports 1 vehicle although the book that comes with the disk says other wise.this is one of the greatest maps in the whole map pack a (5/5)

7.Gemini-ah yes another remade level although not from halo 1 this time you have to go back to bungies early days to find this ones base it is a remake of the marathon map duality.this map was great a lot greater than i expected it would be theres warps everywhere a nice sniping perch a huge statue of a prophet in the center which is good for camping over all a great map i give it a (4/5)

8.Sanctuary-A great medium to small level this map was made for multi flag ctf, set in an outside environment theres a large temple in the center which holds an energy sword and bases on opposite ends of the maps another symmetrical map it has a nice atmosphere water falls everywhere aquaducts its a nice calming invironment to bad you have to fill it with blood and bullet holes a nice map (3/5)

9.Terminal-ah at last we reach terminal my favorite out of the whole map pack 1st of all the greatest feature is the trains which run through the center every 15-30 seconds anhilating anything in its path this is a large map set in new mombosa theres parking garages tons of sniping spots this is the best map for 1 flag ctf its awesome not so good for multiflag though the sides are very assymetrical, i love the fact that they put the sword in the center of the tracks so now its a challenge to get i love this map i give it a (5/5)

Well theres my review of the halo 2 multiplayer map pack a steal at $20.00 i definately recommend it.Especially if your x box live less like me.

Note:Also included in the map pack is an autoupdate for halo 2 that you MUST download it makes melee and grenades stronger along with the brute shot it also fixes a lot of the gliches that a lot of people were abusing.

Honest reviews on Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack - Xbox

The map pack is a must have for Halo addicts. The new maps are creative, complete and offer new variations within a game that is already incredible.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack - Xbox

I've been playing Halo 2 for quite a while now, and most of the time I play split screen with my brothers. We had gotten bored of the old maps, although many were really cool (Zanzibar, Ascension, Lockout). We had simply played them too much. So when I heard about this new multiplayer map pack I knew I had to get it, to have some fresh new maps to try and experiment with.

This map pack has 9 new maps, which are all unique and suitable for different game types (capture the flag, team slayer, oddball, territories, etc.). Some of them are really huge, the largest being Containment, Terminal, and Relic. Containment is a huge, snow-covered map with huge fortified bases that look awesome, good for 8-on-8 or 4-on-4 team CTF or slayer. This map has new interactive objects on them that blow up if you run them over or shoot them, which can be moved around and used like a mine (watch the mini-documentary called "Killtacular" that comes with the CD you'll laugh at what one guy at Bungie coins these explosive devices). The other gigantic map is Relic, which is a really cool and awesome-looking map. It's a huge island with lots of new scenery and it's also great for big CTF or slayer matches. Terminal is another large level that looks really cool and futuristic, and features a fast train that runs through the middle. If you get hit by the train you die (apparently killed by the Guardians, whoever they are), and there's an energy sword on the train tracks. Since I usually play split screen 2-on-2 team slayer with my brothers these huge maps aren't really suitable, because you get bored if you run around for five minutes before you see someone.

My favorite maps are Sanctuary, Backwash, Turf, and Elongation (in order of descending size). Sanctuary looks beautiful, with waterfalls and really cool tunnels and bridges. It has two distinct bases and some really clever sniping spots. Elongation is an interesting level, because it has two conveyor belts that move in opposite directions. It also has big blocks on these belts which are great for hiding spots. Turf is in a urban street environment, and has alot of hiding spots and tight alleys. This level definitely has the most detail in it. Backwash is a humid and spooky-looking level that's pretty cool and weird looking. It's like a swamp and you can't see far because of the green fog. It's pretty good for close battles with energy swords and shotguns.

The last two maps I didn't mention are Warlock and Gemini. Warlock is an interesting map because it is perfectly symmetrical. This map is dark and has a great environment, and features shotguns, battle rifles, SMGs, plasma rifles, and magnums. This makes it a close-combat type level. Gemini is a very cool and surreal looking level that is supposed to be a holy shrine for the covenants (see the video "Killtacular" for more information about the maps) I really like this map also, although it's a bit too dark.

Overall, these maps are a great addition to the Halo 2 multiplayer maps. My only gripe is that most of the maps are really huge, and the games I play are usually 2-on-2 split screen. I gave this map pack 5 stars because these maps have really been produced excellently, the detail is great, and the originality of the maps is definitely evident. In my opinion Sanctuary and Turf are the best additions. However, you'll probably have different favorites. Basically, the best way to know about these new maps is to play them and see them for yourself, because as they say, "a picture is worth a thousand words." There is definitely a great variety of maps, and these are original maps that are very different from the ones that came with Halo 2. So I think all that's left is for you to purchase this map pack, which I believe is a good deal at $20, considering that you get 9 maps and some neat movies on the disc. Granted, the map pack disc will probably not be touched after downloading the maps and seeing the movies, since the maps will be on the X-Box's hard drive and you'll just play Halo 2 regularly. So if you're a Halo 2 multiplayer fan who either plays on Live or has big multiplayer parties, and you're tired of playing Zanzibar or Ascension for the umpteenth time (like I was), then go ahead and get this Halo 2 Map Pack. The guys at Bungie worked hard to make fresh, new maps so that all of us Halo fans can still have fun playing awesome multiplayer games into the wee hours of the morning.