Review of Painkiller - PC

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I almost think of Painkiller like two games. One of them is pure, addictive, incredible-looking, adrenaline-pumping action Nirvana. The other is a dull and sometimes frustrating game when Painkiller deviates from its formula by trying to give you something besides mindless action. Thankfully, the former is what you get to play most of the time, which is why Painkiller is such a great game.

When Painkiller is on, it is really on. This game does "mindless action" as well as any game has ever done. Picture yourself running around the edges of a room, never standing still, shooting at stuff like there's no tomorrow, trying to gun down and blow up dozens of enemies while dodging their punches, axes, swords, and bullets. A wide variety of enemies exists for you to blast into bloody chunks or stick to walls with your stake gun. The generally have simple behaviors. They rush at you, shoot stuff at you, or shoot stuff and then rush at you. There is just enough variety in the enemies though to keep you on your toes and force you to use all of the game's 5 well-balanced weapons. There are enemies that poison you, enemies that slow you down, enemies that take 3 shotgun blasts to kill, enemies that zig-zag when they rush at you, etc. You will quickly learn the hotkeys and alt-fire modes for your weapons and switch back and forth, based upon what situation you are facing at any one second.

The game only has five weapons, but don't be deceived into thinking that this is some kind of shortcoming. They are all really cool and useful, and each has a meaningful and useful alt-fire mode. Thus, the game effectively has ten weapons, all of which you will use frequently throughout the game. The game's namesake weapon, The Painkiller, is like a chainsaw on crack. The shotgun has an alt-fire mode that freezes enemies in their tracks so that you can blast them to bits with one blast. The stake gun is a powerful weapon that showcases the game's rag-doll physics by letting you impale baddies onto walls. The fourth weapon is a powerful chain gun/rocket launcher combo, and the fifth weapon can create a miniature electric storm that fries anyone who comes near it.

A couple of minor upgrades in this game make it slightly different from other run-and-gun shooters. The most notable is the collection of souls, which come from the bodies of your fallen enemies. The souls only stay on the screen for a short time, so you have to run and collect them. When you collect 66 souls, you morph into an indestructible demon for a short time. Thus, the game actually rewards you for not running backwards all day. Another feature of this game is the tarot card system. Tarot cards are basically power-ups that you can use once per level, and that you unlock by accomplishing certain tasks (like finishing a level using only one weapon).

The graphics for this game are gorgeous, and they exist across a wide variety of scenery and environments. Everyone one of the game's 24 locations looks different. All of the scenery is inspired and creative. Painkiller shows an astonishing level of polish and attention to detail that I don't think I have ever seen in a first person shooter. One little example of this is in the game's fantastic Opera House level. All over the Opera House, there are at least a couple dozen paintings on the walls. And all of those paintings are highly detailed and unique. None of them repeat. This is different from most games, where scenery such as this repeats the same five or six items. As I said, this is a minor detail, but it is one of many, many little things that prove that an enormous effort went into this game.

The game's audio is also impressive. Most of it is consistent with the bizarre afterlife setting that the game tries to convey. In most areas you can hear low-pitched moans, whispers, creaks, etc. The exception might be the game's heavy metal action soundtrack, which isn't bad, but seems a bit out of place.

That's the great part. Then there's the "other" game-the one where Painkiller tries to do other stuff, like forcing you to break open a hundred containers on every level looking for gold. Yes, that's right. The game is like Diablo when it comes to breaking open boxes and chests to find treasure. You have to do it, because you need gold to use your Tarot cards. This stuff isn't much fun in RPG's, so it is TOTALLY out of place here. To make matters worse, a lot of the gold and ammo are hidden in secret areas. These areas are insanely hard to find, and just as hard to get to once you do find them. I was able to find over 50% of the secrets in Serious Sam, but I couldn't find 10% of the secrets in Painkiller without help from the message boards. You could spend 2 hours searching a level for the secrets and only find 2 out of 4 of them. Occasionally, the levels are set up in a way that makes it hard to find an exit. Once again, this is when the game is NOT fun. Painkiller would have been better without the material that disrupts the fast-paced action.

The end boss for this game was a huge letdown. I spent a frustrating hour trying to figure out what "magic trick" I needed to beat him. Then I went to the message boards, found out the trick, and beat him in about 2 minutes.

Painkiller takes the old Quake and Serious Sam formula to a new level. While doing so, it also provides an experience that is different from those games, and in some ways, better. If you enjoy defeating swarms of enemies in fast-paced shooters, then you can't go wrong with Painkiller.

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I agree 100% that this program is everything it should be. A fierce battle to the end. Lots of levels. Over a dozen hours of gameplay (on medium difficulty) , and some excellent AI. The levels are sprawling and the 'baddies' are very eclectic. A huge assortment of very intense battles with one very powerful weapon named 'The Painkiller'. This thing could slice through solid steel. And, it leaves quite a mess behind. Especially when you pull out the blade. The weapon selection is limited to , i think, 6 weapons. But, they all have a secondary fire, and that comes in quite handy. So, there's really a dozen weapons. Yes, it's a lot like what we are to expect Doom 3 to be. Much more shallow than we expect Half-life 2 to be. And, a definite stepup from Serious Sam. A blast all the way through ,if you're someone who believes that a shooter should be just that. Only a shooter. No side-missions that have you running around doing RPG stuff. Just direct, messy, in-your-face blastin'. I love this game.

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This is pure non-stop action. You will not be left in a big boring empty level trying to figure your way out or figure out some boring time consuming puzzle. There is no "wait here for half an hour and snipe" either. The weapons are mostly short range, so for most part you get up-close and personal with gruesome looking creatures. Most monsters are armed with melee weapons too, so this makes a great close range fighting scene with bodies flying around and gut splattering action.

The graphics are incredible, and extremely detailed. The screenshots don't do justice to this game. The levels look incredibly well polished, and the monsters are just very beautiful and scary looking as they try to impale you. The special effects are very nicely done, for example when you get hit by a monster, it is the best "getting hurt" effect I've seen in a game so far.

The physics are incredible. The monsters dangle around realistically as you part your way through a sea of undead creatures.

The sounds are great, the ambient noises really add to the scary feel of the game, especially since the levels are already very dark and scary looking.

It runs very nicely with all the settings set to the highest on my computer: P4 2.8, 1GB RAM, GeForce4 Ti4600.

Honest reviews on Painkiller - PC

I bought this game to test out my new system (and graphics card) because of what I had read about the graphics. Well, the graphics are indeed well done; combined with the realistic physics engine they made me realize that I enjoy watching a well-animated mutant ninja corpse flipping through the air, ultimately being riveted to the wall by a spike impaled in its head. Since I never realized this would hold my attention for 10 or more hours, the game was well worth the $20 investment for this bit of self-awareness alone.

This game has "guilty pleasure" written all over it and it's better for you than the half-dozen Big Macs you should deprive yourself to buy it.

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I was wary to buy the game after reading several negative reviews, but thankfully I did anyway, and am fully satisfied. It is exactly what was promised, fast paced, mindless killing, That's even part of the damn story! "Kill everything you see!" It says to use CD #3 to start up, what the hell's wrong w/ that? And it runs perfectly, smooth and crisp. Just lower all the detail. A unique idea they added, which I love, is to completely customize your cross hair, minor but fun. The multiplayer is great. What else do you want for the genre? If you don't like mindless killing, go buy SOMETHING THAT ISN'T MINDLESS KILLING. There ya go, problem solved. dumasses

Reviews of Halo 2: The Official Game Guide

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The two negative reviewers seem to have forgotten that there is no law about using cheats or guides when gaming each to his own. Some people will slave away at a game for weeks refusing to get help, others rush through a game in a few hours by following a walkthrough to the letter. NEITHER WAY IS WRONG. It's no-one else's business how you choose to play your games. Personally, I like to try to make it through on my own first, but if I get really stuck I'd rather have the answer to hand than spend ages getting nowhere. And despite all the advantages of the internet, some of us still take pleasure in a well-produced book.

Piggyback are a small company who have been producing guides for a number of top games (including the Silent Hill and Metal Gear Solid series) in Europe for a few years now. Their guides are always beautifully produced, vastly superior to either Prima or Brady's efforts in terms of art design, and packed with clear information and this Halo 2 guide is no exception. I'm really pleased to see their work is now available to USA gamers as well. Take it from me; if you want help with Halo 2, this is the guide to have

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The Halo 2 campaign mode is simple enough that most players won't need a guide to negotiate it. The campaign is pretty straightforward in design; unlike some games (such as GTA), detailed level maps aren't really needed. However, the guide offers many extras that make it a worthwhile purchase.

For one, the detailed maps of the campaign mode offer weapon and vehicle locations and enemy weaknesses, useful when one's plasma rifle or SMG is running low on ammo and a pair of Hunters are closing fast. The detailed information on weapons allows newbies to acquaint themselves with Halo 2's large array of available armament and vehicles. Veterans of the original game will quickly become familiar with the new weapons of Halo 2. (Of course, there's something to be said for learning as you go). The guide also offers detailed information on the various creatures of the Covenant, adding to the ongoing story of Halo. A note of caution, however: If you don't want to spoil the ending, don't read the last chapter of the campaign mode. (I made that mistake...it was still cool, though).

The best reason to get the guide, however, is for the multiplayer maps, which include weapon and vehicle locations, strategic points for ambushes and sniping, detailed maps, and tips on setting up games and clans. Charging blindly into Halo 2's XBox Live levels can be suicidal; most of my friends who play on Live credit the strategy guide for giving them a heads-up on where to find what they need. So the guide does have its uses beyond the usual campaign walkthrough. Especially recommended to those who are new to the Halo universe.

I hope this review was helpful

--Christian Wheeler, gamer and games retailer.

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This guide was okay. Plain and simple. If you are stuck and don't know where to go don't use this book. One of the levels of Halo 2 the directions were so confusing I got lost for three hours, not knowing where to go (I know that your thinking "How can you get lost in a video game?"). However I would recommand this to you if you are one of those gamers with a good sense of direction. This would serve to you as a constant reminder of what you are going to do, not where. The multiplayer section is pretty cool but I don't really like the maps at the beginning of the level. They are incredibly confusing. My advice: Pick the guide up if you can't find a guide online. This guide although confusing has some helpful tips.

Honest reviews on Halo 2: The Official Game Guide

Let me start off addressing some things. Some people don't find a need for this guide, and that's fine, but that doesn't mean others won't need it. Secondly, those who keep saying "Go online, go online, go online," seem to have forgotten two things. One: There are people who want the information in their lap and don't have a computer right next to their gaming system. The second is simple, some people are more visual learners. They learn the game by using maps and screenshots. For some, text just doesn't cut it. Using online guides is fine, but remember when you review a strategy guide you should actually be REVIEWING THE GUIDE, not blabbering whether or not one should use an online guide (if they wanted an online guide, do you think they'd waste time coming to Amazon to buy it?).

Anyway, with that out of my system, let's move on. Piggyback Interactive, for those who don't know, is a guide company in the UK. The moment you pick up one of their guides you'll be blown away! If you thought VERSUS BOOKS was good (before they went out of business) allow Piggyback to correct you.

The guide begins with over 50 pages of game basics. This means getting you to learn the controls, weapons, vehicles and enemies before actually diving into the walkthrough. For newcomers to Halo 2, this is a lifesaver.

The walkthrough is pretty detailed as well. They actually tell you a couple of differences between difficulty levels. You really have to utilize the maps though (which are vastly detailed beyond anything Prima, Brady, Versus, or even Nintendo Power put out). It's a guide that is written in the sense of, find the corresponding number in the text. In other words, if a "1" is marked on the map, find section "1" in the text.

The secrets also tell you all you need to know, and should there be a spoiler, they alert you before moving on.

Of course, even this guide has it's problems. For one, the maps are ridiculously cluttered, and there are too many symbols to remember. It's a good thing they have a fold out legend. Second, while the secrets are in-depth they didn't pin-point out easter eggs. And lastly (and this isn't a big one) there is just too much artwork taking up space where valuble text could've been. I don't say this to be funny, I say this because this guide weighs a ton with it's thick paper and all.

A fantastic guide though. If you can, log on and import piggyback interactive guides. If you need a guide for Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy X (or better yet, get their FFIX guide, NO PLAYONLINE THERE!), Metal Gear Solid 3 and the like, get Piggyback. You won't be disappointed.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Halo 2: The Official Game Guide

While I rarely condone the use of strategy guides or walkthroughs for a game simply on the basis of the plot being ruined, this guide however differentiates itself from the masses of other guides out there. It does not give away the plot of the game, and simply leads you along through it while not giving away the story line. However this guide is simply nothing more then a walkthrough it offers great tactical data about ur enemies, weapons, and vehicles during the first few pages but nothing strategical during the actual walkthrough just a simply go here, there are gonna be enemies here kill them, and then do this, not a very strategical approach about how to take them out more easily or where the best vantage point to lay fire down at if you ask me. This guide does offer great maps and overviews of the single player levels as well as the multiplayer levels. Simply enough only buy this book if u are having a tough time figuring out where to go throughout the maps, or want some different routes that go through levels that you couldn't figure out on your own (which is easy by the way) all and all just buy it for multiplayer map overview if you must. In conclusion this is just a guide with no strategy or tactics offered hardly at all, so only buy it if you must.

X-Blades - PC Reviews

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List Price: $49.99
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X-Blades is pretty much a mindless hack and slash with guns and magic thrown in for good measure. You play as Ayumi, a treasure hunter whose come across a map to a temple where the powers of two gods, The Light and The Dark, are being held. Or something like that, being the type of game this is, the story was kind of lacking.

Ayumi carries two gun-blades that she can either hack and slash at monsters, or she can shoot them. Also, as you collect souls from fallen monsters and broken objects in the environment, you'll be able to purchase magic spells to help aid you in your quest.

The gameplay is simple, yet fun. Of course it doesn't hurt that the main character is pretty hot and wearing a thong. You go from one level to the next and can't pass on to the next until you've killed all the monsters in the area. Sometimes you have to just kill everything, sometimes there are monster generators that you have to destroy, sometimes there are special elemental monsters that can only be killed with a certain spell, and then there are boss fights.

The graphics in this game are actually really good. The only thing that I found odd with the graphics is the lighting, which they seem to overuse alot. There were sometimes when Ayumi would just disappear into a bright glowing light. And there's a couple of levels that take place on a beach, and it looks like Ayumi's skin in glowing red like she's got the worst tan ever. Other than that, the character models and the environments look really good.

Sound wise...the soundtrack is actually pretty good with it's rock and techno beats. However, the voice acting was just god awful. The guns sound powerful like they should though.

The game is kinda short, maybe 5 or 6 hours long. You could probably beat it in one aftertoon if you really wanted. But I personally had so much fun playing through it the first time that a few days after I beat it I started a new game and am about to beat the game for a second time. After you beat the game, you unlock new costumes for Ayumi to wear, which is kinda nice.

All in all, it was a fun experience. Just don't go in expecting a great story with well thought out characters. If you're just looking for some mindless fun with some good eye candy to look at while you're doing it, then you probably can't go wrong with X-Blades.

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I'll be honest, I bought the game primarily for the main reason that most other guys bought it. However, the game itself is pretty good. The use of magic and intuitive, and doesn't impede her progress as she's battling with her swords. The only negative I have with the game is that I have to turn the graphics way down to play the game without it slowing, and I've got a Core-2-Quad. Well, I guess it's time to ge tthat new graphics card.

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I bought X Blades primarily because I like 3rd person games with attractive heroines (I'm a long time fan of the Tomb Raider series). After a few hours of game play I can say that I am not disappointed: the whole game is gorgeous (not just the main character); the PC controls are very responsive without being twitchy; the bosses are difficult enough without being impossible, and; the soundtrack adds nicely to the combat experience. Also, gameplay is surprisingly smooth on my "last generation" PC (3.2Ghz P4, Radeon x1950, 2GB DDR400 RAM, Vista Home Premium, 160GB 7200RPM SATA HDD, 1440 X 900 resolution display) at the game's default settings. Since I play games for the mindlessness and the eye candy I won't comment on the quality of the plot. Overall I feel it was money well spent.

Honest reviews on X-Blades - PC

Well, this game gave me what I deserve for 10 dollars.

It is a game that is...well, worth the money for a couple hours of try out but I would not recommend it to anybody.

1. The hits are water-like and weak

The main purpose of hack and slash game is not HD graphic hot chick but the actual excitement of beating stuff up.

This game, compared to Devil May Cry series, feels like I am swinging a pain brush. No 'HIT'. No realism. No excitement.

2. Some enemies are rather annoying to kill.

Enemies who fly are probably what made me quit this game. Since they fly so fast and high I feel impossible to catch em with my sword

in mid air and eventually find myself just shooting over, and over, and over, and some fire balls.

I remember in D.M.C 4 that I can jump and perform some amazing actions while staying in mid air. Here? nope.

3. Story line is probably even worse than Skyrim.

Simply said, I think whoever made this thought of this story line during a 15 minute nap time.

I write a couple fictions as hobby, and I am not being narcissistic or big-headed but my amateurish 200 page fictions sound better than

She went into dungeon for ash-she got a sick treasure-the treasure granted her some power-time to die everybody-the end.

...I mean, really? The characters are 1 sided and rather feel like dolls saying lines rather than a 'live' person.

I do understand that this is a game, but I remember seeing some amazing story lines from these cartoonist chars from Final Fantasy Series.

Overall this game is something you could just try out instead of a big mac meal.

I do not recommend it. I really don't.

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X-Blades is your basic hack and slash type game with a scantly clad chick going against countless monsters. The game's main character Ayumi, comes off as a stuck up cheerleader that has not matured since high school. The story line is interesting, despite its linear context, and the graphics is out of this world (I am not just talking about Ayumi). Overall the game leaves one with a Tomb Raider like feel and game play. The controls are good for the keyboard and mouse users, but game pad wise can be kind of iffy at best. Overall I give the game 4 stars.

P.S. ignore the first reviewer for this download edition of the game; that person either has an issue with his/her controller setup or something else is not configured correctly.

Discount Xbox 360 250GB Holiday Value Bundle (OLD MODEL)

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List Price: $299.99
Sale Price: $275.99
Today's Bonus: 8% Off

I own a PS3 and I am happy with it. I wasn't going to get a Xbox 360 until this bundle came along. I mostly got it for the included Halo Reach and the new Xbox 360 Slim console, which doesn't seem to have the overheating issue or Red Light of Death that older Xbox 360 consoles had.

Pros:

-Comes with a 250GB hard drive. This is necessary to play games smoothly. Installing the game to the hard drive makes the Xbox 360 run quieter and cooler.

Built-in Wi-Fi. You no longer have to buy an adapter to connect wirelessly. It's built into the system.

Built-in Kinect port. This Xbox 360 Slim has a special port just for the Kinect so you don't have to buy an adapter.

3 Free Months of Xbox Live Gold. Xbox Live is the reason to get the Xbox 360. Its extensive online service is more user-friendly than PSN, but you will have to pay $60 a year after your 3 months are up (Amazon has some deals to get a Xbox Live membership around $45-50) for it.

Halo Reach (downloadable token). There is no physical disc. Instead, they give you a code that you download from the Xbox Marketplace to your hard drive.

Fable 3. It's an RPG game. Not my kind of game, but if you enjoy role-playing, you might like it.

Official Xbox headset. It's a mono headset, which means there's only one earpad to hear voice from. It works fairly well, but I have the Astro A40s so I don't use it.

Cons:

Have to pay to play online.

Does tend to get hot when playing from the disc.

Fans run much louder than the PS3.

To summarize, this is a great bundle for someone who doesn't have a xbox 360 or would like to have both systems. If you already have a xbox 360, there's really no reason to get this one. Most Xbox 360 owners will probably already have Halo Reach and Fable 3 isn't really a console seller. Now, I can game with friends on both the PS3 and Xbox 360 with ease.

Also, I purchased the One-day shipping (which was $10 bucks for me) and it really did come the next day, just in case you were wondering about pushing your delivery date up.

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I scored this at Target for the Black Friday deal of $199.00. Still worth it at $299.00 though. Easy to set up, has HDMI and WIFI, although I oppted to run my eithernet wire into the back of it via my router so my signle would always be strong.

Also a little trick the sales guy said was when installing, DON'T enter your 3 month XBOX LIVE code when prompted. The system itself comes with a 1 month trial, so you end up with 4 months of XBOX LIVE GOLD!! Enter the code after your 1 month expires.

Already played Call of Duty MW3 on it with 3 other friends, LOTS OF FUN!!! Havn't tried the 2 games that came with it yet.

The sound a picture is amazing when run through a sony 5.1 surround amplifer(HDMI)and played on a 46" Sony Bravia 240hz lcd. I was extremely happy after the hookup and downloads.

ron

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Being a first time Xbox owner, I want to say that this is a great buy. I was about to buy a Xbox 250gb without any extras for the same price. You get two games valued at at least $25 each plus a three month Xbox live card again valued at $25. So you're basically paying $225 for the Xbox itself. I was able to receive $50 Amazon credit with my purchase which is another awesome thing. Also, no tax in California? I mean c'mon, great deal.

The games, Halo reach is a download which took about an hour but it is almost 7gbs. From what I've played so far it's pretty fun. Pretty easy to get into without knowing any background information. Fable III, I love how cinematic this game is. Love the graphics and love how your actions shape your world. Also came with DLC which I thought was pretty neat.

Now, the Xbox itself IS matte black which I rather prefer to the shiny black which can get real messy with fingerprints. I leave it on its side on a raised platform to keep it from overheating which i hear can occur often but finding something to leave it on wasn't really a problem. Wifi built in which is awesome.

This is my first review on anything, so if my structuring is wrong or off I'm sorry xD

Honest reviews on Xbox 360 250GB Holiday Value Bundle (OLD MODEL)

My advice to current XBox owners: Never purchase a new console. Always send your old one in for repairs. This will help you avoid the aggravation I have been forced to endure.

Back in February, my old XBox console started having longer load times and randomly freezing up. Realizing that it was several years old, likely on its last legs and long out of warranty (meaning I'd have to pay to have it repaired) I decided to purchase the newer S model. I also bought the hard drive transfer cable, moved all of my content to the new one, then ran the license transfer process to assign all of my downloadable game licenses to my new console.

Except... it didn't work. For some reason all of my content is still assigned to my old console. If I purchase something online, my download queue shows the message "Assigned to other console" and will not download it. Even if it's a new item I've never purchased before, it still gets assigned to the old console. Also, I now have to be signed in to XBox Live to play any previously downloaded games on my hard drive. If I'm offline, it shows up as the trial version, since the paid unlocked version is still assigned to my old console.

I have tried clearing the cache. I have tried deleting my profile and downloading it again. I have tried deleting the latest system update from my console and downloading it again. I am unable to attempt the license transfer again because of Microsoft's ridiculous limit on how often it can be performed. Which I understand is to prevent chronic miscreants from jumping to new consoles without penalty every time their current one gets banned, but in my particular case it kind of completely sucks.

Microsoft has proven themselves spectacularly useless in helping me get this fixed.

The first support representative I talked to was very friendly and assured me the problem would be fixed, but it could take up to 72 hours. Perfectly satisfactory answer. I wait three days. Nothing happens.

I call back and am told by another equally friendly support rep that, no, it actually takes up to 25 days. Why the first guy told me 3 he does not know, but all right, fine, I will wait 25 days, what other choice do I have.

25 days pass, and... still nothing. At this point I am exceedingly tired of this nonsense. Back into support chat where friendly support rep #3 helpfully asks for... my console ID for the new system. Because apparently they need it to do a manual license transfer. And they cannot obtain it on their own. And for some reason did not, oh, I don't know, actually ASK me for it during one of the previous two chats. So now I am waiting ANOTHER 25 days for them to resolve this. In the meantime I am stuck with a not insignificant amount of purchased content that I must be connected to XBox Live to even use. I'm sure anyone who has ever purchased a PC game with invasive DRM that requires a persistent online connection can understand my frustration with that.

At this point my confidence in Microsoft's ability to fix this is pretty much zero. It feels as if they are utterly incompetent and dragging their feet every step of the way. I have been a loyal Microsoft customer for years, and am not asking for anything big. I just want my content back, the content which I own a license to use. I just want what is mine. That is not too much to ask.

I will post an update on April 20th, which is the end of my current 25-day waiting period.

I wish I had paid for a repair and gone without my old console for a few weeks. I deeply regret buying this new one.

This could happen to you.

UPDATE, 5/10/2012:

See the comments section. Amazon has a 1000-word limit on reviews. And oh my gosh is there ever more to tell. Seriously, get popcorn.

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We have had an Xbox 360 in our home since the system first came out and I can easily say that the last 6 years with this console has been the best 6 years I have had yet with a videogame system and that is saying something as I have had just about every console released since Pong was released back in the mid 70's. Microsoft, a company that I was never too fond of given the fact that I am an Apple computer user, has really done an outstanding job with this system. While there were some hardware issues with the earlier consoles, I can safely say that the Xbox 360 S is a top notch console with none of the problems that plagued earlier models. Its superior in almost every way to previous models.

My single favorite aspect to this system is without a doubt Xbox Live and all of the things that come along with the service (you get 3 months included with this holiday pack). Basically Xbox Live gives you the ability to play games online and lets you download arcade games, game demos, trailers, TV shows, music and movies. Out of all of the things that MS has done, putting so much focus on the development of Xbox Live is, in my opinion, the smartest thing they have done yet in regards to this console. Xbox live has really become a fantastic part of the Xbox gaming experience. In fact, I couldn't imagine Xbox without Xbox Live. In particular, both my son and I love Xbox Live Arcade. There is now a massive assortment of games on Xbox Live Arcade and the nice thing about the games, besides the lower cost, is that they dont require the time investment that most of the regular Xbox games require. Its a more casual gaming experience and I really appreciate that, especially during my busy season with photography as I simply dont have the time to invest in big games during that time of the year. I love that every game available on Xbox Live Arcade has a demo available so you can actually try it out before making up your mind on whether or not to buy it. Xbox Live also has an on demand game section, which are regular disc based releases that you can buy and download over Xbox live. I personally dont buy on demand games as the prices really aren't competitive and I just cant justify buying a download version of a game when I can actually buy the physical version for the same price or less. Of course, buying the physical copy gives you the ability to sell it later on. This isn't possible with downloaded versions. Given that aspect alone, on demand games should be at least 5-10 bucks cheaper than the physical version and unfortunately that just hasn't been the case and this is one area where Xbox live can be significantly improved.

Xbox live also offers additional services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, ESPN, Zune, and LastFM. We currently use Netflix and ESPN and we love both services. Its important to note that Microsoft recently announced that 40 additional entertainment partners will soon be joining the Xbox Live experience including Comcast, HBO GO, Syfy, Verizon FiOS, Bravo, and Xfinity. This really isn't surprising given the fact that Microsoft has stated many times that their vision for the future of Xbox lies in it becoming a hub for entertainment in your home, not just a videogame console. With the announcement of 40 additional entertainment services being added, MS are now one step closer to making this a reality and I expect the list of services will only continue to grow over the coming years. Basically this gives people the ability to individualize their TV experience through Xbox live. I only watch about 5% of the channels I receive through cable, and pay a hefty price to be able to do so. So I am very interested in where this console is going in this regards.

I also really like that MS has been focusing more and more on the family side of gaming as my wife enjoys gaming and we have an 11 year old son. In particular, we really enjoy Family Game Night which highlights a different family game every Tuesday. The number of games suitable for younger children has increased substantially over the last few years and the console itself has parental options that allow you to lock out certain content from your children. This includes games, movies and TV shows. I travel a lot so these options are very important to me. I dont have to worry about what content my son is accessing while I am away.

As for regular gaming, Xbox certainly doesn't disappoint. There are so many great games available that I literally dont have time to play all of them. Just look at the games released, or being released, in the last quarter of 2011. You have Gears of War 3, Forza 4, Battlefield 3, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Saints Row 3, Batman Arkham City, etc. Those are just the high profile games. Of course, Xbox has a huge catalog of titles already available and many of those games can be purchased for 20 dollars or less. You can even play a large number of original Xbox titles on the 360, many of which are amazing games and could easily be found for 10 bucks or less at used game stores. Most people have a limited amount of time that the can devote to playing games and given the sheer number of great games available....well, lets just say that the vast majority of people will have the same problem I have, that you dont have time to play all the games you want to play.

For those that are looking to get their first console, this holiday bundle is a great deal. It has the 250 Gig HD and comes with 2 of the biggest games released this past year, Halo Reach and Fable 3. Its important to note that the you dont get the physical copy of Halo Reach. You get a code that gives you the ability to download it from Xbox Live On Demand.

Bottom line Microsoft has really done a remarkable job with their Xbox gaming system. They have had a few bumps along the way but overall the Xbox is a top notch gaming system that now offers far more than just gaming. Whether your looking for casual gaming, hardcore gaming, online gaming, family gaming, or even motion based gaming, the Xbox has more than enough to fit the bill. As I stated originally, the last 6 years with the Xbox 360 has without a doubt been the best 6 years I have ever had with a console. Xbox 360 has become a staple in my house in regards to my families entertainment. Whether its for gaming, movies or TV shows, the Xbox doesn't disappoint. I really couldn't possibly give this console a higher recommendation. Its just a top notch entertainment device.

5 Stars!!

Buy Capcom Platinum Hits Triple Pack (Dead Rising / Lost Planet:

Customer Ratings:

As the title says this is a bargain for $40, especially if you do not own or have never played any of these games. I had rented both Devil May Cry 4(Loved it, personally one of my favorite campaigns on the Xbox360), and Dead Rising (Only had it for a few days, I liked the few hours of gameplay I got in), and with a chance to purchase both of these games, along with Lost Planet, all brand new, for only $40... Too good to believe.

The triple pack comes with 3 seperate cases for each game, all seperatly wrapped in the NEW platinum hits cases. It came in a nice little cardboard box to stick the 3 games in, perfect for anyone looking to spice up their collection with something different. All three games are "long and difficult" games. DMC4 for example is considered one of the hardest games on the 360 to get all 1000G's for in achievements. This is perfect for someone just starting their collection of games.

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Looking to increase your Xbox 360 collection but are on a budget? That's where this Capcom triple pack comes into play. It includes the three biggest releases Capcom had during the early life of the Xbox 360. Dead Rising, Lost Planet, and Devil May Cry 4 are three of the best games Capcom has released on the console, and getting the three of them packaged together for this price is amazing.

Dead Rising is the critically acclaimed "free world" action game that places you inside a shopping center fighting for your life. The story focuses on cameraman Frank West. Frank has asked a friend of his to drop him off at a local mall in order to capture footage/pictures of the sudden outbreak that has occurred within their city of Willamette. He asks the pilot to allow him to investigate what is happening and why the army has sectioned off their town. Frank West requests to be picked up at the same location 72 hours later. Upon entering the mall, the player is greeted with several survivors who are in the process of sealing off the entrance doors in order to keep the "zombies" from entering. Immediately afterward, Frank begins on his quest to take pictures of the events, while at the same time rescue any survivors that may have been lost in the mall. In this game, anything and everything is a weapon. From gumball machines, stuffed animals, CDs, and electric guitars all the way to cash registers and hangers, anything that can be found in the environment can be picked up and used for defense against the enemy zombie hordes.

Lost Planet is a great shooter to add to your collection. In Lost Planet, you play as the hero Wayne who is assisting humanity with the colonization of planet E.D.N. III. Upon arriving on the planet, humanity is greeted by local monsters who inhabit the cold environments. What they discover is that upon killing each enemy they are capable of using their thermal energy in order to maintain their own equipment that is needed to allow them to brave the freezing temperatures of the desolate planet. The game makes players focus on both strategy and time since thermal energy is constantly draining and once the player is out of thermal energy death is inevitable. Great combat sequences are bountiful in this game, ranging from on-foot mechanics to giant mechsuits that are used to battle the local monsters. The game starts off simple but gets progressively more difficult with each level, and each boss fight is truly remarkable.

Devil May Cry 4 is one of the most fast paced, action packed games since Ninja Gaiden Black/Sigma. With the introduction of Nero, Devil May Cry 4 builds upon the success of previous installments. Nero fights differently than Dante in almost everyway, making it a true thrill to try to master both characters. The game focuses more on story this time around, where as past iterations have been more mission based with almost no story or plot in the mix. The three games come packaged in a joint bundle, however each game is still individually wrapped in a separate game case in case you want to separate and organize the three games separately. These three games are all excellent and contain hours of gameplay that is sure to keep you entertained for weeks, if not months. Trying to receive all of the achievements in each of these three games will surely keep even the most hardcore gamer satisfied. At this low of a price you're better off buying this bundle than purchasing the three games separately. This is an excellent collection that every Xbox 360 owner should add to their library.

Best Deals for Capcom Platinum Hits Triple Pack (Dead Rising / Lost Planet:

For $37 that I paid no complaints from me!

Awesome price for 3 great games. If you happen to be like me and don't own any of these titles take advantage of this offer and you will be happy with your decision!

Gamespot rated these games at:

Dead Rising 8.4 rating, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition 8.1, Devil May Cry 4 8.0

So as you see not bad at all. Of course we all have our own taste in games and not always do I agree with Gamepot ratings either....

But in my opinion these games are worth the price.

Happy Gaming!

Honest reviews on Capcom Platinum Hits Triple Pack (Dead Rising / Lost Planet:

These are some of the better Capcom games to come out in the last few years and, for this price point, it's hard to beat a deal like this! While I had already purchased Dead Rising when it was released, the other two titles sort of passed me up. Once I saw this pack however, I couldn't pass it up. I gave Dead Rising to a friend of mine and have had a blast with the other two titles (Devil May Cry 4 and Lost Planet). I was extremely pleased with this Triple Pack and hope other companies provide something similar to this in the future for Platinum Hit games like Capcom has!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Capcom Platinum Hits Triple Pack (Dead Rising / Lost Planet:

Three games for just over 12 bucks each is a great deal.

Each game comes in its own case and all three cases are inside a box with artwork for all three.

Each game is the platinum hits version in the grey boxes.

They are not retail however as where the bar code usually is on each box it says "Not for resale" instead. Thats the only clue that these came in a combo pack.

I have yet to play any of the games but when I do I will review each one fully on their own game page. I might edit those reviews into this one if it seems necessary but if you looking for a review for each game its probably best to view the page for each game itself because you will get more info that way.

I did however rent Lost Planet ages ago and remember enjoying it and not having time to finish it before returning the game. As for Dead Rising and Devil May Cry I have only ever played the demo's and I enjoyed both of those as well.

Again, this is a great package of games for the price they are at. You will pay much more than this if you bought each one individually.

Review of Two Worlds 2: Game of Year: Pirates of the Flying Fortress Edition

Customer Ratings:

its an ok fantasy adventure game and for 10 bucks well worth it for game and expansion. BE WARNED, it is almost 20 gb download and DOES NOT activate on steam or origin and the process of just installing the game was a real pain for me fyi, my comp is fairly new custom made windows 7. If i had bought this thing near or at full price i would of just asked for a refund.

K so after downloading the 20 gb file, i noticed they split the languages into different FULL GAMES, 2 gb files each. Thats 2 gb for 7 or so dif languages, dont games usually have a more compact way of doing that? Anyways, after the fairly big sized download installing was kinda a bitch. First after downloading and trying to install, it said an error occurred involving the expansions pack not being copied over. I then deleted the file that the download was being installed to and tried again by installing directly in the same file. that way worked. sort of.

HERE IS HOW TO DOWNLOAD IT (worked for me atleast):

-start download from amazon, Remember where you choose to download it b/c u need to find it later!

-go to the file called something like two worlds 2 game of the year pirates of the flying fortress edition, i DID NOT click the install that the amazon downloader said to do b/c i think that could of been one of the many things that messed up my previous attempts

-once in the file click the .exe file with the corresponding language, for english click the one ending in ENG.exe

-I let it install to the default setting which is the same file where it downloaded

-i restarted my comp here

-then go to the newly created two worlds II goty setup file (in the same file where you selected to where to set the download)

-go to install then common then double click twoworlds2.exe

BE SURE to unplug an xbox 360 controller if you have one! this messes up the keyboard layout.

I noticed some glitches after doing certain steps, to fix them i always restarted. If something isn't working always restart instead of re downloading the whole 20 gb AGAIN.

Make sure you have update graphics card drivers aswell.

Also the code for the expansion pack is in the downloaded file ending in flying fortress edition keys.html

I hope this works for you! This is what i did after lookig around the internet. Now time to finally play the damn game!

editu can register the game online and they send u an email saying thanks and give u an ingame code that unlocks something, guess what the freaking code was invalid, just another great example of a good game getting messed up in retarded ways

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UPDATE It all works now 9/28/2012

Thanks to Dennis the Amazon support guy noted below, it all works fine. I was able to move into the rest of the game. Here are some additional comments.

There is a lot of questing available and a large area to discover. I have read some comments about many worlds not being available except to online players, but I have not experienced any of this yet. If I find out otherwise I will update.

I have seen some crashing of late. The fix seems to be to save the game then reload it so I would guess there is some kind of save game corruption. For example, I was in one of the Tombs and some dead dudes attacked (what else do you find in tombs), and every time I tried to attack the game would crash. So on one of the loads, I ran out of the tomb, then saved, then reloaded and went back. All was fine. I have experienced this issue multiple times and as I recall each time I did the same save/load to get around it. At first I thought it was a DX10 issue so I started the DX9 version of the game but after a short time same thing happened.

Things get easier in many ways when you start spending your skill points to update your skills and improving weapons etc. For example, I am a fighter and now have certain skills maxed and my weapon upgraded pretty well. Now many foes die in one blow, some two, a few three. This is much easier than when I had to be careful to fight them one at a time in the beginning. Pay attention and when the going gets tough update the necessary skill or spend the ability points or improve items etc.

Overall this is as good a game as most I have played. The interface still feels a bit clumsy but overall, very fun. I am upping to four stars now that I can really play it and work the more advanced features.

UPDATE Awesome Amazon Support 9/27/2012

Still no fix for the game yet, but I used the call me now support button from my Amazon digital software library page. My phone rang almost instantly, I got 10 seconds of music, and then a young gentleman answered, said hello, I am so-and-so... how can I help you (at least he sounded young). This guy was polite, and easy to talk to. He could not fix my problem yet but..., he could see the history of my account, read all my emails on the problem in question which I could tell because he was able to quote what I said in my emails, and he could see other history on the problem. Seems the issue is common to all who downloaded this game version, and suspects it is because the game version is bundled with an expansion pack (one reason why I bought it), so there might be an additional key required for the expansion. It was a guess on his part but a good one and shows he has some brains. I wish all the software support people I talk too at work could be as good as this guy. He is going to call me back tomorrow with an update. Now that is service.

OK, so this says nothing about the game itself, but WOW!, to actually have a phone number to call and get a real person I can talk about my specific issue, in just minutes, who actually understands the problem and its history etc. etc. and who has what appears to be state of the art problem management software at his disposal... now that is worth an extra star to me.

Well done Amazon. With support like this, I will be buying more games from you. I will post again soon as there is a change.

Hail Flavius!

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Could be a good game but gameplay has been stopped till they figure out activation. Here is my summary so far:

Like

* the introductory play is pretty good. It is clearly a "learning" demo when you start and you get a chance to try out the three basic character types. It is reasonably well done.

Dont' like:

* interface takes a lot of getting used to. This is not your DIABLO style interface. As such there is a lot of re-learning to do. I just do not understand the need to deveat from the standard interface these days. I understand the desire to offer a better experience by offering more control but doing so has a learning curve most of us don't want, so it should be optional. For example Inventory should be opened via "I" key like every other game. Not this game. How about "C" for character development? Not this game. And so on.

* game is prone to causing nausea. This has to do both with the way the screen looks overall, and some stupid idea that whenever the character turns, the screen is "tilted" slightly. Someone may have thought this offered a more realistic sensation but all it does it make me want to toss my cookies. Takes a lot of getting used to and really limits game play to less than one hour at a time (that sucks for any game).

* game manual. The one I got from the amazon download is in german (wonder if this is a clue to the activation issues). Needed to get the english manual from a third party download. Additionally so far this manual is hard to follow. I had to read pretty far in before I found the introductory info I was looking for to start playing (like where is the stupid button to open my inventory and character screens?).

REAL PROBLEMS

* but the biggest problem appears to be activiation issues. Activation seems way too complex and buggy. AMAZON itself is apparently to blame for some of it because the activation keys they are handing out are apparently bad and you have to contact them to get a good one. This is my problem apparently. Once you get so far through the game, you are asked for your key. There are in fact two keys: the amazon key you use for online registration, and the vendor key the maker gives you when you register. Neither works when the game says "demo over, enter key to continue". So now I am in wait mode to see if Amazon can get its act together. Still I can't help but blame the maker of the game as well. They just seem to slough off the issue as "someone else's mistake, don't bother us" even though the problem seems to affect more than just the amazon download. Apparently it has also been reported via Steam and other sources.

* not sure if gameplay is limited for single player. In researching the above issue I have seen comments that make me cringe like "you can only get to explore a small portion of the map in single player. You have to do multiplayer to see the rest of map". Wonder if this means additional fees?

So for now, only two stars. I will update when and if I get a working key to continue but unless things get way better, this game is not destined for historical significance.

Hail Flavius!

Review of Samurai Shodown V - Xbox

Customer Ratings:

Anyone who has played Samusrai Showdown III will know what my review title means. You can't have a real Samurai Showdown video game without the French Femme Fatale.

Anyway, some people may be a little angry that the controls in this game no not match that of the first game. Personally, I like the new set-up. Three slashes and one kick may not make sense, but it's effective. What I don't like is that when you change the button settings in the game, the moves list in the pause-screen menu becomes less helpful: for example, when I changed fierce slahs from trigger L to button A, the list still told me that to execute Charlotte's projectile attack (it had a name, but I can't remember) I still had to end the button combination with either X, Y, or L. This isn't very bothersome if you know all the moves by heart ... I can almost see you Samurai Showdown enthusiasts shaking your heads! Not everyone has played thist series inside out!!

Anyway, the online play would be much better if there were others who played the game. Unfortunately, you'll usually find yourself waiting a long time for an opponent if you create a match or you'll just get the game's error message if you go into quickmatch or optimatch. This is a problem: there are a lot of Samurai Showdown fans and there are a lot of XBox owners, but there are apparently not a lot of Samurai Showdown fans who own XBoxes and have XBox Live. If you want to know if this game is compatible with 360, you'll have to look at another review or ask Microsoft because I don't know. I'm sorry if this review is not helpful. Please vote accordingly so I'll know for sure. If this review is unhelpful, I need not take up valuable space on this website and will delete this review.

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I remember playing this game for hours in the arcade of a bowling alley in high school. We used to play against each other for quarters, and eventually see if we can win the game using one man. The characters, sound effects, game-play, colors, and storyline are outstanding. I know this game is not like todays new games, but this brings back traditional combat games we have grown to love. I definitely recommend this to everyone who loves martial arts, fighting games, and those who would like to challenge all their friends online or perfect their own fighting style with their favorite character.

Best Deals for Samurai Shodown V - Xbox

Plain and simple this game is made for those 2d fighter fans out there who waited years and years to be able to play the 2D games they loved online. This is an excellent port of the Neo Geo original which adds online play as a part of the package.

The graphics are dated and can't compare in sharpness or quality to those in SF3 or any of the GG games, but then again, if you're a Neo fan you already know what to expect. The game runs fast and fluidly both in single player and online. The new characters are ok, but I still tend to play with most of the SS1/SS2 cast. The online ranking system is flawed IMO, as the way it counts wins/losses wasn't very well thought out IMO.

Overall, a solid 2d title with LIVE support and a great price tag. If you're a 2D fighter fan waiting for something new to play on LIVE this is it. Stay tuned for KOF94 Rebout and more from SNK this year!

Honest reviews on Samurai Shodown V - Xbox

Those who played this (or any other SS game) more than once in arcades will love it. New(er) generation of gamers may not.

This is a direct port from the NEOGEO platform. Graphics prove it. They are easily the worst thing in the game. Controls are very smooth and responsive (I gave up playing SF Aniv. Ed. because of its horrible controls). Gameplay is much more advanced then I remember from SS and SS2. Most of the original characters are present, plus a whole bunch of new ones, some good some bad. Sound is a marginal improvement over the previous titles and some character noises are downright annoying. The Arcade mode starts out pretty easy, but gets more difficult after first three challenges.

For those nostalgic for "the way games used to be" this should be a lot of fun. With XBOX Live (Which I don't have) it should be a blast.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Samurai Shodown V - Xbox

I will firstly mention that unlike most of the countless narrow minded attempts at reviewing this game that I have recently read (by so-called professionals), my rating will be one aimed at the hardcore 2D fighting game connoisseur and NOT one aimed at the modern day `give me amazing 3D graphics or I'm not interested' gamer! AND, it will be about the GAME, and not an attempt to impress the viewer with cryptic metaphors and useless pulp.

Games like these are specifically aimed at those who have an appreciation for traditional artwork in games, and characterisation something that most will agree SNK are the grand masters of.

GAMEPLAY

Awesome depending on how much investment of time you put in you will get a lot out of this game. There are many elements to the gameplay that make it timelessly fun. You can dash, duck, retreat, and obviously block, to name a few of the core tactical defensive elements and these really lay the foundations for some speedy epic gameplay, for which the controls a very responsive.

In terms of defence, there is nothing quite like the moments where you and your opponent each exchange blows, each defending one another's blows one after the other until an opening is left, this almost becomes a full blown sword fight at times! And the beauty of it is that unlike your average non-weapon based 2D fighters, you sustain no damage when blocking with weapons (unless you are disarmed), this makes for some very exciting moments which can draw the length of the bout out, giving it an amazingly challenging intensity. In the case that you are disarmed you may get relentlessly slashed at with only your arms to defend you which will cause blood loss and some small damage. The option menu allows you to increase the amount of successful bouts to I think FIVE a piece if I remember correctly which is great if you like an epic lengthy battle.

This game's fun element pays off the most if you wait for the right moments to strike your opponent, instead of button mashing your way through. And to be honest you are not likely to be successful button mashing as the computer A.I. is very good most of the time. The A.I. is at a perfect balance for the most part the computer is equally defensive as it is offensive almost as if you are battling a human controlled opponent, a big plus. Much of the time you will have to study your opponents tactics in order to find openings for the best attack timing (this is something that many reviewers interpret as a severe imbalance because they were not prepared to learn their opponent's strengths and weaknesses, and have another shot)

Knock out's are nice with a slow motion effect kicking in as the looser gets sliced or smashed this is particularly nice when you manage to KO your opponent with Genjuro's grab and stab style move, where you get to hear your opponents innards burst within them as Genjuro lifts them off the ground while he runs them through 2 times in a row with his razor sharp Katana blade. Nice.

It's a shame that SNK Playmore didn't release the `Special' version of Samurai Shodown V for PS2/XBOX which has the death moves, but it's understandable that with it being the final NEO GEO AES/MVS release that they wanted to keep it exclusive. This game still has enough to it to be worth your time despite it only being the standard release though don't be swayed.

GRAPHICS/PRESENTATION

Good and again I remind you that I aim this review at hardcore 2D fighting game connoisseurs and budding enthusiasts alike.

The sprite animation is not particularly consistent, but there is worse out there. It makes the grade at least. There are certain animations that are very fluid indeed leaving you with a satisfied `arcade reminiscent' feeling. Characters all have their own distinct stances and personalities the animation conveys these very well and it gives the game a very interesting look. I personally find that having the colour/brightness settings on my TV lower than typical helps as it gives the graphics a less cartoony look and more of a washed out look which helps give the game the darker more brooding atmosphere that it lacks slightly compared with earlier games in the series. Because the characters may be stylised caricatures, but they are apparently loosely based on real people way back in history who had motives as dark as those conveyed in the game.

The zooming in and out effect is used with fluidity just as it was in the arcade. Backdrops are pretty good not the best I have seen by any means, but they are colourful and set the scene nicely. What's nice about the backdrops is they extend beyond the top of the screen with separate layers for horizon detail which is nice to see as you get pummelled up into the sky by your opponent or vice-versa.

SOUND/MUSIC

Very nice You get `chings' and `changs' of colliding metal weapons, slicing flesh sounds, monotone spurting blood sounds all very effective and best if you have your console linked up to a hi-fi system so you can really feel the bass impact of the body blows or when a body hits the deck. The battle cries are brilliant for the most part each character has more of these than you would find in your typical 2D fighter which keeps it interesting. Some of the characters have some repetitive battle cries which can become a little irritating, but hey, this just gives you an incentive to decimate them a whole lot faster! A little annoying but you just overlook it because for the most part battle grunts and such are modest and realistic. It tends to be the quirkier characters that are a little more flamboyant in this department.

Music is good some good variation some stages are up-tempo and energetic while others are more sombre or melancholy, but all done with the distinct traditional Japanese instruments which sets the scene just right, and at times create almost a ghostly atmosphere excellent.

IN A NUTSHELL

Basically if you're like me and LOVE the oldskool 2D fighters for their unique feel and have been deprived of a decent Samurai Shodown game because you didn't have the money or the right console or whatever the case may be BUY THIS. As long as you expect a strictly oldskool affair and don't build yourself up into thinking its trying to be something more than what it's actually aiming to be, it's money well spent.

PlayStation 3 160GB Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Bundle Reviews

Customer Ratings:

Necessary disclosure: I do not own this model but do I own the 60GB model, recently upgraded to 320GB. I am also very familiar with the latest 80GB model (which is basically this one with a larger disk) because one of my neighbors has one and I am the neighborhood's unofficial and unpaid 'computer' consultant :). I did some research in anticipation of us purchasing a second unit because I promised the kids "their own" if their grades were going to meet a certain standard.

As compared to the 60GB model (see this model's pluses and minuses and what all PS3s have in common):

______________________________________________

+ Less expensive (I paid $599 for my 60GB PS3)

+ 266% more storage

+ Improved power efficiency

+ Dual shock controller (rumble)

+ Bundled Drake's Fortune and Pain voucher for a PSN download

+ Amazon Blu-ray movies promotion (buy 4 movies from list and get $100 off through end of 2008)

= Wireless Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet network connections

= Bluetooth for controllers, keyboards, earpieces, etc.

= Controllers charged via USB wires

= Free, unlimited access to the PSN network, including online play

= Full PSOne compatibility

= Blu-ray player

= DVD player

= CD player

= HDMI, component video (component wire included but no HDMI cable)

= Surround sound

= Internet browser

= Allows for installation of third-party operating systems such as Linux

= Disk is easily upgradeable without voiding warranty

= Quiet operation

No memory card interfaces

2 USB ports vs. 4 USB ports on the 60GB

No PS2 compatibility

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STORAGE and STORAGE UPGRADE:

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This model comes with an 160GB drive. This is nice because, based on my own experience, 160GB should be sufficient for a few years of use for as long as you don't plan to purchase lots of movies from the PSN store or download to many full games if you are thiking about storing movies on your PS3 disk, consider upgrading to larger storage. However, unless you believe that Uncharted + Pain are worth the extra $100, you may be slightly better off buying the 80GB model for $100 less and then upgrading.

To give you an idea of the amount of storage you may need on your PS3, I recently checked the status of my 320GB disk and I found that I had 198GB free. That means that, one year after purchasing my (then) 60GB box I was using 122GB already. The space is taken by family pictures, a little music, lots of demos, many 'disk' games that dump gigabytes of data to the disk to improve performance, many videos the kids are making with the 'Eye' camera, game saves. I suspect that 'Home', when it becomes available, may require a few more GB's for its own use so 320GB may be what you need if you don't want to constantly worry about deleting old stuff before you run out of space.

If you are on the upgrade path, $80 would buy you a 320GB drive. I used the Western Digital WD3200BEVT 320 GB Scorpio Sata 5400 Rpm 8MB 2.5 inch myself but that was back in June/July and I paid about $150 then; you could get much larger drives for less now. 500GB drives are available for less than $100 and you should try to get one of those if you are planning to store lots of videos. One that I tested would be the Western Digital 500GB Scorpio Blue SATAII 5400RPM 2.5IN 8MB Bulk/OEM Hard Drive WD5000BEVT which replaced my laptop's 60GB little drive and I helped a friend upgrade his own PS3 with. The nice thing about upgrading your disk is that you are also going to be left with a perfectly good 80GB or $160GB drive which you can place into a cheap enclosure, and the StarTech AT2510U2 InfoSafe 2.5-Inch USB/SATA Hard Drive Enclosure worked for me. I am using the free leftover drive as a backup device for family photos.

Upgrading the disk is (relatively) easy and you can find a lot of advice on the Net. Search for "PlayStation 3 Hard Drive Upgrade (HOWTO)" for videos that should help you decide if you are comfortable with upgrading. If upgrading is the first thing you do (before installing games or uploading personal files), everything becomes very easy because you need not worry about backups or restores. I upgraded my box in a couple of hours WITH the backup/restore steps.

MEMORY CARD INTERFACES:

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The lack of memory card interfaces is annoying but you can get around it. Copy your stuff to a USB drive or flash drive and... problem solved. You can then upload your things through the USB. It's somewhat inconvenient but it's no big deal.

USB PORTS:

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My old 60GB model has 4 USB ports and I am using all of them. One for the PS3 Eye (camera), a second has a wireless keyboard dongle, the third is where the racing wheel plugs in and the last one I use to charge controllers. Of course, you can and you WILL be able to live with 2 slots but it is likely that you will be doing some plugging/unplugging if you begin adding peripherals. One way around it is to get a USB port multiplexer. Another solution is seek Bluetooth peripherals (wireless) if you can find them. Bluetooth keyboards, for example, are available.

PS2 COMPATIBILITY:

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This model does not support PS2 software. Since the original PS2-compatible PS3's are hard to get, this has to be accepted as reality. I assume that Sony, after polling existing and future PS3 users, found that most users don't need PS2 compatibility. Soon after we upgraded to a PS3 my kids were playing Kingdom Hearts and Destroy All Humans but I haven't seen them doing so in quite a while. It is nice to have PS2 compatibility but its lacking would not stop me from buying a PS3.

PSOne GAMES:

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The PS3 has full PSOne compatilibity. Lots of them are available for download at the PSN store. They are quite inexpensive and some of them are still fun to play.

SUMMARY:

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If you like Drake's and you do not consider upgrading, buy THIS model. In fact, you should buy this model regardless of Drake's because you are likely to be unhappy with an unupgraded 80GB model like I mentioned above, I am already using over 120GB and this is BEFORE Home.

If you are planning to upgrade, you're better off with an 80GB model selling for $100 less because you can use the $100 you save to buy yourself Drake's for about $40 and use the balance to help pay for your disk upgrade.

Get yourself a USB port multiplexer if you need more than 2 ports

Transfer your photos to flash drives to get around the missing memory card interfaces

Or or, even better, get the Playstation 3 Media Hub+ for 2 extra USB ports AND a card reader

Keep your PS2 if you have one and still wish to play PS2 games in the future.

Enjoy your new PS3.

_____________________

Note: I am not taking off one star for the lack of PS2 compatibility. I understand that Sony must compete on price and make a profit and times are tough. However, I simply can't see why Sony cut the number of USB ports from 4 down to 2 and this explains why this unit gets 4 stars instead of 5. This is a relatively significant inconvenience and I can't see how it would cost Sony more than a dollar or 2 if it provided 4 ports instead of 2.

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When I was looking for Blu Ray DVD players, the PlayStation came out on top of every review I read. So I started looking at games available for the system and saw the review for the Uncharted game over on Gamespot. Uncharted looked like the best game for me, and considering the other bundles available, this seemed like a good deal, with a larger hard drive, (we all need more space) Uncharted, and PAIN all included.

First of all the SIXAXIS controller is fantastic. Easy to hold, easy to use, bluetooth wireless, and it has motion sensing capabilities like the Wii. In Uncharted you have to use that feature to toss grenades and balance as you cross some objects.

Second, the DVD player is wonderful. Since the wireless features are bluetooth there is another remote available to play DVDs. But, I don't think you need it. You can use the game controller easy enough. Anyone familiar with the interface on a PC or MAC DVD player will instantly get it.

The menu system on the PlayStation has been criticized in some reviews, but I don't get that at all. It is very easy, and the same interface is used on their Bravia TVs. I wish more electronics had menus like this. I have used FrontRow on the Macs, and I like this better.

The wireless feature configured on the first try with my network, which has two layers of security. I have more trouble getting some of my Macs on my network, than the PlayStation.

Finally, Uncharted is nothing short of amazing. Imagine you are part of an Indy Jones or National Treasure movie. That is the experience. Period. The music track gives clues to when you are heading in the right direction, and Nate Drake has awesome moves once you get used to the controller.

PAIN is ok, more funny than a real challenge. I suppose you could take it seriously, but it is best to just fling the character at everything in site and then use the controls to bounce and hit as much as possible. The physics is very realistic, and there is no blood. Great game when you just relieve some stress by smashing something.

If you are looking for a BluRay player or a game system, this is really the best value. I compared to the Xbox and with that system you have to keep buying extras to build up to the capabilities of this single purchase. In other words, don't just focus on the lowest price, consider the total value. For example, many of the games you can download from the PlayStation store are about $10, and the PlayStation network is free. Not to mention all the free demo games, movie trailers, movie and tv show downloads that are free or just a few bucks.

I could probably find enough free demos to play all year, but I made the mistake of visiting the Prince of Persia web site and now I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Uncharted alone would make this a deal, but add 160GB hard drive, and a BluRay player--don't think, do. Get this system.

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I have never really been a PlayStation fan since purchasing the very first PlayStation nearly 10 years ago. As a result most of my console gaming was on Nintendo's and Microsoft's consoles. However, between my XBOX Pro and Elite consoles, I have had to send them back them to Microsoft seven times in less than two years. Even the "more reliable" Elite console had to be returned twice last year. I decided that I spent too much money for that kind of unreliability so I reluctantly contemplated a PS3 purchase. Now before all of you Microsoft fan boys start calling this a fan boy review, think again; I call them as I see them and I never really understood why someone just can't have two or all three of the gaming systems anyway. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy my XBOX 360 console, have around 25 XBOX 360 games, and still play it regularly. However when I spend nearly a grand on two Microsoft consoles, I expect them to last longer than a few months. I don't know about you, but I work hard for my money, paying for all my things out of my own pocket and I refuse to spend another dime on Microsoft's money pit of faulty consoles.

The main reason I purchased a PS3 was because I was in the market for a Blu-Ray player. However during extensive research I discovered that the Blu-Ray player on the PS3 is one of the best on the market, and while I'm not a big fan of multipurpose gaming consoles, I decided on the PS3 opposed to a standalone due to my countless issues with the XBOX 360. I may end up getting a standalone Blu-Ray player eventually, but for now the PS3 will suffice. The Blu-Ray player does not disappoint; however since this is my first experience with a Blu-Ray player, I don't have anything to compare it to other than DVD players. That said I never experienced any issue with the playback on the PS3. The first movie I purchased was The Dark Knight and comparing the video quality to my DVD player I do see a big difference. While DVD's certainly look good, the Blu-Ray does in fact show a noticeable difference. Honestly I don't notice much difference in audio, but this could be because I have a very old A/V receiver. The Blu-Ray player on the PS3 also up converts regular DVD's (with an HDMI cable). To me, the up-converting is ok, but I prefer using my standalone for watching regular DVD's.

One huge advantage the PS3 has over the 360 is that Sony doesn't nickel and dime you on accessories like Microsoft does. An example of this is that the PS3 has built in wireless internet capability instead of making you spend a hundred bucks on an "adapter". Additionally, all A/V connections in the back of the console are spaced out so you can use multiple A/V outputs (i.e. using HDMI video with optical sound) without having to spend an additional fifty bucks on yet ANOTHER adapter. Also, the PS3 controller can be charged with the included USB cable and you are not forced to purchase a battery pack and a separate charger. Finally, all memberships to the Sony PlayStation network (the equivalent to XBOX Live) are absolutely free. Meaning it's free to play games online without having to pay ANOTHER fifty/year for a "Gold membership"; granted while it is not that much, free is always better. Keep in mind that you still have to pay for some downloads, but you aren't charged just to be member.

One small complaint I had right off the bat is that unlike the 360 I am unable to output optical sound to my receiver and HDMI sound to my television simultaneously. I found the ability to do this on the 360 to be quite convenient since when everyone is in the bed I can play games with the receiver volume turned all the way down and just use the sound on the TV. However with the PS3 you can only choose one or the other at a given time. So before I start playing games, I have to choose in the Audio Settings screen if I want to use HDMI sound through the TV or optical sound through my receiver every time. My receiver does not have HDMI capability so I do not know if this limitation applies if both the TV and Receiver have HDMI capability.

This PS3 package comes bundled with Uncharted: Drake's Fortune which is a very good game to start off with. Once you are done with this game you can easily download demos from the PlayStation network to check out other titles you are curious about.

Keep in mind that to cut costs, Sony decided to do away with backwards compatibility with PS2 games. Neither of the current versions of the PS3 can play PS2 games. Because I have no PS2 games, this is not a concern for me and since I'm one to keep my old consoles, backwards compatibility has NEVER been a concern for me. However, if you are one that wishes to play PS2 games, then I suggest getting one of the older model PS3's or just purchase a PS2 separately since they are inexpensive now.

So far the PS3 seems like a good console. Available titles are limited for me since I have most of the good cross platform games on the 360 already. Drake's Fortune is a good start, but I am hoping for more worthy PS3 titles in the near future. Reliability wise, I have experienced a couple of game freezes, but restarting the system seemed to clear the problem. Only time will tell it it's more reliable than the 360. I could be wrong, but I highly doubt I will go through 3 4 per year as I have with the 360.

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This is not my first console ever. I switched from Xbox classic and 360 and this was the best decision I've ever made. Free online gaming, much smoother running, hundreds of extra features and utilities, and now also the Playstation Home coming up makes Playstation3 absolutely unmatched by any of the others. This is the ultimate gaming and home entertainment system I'll be sure to stick to for many, many years to come. I highly recommend it to everyone in the whole world. You will know what I'm talking about when you get it. I also want to thank the lousy and completely useless XBox360 technical support who has opened my eyes and made me switch to Playstation3. I hope this inspires lots of other gamers who decided to settle for an OK system to make the same switch I did and treat themselves with the right stuff.

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The PS3 was first released in November 2006, just one year after its competition, the XBOX 360. What can be said for the console since its release back on that amazing day in 2006? Well one thing is that it continues to evolve even to this day thanks to new releases with bigger hard drives and numerous software patches to be downloaded for free through the Playstation network (PSN). Sony are a company that listen to their fans and although upon first release the creators think they know what's best, they are more than willing to develop the interface and the experience through feedback from gamers.

The XBOX 360 was released 1 year earlier than the PS3 because Microsoft wanted to get the jump on Sony by releasing their console for Christmas 2005 which presented absolutely no gaming competition. Good move from a business stand point, but this only hindered the XBOX experience with the numerous hardware faults including the dreaded red ring of death. Fans were angry and frustrated and certainly a lot of them felt robbed by Microsoft's shoddy hardware blunders. The PS3 was the saving grace as although we had to wait an additional year for it to be released, the wait was worth it.

The look of the PS3 is something I want to talk about first. The external appearance is something we all notice first and it's definitely something that made me buy it. Next to hardware, the look of a console on the outside and in the interface is definitely something quite important I take into consideration when deciding a purchase. The GUI (Graphical User Interface) is again something that looks very pretty and of course presents an easy to navigate interface. The PS3 GUI is known as the XrossMediaBar or the XMB. It is split into 9 categories. Users, Settings, Photo, Music, Video, Game, PSN, Network and Friends all make up an easy to find system when you're looking to perform a particular task within the operating system.

I don't know much about hardware and the technical stuff, but they've all been touched upon in other reviews so I'm going to just talk about the little add ons that really make it a worthwhile experience to buy this console. The PSN is one of its best selling points for the PS3 as although the 7th generation of gaming has taken a more positive leap to internet gaming, the fact that joining the PSN and being able to play your friends online is free wins it many fans. The wireless controllers are again another fantastic addition. This may be considered reaching for complements but it's the small things that have the biggest impact. Bluetooth and built in wireless internet capability are just immense considering if you want stuff like this, you have to buy the extras for the XBOX 360 to allow for such freedom

My favourite thing to do with the console is to be able to plug in my external hard drive and watch any film I have stored on my PS3. It seems to have the ability to play any video format on the PS3 and although that may not be the case, I'm happy and as a gamer, that's all that matters. Thanks to recent updates, Sony has now introduced the very welcome Trophy system which is a way of matching Microsoft's achievement system. Some would say it's better, others would say it doesn't matter, but to me it makes the gaming experience that bit more worth it.

The whole point of the PS3 is the gaming experience and that is the right approach to take which has worked wonders for Sony. No widespread hardware problems and no noise problems which were two of my main complaints about the PS3. It wasn't a rushed console and you can tell that from the start. It's an immense experience and just over two years on it has an impressive games catalogue that is guaranteed to get better and better. There's no doubting that even though it is just two years on, there's a PS4 at least at the discussion point of development and we probably won't see a finished article for about 4 or even 5 years.

That being said, I hope Sony learn a lot from this console and understand where they went wrong and what they did right. At this point, with all the software updates and other such changes, the PS3 is near enough the perfect console. One thing that does bug me a little is the constant new releases with larger hard drives and better add ons such as PS2 backwards compatibility. When we do see a PS4 we should get a large hard drive to begin with but if upgrades of hard drive space are made available, then we should be given an easy way to upgrade the hard drive without having to be a techno type of guy and having to take apart the console.

Just buy it, you won't regret it, I promise.

Reviews of Cabela's Big Game Hunter Hunting Party with Gun - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $69.99
Sale Price: $29.24
Today's Bonus: 58% Off

You're very active with the progress. As others have mentioned, you have to calibrate it constantly, but I found that it's easier if the Kinect sensor is mounted 5 feet above the ground, and you do it exactly like the demo says you should (not half@$$ing it) and it works well, I've never had accuracy issues. It is certainly a bit repetitive in some aspects, but so is any game once you've played it a dozen times. However, I don't think the default 1 star reviews do this game justice.

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A huge hit for our hunting nephew (10 yrs old) but his cousins had fun too (13, 15). The added rifle makes the game.

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My grandson is having fun with the game. I guess that is the best endorsement that you could hope for.

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I like the game is very fun. It is still a work out to play but worth it all the way

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I ordered this for my Son for Christmas. It was they only one I could find for his XBox Kinect and the price was great! No problems with delivery it came fast and in time for Christmas.

Velvet Assassin Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $4.99
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I picked this up from Steam after its initial release. The game seemed to be getting decent player reviews and that usually helps me decide to buy a game or not.

Velvet Assassin is a stealth game at heart. If you've played any of the Splinter Cell games you will be right at home here. However, unlike the PC version of Splinter Cell games this seems to be more geared toward the consoles or XBox 360.

You play as a British spy or secret agent (like James Bond) which is actually a female that has been hospitalized after a unknown tragic accident. As you play through the story you will have various tasks to complete like destroying a fuel depot. Your main task is to get to your targets without being noticed by killing anyone that gets in your way. It's a simple and effective stealth concept however the way you perform these tasks is a bit arcadish compared to many other PC stealth games of the past.

The controls are geared toward a XBox control scheme. You can not navigate the main menus with the PC mouse just the keyboard. The stealth kills are animated cut-sceens which are a bit cheesy to me. Climbing latters, going through doors or crawling under objects are not shown in real time as you will appear on the other side without actually going through the motions.

What saves this game is it's errie and surreal stealth atmosphere. The story is not bad but can get confusing sometimes especially on what happened to her and why she is in the hospital. The music is well placed as you will her creepy sounds when your inside dark hallways and buildings.

The graphics are wonderful and very vibrate. I liked how the designers use color to set the mode in various levels. One level you may have bright reds and oranges and in another level you will have dark greens and blues. This is very creative to make the atmosphere look right for the story plot.

Overall, this game is not very long and you will finish it fairly quickly if you have played these types of games before. I didn't like the console feel but it seems more PC games are just becoming XBox ports where the only difference is that it will play on a PC rather than a console system. This is sad that developers are that cheap and I feel this game is way too expensive for the quality you get. The gameplay does not warrent $50 as the publishers suggest. My advise is to wait until this game comes down to $30 or below due to the length, quality and the fact that there is no multiplayer. You can replay missions in different ways which adds little replay value.

If your looking for a WWII stealth game where you can play as a female British secret agent that stabs Nazi soldiers to death in a immersive atmosphere then Velvet Assassin is a good game. Just don't pay full price for a average steatlh game that resembles a console game to the "T".

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I was curious about this game, since it's release. When I got the opportunity to pick it up...I was pretty amazed. The Physx graphics are good. Gameplay has a bit of a learning curve, but once you figure out the moves, etc...this game is a decent challenge and worth buying. the story was based on a real life WWII British assassin. For the price...the gameplay is fun!

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First the basics:

Video 4.5; Positives include generally crisp resolution in higher settings, excellent use of light and shadow, unique coloring for mood and place. Negatives are few, but I found a couple of scenes too dark in the middle distance to see a foe, and the colors could get a little monotonous.

Sound 5; excellent sound and musical score matched the atmosphere and locations well. Sound effectively used to generate tension when hunted, reinforce atmosphere. German voices add to atmospheric effect and are correct. Screams of people caught in a burning church were appalingly realistic and made me rush to try to save them, immersing me thoroughly (though very disturbing). Music genuinely haunting, especially end theme.

Gameplay 3.5; Positives include stealth ability (similar to Splinter Cell and actually a little like the Theif games. Negatives are the "dream-like" morphine rush, which I never used beyond the first mission because it detrated from the realism and you do not have to to win, the inability to pick up dropped weapons (other than the morphine rush, perhaps the single most unrealistic element of the game), and the fact that generally you can avoid the enemy AI by using vertical movement (go up or down a stair and they lose you). They also seem to lose interest if you stay hidden for ahwile, which is not too realistic, either, but makes sense as a trade-off for gameplay.

Atmosphere 5; like the old Thief games, with their dark visuals and eery music and sound themes, I found myself quite immersed and absorbed in this experience. Teh story is interesting if a bit difficult to pull together early as it's told in falshbacks of a sort. The last missions, from escaping the hospital and then heading into the village, in which Violette is running around in her undies with a Luger, knife and StG43 (one of the first assault rifles, invented by the Germans of course :-)) stretched credulity to some extent; I mean, just where is she stashing the guns and ammo and knife anyway...? The cinematics for stealth kills are actually pretty good, though randomized (might show you using the butt of your shotgun instead of the knife in the groin). I especially liked how Violette gets much more brutal as she vents her frustration and hatred on her targets starting in the hospital escape, often killing them and then stabbing them again and again with abandon nice way of seeing her state of mind.

Replayability 2; Not much, unless you want to play it again at a differnt difficulty level or try some different tactics to maximize experience points, collectibles, etc...

Commentary: Overall, I found the game one of the more enjoyable and engaging PC stealth shooters I have played in some time, despite being an obvious console port (bummer, I pine for the good old days when the PC was king...sigh). Just so you know my bias, I really enjoyed the Thief and Splinter Cell games, and to some extent Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (in stealth mode). If you like this type of game, even if a bit linear, appreciate the drama of WW2 espionage and well crafted, atmospheric envionments accented by solid visuals combined with excellent sound effects and music, you will like this game. Be warned as with Thief and Splinter Cell, you cannot 'run and gun' your way through this and live.

Recomended "extra": Use the flare gun for a treat screaming Nazis on fire. Or hit the tank on the flamethrower troops for a similar effect suh-weeeet. And bottom line, what can be better than killing Nazis with a knife, from behind, or roasting them alive?

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Southpeak delivered my purchase of Velvet Assassin on time and on the exact date shipping said I would receive the product. As far as I am concerned they appear to be a reliable vendor.

The game itself is very worthy of its price tag. Although, I believe Steam is selling it for slightly less at $1.99 $2.99. I think. Gameplay is exceptional yet not spectacular. If you own a console I would recommend Splinter Cell: Blacklist. In the genre of stealth video games it rates very high.

Velvet Assassin is not an easy game. I am running Windows 7 on a Dell Inspiron 570 Desktop PC, 64-bit processor with 2.00 GB RAM. As a result of my PC not being built for gaming I had to run Velvet Assassin on the lowest settings possible.

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Like many others here, I like a great stealth game. Thief comes to mind, as do the Splinter Cell games, and I liked them all. Even played Deus Ex HR through trying to be stealth.

Velvet Assassin is a good try. Its set in dreary WW2 settings, and you get to kill all sorts of nazis, so that makes it at least worth trying. Its based on a real life WW2 assassin and secret agent, as well as has cool locations, so that makes it visually appealing in general.

Its a truly austere game, where you get a knife, and a couple of bullets here and there, but there are minimal resources, and you have to make the best of what you can find. I like a good challenge, so I did in fact enjoy parts of the game.

Now for the bad news. As many people have commented, it does suffer from bad consolitis... The worst being that its a checkpoint save system, with sometimes HUGE wait times for a save. You can spend 30 minutes trying to carefully take out several opponents, and then at the last minute, find that you're dead from some minuscule thing you didn't see. Then you have to play the same 30 minute section over and over and over and over. This kills games for me every time. I'm just sick and tired of this showing up in more and more games.... are quicksaves really all that hard to code into a game? Its just lazy on the part of the game developers.

Another unfortunate thing, which I could probably overlook if there were quicksaves, is the fact that sometimes, the enemies seem to know you're there, they come after you and kill you, even though you have no idea why. So no quicksaves, with random deaths, make it just unplayable for long periods of time.

I guess if you have lots of time on your hands, then this could be a good game. Its too bad actually, as the game overall has massive potential, but was failed miserably by the awful save system, and random deaths.

Just a bit of additional balance would have made this a solid 4 star game.